125 research outputs found
Gradients in cytoarchitectural landscapes of the isocortex: Diprotodont marsupials in comparison to eutherian mammals
Although it has been claimed that marsupials possess a lower density of isocortical neurons compared with other mammals, little is known about crossâcortical variation in neuron distributions in this diverse taxonomic group. We quantified upperâlayer (layers IIâIV) and lowerâlayer (layers VâVI) neuron numbers per unit of cortical surface area in three diprotodont marsupial species (two macropodiformes, the red kangaroo and the parma wallaby, and a vombatiform, the koala) and compared these results to eutherian mammals (e.g., xenarthrans, rodents, primates). In contrast to the notion that the marsupial isocortex contains a low density of neurons, we found that neuron numbers per unit of cortical surface area in several marsupial species overlap with those found in eutherian mammals. Furthermore, neuron numbers vary systematically across the isocortex of the marsupial mammals examined. Neuron numbers under a unit of cortical surface area are low toward the frontal cortex and high toward the caudoâmedial (occipital) pole. Upperâlayer neurons (i.e., layers IIâIV) account for most of the variation in neuron numbers across the isocortex. The variation in neuron numbers across the rostral to the caudal pole resembles primates. These findings suggest that diprotodont marsupials and eutherian mammals share a similar cortical architecture despite their distant evolutionary divergence
N-1 modal interactions of a three-degree-of-freedom system with cubic elastic nonlinearities
In this paper the (Formula presented.) nonlinear modal interactions that occur in a nonlinear three-degree-of-freedom lumped mass system, where (Formula presented.), are considered. The nonlinearity comes from springs with weakly nonlinear cubic terms. Here, the case where all the natural frequencies of the underlying linear system are close (i.e. (Formula presented.)) is considered. However, due to the symmetries of the system under consideration, only (Formula presented.) modes interact. Depending on the sign and magnitude of the nonlinear stiffness parameters, the subsequent responses can be classified using backbone curves that represent the resonances of the underlying undamped, unforced system. These backbone curves, which we estimate analytically, are then related to the forced response of the system around resonance in the frequency domain. The forced responses are computed using the continuation software AUTO-07p. A comparison of the results gives insights into the multi-modal interactions and shows how the frequency response of the system is related to those branches of the backbone curves that represent such interactions
Adaptive plasticity of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) embryos: dehydration-stimulated development and differential aquaporin-3 expression
13 pages, 7 figures, 3 tablesEmbryos of the marine killifish Fundulus heteroclitus are adapted to survive aerially. However, it is unknown if they are able to control development under dehydration conditions. Here, we show that air-exposed blastula embryos under saturated relative humidity were able to stimulate development, and hence the time of hatching was advanced with respect to embryos continuously immersed in seawater. Embryos exposed to air at later developmental stages did not hatch until water was added, while development was not arrested. Air-exposed embryos avoided dehydration probably because of their thickened egg envelope, although it suffered significant evaporative water loss. The potential role of aquaporins as part of the embryo response to dehydration was investigated by cloning the aquaporin-0 (FhAqp0), -1a (FhAqp1a), and -3 (FhAqp3) cDNAs. Functional expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes showed that FhaAqp1a was a water-selective channel, whereas FhAqp3 was permeable to water, glycerol, and urea. Expression of fhaqp0 and fhaqp1a was prominent during organogenesis, and their mRNA levels were similar between water- and air-incubated embryos. However, fhaqp3 transcripts were highly and transiently accumulated during gastrulation, and the protein product was localized in the basolateral membrane of the enveloping epithelial cell layer and in the membrane of ingressing and migrating blastomers. Interestingly, both fhaqp3 transcripts and FhAqp3 polypeptides were downregulated in air-exposed embryos. These data demonstrate that killifish embryos respond adaptively to environmental desiccation by accelerating development and that embryos are able to transduce dehydration conditions into molecular responses. The reduced synthesis of FhAqp3 may be one of these mechanisms to regulate water and/or solute transport in the embryo.This study was supported by the European Commission New and Emerging
Science and Technologies (NEST) program (contract no. 012674-2 Sleeping
Beauty) and by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science
(MEC; AGL2004-00316/ACU) to J. Cerda`. Participation of C. Zapater and F.
ChauvigneÂŽ was financed by a predoctoral fellowship from MEC (Spain) and by
the European Commission [Marie Curie Research Training Network Aqua
(glycero)porins, MRTN-CT-2006-035995], respectively.Peer reviewe
Mouse models of neurodegenerative disease: preclinical imaging and neurovascular component.
Neurodegenerative diseases represent great challenges for basic science and clinical medicine because of their prevalence, pathologies, lack of mechanism-based treatments, and impacts on individuals. Translational research might contribute to the study of neurodegenerative diseases. The mouse has become a key model for studying disease mechanisms that might recapitulate in part some aspects of the corresponding human diseases. Neurode- generative disorders are very complicated and multifacto- rial. This has to be taken in account when testing drugs. Most of the drugs screening in mice are very di cult to be interpretated and often useless. Mouse models could be condiderated a âpathway modelsâ, rather than as models for the whole complicated construct that makes a human disease. Non-invasive in vivo imaging in mice has gained increasing interest in preclinical research in the last years thanks to the availability of high-resolution single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), high eld Magnetic resonance, Optical Imaging scanners and of highly speci c contrast agents. Behavioral test are useful tool to characterize di erent ani- mal models of neurodegenerative pathology. Furthermore, many authors have observed vascular pathological features associated to the di erent neurodegenerative disorders. Aim
of this review is to focus on the di erent existing animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, describe behavioral tests and preclinical imaging techniques used for diagnose and describe the vascular pathological features associated to these diseases
Binary and Millisecond Pulsars
We review the main properties, demographics and applications of binary and
millisecond radio pulsars. Our knowledge of these exciting objects has greatly
increased in recent years, mainly due to successful surveys which have brought
the known pulsar population to over 1700. There are now 80 binary and
millisecond pulsars associated with the disk of our Galaxy, and a further 103
pulsars in 24 of the Galactic globular clusters. Recent highlights have been
the discovery of the first ever double pulsar system and a recent flurry of
discoveries in globular clusters, in particular Terzan 5.Comment: 77 pages, 30 figures, available on-line at
http://www.livingreviews.org/lrr-2005-
âA manager in the minds of doctors:â a comparison of new modes of control in European hospitals
Patterns of year-to-year variation in haemoglobin and glucose concentrations in the blood of nestling Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca
From Architectured Materials to Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing
The classical material-by-design approach has been extensively perfected by materials scientists, while engineers have been optimising structures geometrically for centuries. The purpose of architectured materials is to build bridges across themicroscale ofmaterials and themacroscale of engineering structures, to put some geometry in the microstructure. This is a paradigm shift. Materials cannot be considered monolithic anymore. Any set of materials functions, even antagonistic ones, can be envisaged in the future. In this paper, we intend to demonstrate the pertinence of computation for developing architectured materials, and the not-so-incidental outcome which led us to developing large-scale additive manufacturing for architectural applications
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