Publications by authors named "Forster C"

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases catalyze the formation of aminoacyl-tRNAs. Seryl-tRNA synthetase is a class II synthetase, which depends on rather few and simple identity elements in tRNA(Ser) to determine the amino acid specificity. tRNA(Ser) acceptor stem microhelices can be aminoacylated with serine, which makes this part of the tRNA a valuable tool for investigating the structural motifs in a tRNA(Ser)-seryl-tRNA synthetase complex.

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Functional brain imaging studies on itch usually use histamine as a stimulus and, in consequence, have to cope with the highly variable time course of this particular itch sensation. In this study, we describe a novel method of histamine application. To provoke itch, a mixture of histamine and codeine was applied through intradermally positioned microdialysis fiber.

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This fMRI study investigates the influence of a rating procedure on BOLD signals in common pain-activated cortical brain regions. Painful and non-painful mechanical impact stimuli were applied to the left hand of healthy volunteers. Subjects performed ratings of the perceived intensity during every second stimulation period by operating a visual analogue scale with the right hand.

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Unlabelled: Direct vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has proved to be an effective treatment for seizure disorder and major depression. However, since this invasive technique implies surgery, with its side-effects and relatively high financial costs, a non-invasive method to stimulate vagal afferences would be a great step forward. We studied effects of non-invasive electrical stimulation of the nerves in the left outer auditory canal in healthy subjects (n = 22), aiming to activate vagal afferences transcutaneously (t-VNS).

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This is the first description of malignant catarrhal fever-like lesions associated with ovine herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) infection in goats with central nervous symptoms. The diagnosis was based on typical histological lesions characterized by systemic lymphohistiocytic and fibrinoid vasculitis and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the detected OvHV-2 sequences.

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The amyloid precursor protein (APP) undergoes sequential cleavages to generate various polypeptides, including the amyloid-beta protein (Abeta), which forms amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), secreted APPalpha (sAPPalpha) which enhances memory, and the APP intracellular domain (AICD), which has been implicated in the regulation of gene transcription and calcium signaling. The beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) cleaves APP in an activity-dependent manner to form Abeta, AICD, and secreted APPbeta. Because this neural activity was shown to diminish synaptic transmission in vitro [Kamenetz F, Tomita T, Hsieh H, Seabrook G, Borchelt D, Iwatsubo T, Sisodia S, Malinow R (2003) Neuron 37:925-937], the prevailing notion has been that this pathway diminishes synaptic function.

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The chemoselective functionalization of 5-bromo-2-chloro-3-fluoropyridine (1c) is described. Catalytic amination conditions (Pd2dba3, Xantphos, base) afford exclusively the bromide substitution product (2) for both secondary amines and primary anilines. A reversal in chemoselectivity is observed under neat conditions in the absence of palladium catalysis, with substitution at the 2-chloro position preferred to generate 3.

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This study examines the body mass index (BMI) percentiles for age of 3970 male high school athletes. Overall, boys participating in sports had BMI percentiles similar to the general population. However, the prevalence of overweight in boys playing certain sports, particularly football, but also wrestling and crew, was higher than the general population.

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In many neuroinflammatory conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS), encephalitis, meningitis, brain tumours and cerebral ischaemia, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in disrupting the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Normally under tight regulation, increased MMP-9 cerebrospinal fluid levels and excessive proteolytic activity is detected in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid in patients with acute MS. MMP-9 is a member of the type IV collagenases, which attack components of the endothelial basal lamina, including type IV collagen.

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Background: The incidence of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) performed in elderly patients has been increasing over recent years. We sought to evaluate clinical outcomes of octogenarians undergoing CABG using an audited state-wide mandatory database.

Methods: New York State Department of Health's Cardiac Reporting System was analyzed from 1998 to 2002.

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The tRNA(Gly) and glycyl-tRNA synthetase (GlyRS) system is an evolutionary special case within the class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases because two divergent types of GlyRS exist: an archaebacterial/human type and an eubacterial type. The tRNA identity elements which determine the correct aminoacylation process are located in the aminoacyl domain of tRNA(Gly). To obtain further insight concerning structural investigation of the identity elements, the Escherichia coli seven-base-pair tRNA(Gly) acceptor-stem helix was crystallized.

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Capillary repair is crucial in the healing of glomerulonephritis (GN). The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has pro-angiogenic properties and plays an important role in glomerular capillary regeneration. Habu Snake Venom (HSV) GN, a murine model for mesangioproliferative GN, was induced in uninephrectomized C57/BL6 mice.

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Metal salts, ferrous sulphate and aluminium chloride, were added to laboratory-scale activated sludge plant treating paper mill effluents to investigate the effect on settlement characteristics. Before treatment the sludge was filamentous, had stirred sludge volume index (SSVI) values in excess of 300 and was moderately hydrophobic. The use of FeSO4.

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Background: Data on mercury exposure of the Austrian population were inadequate. This study was performed to determine the causal factors underlying mercury exposure and selenium concentrations, and to estimate the gender-related health impacts.

Methodology: Venous blood samples of 78 women and 81 men were drawn at the Austrian Red Cross, Vienna.

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Introduction: Several pre-operative work-up protocols have been used while selecting epileptic patients for surgery among different centers. The relative value of the different available pre-operative tests is still under discussion.

Objective: We report on the surgical outcome obtained in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy associated to mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) and who were evaluated pre-operatively by interictal EEG and MRI alone.

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Although the Ceratopsia and Pachycephalosauria, two major ornithischian groups, are united as the Marginocephalia, few synapomorphies have been identified due to their highly specialized body-plans. Several studies have linked the Heterodontosauridae with either the Ceratopsia or Marginocephalia, but evidence for these relationships is weak, leading most recent studies to consider the Heterodontosauridae as the basal member of another major ornithischian radiation, the Ornithopoda. Here, we report on a new basal ceratopsian dinosaur, Yinlong downsi gen.

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease whose symptoms are caused by an inflammatory invasion of the central nervous system (CNS). The molecular pathogenesis of MS includes an increased permeability of the blood brain barrier (BBB) along with an inability of the BBB to fulfill its normal function of protecting the CNS. The cerebellar BBB seems to be especially vulnerable, as the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as an animal model of MS often takes its beginning in the cerebellum.

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The pharmacokinetic properties of an aptamer against the tumour-marker protein tenascin-C have recently been successfully improved by the introduction of locked nucleic acids (LNAs) into the terminal stem of the aptamer. Since it is believed that this post-SELEX optimization is likely to provide a more general route to enhance the in vitro and in vivo stability of aptamers, elucidation of the structural basis of this improvement was embarked upon. Here, the crystallographic and X-ray diffraction data of the isolated aptamer stem encompassed in a six-base-pair duplex both with and without the LNA modification are presented.

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Chemotactic responsiveness is crucial to neutrophil recruitment to sites of infection. During chemotaxis, highly divergent cytoskeletal programs are executed at the leading and trailing edge of motile neutrophils. The Rho family of small GTPases plays a critical role in cell migration, and recent work has focused on elucidating the specific roles played by Rac1, Rac2, Cdc42, and Rho during cellular chemotaxis.

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Catecholamines are retained within platelets for several hours after plasma catecholamine concentrations have returned to baseline. To determine whether platelet catecholamine concentrations may provide an index of short-term elevations in plasma adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA), the response of plasma and platelet catecholamines to an interval supramaximal, Max (107% VO(2) Max), and submaximal, Submax (37% VO(2) Max), cycling protocol was examined in seven healthy male volunteers, 22-34 years. Despite large rises in plasma NA and A in the Max study (12- and 8-fold increases above baseline, respectively) and smaller rises in the Submax study, the baseline platelet concentrations of A and NA fell significantly in the first 15 min of exercise in both groups.

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Background: Anorectal continence depends not only on the organs of continence but also on cerebral control. There are relatively few data regarding cerebral processing of anorectal continence.

Methods: Thirteen healthy subjects underwent rectal distension to cause urge increasing to discomfort during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

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In order to understand elongator tRNA(Ser) and suppressor tRNA(Sec) identity elements, the respective acceptor-stem helices have been synthesized and crystallized in order to analyse and compare their structures in detail at high resolution. The synthesis, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction results for a seven-base-pair tRNA(Ser) acceptor-stem helix are presented here. Diffraction data were collected to 1.

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