Mechano-chemical feedback mediated competition for BMP signalling leads to pattern formation.

Developmental patterning is thought to be regulated by conserved signalling pathways. Initial patterns are often broad before refining to only those cells that commit to a particular fate. However, the mechanisms by which pattern refinement takes place remain to be addressed.

Occupational exposure factors for mental and behavioral disorders at work: The FOREC thesaurus.

Background: Mental disorders in the workplace are a major public health problem. Knowledge of the impact of the psychosocial work environment on mental and behavioral disorders can assist occupational physicians in the identification and description of occupational risk situations, and help to define priority actions. However, no classification for occupational exposure factors is currently available.

Glycol ethers and semen quality: a cross-sectional study among male workers in the Paris Municipality.

Objectives: Apparent increases in human male reproductive disorders, including low sperm production, may have occurred because of increased chemical exposure. Various glycol ether-based solvents have pronounced adverse effects on sperm production and male fertility in laboratory animals. The authors investigated the effects of past and current exposure to glycol ether-containing products on semen quality and reproductive hormones among men employed by the Paris Municipality.

Exposure to glycol ethers in a population of French men evaluated by measurement of urinary alkoxycarboxylic acids.

Objectives: Glycol ethers are solvents that are present in a large number of products used commercially and domestically. During recent years, ethylene glycol ether derivatives, in particular ethylene glycol methyl ether and ethylene glycol ethyl ether, have been progressively replaced by propylene glycol ether derivatives, which are less toxic. The aim of this study was to estimate the level of exposure to glycol ethers in a sample population of French men employed by the Paris Municipality by measuring the amount of alkoxycarboxylic acid metabolites in their urine.

Effect of treatment and withdrawal from chronic lithium in rats on stimulant-induced responses.

Chronic lithium (Li) administration to rats was found to inhibit the hyperactivity induced by 0.5 mg/kg d-amphetamine but not that induced by 1.0 mg/kg d-amphetamine.