Short-term acclimation dynamics in a coldwater fish.

Critical thermal maximum (CT) is widely used for measuring thermal tolerance but the strong effect of acclimation on CT is a likely source of variation within and among studies/species that makes comparisons more difficult. There have been surprisingly few studies focused on quantifying how quickly acclimation occurs or that combine temperature and duration effects. We studied the effects of absolute temperature difference and duration of acclimation on CT of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), a well-studied species in the thermal biology literature, under laboratory conditions to determine how each of the two factors and their combined effects influence critical thermal maximum.

Effects of 3,4-diaminopyridine on myasthenia gravis: Preliminary results of an open-label study.

3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) can lead to clinical and electrophysiological improvement in myasthenic syndrome; it may thus represent a valuable therapeutic option for patients intolerant to pyridostigmine. to assess 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) effects and tolerability in patients with anti-AChR myasthenia gravis. Effects were monitored electrophysiologically by repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) and by standardized clinical testing (QMG score) before and after a single dose administration of 3,4-DAP 10 mg per os in 15 patients.

Biophysical characterisation of SMALPs.

Membrane proteins such as receptors, ion channels and transport proteins are important drug targets. The structure-based study of membrane proteins is challenging, especially when the target protein contains both soluble and insoluble domains. Most membrane proteins are insoluble in aqueous solvent and embedded in the plasma membrane lipid bilayer, which significantly complicates biophysical studies.

Creatine Kinase and Progression Rate in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with no recognized clinical prognostic factor. Creatinine kinase (CK) increase in these patients is already described with conflicting results on prognosis and survival. In 126 ALS patients who were fast or slow disease progressors, CK levels were assayed for 16 months every 4 months in an observational case-control cohort study with prospective data collection conducted in Italy.