Preliminary investigations into the use of the ancient pigments Han blue and Han purple as luminescent dusting powders for the detection of latent fingermarks.

Here we present our preliminary studies into the inorganic pigments Han blue (BaCuSiO) and Han purple (BaCuSiO) as near-infrared luminescent fingerprint dusting powders. These pigments were developed in ancient China around 800 BCE and both show luminescence in the NIR region. There remains, however, ambiguity in the literature concerning their photophysical properties.

Image data harmonization tools for the analysis of post-traumatic epilepsy development in preclinical multisite MRI studies.

Preclinical MRI studies have been utilized for the discovery of biomarkers that predict post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE). However, these single site studies often lack statistical power due to limited and homogeneous datasets. Therefore, multisite studies, such as the Epilepsy Bioinformatics Study for Antiepileptogenic Therapy (EpiBioS4Rx), are developed to create large, heterogeneous datasets that can lead to more statistically significant results.

Rapamycin improves social and stereotypic behavior abnormalities induced by pre-mitotic neuronal subset specific Pten deletion.

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is a signaling system integral to neural growth and migration. In both patients and rodent models, mutations to the phosphatase and tensin homolog gene (PTEN) on chromosome 10 results in hyperactivation of the mTOR pathway, as well as seizures, intellectual disabilities and autistic behaviors. Rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTOR, can reverse the epileptic phenotype of neural subset specific Pten knockout (NS-Pten KO) mice, but its impact on behavior is not known.

Studies into exfoliation and coating of Egyptian blue in methanol for application to the detection of latent fingermarks.

We have recently demonstrated that coated exfoliated Egyptian blue powder is effective for detecting latent fingermarks on a range of highly-patterned non-porous and semi-porous surfaces. In this extension of that work, we present our studies into an alternative approach to prepare exfoliated Egyptian blue coated with cetrimonium bromide and Tween® 20 using a simpler technique. The quality of the latent fingermarks developed with these exfoliated powders and the commercial powder were compared in acomprehensive study.

Mansfieldite (AlAsO·2HO): a new white pigment in Himalayan artwork.

An unusual arsenate mineral, mansfieldite (AlAsO·2HO), was identified as a pigment for the first time as the principal white colorant on two Himalayan thangka paintings at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The co-occurrence of this unusual mineral pigment provides support for the belief that the two artworks are members of a cycle of paintings originating from the same workshop, perhaps from Chamdo, Tibet. The complete palettes of both artworks are identical, including the use of mansfieldite, brochantite, malachite, azurite, vermilion, gold, orpiment, and a carbon-based black in a glue binder on a calcite and gypsum-primed cotton fabric.

Dietary rescue of adult behavioral deficits in the Fmr1 knockout mouse.

The current study aimed to further address important questions regarding the therapeutic efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids for various behavioral and neuroimmune aspects of the Fmr1 phenotype. To address these questions, our experimental design utilized two different omega-3 fatty acid administration timepoints, compared to both standard laboratory chow controls ("Standard") and a diet controlling for the increase in fat content ("Control Fat"). In the first paradigm, post-weaning supplementation (after postnatal day 21) with the omega-3 fatty acid diet ("Omega-3") reversed deficits in startle threshold, but not deficits in prepulse inhibition, and the effect on startle threshold was not specific to the Omega-3 diet.

To glove or not to glove? Investigations into the potential contamination from handling of paper-based cultural heritage through forensic fingerprinting approaches.

The handling of cultural heritage objects has become a highly debated topic in the last decade. The work and outcomes described in this paper are aimed to provide objective data to assist in making appropriate decisions as to whether or not wearing gloves is appropriate in a given situation. The forensic fingermark development techniques of 1,2-indandione and single metal deposition II were used to investigate the efficacy of handwashing and glove use to improve the information available when deciding whether to use gloves when handling paper objects.

Military healthcare challenges: deployed Role 1 healthcare delivery on Operation TRENTON. A personal view.

Op TRENTON is the UK response to support the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. This article documents a 5-month Engineering deployment after the UK Hospital had ended their mission and some of the medical challenges encountered. During this time, there were 2104 individual patient interactions recorded, with the main common illnesses being musculoskeletal injuries, gastrointestinal infection and dermatology.

Forensic dye analysis in cultural heritage: Unraveling the authenticity of the earliest Persian knotted-pile silk carpet.

The use of forensic dye analysis in the field of cultural heritage is introduced, and a case study is presented determining the dating of a potentially important textile fragment from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The fragment, attributed on stylistic grounds to the 15th century, is purportedly the oldest surviving example of a Persian knotted-pile silk carpet. Raman spectroscopy combined with liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry determined the dyes used in the fragment include Metanil yellow, Congo red, and indigo, possibly in its synthetic form.

Increased expression of Fragile X mental retardation protein in malformative lesions of patients with focal cortical dysplasia.

Objective: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) accounts for nearly half of all cases of medically refractory epilepsy in the pediatric and adult patient populations. This neurological disorder stems from localized malformations in cortical brain tissue due to impaired neuronal proliferation, differentiation, and migration patterns. Recent studies in animal models have highlighted the potential role of the Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) levels in FCD.

Uncovering modern paint forgeries by radiocarbon dating.

Art forgeries have existed since antiquity, but with the recent rapidly expanding commercialization of art, the approach to art authentication has demanded increasingly sophisticated detection schemes. So far, the most conclusive criterion in the field of counterfeit detection is the scientific proof of material anachronisms. The establishment of the earliest possible date of realization of a painting, called the , is based on the comparison of materials present in an artwork with information on their earliest date of discovery or production.

Neuronal deletion of phosphatase and tensin homolog results in cerebellar motor learning dysfunction and alterations in intracellular signaling.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine cerebellar levels of several molecular signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and markers of neuronal migration, following loss of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene in a subset of neurons, as well as the accompanying behavior phenotype in mice. Motor coordination and learning were measured by the sticker removal task and the accelerating rotarod. Western blots were conducted on cerebellar tissue samples.

Neuronal subset-specific deletion of Pten results in aberrant Wnt signaling and memory impairments.

The canonical Wnt and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways both play critical roles in brain development early in life. There is extensive evidence of how each pathway is involved in neuronal and synaptic maturation, however, how these molecular networks interact requires further investigation. The present study examines the effect of neuronal subset-specific deletion of phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten) in mice on Wnt signaling protein levels and associated cognitive impairments.

Oral aniracetam treatment in C57BL/6J mice without pre-existing cognitive dysfunction reveals no changes in learning, memory, anxiety or stereotypy.

: The piracetam analog, aniracetam, has recently received attention for its cognition enhancing potential, with minimal reported side effects.  Previous studies report the drug to be effective in both human and non-human models with pre-existing cognitive dysfunction, but few studies have evaluated its efficacy in healthy subjects. A previous study performed in our laboratory found no cognitive enhancing effects of oral aniracetam administration 1-hour prior to behavioral testing in naïve C57BL/6J mice.

Molecular interplay between hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin signaling and Alzheimer's disease neuropathology in the NS-Pten knockout mouse model.

Dysregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling cascade has been associated with the pathology of neurodegenerative disorders, specifically Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both in-vivo models and post-mortem brain samples of individuals with AD have commonly shown hyperactivation of the pathway. In the present study, we examine how neuron subset-specific deletion of Pten (NS-Pten) in mice, which presents with hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity, affects the hippocampal protein levels of key neuropathological hallmarks of AD.

Deletion of results in sex-specific changes in behavior.

Objective: In this study, we used a systemic knockout in order to investigate both genotype- and sex-specific differences across multiple measures of sociability, repetitive behaviors, activity levels, anxiety, and fear-related learning and memory.

Background: Fragile X syndrome is the most common monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism. Few studies to date have examined sex differences in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome, though clinical data support the idea of differences in both overall prevalence and phenotype between the sexes.

Transcriptome of neonatal preBötzinger complex neurones in Dbx1 reporter mice.

We sequenced the transcriptome of brainstem interneurons in the specialized respiratory rhythmogenic site dubbed preBötzinger Complex (preBötC) from newborn mice. To distinguish molecular characteristics of the core oscillator we compared preBötC neurons derived from Dbx1-expressing progenitors that are respiratory rhythmogenic to neighbouring non-Dbx1-derived neurons, which support other respiratory and non-respiratory functions. Results in three categories are particularly salient.

Subgenome Dominance in an Interspecific Hybrid, Synthetic Allopolyploid, and a 140-Year-Old Naturally Established Neo-Allopolyploid Monkeyflower.

Recent studies have shown that one of the parental subgenomes in ancient polyploids is generally more dominant, having retained more genes and being more highly expressed, a phenomenon termed subgenome dominance. The genomic features that determine how quickly and which subgenome dominates within a newly formed polyploid remain poorly understood. To investigate the rate of emergence of subgenome dominance, we examined gene expression, gene methylation, and transposable element (TE) methylation in a natural, <140-year-old allopolyploid (), a resynthesized interspecies triploid hybrid (), a resynthesized allopolyploid (), and progenitor species ( and ).

Cow urine, Indian yellow, and art forgeries: An update.

In a recent technical note in this Journal, de Faria et al., 2017 [1] reported the Raman spectrum of authentic Indian yellow artists' pigment, correcting a decades old reference spectrum that has led to the misidentification of this pigment in artworks that actually contained tartrazine yellow. The present communication provides additional information and corrects important experimental details mentioned by de Faria et al.

"Paintings Fade Like Flowers": Pigment Analysis and Digital Reconstruction of a Faded Pink Lake Pigment in Vincent van Gogh's Undergrowth with Two Figures.

Color fading in Vincent van Gogh's Undergrowth with Two Figures was studied chemically to facilitate the creation of a digital reconstruction of fugitive colors . The painting contains a field of white, green, orange, and yellow flowers under a canopy of poplar trees with two central figures-a man and a woman, arms entwined. From Van Gogh's letters, however, it is known that he painted the picture with some pink flowers, which appear to have altered, presumably to white.

Superimposing Status Epilepticus on Neuron Subset-Specific PTEN Haploinsufficient and Wild Type Mice Results in Long-term Changes in Behavior.

We evaluated the effects of superimposing seizures on a genetic mutation with known involvement in both Autism Spectrum Disorder and in epilepsy. Neuron-subset specific (NS)-Pten heterozygous (HT) and wildtype (WT) adult mice received either intraperitoneal injections of kainic acid (20 mg/kg) to induce status epilepticus or the vehicle (saline). Animals then received a battery of behavioral tasks in order to evaluate activity levels, anxiety, repetitive-stereotyped behavior, social behavior, learning and memory.

Kv4.2 knockout mice display learning and memory deficits in the Lashley maze.

: Potassium channels have been shown to be involved in neural plasticity and learning. Kv4.2 is a subunit of the A-type potassium channel.

Analysis and quantitation of volatile organic compounds emitted from plastics used in museum construction by evolved gas analysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Construction materials used in museums for the display, storage, and transportation of artwork must be assessed for their tendency to emit harmful pollution that could potentially damage cultural treasures. Traditionally, a subjective metals corrosion test known as the Oddy test has been widely utilized in museums for this purpose. To augment the Oddy test, an instrumental sampling approach based on evolved gas analysis (EGA) coupled to gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectral (MS) detection has been implemented for the first time to qualitatively identify off-gassed pollutants under specific conditions.

Comparison of Equivalence between Two Commercially Available S499-Phosphorylated FMRP Antibodies in Mice.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) develops from excessive trinucleotide CGG repeats in the 5'-untranslated region at Xq27.3 of the Fmr-1 gene, which functionally silences its expression and prevents transcription of its protein. This disorder is the most prominent form of heritable intellectual deficiency, affecting roughly 1 in 5,000 males and 1 in 10,000 females globally.