Deep proteomics identifies shared molecular pathway alterations in synapses of patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and mouse model.

Synaptic dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BP). We use quantitative mass spectrometry to carry out deep, unbiased proteomic profiling of synapses purified from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of 35 cases of SCZ, 35 cases of BP, and 35 controls. Compared with controls, SCZ and BP synapses show substantial and similar proteomic alterations.

Daily rewiring of a neural circuit generates a predictive model of environmental light.

Behavioral responsiveness to external stimulation is shaped by context. We studied how sensory information can be contextualized, by examining light-evoked locomotor responsiveness of relative to time of day. We found that light elicits an acute increase in locomotion (startle) that is modulated in a time-of-day-dependent manner: Startle is potentiated during the nighttime, when light is unexpected, but is suppressed during the daytime.

Obstetric and neonatal outcomes in women with epilepsy in Poland - a two-centre study.

Aim Of The Study: To report pregnancy, delivery and perinatal outcomes in women with epilepsy seen in university clinics in Poland. Clinical rationale for the study. Women with epilepsy are reported to be at increased risk of adverse pregnancy and foetal outcomes.

Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass as a safe method of surgical revascularization. The step towards hybrid procedures.

Introduction: Coronary artery disease is nowadays responsible for approximately 15% of hospitalizations in Poland. Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) represents an attractive alternative to a sternotomy, and at the same time provides better life quality and facilitates quick rehabilitation.

Aim: To evaluate whether MIDCAB can be performed with similar early and mid-term results as off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) and therefore can be considered as a safe stage in hybrid revascularization.

SnapShot: Circadian Clock.

Most creatures on this planet possess an ability to anticipate upcoming events in the environment, courtesy of their circadian clocks. This allows them to prepare for those changes instead of being caught by surprise, which could mean the difference between life and death. In this SnapShot, we describe the basics of how the clock ticks.

How to predict the risk of postoperative complications after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients under 50 and over 80 years old. A retrospective cross-sectional study.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of death in developed countries, and there is an increasing number of both young and elderly patients requiring surgical treatment. Despite improvement of conventional risk stratification scores (EuroSCORE II, STS risk score), all of the calculations are estimated based on the typical population and the studies emphasise that the scales may need further investigation and modernisation because demographic changes of the population suffering from CAD are unavoidable.

Aim: To characterise two increasing and challenging cohorts of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and to identify preoperative risk factors for postoperative complications.

The Cellular and Synaptic Architecture of the Mechanosensory Dorsal Horn.

The deep dorsal horn is a poorly characterized spinal cord region implicated in processing low-threshold mechanoreceptor (LTMR) information. We report an array of mouse genetic tools for defining neuronal components and functions of the dorsal horn LTMR-recipient zone (LTMR-RZ), a role for LTMR-RZ processing in tactile perception, and the basic logic of LTMR-RZ organization. We found an unexpectedly high degree of neuronal diversity in the LTMR-RZ: seven excitatory and four inhibitory subtypes of interneurons exhibiting unique morphological, physiological, and synaptic properties.

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients 80 years old or older: a retrospective case-series study.

Background: Age remains a significant and unmodifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and an increasing number of patients older than 80 years of age undergo Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). Old age is also an independent risk factor for postoperative complications. The aim of this study is to describe the population of patients 80 years of age or older who underwent CABG procedure and to assess the mortality rate and risk factors for in-hospital mortality.

Coronary Artery Disease in Young Adults: Who Needs Surgical Revascularization? A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of death and disability in developed countries. Despite the fact that prevalence accrues with age, an increasing number of young patients suffering from CAD is being observed worldwide. The aim of this study is to describe the population of young adults suffering from CAD and requiring coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and to assess early outcomes after the procedure.

Nuclear Factor I-C acts as a regulator of hepatocyte proliferation at the onset of liver regeneration.

Background & Aims: Knockout studies of the murine Nuclear Factor I-C (NFI-C) transcription factor revealed abnormal skin wound healing and growth of its appendages, suggesting a role in controlling cell proliferation in adult regenerative processes. Liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy (PH) is a well-established regenerative model whereby changes elicited in hepatocytes lead to their rapid and phased proliferation. Although NFI-C is highly expressed in the liver, no hepatic function was yet established for this transcription factor.

Updating appetitive memory during reconsolidation window: critical role of cue-directed behavior and amygdala central nucleus.

When presented with a light cue followed by food, some rats simply approach the foodcup (Nonorienters), while others first orient to the light in addition to displaying the food-cup approach behavior (Orienters). Cue-directed orienting may reflect enhanced attentional and/or emotional processing of the cue, suggesting divergent natures of cue-information processing in Orienters and Nonorienters. The current studies investigate how differences in cue processing might manifest in appetitive memory retrieval and updating using a paradigm developed to persistently attenuate fear responses (Retrieval-extinction paradigm; Monfils et al.

Strain background influences neurotoxicity and behavioral abnormalities in mice expressing the tetracycline transactivator.

The tet-off system has been widely used to create transgenic models of neurological disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and prion disease. The utility of this system lies in the assumption that the tetracycline transactivator (TTA) acts as an inert control element and does not contribute to phenotypes under study. Here we report that neuronal expression of TTA can affect hippocampal cytoarchitecture and behavior in a strain-dependent manner.

Investigation of the vibrational modes of edge-constrained fibrous samples placed in a standing wave tube.

In earlier work it was suggested that the frictional constraint of a porous sample around its circumference in a standing wave tube resulted in shearing resonances of the sample. In the present work that effect has been confirmed by direct measurement of the spatial distribution of the velocity of the solid phase of a fibrous sample placed in a rigidly terminated standing wave tube and driven into motion by a plane, incident sound field. The measurements were performed using a standing wave tube to which a transparent downstream section was attached.