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Degenerate
Terms modified by Degenerate Selected AbstractsDegenerate and two-color resonant four-wave mixing applied to the rotational characterization of high-lying vibrational states of formaldehyde (Ă, 1A2),JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 1-3 2006M. Tulej Abstract Degenerate and two-color resonant four-wave mixing techniques (DFWM and TC-RFWM) are applied to determine rotational constants of high-lying vibrational levels in the first excited singlet state Ă(1A2) of formaldehyde. It has been demonstrated that the sensitivity of the spectroscopic technique is applicable to the low-density environment of a supersonic molecular beam and to predissociating transitions displaying low fluorescence quantum yield. In addition, we take advantage of the superior selectivity of the double-resonance method, TC-RFWM, to isolate and assign transitions in the congested region of the (one-color) DFWM spectra. The line positions of 25 well-isolated transitions are determined in the band and yield the rotational constants A, B, C and the origin ,e. The accuracy of the constants is determined by performing the same procedure for the band where literature data is available for comparison. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers from Primula nutans (Primulaceae)MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 2 2006MARJUT KREIVI Abstract Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for a perennial seashore plant, Primula nutans. Degenerate oligonucleotide-primed (DOP),polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified DNA was ligated to TOPO TA vector and screened with radioactively labelled dinucleotide repeat probes. A sample of 378 individuals from Finland, Norway and Russia were used to characterize those loci, which exhibited two to four alleles per locus with observed heterozygosity of 0.003,0.229 and expected heterozygosity of 0.016,0.527. No linkage disequilibrium was found between these seven loci. These are the first microsatellite markers reported for P. nutans. [source] Interpolation formula for the electrical conductivity of nonideal plasmasCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 1 2003A. Esser Abstract On the basis of a quantum-statistical approach to the electrical conductivity of nonideal plasmas we derive analytical results in the classical low-density regime, in the degenerate Born limit, and for the contribution of the Debye-Onsager relaxation effect. These explicit results are used to construct an improved interpolation formula of the electrical conductivity valid in a wide range of temperature and density which allows to compare with available experimental data of nonideal plasmas. [source] Cleavage-like cell division and explosive increase in cell number of neonatal gonocytesDEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION, Issue 1 2004Yasuhiro Sakai Based on previous conventional quantitative observations of rat testes, it was proposed that large numbers of gonocytes degenerate after birth and this notion was widely accepted. However, many studies show that neonatal gonocytes display high levels of mitotic activity. In order to resolve the apparent contradiction of increased mitotic activity in gonocytes despite a decrease in their numbers at the neonate stage, quantitative analysis using a marker of suitably higher resolution is required. It has been shown that the vasa protein could be used as a marker of germ cells. In this study, quantitative changes in gonocytes were re-examined using a germ-cell-specific marker in order to delineate more clearly the process of development from gonocytes to spermatogonia after birth. The vasa -positive cells, which correspond to gonocytes and spermatogonia, increased exponentially after birth. This observation suggests that all gonocyte divide actively after birth and do not degenerate as previously believed. Surprisingly, the cell volume of gonocytes decreased during their division. The largest population size was 2000,4000 µ3 at day 2, 1000,2000 µ3 at day 4 and 500,1000 µ3 at day 6. This finding suggests that gonocytes divide in a similar way to cleavage, which can be considered a special mode of fertilized eggs. Judging from the growth of seminiferous tubules and the degree of volume reduction, 60% of the contribution rate is estimated to be due to ordinal cell growth, and 40% due to volume reduction as in cleavage of a fertilized egg. This unique cleavage-like division may contribute to the supply of large numbers of spermatogonia. [source] Death and survival of heterozygous Lurcher Purkinje cells In vitroDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 8 2009Hadi S. Zanjani Abstract The differentiation and survival of heterozygous Lurcher (+/Lc) Purkinje cells in vitro was examined as a model system for studying how chronic ionic stress affects neuronal differentiation and survival. The Lurcher mutation in the ,2 glutamate receptor (GluR,2) converts an orphan receptor into a membrane channel that constitutively passes an inward cation current. In the GluR,2+/Lc mutant, Purkinje cell dendritic differentiation is disrupted and the cells degenerate following the first week of postnatal development. To determine if the GluR,2+/Lc Purkinje cell phenotype is recapitulated in vitro, +/+, and +/Lc Purkinje cells from postnatal Day 0 pups were grown in either isolated cell or cerebellar slice cultures. GluR,2+/+ and GluR,2+/Lc Purkinje cells appeared to develop normally through the first 7 days in vitro (DIV), but by 11 DIV GluR,2+/Lc Purkinje cells exhibited a significantly higher cation leak current. By 14 DIV, GluR,2+/Lc Purkinje cell dendrites were stunted and the number of surviving GluR,2+/Lc Purkinje cells was reduced by 75% compared to controls. However, treatment of +/Lc cerebellar cultures with 1-naphthyl acetyl spermine increased +/Lc Purkinje cell survival to wild type levels. These results support the conclusion that the Lurcher mutation in GluR,2 induces cell autonomous defects in differentiation and survival. The establishment of a tissue culture system for studying cell injury and death mechanisms in a relatively simple system like GluR,2+/Lc Purkinje cells will provide a valuable model for studying how the induction of a chronic inward cation current in a single cell type affects neuronal differentiation and survival. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2009 [source] Intrastriatal administration of human immunodeficiency virus-1 glycoprotein 120 reduces glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor levels and causes apoptosis in the substantia nigraDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 12 2006Rachel L. Nosheny Abstract Uninfected neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) degenerate in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients through an unknown etiology. The HIV envelope glycoprotein 120 (gp120) causes apoptotic neuronal cell death in the rodent striatum, but its primary neurotoxic mechanism is still under investigation. Previous studies have shown that gp120 causes neurotoxicity in the rat striatum by reducing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Because glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and BDNF are neurotrophic factors crucial for the survival of dopaminergic neurons of the SN, we investigated whether gp120 reduces GDNF and BDNF levels concomitantly to induce apoptosis. Rats received a microinjection of gp120 or vehicle into the striatum and were sacrificed at various time intervals. GDNF but not BDNF immunoreactivity was decreased in the SN by 4 days in gp120-treated rats. In these animals, a significant increase in the number of caspase-3- positive neurons, both tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive and -negative, was observed. Analysis of TH immunoreactivity revealed fewer TH-positive neurons and fibers in a medial and lateral portion of cell group A9 of the SN, an area that projects to the striatum, suggesting that gp120 induces retrograde degeneration of nigrostriatal neurons. We propose that dysfunction of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system associated with HIV may be caused by a reduction of neurotrophic factor expression by gp120. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol, 2006 [source] Degeneration of germ line cells in amphibian ovaryACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 3 2010Maria Ogielska Abstract Ogielska, M., Rozenblut, B., Augusty,ska, R., Kotusz, A. 2010. Degeneration of germ line cells in amphibian ovary. ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 319,327 We studied the morphology of degenerating ovarian follicles in juvenile and adult frogs Rana temporaria, Rana lessonae and Rana ridibunda. Degeneration of primordial germ cells was never observed and was extremely rare in oogonia and early oocytes in a cyst phase in juveniles. Previtellogenic oocytes were rarely affected. Three main types of atresia were identified. In type I (subdivided into stages A,D), vitellogenic oocytes are digested by proliferating follicle cells that hypertrophy and become phagocytic. A , germinal vesicle shrinks, nucleoli fuse, oocyte envelope interrupts, and follicular cells hypertrophy; B , follicular cells multiply and invade the oocyte; C , entire vesicle is filled by phagocytic cells; D , degenerating phagocytes accumulate black pigment. Type II is rare and resembles breakdown of follicles and release of ooplasm. In type III, observed in previtellogenic and early vitellogenic oocytes, ooplasm and germinal vesicle shrink, follicle cells do not invade the vesicle, and condensed ooplasm becomes fragmented. The residual oogonia in adult ovaries (germ patches) multiply, but soon degenerate. [source] Electronic Structure of Linearly Coordinated EQ Complexes of the Type [(N3N)W(EQ)] [N3N = N(CH2CH2NSiMe3)3; E = P, As, Sb, Bi; Q = O, S, Se, Te]: A DFT StudyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 17 2007Gábor Balázs Abstract Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on the terminal EQ complexes [(N3N)W(EQ)] {N3N = N(CH2CH2NSiMe3)3; E = P, As, Sb, Bi; Q = O, S, Se Te} to clarify the bonding situation within the linear Nax,W,E,Q core. This unusual structural motif gives rise to a bonding arrangement in which the ,-electron density is delocalised over the three atoms of the W,E,Q unit. Fragment calculations and natural bond order (NBO) data indicated that the ,-bonding component of the Nax,W,E,Q unit comprises two occupied , orbitals, while the , component of bonding comprises two sets of degenerate , orbitals. In general, the , orbitals of the Nax,W,E,Q core are higher in energy compared to the , orbitals. The phosphorus monoxide (EQ = PO) complexes provide an exception to this rule, with the 1, orbitals of the W,P,O core lower in energy than the , orbitals. Generally, as the atomic number of either the pnicogen (E) or chalcogen (Q) atom increases the extent of ,-orbital delocalisation decreases, whereas the ,-orbital delocalisation increases. Fractional bond orders and Wiberg bond indices were used to establish whether localisation of the ,-electron density gives rise to a W,E or an E,Q double or triple bond. Both methods indicate a W,E as well as an E,Q double bond. The ionic nature of the complexes were analysed by inspection of the Hirschfeld charge distribution which shows only a moderate ionic character. Exceptions are the pnicogen monoxide complexes, which are more ionic. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source] Nitrogen Trifluoride as a Bifunctional Lewis Base: Implications for the Adsorption of NF3 on Solid SurfacesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2004Paola Antoniotti Abstract The structure, stability, and thermochemistry of isomeric adducts between NF3 and the Lewis acids BH3,nFn (n = 0,3) have been investigated at the coupled-cluster and at the Gaussian-3 (G3) level of theory. At the CCD/cc-pVDZ level both the nitrogen- and the fluorine-coordinated structures of all BH3,nFn,(NF3) (n = 0,3) adducts were characterized as true minima on the potential energy surface, thus providing the first theoretical evidence for the behavior of NF3 as a bifunctional Lewis base when interacting with neutral Lewis acids. At the G3 level, and 298.15 K, including the contribution of the entropy term, the H3B,NF3 adduct is predicted to be more stable than H3B,F,NF2 by 4.3 kcal mol,1; this free energy difference is 3.7 kcal mol,1 at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ//CCD/cc-pVDZ level of theory. Conversely, at the latter computational level, the fluorine-coordinated isomers of the BH2F,(NF3), BHF2,(NF3), and BF3,(NF3) adducts are practically degenerate with the nitrogen-coordinated ones. BH3,nFn,(NF3) (n = 0,3) complexes feature typical bond dissociation energies of ca. 1,2 kcal mol,1, and are predicted to be thermodynamically stable only at low temperatures. However, the appreciable influence of the basis set superposition error (BSSE) prevents a quantitative assessment of these small computed dissociation energies. Finally, we briefly discuss the implications of our calculations for the adsorption of NF3 on solid surfaces. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004) [source] Neuropeptide Y in the olfactory microvillar cellsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 1 2006Giorgia Montani Abstract This paper examines a possible role of microvillar cells in coordinating cell death and regeneration of olfactory epithelial neurons. The olfactory neuroepithelium of mammals is a highly dynamic organ. Olfactory neurons periodically degenerate by apoptosis and as a consequence of chemical or physical damage. To compensate for this loss of cells, the olfactory epithelium maintains a lifelong ability to regenerate from a pool of resident multipotent stem cells. To assure functional continuity and histological integrity of the olfactory epithelium over a period of many decades, apoptosis and regeneration require to be precisely coordinated. Among the factors that have been implicated in mediating this regulation is the neuropeptide Y (NPY). Knockout mice that lack functional expression of this neurogenic peptide show defects in embryonic development of the olfactory epithelium and in its ability to regenerate in the adult. Here we show that, in postnatal olfactory epithelia, NPY is exclusively expressed by a specific population of microvillar cells. We previously characterized these cells as a novel type of putative chemosensory cells, which are provided with a phosphatidyl-inositol-mediated signal transduction cascade. Our findings allow for the first time to suggest that microvillar cells are involved in connecting apoptosis to neuronal regeneration by stimulus-induced release of NPY. [source] Impaired formation of the inner retina in an AChE knockout mouse results in degeneration of all photoreceptorsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2004Afrim H. Bytyqi Abstract Blinding diseases can be assigned predominantly to genetic defects of the photoreceptor/pigmented epithelium complex. As an alternative, we show here for an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) knockout mouse that photoreceptor degeneration follows an impaired development of the inner retina. During the first 15 postnatal days of the AChE,/, retina, three major calretinin sublaminae of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) are disturbed. Thereby, processes of amacrine and ganglion cells diffusely criss-cross throughout the IPL. In contrast, parvalbumin cells present a nonlaminar IPL pattern in the wild-type, but in the AChE,/, mouse their processes become structured within two ,novel' sublaminae. During this early period, photoreceptors become arranged regularly and at a normal rate in the AChE,/, retina. However, during the following 75 days, first their outer segments, and then the entire photoreceptor layer completely degenerate by apoptosis. Eventually, cells of the inner retina also undergo apoptosis. As butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is present at a normal level in the AChE,/, mouse, the observed effects must be solely due to the missing AChE. These are the first in vivo findings to show a decisive role for AChE in the formation of the inner retinal network, which, when absent, ultimately results in photoreceptor degeneration. [source] Degeneration of pontine mossy fibres during cerebellar development in weaver mutant miceEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 4 2002Miwako Ozaki Abstract In weaver mutant mice, substitution of an amino acid residue in the pore region of GIRK2, a subtype of the G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying K+ channel, changes the properties of the homomeric channel to produce a lethal depolarized state in cerebellar granule cells and dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra. Degeneration of these types of neurons causes strong ataxia and Parkinsonian phenomena in the mutant mice, respectively. On the other hand, the mutant gene is also expressed in various other brain regions, in which the mutant may have effects on neuronal survival. Among these regions, we focused on the pontine nuclei, the origin of the pontocerebellar mossy fibres, projecting mainly into the central region of the cerebellar cortex. The results of histological analysis showed that by P9 the number of neurons in the nuclei was reduced in the mutant to about one half and by P18 to one third of those in the wild type, whereas until P7 the number were about the same in wild-type and weaver mutant mice. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the nuclei showed a marked reduction in volume and shape of the mutant nuclei, correlating well with the decrease in neuronal number. In addition, DiI (a lipophilic tracer dye) tracing experiments revealed retraction of pontocerebellar mossy fibres from the cerebellar cortex after P5. From these results, we conclude that projecting neurons in the pontine nuclei, as well as cerebellar granule cells and dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra, strongly degenerate in weaver mutant mice, resulting in elimination of pontocerebellar mossy fibres during cerebellar development. [source] Quantum field theories coupled to supergravityFORTSCHRITTE DER PHYSIK/PROGRESS OF PHYSICS, Issue 3 2008J. Große Abstract This article is devoted to the investigation of the interplay of supersymmetric Yang,Mills theories (SYM) and supergravity (SUGRA). The topic is studied from two points of view: Firstly from the point of view of AdS/CFT correspondence, which realises the coupling of four dimensional superconformal ,, = 4 SYM theory and ten dimensional type IIB SUGRA in a holographic way. In order to arrive at theories that resemble quantum chromodynamics (QCD) more closely, fundamental fields are introduced using probe D7-branes and non-trivial background configuration are considered. In particular supergravity solutions that are only asymptotically anti-de Sitter and break supersymmetry are used. This allows the description of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking. The meson spectrum is calculated and the existence of an associated Goldstone mode is demonstrated. Moreover it is shown that highly radially excited mesons are not degenerate. Additionally instanton configurations on the D7-branes are investigated, which lead to a holographic description of the dual field theory's Higgs branch. Finally a holographic description of heavy-light mesons is developed, which are mesons consisting of quarks with a large mass difference, such that a treatment of B mesons can be achieved The second approach is the technique of so-called space-time dependent couplings (also known as "local couplings"), where coupling constants are promoted to external sources. This allows to explore the conformal anomaly of quantum field theories coupled to a classical gravity background. The technique is extended to the superfield description of ,, = 1 supergravity, a complete basis for the anomaly is given and the consistency conditions that arise from a cohomological treatment are calculated. Possible implications for an extension of Zamolodchikov's c -theorem to four dimensional supersymmetric quantum field theories are discussed. [source] Reorganization of the nervous system during metamorphosis of a hydrozoan planulaINVERTEBRATE BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000Vicki J. Martina Abstract. Laser scanning confocal microscopy is used to reveal the changes that occur in the RFamide-positive nerve net as a free-swimming, solid hydrozoan planula larva is transformed into a sessile, hollow, young polyp. Seven stages of development in Pennaria tiarella are described: planula competent to metamorphose, attaching planula, disc, pawn, crown, developing polyp, and developed primary polyp. The RFamide-positive nervous system undergoes dramatic reorganization during metamorphosis: (1) larval neurons degenerate; (2) new neurons differentiate and reform a nerve net; and (3) the overall distribution pattern of the nervous system changes. This study confirms earlier observations on RFamide-positive neurons of Hydractinia which also show the loss of these cells after the onset of metamorphosis. [source] Physical indicators of cartilage health: the relevance of compliance, thickness, swelling and fibrillar textureJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 6 2003Neil D. Broom Abstract This study uses a bovine patella model to compare the relative merits of on-bone compliance and thickness measurements, free-swelling behaviour, and structural imaging with differential interference contrast (DIC) light microscopy to assess the biomechanical normality of the cartilage matrix. The results demonstrate that across a spectrum of cartilage tissues from immature, mature, through to mildly degenerate, and all with intact articular surfaces, there is a consistent pattern of increased free swelling of the isolated general matrix with age and degeneration. High swelling was always associated with major structural alterations of the general matrix that were readily imaged using DIC light microscopy. Conversely, for all tissue groups, no relationship was observed between thickness vs. compliance and compliance vs. general matrix swelling. Only in the proximal aspects of the normal mature and degenerate tissues was there a correlation between thickness and general matrix swelling. Free-swelling measurements combined with fibrillar texture imaging using DIC light microscopy are therefore recommended as providing a reliable and quick method of assessing the biomechanical condition of the cartilage general matrix. [source] Constitutive expression of the low-affinity neurotrophin receptor and changes during axotomy-induced death of sensory neurones in the neonatal rat dorsal root ganglionJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 2 2003Simon S. Murray Abstract Sensory neurones in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of the neonatal rat express the 75-kDa low-affinity neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and these neurones degenerate rapidly after axotomy. p75NTR belongs to the tumour necrosis factor superfamily, several members of which have a role in cell death and it is constitutively expressed within a subpopulation of DRG neurones. p75NTR has been implicated in mediating the degeneration of these neurones after axotomy. In this study, we characterize the expression of p75NTR in sensory neurones of the newborn rat DRG using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we investigate the change in constitutive expression pattern of p75NTR in these neurones following axotomy. In the C7 and C8 DRG of the newborn rat, p75NTR is expressed in approximately 70% of DRG neurones. Those expressing p75NTR can be classified into subpopulations with moderate or intense p75NTR expression, each present in approximately equal proportions. Whilst p75NTR expression is observed in neurones throughout the entire neuronal diameter range, a correlation exists between neuronal diameter and p75NTR expression intensity. We also found that the most vulnerable population following axotomy were those sensory neurones which constitutively express the highest levels of p75NTR, i.e. the large-diameter neurones. [source] Altered expression of transcripts for ,-tubulin and an unidentified gene in the spinal cord of phenyl saligenin phosphate treated hens (Gallus gallus)JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Jonathan H. Fox Abstract Phenyl saligenin phosphate (PSP) induces a central-peripheral distal axonopathy in domestic fowl that develops 7,21 days after a single exposure. Neurotoxic esterase (NTE) is the initial molecular target for this neurotoxicity. PSP has to covalently bind to NTE and chemically "age" for induction of axonopathy. It was hypothesized that exposure to PSP results in early changes in spinal cord gene expression that do not occur with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, a non-neuropathic compound that also inhibits NTE, or DMSO controls. Targeted display was used to screen ,15,000 gel bands. Three candidate genes were identified, but only the transcript designated P1 showed decreased expression following PSP exposure (2 mg/kg i.m.) in subsequent Northern blot and in situ hybridization experiments in samples taken <48 h after exposure. Additional experiments revealed that a ,2.5 kb ,-tubulin transcript had decreased expression at 12,48 h after PSP exposure, with maximum change at 48 h (33%, p = 0.0479). A ,4.5 kb ,-tubulin transcript had increased expression at 12 h (38%, p = 0.0125) and decreased expression at 48 h (28%, p = 0.0576). In situ hybridization on spinal cord revealed neuronal expression of P1 and ,-tubulin transcripts. Decreased expression of transcripts for P1 and ,-tubulin was present at 12 and 48 h, respectively. This decrease occurred in all neurons, not just those whose axons degenerate. Results suggest that (1) in PSP-induced OPIDN (organophosphorus-induced delayed neurotoxicity) some gene transcript expression changes are associated with initiation of axonopathy, and (2) PSP modulates spinal cord gene expression in neuronal types that do not undergo axonal degeneration. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 17:263,271, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.10088 [source] Signal generation and Raman-resonant imaging by non-degenerate four-wave mixing under tight focusing conditionsJOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS, Issue 3 2010Tyler Weeks Abstract The authors demonstrate Raman-resonant imaging based on the simultaneous generation of several nonlinear frequency mixing processes resulting from a 3-color coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) experiment. The interaction of three coincident short-pulsed laser beams simultaneously generates both 2-color (degenerate) CARS and 3-color (non-degenerate) CARS signals, which are collected and characterized spectroscopically , allowing for resonant, doubly-resonant, and non-resonant contrast mechanisms. Images obtained from both 2-color and 3-color CARS signals are compared and found to provide complementary information. The 3-color CARS microscopy scheme provides a versatile multiplexed modality for biological imaging, which may extend the capabilities of label-free non-linear microscopy, e.g. by probing multiple Raman resonances. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] ,HPV vulvitis' revisited: frequent and persistent detection of novel epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated HPV genotypesJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Ming-Tseh Lin Background:, ,Human papillomavirus (HPV) vulvitis' is a disputed entity where most studies examining for genital-mucosal (GM) HPV have been negative. Methods:, Using degenerate and type specific primers for cutaneous (CU), GM and epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) HPV types, the prevalence of specific HPV types was investigated in biopsy specimens from 19 women with ,HPV vulvitis', seven with asymptomatic vulvar squamous papillomatosis (ASxVSP), and controls of vulvar fibroepithelial polyps (FEP) (15), vulvar condyloma (10) and normal vulva (NV) (10). Results:, HPV DNA/EV HPV/GM HPV/CU HPV were detected in 84/74/47/5% of vulvitis patients, 78/71/0/28% of ASxVSP, 47/20/20/7% of FEP, 10/10%/0/0 of NV and 100/0/100/10% of condyloma. Fourteen putatively novel HPV genotypes were detected in vulvitis and ASxVSP patients, but not in controls. The two most frequent novel EV HPV, Alb-4 and DL285, were detected in 9/19 (47%) and 5/19 (26%) of vulvitis cases and were persistently identified in serial biopsies. HPV co-infection and Alb-4 infection occurred significantly more frequently in vulvitis patients, particularly those complaining of ,burning' (62/62% vs. 17/7%, p , 0.004). Koilocytosis was identified significantly more frequently in vulvitis compared with non-condyloma controls (81% vs. 40%, p = 0.0001), and its presence correlated with detection of HPV DNA (r = 0.3, p = 0.002). Conclusion:, The high frequency of novel EV HPV in HPV vulvitis and correlation of clinicopathologic findings with HPV DNA suggests that HPV vulvitis may indeed exist. [source] Myogenesis in Aplysia californica (Cooper, 1863) (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) with special focus on muscular remodeling during metamorphosisJOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 7 2008Tim Wollesen Abstract To date only few comparative approaches tried to reconstruct the ontogeny of the musculature in invertebrates. This may be due to the difficulties involved in reconstructing three dimensionally arranged muscle systems by means of classical histological techniques combined with light or transmission electron microscopy. Within the scope of the present study we investigated the myogenesis of premetamorphic, metamorphic, and juvenile developmental stages of the anaspidean opisthobranch Aplysia californica using fluorescence F-actin-labeling in conjunction with modern confocal laser scanning microscopy. We categorized muscles with respect to their differentiation and degeneration and found three true larval muscles that differentiate during the embryonic and veliger phase and degenerate during or slightly after metamorphosis. These are the larval retractor, the accessory larval retractor, and the metapodial retractor muscle. While the pedal retractor muscle, some transversal mantle fibers and major portions of the cephalopedal musculature are continued and elaborated during juvenile and adult life, the buccal musculature and the anterior retractor muscle constitute juvenile/adult muscles which differentiate during or after metamorphosis. The metapodial retractor muscle has never been reported for any other gastropod taxon. Our findings indicate that the late veliger larva of A. californica shares some common traits with veligers of other gastropods, such as a larval retractor muscle. However, the postmetamorphic stages exhibit only few congruencies with other gastropod taxa investigated to date, which is probably due to common larval but different adult life styles within gastropods. Accordingly, this study provides further evidence for morphological plasticity in gastropod myogenesis and stresses the importance of ontogenetic approaches to understand adult conditions and life history patterns. J. Morphol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Changes in the connections of the main olfactory bulb after mitral cell selective neurodegenerationJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 11 2007Javier S. Recio Abstract The connections of the main olfactory bulb (OB) of the mouse were studied with iontophoretic injections of biotinylated dextran amine. To sort efferences from mitral cells and tufted cells, the Purkinje cell degeneration (PCD) mouse was used. This mutant animal undergoes a specific neurodegeneration of mitral cells, whereas tufted cells do not degenerate. The unilateral tracer injections used were small and confined largely to the OB of both PCD and control mice at P120. Seven days after tracer injection, the efferences from the OB and the centrifugal afferences from secondary olfactory structures to it were studied. Although there is a large overlap of their target fields, mitral cell axons innervated more caudal regions of the olfactory cortex than tufted cell axons, thus providing definitive evidence of the differential projections of olfactory output neurons. Additionally, an important increase in retrogradely-labeled neurons was detected in the ipsilateral anterior olfactory nucleus of the mutant animals. This was not observed in any other secondary olfactory structure, suggesting a strengthening of the centrifugal input to the OB from that central area after mitral cell loss. Moreover, we recorded a complete loss of bilaterality in the olfactory connections of the PCD mice due to degeneration of the anterior commissure. These results point to an important reorganization of this essential olfactory circuit between the anterior olfactory nucleus and the OB, and hint at a transsynaptic level of plasticity not considered previously in literature. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Macrophage contribution to the response of the rat organ of Corti to amikacinJOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH, Issue 9 2007Sabine Ladrech Abstract Transdifferentiation of nonsensory supporting cells into sensory hair cells occurs naturally in the damaged avian inner ear. Such transdifferentiation was achieved experimentally in the cochlea of deaf guinea pigs through Atoh 1 gene transfection. Supporting cells may therefore serve as targets for transdifferentiation therapy. Supporting cells rapidly degenerate after hair cell disappearance, however, limiting the therapeutic window for gene transfer. We studied the time course of ultrastructural and phenotypical changes occurring in Deiters cells (hair cell supporting cells) after ototoxic treatment in the rat. The presence of macrophages in the cochlea was also investigated, to study any deleterious effects they may have on pathologic tissues. One week after treatment most hair cells had disappeared. Deiters cells no longer expressed the glial marker vimentin but instead displayed typical hair cell markers, the calcium binding proteins calbindin and parvalbumin. This suggests that a process of transdifferentiation of Deiters cells into hair cells was activated. By 3 weeks post-treatment, however, the Deiters cells began to degenerate and by 10 weeks post-treatment the organ of Corti was degraded fully. Interestingly, a marked increase in macrophage density was seen after the end of amikacin treatment to 10 weeks post-treatment. This suggests chronic inflammation is involved in epithelium degeneration. Consequently, early treatments with anti-inflammatory factors might promote supporting cell survival, thus improving the efficacy of more specific strategies aimed to regenerate hair cells from nonsensory cells. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Raman spectroscopic study of the uranyl mineral pseudojohannite Cu6.5[(UO2)4O4(SO4)2]2(OH)5·25H2OJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 12 2009Ray L. Frost Abstract Raman spectra of pseudojohannite were studied and related to the structure of the mineral. Observed bands were assigned to the stretching and bending vibrations of (UO2)2+ and (SO4)2, units and of water molecules. The published formula of pseudojohannite is Cu6.5(UO2)8[O8](OH)5[(SO4)4]·25H2O. Raman bands at 805 and 810 cm,1 are assigned to (UO2)2+ stretching modes. The Raman bands at 1017 and 1100 cm,1 are assigned to the (SO4)2, symmetric and antisymmetric stretching vibrations. The three Raman bands at 423, 465 and 496 cm,1 are assigned to the (SO4)2,,2 bending modes. The bands at 210 and 279 cm,1 are assigned to the doubly degenerate ,2 bending vibration of the (UO2)2+ units. UO bond lengths in uranyl and OH···O hydrogen bond lengths were calculated from the Raman and infrared spectra. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On the polarization properties of the micromaser pumped by the atoms with degenerate levelsLASER PHYSICS LETTERS, Issue 3 2004V. A. Reshetov Abstract The polarization properties of the micromaser field pumped by the atoms with the resonant levels, which are degenerate in the projections of the total angular momentum on the quantization axis, are studied numerically. The standard micromaser operation, when the atoms enter the cavity excited to the upper resonant level, and the micromaser operation under the coherent pump, when the atoms enter the cavity in a superposition of resonant atomic levels, are considered. The treatment is based on the master equation for the density matrix of the micromaser field, which takes into account the degeneracy of atomic levels. (© 2004 by HMS Consultants. Inc. Published exclusively by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.KGaA) [source] Finite-dimensional attractors and exponential attractors for degenerate doubly nonlinear equationsMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 13 2009M. Efendiev Abstract We consider the following doubly nonlinear parabolic equation in a bounded domain ,,,3: where the nonlinearity f is allowed to have a degeneracy with respect to ,tu of the form ,tu|,tu|p at some points x,,. Under some natural assumptions on the nonlinearities f and g, we prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution of that problem and establish the finite-dimensionality of global and exponential attractors of the semigroup associated with this equation in the appropriate phase space. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Point-wise decay estimate for the global classical solutions to quasilinear hyperbolic systemsMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 13 2009Yi Zhou Abstract In this paper, we first consider the Cauchy problem for quasilinear strictly hyperbolic systems with weak linear degeneracy. The existence of global classical solutions for small and decay initial data was established in (Commun. Partial Differential Equations 1994; 19:1263,1317; Nonlinear Anal. 1997; 28:1299,1322; Chin. Ann. Math. 2004; 25B:37,56). We give a new, very simple proof of this result and also give a sharp point-wise decay estimate of the solution. Then, we consider the mixed initial-boundary-value problem for quasilinear hyperbolic systems with nonlinear boundary conditions in the first quadrant. Under the assumption that the positive eigenvalues are weakly linearly degenerate, the global existence of classical solution with small and decay initial and boundary data was established in (Discrete Continuous Dynamical Systems 2005; 12(1):59,78; Zhou and Yang, in press). We also give a simple proof of this result as well as a sharp point-wise decay estimate of the solution. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The 2dF-SDSS LRG and QSO survey: QSO clustering and the L,z degeneracyMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2008J. DaÂngela ABSTRACT We combine the quasi-stellar object (QSO) samples from the 2dF QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ) and the 2dF-Sloan Digital Sky Survey luminous red galaxy (LRG) and QSO Survey (2dF-SDSS LRG and QSO, hereafter 2SLAQ) in order to investigate the clustering of z, 1.5 QSOs and measure the correlation function (,). The clustering signal in redshift-space and projected along the sky direction is similar to that previously obtained from the 2QZ sample alone. By fitting functional forms for ,(,, ,), the correlation function measured along and across the line of sight, we find, as expected, that ,, the dynamical infall parameter and ,0m, the cosmological density parameter, are degenerate. However, this degeneracy can be lifted by using linear theory predictions under different cosmological scenarios. Using the combination of the 2QZ and 2SLAQ QSO data, we obtain: ,QSO(z= 1.5) = 0.60+0.14,0.11, ,0m= 0.25+0.09,0.07 which imply a value for the QSO bias, b(z= 1.4) = 1.5 ± 0.2. The combination of the 2QZ with the fainter 2SLAQ QSO sample further reveals that QSO clustering does not depend strongly on luminosity at fixed redshift. This result is inconsistent with the expectation of simple ,high peaks' biasing models where more luminous, rare QSOs are assumed to inhabit higher mass haloes. The data are more consistent with models which predict that QSOs of different luminosities reside in haloes of similar mass. By assuming ellipsoidal models for the collapse of density perturbations, we estimate the mass of the dark matter haloes which the QSOs inhabit as ,3 × 1012 h,1 M,. We find that this halo mass does not evolve strongly with redshift nor depend on QSO luminosity. Assuming a range of relations which relate halo to black hole mass, we investigate how black hole mass correlates with luminosity and redshift, and ascertain the relation between Eddington efficiency and black hole mass. Our results suggest that QSOs of different luminosities may contain black holes of similar mass. [source] When does Parkinson's disease begin?,MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue S2 2009Carles Gaig MD Abstract Pathological and neuroimaging studies have shown that in Parkinson's disease (PD) there is a "subclinical" or "premotor" period during which dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) degenerate but typical motor symptoms have not yet developed. Post-mortem studies based on nigral cell counts and evaluating dopamine levels in the striata, and imaging studies assessing the nigrostriatal pathway in vivo, have estimated that this time period could last 3 to 6 years. In addition, emerging evidence indicates that the neuropathological process of PD does not start in the SN but more likely elsewhere in the nervous system: in the lower brainstem and the olfactory bulb, or even more distant from the SN, such as in the peripheral autonomic nervous system. Patients with PD frequently can present non-motor symptoms, such as hyposmia or constipation, years before the development of classical motor signs. The physiopathology of these "premotor" symptoms, though still unclear, is currently thought to be related to early involvement by the pathological process underlying PD of non-dopaminergic lower brainstem structures or autonomic plexuses. However, the answer to the question "when does PD start" remains uncertain. Here, we review clinical, pathological, and neuroimaging data related to the onset of the pathological process of PD, and propose that its onset is non-motor and that non-motor symptoms could begin in many instances 10 and 20 years before onset of motor symptoms. The variable course of the disorder once the motor symptoms develop, suggests that the start and progression of premotor PD is also highly variable andgiven the heterogeneous nature of PD, may differ depending on the cause/s of the syndrome. When and where the neuropathological process develops in PD remains uncertain. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society [source] Degeneracy in inventory modelsNAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 7 2002Amy Hing-Ling Lau In order-quantity reorder-point formulations for inventory items where backordering is allowed, some of the more common ways to prevent excessive stockouts in an optimal solution are to impose either a cost per unit short, a cost per stockout occasion, or a target fill rate. We show that these popular formulations, both exact and approximate, can become "degenerate" even with quite plausible parameters. By degeneracy we mean any situation in which the formulation either cannot be solved, leads to nonsensical "optimal" solutions, or becomes equivalent to something substantially simpler. We explain the reasons for the degeneracies, yielding new insight into these models, and we provide practical advice for inventory managers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 49: 686,705, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/nav.10037 [source] Double exchange model in cubic vanadatesPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (B) BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 1 2006Krzysztof Wohlfeld Abstract We investigate the role of the double exchange mechanism for stability of the metallic C-type antiferromagnetic (C-AF) phase, which was observed experimentally in hole doped La1,xSrx VO3. The double exchange model treats localized electrons in xy orbitals as classical S = 1/2 spins, which interact by Hund's exchange JH with yz /zx electrons in partly filled t2g orbitals. Including strong on-site Coulomb repulsion U between t2g electrons, and using slave boson method we demonstrate that C -AF and metallic phase can be stabilized due to the specific features of the hopping in degenerate and partly filled t2g orbitals. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||