Potential role of cholesterol in the migration of neurons containing gonadotropin-releasing hormone

Signaling by Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) is instrumental in the development of midline facial and forebrain structures. Signaling by Shh can be dependent upon conjugation with cholesterol. Structural abnormalities related to cholesterol depletion may be a result of a failure of Shh signaling. Disorders resulting in cholesterol depletion are often characterized in part by developmental malformations, including holoprosencephaly. Neurons that synthesize gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH; controls the reproductive axis) originate in the nasal compartment and migrate into the brain along a route that may depend upon proper Shh signaling. The current study was conducted to assess whether cholesterol-depleted enzyme Dhcr24-/- mice would affect the unique migration of GnRH neurons as they migrate to the brain.College Honors

HE 0437-5439 -- an unbound hyper-velocity main-sequence B-type star

We report the discovery of a 16th magnitude star, HE0437-5439, with a heliocentric radial velocity of +723+-3km/s. A quantitative spectral analysis of high-resolution optical spectra obtained with the VLT and the UVES spectrograph shows that HE0437-5439 is a main sequence B-type star with Teff=20350K, log g=3.77, solar within a factor of a few helium abundance and metal content, rotating at v sin i=54km/s. Using appropriate evolutionary tracks we derive a mass of 8 Msun and a corresponding distance of 61 kpc. Its galactic rest frame velocity is at least 563km/s, almost twice the local Galactic escape velocity, indicating that the star is unbound to the Galaxy. Numerical kinematical experiments are carried out to constrain its place of birth. It has been suggested that such hyper-velocity stars can be formed by the tidal disruption of a binary through interaction with the super-massive black hole at the Galactic center (GC). HE0437-5439 needs about 100Myrs to travel from the GC to its presentposition, much longer than its main sequence lifetime of 25Myrs. This can only be reconciled if HE0437-5439 is a blue straggler star. In this case, the predicted proper motion is so small that it can only be measured by future space missions. Since the star is much closer to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC, 18kpc) than to the GC, it can reach its position from the center of the LMC. The proper motion predicted in this case is about 2mas/y (relative to the LMC), large enough to be measurable with conventional techniques from the ground. The LMC origin could also be tested by a high-precision abundance analysis.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. Astrophysical Journal Letters, accepte

Nuclear shadowing in polarized DIS on ^6LiD at small x and its effect on the extraction of the deuteron spin structure function g_{1}^{d}(x,Q^2)

We consider the effect of nuclear shadowing in polarized deep inelastic scattering (DIS) on ^6LiD at small Bjorken x and its relevance to the extraction of the deuteron spin structure function g_{1}^{d}(x,Q^2). Using models, which describe nuclear shadowing in unpolarized DIS, we demonstrate that the nuclear shadowing correction to g_{1}^{d}(x,Q^2) is significant.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Impact of propofol on mid-latency auditory-evoked potentials in children†

Background Propofol is increasingly used in paediatric anaesthesia, but can be challenging to titrate accurately in this group. Mid-latency auditory-evoked potentials (MLAEPs) can be used to help titrate propofol. However, the effects of propofol on MLAEP in children are unclear. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between propofol and MLAEP in children undergoing anaesthesia. Methods Fourteen healthy children aged 4-16 yr received anaesthesia for elective surgery. Before surgery, propofol was administered in three concentrations (3, 6, 9 µg ml−1) through a target-controlled infusion pump using Kataria and colleagues' model. MLAEPs were recorded 5 min after having reached each target propofol concentration at each respective concentration. Additionally, venous propofol blood concentrations were assayed at each measuring time point. Results Propofol increased all four MLAEP peak latencies (peaks Na, Pa, Nb, P1) in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the differences in amplitudes were significantly smaller with increasing propofol target concentrations. The measured propofol plasma concentrations correlated positively with the latencies of the peaks Na, Pa, and Nb. Conclusions Propofol affects MLAEP latencies and amplitudes in children in a dose-dependent manner. MLAEP measurement might therefore be a useful tool for monitoring depth of propofol anaesthesia in childre