Possible involvement of reusable towels in the high rate of Bacillus species-positive blood cultures in Japanese hospitals.

Background: A number of outbreaks caused by Bacillus species have been reported to date. Outbreaks reported in the last decade have predominantly arisen in Japanese hospitals.

Aim: To elucidate factors contributing to these real or pseudo outbreaks by Bacillus species, and to evaluate the rate of Bacillus species-positive blood culture samples in Japan.

GABAergic activation of an inwardly rectifying K+ current in mouse cerebellar Purkinje cells.

Cerebellar Purkinje cells integrate motor information conveyed by excitatory synaptic inputs from parallel and climbing fibres. Purkinje cells abundantly express B-type G-protein-coupled gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABABR) that are assumed to mediate major responses, including postsynaptic modulation of the synaptic inputs. However, the identity and function of effectors operated by GABABR are not fully elucidated.

Insulin-like growth factor-I as a promoting factor for cerebellar Purkinje cell development.

In the mammalian CNS, the peptide hormone insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is synthesized in a certain subset of neurons and, it has been suggested, serves as a local neurotrophic factor. A postnatal increase in the expression of IGF-I and the type-1 IGF receptors (IGFR1) in the cerebellar cortex and its related brain regions indicates that developing cerebellar Purkinje cells (PC) may be an important target of IGF-I. However, little is known about how IGF-I influences PC development.