UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress (OS), whereas those in CA3 are resistant. To uncover mechanisms for selective CA1 vulnerability to OS, we...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Place fields of hippocampal pyramidal cells expand asymmetrically when adult rats repeatedly follow the same route. This behaviorally-induced expression of neuronal plasticity utilizes an NMDA_R-dependent,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Despite their wide use, the physiological relevance of organotypic slices remains controversial. Such cultures are prepared at 5 days postnatal. Although some local circuitry remains intact, they develop...Full Text Available

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Summary Metabotropic GABAB receptors play a fundamental role in modulating the excitability of neurons and circuits throughout the brain. These receptors influence synaptic transmission by inhibiting presynaptic release or activating postsynaptic potassium channels. However, their ability to directly influence different types of postsynaptic glutamate receptors remains unresolved. Here we examine GABAB receptor modulation in layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons from the mouse prefrontal cortex. We use two-photon laser-scanning microscopy to study synaptic modulation at individual dendritic spines. Using two-photon optical quantal analysis, we first demonstrate robust presynaptic modulation of multivesicular release at single synapses. Using two-photon glutamate uncaging, we then reveal that GABAB r...

Science.gov (United States)

Spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), a form of Hebbian plasticity, is inherently stabilizing. Whether and how GABAergic inhibition influences STDP is not well understood. Using a model neuron driven by converging inputs modifiable by STDP, we determined that a sufficient level of inhibition was critical to ensure that temporal coherence (correlation among presynaptic spike times) of synaptic inputs, rather than initial strength or number of inputs within a pathway, controlled postsynaptic spike timing. Inhibition exerted this effect by preferentially reducing synaptic efficacy, the ability of inputs to evoke postsynaptic action potentials, of the less coherent inputs. In visual cortical slices, inhibition potently reduced synaptic efficacy at ages during but not before the critical period of ocular dominance (OD) plasticity. Whole-cell recordings revealed that the amplitude of unitary IPSCs from parvalbumin positive (Pv+) interneurons to ...

CERN Document Server

We give a new Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin operator for the superstring. It implies a quadratic gauge-fixed action, and a new gauge-invariant action with first-class constraints.The infinite pyramid of spinor ghosts appears in a simple way through ghost gamma matrices.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The network of coupled neurons in the pre-Bötzinger complex (pBC) of the medulla generates a bursting rhythm, which underlies the inspiratory phase of respiration. In some of these neurons,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) consists of GABA-containing neurons that form reciprocal synaptic connections with thalamic relay nuclei. Excitatory synaptic innervation of TRN neurons arises from...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Feedback controls of estrogen in LHRH-1 neurons play a pivotal role in reproductive function. However, the mechanism of estrogen action in LHRH-1 neurons is still unclear. In the present study, the...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Dopaminergic neurons of the ventral midbrain fire high frequency bursts when animals are presented with unexpected rewards, or stimuli that predict reward. To identify the afferents that can...Full Text Available

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Radon concentration measurements were made in the interior of the great pyramid of ''Cheops'' at Giza. Measurements were carried out using CR-39 as a solid state nuclear track detector. The CR-39 sheets were placed inside the Queen's and King's chambers and along the ascending corridor leading to them. An evaluation of the radon concentration is presented and discussed. (author).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Calculation method for pyramidal horn radiators (PHR) with curvilinear generatrix has been developed on the basis of the theory of waveguide tapers. This method makes it possible to reduce the value of spurious reflection coefficients and transformation of the principal wave into waves of higher order modes by forming generatrixes of walls with specific curvilinearity.

Science.gov (United States)

... (1993). The ferrets were anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium and maintained in an areflexic state using a continuous ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown Ge nanodots are found to come in a clear trimodal island distribution of huts, pyramids, and domes when grown on (001)Si at 550 deg. C. The island types appear in this order as Ge coverage increases and for a certain coverage all three types are found to coexist at this growth temperature. Previously Ge nanodots have mostly been divided into huts and domes at growth temperatures below 600 deg. C, or pyramids and domes above 600 deg. C. The (105) faceted pyramidal and elongated huts and the multifaceted domes are well known, but a distinction has not previously been seen between huts and a separate size distribution of similarly (105)-faceted pyramidal nanodots twice the size of huts, at temperatures below 600 deg. C. The 20-25 nm wide huts also appear to be the smallest obtainable self-assembled Ge dots on (001)Si, in accordance with predictions based on Si_1_-_xGe_x ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Although acetylated α-tubulin is known to be a marker of stable microtubules in neurons, precise factors that regulate α-tubulin acetylation are, to date, largely unknown. Therefore,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We have constructed a deletion-mutant rabies virus encoding EGFP and find it to be an excellent tool for studying detailed morphology and physiology of neurons projecting to injection sites...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the mammalian midbrain exhibit unusually low firing frequencies in vitro. Furthermore, injection of depolarizing current induces depolarization block before high...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The receptive field of a neuron reflects its function. For example, for parallel fiber (PF) inputs in C3 zone the cerebellar cortex, the excitatory and inhibitory receptive fields of a Purkinje cell...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

1. Previous studies have shown that electrical stimulation (ES) of the guinea-pig cochlea causes a neurally mediated increase in cochlear blood flow (CBF). It is known that the centrifugal neuronal...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

PurposeThe size of neuronal populations is modulated by gene variants that influence cell production and survival, in turn influencing neuronal connectivity, function,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Neuronal death is known to trigger reactive microgliosis. However, little is known regarding the manner by which microglia are activated by injured neurons and how microgliosis participates...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A fundamental property of neuronal networks in Ammon’s horn is that each area is comprised of a single glutamatergic cell population and various types of GABAergic neurons. Here we describe...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Phox2b-expressing neurons of the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) located in the ventrolateral brainstem are sensitive to changes in PCO₂/pH, have excitatory projections...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway plays a key role in mediating estrogen actions in the brain and neuronal sensitization during inflammation....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

New neurons are generated in the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus (GCL) throughout adulthood. This process is modulated by many environmental and neurochemical factors. We previously...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Evidence is presented for a distinctive type of hippocampal synaptic modification [previously described for a molluscan gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synapse after paired pre- and postsynaptic excitation]:...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

This report investigates acute changes in the sensitivity of 5-HT_1A receptors in dorsal raphe (dr) neurons in response to elevated serotonin. DR neurons were isolated from adult rats...Full Text Available

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This paper describes the structure of dynamic neuronal ensembles (DNEs). DNEs represent a new paradigm for learning, based on biological neural networks that use variable structures. We present a computational neural element that demonstrates biological neuron functionality such as neurotransmitter feedback absolute refractory period and multiple output potentials. More specifically, we will develop a network of neural elements that have the ability to dynamically strengthen, weaken, add and remove interconnections. We demonstrate that the DNE is capable of performing dynamic modifications to neuron connections and exhibiting biological neuron functionality. In addition to its applications for learning, DNEs provide an excellent environment for testing and analysis of biological neural systems. An example of habituation and hyper-sensitization in biological systems, using a neural circuit from a snail ...

CERN Document Server

The Multiconjugate Adaptive optics Demonstrator (MAD) has successfully demonstrated on sky both Star Oriented (SO) and Layer Oriented (LO) multiconjugate adaptive optics techniques. While SO has been realized using 3 Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors (WFS), we designed a multi-pyramid WFS for the LO. The MAD bench accommodates both WFSs and a selecting mirror allows choosing which sensor to use. In the LO approach up to 8 pyramids can be placed on as many reference stars and their light is co-added optically on two different CCDs conjugated at ground and to an high layer. In this paper we discuss LO commissioning phase and on sky operations.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuron differentiation is a complex process involving various cell-cell interactions, and multiple signaling pathways. We showed previously that CD40 is expressed and functional on mouse and human neurons. In neurons, ligation of CD40 protects against serum withdrawal-induced injury and plays a role in survival and differentiation. CD40 deficient mice display neuron dysfunction, aberrant neuron morphologic changes, and associated gross brain abnormalities. Previous studies by Tone and colleagues suggested that five isoforms of CD40 exist with two predominant isoforms expressed in humans: signal-transducible CD40 type I and a C-terminal truncated, non-signal-transducible CD40 type II. We hypothesized that differential expression of CD40 isoform type I and type II in neurons may modulate neuron differentiation. Results show that adult ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

SUMMARYHomeostatic synaptic plasticity is a negative feedback mechanism neurons use to offset excessive excitation or inhibition by adjusting their synaptic strengths. Recent...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

SummaryThe polarized nature of neurons as well as the size and density of synapses complicates the manipulation and visualization of cell biological processes that control synaptic...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The electrical responses of the neurons associated with the various types of chemosensory hairs of the blowfly, Phormia regina Meigen, following stimulation by chemical and mechanical...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Acidosis in the gastrointestinal tract can be both a physiological and pathological condition. While gastric acid serves digestion and protection from pathogens, pathological acidosis is associated...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The authors present a case in which primary Ewing's sarcoma of the right petrous pyramid in a 9-year-old girl showed no uptake on a /sup 99m/Tc-pertechnetate nuclide angiogram. Intense uptake was present on a /sup 99m/Tc-polyphosphate bone scan, but a static brain scan was only minimally abnormal. The diagnosis and treatment of Ewing's sarcoma are reviewed.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

SUMMARYWe recorded Ca²⁺ current and intracellular Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_i) in isolated adult rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons at 20 and...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We examined the effect of the trophic protein, nerve growth factor (NGF), on cultures of fetal rat neostriatum and basal forebrain-medial septal area (BF-MS) to define its role in brain development. Treatment of cultures with NGF resulted in an increase in the specific activity of the cholinergic enzyme choline acetyltransferase (CAT) in both brain areas. CAT was immunocytochemically localized to neurons. In the BF-MS, NGF treatment elicited a marked increase in staining intensity and an apparent increase in the number of CAT-positive neurons. Moreover, treatment of BF-MS cultures with NGF increased the activity of acetylcholinesterase, suggesting that the cholinergic neuron as a whole was affected. To begin defining mechanisms of action of NGF in the BF-MS, we detected NGF receptors by two independent methods. Receptors were localized to two different cellular populations: neuron-like cells, and ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Intracellular recordings were made from 1022 somatic lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones in anaesthetized adult rats, classified from dorsal root conduction velocities (CVs) as C, Aδ...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Gonadotropin–releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the central regulators of reproduction. GABAergic transmission plays a critical role in pubertal activation of pulsatile GnRH secretion....Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An artificial neural network can be used as an intelligent controller to control non-linear, dynamic system through learning. It can easily accommodate non-linearities and time dependencies. Most common multi-layer feed-forward neural networks have drawbacks of large number of neurons and hidden layers required to deal with complex problems and require large training time. To overcome these drawbacks, a generalized neuron based non-linear controller has been developed and illustrated as a power system stabilizer. Studies on a five-machine power system show that the proposed controller can significantly improve the dynamic performance and provide good damping of the power system over a wide operating range.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Reduced systems such as brain slices offer a powerful approach to study the physiology of auditory neurons in great detail. However, when studying auditory nuclei in reduced systems such as brain slices, especially highly active auditory brain stem nuclei, one has to be aware that the unphysiological lack of activity in the reduced system compared to the in-vivo situation has a number of important effects on the neurons under investigation, and thus on the data that are measured. Most importantly, the lack of chronic activity in the slice preparation has important effects on the properties of short-term plasticity of the synapses. The main purpose of this article is to discuss how spontaneous activity in auditory neurons, or the lack thereof, can affect the data measured.

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

We study the spike statistics of neurons in a network with dynamically balanced excitation and inhibition. Our model, intended to represent a generic cortical column, comprises randomly connected excitatory and inhibitory leaky integrate-and-fire neurons, driven by excitatory input from an external population. The high connectivity permits a mean field description in which synaptic currents can be treated as gaussian noise, the mean and autocorrelation function of which are calculated self-consistently from the firing statistics of single model neurons. Within this description, a wide range of Fano factors is possible. We find that the irregularity of spike trains is controlled mainly by the strength of the synapses relative to the difference between the firing threshold and the postfiring reset level of the membrane potential. For moderately strong synapses, we find spike statistics very similar to those observed in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decreasing the aperture of a solar central receiver operating at high temperatures contributes significantly to the increase of the efficiency of energy absorption. However, decreasing the aperture also decreases the collection efficiency. A simple solution is using a 3D-CPC as secondary element for augmenting the energy collection, while the aperture can remain relatively small. Nevertheless, the receiver aperture as well as the secondary concentrator are usually rather large. For practical considerations an approximate solution may be chosen at times, designing the concentrator by a series of truncated cones. However, in particular cases, the solution of truncated cones remains expensive and unpractical and therefore the authors designed a CPC approximated by a series of trapezoidal planar facets. Under technical restrictions, there is an optimum for choosing the partition of the pure-CPC in truncated pyramids and the paper presents the method for a good ...

CERN Document Server

We construct representation of the Separated Variables (SoV) for the quantum SL(2,R) Heisenberg closed spin chain and obtain the integral representation for the eigenfunctions of the model. We calculate explicitly the Sklyanin measure defining the scalar product in the SoV representation and demonstrate that the language of Feynman diagrams is extremely useful in establishing various properties of the model. The kernel of the unitary transformation to the SoV representation is described by the same "pyramid diagram" as appeared before in the SoV representation for the SL(2,C) spin magnet. We argue that this kernel is given by the product of the Baxter Q-operators projected onto a special reference state.

Science.gov (United States)

The total area ( s m) of Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedron faces corresponding to all intermolecular contacts of one molecule in the structure of crystals and the total volume of pyramids ( V m) built on such faces and containing the nuclei of atoms participating in intermolecular contacts in their vertices were determined for 19 unsaturated hydrocarbons. The differential molar heat of adsorption of the hydrocarbons on graphitized thermal carbon black was found to be linearly related to the s m or V m integral parameters of their Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedra. Aromatic hydrocarbons on the one hand and saturated hydrocarbons, olefins, and acetylene on the other are characterized by different dependences because of the special shapes of their molecular Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedra.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundChanges in ionic concentration have a fundamental effect on numerous physiological processes. For example, IP₃-gated thapsigargin sensitive intracellular calcium...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a neurogenetic disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in either the TSC1 or TSC2 genes and frequently results in...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Experience-dependent plastic changes in the central sensory systems are due to activation of both the sensory and neuromodulatory systems. Nonspecific changes of cortical auditory neurons elicited by...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Peptide toxins with high affinity, divergent pharmacological functions, and isoform-specific selectivity are powerful tools for investigating the structure-function relationships of voltage-gated...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundXenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related (XMRV) virus is a recently identified mouse gammaretrovirus that has the ability to infect certain human cells. In this study,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Gonadal, adrenal, and thyroid hormones affect the brain directly, and the sensitivity to hormones begins in embryonic life with the appearance of hormone receptor sites in discrete populations of neurons....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The neuronal networks in spinal cord can produce a diverse array of motor behaviors. In aquatic vertebrates such as fishes and tadpoles, these include escape behaviors, swimming across a range...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

It has been of interest whether and when the rearrangement of neuronal circuits can be induced after projection patterns are formed during development. Earlier studies using cats reported that the rearrangement...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

A model that fully describes the response properties of visual neurons must be able to predict their activity during natural vision. While many models have been proposed for the visual system, few have ever been tested against this criterion. To address this issue, we have developed a general framework for fitting and validating nonlinear models of visual neurons using natural visual stimuli. Our approach derives from linear spatiotemporal receptive field (STRF) analysis, which has frequently been used to study the visual system. However, prior to the linear filtering stage typical of STRFs, a linearizing transformation is applied to the stimulus to account for nonlinear response properties. We used this approach to compare two models for neurons in primary visual cortex: a nonlinear Fourier power model, which accounts for spatial phase invariant tuning, and a traditional linear model. We characterized prediction accuracy ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In the adult mammalian CNS, the growth inhibitors oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp) and the reticulon RTN4 (Nogo) are broadly expressed in oligodendrocytes and neurons. Nogo and OMgp...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The long-term goal of nuclear transfer or alternative reprogramming approaches is to create patient-specific donor cells for transplantation therapy, avoiding immunorejection, a major complication in...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a common late-onset neurodegenerative disease, is associated with fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) in 3–10% of patients....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

An optical flow gradient algorithm was applied to spontaneously forming networks of neurons and glia in culture imaged by fluorescence optical microscopy in order to map functional calcium signaling...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe various tasks of visual systems, including course control, collision avoidance and the detection of small objects, require at the neuronal level the dendritic integration...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AMP-activated-protein-kinase (AMPK) is a key sensor and regulator of cellular and whole-body energy metabolism and plays a key role in regulation of lipid metabolism. Since lipid metabolism...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene (NOS1) is located at 12q24, a susceptibility region for schizophrenia, and produces nitric oxide (NO). NO has been reported to play important...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

1. One hundred and thirty-two antidromically identified paraventricular (PV) and supraoptic (SO) neurones were studied during milk ejection evoked by the suckling of the young, in thirty-four lactating...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We introduce in this paper a new method for reducing neurodynamical data to an effective diffusion equation, either experimentally or using simulations of biophysically detailed models. The dimensionality...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Several theories have proposed a functional role for synchronous neuronal firing in generating the neural code of a sensory perception. Synchronous neural activity develops during a critical...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Short-hairpin RNA (shRNA)–mediated gene knockdown is a powerful tool for targeted gene silencing and an emerging novel therapeutic strategy. Recent publications, however, reported unexpected...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundIn mammals, vasopressin (AVP) is released from magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamus when osmotic pressure exceeds a fixed set-point. AVP participates to the hydromineral...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the endpoint of a complex and still poorly understood process which results in inflammation, demyelination and axonal and neuronal degeneration....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundAntibodies against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gastrointestinal dysmotility have been found after treatment with GnRH analogues. The aim of this study was...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundGATA-2 is a transcription factor required for hematopoietic stem cell survival as well as for neuronal development in vertebrates. It has been shown that specific expression...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The primary method for neuronal communication involves the extracellular release of small molecules that are packaged in secretory vesicles. We have developed a platform to separate, lyse, and...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iodine-131 MIBG, a radiolabeled adrenergic neuron-blocking agent, decreased rapidly from the heart and liver of patients with adrenergic dysfunction and pheochromocytoma when compared with eight controls. However, there was no significant difference in the rate of (/sup 131/I)MIBG decrease in these organs between controls and patients in the intervals subsequent to 4 hr. These findings suggest that adrenergic neuronal uptake of (/sup 131/I)MIBG in these organs is smaller in the patients than in the controls. Measurements of time-activity relationships of radioiodinated MIBG may be useful for assessment of adrenergic function of these organs and thus of generalized disorders of adrenergic innervation.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spherical aggregates formed rapidly in culture by re-aggregation of trypsin-dissociated brain cells from the 17-day-old fetal rat. Over about 10 days an initially random distribution of cells evolved into a 3-layered arrangement; cells with characteristics of neurons were found largely in the intermediate layer. The survival of neuronal and glial cell types was evaluated histologically and verified by electron microscopy, which revealed synaptic and myelin structures that rapidly increased in number after 18 days in culture. Levels of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) reached peaks of 9.5 and 4.4 ng/mg protein, respectively, at culture day 21. Uptake of ["3H]NE paralleled these amine levels and was blocked by desipramine or pretreatment with either reserpine or 6-OH-DA. Autoradiographs of aggregates labeled with ["3H]NE showed a high density of silver grains over cells, apparently neurons, with branching processes ...

CERN Document Server

We construct the Baxter Q-operator and the representation of the Separated Variables (SoV) for the homogeneous open SL(2,R) spin chain. Applying the diagrammatical approach, we calculate Sklyanin's integration measure in the separated variables and obtain the solution to the spectral problem for the model in terms of the eigenvalues of the Q-operator. We show that the transition kernel to the SoV representation is factorized into the product of certain operators each depending on a single separated variable. As a consequence, it has a universal pyramid-like form that has been already observed for various quantum integrable models such as periodic Toda chain, closed SL(2,R) and SL(2,C) spin chains.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper provides both a detailed history of environmental change in the Sierra Nevada over the past 1,800?years and evidence for climate teleconnections between the Sierra Nevada and Greenland during the late Holocene. A review of Greenland ice core data suggests that the magnitudes of abrupt changes in temperature and precipitation increased beginning c. 3,700 and 3,000?years ago, respectively. Precipitation increased abruptly 1,300?years ago. Comparing paleotemperature data from Cirque Peak, CA with paleoprecipitation data from Pyramid Lake, NV suggests that hot temperatures occurred at the beginnings of most severe droughts in the Sierra Nevada over the past 1,800?years. Severe fires and erosion also occurred at Coburn Lake, CA at the beginning of all severe droughts in the Sierra Ne...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The involvement of dorsal root ganglia was studied in an in vivo model of experimental rabies virus infection using the challenge virus standard (CVS-11) strain. Dorsal root ganglia neurons infected with CVS in vitro show prolonged survival and few morphological changes, and are commonly used to study the infection. It has been established that after peripheral inoculation of mice with CVS the brain and spinal cord show relatively few neurodegenerative changes, but detailed studies of pathological changes in dorsal root ganglia have not previously been performed in this in vivo experimental model. In this study, adult ICR mice were inoculated in the right hindlimb footpad with CVS. Spinal cords and dorsal root ganglia were evaluated at serial time points for histopathological and ultrastru...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The precedence effect (PE) is thought to be beneficial for proper localization and perception of sounds. The majority of recent physiological studies focus on the neural discharges correlated with PE in the inferior colliculus (IC). Pentobarbital anesthesia is widely used in physiological studies. However, little is known of the effect of pentobarbital on the discharge of neurons in PE. Neuronal responses in the IC from 23 male SD rats were recorded by standard extracellular recording techniques following presentation of 4ms white noise bursts, presented from either or both of two loud speakers, at different interstimulus delays (ISDs). The neural responses were recorded for off-line analysis before or after intraperitoneal administration of pentobarbital at a loading or maintenance dose. ...

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The anticonvulsant drugs carbamazepine, phenobarbital, trimethadione, valproic acid and ethosuximide at pharmacologically relevant concentrations inhibit (/sup 3/H)diazepam binding to astrocytes in primary cultures but have much less effect on a corresponding preparation of neurons. Phenytoin as well as pentobarbital (which is not used chronically as an anticonvulsant) are equipotent in the two cell types. The convulsants picrotoxinin and pentylenetetrazol, the convulsant benzodiazepine RO 5-3663 and the two convulsant barbiturates DMBB and CHEB similarly inhibit diazepam binding to astrocytes but have little effect on neurons. On the basis of these findings it is suggested that these convulsants and anticonvulsants owe at least part of their effect to an interaction with the astrocytic benzodiazepine receptor, perhaps by interference with a calcium channel.

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Amphiphysin is a protein concentrated in neuronal synapses and peripherally associated with neurotransmitter vesicles. It is expressed in many neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems, in the adrenal medulla, in the anterior and posterior pituitary, in cell lines of the endocrine pancreas, and in spermatocytes. Its subcellular localization and tissue distribution indicate a potential involvement in mechanisms of regulated exocytosis. A role in the dynamic organization of the membrane-associated cytoskeleton is suggested by structural homology to the products of two yeast genes, RVS161 and RVS167, whose mutation results in an abnormal actin distribution, disturbs budding morphology, and impairs cell entry into stationary phase. Limited stretches of sequence similarity, including an SH3 domain, are also shared with other actin-binding proteins. Amphiphysin is the dominant autoantigen in paraneoplastic Stiff-Man syndrome, a ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper demonstrates a proof-of-concept approach for encapsulating the insulin and Fe3O4 nanoparticles into size-controllable alginate microcapsules utilizing the electrostatic droplets (ESD) technique. We have established that the combination of ESD and external gelation is quite effective in producing uniform-sized polymer particles. In addition, using the external gelation technique, the droplets containing a sodium-alginate were gelled in situ by immersion in Ca2+, Ba2+, or Cu2+ ions for a few minutes. The results show that different-type divalent cations caused various surface features to appear on the microcapsules (e.g., cracking, orange peel, pitting, splitting, wrinkling, etc.). The particle size can be adjusted from a few micrometers to ca. 1,000??m by electrostatic force. The...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The association between invasive and native species varies across spatial scales and is affected by phylogenetic relatedness, but these issues have rarely been addressed in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we used a non-native, highly invasive species of Poaceae (tropical signalgrass) to test the hypotheses that (i) tropical signalgrass success correlates negatively with success of most native species of macrophytes at fine spatial scales, but its success correlates positively or at random with natives at coarse spatial scales, and that (ii) tropical signalgrass is less associated with native species belonging to the family Poaceae than with species belonging to other families (Darwin?s naturalization hypothesis). We used a dataset obtained at fine (0.25?m2) and coarse (ca. 1,000?m2) sca...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

mRNP granules at adult central synapses are postulated to regulate local mRNA translation and synapse plasticity. However, they are very poorly characterized in vivo. Here, in Drosophila...Full Text Available

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This paper deals with the control of an electromechanical valves engine. The control uses neural networks in order to build a non-linear model of engine filing which depends on the driven inlets. The aim is to build this real-time model and to integrate this model to a control system which performs an iterative inversion. (J.S.)

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english BACKGROUND: Severe pathogenic infection triggers excessive release of cytokines as part of the massive inflammatory response associated with septic shock. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the protective effect of caffeic acid phenethye ester (CAPE) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced endotoxemia, hepatic and neuronal damage and the associated systemic inflammatory response (SIR). METHODS: Fifty male Wister rats were divided into: control, LPS, and CAPE+LPS groups. Plasma c (more) oncentrations of various cytokines, including TNF-?, IL-1?, IL-1?, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, and sICAM-1 were evaluated. In addition, the histopathological changes in the hepatic and neural cells were assessed. RESULTS: The LPS group showed high inflammatory cytokines and sICAM-1 levels reflecting the presence of SIR. Hepatocyte necrosis, apoptosis, extensive hemorrhage and inflammatory cellular infiltration together with brain astrocytes swelling, early ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We have identified another Drosophila GTP-binding protein (G protein) alpha subunit, dGq alpha-3. Transcripts encoding dGq alpha-3 are derived from alternative splicing of the dGq alpha locus previously...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Computed tomographic findings in developmental brain anomalies are more easily classified when the system used is based on embryogenesis related to morphology. Analysis of computed tomographic findings in a series of 154 patients with brain anomalies (Chiari malformation not included) revealed that specific examples of abnormalities occurring in major stages of brain development may be recognized by computed tomography. This paper deals with a group of patients with abnormalities that reflect a disturbance in neuronal migration. (orig.).

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A collection of neurons in the upper lumbar spinal cord of male rats projects to the lower lumbar spinal cord, releasing gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) onto somatic and autonomic centers known to regulate...Full Text Available

CERN Document Server

We explored ways of doing spatial search within a relational database: (1) hierarchical triangular mesh (a tessellation of the sphere), (2) a zoned bucketing system, and (3) representing areas as disjunctive-normal form constraints. Each of these approaches has merits. They all allow efficient point-in-region queries. A relational representation for regions allows Boolean operations among them and allows quick tests for point-in-region, regions-containing-point, and region-overlap. The speed of these algorithms is much improved by a zone and multi-scale zone-pyramid scheme. The approach has the virtue that the zone mechanism works well on B-Trees native to all SQL systems and integrates naturally with current query optimizers - rather than requiring a new spatial access method and concomitant query optimizer extensions. Over the last 5 years, we have used these techniques extensively in our work on SkyServer.sdss.org, and SkyQuery.net.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this study, SnO{sub 2} thin films have been grown using spray pyrolysis technique on glass substrates under a substrate temperature (T{sub s} = 440 {sup o}C). The precursors were methanol CH{sub 4}O and anhydrous tin tetrachloride. XRD analyses yielded strong (1 1 0)-(1 0 1)-(2 0 0) X-ray diffraction peaks which are characteristics to tetragonal crystals. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) analyses showed the existence of clusters with particular pyramidal shapes. The main part of this study concerns the optical measurements of transmittance T({lambda}) and reflectance R({lambda}) spectra inside 250-1800 nm domain. Conjoint optical and thermal properties were deduced using the Amlouk-Boubaker Opto-Thermal Expansivity {psi}{sub AB}. The obtained value: {psi}{sub AB} {approx} 23.4 m{sup 3} s{sup -1} helped situating the performance of the as-grown SnO{sub 2} compound among most known PV-T oxides like ZnO and TiO{sub 2}.

Science.gov (United States)

Continuous metallic glass ribbons were produced by mejans of liquid-quenching at rates >10/sup 50/C/s. The ribbons, typically 30 ..mu..m thick and 1 to 2 mm wide, were determined to be glassy by X-ray diffraction (XRD) employing CuK..cap alpha.. and MoK..cap alpha.. radiation. Mechanical properties of the as-quenched product were determined by measurements of hardness, tensile strength and Young's modulus. The Vicker's diamond pyramid microhardness (H/sub V/) was measured on epoxy mounted samples using a Lietz Miniload instrument with a 100 g load. Tensile tests were conducted in an Instron machine using specimens which were hand-polished to produce smooth, parallel sides. Young's modulus (E) is given by the relationship rho V/sub E/sup 2//. V/sub E/, the velocity of extensional mode waves, was measured by the pulse-echo technique using a Panametrics Intervalometer and glass density, rho, was obtained by the liquid immersion method. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A preliminary design effort directed toward a low concentration ratio photovoltaic array system capable of delivering multihundred kilowatts (300 kW to 1000 kW range) in low earth orbit is described. The array system consists of two or more array modules each capable of delivering between 113 kW to 175 kW using silicon solar cells or gallium arsenide solar cells, respectively. The array module deployed area is 1320 square meters and consists of 4356 pyramidal concentrator elements. The module, when stowed in the Space Shuttle's payload bay, has a stowage volume of a cube with 3.24 meters on a side. The concentrator elements are sized for a geometric concentration ratio (GCR) of six with an aperture area of .25 sq. m. The structural analysis and design trades leading to the baseline design are discussed. It describes the configuration, as well as optical, thermal and electrical performance analyses that support the design and overall performance estimates ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The growth of epitaxial MnO(100) and MnO(111) layers on Pd(100) surface has been investigated by spot-profile analysis low-energy electron diffraction, dynamic atomic force microscopy, photoemission and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy, and density functional theory. We have found that despite the large lattice mismatch to the Pd(100) substrate, the MnO(100) layers are kinetically stabilized at low temperatures (?350 deg. C) and at oxygen pressures between 2x10-7 and 5x10-7 mbar. Annealing in ultrahigh vacuum at 650 deg. C or, alternatively, deposition of manganese metal in oxygen pressure -7 mbar causes the transformation of the MnO(100) to a polar MnO(111) surface, which is decorated by triangular pyramids with (100) side facets. It is suggested that the growth of MnO(111) layers is energetically preferred over MnO(100) due to the epitaxial stabilization at the metal-oxide interface.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EPR and FT-IR absorption measurements have been performed for xCuO.(100-x)[2Bi2O3.B2O3] glass system, with 0?x?50 mol%. The mode in which the addition of the copper ions influences the structure of 2Bi2O3.B2O3 glass matrix was analyzed. The EPR absorption spectra revealed the presence in the glass structure of Cu2+ ions in axially distorted octahedral environments. EPR data pointed out the simultaneous presence of Cu2+ and Cu+ ionic species in the glasses with x?5 mol%. For x>10 mol%, the Cu2+ ions participate in the superexchange magnetic interactions, which increase with CuO content. The FT-IR spectra showed the presence of some bands that are assigned to vibrations of Bi-O bonds from BiO3 pyramidal and BiO6 octahedral units and B-O bonds from BO3 and BO4 units. The data obtained by these measurements reveal the structural changes in the 2Bi2O3.B2O3 glass matrix by controlled doping of CuO.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Locomotion is a complex behavior affected by many different brain- and spinal cord systems, as well as by variations in the peripheral nervous system. Recently, we found increased gene expression for EphA4, a gene intricately involved in motor neuron development, between high-active parental strain C57BL/6J and the low-active chromosome substitution strain 1 (CSS1). CSS1 mice carry chromosome 1 from A/J mice in a C57BL/6J genetic background, allowing localization of quantitative trait loci (QTL) on chromosome 1. To find out whether differences in motor neuron anatomy, possibly related to the changes in EphA4 expression, are involved in the motor activity differences observed in these strains, motor performance in various behavioral paradigms and anatomical differences in the ventral roots ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of the present study was to examine the in vitro effects of low-dose cadmium (Cd) on developing cortical cells. The cortical cells removed from fetuses (embryonic day 15) were treated with 10 nM of Cd for 24 h. The effects of Cd on dendritic and synaptic development were immunocytochemically observed with anti-microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP2) and anti-synapsin I antibodies, respectively. Administration of Cd suppressed dendritic as well as synaptic development at 10 nM. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) analysis, we identified three proteins with different expression after Cd-treatment; dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 2 (DRP-2/CRMP-2), 14-3-3-epsillon and calmodulin (CaM). Though the number of identified proteins was small, these proteins are known to be involved in neuronal development. The present study demonstrated the morphological effects as well as affected proteins in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We report the isolation of cDNA clones for the mouse {alpha}7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit (gene symbol Acra7), the only nicotinic receptor subunit known to bind a-bungarotoxin in mammalian brain. This gene may have relevance to nicotine sensitivity and to some electrophysiologic findings in schizophrenia. The mouse {alpha}7 subunit gene encodes a protein of 502 amino acids with substantial identity to the rat (99.6%), human (92.8%), and chicken (87.5%) amino acid sequences. The {alpha}7 gene was mapped to mouse chromosome 7 near the p locus with the following gene order from proximal to distal: Myod1-3.5 {+-}1.7 cM-Gas2-0.9 cM {+-} 0.9 cM-D7Mit70-1.8 {+-} 1.2 cM- Acra7-4.4 {+-}1.0 cM-Hras1-ps11/Igf1r/Snrp2a. The human gene was confirmed to map to the homologous region of human chromosome 15q13-q14. 26 refs., 3 figs.

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Efflux of dopamine through the dopamine transporter (DAT) is critical for the psychostimulatory properties of amphetamines, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here we show that Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) plays a key role in this efflux. CaMKIIalpha bound to the distal C terminus of DAT and colocalized with DAT in dopaminergic neurons. CaMKIIalpha stimulated dopamine efflux via DAT in response to amphetamine in heterologous cells and in dopaminergic neurons. CaMKIIalpha phosphorylated serines in the distal N terminus of DAT in vitro, and mutation of these serines eliminated the stimulatory effects of CaMKIIalpha. A mutation of the DAT C terminus impairing CaMKIIalpha binding also impaired amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux. An in vivo role for CaMKII was supported by chronoamperometry measurements showing reduced amphetamine-induced dopamine efflux in response to the CaMKII inhibitor KN93. Our data suggest that ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The energy E(c/a) for a bcc element stretched along its [001] axis (the Bain path) has a minimum at c/a=1, a maximum at c/a=#sq root#(2), and an elastically unstable local minimum at c/a>#sq root#(2). An alternative path connecting the bcc and fcc structures is the rhombohedral lattice. The primitive lattice has R3m symmetry, with the angle #alpha# changing from 109.4 deg. (bcc), to 90 deg. (simple cubic), to 60 deg. (fcc). We study this path for the non-magnetic bcc transition metals (V, Nb, Mo, Ta, and W) using both all-electron linearized augmented plane wave and projector augmented wave VASP codes. Except for Ta, the energy E(#alpha#) has a local maximum at #alpha#=60 deg., with local minima near 55 deg. and 70 deg., the latter having lower energy, suggesting the possibility of a metastable rhombohedral state for these materials. We first examine the elastic stability of the 70 deg. minimum structure, and determine that only W is elastically stable in this structure, with the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The central nervous system (CNS), generally accepted to regulate energy homeostasis, has been implicated in the metabolic perturbations that either cause or are associated with obesity. Normally, the CNS receives hormonal, metabolic, and neuronal input to assure adequate energy levels and maintain stable energy homeostasis. Recent evidence also supports that the CNS uses these same inputs to regulate glucose homeostasis and this aspect of CNS regulation also becomes impaired in the face of dietary-induced obesity. This review focuses on the literature surrounding hypothalamic regulation of energy and glucose homeostasis and discusses how dysregulation of this system may contribute to obesity and T2DM.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuronal cell death induced by oxidative stress is correlated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and stroke. The causes of sporadic forms of age-related neurodegenerative diseases are still unknown. Recently, a correlation between paraquat exposure and neurodegenerative diseases has been observed. Paraquat, a nonselective herbicide, was once widely used in North America and is still routinely used in Taiwan. We have used differentiated Human Neuroblastoma (SHSY-5Y) cells as an in vitro model to study the mechanism of cell death induced by paraquat. We observed that paraquat-induced oxidative stress in differentiated SHSY-5Y cells as indicated by an increase in the production of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, apoptosis was evident as indicated by cellular and nuclear morphology and DNA fragmentation. Interestingly, pretreatment of SHSY-5Y cells with water-soluble Coenzyme ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal found abundantly in the environment. Children of women exposed to cadmium during pregnancy display lower motor and perceptual abilities. High cadmium body burden in children is also related to impaired intelligence and lowered school achievement. However, little is known about the molecular and cellular basis of developmental neurotoxicity in the sensitive early life stages of animals. In this study, we explore neurological deficits caused by cadmium during early embryonic stages in zebrafish by examining regionalization of the neural tube, pattern formation and cell fate determination, commitment of proneural genes and induction of neurogenesis. We show that cadmium-treated embryos developed a smaller head with unclear boundaries between the brain subdivisions, particularly in the mid-hindbrain region. Embryos display normal anterior to posterior regionalization; however, the commitment of neural progenitor cells was affected by cadmium. We ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose/Objective: At present, treatment verification between portal and reference images is performed based on manually-identified features by radiation oncologist, which is both time-consuming and potentially error-prone. There is a demand for the computerized verification procedure in clinical application. The purpose of this study is to develop a computerized portal verification scheme for pelvic treatment fields. Materials/Methods: The automated verification system involves image acquisition, image feature extraction, feature matching between reference and portal images and quantitative evaluation of patient setup. Electronic portal images with a matrix size of 256 x 256 and 12 bit gray levels were acquired using a liquid matrix electronic portal imaging device. Simulation images were acquired by digitizing simulation films using a TV camera into images with 256 x 256 matrix and 8 bit gray levels. Initially a Canny edge detector is applied to identify the field edges and an ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Drosophila melanogaster is a model organism rich in genetic tools to manipulate and identify neural circuits involved in specific behaviors. Here we present a technique for two-photon calcium imaging in the central brain of head-fixed Drosophila walking on an air-supported ball. The ball's motion is tracked at high resolution and can be treated as a proxy for the fly's own movements. We used the genetically encoded calcium sensor, GCaMP3.0, to record from important elements of the motion-processing pathway, the horizontal-system lobula plate tangential cells (LPTCs) in the fly optic lobe. We presented motion stimuli to the tethered fly and found that calcium transients in horizontal-system neurons correlated with robust optomotor behavior during walking. Our technique allows both behavior ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A promising drug target currently under investigation to improve cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders is the neuronal nicotinic alpha7 acetylcholine receptor (a7nAChR). Improving cognitive impairments in diseases such as Alzheimer's (AD) and schizophrenia remains a large unmet medical need, and the a7nAChR has many properties that make it an attractive therapeutic target. The a7nAChR is a ligand gated ion channel that has particularly high permeability to Ca^2^+ and is expressed in key brain regions involved in cognitive processes (e.g., hippocampus). The a7nAChRs are localized both pre-synaptically, where they can regulate neurotransmitter release, and post-synaptically where they can activate intracellular signaling cascades and influence downstream processes...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder for which the research of new treatments is highly challenging. Since the fibrillogenesis of amyloid-b peptide 1-42 (Ab1-42) peptide is considered as a major cause of neuronal degeneration, specific interest has been focused on aromatic molecules for targeting this peptide. In this paper, the synthesis of selegiline-functionalized and fluorescent poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (NPs) and their evaluation for the targeting of the Ab1-42 peptide are reported. The synthetic strategy relied on the design of amphiphilic copolymers by tandem Knoevenagel-Michael addition of cyanoacetate derivatives, followed by their self-assembly in aqueous solutions to give the corresponding NPs. Different cyanoacetates were used: (i) hexadecyl cy...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Singh MK, Spielman D, Libby A, Adams E, Acquaye T, Howe M, Kelley R, Reiss A, Chang KD. Neurochemical deficits in the cerebellar vermis in child offspring of parents with bipolar disorder.-Bipolar Disord 2011: 13: 189-197. 2011 The Authors.-Journal compilation 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives:- We aimed to compare concentrations of N-acetyl aspartate, myo-inositol, and other neurometabolites in the cerebellar vermis of offspring at risk for bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy controls to examine whether changes in these neuronal metabolite concentrations occur in at-risk offspring prior to the onset of mania. Methods:- A total of 22 children and adolescents aged 9-17-years with a familial risk for bipolar I or II disorder [at-risk offspring with non-bipolar I disorder mood symptoms (AR...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

OBJECTIVE --To evaluate the consequences on male sexual function of intraprostatic injection of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) as a treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Although BoNT/A is effective in decreasing symptoms of BPH, neuronal impairment caused by the neurotoxin might affect emission/ejaculation. These aspects have not been evaluated before. PATIENTS AND METHODS --In all, 16 sexually active men aged >60 years with BPH/benign prostatic enlargement (BPE), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) -8 and a maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) <15mL/s refractory to standard medical therapy volunteered for the study. --Patients were injected transrectally, under ultrasonographic control, with 200U of BoNT/A in the prostate. Evaluation was carried out at baseline and 1, 3 ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Gonadal hormones modulate neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus differentially in male and female adult rodents. Neurogenesis is comprised of at least two components: cell proliferation (the production of new cells) and cell survival (the number of new neurons that survive to maturity). Previous studies have found sex differences in the level of cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus only when comparing females in a high estrogen state to males. This review focuses on the effects of acute and chronic levels of estrogens or androgens on hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult male and female rodent. Evidence is also reviewed for the co-localization of androgen receptors and estrogen receptors (ER) with markers for cell proliferation or immature new cell survival. Briefly, evidence suggests that ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Glucose homeostasis requires the tight regulation of glucose utilization by liver, muscle and white or brown fat, and glucose production and release in the blood by liver. The major goal of maintaining glycemia at -5 mM is to ensure a sufficient flux of glucose to the brain, which depends mostly on this nutrient as a source of metabolic energy. This homeostatic process is controlled by hormones, mainly glucagon and insulin, and by autonomic nervous activities that control the metabolic state of liver, muscle and fat tissue but also the secretory activity of the endocrine pancreas. Activation or inhibition of the sympathetic or parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous systems are controlled by glucose-excited or glucose-inhibited neurons located at different anatomical sites, mainl...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a systematic approach for designing a self-tuning power system stabilizer (PSS) based on artificial neural network (ANN). An ANN is used for self-tuning the parameters of PSS in real-time. The nodes in the input layer of the ANN receive generator terminal active power (P), reactive power (Q), and voltage (V{sub t}), while the nodes in the output layer provide the optimum PSS parameters, e.g. stabilizing gain (K{sub STAB}), time constants (T{sub 1} and T{sub 2}). A new approach for the selection of number of neurons in the hidden layer has been proposed. Investigations reveal that the dynamic performance of the system with self-tuning PSS based on ANN (ST-ANNPSS) is quite robust over a wide range of loading conditions and equivalent reactance, X{sub e}. (Author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The ternary zirconium palladium silicide ZrPd{sub 3}Si{sub 3} has been synthesized by arc-melting of the elemental components. It adopts a new structure type and crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm with a = 3.8127(4){angstrom}, b = 15.551(1){angstrom}, c = 7.0390(5){angstrom}, and Z = 4 (Pearson symbol oC28). The structure can be regarded as being built up of Re{sub 3}B-type slabs of composition Pd{sub 3}Si alternating with {alpha}-FeSi{sub 2} slabs of composition ZrSi{sub 2}. Notable features include the presence of Si{sub 2} pairs, square pyramidal and tetrahedral coordination of Pd centers by Si atoms, an unusual distorted cubic coordination of the Zr atoms by the Si{sub 2} pairs, and an extensive network of Zr-Zr, Zr-Pd, and Pd-Pd metal-metal bonds. ZrPd{sub 3}Si{sub 3} is weakly metallic with a room-temperature resistivity of 1.7 x 10{sup {minus}3} {Omega} cm. Extended Hueckel band structure calculations confirm the metallic behavior; support the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The new nonlinear optical crystal Rb3V5O14 has been synthesized by solid state reaction and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR and thermogravimetric analysis. The crystal Rb3V5O14 crystallizes in the trigonal system with space P31m (No. 157), a=b=8.7134(12) A, c=5.2807(11) A and ?=90o, ?=90o, ?=120o, Z=1, ?=3.516 g/cm3. It is a layered structure that is very flat and strongly parallel to c. The V5O14 layer structure consists of corner-linked square and triangular pyramids. The layers are separated by Rb+ ions, which fit equally well on the V5O14 layer. The Kurtz powder SHG measurement, using 1064 nm radiation, showed that the second-harmonic generation efficiency of Rb3V5O14 is about two times that of KDP. -- Graphical abstract: The new nonlinear optical crystal Rb3V5O14 has been synthesized by solid state reaction and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR and thermogravimetric analysis. The crystal Rb3V5O14 crystallizes in the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The symmetrical complexes ["9"9"mTc][TcN(R_2PS_2)_2] [R = CH_3, CH_2CH_3, CH_2CH_2CH_3, CH_2(CH_3)_2], and the unsymmetrical complex ["9"9"mTc][TcN(Me_2PS_2)(Et_2PS_2)] have been prepared, at tracer level, through a two-step procedure involving the preliminary formation of a prereduced technetium nitrido intermediate followed by substitution reaction onto this species by the appropriate dithiophosphinate ligand [R_2PS_2]Na. The chemical identity of the resulting complexes have been established by comparison with the corresponding "9"9Tc-analogs prepared, at macroscopic level, by reacting the complex ["9"9TcNCl_4] [n-Bu_4N] (n-Bu = n-butyl) with an excess of ligand in methanol, and characterized by elemental analyses and spectroscopic techniques. The complexes are neutral and lipophilic, and possess a square pyramidal geometry, with an apical Tc N group and two dithiophosphinate ligands spanning the four positions on the basal plane through the four sulfur atoms of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor {alpha}7 subunit is a member of a family of ligand-gated ion channels, and is the only subunit know to bind {alpha}-bungarotoxin in mammalian brain. {alpha}-Bungarotoxin binding sites are known to be more abundant in the hippocampus of mouse strains that are particularly sensitive to nicotine-induced seizures. The {alpha}7 receptor is highly permeable to calcium, which could suggest a role in synaptic plasticity in the nervous system. Auditory gating deficiency, an abnormal response to a second auditory stimulus, is characteristic of schizophrenia. Mouse strains that exhibit a similar gating deficit have reduced hippocampal expression of the {alpha}7 subunit. We have cloned and sequenced the full length cDNA for the mouse {alpha}7 gene (Acra-7) and characterized its gene structure. The murine {alpha}7 shares amino acid identity of 99% and 93% with the rat and human {alpha}7 subunits, respectively. Using an interspecies ...

Science.gov (United States)

The precedence effect (PE) is thought to be beneficial for proper localization and perception of sounds. The majority of recent physiological studies focus on the neural discharges correlated with PE in the inferior colliculus (IC). Pentobarbital anesthesia is widely used in physiological studies. However, little is known of the effect of pentobarbital on the discharge of neurons in PE. Neuronal responses in the IC from 23 male SD rats were recorded by standard extracellular recording techniques following presentation of 4 ms white noise bursts, presented from either or both of two loud speakers, at different interstimulus delays (ISDs). The neural responses were recorded for off-line analysis before or after intraperitoneal administration of pentobarbital at a loading or maintenance dose. Data were assessed by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance and pairwise comparisons. When the ipsilateral stimuli were leading, pentobarbital at a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A study was made of the actions of the excitant neurotoxin, kainic acid, on the uptake and the release of D-(2,3-3H)aspartate (D-ASP) in slices of guinea pig cerebral neocortex and striatum. The slices took up D-ASP, reaching concentrations of the amino acid in the tissue which were 14-23 times that in the medium. Subsequently, electrical stimulation of the slices evoked a Ca2+-dependent release of a portion of the D-ASP. Kainic acid (10(-5)-10(-3) M) produced a dose-dependent inhibition of D-ASP uptake. The electrically evoked release of D-ASP was increased 1.6-2.0 fold by 10(-5) and 10(-4)M kainic acid. The kainate-enlarged release was Ca2+-dependent. Dihydrokainic acid, an analogue of kainic acid with little excitatory or toxic action, did not increase D-ASP release but depressed D-ASP uptake. Attempts were made to block the action of kainic acid with baclofen and pentobarbital, compounds which depress the electrically evoked release of L-glutamate (L-GLU) and L-aspartate (L-ASP). ...

Science.gov (United States)

Excitotoxicity plays a major role in various neurological disorders. In this study, we explored the behavioral and neurotoxic effects of intraventricular NMDA administration in mice. After NMDA injection, acute seizures were followed by impairments in locomotor activity, motor performance on a rotarod, and climbing ability. Mice killed 1 day after NMDA administration showed increased synaptosomal reactive oxygen species ROS production and calcium concentration and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial reductase activities, and neuronal membrane Na+, K+ -ATPase and mg2+ -ATPase activities. One and 3 days after excitotoxic injury, Golgi stains showed that dendritic length and spine density were significantly decreased in neurons of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Some mice received honokiol, tea polyphenol plus memantine, and honokiol plus memantine prior to NMDA treatment; the occurrence of generalized seizures was attenuated, ...

Science.gov (United States)

Precambrian gneisses in the San Bernardino Mountains were first identified and described in the vicinity of Baldwin Lake by Guillou (1953). Five lithologic units mappable at 1:24,000 scale are recognized: biotite [+-] muscovite quartzofeldspathic gneiss, amphibolite, pyroxene metagabbro, augen gneiss, and biotite [+-] muscovite granitic gneiss. Baldwin gneiss with this L Baldwin Lake, the gneissic fabric is rotated toward the northwest, subparallel to the Doble fault. Along this fault, Baldwin gneiss is structurally underlain by overturned Paleozoic quartzite and marble (Zabriskie Quartzite and Carrara Formation). Regional relations suggest that the Doble fault is a northeast-directed basement thrust fault of pre-Late Cretaceous age, and may be contemporaneous with late Paleozoic deformation and metamorphism of Paleozoic rocks further west in the range. Field relations suggest that Baldwin gneiss in its type area largely retains Proterozoic fabrics and mineral assemblages, despite ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It is now known that various growth factors may also act in the central nervous system. Among them, it has recently been shown that epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) may possess trophic effects in the mammalian brain. We report here on the respective autoradiographic distribution of ["1"2"5I]EGF and ["1"2"5I]IGF-I receptor binding sites in the rat brain, both during ontogeny and in adulthood. It appears that ["1"2"5I]EGF sites are mostly found in the rat forebrain during brain development. On the other hand, ["1"2"5I]IGF-I sites are more widely distributed both during ontogeny and in adulthood. These results reveal the plasticity of the expression of EGF and IGF-I receptor sites in the mammalian brain. This could be relevant for the respective role of these two growth factors in the development and maintenance of neuronal function.

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english Cytokines are molecules that were initially discovered in the immune system as mediators of communication between various types of immune cells. However, it soon became evident that cytokines exert profound effects on key functions of the central nervous system, such as food intake, fever, neuroendocrine regulation, long-term potentiation, and behavior. In the 80's and 90's our group and others discovered that the genes encoding various cytokines and their receptors are e (more) xpressed in vascular, glial, and neuronal structures of the adult brain. Most cytokines act through cell surface receptors that have one transmembrane domain and which transduce a signal through the JAK/STAT pathway. Of particular physiological and pathophysiological relevance is the fact that cytokines are potent regulators of hypothalamic neuropeptidergic systems that maintain neuroendocrine homeostasis and which regulate the body's response to stress. The mechanisms ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The aim of this work is the evaluation of biodistribution and radiation dosimetry of a cocaine analog, the N-(3-iodo-prop-2E-enyl)-2beta-carbo-methoxy-3beta-(4-methyl-phenyl) nor-tropane (PE2I), labeled with carbon 11 ([{sup 11}C]PE2I). The [{sup 11}C]PE2I is a selective radioligand for imaging neuronal dopamine transporter (DAT) with positron emission tomography (PET). The DAT is a membrane-bound pre synaptically located protein that regulates the concentration of dopamine at nerve terminals. DAT radioligands are often used to evaluate the progression of Parkinson's disease or the efficiency of neuro-protective therapeutics and, typically, these studies required several successive PET scans. (author)

Science.gov (United States)

The endothelin-B (ETB) receptor is a G-protein-coupled receptor that binds endothelin ligands and is essential for the development of epidermal melanocytes and enteric neurons. Recent reports indicate that ETB is localized to nuclei in cardiac ventricular myocytes, although it has been thought that ETB is localized mainly on the plasma membrane. It remains unknown, however, whether this unique distribution of ETB occurs in other tissues. To elucidate the subcellular distribution of ETB in the intestine, we performed immunofluorescence of ETB in mouse intestine using a specific antibody. ETB-like immunoreactivity was detected in both the mucosal and muscle layers. In the mucosal layer, villous epithelial cells, stromal cells of the lamina propria, and cryptic cells were immunostained. Subcellularly, ETB is localized mainly to the nuclei of villous epithelial cells. In the muscle layer, immunoreactivity of ETB was localized to the myenteric plexus. These findings ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Drosophila hairy gene encodes a basic helix- loop-helix protein that functions in at least two steps during Drosophila development: (1) during embryogenesis, when it partakes in the establishment of segments, and (2) during the larval stage, when it functions negatively in determining the pattern of sensory bristles on the adult fly. In the rat, a structurally homologous gene (RHL) behaves as an immediate-early gene in its response to growth factors and can, like that in Drosophila, suppress neuronal differentiation events. Here, the authors report the genomic cloning of the human hairy gene homolog (HRY). The coding region of the gene is contained within four exons. The predicted amino acid sequence reveals only four amino acid differences between the human and rat genes. Analysis of the DNA sequence 5[prime] to the coding region reveals a putatitve untranslated exon. To increase the value of the HRY gene as a genetic marker and to assess its potential ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Huntington?s disease (HD) is caused by an expansion of a polyglutamine repeat of more than 35?units in the huntingtin protein. The expanded repeat length is inversely correlated with the age at onset (AAO); however, additional genetic factors apart from the expanded CAG repeat length can modify the course and the AAO in HD. Aberrations in macroautophagy have been observed in Huntington, Alzheimer, Parkinson, motor neuron and prion diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that polymorphisms in autophagy-related (Atg) genes might contribute to the variation in the AAO. We initially tested eight single nucleotide polymorphisms in five Atg genes (Atg3, Atg5, Atg7, Atg16L1 and Beclin-1) for their frequency of ?1%. Subsequently, we investigated the polymorphisms Atg7 V471A and Atg16L1 T281A for a di...

Science.gov (United States)

Snake envenomation employs three well integrated strategies: prey immobilization via hypotension, prey immobilization via paralysis, and prey digestion. Purines (adenosine, guanosine and inosine) evidently play a central role in the envenomation strategies of most advanced snakes. Purines constitute the perfect multifunctional toxins, participating simultaneously in all three envenomation strategies. Because they are endogenous regulatory compounds in all vertebrates, it is impossible for any prey organism to develop resistance to them. Purine generation from endogenous precursors in the prey explains the presence of many hitherto unexplained enzyme activities in snake venoms: 5'-nucleotidase, endonucleases (including ribonuclease), phosphodiesterase, ATPase, ADPase, phosphomonoesterase, and NADase. Phospholipases A(2), cytotoxins, myotoxins, and heparinase also participate in purine liberation, in addition to their better known functions. Adenosine contributes to prey immobilization ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The measuring series was performed from November 1991 through April 1992 in seven drinking-water conditioning plants of the Fichtel mountains area in the north-eastern part of Bavaria, and the results revealed as an annual average a dose of about 1 - 40 WLM. The area of interest is a drinking-water catchment area where the ground water and other water resources include waters particularly rich in radon content, which explains this relatively high dose range. This is why comprehensive, specific local and long-term mearurements were carried out in order to assess the occupational radiation dose in the drinking-water conditioning plants, taking as a model site the conditioning plant of the municipal utilities of Hof in Weissenstadt. These more specific measurements were performed by the Technical Inspectorates (TUeV) of Bavaria and Saxony and the isotope laboratory of Georg-August University of Goettingen in mid-April 1994 (Goettingen University, TUeV Saxonia and Bavaria) and from June ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Understanding prostate stem cells may provide insight into the origin of prostate cancer. Primary cells have been cultured from human prostate tissue but they usually survive only 15-20 population doublings before undergoing senescence. We report here that RC-170N/h/clone 7 cells, a clonal cell line from hTERT-immortalized primary non-malignant tissue-derived human prostate epithelial cell line (RC170N/h), retain multipotent stem cell properties. The RC-170N/h/clone 7 cells expressed a human embryonic stem cell marker, Oct-4, and potential prostate epithelial stem cell markers, CD133, integrin #alpha#2#beta#1"h"i and CD44. The RC-170N/h/clone 7 cells proliferated in KGM and Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium with 10% fetal bovine serum and 5 #mu#g/ml insulin (DMEM + 10% FBS + Ins.) medium, and differentiated into epithelial stem cells that expressed epithelial cell markers, including CK5/14, CD44, p63 and cytokeratin 18 (CK18); as well as the mesenchymal cell markers, vimentin, desmin; ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The stunning, intricate interaction between the visual, vestibular and optomotor systems--each a miracle on its own--ensures maintenance of orientation in space as well as visual recognition and target selection despite a host of sensory conflicts and adversary disturbances. Their main goals are to keep a target of interest on the fovea by either maintaining or shifting the direction of gaze in order to produce an accurate internal representation of the visual surroundings, in particular the selected target, and to continuously mirror the spatial relationship between these various visual elements and the self. Not surprising, the implementation of this host of elaborate neural networks encompasses almost every part of the brain, including the brainstem, cerebellum, extrapyramidal system and many areas of the cerebral cortex. Thus far, these systems are among the best investigated in brain research; and enormous knowledge was amassed over the last century employing a variety of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The sixth AER benchmark is the second AER benchmark for couplings of the thermal hydraulic codes and three dimensional neutron kinetic core models. It concerns a double end break of one main steam line in a WWER-440 plant. The core is at the end of its first cycle in full power conditions. In VTT HEXTRAN2.9 is used for the core kinetics and dynamics and SMABRE4.8 as a thermal hydraulic model for the primary and secondary loop. The plant model for SMABRE consists mainly of two input models, Loviisa model and a standard WWER-440/213 plant model. The primary loop includes six separate loops, the pressure vessel is divided into six parallel channels in SMABRE and the whole core calculation is performed in the core with HEXTRAN. The horizontal steam generators are modelled with heat transfer tubes in five levels and vertically with two parts, riser and downcomer. With this kind of detailed modelling of steam generators there occurs strong flashing after break opening. As a sequence of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The gender-specific expression pattern of aromatase and 5alpha-reductases (5alpha-R) during brain development provides neurons the right amount of estradiol and DHT to induce a dimorphic organization of the structure. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are endocrine disruptive pollutants; exposure to PCBs through placental transfer and breast-feeding may adversely affect the organizational action of sex steroid, resulting in long-term alteration of reproductive neuroendocrinology. The study was aimed at: a) evaluating the hypothalamic expression of aromatase, 5alpha-R1 and 5alpha-R2 in fetuses (GD20), infant (PN12), weaning (PN21) and young adult (PN60) male and female rats exposed to PCBs during development; b) correlating these parameters with the time of testicular descent, puberty onset, estrous cyclicity and copulatory behavior; c) evaluating possible alterations of some non reproductive behaviors (locomotion, learning and memory, depression/anxiety behavior). A ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pr{sub 2}[Mo{sub 2}C{sub 3}] was obtained by arc melting of the elements followed by annealing at 1500 C in arc welded and sealed Mo-ampoules. The compound was characterised by chemical analyses, X-ray diffraction and metallography. The crystal structure (monoclinic, P2{sub 1}/c, Z = 4, a = 597.99(10) pm, b = 665.15(11) pm, c = 1185.60(19) pm and {beta} = 111.631(5) ) represents a new structure type containing a three dimensional polyanion {sub {infinity}}{sup 3}[(Mo{sub 2}C{sub 3}){sup 6-}] with Molybdenum(III) in a distorted tetrahedral coordination by carbo-ligands. Tetrameric building-blocks, Mo{sub 4}C{sub 10}, of edge sharing MoC{sub 4}-tetrahedra are arranged to form layers running parallel to (100). The layers are interconnected along [100] by sharing common apices of the MoC{sub 4} tetrahedra. The coordination polyhedra around praseodymium represent distorted (PrC{sub 5})-arrangements (mono capped tetrahedra and square pyramids). The metal atoms together ...