A recessive variant is responsible for delayed-onset retinal degeneration in Hereford cattle.

Thirteen American Hereford cattle were reported blind with presumed onset when ~12-mo-old. All blind cattle shared a common ancestor through both the maternal and paternal pedigrees, suggesting a recessive genetic origin. Given the pedigree relationships and novel phenotype, we characterized the ophthalmo-pathologic changes associated with blindness and identified the responsible gene variant.

A de novo mutation in CACNA1A is associated with autosomal dominant bovine familial convulsions and ataxia in Angus cattle.

Bovine familial convulsions and ataxia (BFCA) is considered an autosomal dominant syndrome with incomplete penetrance. Nine Angus calves from the same herd were diagnosed with BFCA within days of birth. Necropsy revealed cerebellar and spinal cord lesions associated with the condition.

Examining supporting and constraining factors of physicians' acceptance of telemedical online consultations: a survey study.

As healthcare demands exceed outpatient physicians' capacities, telemedicine holds far-reaching potential for both physicians and patients. It is crucial to holistically analyze physicians' acceptance of telemedical applications, such as online consultations. This study seeks to identify supporting and constraining factors that influence outpatient physicians' acceptance of telemedicine.

Transcriptome analyses indicate that heat stress-induced inflammation in white adipose tissue and oxidative stress in skeletal muscle is partially moderated by zilpaterol supplementation in beef cattle.

Heat stress (HS) triggers oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and disrupts growth efficiency of livestock. β-adrenergic agonists supplemented to ruminant livestock improve growth performance, increase skeletal muscle mass, and decrease carcass fat. The objective of this study was to understand the independent and interacting effects of HS and zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) supplementation on the transcriptome of subcutaneous white adipose tissue and the longissimus dorsi muscle in steers.

Mosaic Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Antigens Elicit Cross-Protective Immunity in Calves.

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is an important pathogen that plays a significant role in initiating Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex (BRDC) in cattle. The disease causes multi-billion dollar losses globally due to high calf mortality and increased morbidity leading to heavy use of antibiotics. Current commercial vaccines provide limited cross-protection with several drawbacks such as safety, immunosuppression, potential reversion to virulence, and induction of neonatal pancytopenia.

Sleep, plasticity and the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders: the potential roles of protein synthesis and other cellular processes.

Sleep is important for neural plasticity, and plasticity underlies sleep-dependent memory consolidation. It is widely appreciated that protein synthesis plays an essential role in neural plasticity. Studies of sleep-dependent memory and sleep-dependent plasticity have begun to examine alterations in these functions in populations with neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Comparative analysis of Tsc1 and Tsc2 single and double radial glial cell mutants.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with variable expressivity. Heterozygous mutations in either of two genes, TSC1 (hamartin) or TSC2 (tuberin), are responsible for most cases. Hamartin and tuberin form a heterodimer that functions as a major cellular inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) kinase.

Loss of Tsc2 in Purkinje cells is associated with autistic-like behavior in a mouse model of tuberous sclerosis complex.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a dominant tumor suppressor disorder caused by mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2. TSC causes substantial neuropathology, often leading to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in up to 60% of patients. The anatomic and neurophysiologic links between these two disorders are not well understood.

The differential effects of prenatal and/or postnatal rapamycin on neurodevelopmental defects and cognition in a neuroglial mouse model of tuberous sclerosis complex.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is caused by heterozygous mutations in either the TSC1 (hamartin) or the TSC2 (tuberin) gene. Among the multisystemic manifestations of TSC, the neurodevelopmental features cause the most morbidity and mortality, presenting a considerable clinical challenge. Hamartin and tuberin form a heterodimer that inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) kinase, a major cellular regulator of protein translation, cell growth and proliferation.

Loss of the tuberous sclerosis complex protein tuberin causes Purkinje cell degeneration.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurogenetic disorder that often causes brain abnormalities leading to epilepsy, developmental delay, and autism. TSC is caused by inactivating mutations in either of the genes encoding the proteins hamartin (TSC1) and tuberin (TSC2). These proteins form a heterodimer that inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway, controlling translation and cell growth.

Loss of Tsc2 in radial glia models the brain pathology of tuberous sclerosis complex in the mouse.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant, tumor predisposition disorder characterized by significant neurodevelopmental brain lesions, such as tubers and subependymal nodules. The neuropathology of TSC is often associated with seizures and intellectual disability. To learn about the developmental perturbations that lead to these brain lesions, we created a mouse model that selectively deletes the Tsc2 gene from radial glial progenitor cells in the developing cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes in the intact organism: near-IR imaging and biocompatibility studies in Drosophila.

The ability of near-infrared fluorescence imaging to detect single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in organisms and biological tissues has been explored using Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies). Drosophila larvae were raised on food containing approximately 10 ppm of disaggregated SWNTs. Their viability and growth were not reduced by nanotube ingestion.

Free radial forearm flap versus pectoralis major myocutaneous flap reconstruction of oral and oropharyngeal defects: a cost analysis.

Objectives: The free radial forearm flap has replaced the pedicled pectoralis major myocutaneous flap and it has become the 'workhorse flap' used by many head and neck reconstructive surgeons for soft tissue reconstructions. Cost implications of radial forearm flap reconstruction within the context of the overall health care in a particular system need to be investigated particularly before it is labelled as 'costly only'.

Design And Setting: Forty patients who underwent immediate free radial forearm flap reconstruction for oral or oropharyngeal soft tissue defects were matched with patients who underwent pectoralis major myocutaneous flap reconstruction for similar defects.

[Detection of acute graft rejection with Fourier transformation of the surface ECG in long-term follow-up of heart transplantation].

Up to now, diagnosis of acute rejection after heart transplantation (HTx) has been based on endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), but there is the need for reliable noninvasive parameters. Spectral analysis of the surface ECG with fast Fourier transformation (FFT) has been shown to be useful for rejection monitoring in the immediate postoperative phase. We tested the method in the chronic phase after HTx: the QRS complex (2 bipolar leads, position tattooed with Indian ink) was repeatedly analyzed with FFT (segment size 120 ms, 512 points.

Biological characterization of recombinant vaccinia viruses in mice infected by the respiratory route.

A murine model based on infection by the respiratory route has been used to study the pathogenesis of recombinant vaccinia viruses. The neurovirulent Western Reserve (WR) strain and the Wyeth smallpox vaccine strain were used as vectors. Recombinant viruses were constructed by insertion of the Epstein-Barr virus membrane glycoprotein 340 gene into the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of each vaccinia virus.

Inflammatory responses and the generation of chemoattractant activity in cowpox virus-infected tissues.

Histological examination of the lesions produced on the chick chorioallantois infected with cowpox virus shows extensive haemorrhage but there are few inflammatory cells. However, infection with a deletion mutant, white cowpox virus, results in little haemorrhage but there is massive polymophonuclear cell infiltration. Extracts from tissues infected with the parental, red cowpox virus contained little or no chemoattractant activity detectable in micropore filter assays.