Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
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Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. · Feb 2014
PACAP receptor gene polymorphism impacts fear responses in the amygdala and hippocampus.
We have recently found higher circulating levels of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a highly traumatized cohort of women but not men. Furthermore, a single nucleotide polymorphism in the PACAP receptor gene ADCYAP1R1, adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 1 receptor type 1, was associated with individual differences in PTSD symptoms and psychophysiological markers of fear and anxiety. The current study outlines an investigation of individual differences in brain function associated with ADCYAP1R1 genotype. ⋯ The risk genotype was associated with increased reactivity of the amygdala and hippocampus to threat stimuli and decreased functional connectivity between the amygdala and hippocampus. The findings indicate that the PACAP system modulates medial temporal lobe function in humans. Individual differences in ADCYAP1R1 genotype may contribute to dysregulated fear circuitry known to play a central role in PTSD and other anxiety disorders.
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Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. · Feb 2014
Conformal piezoelectric energy harvesting and storage from motions of the heart, lung, and diaphragm.
Here, we report advanced materials and devices that enable high-efficiency mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion from the natural contractile and relaxation motions of the heart, lung, and diaphragm, demonstrated in several different animal models, each of which has organs with sizes that approach human scales. A cointegrated collection of such energy-harvesting elements with rectifiers and microbatteries provides an entire flexible system, capable of viable integration with the beating heart via medical sutures and operation with efficiencies of ∼2%. Additional experiments, computational models, and results in multilayer configurations capture the key behaviors, illuminate essential design aspects, and offer sufficient power outputs for operation of pacemakers, with or without battery assist.