Neuropathological changes in the PDAPP transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a uniquely human disorder. Although the pathogenesis of AD is not fully understood, growing evidence indicates that the deposition of beta-amyloid (Aβ) and the local reactions of various cell types to this protein play major roles in the development of the disease. In the present study transgenic mice expressing mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP) has been used. These mice exhibit selective neuronal death in the brain regions that are most affected in AD, suggesting that amyloid plaque formation is directly involved in AD neurons loss. Brains from 12 transgenic animals and 12 age-matched non transgenic littermate controls (1 and 2 years old) were examined histopathologically. One year old transgenic animals (n=6) exhibit deposits of human Aβ in the hippocampus, corpus callosum and cerebral cortex. By 2 years of age, a great number of diffuse and mature plaques were present in the cortex and hippocampus, and subcortical regions like thalamus and striatum. Another major finding was reduction of cholinergic cells in the medial septum, striatum and diagonal band of Broca. The present data are consistent with the hypothesis that the neuropathology begins in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus before spreading in a retrograde fashion to subcortical regions

Full particle simulation of a perpendicular collisionless shock: A shock-rest-frame model

The full kinetic dynamics of a perpendicular collisionless shock is studied by means of a one-dimensional electromagnetic full particle simulation. The present simulation domain is taken in the shock rest frame in contrast to the previous full particle simulations of shocks. Preliminary results show that the downstream state falls into a unique cyclic reformation state for a given set of upstream parameters through the self-consistent kinetic processes.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, published in "Earth, Planets and Space" (EPS), the paper with full resolution images is http://theo.phys.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~ryo/papers/shock_rest.pd

Traveling foreshocks and transient foreshock phenomena

We use the multispacecraft capabilities of the Cluster and Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) missions to show that two types of foreshock may be detected in spacecraft data. One is the global foreshock that appears upstream of the Earth's quasi-parallel bow shock under steady or variable interplanetary magnetic field. Another type is a traveling foreshock that is bounded by two rotational discontinuities in the interplanetary magnetic field and propagates along the bow shock. Foreshock compressional boundaries are found at the edges of both types of foreshock. We show that isolated foreshock cavities are a subset of the traveling foreshocks that form when two bounding rotational discontinuities are so close that the ultralow-frequency waves do not develop in the region between them. We also report observations of a spontaneous hot flow anomaly inside a traveling foreshock. This means that other phenomena, such as foreshock cavitons, may also exist inside this type of foreshock. In the second part of this work we present statistical properties of phenomena related to the foreshock, namely, foreshock cavities, cavitons, spontaneous hot flow anomalies, and foreshock compressional boundaries. We show that spontaneous hot flow anomalies are the most depleted transient structures in terms of the B field and plasma density inside them and that the foreshock compressional boundaries and foreshock cavities are closely related structures

Liquefaction hazard of the Groningen region of the Netherlands due to induced seismicity

The operator of the Groningen gas field is leading an effort to quantify the seismic hazard and riskof the region due to induced earthquakes, includingoverseeing one of the most comprehensive liquefaction hazard studies performedgloballyto date. Due tothe unique characteristics of the seismic hazard and the geologic deposits in Groningen, efforts first focused on developing relationships for a Groningen-specific liquefaction triggering model. The liquefaction hazard was then assessedusing a Monte Carlo method, wherein a range of credibleevent scenarios were considered in computingliquefaction damage-potentialhazard curves. Thiseffort entailed the use of a regional stochastic seismic source model,ground motion prediction equation,site response model,and geologic model that were developed as part of the broader regional seismic hazardassessment.“No-to-Minor Surficial Liquefaction Manifestations”arepredicted for mostsites across the study areafor a 75-year return period. The only sites where “Moderate Surficial Liquefaction Manifestations” are predicted are in the town of Zandeweer, with only some of the sites in the townbeing predicted to experience this severityof liquefactionfor thisreturn period

Transient Foreshock Structures Upstream of Mars: Implications of the Small Martian Bow Shock

We characterize the nature of magnetic structures in the foreshock region of Mars associated with discontinuities in the solar wind. The structures form at the upstream edge of moving foreshocks caused by slow rotations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The solar wind plasma density and the IMF strength noticeably decrease inside the structures' core, and a compressional shock layer is present at their sunward side, making them consistent with foreshock bubbles (FBs). Ion populations responsible for these structures include backstreaming ions that only appear within the moving foreshock, and accelerated reflected ions from the quasi-perpendicular bow shock. Both ion populations accumulate near the upstream edge of the moving foreshock which facilitates FB formation. Reflected ions with hybrid trajectories that straddle between the quasi-perpendicular and quasi-parallel bow shocks during slow IMF rotations contribute to formation of foreshock transients.Comment: Submitted to Geophysical Research Letter

Granulomatous pyoderma preceding chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis triggered by vaccinations in a two-year-old boy: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis is a rare, systemic, aseptic, inflammatory disorder that involves different sites. Pathogenesis of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis is currently unknown.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A two-year-old Caucasian boy, diagnosed with chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis with granulomatous pyoderma following routine vaccinations is presented for the first time in the literature.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that antigen exposures might have provoked this inflammatory condition for our case. Skin and/or bone lesions following vaccinations should raise suspicion of an inflammatory response such as chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis only after thorough evaluation for chronic infection, autoimmune, immunodeficiency or vasculitic diseases.</p

Contributions to the cross shock electric field at supercritical perpendicular shocks: Impact of the pickup ions

A particle-in-cell code is used to examine contributions of the pickup ions (PIs) and the solar wind ions (SWs) to the cross shock electric field at the supercritical, perpendicular shocks. The code treats the pickup ions self-consistently as a third component. Herein, two different runs with relative pickup ion density of 25% and 55% are presented in this paper. Present preliminary results show that: (1) in the low percentage (25%) pickup ion case, the shock front is nonstationary. During the evolution of this perpendicular shock, a nonstationary foot resulting from the reflected solar wind ions is formed in front of the old ramp, and its amplitude becomes larger and larger. At last, the nonstationary foot grows up into a new ramp and exceeds the old one. Such a nonstationary process can be formed periodically. hen the new ramp begins to be formed in front of the old ramp, the Hall term mainly contributed by the solar wind ions becomes more and more important. The electric field Ex is dominated by the Hall term when the new ramp exceeds the old one. Furthermore, an extended and stationary foot in pickup ion gyro-scale is located upstream of the nonstationary/self-reforming region within the shock front, and is always dominated by the Lorentz term contributed by the pickup ions; (2) in the high percentage (55%) pickup ion case, the amplitude of the stationary foot is increased as expected. One striking point is that the nonstationary region of the shock front evidenced by the self-reformation disappears. Instead, a stationary extended foot dominated by Lorentz term contributed by the pickup ions, and a tationary ramp dominated by Hall term contributed by the solar wind ions are clearly evidenced. The significance of the cross electric field on ion dynamics is also discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figs and 1 table. This paper will be published in the journal: Astrophysics and Space Scienc