TracMouse : A computer aided movement analysis script for the mouse inverted horizontal grid test

This work was funded by NCN grant 2014/15/B/NZ4/05041 and TauRx Therapeutics/WisTa Laboratories Ltd., Singapore and by statutory funds from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Spatial and temporal variability of bronchiectasis cases in Silesian voivodeship in 2006–2010

Objectives: Reports on an increasing number of hospitalizations in other European countries and the lack of epidemiological data on the prevalence of bronchiectasis in Poland constituted motivation for the authors to investigate temporal changes of the registered incidence and hospitalization due to bronchiectasis in Silesian voivodeship, and to evaluate spatial variability of the disease in the study region. Material and Methods: The study is a descriptive epidemiological project. Temporal and spatial variability of coefficients describing numbers of newly diagnosed cases and first time hospitalizations due to bronchiectasis (code J47 according to International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10)) were evaluated based on the registered data available from the National Health Found (2006–2010) and the data from MZ/Szp-11 reports (2000–2011). The data concerned adults aged ≥ 19 years, inhabitants of Silesian voivodeship. Maps of incidence or hospitalization rates due to bronchiectasis were constructed by the use of a geographical information system ArcGIS. Results: The obtained results show a stable trend of reported new diseases, whereas the number of first time hospitalizations is increasing. Values of the standardized incidence were 19.9–25.1/100 000 inhabitants, and values of the standardized first-time hospitalization were 1.2–2.9/100 000 inhabitants. The reported rates of bronchiectasis indicate significant spatial differences in epidemiological situation in the study region. Conclusions: The findings showed territorial variability of the incidence and hospitalization of bronchiectasis recorded in Silesian voivodeship. The observed variability might result from regional differences in the availability of specialized medical services

CAM-related changes in chloroplastic metabolism of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is an intriguing metabolic strategy to maintain photosynthesis under conditions of closed stomata. A shift from C3 photosynthesis to CAM in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum plants was induced by high salinity (0.4 M NaCl). In CAM-performing plants, the quantum efficiencies of photosystem II and I were observed to undergo distinct diurnal fluctuations that were characterized by a strong decline at the onset of the day, midday recovery, and an evening drop. The temporal recovery of both photosystems’ efficiency at midday was associated with a more rapid induction of the electron transport rate at PSII. This recovery of the photosynthetic apparatus at midday was observed to be accompanied by extreme swelling of thylakoids. Despite these fluctuations, a persistent effect of CAM was the acceptor side limitation of PSI during the day, which was accompanied by a strongly decreased level of Rubisco protein. Diurnal changes in the efficiency of photosystems were parallel to corresponding changes in the levels of mRNAs for proteins of PSII and PSI reaction centers and for rbcL, reaching a maximum in CAM plants at midday. This might reflect a high demand for new protein synthesis at this time of the day. Hybridization of run-on transcripts with specific probes for plastid genes of M. crystallinum revealed that the changes in plastidic mRNA levels were regulated at the level of transcription

Establishment and interspecific associations in two species of Ichthyocotylurus (Trematoda) parasites in perch (Perca fluviatilis)

Background: Co-infections of multiple parasite species in hosts may lead to interspecific associations and subsequently shape the structure of a parasite community. However, few studies have focused on these associations in highly abundant parasite species or, in particular, investigated how the associations develop with time in hosts exposed to co-infecting parasite species for the first time. We investigated metacercarial establishment and interspecific associations in the trematodes Ichthyocotylurus variegatus and I. pileatus co-infecting three age cohorts of young perch (Perca fluviatilis). Results: We found that the timing of transmission of the two Ichthyocotylurus species was very similar, but they showed differences in metacercarial development essentially so that the metacercariae of I. pileatus became encapsulated faster. Correlations between the abundances of the species were significantly positive after the first summer of host life and also within the main site of infection, the swim bladder. High or low abundances of both parasite species were also more frequent in the same host individuals than expected by chance, independently of host age or size. However, the highest abundances of the species were nevertheless observed in different host individuals and this pattern was consistent in all age cohorts. Conclusions: The results suggest similar temporal patterns of transmission, non-random establishment, and facilitative rather than competitive associations between the parasite species independently of the age of the infracommunities. However, we suggest that spatial differences in exposure are most likely responsible for the segregation of the parasite species observed in the few most heavily infected hosts. Regardless of the underlying mechanism, the result suggests that between-species associations should be interpreted with caution along with detailed examination of the parasite distribution among host individuals.peerReviewe

Different pathways of molecular pathophysiology underlie cognitive and motor tauopathy phenotypes in transgenic models for Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited. Acknowledgments From the Berlin Laboratory, we thank Ingo Voigt for performing the injections of the two constructs into the oocytes, Bettina Seelhorst for her extensive technical assistance, Anna Thoma for taking specific care of the animals, and John Horn, Charite Core Facility for electron microscopy for performing expert analyses in ultra-cryosections with immunogold technique. Expert comments on the manuscript from Silke Frahm-Barske (Berlin) are also acknowledged. Special thanks to Bob Switzer at NeuroScience Associates Inc. for embedding, sectioning and staining mouse brains. This work was funded by TauRx Therapeutics, Singapore. C.R.H. and C.M.W. declare that they are officers in TauRx Therapeutics Ltd.Peer reviewedPublisher PD