Publications by authors named "B M Rubinstein"
Article Synopsis
- A population of neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) co-transmit two neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA, but their inputs and functions are not fully understood.
- Using advanced tracing techniques in mice, researchers discovered that these neurons receive diverse inputs from various brain regions, with significant inputs from the superior colliculus and lateral hypothalamus.
- Optical activation of these inputs revealed that lateral hypothalamus involvement leads to active behavior, while superior colliculus stimulation results in brief activation and freezing behavior, indicating the complex integration of signals by VTA neurons related to motivation and behavior.
Injury is common in the life of organisms. Because the extent of damage cannot be predicted, injured organisms must determine how much tissue needs to be restored. Although it is known that amputation position affects the regeneration speed of appendages, mechanisms conveying positional information remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeiotic drivers are selfish genetic loci that can be transmitted to more than half of the viable gametes produced by a heterozygote. This biased transmission gives meiotic drivers an evolutionary advantage that can allow them to spread over generations until all members of a population carry the driver. This evolutionary power can also be exploited to modify natural populations using synthetic drivers known as "gene drives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFQuartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) has become a major tool enabling accurate investigation of the adsorption kinetics of nanometric objects such as DNA fragments, polypeptides, proteins, viruses, liposomes, polymer, and metal nanoparticles. However, in liquids, a quantitative analysis of the experimental results is often intricate because of the complex interplay of hydrodynamic and adhesion forces varying with the physicochemical properties of adsorbates and functionalized QCM-D sensors. In the present paper, we dissect the role of hydrodynamics for the analytically tractable case of stiff contact, whereas the adsorbed rigid particles oscillate with the resonator without rotation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSecondhand Smoke Exposure Measured in Urinary Cotinine Levels and Severity of Pediatric Sleep Apnea.
JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
March 2024
Importance: Exposure to secondhand smoke has been associated with numerous health problems in children, including obstructive sleep apnea. Secondhand smoke exposure may be a risk factor for increased pediatric sleep apnea severity.
Objectives: To assess the association of secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe), quantified by urinary cotinine levels, with severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children.