Quantitative analysis of F-NaF dynamic PET/CT cannot differentiate malignant from benign lesions in multiple myeloma.

A renewed interest has been recently developed for the highly sensitive bone-seeking radiopharmaceutical F-NaF. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the potential utility of quantitative analysis of F-NaF dynamic PET/CT data in differentiating malignant from benign degenerative lesions in multiple myeloma (MM). 80 MM patients underwent whole-body PET/CT and dynamic PET/CT scanning of the pelvis with F-NaF.

Molecular Resources from Transcriptomes in the Brassicaceae Family.

The rapidly falling costs and the increasing availability of large DNA sequence data sets facilitate the fast and affordable mining of large molecular markers data sets for comprehensive evolutionary studies. The Brassicaceae (mustards) are an important species-rich family in the plant kingdom with taxa distributed worldwide and a complex evolutionary history. We performed Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) mining using assembled transcriptomes from 19 species across the Brassicaceae in order to study SSR evolution and provide comprehensive sets of molecular markers for genetic studies within the family.

A Meta-Analysis on Sex Differences in Resting-State Vagal Activity in Children and Adolescents.

Lower vagal activity is associated with psychopathology independent of age. Research suggests that alterations of vagal activity precede the development of psychopathology. The present review aimed to quantify sex differences in vagal activity in children and adolescents.

A20/TNFAIP3 Discriminates Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-Induced NF-κB from JNK Pathway Activation in Hepatocytes.

In the liver tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced signaling critically regulates the immune response of non-parenchymal cells as well as proliferation and apoptosis of hepatocytes activation of the NF-κB and JNK pathways. Especially, the induction of negative feedback regulators, such as IκBα and A20 is responsible for the dynamic and time-restricted response of these important pathways. However, the precise mechanisms responsible for different TNF-induced phenotypes under physiological stimulation conditions are not completely understood so far.

Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy Restores Attention-Related Activity in the Angular Gyrus in Chronic Tinnitus Patients.

Tinnitus is the perception of a phantom sound without external acoustic stimulation. Recent tinnitus research suggests a relationship between attention processes and tinnitus-related distress. It has been found that too much focus on tinnitus comes at the expense of the visual domain.

Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy Enhances Task-Negative Activity in Tinnitus Patients.

Suffering from tinnitus causes mental distress in most patients. Recent findings point toward a diminished activity of the brain's default-mode network (DMN) in subjects with mental disorders including depression or anxiety and also recently in subjects with tinnitus-related distress. We recently developed a therapeutic intervention, namely the Heidelberg Neuro-Music Therapy (HNMT), which shows an effective reduction of tinnitus-related distress following a 1-week short-term treatment.

Extraction Protocols for Individual Zebrafish's Ventricle Myosin and Skeletal Muscle Actin for Motility Assays.

The motility assay (IVMA) is a technique that enables the measurement of the interaction between actin and myosin providing a relatively simple model to understand the mechanical muscle function. For actin-myosin IVMA, myosin is immobilized in a measurement chamber, where it converts chemical energy provided by ATP hydrolysis into mechanical energy. The result is the movement of fluorescently labeled actin filaments that can be recorded microscopically and analyzed quantitatively.

Fe65-PTB2 Dimerization Mimics Fe65-APP Interaction.

Physiological function and pathology of the Alzheimer's disease causing amyloid precursor protein (APP) are correlated with its cytosolic adaptor Fe65 encompassing a WW and two phosphotyrosine-binding domains (PTBs). The C-terminal Fe65-PTB2 binds a large portion of the APP intracellular domain (AICD) including the GYENPTY internalization sequence fingerprint. AICD binding to Fe65-PTB2 opens an intra-molecular interaction causing a structural change and altering Fe65 activity.

Depletion of Key Meiotic Genes and Transcriptome-Wide Abiotic Stress Reprogramming Mark Early Preparatory Events Ahead of Apomeiotic Transition.

Molecular dissection of apomixis - an asexual reproductive mode - is anticipated to solve the enigma of loss of meiotic sex, and to help fixing elite agronomic traits. The Brassicaceae genus comprises of both sexual and apomictic species, permitting comparative analyses of meiotic circumvention (apomeiosis) and parthenogenesis. Whereas previous studies reported local transcriptome changes during these events, it remained unclear whether global changes associated with hybridization, polyploidy and environmental adaptation that arose during evolution of might serve as (epi)genetic regulators of early development prior apomictic initiation.

Electrotonic Coupling in the Pituitary Supports the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in a Sex Specific Manner.

Gap junctions are present in many cell types throughout the animal kingdom and allow fast intercellular electrical and chemical communication between neighboring cells. Connexin-36 (Cx36), the major neuronal gap junction protein, synchronizes cellular activity in the brain, but also in other organs. Here we identify a sex-specific role for Cx36 within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis at the level of the anterior pituitary gland (AP).

Single Molecule Localization Microscopy of Mammalian Cell Nuclei on the Nanoscale.

Nuclear texture analysis is a well-established method of cellular pathology. It is hampered, however, by the limits of conventional light microscopy (ca. 200 nm).

Energy and Potassium Ion Homeostasis during Gamma Oscillations.

Fast neuronal network oscillations in the gamma frequency band (30-100 Hz) occur in various cortex regions, require timed synaptic excitation and inhibition with glutamate and GABA, respectively, and are associated with higher brain functions such as sensory perception, attentional selection and memory formation. However, little is known about energy and ion homeostasis during the gamma oscillation. Recent studies addressed this topic in slices of the rodent hippocampus using cholinergic and glutamatergic receptor models of gamma oscillations (GAM).

Distinct Types of Feeding Related Neurons in Mouse Hypothalamus.

The last two decades of research provided evidence for a substantial heterogeneity among feeding-related neurons (FRNs) in the hypothalamus. However, it remains unclear how FRNs differ in their firing patterns during food intake. Here, we investigated the relationship between the activity of neurons in mouse hypothalamus and their feeding behavior.

General Anesthetic Conditions Induce Network Synchrony and Disrupt Sensory Processing in the Cortex.

General anesthetics are commonly used in animal models to study how sensory signals are represented in the brain. Here, we used two-photon (2P) calcium activity imaging with cellular resolution to investigate how neuronal activity in layer 2/3 of the mouse barrel cortex is modified under the influence of different concentrations of chemically distinct general anesthetics. Our results show that a high isoflurane dose induces synchrony in local neuronal networks and these cortical activity patterns closely resemble those observed in EEG recordings under deep anesthesia.

Effect of Jaw Clenching on Balance Recovery: Dynamic Stability and Lower Extremity Joint Kinematics after Forward Loss of Balance.

Postural control is crucial for most tasks of daily living, delineating postural orientation and balance, with its main goal of fall prevention. Nevertheless, falls are common events, and have been associated with deficits in muscle strength and dynamic postural stability. Recent studies reported on improvements in rate of force development and static postural control evoked by jaw clenching activities, potentially induced by facilitation of human motor system excitability.

The Relative Contribution of NMDARs to Excitatory Postsynaptic Currents is Controlled by Ca(2+)-Induced Inactivation.

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are important mediators of excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity. A hallmark of these channels is their high permeability to Ca(2+). At the same time, they are themselves inhibited by the elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration.

GABABR-Dependent Long-Term Depression at Hippocampal Synapses between CB1-Positive Interneurons and CA1 Pyramidal Cells.

Activity induced long lasting modifications of synaptic efficacy have been extensively studied in excitatory synapses, however, long term plasticity is also a property of inhibitory synapses. Inhibitory neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region can be subdivided according to the compartment they target on the pyramidal cell. Some interneurons preferentially innervate the perisomatic area and axon hillock of the pyramidal cells while others preferentially target dendritic branches and spines.

Developmental Changes in Electrophysiological Properties and a Transition from Electrical to Chemical Coupling between Excitatory Layer 4 Neurons in the Rat Barrel Cortex.

During development, sensory systems switch from an immature to an adult mode of function along with the emergence of the active cortical states. Here, we used patch-clamp recordings from neocortical slices in vitro to characterize the developmental changes in the basic electrophysiological properties of excitatory L4 neurons and their connectivity before and after the developmental switch, which occurs in the rat barrel cortex in vivo at postnatal day P8. Prior to the switch, L4 neurons had higher resting membrane potentials, higher input resistance, lower membrane capacity, as well as action potentials (APs) with smaller amplitudes, longer durations and higher AP thresholds compared to the neurons after the switch.

Layer Specific Development of Neocortical Pyramidal to Fast Spiking Cell Synapses.

All cortical neurons are engaged in inhibitory feedback loops which ensure excitation-inhibition balance and are key elements for the development of coherent network activity. The resulting network patterns are strongly dependent on the strength and dynamic properties of these excitatory-inhibitory loops which show pronounced regional and developmental diversity. Therefore we compared the properties and postnatal maturation of two different synapses between rat neocortical pyramidal cells (layer 2/3 and layer 5, respectively) and fast spiking (FS) interneurons in the corresponding layer.

Population Structure of a Widespread Species under Balancing Selection: The Case of Arbutus unedo L.

Arbutus unedo L. is an evergreen shrub with a circum-Mediterranean distribution that also reaches the Eurosiberian region in northern Iberia, Atlantic France, and a disjunct population in southern Ireland. Due to the variety of climatic conditions across its distribution range, the populations of A.

Identification of HLA-A2 restricted T-cell epitopes within the conserved region of the immunoglobulin G heavy-chain in patients with multiple myeloma.

Objective: The aim of this study is the identification of HLA-A2 restricted T-cell epitopes in the conserved region of the immunoglobulin-G-heavy-chain (IgGH) that can be used for immunotherapy in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

Methods: After the IgGH gene sequence was scanned for HLA-A2 restricted T-cell epitopes with a high binding affinity to the MHC-I-complex, promising nona-peptides were synthesized. Peptide specific CD8+ T-cells were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy donors (HD) and patients with MM using peptide pulsed dendritic cells (DC) in vitro.