The inferior colliculus of GEPRs contains greater numbers of cells that express glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67) mRNA.

Previous studies have shown significantly greater GABA levels and numbers of GABAergic neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICCN) of genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPR-9s). In the present study, in situ hybridization and emulsion autoradiographic techniques were used to determine whether there are also elevated numbers of ICCN cells that contain the 67-kD form of mRNA for the GABA synthesizing enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), in GEPR-9s as compared to normal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Hybridization with a 35S-labeled RNA probe complementary to a span of monkey GAD mRNA labeled cells throughout the brain including the ICCN. Labeled cells in the ICCN appeared to be of different sizes that corresponded with previous descriptions of GABAergic neurons from immunocytochemical studies. In the GEPR-9s, a larger number of GAD67 cRNA labeled neurons was observed in the ICCN as compared to SD rats. The external nucleus of the inferior colliculus was also found to contain significantly greater numbers of GAD67 cRNA labeled neurons whereas in the frontal cortex, a region of the brain that is not required for audiogenic seizure activity in GEPR-9s, there were no significant differences in hybridization between GEPR-9s and SD rats. Interestingly, within the superficial layers of the superior colliculus there was a higher density of hybridization in GEPR-9s than in SD rats indicating higher levels of GAD expression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS

In situ hybridization for c-fos mRNA reveals the involvement of the superior colliculus in the propagation of seizure activity in genetically epilepsy-prone rats.

Previous work showed that bilateral lesions made between the inferior and superior colliculi reduced the severity of audiogenic seizures in genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPR-9s), and indicated that the connections between these two structures are vital for the propagation of seizure activity. To determine the involvement of the superior colliculus (SC) in seizure propagation, GEPR-9s were given four audiogenic seizures within 1 h by ringing a loud bell, and their brains were processed 30 min later for in situ hybridization for c-fos mRNA. Brain sections from such rats showed dense labeling in both the dorsal cortex and external nucleus of the inferior colliculus. Labeling continued rostrally into the intermediate and deep layers of the SC and the periaqueductal gray region. In addition, other brain regions such as the amygdala, piriform cortex and dorsal endopiriform nucleus showed dense labeling for c-fos mRNA. Comparable increases were not observed in the brains of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats receiving auditory stimulation or in unstimulated GEPR-9s and SD rats, thereby indicating that increases in stimulated GEPR-9s are seizure-specific. This study provides further evidence that the SC is involved in the propagation of seizure activity in GEPR-9s, and also demonstrates the activation of other brain regions by audiogenic seizures

Lysosomal dysfunction results in lamina-specific meganeurite formation but not apoptosis in frontal cortex.

An inhibitor of cathepsins B and L was used to test if lysosomal dysfunction in cultured slices of rat frontal cortex induces pathological features that develop in the human cortex during aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Incubation for 6 days with N-CBZ-L-phenylalanyl-L-alanine-diazomethylketone (ZPAD) resulted in a massive proliferation of endosomes-lysosomes in all cortical layers. Slices additionally exposed to a washout of 4 days had numerous meganeurites, blister-like structures in the region of the axon hillock, in layer III but not in other cortical laminae. Meganeurites are a characteristic feature of the human frontal cortex after age 50 and are largely restricted to layer III. Tests for apoptosis were carried out at two intervals following meganeurite formation. TUNEL-labeled neurons were confined to layers II/III on the surface of the slices but there was no evidence for a ZPAD effect. In all, 6 days of lysosomal dysfunction reproduces characteristic effects of normal aging in neocortex without generating some key features of AD

Diagnostic accuracy of Doppler ultrasound technique of the penile arteries in correlation to selective arteriography

In 63% of 265 patients with erectile dysfunction a relevant arterial inflow disturbance was found by Doppler ultrasound examination. Correlation between Doppler and arteriography in 58 patients showed an accuracy of 95% in detecting penile arteries and an accuracy of 91% in discovering a pathological arterial pattern (arterial anomaly or arteriosclerotic obstruction). In 15 patients the arterial inflow was measured additionally by Doppler ultrasound technique after intracavernosal injection of vasoactive drugs (IIVD) (7.5 mg papaverine and 0.25 mg phentolamine). This technique proved to be more reliable than in the flaccid state and markedly facilitated localization and assessment of pathological changes of the cavernosal arteries

The origin of dust in galaxies revisited: the mechanism determining dust content

The origin of cosmic dust is a fundamental issue in planetary science. This paper revisits the origin of dust in galaxies, in particular, in the Milky Way, by using a chemical evolution model of a galaxy composed of stars, interstellar medium, metals (elements heavier than helium), and dust. We start from a review of time-evolutionary equations of the four components, and then, we present simple recipes for the stellar remnant mass and yields of metal and dust based on models of stellar nucleosynthesis and dust formation. After calibrating some model parameters with the data from the solar neighborhood, we have confirmed a shortage of the stellar dust production rate relative to the dust destruction rate by supernovae if the destruction efficiency suggested by theoretical works is correct. If the dust mass growth by material accretion in molecular clouds is active, the observed dust amount in the solar neighborhood is reproduced. We present a clear analytic explanation of the mechanism for determining dust content in galaxies after the activation of accretion growth: a balance between accretion growth and supernova destruction. Thus, the dust content is independent of the uncertainty of the stellar dust yield after the growth activation. The timing of the activation is determined by a critical metal mass fraction which depends on the growth and destruction efficiencies. The solar system formation seems to have occurred well after the activation and plenty of dust would have existed in the proto-solar nebula.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure

Nuclear DNA content variation in life history phases of the Bonnemaisoniaceae (Rhodophyta)

Nuclear DNA content in gametophytes and sporophytes or the prostrate phases of the following species of Bonnemaisoniaceae (Asparagopsis armata, Asparagopsis taxiformis, Bonnemaisonia asparagoides, Bonnemaisonia clavata and Bonnemaisonia hamifera) were estimated by image analysis and static microspectrophotometry using the DNA-localizing fluorochrome DAPI (4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dilactate) and the chicken erythrocytes standard. These estimates expand on the Kew database of DNA nuclear content. DNA content values for 1C nuclei in the gametophytes (spermatia and vegetative cells) range from 0.5 pg to 0.8 pg, and for 2C nuclei in the sporophytes or the prostrate phases range from 1.15-1.7 pg. Although only the 2C and 4C values were observed in the sporophyte or the prostrate phase, in the vegetative cells of the gametophyte the values oscillated from 1C to 4C, showing the possible start of endopolyploidy. The results confirm the alternation of nuclear phases in these Bonnemaisoniaceae species, in those that have tetrasporogenesis, as well as those that have somatic meiosis. The availability of a consensus phylogenetic tree for Bonnemaisoniaceae has opened the way to determine evolutionary trends in DNA contents. Both the estimated genome sizes and the published chromosome numbers for Bonnemaisoniaceae suggest a narrow range of values consistent with the conservation of an ancestral genome

Universal Oligonucleotide Microarray for Sub-Typing of Influenza A Virus

A universal microchip was developed for genotyping Influenza A viruses. It contains two sets of oligonucleotide probes allowing viruses to be classified by the subtypes of hemagglutinin (H1–H13, H15, H16) and neuraminidase (N1–N9). Additional sets of probes are used to detect H1N1 swine influenza viruses. Selection of probes was done in two steps. Initially, amino acid sequences specific to each subtype were identified, and then the most specific and representative oligonucleotide probes were selected. Overall, between 19 and 24 probes were used to identify each subtype of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Genotyping included preparation of fluorescently labeled PCR amplicons of influenza virus cDNA and their hybridization to microarrays of specific oligonucleotide probes. Out of 40 samples tested, 36 unambiguously identified HA and NA subtypes of Influenza A virus

Origin of modern syphilis and emergence of a pandemic Treponema pallidum cluster

The abrupt onslaught of the syphilis pandemic that started in the late fifteenth century established this devastating infectious disease as one of the most feared in human history. Surprisingly, despite the availability of effective antibiotic treatment since the mid-twentieth century, this bacterial infection, which is caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (TPA), has been re-emerging globally in the last few decades with an estimated 10.6 million cases in 2008. Although resistance to penicillin has not yet been identified, an increasing number of strains fail to respond to the secondline antibiotic azithromycin. Little is known about the genetic patterns in current infections or the evolutionary origins of the disease due to the low quantities of treponemal DNA in clinical samples and difficulties in cultivating the pathogen. Here, we used DNA capture and whole-genome sequencing to successfully interrogate genome-wide variation from syphilis patient specimens, combined with laboratory samples of TPA and two other subspecies. Phylogenetic comparisons based on the sequenced genomes indicate that the TPA strains examined share a common ancestor after the fifteenth century, within the early modern era. Moreover, most contemporary strains are azithromycin-resistant and are members of a globally dominant cluster, named here as SS14-Ω. The cluster diversified from a common ancestor in the mid-twentieth century subsequent to the discovery of antibiotics. Its recent phylogenetic divergence and global presence point to the emergence of a pandemic strain cluster

A prospective registry of emergency department patients admitted with infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patients with infections account for a significant proportion of Emergency Department (ED) workload, with many hospital patients admitted with severe sepsis initially investigated and resuscitated in the ED. The aim of this registry is to systematically collect quality observational clinical and microbiological data regarding emergency patients admitted with infection, in order to explore in detail the microbiological profile of these patients, and to provide the foundation for a significant programme of prospective observational studies and further clinical research.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>ED patients admitted with infection will be identified through daily review of the computerised database of ED admissions, and clinical information such as site of infection, physiological status in the ED, and components of management abstracted from patients' charts. This information will be supplemented by further data regarding results of investigations, microbiological isolates, and length of stay (LOS) from hospital electronic databases. Outcome measures will be hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, and mortality endpoints derived from a national death registry.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This database will provide substantial insights into the characteristics, microbiological profile, and outcomes of emergency patients admitted with infections. It will become the nidus for a programme of research into compliance with evidence-based guidelines, optimisation of empiric antimicrobial regimens, validation of clinical decision rules and identification of outcome determinants. The detailed observational data obtained will provide a solid baseline to inform the design of further controlled trials planned to optimise treatment and outcomes for emergency patients admitted with infections.</p

Recovery of a temperate reef assemblage in a marine protected area following the exclusion of towed demersal fishing.

Marine Protected Areas MPA have been widely used over the last 2 decades to address human impacts on marine habitats within an ecosystem management context. Few studies have quantified recovery of temperate rocky reef communities following the cessation of scallop dredging or demersal trawling. This is critical information for the future management of these habitats to contribute towards conservation and fisheries targets. The Lyme Bay MPA, in south west UK, has excluded towed demersal fishing gear from 206 km(2) of sensitive reef habitat using a Statutory Instrument since July 2008. To assess benthic recovery in this MPA we used a flying video array to survey macro epi-benthos annually from 2008 to 2011. 4 treatments (the New Closure, previously voluntarily Closed Controls and Near or Far Open to fishing Controls) were sampled to test a recovery hypothesis that was defined as 'the New Closure becoming more similar to the Closed Controls and less similar to the Open Controls'. Following the cessation of towed demersal fishing, within three years positive responses were observed for species richness, total abundance, assemblage composition and seven of 13 indicator taxa. Definitive evidence of recovery was noted for species richness and three of the indicator taxa (Pentapora fascialis, Phallusia mammillata and Pecten maximus). While it is hoped that MPAs, which exclude anthropogenic disturbance, will allow functional restoration of goods and services provided by benthic communities, it is an unknown for temperate reef systems. Establishing the likely timescales for restoration is key to future marine management. We demonstrate the early stages of successful recruitment and link these to the potential wider ecosystem benefits including those to commercial fisheries