149 research outputs found
Assessing TMS-induced D and I waves with spinal H-reflexes
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of motor cortex produces a series of descending volleys known as D (direct) and I (indirect) waves. In the present study, we questioned whether spinal H-reflexes can be used to dissect D waves and early and late I waves from TMS. We therefore probed H-reflex facilitation at arrival times of D and I waves at the spinal level and thereby changed TMS parameters that have previously been shown to have selective effects on evoked D and different I waves. We changed TMS intensity and current direction and applied a double-pulse paradigm known as short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI). Experiments were conducted in flexor carpi radialis (FCR) in the arm and soleus (SOL) in the leg. There were two major findings: 1) in FCR, H-reflex facilitation showed characteristic modulations with altered TMS parameters that correspond to the changes of evoked D and I waves; and 2) H-reflexes in SOL did not, possibly because of increased interference from other spinal circuits. Therefore, the most significant outcome of this study is that in FCR, H-reflexes combined with TMS seem to be a useful technique to dissect TMS-induced D and I waves. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Questions that relate to corticospinal function in pathophysiology and movement control demand sophisticated techniques to provide information about corticospinal mechanisms. We introduce a noninvasive electrophysiological technique that may be useful in describing such mechanisms in more detail by dissecting D and I waves from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Based on the combination of spinal H-reflexes and TMS in the flexor carpi radialis muscle, the technique was shown to measure selective effects on D and I waves from changing TMS parameters
Senescence Is the Main Trait Induced by Temozolomide in Glioblastoma Cells.
First-line drug in the treatment of glioblastoma, the most severe brain cancer, is temozolomide (TMZ), a DNA-methylating agent that induces the critical damage O <sup>6</sup> -methylguanine (O <sup>6</sup> MeG). This lesion is cytotoxic through the generation of mismatch repair-mediated DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which trigger apoptotic pathways. Previously, we showed that O <sup>6</sup> MeG also induces cellular senescence (CSEN). Here, we show that TMZ-induced CSEN is a late response which has similar kinetics to apoptosis, but at a fourfold higher level. CSEN cells show a high amount of DSBs, which are located outside of telomeres, a high level of ROS and oxidized DNA damage (8-oxo-guanine), and sustained activation of the DNA damage response and histone methylation. Despite the presence of DSBs, CSEN cells are capable of repairing radiation-induced DSBs. Glioblastoma cells that acquired resistance to TMZ became simultaneously resistant to TMZ-induced CSEN. Using a Tet-On glioblastoma cell system, we show that upregulation of MGMT immediately after TMZ completely abrogated apoptosis and CSEN, while induction of MGMT long-term (&gt;72 h) after TMZ did not reduce apoptosis and CSEN. Furthermore, upregulation of MGMT in the senescent cell population had no impact on the survival of senescent cells, indicating that O <sup>6</sup> MeG is required for induction, but not for maintenance of the senescent state. We further show that, in recurrent GBM specimens, a significantly higher level of DSBs and CSEN-associated histone H3K27me3 was observed than in the corresponding primary tumors. Overall, the data indicate that CSEN is a key node induced in GBM following chemotherapy
Exclusive measurement of coherent eta photoproduction from the deuteron
Coherent photoproduction of eta mesons from the deuteron has been measured
from threshold up to incident photon energies of 750 MeV using the photon
spectrometer TAPS at the tagged photon facility at the Mainz microtron MAMI.
For the first time, differential coherent cross sections have been deduced from
the coincident detection of the eta meson and the recoil deuteron. A missing
energy analysis was used for the suppression of background events so that a
very clean identification of coherent eta-photoproduction was achieved. The
resulting cross sections agree with previous experimental results except for
angles around 90 deg in the photon-deuteron cm-system where they are smaller.
They are compared to various model calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Threshold enhancement in eta photoproduction from 2H and 4He
The photoproduction of eta-mesons from 2H and 4He has been studied for
energies close to the production thresholds. The experiments were carried out
with the tagged photon beam of the Mainz MAMI accelerator. The eta-mesons were
detected via their two photon decays with the electromagnetic calorimeter TAPS.
Total cross sections, angular and momentum distributions of the eta-mesons have
been determined for both reactions. The total cross sections in the threshold
region show a large enhancement over the predictions of a participant -
spectator model, indicating significant final state interaction effects. The
results are compared to recent model calculations taking into account
nucleon-nucleon and nucleon-eta final state interaction effects on different
levels of sophistication.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
The helicity amplitudes A and A for the D resonance obtained from the reaction}
The helicity dependence of the reaction
has been measured for the first time in the photon energy range from 550 to 790
MeV. The experiment, performed at the Mainz microtron MAMI, used a
4-detector system, a circularly polarized, tagged photon beam, and a
longitudinally polarized frozen-spin target. These data are predominantly
sensitive to the resonance and are used to determine its
parameters.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
First measurement of the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn integral for Hydrogen from 200 to 800 MeV
A direct measurement of the helicity dependence of the total photoabsorption
cross section on the proton was carried out at MAMI (Mainz) in the energy range
200 < E_gamma < 800 MeV. The experiment used a 4 detection system, a
circularly polarized tagged photon beam and a frozen spin target.
The contributions to the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum rule and to the forward
spin polarizability determined from the data are 226 \pm 5 (stat)\pm
12(sys) \mu b and -187 \pm 8 (stat)\pm 10(sys)10^{-6} fm^4, respectively, for
200 < E_\gamma < 800 MeV.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 3 table
Coherent \pi^\circ photoproduction from ^4He
Differential cross sections and beam asymmetries for coherent \pi^\circ
photoproduction from ^4He in the \Delta energy-range have been measured with
high statistical and systematic precisions using both decay photons for
identifying the process.The experiment was performed at the MAinz MIcrotron
using the TAPS photon spectrometer and the Glasgow/Mainz tagged photon
facility. The differential cross sections are in excellent agreement with
predictions based on the DWIA if an appropriate parametrization of the
\Delta-nuclear interaction is applied. The beam asymmetries are interpreted in
terms of degrees of linear polarization of collimated coherent bremsstrahlung.
The expected increase of the degree of linear polarization with decreasing
collimation angle is confirmed. Agreement with calculations is obtained on a
few-percent level of precision in the maxima of the coherent peaks.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure
Triceps Surae Short Latency Stretch Reflexes Contribute to Ankle Stiffness Regulation during Human Running
During human running, short latency stretch reflexes (SLRs) are elicited in the triceps surae muscles, but the function of these responses is still a matter of controversy. As the SLR is primarily mediated by Ia afferent nerve fibres, various methods have been used to examine SLR function by selectively blocking the Ia pathway in seated, standing and walking paradigms, but stretch reflex function has not been examined in detail during running. The purpose of this study was to examine triceps surae SLR function at different running speeds using Achilles tendon vibration to modify SLR size. Ten healthy participants ran on an instrumented treadmill at speeds between 7 and 15 km/h under 2 Achilles tendon vibration conditions: no vibration and 90 Hz vibration. Surface EMG from the triceps surae and tibialis anterior muscles, and 3D lower limb kinematics and ground reaction forces were simultaneously collected. In response to vibration, the SLR was depressed in the triceps surae muscles at all speeds. This coincided with short-lasting yielding at the ankle joint at speeds between 7 and 12 km/h, suggesting that the SLR contributes to muscle stiffness regulation by minimising ankle yielding during the early contact phase of running. Furthermore, at the fastest speed of 15 km/h, the SLR was still depressed by vibration in all muscles but yielding was no longer evident. This finding suggests that the SLR has greater functional importance at slow to intermediate running speeds than at faster speeds
Helicity dependence of the γ→p→→nπ+π0 reaction in the second resonance region
The helicity dependence of the total cross section for the reaction has been measured for the first time at incident photon energies from 400 to 800 MeV. The measurement was performed with the large acceptance detector DAPHNE at the tagged photon beam facility of the MAMI accelerator in Mainz. This channel is found to be excited predominantly when the photon and proton have a parallel spin orientation, due to the intermediate production of the D13 resonance.
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