Protein Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens of Rats Exposed to Developmental Vitamin D Deficiency

Introduction: Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is a candidate risk factor for schizophrenia. Animal models have confirmed that DVD deficiency is associated with a range of altered genomic, proteomic, structural and behavioural outcomes in the rat. Because the nucleus accumbens has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, in the current study we examined protein expression in this region in adult rats exposed to DVD deficienc

Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker candidates associated with human WNV neuroinvasive disease

During the last decade, the epidemiology of WNV in humans has changed in the southern regions of Europe, with high incidence of West Nile fever (WNF) cases, but also of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND). The lack of human vaccine or specific treatment against WNV infection imparts a pressing need to characterize indicators associated with neurological involvement. By its intimacy with central nervous system (CNS) structures, modifications in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition could accurately reflect CNS pathological process. Until now, few studies investigated the association between imbalance of CSF elements and severity of WNV infection. The aim of the present study was to apply the iTRAQ technology in order to identify the CSF proteins whose abundances are modified in patients with WNND. Forty-seven proteins were found modified in the CSF of WNND patients as compared to control groups, and most of them are reported for the first time in the context of WNND. On the basis of their known biological functions, several of these proteins were associated with inflammatory response. Among them, Defensin-1 alpha (DEFA1), a protein reported with anti-viral effects, presente

Comparative Genomic Analysis of Drosophila melanogaster and Vector Mosquito Developmental Genes

Genome sequencing projects have presented the opportunity for analysis of developmental genes in three vector mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles gambiae. A comparative genomic analysis of developmental genes in Drosophila melanogaster and these three important vectors of human disease was performed in this investigation. While the study was comprehensive, special emphasis centered on genes that 1) are components of developmental signaling pathways, 2) regulate fundamental developmental processes, 3) are critical for the development of tissues of vector importance, 4) function in developmental processes known to have diverged within insects, and 5) encode microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate developmental transcripts in Drosophila. While most fruit fly developmental genes are conserved in the three vector mosquito species, several genes known to be critical for Drosophila development were not identified in one or more mosquito genomes. In other cases, mosquito lineage-specific gene gains with respect to D. melanogaster were noted. Sequence analyses also revealed that numerous repetitive sequences are a common structural feature of Drosophila and mosquito developmental genes. Finally, analysis of predicted miRNA binding sites in fruit fly and mosquito developmental genes suggests that the repertoire of developmental genes targeted by miRNAs is species-specific. The results of this study provide insight into the evolution of developmental genes and processes in dipterans and other arthropods, serve as a resource for those pursuing analysis of mosquito development, and will promote the design and refinement of functional analysis experiments

Particulate Fillers in Thermoplastics

The characteristics of particulate filled thermoplastics are determined by four factors: component properties, composition, structure and interfacial interactions. The most important filler characteristics are particle size, size distribution, specific surface area and particle shape, while the main matrix property is stiffness. Segregation, aggregation and the orientation of anisotropic particles determine structure. Interfacial interactions lead to the formation of a stiff interphase considerably influencing properties. Interactions are changed by surface modification, which must be always system specific and selected according to its goal. Under the effect of external load inhomogeneous stress distribution develops around heterogeneities, which initiate local micromechanical deformation processes determining the macroscopic properties of the composites

Microscopic Schottky-Barrier Control - Semiconductor-on-Metal Case

We have modified the Schottky-barrer height of Si overlayers on Ag(111) substrates by means of Cs intralayers of different thicknesses. We also found a correlation between these changes and those of the work function, which makes it possible to measure the true value of the S parameter

Importance of the Mellala section (Traras Mountains, northwestern Algeria) for the correlation of the Pliensbachian-Toarcian boundary

In the Mellala profile, located in the Traras Mountains (Tlemcen Domain, NW Algeria), the hemipelagic Bayada Fm. includes the transition from the Pliensbachian to the Toarcian within a continuous succession of alternating marls and marly limestones, whose thickness reaches approximatively 50 m.The Bayada Fm. begins in the Upper Domerian. The Solare Subzone of the Emaciatum Zone is proved by the occurence of several Pleuroceras solare (Phillips) in the lower part, associated with Emaciaticeras upwards. The Elisa Subzone is characterized by Tauromeniceras elisa (Fucini), Canavaria finitima (Fucini), Paltarpites bettonii (Fucini) associated with numerous Phymatothyris kerkyreae (Renz) and rare Lobothyris punctata (Sowerby). Leioceratoides gr. serotinus (Bettoni) has been found in the upper part of the subzone. The base of the lowermost Toarcian (Mirabile Horizon, Paltus Subzone) is marked by a decimetric bed (no. 38) with Paltarpites paltus (Buckman) but which has not yielded Eodactylites in the present state of the research. The following calcareous bed (no. 40) has yielded several Dactylioceras (Eodactylites) polymorphum (Fucini), D. (E.) mirabile (Fucini) and D. (E.) pseudocommune (Fucini). Upwards, Eodactylites is abundant over 10 to12 m, especially in Bed no. 44. At 3.50 m below the top, a marker-bed corresponds to a lenticular level of bioclastic quartz-rich limestones that marks the limit between the two members of the formation. The overlying 15 m are attributed to the Semicelatum Subzone (Tethyan nomenclature). At the base a level with D. (Orthodactylites) crosbeyi (Simpson) allows a good correlation with the Clevelandicum Subzone (or Horizon) of Northwestern Europe. The topmost 5 m of the outcrop are dated to the Levisoni Zone with Eleganticeras sp. The anoxic event of the beginning of this Zone is indicated only by an abnormal variability of the foraminifera. The presence of Lenticulina obonensis Ruget indicates stressing conditions. The occurrence, from the Upper Domerian to the Polymorphum Zone, of a fauna comprising the brachiopod Koninckella is important because it confirms that the environment was restricted within a deep, strongly subsiding basin (the "umbilicus")

Hypotheses for the generation of wood maturation stress

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