Our results support the growing view that early-life adversity can cause structural changes reasonably associated with adult behaviour, and emphasise that the study of such changes benefits from a sex-based analysis.Preterm infants often suffer from impaired postnatal brain development, and glutamate excitotoxicity is identified as a pivotal mechanism of hyperoxia-induced neurological abnormality. We aimed to investigate the effect of short time hyperoxia on glutamate homeostasis and glutamate transporters expressions in immature brain. Six-day-old (P6) rat pups were exposed to 80% oxygen for 24 h (the hyperoxia group) or placed in atmospheric air (the control group). The concentrations of glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in immature cerebrum and cerebellum at P7, P14 and P21 were determined by ELISA. The mRNA levels of glutamate transporters including excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1), EAAT2, EAAT3, vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) and VGLUT2 in brain were determined by qPCR. Glutamate accumulation was induced by hyperoxia both in immature cerebrum and cerebellum at P7 but got gradually attenuated at P14 and P21, as evidenced by the changes of glutamate and GABA concentrations. Hyperoxia also induced sustained glutamatic oxidative stress in both cerebrum and cerebellum, as GSH (reduced glutathione) levels in the hyperoxia group were constantly higher than the control group at three examined time-points. Furthermore, at P7, the expressions of all glutamate transporters decreased in both cerebrum and cerebellum except that of EAAT1. At P21, VGLUT2 in cerebrum and EAAT1, EAAT3 and VGLUT2 in cerebellum still displayed significant decrease in expression levels upon hyperoxia stimulation. Taken together, our results indicate that hyperoxia induces glutamate accumulation in brain of rat pups, which is associated with increased oxidative stress and decreased expressions of glutamate transporters.Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) regulates several cellular processes including survival, proliferation, and metabolism. In the brain, PTEN is a key modulator of synaptic function, and is involved in regulating synaptogenesis, connectivity, and synaptic plasticity. Herein we discuss how alterations in PTEN can disturb these mechanisms, thus compromising normal synaptic function and consequently contributing to behavioral and cognitive phenotypes observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As the role of PTEN in synaptic function is linked to ASD, a deeper understanding of this interaction will shed light on the pathological mechanisms involved in ASD, contributing to the development of new therapies. Profiling of oral microbiota has traditionally been performed using conventional methods. These methods are relatively time-consuming and labor-intensive. Metagenomic analysis of oral microbiota using high-speed next-generation sequencing is a highly promising technology. However, it is expensive. This study sought to develop a simple and cost-effective profiling method for oral microbiota using 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal RNA genes. Oral isolates of 59 bacterial species from human saliva, including Streptococcus, Actinomyces, and Veillonella, were cultured anaerobically on CDC Anaerobe 5% sheep blood agar plates. Genomic DNA was extracted from single colonies and 16S rRNA genes were PCR-amplified using the 27F and 1492R universal primers. The PCR products were purified and characterized by single digestion with HpaII restriction endonuclease. 16S rRNA gene sequences were obtained from the GenBank database, and the expected restriction profiles were compared with the RFLP patterns obtained from agarose gel electrophoresis. Sixty-five RFLP patterns were obtained from 27 genera and 59 species. The expected fragment sizes of these species were calculated based on GenBank 16S rRNA gene sequences. Fifty-nine patterns were obtained from the analysis of GenBank sequences. The RFLP patterns produced with HpaII distinguished many oral bacterial species. RFLP patterns enabling identification of oral bacteria were generated. The 16S rRNA gene PCR-RFLP analysis did not require expensive equipment and reagents and was cost-effective. PCR-RFLP analysis based on 16S rRNA genes could be an alternative method for oral microbiota analysis in smaller laboratories.PCR-RFLP analysis based on 16S rRNA genes could be an alternative method for oral microbiota analysis in smaller laboratories.Musculoskeletal pain is an aversive experience that exists within a variety of conditions and can result in significant impairment for individuals. Gaining greater understanding of the factors related to pain vulnerability and resilience to musculoskeletal pain may help target at-risk individuals for early intervention. This analysis builds on our previous work identifying regions where greater gray matter density was associated with lower pain following standardized, exercise induced musculoskeletal injury. Here we sought to examine the relationship between baseline resting state functional connectivity in a priori regions and networks, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) pain intensity following a single session of eccentric exercise in healthy adults. Participants completed a baseline functional MRI scan and a high intensity trunk exercise protocol in the erector spinae. Pain intensity ratings were collected 48-hours later. Resting state functional connectivity from four seed regions and 3 networks were separately regressed on pain intensity scores. Results revealed that connectivity between left middle frontal gyrus, the left occipital gyrus and cerebellar network seeds and clusters associated with discriminative, emotional, and cognitive aspects of pain were associated with lower post-DOMS pain. Autophinib inhibitor Results suggest resilience to clinically relevant pain is associated with aspects of regional and network neural coherence. Investigations of pain modulatory capacity that integrate multimodal neuroimaging metrics are called for. Perspective Our results provide key support for the role of structural and functional coherence in regional and network connectivity in adaptive pain response and represent an important step in clarifying neural mechanisms of resilience to clinically relevant pain.