Evolution of ac conductivity in nonequilibrium warm dense gold.

Using a chirped pulse probe technique, we have obtained single-shot measurements of temporal evolution of ac conductivity at 1.55 eV (800 nm) during electron energy relaxation in nonequilibrium warm dense gold with energy densities up to 4.1  MJ/kg (8×10(10)  J/m3).

Leucocyte phagocytosis during the luteal phase in bitches.

Pyometra is a disease that affects a large proportion of intact bitches, and typically is seen during the latter half of dioestrus. Several factors contribute to the development of pyometra, including genetic factors, an infectious component (most often Escherichia coli), and hormonal factors. Hormones may act directly on the endometrium, and also affect the immune system.

Increased susceptibility to diet-induced obesity in GPRC6A receptor knockout mice.

The recently identified G protein-coupled receptor GPRC6A is activated by dietary amino acids and expressed in multiple tissues. Although the receptor is hypothesised to exert biological impact on metabolic and endocrine-related parameters, the role of the receptor in obesity and metabolic complications is still elusive. In the present study, we investigated the impact of GPRC6A deficiency in a murine model of diet-induced obesity (DIO).

Double-balloon jejunal perfusion to compare absorption of vitamin E and vitamin E acetate in healthy volunteers under maldigestion conditions.

Background/objectives: The vitamin E derivative, α-tocopheryl acetate, is often included in formulations used in enteral nutrition. In this respect, we compared α-tocopherol and α-tocopheryl acetate absorption under 'maldigestion' conditions, such as occurring during enteral tube feeding, using differentially labeled RRR-[5,7-methyl-((2)H(6))]-α-tocopherol and RRR-[5-methyl-(2)H(3)]-α-tocopheryl acetate allowing direct comparison between free and esterified forms.

Subjects/methods: The two derivatives were given together in a single dose to six volunteers directly into the jejunum using a double-balloon perfusion system.

PheVI:09 (Phe6.44) as a sliding microswitch in seven-transmembrane (7TM) G protein-coupled receptor activation.

In seven-transmembrane (7TM), G protein-coupled receptors, highly conserved residues function as microswitches, which alternate between different conformations and interaction partners in an extended allosteric interface between the transmembrane segments performing the large scale conformational changes upon receptor activation. Computational analysis using x-ray structures of the β(2)-adrenergic receptor demonstrated that PheVI:09 (6.44), which in the inactive state is locked between the backbone and two hydrophobic residues in transmembrane (TM)-III, upon activation slides ∼2 Å toward TM-V into a tight pocket generated by five hydrophobic residues protruding from TM-III and TM-V.

Validation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of feline serum insulin.

Background: Feline insulin has been measured previously using assays developed for measuring human insulin. As feline insulin differs from human insulin, it is important to validate the assay before use.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to validate an ELISA, the Mercodia Feline Insulin ELISA, intended for measuring feline insulin and to determine the stability of feline insulin in serum.

Nettle as a distinct Bronze Age textile plant.

It is generally assumed that the production of plant fibre textiles in ancient Europe, especially woven textiles for clothing, was closely linked to the development of agriculture through the use of cultivated textile plants (flax, hemp). Here we present a new investigation of the 2800 year old Lusehøj Bronze Age Textile from Voldtofte, Denmark, which challenges this assumption. We show that the textile is made of imported nettle, most probably from the Kärnten-Steiermark region, an area which at the time had an otherwise established flax production.

Divalent metal transporter 1 regulates iron-mediated ROS and pancreatic β cell fate in response to cytokines.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to target-cell damage in inflammatory and iron-overload diseases. Little is known about iron transport regulation during inflammatory attack. Through a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies, we show that the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β induces divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) expression correlating with increased β cell iron content and ROS production.

An aromatic region to induce a switch between agonism and inverse agonism at the ghrelin receptor.

The ghrelin receptor displays a high constitutive activity suggested to be involved in the regulation of appetite and food intake. Here, we have created peptides with small changes in the core binding motif -wFw- of the hexapeptide KwFwLL-NH(2) that can swap the peptide behavior from inverse agonism to agonism, indicating the importance of this sequence. Introduction of β-(3-benzothienyl)-d-alanine (d-Bth), 3,3-diphenyl-d-alanine (d-Dip) and 1-naphthyl-d-alanine (d-1-Nal) at position 2 resulted in highly potent and efficient inverse agonists, whereas the substitution of d-tryptophane at position 4 with 1-naphthyl-d-alanine (d-1-Nal) and 2-naphthyl-d-alanine (d-2-Nal) induces agonism in functional assays.

MRI correlates of disability in African-Americans with multiple sclerosis.

Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) in African-Americans (AAs) is characterized by more rapid disease progression and poorer response to treatment than in Caucasian-Americans (CAs). MRI provides useful and non-invasive tools to investigate the pathological substrate of clinical progression. The aim of our study was to compare MRI measures of brain damage between AAs and CAs with MS.

Improving membrane binding as a design strategy for amphipathic peptide hormones: 2-helix variants of PYY3-36.

It has been hypothesized that amphipathic peptides might bind to membranes prior to activating their cognate receptors, but this has proven difficult to test. The peptide hormone PYY3-36 is believed to perform its appetite-suppressing actions through binding to hypothalamic Y2 receptors. It has been proposed that PYY3-36 via its amphipathic α-helix binds to the plasma membrane prior to receptor docking.

Acylation type determines ghrelin's effects on energy homeostasis in rodents.

Ghrelin is a gastrointestinal polypeptide that acts through the ghrelin receptor (GHSR) to promote food intake and increase adiposity. Activation of GHSR requires the presence of a fatty-acid (FA) side chain on amino acid residue serine 3 of the ghrelin molecule. However, little is known about the role that the type of FA used for acylation plays in the biological action of ghrelin.

Modulation of constitutive activity and signaling bias of the ghrelin receptor by conformational constraint in the second extracellular loop.

Based on a rare, natural Glu for Ala-204(C+6) variant located six residues after the conserved Cys residue in extracellular loop 2b (ECL2b) associated with selective elimination of the high constitutive signaling of the ghrelin receptor, this loop was subjected to a detailed structure functional analysis. Introduction of Glu in different positions demonstrated that although the constitutive signaling was partly reduced when introduced in position 205(C+7) it was only totally eliminated in position 204(C+6). No charge-charge interaction partner could be identified for the Glu(C+6) variant despite mutational analysis of a number of potential partners in the extracellular loops and outer parts of the transmembrane segments.

Markers of Borna disease virus infection in cats with staggering disease.

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a RNA-virus causing neurological disorders in a wide range of mammals. In cats, BDV infection may cause staggering disease. Presently, staggering disease is a tentative clinical diagnosis, only confirmed at necropsy.

Evaluation of cytologic findings in feline conjunctivitis.

Background: Cytologic examination of smears prepared from ocular swabs of conjunctiva from cats with conjunctivitis permits identification of the type of inflammation and possibly specific microorganisms. Results of studies of the diagnostic utility of cytology for detection of infectious causes of feline conjunctivitis have been inconsistent.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe cytologic findings in cats with conjunctivitis and to compare those findings with results of PCR analysis for feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), Chlamydophila felis (C felis), and Mycoplasma felis (M felis).

The first case of Brucella canis in Sweden: background, case report and recommendations from a northern European perspective.

Infection with Brucella canis has been diagnosed in Sweden for the first time. It was diagnosed in a three-year-old breeding bitch with reproductive disturbances. Fifteen in-contact dogs were tested repeatedly and all of them were negative for B.

Carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in dogs--a longitudinal study.

Background: Methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius strains (MRSP) are reported with increasing frequency in bacterial cultures from dogs. The objectives of this study were to determine whether MRSP could be found in dogs several months after a clinically apparent infection and whether the length of carriage varied depending on systemic antimicrobial treatment, diagnosis at time of the first positive MRSP culture and the presence of skin disease or wounds.

Y5 neuropeptide Y receptor overexpression in mice neither affects anxiety- and depression-like behaviours nor seizures but confers moderate hyperactivity.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been implicated in anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like behaviour as well as seizure-suppressant effects in rodents. Although these effects appear to be predominantly mediated via other NPY receptors (Y1 and/or Y2), several studies have also indicated a role for Y5 receptors. Gene therapy using recombinant viral vectors to induce overexpression of NPY, Y1 or Y2 receptors in the hippocampus or amygdala has previously been shown to modulate emotional behaviour and seizures in rodents.

Brain iron deposition fingerprints in Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy.

It can be difficult to clinically distinguish between classical Parkinson's disease (PD) and progressive supranuclear palsy. Previously, there have been no biomarkers that reliably allow this distinction to be made. We report that an abnormal brain iron accumulation is a marker for ongoing neurodegeneration in both conditions, but the conditions differ with respect to the anatomical distribution of these accumulations.

Localization of tumor necrosis factor in the canine testis, epididymis and spermatozoa.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), formerly known as Tumor necrosis factor alpha is now regarded as a natural component of the mammalian seminal plasma (SP). Although not completely clarified, its functions in the SP have been associated with paradoxal roles, such as sperm survival in the female genital tract, while at high levels negatively affect sperm survival and fertility potential. Recently, it has been discovered that canine inseminated spermatozoa display a strong immunoreaction for TNF when lining the female endometrium.

Quantitative T2' imaging in patients with clinically isolated syndrome.

Objective: The T2' imaging has been shown to be sensitive to oxygen saturation changes in normal appearing white and grey matter (NAWM, NAGM) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). We aimed to explore the presence and extent of T2' changes in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and a possible association of T2' with conventional magnetic resonance imaging and clinical outcomes.

Material And Methods: Quantitative T2- and T2*-weighted images were acquired in 32 treatment-naive patients with a CIS within 3 months of presentation and 15 age-matched healthy controls (HC).

L-Arginine improves multiple physiological parameters in mice exposed to diet-induced metabolic disturbances.

L-Arginine (L-Arg) is a conditionally essential amino acid and a natural constituent of dietary proteins. Studies in obese rats and type 2 diabetic humans have indicated that dietary supplementation with L-Arg can diminish gain in white adipose tissue (WAT) and improve insulin sensitivity. However, the effects of L-Arg on glucose homeostasis, body composition and energy metabolism remain unclear.

β-Cell Specific Overexpression of GPR39 Protects against Streptozotocin-Induced Hyperglycemia.

Mice deficient in the zinc-sensor GPR39, which has been demonstrated to protect cells against endoplasmatic stress and cell death in vitro, display moderate glucose intolerance and impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion. Here, we use the Tet-On system under the control of the proinsulin promoter to selectively overexpress GPR39 in the β cells in a double transgenic mouse strain and challenge them with multiple low doses of streptozotocin, which in the wild-type littermates leads to a gradual increase in nonfasting glucose levels and glucose intolerance observed during both food intake and OGTT. Although the overexpression of the constitutively active GPR39 receptor in animals not treated with streptozotocin appeared by itself to impair the glucose tolerance slightly and to decrease the β-cell mass, it nevertheless totally protected against the gradual hyperglycemia in the steptozotocin-treated animals.

Complement takes its Toll: an inflammatory crosstalk between Toll-like receptors and the receptors for the complement anaphylatoxin C5a.

The innate immune system is responsible for a rapid inflammatory response to pathogens that is essential for the clearance of infections. Although this response is vital, it is nonetheless potentially harmful, and dysregulated inflammation is a feature of many disease states. Thus, the mechanisms that regulate the release of soluble mediators of inflammation are an active focus of investigation.