The role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localized in dendritic spines has become a subject of intense interest because of its potential functions in local protein synthesis and signal transduction. Although it is recognized from electron microscopic studies that not all spines contain ER, little is know of its dynamic regulation or turnover. Here, we report a surprising degree of turnover of ER

Neurogenesis in the adult rat dentate gyrus was studied following focal ischemic insults produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Animals were subjected to either 30 min of MCAO, which causes damage confined to the striatum, or 2 h of MCAO, which leads to both striatal and cortical infarction. When compared to sham-operated rats, MCAO-rats showed a marked increase of the number of cell

Sertindole is an antipsychotic drug with affinity for dopamine D, serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C, and alpha(1)-adrenoreceptors. Preclinical studies suggest that sertindole acts preferentially on limbic and cortical dopaminergic neurons and clinical trials have confirmed that sertindole is effective at a low cloparnine D-2 occupancy level. The active substance has a long half-life. Oral administration

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-2-specific T lymphocyte proliferative responses were determined in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-2-exposed uninfected individuals, HIV-2-infected individuals and HIV-negative controls in Guinea-Bissau. Increased HIV-2-specific T lymphocyte proliferative responses were detected in both groups compared to HIV-negative controls (healthy HIV

Twenty-six years ago it was found that the common soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens is capable of extraordinary feats of interkingdom genetic transfer. Since this discovery, A. tumefaciens has served as a model system for the study of type IV bacterial secretory systems, horizontal gene transfer and bacterial-plant signal exchange. It has also been modified for controlled genetic transforma

Here, we investigated the structure of natural montmorillonite (MMT) and modified Cloisite C15A (MMT pre-intercalated with a dimethyl-dehydrogenated tallow quaternary ammonium surfactant) nanoclays in the wheat gluten-urea matrix in order to obtain a nanocomposite with improved barrier and mechanical properties. Small-angle X-ray scattering indicated that the characteristic hexagonal closed packed

We reported seven compounds isolated from mycelial cultures of Chilean Basidiomycetes. The compound structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Two polyacetylenes were isolated from Gymnopilus spectabilis: hepta-4,6-diyn-3-ol (1) and 7-chloro-hepta-4,6-diyn-3 ol (2). We isolated the aromatic compounds p-anisaldehyde (3) and 3-chloro-p-anisaldehyde (4) from Hypholoma capnoides. H. fascicul

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) can be categorized as storage, voiding, and postmicturition symptoms. Although often associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), they may also occur in women. This observation, the beneficial effects of a-adrenoceptor (AR) antagonists in men with BPH and LUTS, and the frail correlation between LUTS, and prostatic enlargement and/or outflow obstruction ha

Two collections of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, having open reading frames (ORFs) either overexpressed or deleted, were screened to identify cytosolic NADPH-dependent reductases involved in stereo-selective reductions of specific carbonyl compounds. As model compounds diacetyl (diketone) and ethyl acetoacetate (3-oxo ester) were used. The reductases encoded by YBR149w, YDR368w, YMR226c and YO

Soil artificially contaminated with fluorene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and benz[a]anthracene was inoculated with the wood-rotting fungi Pleurotus ostreatus and Antrodia vaillantii. During 12 weeks of incubation, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation and the formation of persistent degradation products were monitored by chemical analysis. In addition, the effect on the indigenous soil bact

Jawless fishes (Agnatha; lampreys and hagfishes) most closely resemble the earliest stage in vertebrate evolution and lamprey-like animals already existed in the Lower Cambrian [about 540 million years ago (MYA)]. Agnathans are thought to have separated from the main vertebrate lineage at least 500 MYA. Hagfishes have primitive eyes, but the eyes of adult lampreys are well-developed. The southern

We report a 40 year record of eutrophication and hypoxia on an estuarine ecosystem and its recovery from hypereutrophication. After decades of high inorganic nutrient concentrations and recurring anoxia and hypoxia, we observe a paradoxical increase in chlorophyll-a concentrations with decreasing nutrient inputs. We hypothesise that algal growth was inhibited due to hypereutrophication, either by

Background: In acquired heart disease, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-Teminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are increasingly used as diagnostic and prognostic markers. In adult Congenital heart disease, the abnormal anatomy and physiology complicate assessment of cardiac function. We Studied the clinical correlates of measurement of natriuretic peptides (NP) in adults with a rig

To analyze the role of the classical and alternative pathways of complement activation in the effector phase of arthritis, we have induced arthritis in C3- and factor B (FB)-deficient (C3(-/-) and FB-/-) DBA/1J mice using well-defined monoclonal IgG2b and IgG2a antibodies to type II collagen. In control DBA/1J mice, severe swelling of the joints, destruction of cartilage and erosion of bone develo

Background and purpose: The purpose of this work was a comparison of realistic IMRT plans based on the same CT-image data set and a common predefined set of dose objectives for the planning target volume and the organs at risk. This work was part of the larger European QUASIMODO IMRT verification project. Materials and methods: Eleven IMRT. plans were produced by nine different European groups, ea