Expression Profiling of a Genetic Animal Model of Depression Reveals Novel Molecular Pathways Underlying Depressive-Like Behaviours

The Flinders model is a validated genetic rat model of depression that exhibits a number of behavioural, neurochemical and pharmacological features consistent with those observed in human depression.In this study we have used genome-wide microarray expression profiling of the hippocampus and prefrontal/frontal cortex of Flinders Depression Sensitive (FSL) and control Flinders Depression Resistant (FRL) lines to understand molecular basis for the differences between the two lines. We profiled two independent cohorts of Flinders animals derived from the same colony six months apart, each cohort statistically powered to allow independent as well as combined analysis. Using this approach, we were able to validate using real-time-PCR a core set of gene expression differences that showed statistical significance in each of the temporally distinct cohorts, representing consistently maintained features of the model. Small but statistically significant increases were confirmed for cholinergic (chrm2, chrna7) and serotonergic receptors (Htr1a, Htr2a) in FSL rats consistent with known neurochemical changes in the model. Much larger gene changes were validated in a number of novel genes as exemplified by TMEM176A, which showed 35-fold enrichment in the cortex and 30-fold enrichment in hippocampus of FRL animals relative to FSL.These data provide significant insights into the molecular differences underlying the Flinders model, and have potential relevance to broader depression research

Transient enhanced diffusion of B at low temperatures under extrinsic conditions

\u3cp\u3eTransient enhanced diffusion of B in silicon is modelled at temperatures down to 500 °C, using a simplified model of self-interstitial clusters to describe the time evolution of the self-interstitial supersaturation, S. The model is highly predictive, providing an accurate description of diffusion both in the peak and tail regions of B marker layers, over a wide range of annealing conditions. The model is well adapted for implementation into existing 2D commercial simulation tools. Fundamental parameters of atomic-scale B diffusion were extracted for the first time at T = 500 °C, under both intrinsic and extrinsic conditions.\u3c/p\u3