Synaptogenesis, the formation of functional synapses, is a crucial step for the development of the central nervous system. Among the genes involved in this process are cell adhesion molecules, such as protocadherins and neuroligins, which are essential factors for the identification of the appropriate partner cell and the formation of synapses. In this work, we studied the expression and the genet

Hydration of mesoporous silica MCM-41 was studied using the method of sorption calorimetry. By combining water sorption and nitrogen sorption experiments, we calculated the density of silanol groups on the MCM41 surface as 1.6 nm(-2). Comparison of capillary condensation regimes of water and nitrogen showed that the apparent density of water confined in MCM-41 pores is ca. 0.88 g/cm(3). The pore d

The chemokine CCL25 is constitutively expressed in the thymus, and its receptor CCR9 is expressed on subsets of developing thymocytes. Nevertheless, the function of CCL25/CCR9 in adult thymopoiesis remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that purified CCR9–/– hematopoietic stem cells are deficient in their ability to generate all major thymocyte subsets including double-negative 1 (DN1) cells in com

To examine the efficacy and safety of vildagliptin vs. glimepiride as add-on therapy to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a 52-week interim analysis of a large, randomized, double-blind, multicentre study. The primary objective was to demonstrate non-inferiority of vildagliptin vs. glimepiride in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) reduction at week 52. Patients inadequately co

BACKGROUND: Genuine Euro-Collins solution is calcium free. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the addition of calcium would improve its capacity to preserve the vasculature. METHODS: The infrarenal aorta of Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated in organ baths: as fresh controls, after 24 hours of cold (4 degrees C) storage in Euro-Collins solution, or in Euro-Collins solution with the

Inflammation is present in all stages of atherosclerosis, from fatty streaks to rupture of mature plaques. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions but its role in atherogenesis has not been defined. To clarify the role of this cytokine, we administered thalidomide, a compound known to inhibit TNF-alpha production, to homozygous apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/

The present immunohistochemical investigation reveals that difucosylated carbohydrate antigens (DFCA) are extensively expressed in rectal and rectosigmoid carcinomas while normal mucosa and hyperplastic polyps are mainly negative. The adenomas showed intermediate staining patterns where adenomas with villous structures and moderate-severe dysplasia resembled of carcinomas. CEA was more extensively

Let A be a real symmetric n x n-matrix with eigenvalues, lambda(1),..., lambda(n) ordered after decreasing absolute value, and b an n x 1-vector. We present an algorithm finding approximate solutions to min x*(Ax+b) and maxx*(Ax+b) over x is an element of {-1,1}(n), with an absolute error of at most (c(1) vertical bar lambda(1)vertical bar +vertical bar lambda([c2 log n])vertical bar)2n + O(alpha

Glycosphingolipids and sphingomyelin (SM) are important components of the apical brush border and the Golgi and enclocytic vesicles of the gut epithelium. In particular, glucosylceramide is abundant in the microvilli. Synthesis and degradation of mucosal sphingolipids and targeting of sphingolipids to distinct cell compartments during cell differentiation are thus important features of intestinal

OBJECTIVE: To explore a possible temporal association between changes in antidepressant sales and suicide rates in different age groups. METHODS: A time series analysis using a two-slope model to compare suicide rates in Sweden before and after introduction of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRIs. RESULTS: Antidepressant sales increased between 1977-1979 and 1995-1997 in men from 4.2

Numerous lineages of avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium have been deposited in GenBank. However, only seven morphospecies have been linked to these lineages. This study linked two molecular sequences with morphospecies of malaria parasites. Two species of Plasmodium (mitochondrial cytochrome b gene lineages P-GRW2 and P-GRW4) were isolated from naturally infected adult great reed warb

Objective. Although anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibodies are important in lupus nephritis, the question regarding which glomerular structures (a-actinin, nucleosomes, or others) are recognized by nephritogenic anti-dsDNA antibodies is still controversial. In this study, we determined which glomerular structures are recognized by monoclonal and in vivo-bound nephritogenic antibodies. Me

A full understanding of the properties of substellar objects is one of the major challenges facing astrophysics. Since their discovery in 1995, hundreds of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets have been discovered. While these discoveries have enabled important comparisons with theory, observational progress has been much more rapid than the theoretical understanding of cool atmospheres. The reliab

Total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is elevated in elderly patients with mental illness compared to control subjects. There are many different determinants of plasma tHcy concentration, including the presence of vascular disease. The presence of vascular disease may contribute to cognitive impairment. Clarification of the role of vascular risk factors in mental illness is important beca

Recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector-induced neuropeptide Y (NPY) overexpression in the hippocampus exerts powerful antiepileptic and antiepileptogenic effects in rats. Such gene therapy approach could be a valuable alternative for developing new antiepileptic treatment strategies. Future clinical progress, however, requires more detailed evaluation of possible side effects of this tre

In the present work, we show a new approach for decompaction of DNA-cationic surfactant complexes, e.g., lipoplexes, by using beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD). The DNA decompaction was achieved by dissolving the surfactant aggregates in the complex by making use of the high affinity between the beta-CD and the free surfactant in solution. The results from fluorescence microscopy and adiabatic compressi

Mice with allergically inflamed airways are widely used as animal models of asthma, but their relevance for human asthma is not understood. We, therefore, examined the time course of changes in respiratory input impedance during induced bronchoconstriction in BALB/c mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin. Our results indicate that bronchoconstriction in mice is accompanied by complete closu

A 'simulation' theory of cognitive function can be based on three assumptions about brain function. First, behaviour can be simulated by activating motor structures, as during an overt action but suppressing its execution. Second, perception can be simulated by internal activation of sensory cortex, as during normal perception of external stimuli. Third, both overt and covert actions can elicit pe