Differential Etching of Rays at Wood Surfaces Exposed to an Oxygen Glow Discharge Plasma.

Basswood samples were exposed to oxygen glow-discharge plasmas for 30 min, and etching of radial and tangential longitudinal surfaces was measured. It was hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between etching and plasma energy, and differential etching of wood surfaces because of variation in the microstructure and chemical composition of different woody tissues. Etching at the surface of basswood samples was examined using profilometry.

Chemotyping and identification of protected Dalbergiatimber using gas chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry.

The international trade in illegally logged and environmentally endangered timber has spurred enforcement agencies to seek additional technical procedures for the identification of wood species. All Dalbergia species are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which is the reason this genus was chosen for study. Multiple sources of the heartwood from different Dalbergia species were extracted and chromatographic profiles collected by gas chromatography with high resolution quadrupole Time of Flight mass spectrometry (GC/QToF).

Rapid signalling responses via the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor, GPER, in a hippocampal cell line.

The rapid non-genomic actions of 17β-estradiol in multiple tissues, including the nervous system, may involve the activation of the G-protein-coupled receptor, GPER. Different signalling pathways have been suggested to be activated by GPER in different cell lines and tissues. Controversially, GPER has also been suggested to be activated by the mineralocorticoid aldosterone, and by the non-steroidal diphenylacrylamide compound, STX, in some preparations.

Aldosterone, STX and amyloid-β peptides modulate GPER (GPR30) signalling in an embryonic mouse hippocampal cell line (mHippoE-18).

The GPCR, GPER, mediates many of the rapid, non-genomic actions of 17β-estradiol in multiple tissues, including the nervous system. Controversially, it has also been suggested to be activated by aldosterone, and by the non-steroidal diphenylacrylamide compound, STX, in some preparations. Here, the ability of the GPER agonist, G-1, and aldosterone in the presence of the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, eplerenone, to potentiate forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP levels in the hippocampal clonal cell line, mHippoE-18, are compared.

Behavioral Sensitization to the Disinhibition Effect of Ethanol Requires the Dopamine/Ecdysone Receptor in .

Male flies under the influence of ethanol display disinhibited courtship, which is augmented with repeated ethanol exposures. We have previously shown that dopamine is important for this type of ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here we report that DopEcR, an insect G-protein coupled receptor that binds to dopamine and steroid hormone ecdysone, is a major receptor mediating courtship sensitization.

Characterisation of Signalling by the Endogenous GPER1 (GPR30) Receptor in an Embryonic Mouse Hippocampal Cell Line (mHippoE-18).

Estrogen can modulate neuronal development and signalling by both genomic and non-genomic pathways. Many of its rapid, non-genomic effects on nervous tissue have been suggested to be mediated via the activation of the estrogen sensitive G-protein coupled receptor (GPER1 or GPR30). There has been much controversy over the cellular location, signalling properties and endogenous activators of GPER1.

A genome-wide sib-pair scan for quantitative language traits reveals linkage to chromosomes 10 and 13.

Although there is considerable evidence that individual differences in language development are highly heritable, there have been few genome-wide scans to locate genes associated with the trait. Previous analyses of language impairment have yielded replicable evidence for linkage to regions on chromosomes 16q, 19q, 13q (within lab) and at 13q (between labs). Here we report the first linkage study to screen the continuum of language ability, from normal to disordered, as found in the general population.

Defining uremic arterial functional abnormalities in patients recently started on haemodialysis: combined in vivo and ex vivo assessment.

Endothelial dysfunction is a key initiating event in vascular disease in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and haemodialysis (HD) patients exhibit significant vascular abnormalities. To understand this further, we examined how ex vivo intrinsic function in isolated arteries correlates with in vivo assessments of cardiovascular status in HD patients. Abdominal fat biopsies were obtained from 11 HD patients and 26 non-uremic controls.

The first myriapod genome sequence reveals conservative arthropod gene content and genome organisation in the centipede Strigamia maritima.

Myriapods (e.g., centipedes and millipedes) display a simple homonomous body plan relative to other arthropods.

Characterisation of AmphiAmR11, an amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) D2-dopamine-like G protein-coupled receptor.

The evolution of the biogenic amine signalling system in vertebrates is unclear. However, insights can be obtained from studying the structures and signalling properties of biogenic amine receptors from the protochordate, amphioxus, which is an invertebrate species that exists at the base of the chordate lineage. Here we describe the signalling properties of AmphiAmR11, an amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) G protein-coupled receptor which has structural similarities to vertebrate α2-adrenergic receptors but which functionally acts as a D2 dopamine-like receptor when expressed in Chinese hamster ovary -K1 cells.

GPCR-mediated rapid, non-genomic actions of steroids: comparisons between DmDopEcR and GPER1 (GPR30).

Steroid hormones classically mediate their actions by binding to intracellular receptor proteins that migrate to the nucleus and act as transcription factors to change gene expression. However, evidence is now accumulating for rapid, non-genomic effects of steroids. There is considerable controversy over the mechanisms underlying such effects.

A characterization of the Manduca sexta serotonin receptors in the context of olfactory neuromodulation.

Neuromodulation, the alteration of individual neuron response properties, has dramatic consequences for neural network function and is a phenomenon observed across all brain regions and taxa. However, the mechanisms underlying neuromodulation are made complex by the diversity of neuromodulatory receptors expressed within a neural network. In this study we begin to examine the receptor basis for serotonergic neuromodulation in the antennal lobe of Manduca sexta.

FDG-PET/CT characterization of adrenal nodules: diagnostic accuracy and interreader agreement using quantitative and qualitative methods.

Purpose: To determine interreader agreement and diagnostic accuracy across varying levels of reader experience using qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluating adrenal nodules using ((18)F)-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

Methods: 132 adrenal nodules (96 adenomas, 36 metastases) were retrospectively identified in 105 patients (49 men and 56 women, mean age 66 years, age range 45-85 years) with a history of lung cancer who underwent ((18)F)-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography. For each nodule, three readers independently performed one qualitative and two quantitative measurements: visual assessment, standardized uptake value (SUVmax), and standard uptake ratio (SUVratio).

G-protein oestrogen receptor 1: trials and tribulations of a membrane oestrogen receptor.

Oestrogens are now recognised to be able to initiate rapid, fast responses, in addition to their classical, longer-term actions. There is a growing appreciation of the potential implications of this mode of action for oestrogenic signalling in both neuronal and non-neuronal systems. As such, much effort has been made to determine the mechanisms that are critical for transducing these rapid effects into cellular responses.

Abdominopelvic and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis: evaluation with contrast-enhanced MR venography with a blood-pool agent.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to evaluate contrast-enhanced (CE) MR venography (MRV) with a blood-pool agent for detection of abdominopelvic and lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) compared with a conventional unenhanced gradient-recalled echo (GRE) MRV technique.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was performed on 30 patients (mean age, 52.7 years; 15 men and 15 women) referred for MRV between March 2010 and November 2010 for evaluation of lower extremity or abdominopelvic DVT.

A comparison of the signalling properties of two tyramine receptors from Drosophila.

In invertebrates, the phenolamines, tyramine and octopamine, mediate many functional roles usually associated with the catecholamines, noradrenaline and adrenaline, in vertebrates. The α- and β-adrenergic classes of insect octopamine receptor are better activated by octopamine than tyramine. Similarly, the Tyramine 1 subgroup of receptors (or Octopamine/Tyramine receptors) are better activated by tyramine than octopamine.

Mechanisms underlying the interactions between rapid estrogenic and BDNF control of synaptic connectivity.

The effects of the steroid hormone 17β-estradiol and the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on neuronal physiology have been well investigated. Numerous studies have demonstrated that each signal can exert powerful influences on the structure and function of synapses, and specifically on dendritic spines, both within short and long time frames. Moreover, it has been suggested that BDNF is required for the long-term, or genomic, actions of 17β-estradiol on dendritic spines, via its ability to regulate the expression of neurotrophins.

Characterisation of AmphiAmR4, an amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) α₂-adrenergic-like G-protein-coupled receptor.

Little is known about the evolutionary relationship between vertebrate adrenergic receptors and invertebrate octopamine and tyramine receptors. The complexity of the adrenergic signalling system is believed to be an innovation of the vertebrate lineage but the presence of noradrenaline has been reported in some invertebrate species. The cephalochordate, amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae), is an ideal model organism for studying the evolution of vertebrate GPCRs, given its unique position at the base of the chordate lineage.

Genome-wide association study of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, debilitating neuropsychiatric illness with complex genetic etiology. The International OCD Foundation Genetics Collaborative (IOCDF-GC) is a multi-national collaboration established to discover the genetic variation predisposing to OCD. A set of individuals affected with DSM-IV OCD, a subset of their parents, and unselected controls, were genotyped with several different Illumina SNP microarrays.

Anthropomorphic measurements that include central fat distribution are more closely related with key risk factors than BMI in CKD stage 3.

Background: Body Mass Index (BMI) as a marker of obesity is an established risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, BMI can overestimate obesity. Anthropomorphic measurements that include central fat deposition are emerging as a more important risk factor.

The diurnal cortisol cycle and cognitive performance in the healthy old.

Associations between cognitive performance and cortisol have variously been reported for measures of both cortisol level and change, and for some domains of cognitive functioning more than others. In this study, associations between cortisol secretion measures and cognitive performance were examined in 50 healthy older people (mean age 74 years; 34 F /16 M). Participants provided 16 accurately timed saliva samples over 2 consecutive days to determine diurnal profiles of cortisol secretion.

Amphioxus expresses both vertebrate-type and invertebrate-type dopamine D(1) receptors.

The cephalochordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) has recently been placed as the most basal of all the chordates, which makes it an ideal organism for studying the molecular basis of the evolutionary transition from invertebrates to vertebrates. The biogenic amine, dopamine regulates many aspects of motor control in both vertebrates and invertebrates, and in both cases, its receptors can be divided into two main groups (D1 and D2) based on sequence similarity, ligand affinity and effector coupling. A bioinformatic study shows that amphioxus has at least three dopamine D1-like receptor sequences.

Identification and characterization of a novel amphioxus dopamine D-like receptor.

Dopamine receptors function to control many aspects of motor control and other forms of behaviour in both vertebrates and invertebrates. They can be divided into two main groups (D(1) and D(2)) based on sequence similarity, ligand affinity and effector coupling. However, little is known about the pharmacology and functionality of dopamine receptors in the deuterostomian invertebrates, such as the cephalochordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) which has recently been placed as the most basal of all the chordates.