EVOLUTION, Issue 3 2003
Kari Lehtilä
Abstract Tiffin and Inouye (2000) discussed the use of natural and imposed (controlled) damage in experiments of herbivore tolerance. They constructed a statistical model of the effect of herbivory on plant fitness, including damage level and an environmental factor as the independent factors, in which tolerance is defined as a slope of the regression line when damage level is regressed with plant fitness. They claim that while experiments with imposed damage are more accurate (i.e., they give a more correct estimate of tolerance), experiments with natural damage are more precise under a wide range of parameter values (i.e., tolerance estimates explain a larger part of variation in fitness). I show, however, that experiments with imposed damage are less precise only when an experimenter uses an experimental design that has weaker statistical power than in experiments with natural herbivory. The experimenter can nevertheless control the damage levels to optimize the experimental designs. For instance, when half of the experimental plants are left undamaged and the other half treated with maximal relevant damage level, experiments with imposed damage are almost always much more precise than experiments with natural damage. [source]

MEASURING TOLERANCE TO HERBIVORY WITH NATURAL OR IMPOSED DAMAGE: A REPLY TO LEHTILÅ

EVOLUTION, Issue 3 2003
Brian D. Inouye
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

ESR SPECTROSCOPY INVESTIGATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND PROTECTIVE EFFECT ON HYDROXYL RADICAL-INDUCED DNA DAMAGE OF ENZYMATIC EXTRACTS FROM PICRORRHIZA KURROA

JOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2008
SOUNG-HEE CHOI
ABSTRACT The potential antioxidant activity of enzymatic extracts from Picrorrhiza kurroa was evaluated on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, hydroxyl radical and alkyl radical-scavenging activities using an electron spin resonance spectrometer (JEOL Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). P. kurroa was enzymatically hydrolyzed by seven carbohydrases and five proteases to prepare water-soluble extracts. The DPPH radical-scavenging activities of the pancreatic trypsin and Amyloglucosidase (AMG) (artificial carbohydrase by Novozyme Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) extracts from P. kurroa were the highest among protease and carbohydrase extracts, and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were 35.58 and 29.03 µg/mL, respectively. The hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity of the Protamex and Viscozyme extracts from P. kurroa were the highest scavenging activities, and the IC50 values were 0.46 and 1.89 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, the Protamex and Maltogenase extracts from P. kurroa showed the highest alkyl radical-scavenging activities, and the IC50 values were 18.03 and 10.66 µg/mL, respectively. The protective effect of the Protamex extracts from P. kurroa on DNA damage which was free radical-induced was 92% at 3 mg/mL. These results indicate that enzymatic extracts of P. kurroa show potent antioxidant activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Picrorrhiza kurroa could be used to produce protein and carbohydrate extracts with antioxidative activity. Many industrial commercial enzymes such as Promozyme, Celluclast 1.5 L FG, Maltogenase L, Viscozyme L, Termamyl SC, Dextrozyme E, AMG 300 L, Protamex, Flavourzyme 500 MG, Neutrase 0.8 L, Pancreatic Trypsin and Alcalase 2.4 L could be also used to attain the extracts processing the high antioxidative activity. The extracts can be used as natural antioxidants. [source]

EFFECT OF HYDROGEN SULPHIDE ON ,-AMYLOID-INDUCED DAMAGE IN PC12 CELLS

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
Xiao-Qing Tang
SUMMARY 1Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a well-known cytotoxic gas. Recently, H2S has been shown to protect neurons against oxidative stress caused by glutamate, peroxynitrite and HOCl. Considerably lower H2S levels have been reported in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with accumulation of ,-amyloid (A,). 2The aim of present study was to explore the cytoprotection by H2S against A,25,35 -induced apoptosis and the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect in PC12 cells. 3Our findings indicated that A,25,35 significantly reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis of PC12 cells, along with dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). 4Sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS), an H2S donor, protected PC12 cells against A,25,35 -induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis not only by reducing the loss of MMP, but also by attenuating the increase in intracellular ROS. 5The results of the present study suggest that the cytoprotection by H2S is related to the preservation of MMP and attenuation of A,25,35 -induced intracellular ROS generation. These findings could significantly advance therapeutic approaches to the neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with oxidative stress, such as AD. [source]

THERMAL PRECONDITIONING PROTECTS THE HUMAN INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY FROM HYPOXIA/RE-OXYGENATION-INDUCED DAMAGE

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2006
Angelika Hammerer-Lercher
SUMMARY 1Preconditioning has been demonstrated to ameliorate ischaemia/reperfusion injury in several cells and tissues. Therefore, in the present study we investigated whether preconditioning of human bypass grafts, internal mammary artery (IMA) and saphenous vein (SV) induces heat shock protein (Hsp) expression and reduces apoptosis in response to subsequent hypoxia/re-oxygenation damage in both vessels. 2Internal mammary artery and SV rings, obtained from 30 patients (median age 66.5 years) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, were either incubated for 30 min at 42°C (preconditioned) or kept in a standard incubator at 37°C (not preconditioned). Six hours later, graft segments were exposed to 90 min hypoxia followed by a 30 min re-oxygenation period. Western blot, real-time quantative polymerase chain reaction analysis and apoptosis detection by the Terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP,digoxigenin nick end-labelling method were performed. 3Heat-preconditioned IMA showed significantly increased protein expression of Hsp72 after hypoxia/re-oxygenation treatment compared with controls (median 9.1 vs 5.0 µg/mg total protein; P = 0.048). Expression of Hsp73 was weak and Hsp60 was not detectable in the IMA. 4In the SV, neither protein nor mRNA expression of Hsp were significantly different between preconditioned and not preconditioned veins. 5There were significantly fewer apoptotic cells in the intima of the preconditioned compared with not preconditioned IMA (P = 0.041) after hypoxia/re-oxygenation injury, whereas in the SV apoptosis was not significantly prevented by preconditioning. 6Mild heat preconditioning before hypoxia/re-oxygenation injury is a stimulus for Hsp72 protein expression and a reduction in apoptosis in the human IMA. [source]

TOCOTRIENOL OFFERS BETTER PROTECTION THAN TOCOPHEROL FROM FREE RADICAL-INDUCED DAMAGE OF RAT BONE

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2005
NS Ahmad
SUMMARY 1.,Free radicals generated by ferric nitrilotriacetate (FeNTA) can activate osteoclastic activity and this is associated with elevation of the bone resorbing cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6. In the present study, we investigated the effects of 2 mg/kg FeNTA (2 mg iron/kg) on the levels of serum IL-1 and IL-6 with or without supplementation with a palm oil tocotrienol mixture or ,-tocopherol acetate in Wistar rats. 2.,The FeNTA was found to elevate levels of IL-1 and IL-6. Only the palm oil tocotrienol mixture at doses of 60 and 100 mg/kg was able to prevent FeNTA-induced increases in IL-1 (P < 0.01). Both the palm oil tocotrienol mixture and ,-tocopherol acetate, at doses of 30, 60 and 100 mg/kg, were able to reduce FeNTA-induced increases in IL-6 (P < 0.05). Therefore, the palm oil tocotrienol mixture was better than pure ,-tocopherol acetate in protecting bone against FeNTA (free radical)-induced elevation of bone-resorbing cytokines. 3.,Supplementation with the palm oil tocotrienol mixture or ,-tocopherol acetate at 100 mg/kg restored the reduction in serum osteocalcin levels due to ageing, as seen in the saline (control) group (P < 0.05). All doses of the palm oil tocotrienol mixture decreased urine deoxypyridinoline cross-link (DPD) significantly compared with the control group, whereas a trend for decreased urine DPD was only seen for doses of 60 mg/kg onwards of ,-tocopherol acetate (P < 0.05). 4.,Bone histomorphometric analyses have shown that FeNTA injections significantly lowered mean osteoblast number (P < 0.001) and the bone formation rate (P < 0.001), but raised osteoclast number (P < 0.05) and the ratio of eroded surface/bone surface (P < 0.001) compared with the saline (control) group. Supplementation with 100 mg/kg palm oil tocotrienol mixture was able to prevent all these FeNTA-induced changes, but a similar dose of ,-tocopherol acetate was found to be effective only for mean osteoclast number. Injections of FeNTA were also shown to reduce trabecular bone volume (P < 0.001) and trabecular thickness (P < 0.05), whereas only supplementation with 100 mg/kg palm oil tocotrienol mixture was able to prevent these FeNTA-induced changes. [source]

ANTI-OXIDANT MECHANISMS OF KOLAVIRON: STUDIES ON SERUM LIPOPROTEIN OXIDATION, METAL CHELATION AND OXIDATIVE MEMBRANE DAMAGE IN RATS

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2005
EO Farombi
SUMMARY 1.,In the present study, we have examined the ability of kolaviron, a natural biflavonoid from Garcinia kola seeds, to prevent the susceptibility of rat serum lipoprotein to undergo oxidative modification in vitro and ex vivo. In addition, its ability to chelate metal ions and mitigate iron/ascorbate-induced damage to microsomal lipids was investigated. 2.,Lipoprotein resistance to copper-induced oxidation was highly improved in rats treated with kolaviron (100 mg/kg) for 7 days, as demonstrated by a significant increase in lag time compared with control. A significant (P < 0.05) decrease in area under the curve (AUC) and slope of propagation was observed in kolaviron-treated rats compared with control. Conjugated dienes formed after 240 min of lipoprotein oxidation were markedly decreased in kolaviron-treated rats compared with controls. Malondialdehyde concentrations were significantly reduced in the serum lipoproteins of kolaviron-treated rats with an attendant significant increase in the total anti-oxidant activity compared with control. 3.,In vitro, kolaviron (10,60 µmol/L) inhibited the Cu2+ -induced oxidation of rat serum lipoprotein in a concentration-dependent manner. Kolaviron, at 20 and 60 µmol/L, produced 48 and 87% inhibition of oxidation of lipoprotein, respectively. Compared with control, kolaviron, at 10 and 20 µmol/L, resulted in 29 and 47% decreases in AUC, respectively. In addition, kolaviron (10 µmol/L) elicited a 53% increase in lag time, whereas 40 and 60 µmol/L kolaviron produced 38 and 88% decreases in slope, respectively. 4.,Kolaviron effectively prevented microsomal lipid peroxidation induced by iron/ascorbate in a concentration-dependent manner. Kolaviron at the highest dose tested (90 µmol/L) had a significant chelating effect on Fe2+ (78%). 5.,In conclusion, our data demonstrate that kolaviron protects against the oxidation of lipoprotein, presumably by mechanisms involving metal chelation and anti-oxidant activity, and, as such, may be of importance in relation to the development of atherosclerosis. [source]

SKELETAL MUSCLE FUNCTION: ROLE OF IONIC CHANGES IN FATIGUE, DAMAGE AND DISEASE

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2004
DG Allen
SUMMARY 1.,Repeated activity of skeletal muscle causes a variety of changes in its properties: muscles become weaker with intense use (fatigue), may feel sore and weak after repeated contractions involving stretch and can degenerate in some disease conditions. The present review considers the role of early ionic changes in the development of each of these conditions. 2.,Single fibre preparations of mouse muscle were used to measure ionic changes following activity induced changes in function. Single fibres were dissected with intact tendons and stimulated to produce force. Fluorescent indicators were microinjected into the fibres to allow simultaneous ionic measurements with determination of mechanical performance. 3.,One theory to explain muscle fatigue is that fatigue is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid, producing an intracellular acidosis that inhibits the myofibrillar proteins. In contrast, we found that during repeated tetani there was little or no pH change, but that failure of calcium release was a major contributor to fatigue. Currently, it is proposed that precipitation of calcium and phosphate in the sarcoplasmic reticulum contributes to the failure of calcium release. 4.,Muscles can be used to shorten and produce force or they can be used to de-accelerate loads (stretched or eccentric contractions). One day after intense exercise involving stretched contractions, muscles are weak, sore and tender, and this damage can take a week to recover. In this condition, sarcomeres are disorganized and there are increases in resting intracellular Ca2+ and Na+. Recently, we demonstrated that the elevation of Na+ occurs through a stretch-activated channel that can be blocked by either gadolinium or streptomycin. Preventing the increase in [Na+]i with gadolinium also prevented part of the muscle weakness after stretched contractions. 5.,Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a lethal degenerative disease of muscles in which the protein dystrophin is absent. Dystrophic muscles are more susceptible to stretch-induced muscle damage and the stretch-activated channel seems to be one pathway for the increases in intracellular Ca2+ and Na+ that are a feature of this disease. We have shown recently that blockers of the stretch-activated channel can minimize some of the short-term damage in muscles from the mdx mouse, which also lacks dystrophin. Currently, we are testing whether blockers of the stretch-activated channels given systemically to mdx mice can protect against some features of the disease. [source]

POPPING SARCOMERE HYPOTHESIS EXPLAINS STRETCH-INDUCED MUSCLE DAMAGE

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2004
David L Morgan
SUMMARY 1.,Exercise that involves stretching a muscle while active cause microscopic areas of damage, delayed onset muscle soreness and adaptation to withstand subsequent similar exercise. 2.,Longer muscle lengths are associated with greater damage and recent animal experiments show that it is the length relative to optimum that determines the damage. 3.,In humans, walking down stairs, taking two at a time, increases the length of the muscle during the lengthening and increases the delayed onset muscle soreness. 4.,The observed pattern of damage is consistent with explanations based on sarcomere length instabilities. 5.,The pattern of adaptation is consistent with the number of sarcomeres in series in a muscle being modulated by exercise, especially the range of muscle lengths over which eccentric exercise regularly occurs. [source]

REAL OPTIONS AND PATENT DAMAGES: THE LEGAL TREATMENT OF NON-INFRINGING ALTERNATIVES, AND INCENTIVES TO INNOVATE

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 4 2006
Jerry Hausman
Abstract Patent litigation has become an increasingly important consideration in business strategy. Damage awards in patent litigation are supposed to compensate the patent owner for economic harm created by infringement and are therefore important for protecting returns to innovation. We analyze the effects that a recent court decision in the United States, called Grain Processing, has had on the incentives of potential infringers to infringe and innovators to innovate. We find that Grain Processing has decreased the expected value of damages awards in patent cases by conferring a ,free option' on infringers. Grain Processing also concluded that the patent owner in the case did not suffer lost profits due to the infringement because the infringer would have adopted an (inferior) non-infringing technology had it not infringed. We demonstrate that this conclusion is inconsistent with standard economic models. [source]

PATENT DAMAGES AND SPATIAL COMPETITION,

THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2010
MATTHEW D. HENRY
We analyze price competition between a spatially differentiated product patentee and an imitator anticipating probabilistic future patent damages. We compare the performance of three damage regimes. The ,reasonable royalty' regime, which yields symmetric equilibrium pricing, maximizes static welfare and yields the highest innovation incentives when patent enforcement is nearly certain. The ,lost profits' regime, which may deter infringement, yields the highest innovation incentives when patent enforcement is less-than-certain and products are sufficiently valuable. The ,unjust enrichment' regime yields low static efficiency and low innovation incentives. We offer new insights into the ,hypothetical negotiation' that courts use to construct reasonable royalties. [source]

Influence of Semi-Rigid Connections and Local Joint Damage on Progressive Collapse of Steel Frameworks

COMPUTER-AIDED CIVIL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2010
Yuxin Liu
This article extends the threat-independent method for progressive-failure analysis of rigid frames to analysis accounting for semi-rigid connections. The influence of joint damage caused by disengagement of member(s) is also considered in the analysis, and the degree of damage is modeled by a health index. A compound element model is employed to include the contributions of nonlinear behavior of beam-to-column connections, connection and member-end damage, member inelasticity, member shear deformation, and geometrical nonlinearity to structural response. Four beam collapse modes are illustrated for the progressive collapse analysis associated with debris loading generated when disengaged structural components fall onto lower parts of the structure. The impact effect is taken into account for the quasi-static nonlinear analysis by utilizing an impact amplification factor according to GSA and DoD guidelines. Any progressive collapse occurring thereafter involves a series of collapse events associated with topological changes of the frame. The analysis procedure is illustrated for the progressive collapse behavior of two planar steel frames. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is potentially an effective tool for the progressive collapse analysis of semi-rigid steel frames under abnormal loading events. [source]

Increased Expression of p53 Protein Correlates With the Extent of Myocyte Damage in Cardiac Allograft Rejection

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 6 2008
Bernadette K. McLaren MD
Acute cardiac allograft rejection (ACAR) has been associated with a poor prognosis. The early diagnosis of ACAR necessitates the accurate detection of myocyte damage. Nuclear damage activates p53, a transcription factor that initiates apoptosis and repair. Endomyocardial biopsies (n=25) from 10 cardiac allograft recipients were stained for nuclear p53. The biopsies were divided into rejection groups based on the grading of ACAR: group 1, grade 0; group 2, grade Ia and Ib; group 3, grades II and III. While clinical indices did not correlate with myocyte damage, significantly more myocytes in group 3 stained for nuclear p53 (2.48±0.60/mm2) compared with group 1 (0.22±0.12/mm2) and group 2 (0.43±0.18/mm2). Increased expression of p53 in cardiac myocytes with grade II or grade III rejection provides an objective quantification as an aid in the diagnosis of ACAR. [source]

Oxidative damage of retinal pigment epithelial cells and age-related macular degeneration

DRUG DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, Issue 5 2007
Suofu Qin
Abstract Damage to the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is an early and crucial event in the molecular pathways leading to clinically relevant age-related macular degeneration (AMD) changes. Oxidative stress, the major environmental risk factor for atrophic AMD, causes RPE injury that results in a chronic inflammatory response, drusen formation, and RPE atrophy. RPE degeneration ultimately leads to a progressive irreversible degeneration of photoreceptors. In vitro studies show that oxidant-treated RPE cells undergo apoptosis, a possible mechanism by which RPE cells are lost during the early phase of atrophic AMD. The main target of oxidative injury appears to be mitochondria, an organelle known to accumulate genomic damage during aging. Addition of GSH, the most abundant intracellular thiol antioxidant, protects RPE cells from oxidant-induced apoptosis. Similar protection occurs with dietary enzyme inducers that increase GSH synthesis. In addition, enhancing survival signaling preserves RPE cells under oxidative stress. These results indicate that therapeutic or nutritional intervention to enhance the antioxidant capacity and survival signaling of RPE may provide an effective way to prevent or treat AMD. This review describes major molecular and cellular events leading to RPE death, and presents currently used and new experimental, forthcoming therapeutic strategies. Drug Dev Res 68:213,225, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Damage-based design with no repairs for multiple events and its sensitivity to seismicity model

EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 3 2007
S. Das
Abstract Conventional design methodology for the earthquake-resistant structures is based on the concept of ensuring ,no collapse' during the most severe earthquake event. This methodology does not envisage the possibility of continuous damage accumulation during several not-so-severe earthquake events, as may be the case in the areas of moderate to high seismicity, particularly when it is economically infeasible to carry out repairs after damaging events. As a result, the structure may collapse or may necessitate large scale repairs much before the design life of the structure is over. This study considers the use of design force ratio (DFR) spectrum for taking an informed decision on the extent to which yield strength levels should be raised to avoid such a scenario. DFR spectrum gives the ratios by which the yield strength levels of single-degree-of-freedom oscillators of different initial periods should be increased in order to limit the total damage caused by all earthquake events during the lifetime to a specified level. The DFR spectra are compared for three different seismicity models in case of elasto-plastic oscillators: one corresponding to the exponential distribution for return periods of large events and the other two corresponding to the lognormal and Weibull distributions. It is shown through numerical study for a hypothetical seismic region that the use of simple exponential model may be acceptable only for small values of the seismic gap length. For moderately large to large seismic gap lengths, it may be conservative to use the lognormal model, while the Weibull model may be assumed for very large seismic gap lengths. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Cerebral Damage in Epilepsy: A Population-based Longitudinal Quantitative MRI Study

EPILEPSIA, Issue 9 2005
Rebecca S. N. Liu
Summary:,Purpose: Whether cerebral damage results from epileptic seizures remains a contentious issue. We report on the first longitudinal community-based quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study to investigate the effect of seizures on the hippocampus, cerebellum, and neocortex. Methods: One hundred seventy-nine patients with epilepsy (66 temporal lobe epilepsy, 51 extratemporal partial epilepsy, and 62 generalized epilepsy) and 90 control subjects underwent two MRI brain scans 3.5 years apart. Automated and manual measurement techniques identified changes in global and regional brain volumes and hippocampal T2 relaxation times. Results: Baseline hippocampal volumes were significantly reduced in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and could be attributed to an antecedent neurologic insult. Rates of hippocampal, cerebral, and cerebellar atrophy were not syndrome specific and were similar in control and patient groups. Global and regional brain atrophy was determined primarily by age. A prior neurologic insult was associated with reduced hippocampal and cerebellar volumes and an increased rate of cerebellar atrophy. Significant atrophy of the hippocampus, neocortex, or cerebellum occurred in 17% of patients compared with 6.7% of control subjects. Patients with and without significant volume reduction were comparable in terms of seizure frequency, antiepileptic drug (AED) use, and epilepsy duration, with no identifiable risk factors for the development of atrophy. Conclusions: Overt structural cerebral damage is not an inevitable consequence of epileptic seizures. In general, brain volume reduction in epilepsy is the cumulative effect of an initial precipitating injury and age-related cerebral atrophy. Significant atrophy developed in individual patients, particularly those with temporal lobe and generalized epilepsy. Longer periods of observation may detect more subtle effects of seizures. [source]

Lack of Neuronal Damage in Atypical Absence Status Epilepticus

EPILEPSIA, Issue 12 2002
Yukiyoshi Shirasaka
Summary: ,Purpose: Whether status epilepticus of nonconvulsive epileptic seizures is harmful still remains controversial. To investigate this, the presence and/or extent of neuronal damage in patients with absence status epilepticus (ASE) and patients with complex partial status epilepticus (CPSE) was examined and compared. Methods: Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in CSF was examined in the patients with ASE and compared with that of the patients having CPSE. Clinical aspects of these patients also were investigated. Results: CSF NSE levels in ASE patients were lower than those of CPSE patients and were considered as the normal values. No clinical symptoms indicated neuronal damage in the ASE patients. Conclusions: This study suggests that ASE does not induce neuronal damage. Serum NSE is not always correlated to CSF NSE, and determination of serum NSE levels may be an inappropriate method of estimating neuronal damage in some cases of ASE. [source]

Ibotenate Injections into the Pre- and Parasubiculum Provide Partial Protection against Kainate-Induced Epileptic Damage in Layer III of Rat Entorhinal Cortex

EPILEPSIA, Issue 7 2001
Tore Eid
Summary: ,Purpose: A loss of neurons in layer III of the entorhinal cortex (EC) is often observed in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and in animal models of the disorder. We hypothesized that the susceptibility of layer III of the EC to prolonged seizure activity might be mediated by excitatory afferents originating in the presubiculum. Methods: Experiments were designed to ablate the presubiculum unilaterally by focal ibotenate injections and to evaluate the effect of this deafferentation on the vulnerability of EC layer III neurons to the chemoconvulsant kainate (injected systemically 5 days later). Results: After treatment with kainate, 11 of the 15 rats preinjected with ibotenate showed clear-cut, partial neuroprotection in layer III of the EC ipsilateral to the ibotenate lesion. Serial reconstruction of the ibotenate-induced primary lesion revealed that entorhinal neurons were protected only in animals that had lesions in the pre- and parasubiculum, especially in the deep layers (IV,VI). Conclusions: The deep layers of the pre- and parasubiculum appear to control the seizure-induced damage of EC layer III. This phenomenon may be of relevance for epileptogenesis and for the pathogenesis of temporal lobe epilepsy. [source]

Brain Damage, Brain Repair

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2003
K. A. Jellinger
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Involvement of the human thalamus in relational and non-relational memory

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 12 2008
Eleonore Soei
Abstract Damage to the human thalamus has been associated with selective anterograde recognition memory impairments. Recently, recognition memory has been subdivided into relational and non-relational memory. The aim of the present study was to assess the potentially differential involvement of the human thalamus in relational and non-relational memory. Ten patients with focal ischemic thalamic lesions were compared to individualized control groups of healthy subjects matched to each individual patient on age and IQ. Six patients showed poorer relational memory than their respective control samples. None of the 10 patients showed a significant deficit on the non-relational memory task. These observations suggest an involvement of the thalamus in relational memory, and are discussed in terms of disruption of mediotemporal-thalamic and thalamic-fronto-striatal circuits. [source]

The contribution of the intrinsic excitability of vestibular nucleus neurons to recovery from vestibular damage

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2002
Cynthia L. Darlington
Abstract Damage to the peripheral vestibular system results in a syndrome of ocular motor and postural abnormalities that partially and gradually abate over time in a process known as ,vestibular compensation'. The first, rapid, phase of compensation has been associated with a recovery of spontaneous resting activity in the ipsilateral vestibular nucleus complex (VNC), as a consequence of neuronal and synaptic plasticity. Increasing evidence suggests that normal VNC neurons in labyrinthine-intact animals, as well as ipsilateral VNC neurons following unilateral vestibular deafferentation (UVD), rely to some extent on intrinsic pacemaker activity provided by voltage-dependent conductances for their resting activity. Modification of this intrinsic pacemaker activity may underlie the recovery of resting activity that occurs in ipsilateral VNC neurons following UVD. This review summarizes and critically evaluates the ,intrinsic mechanism hypothesis', identifying discrepancies amongst the current evidence and suggesting experiments that may test it further. [source]

Modeling of Coating Process, Phase Changes, and Damage of Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings on Ni-Base Superalloys,

ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 3 2010
Tilmann Beck
The paper gives an overview on the modeling activities on plasma sprayed thermal barrier coating in the frame of TFB 63. In the first part, through-process modeling of the APS deposition of a ZrO2 based TBC is described. Starting from simulation of the plasma jet, heat transfer into the powder particles, particle melting, particle impact on the substrate surface, and solidification is simulated. A homogenization method is introduced to describe the mechanical properties of the resulting TBC. The second part shows simulation of interdiffusion and phase transformations of MCrAlY and intermetallic oxidation protection coatings on several cast Ni-base alloy substrates. Finally, FEM-based damage simulation of oxidation protection coatings by transversal fatigue cracks during thermomechanical fatigue loading as well as by delamination of the TBC during thermocyclic loading is discussed. [source]

X-ray Microtomography Analysis of Dynamic Damage in Tantalum,

ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 6 2006
J. Bontaz-Carion
With the plate-impact technique, ductile spallation experiments are carried out on Ta at impact velocities 570, 1039 and 1078 m/s. Samples are soft-recovered and analyzed by X-Ray microtomography at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The porosity along the shock direction, and the distribution of the pore volumes are extracted from tri-dimensional reconstructions of the damaged samples. Quantitative assessment of pore coalescence is made via an inverse power-law model for the distribution. The decay exponent we associate to coalescence is of order 1.6 in the sample impacted at 1039 m/s. [source]

Thermal Shock Damage of a 3D-SiC/SiC Composite,

ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 11 2005
S. Wu
Thermal shock of a three-dimensional (3D) SiC/SiC composite prepared by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process was conducted using water quenched method. Thermal shock damage of the composite was assessed by SEM characterization and measurement mechanical properties using three-point flexure after quenching. After quenched from 1200°C to 25°C water for 100 cycles, the composite retained 80% of the original flexural strength in the longitudinal direction while cracked through the width direction. Thermal shock damage of the composite was analyzed by thermal stress analysis based on the braiding structure of the composite as well as the distribution and shape of flaws referred to residual pores in the matrix. The braided structure and the dimension difference resulted in the anisotropy of mechanical properties and the matrix pores configuration of the composite, which led to the thermal shock damage anisotropy of the composite. [source]

Nanoparticles: Investigations on the Structural Damage in Human Erythrocytes Exposed to Silver, Gold, and Platinum Nanoparticles (Adv. Funct.

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 8 2010
Mater.
[source]

Investigations on the Structural Damage in Human Erythrocytes Exposed to Silver, Gold, and Platinum Nanoparticles

ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 8 2010
P. V. Asharani
Abstract Human erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs), which constitute 99% of blood cells, perform an important function of oxygen transport and can be exposed to nanoparticles (NPs) entering into the human body during therapeutical applications involving such NPs. Hence, the haemocompatibility of the Ag, Au, and Pt NPs on human RBCs is investigated. The parameters monitored include haemolysis, haemagglutination, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, membrane topography, and lipid peroxidation. The findings suggest that platinum and gold NPs are haemocompatible compared to Ag NPs. Erythrocytes exhibit significant lysis, haemagglutination, membrane damage, detrimental morphological variation, and cytoskeletal distortions following exposure to Ag NPs at a concentration of 100,µg,mL,1. Exposure of Ag+ to RBCs shows no lysis or deterioration, implying that the observed toxicity is solely due to NPs. The haemolyzed erythrocyte fraction has the ability to induce DNA damage in nucleated cells. Additionally, multiple pits and depressions are observed on RBC membrane following exposure to Ag NPs (50,µg,mL,1 onwards). Hence, it is apparent that Ag NPs exhibit toxicity on RBCs and on other cells that are exposed to NP-mediated haemolyzed fractions. [source]

Crayfish effects on seeds and seedlings: identification and quantification of damage

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005
PEDRO M. ANASTÁCIO
Summary 1. The red-swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is an invasive species and an important pest of wet-seeded rice fields (Oryza sativa) in California (U.S.A.) and in Portugal. Our work quantifies rice consumption and non-consumptive destruction and identifies the types of direct damage inflicted by crayfish. 2. The following fractions were quantified in the presence and absence of crayfish and at 3 and 6 days of rice development: (1) non-germinated seeds, (2) damaged seeds, (3) seeds not recovered, (4) intact rooted seedlings, (5) rooted damaged seedlings, (6) uprooted intact seedlings, (7) uprooted damaged seedlings. 3. Coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) fragments produced during the feeding process were <2% of the material removed by crayfish. 4. Damage occurred with or without uprooting of the plants, but the incidence of uprooting without consumption was low (1.4%). 5. Consumption of recently developed parts of the rice plant was the main cause of damage and the observed effect was stronger on 6-day-old than on 3-day-old seedlings. Seedlings were more affected by crayfish than were seeds. 6. Crayfish affected the majority of seeds and seedlings available although consumption was low: 0.015 g dry weight (DW) rice g,1 wet weight (WW) crayfish per 12 h at 3 days and 0.063 g DW rice g,1 WW crayfish per 12 h at 6 days. 7. Our results are important for the mitigation of crayfish related problems in rice fields and for understanding the mechanisms of crayfish-macrophyte interactions. [source]

The ARMYDA trials (Atorvastatin for Reduction of MYocardial Damage during Angioplasty) at Campus Bio-Medico University: rationale, results and future horizons

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2007
Germano Di Sciascio
Abstract Myocardial protection by atorvastation pretreatment was found in several trials applied to percutaneous coronary intervention by the ARMYDA study group. This article reviews those studies and explores future avenues. [source]

Canopy recovery after drought dieback in holm-oak Mediterranean forests of Catalonia (NE Spain)

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2004
Francisco Lloret
Abstract Climate change is likely to produce more frequent and longer droughts in the Mediterranean region, like that of 1994, which produced important changes in the Quercus ilex forests, with up to 76% of the trees showing complete canopy dieback. At the landscape level, a mosaic of responses to the drought was observed, linked to the distribution of lithological substrates. Damage to the dominant tree species (Q. ilex) and the most common understorey shrub (Erica arborea) was more noticeable on the compact substrates (breccia) than on the fissured ones (schist). This result was consistent with observations documenting deeper root penetration in schist than in breccia materials, allowing the plants growing on fissured substrates to use water from deeper soil levels. Smaller plants were more vulnerable to drought than larger plants in the trees, but not in the shrubs. Overall, Q. ilex was more affected than E. arborea. The resilience of the system was evaluated from the canopy recovery 1 year after the episode. Stump and crown resprouting was fairly extensive, but the damage pattern in relation to substrate, plant size, and species remained similar. The effect of recurrent drought episodes was studied on vegetation patches of Q. ilex located on mountain slopes and surrounded by bare rock. We observed that plants that resprouted weakly after a previous drought in 1985 were more likely to die or to produce poor regeneration in 1995 than plants that had resprouted vigorously. Vegetation patches located on the lower part of the slope were also less damaged than patches situated uphill. The study provides evidence of relevant changes in forest canopy as a consequence of extreme climate events. The distribution of this effect across the landscape is mediated by lithological substrate, causing patchy patterns. The results also support the hypothesis that recurrent droughts can produce a progressive loss of resilience, by depleting the ability of surviving plants to regenerate. [source]

Thresholds of economic damage by clover seed weevil (Apion fulvipes Geoff.) and lesser clover leaf weevil (Hypera nigrirostris Fab.) on white clover (Trifolium repens L.) seed crops

GRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 4 2008
L. M. Hansen
Abstract Severe reductions in the seed yield of white clover can occur because of feeding by the white clover seed weevil Apion fulvipes and the lesser clover leaf weevil Hypera nigrirostris which together can reduce the seed yield by more than 0·50. From 2002 to 2006 five field experiments were carried out to investigate the relationship between the density of these two weevil species and seed yield of white clover. Damage caused by the weevils was calculated as the difference in the number of weevils and the difference in seed yield between the average of insecticide-treated and untreated plots. Loss of seed yield was expressed as a proportion of the seed yield in insecticide-treated plots, which allowed for a comparison between years as yields in insecticide-treated plots varied. A multiple regression approach was chosen in which proportional loss in seed yield was the response variable and the weevils A. fulvipes and H. nigrirostris were the independent variables. Data obtained from the experiments were used to construct the following threshold model of economic damage: [source]