Event-related causality in stereo-EEG discriminates syntactic processing of noun phrases and verb phrases.

Syntax involves complex neurobiological mechanisms, which are difficult to disentangle for multiple reasons. Using a protocol able to separate syntactic information from sound information we investigated the neural causal connections evoked by the processing of homophonous phrases, i.e.

Performance of Universal Reciprocating Heat-Engine Cycle with Variable Specific Heats Ratio of Working Fluid.

Considering the finite time characteristic, heat transfer loss, friction loss and internal irreversibility loss, an air standard reciprocating heat-engine cycle model is founded by using finite time thermodynamics. The cycle model, which consists of two endothermic processes, two exothermic processes and two adiabatic processes, is well generalized. The performance parameters, including the power output and efficiency (PAE), are obtained.

Treatment of steroid resistant acute graft versus host disease with an anti-CD26 monoclonal antibody-Begelomab.

We have treated 69 patients with steroid refractory acute graft versus host disease (SR-aGvHD), with an anti-CD26 monoclonal antibody (Begelomab): 28 patients in two prospective studies (EudraCT No. 2007-005809-21; EudraCT No. 2012-001353-19), and 41 patients on a compassionate use study.

Diagnosis and management of pemphigus: Recommendations of an international panel of experts.

Background: Several European countries recently developed international diagnostic and management guidelines for pemphigus, which have been instrumental in the standardization of pemphigus management.

Objective: We now present results from a subsequent Delphi consensus to broaden the generalizability of the recommendations.

Methods: A preliminary survey, based on the European Dermatology Forum and the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology guidelines, was sent to a panel of international experts to determine the level of consensus.

Zn vacancy induced green luminescence on non-polar surfaces in ZnO nanostructures.

Although generally ascribed to the presence of defects, an ultimate assignment of the different contributions to the emission spectrum in terms of surface states and deep levels in ZnO nanostructures is still lacking. In this work we unambiguously give first evidence that zinc vacancies at the (1010) nonpolar surfaces are responsible for the green luminescence of ZnO nanostructures. The result is obtained by performing an exhaustive comparison between spatially resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and imaging and ab initio simulations.

Acute corticosterone sexually dimorphically facilitates social learning and inhibits feeding in mice.

In numerous species social learning is predominant and adaptive, yet, we know little of its neurobiological mechanisms. Social learning is modulated by motivations and emotions, in a manner that is often sexually dimorphic. Additionally, stress hormones acutely modulate the related social cognitive process of social recognition.

Using high pressure to prepare polymorphs of the Ba2Co(1-x)Zn(x)S3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) compounds.

In this work, high pressure was used as a tool to induce structural transition and prepare metastable polymorphs of ternary sulfides. Structural transformations under high pressure of compounds belonging to the Ba(2)Co(1-x)Zn(x)S(3) (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) series were studied using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy.

Heavy (or large) ions in a fluid in an electric field: The diffusion equation exactly following from the Fokker-Planck equation.

The problem of the derivation of the diffusion equation exactly following from the Fokker-Planck (or Klein-Kramers) equation for heavy (or large) particles in a fluid in an external force field is solved in the case in which the particles are ions subject to a uniform (but in general time-varying) electric field. It is found that such a diffusion equation maintains memory of the initial ion velocity distribution, unless sufficiently large values of time are considered. In such temporal asymptotic limit, the diffusion equation exactly becomes (i) the Smoluchowski equation when the electric field is constant in time, and (ii) a new equation generalizing the Smoluchowski equation, when the electric field is arbitrarily time varying.

Molecular classification of green tea catechin-sensitive and green tea catechin-resistant prostate cancer in the TRAMP mice model by quantitative real-time PCR gene profiling.

We previously found that human prostate cancer (CaP) progression is accompanied by differential expression of a panel of 8 informative genes, some of which are metabolically related. Gene profiling focused on this 8-gene pack by northern blot analysis in combination with standard clinical information provided reliable prognostic prediction of human CaP. For a better insight into the potential of this 8-gene signature in tumor detection/classification and therapeutic response, we determined, by qPCR, the expression of these informative genes in the TRAMP mice model of CaP progression.

Microstructural analysis of the effects of incorporation of myelin basic protein in phospholipid layers.

We report an X-ray reflectivity study on the effects of adsorption of myelin basic protein (MBP) on Langmuir monolayers and on deposited Langmuir-Schaefer multilayers of the phospholipid dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG). We provide for the first time, direct microscopic evidence on the destructuring effects of MBP leading to plasticity of the DPPG layers supporting commonly accepted models of the stabilizing role of MBP in the myelin membrane. We also show how protein adsorption onto the layer is determined both by electrostatic and nonspecific hydrophobic interactions.

The mirror neuron system and action recognition.

Mirror neurons, first described in the rostral part of monkey ventral premotor cortex (area F5), discharge both when the animal performs a goal-directed hand action and when it observes another individual performing the same or a similar action. More recently, in the same area mirror neurons responding to the observation of mouth actions have been also found. In humans, through an fMRI study, it has been shown that the observation of actions performed with the hand, the mouth and the foot leads to the activation of different sectors of Broca's area and premotor cortex, according to the effector involved in the observed action, following a somatotopic pattern which resembles the classical motor cortex homunculus.

Prefrontal and agranular cingulate projections to the dorsal premotor areas F2 and F7 in the macaque monkey.

The superior sector of Brodmann area 6 (dorsal premotor cortex, PMd) of the macaque monkey consists of a rostral and a caudal architectonic area referred to as F7 and F2, respectively. The aim of this study was to define the origin of prefrontal and agranular cingulate afferents to F7 and F2, in the light of functional and hodological evidence showing that these areas do not appear to be functionally homogeneous. Different sectors of F7 and F2 were injected with neural tracers in seven monkeys and the retrograde labelling was qualitatively and quantitatively analysed.

Effects of VEGF and bFGF on proliferation and production of steroids and nitric oxide in porcine granulosa cells.

Ovarian angiogenesis, which is currently considered to be of crucial importance in controlling the growth of developing follicles, is a physiological process driven by a variety of angiogenic factors. Among these, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) have been recognized as key players in promoting cell growth and differentiation. Porcine granulosa cells from small (<3 mm), medium (3-5 mm) and large (>5 mm) follicles were seeded at different densities in DMEM:Ham's F12 (1:1) with or without different concentrations of VEGF or bFGF.

The control of blood glucose in the critical diabetic patient: a neuro-fuzzy method.

Conventional algorithms for regulating insulin infusion rates in those critical diabetic patients submitted to parenteral glucose and insulin infusions do not allow to approach near normal blood glucose (BG) levels since traditional control systems are not fully effective in complex nonlinear systems as BG control is. Thus, we applied fuzzy logic principles and neural network techniques to modify intravenous insulin administration rates during glucose infusion. Forty critically ill, fasted diabetic subjects submitted to glucose and potassium infusion entered the study.

Co-expression of putative pheromone receptors in the sensory neurons of the vomeronasal organ.

Two large and divergent families of G-protein-coupled receptors (V1Rs and V2Rs) are expressed in subsets of neurons in the vomeronasal organ. These receptors are likely to mediate pheromone responses, but it appears that many V2R genes may encode expressed pseudogenes rather than functional proteins. Therefore we have raised antibodies to representative V2Rs and show labeling of vomeronasal neurons demonstrating that V2R genes encode expressed receptors.

Synthesis and antiplatelet effects of 2-amino-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one.

The synthesis of a new compound, 2-amino-1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one, is described and its antiplatelet activity was studied. A good platelet aggregation inhibitory activity of the tested drug was clearly demonstrated both in vitro and ex vivo, presumably through an effect on arachidonic acid cascade or directly on thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptors. An early and long lasting effect on bleeding time has also been observed.

L-deprenyl as an adjunct to low-dose bromocriptine in early Parkinson's disease: a short-term, double-blind, and prospective follow-up study.

The therapeutic efficacy of L-deprenyl (10 mg daily) as an adjunct to low-dose bromocriptine monotherapy (up to 25 mg daily) in patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD) was evaluated in a double-blind placebo-controlled short-term study (11 patients) and subsequently in a long-term prospective open follow-up (21 patients) until L-dopa was required, over a 4-year period. The combined regimen of bromocriptine plus L-deprenyl produced a mildly significant improvement, as shown by the majority of clinical rating scales used after 6 weeks of sustained treatment (as compared to bromocriptine alone and bromocriptine plus placebo). In the prospective long-term study, a stabilization of the clinical status was observed until 12 months of sustained treatment, whereas after that, a gradual worsening of the scores on all motor rating scales occurred.

Decrease of intraocular pressure after subconjunctival injection of mitomycin in human glaucoma.

Objective: To investigate the effects of a subconjunctival injection of mitomycin on the intraocular pressure in human eyes affected by glaucoma.

Design: Consecutive case series, prospective study, intraocular pairwise comparison (paired samples Student's t test adopted).

Setting: Hospital-based glaucoma clinic.

Effects of gonadal steroids on tonic luteinizing hormone (LH) release and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-induced LH release from bovine pituitary cells cultured in vitro.

The objective of this study was to investigate the direct effect of estradiol-17 beta (E2) and progesterone (P4) on LH release by pituitary cells of midluteal phase cows in vitro. Pituitaries were collected at the slaughterhouse; cells were dissociated with collagenase and hyaluronidase and maintained in a static culture system in Medium 199 (M199). Various concentrations of E2 (0.

Fluorescence studies on the conformation of litorin in solution and in the presence of model membranes.

The conformation of the nonapeptide hormone litorin has been studied in buffer and in the presence of lipids, using static and dynamic fluorescence. The results obtained show that, in buffer, the hormone probably exists in a collection of flexible conformers, slowly interconverting between them. The marked changes observed in fluorescence spectra and lifetimes upon addition of dimyristoylphosphatidylserine vesicles clearly show that the peptide interacts with lipids assuming lipid specific conformations.