Recent findings in adult rodents have provided evidence for the formation of new striatal neurons from subventricular zone (SVZ) precursors following stroke. Little is known about which factors determine the magnitude of striatal neurogenesis in the damaged brain. Here we studied striatal neurogenesis following an excitotoxic lesion to the adult rat striatum induced by intrastriatal quinolinic aci

A growing body of evidence points out the potential role of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathophysiology of brain damage in dementia. In previous studies, we have demonstrated intrathecal production of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the downstream products of TNF-alpha expres

We present first results of three-dimensional numerical simulations ofthe non-magnetic solar chromosphere, computed with the radiationhydrodynamics code CO5BOLD. Acoustic waves which are excitedat the top of the convection zone propagate upwards into thechromosphere where the waves steepen into shocks. The interaction of thewaves leads to the formation of complex structures which evolve on shortti

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to investigate patient and spouse perception of cognitive functioning 1 to 2 years after coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: Seventy-six married patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting were selected and sex- and age-matched with 75 concurrent married patients who had undergone percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Couples received a le

For group-living animals, the maintenance of a position in the social hierarchy may be associated with physiological costs such as increased stress and energy expenditure or suppressed immune functions. In this study, we experimentally manipulated the social status of house sparrows so that each bird experienced two social environments in random sequence: being dominant and subordinate. For 14 mal

Previous work suggests N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activation may be involved in degeneration of medium-sized spiny striatal neurons in Huntington's disease (HD). Here we show that these neurons are more vulnerable to NMDAR-mediated death in a YAC transgenic FVB/N mouse model of HD expressing full-length mutant huntingtin, compared with wild-type FVB/N mice. Excitotoxic death of these ne

Organically managed agroecosystems rely in part on biological control to prevent pest outbreaks. Generalist predators (Araneae, Carabidae and Staphylinidae) are a major component of the natural enemy community in agroecosystems. We assessed the seasonal dynamics of major generalist predator groups in conventionally and organically managed grass–clover fields that primarily differed by fertilisatio

The invasion of alien species and genotypes is an increasing concern in contemporary ecology. A central question is, what life-history traits enable invasion amidst populations of wild species and conventional cultivars? In order to invade, the initially rare species must perform better than their resident competitors. We conducted a mathematical analysis and simulation of a two-species extension

Fatigue crack growth experiments in Inconel 718 subjected to high strain amplitudes at 650 degrees C have been conducted. In the study the effects of load amplitude, ratio and frequency have been investigated. It was found that crack growth is a mixture of cyclic and time dependent mechanisms, depending on the load frequency. The load frequency was also found to have a strong influence on the crac

1. Climbing fibres were activated by peripheral nerve stimulation at 'high' frequencies (greater than 3 Hz) for 15-25 s and then at 0.9 Hz for about 1 min. The high frequency activation induced a post-conditioning inhibition, lasting up to about 1 min, of climbing fibre responses recorded from the cerebellar surface. 2. Electrolytic lesions were made in the superior cerebellar peduncle (brachium c

Identical in situ dust detectors are flown on board the Galileo and Ulysses spacecraft. They record impacts of micrometeoroids in the ecliptic plane at heliocentric distances from 0.7 to 5.4 AU and in a plane almost perpendicular to the ecliptic from -79 deg to +79 deg ecliptic latitude. The combination of both Ulysses and Galileo measurements yields information about the radial and latitudinal di

Optimal prevention of hereditary cancer is central and requires initiation of surveillance programmes and/or prophylactic measures at a safe age. Anticipation, expressed as an earlier age at onset in successive generations, has been demonstrated in hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). We specifically addressed anticipation in phenotypic HNPCC families without disease-predisposing mis

Lysine acetylation occurs in many protein targets, including core histones, transcription factors, and other proteins. Metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) is implicated in the progression and metastasis of various epithelial tumors. Because MTA1 functions as a transcriptional coregulator, much of its role in cancer promoting processes are likely to involve its ability to regulate the transcript

Based on data searches and life-table analyses, we determined the long-term (remaining lifetime) and short-term (10- and 5-year) absolute risks of hip fracture after sustaining a Colles' or spine fracture and searched for potential gender-related differences. In aging men, Colles' fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in contrast to women. These findings sup

Background: We previously found differences in total concentrations of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) in plasma from donors and cancer patients. Because TIMP-1 can exist in more than one molecular form, a new immunoassay to specifically detect free TIMP-1 was developed and concentrations were determined in plasma from healthy donors and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods:

Recombinant FVIIa has been developed for treatment of bleedings in hemophilia patients with inhibitors, and has been found to induce hemostasis even during major surgery such as major orthopedic surgery. Recombinant FVIIa is being produced in BHK cell cultures and has been shown to be very similar to plasma-derived FVIIa. The use of rFVIIa in hemophilia treatment is a new concept of treatment and

A model of human eye for experiments in vision research has been developed using PLZT ceramics. This ``artificial eye{''} allows to simulate light scattering caused by cataract in the eye lens. Light scattering of a composite eye lens of the model depends on the electric field applied to a transparent electrooptic PLZT ceramics plate that is attached directly to the lens. The image degradation in

Health risks associated with exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) have been shown epidemiologically as well as experimentally, pointing to both respiratory and cardiovascular effects. These health risks are of increasing concern in society, and to protect public health, a clarification of the toxic properties of particles from different sources is of importance. Lately, wear particles gene