Search

In September 2022, the European Commission published its new regulation on recycled plastic materials for food contact. It allows newly developed, non-authorized technologies and approaches, or so-called novel technologies, to be deployed in the field to generate the data needed for establishing regulatory and/or fit for purpose processes. The data shall be generated by using suitable methods, but the regulation does not give a more detailed description on those. In this study, commercially purchased buckets made of post-consumer recycled polypropylene were screened, using a number of different analytical approaches. Sample preparation methods, analysis techniques, and the data and information generated were compared. The results clearly demonstrate the need for a detailed characterization of such materials and the advantages and disadvantages of the analysis using conventional gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and mass spectrometery as well as two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography with time of flight mass spectrometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The symmetry-resolved Rényi entanglement entropy is the Rényi entanglement entropy of each symmetry sector of a density matrix ρ . This experimentally relevant quantity is known to have rich theoretical connections to conformal field theory (CFT). For a family of critical free-fermion chains, we present a rigorous lattice-based derivation of its scaling properties using the theory of Toeplitz determinants. We consider a class of critical quantum chains with a microscopic U(1) symmetry; each chain has a low energy description given by N massless Dirac fermions. For the density matrix, ρ A , of subsystems of L neighbouring sites we calculate the leading terms in the large L asymptotic expansion of the symmetry-resolved Rényi entanglement entropies. This follows from a large L expansion of the charged moments of ρ A ; we derive tr (e i α Q A ρ A n) = a e i α ⟨ Q A ⟩ (σ L) - x (1 + O (L - μ)) , where a, x and μ are universal and σ depends only on the N Fermi momenta. We show that the exponent x corresponds to the expectation from CFT analysis. The error term O (L - μ) is consistent with but weaker than the field theory prediction O (L - 2 μ) . However, using further results and conjectures for the relevant Toeplitz determinant, we find excellent agreement with the expansion over CFT operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research is focused on the use and evaluation of hydrogen, as a more sustainable alternative to helium, within the context of fast flow modulation comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In such a respect, a comparison was made between the two mobile phases in terms of speed and overall chromatography performance. All experiments were carried out by using the following column set: low polarity with dimensions 10 m × 0.25 mm ID × 0.25 µm df and medium polarity with dimensions 2 m × 0.10 mm ID × 0.10 µm df. Fundamental gas chromatography parameters (efficiency, resolution) were measured under different experimental conditions, using the two carrier gases. Efficiency was measured in both the first and second dimensions, using a probe compound under isothermal conditions; after defining the optimum carrier gas conditions, a mixture containing 20 pesticides was analyzed to measure resolution, again in the first and second dimensions, using a temperature program. It was found (as expected) that a similar chromatography performance could be attained when using hydrogen, albeit with a circa 25% reduction in analysis time. Signal-to-noise ratios of the pesticides were calculated, using both carrier gases, with such values generally reduced (on average by 14%) when using hydrogen. Finally, a comparison was made between mass spectral profiles obtained analyzing the pesticides and fatty acid methyl esters using the two mobile phases. Even though mass spectral differences were observed, the ion profiles could be considered generally similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work integrates experimental and numerical methods to determine the process conditions under which the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET) occurred in M2 tool steel processed by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM). Single-tracks and multi-track pads were fabricated with twenty-eight P - V process conditions (P : laser power, V : scan speed). The resulting microstructures were of three types: mainly columnar, mixed columnar + equiaxed, or mainly equiaxed. The hardness (measured by nanoindentation) of the columnar microstructure was in 9 to 12 GPa, 20 to 30 pct higher than the hardness of equiaxed microstructure (if present) in the same melt pool. A CET model was used to determine the G - R thermal criteria (G : temperature gradient; R : solidification velocity) for equiaxed growth under LPBF solidification conditions. A P - V process map for microstructure prediction was calculated by combining a numerical model to calculate G and R with the CET criteria. The predicted map agreed with experimental results when melt pool shape was stable, i.e., no balling or bead-up occurred. The accuracy and applicability of such a process map for predicting equiaxed microstructure during LPBF processing was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning can enable rapid behavioural responses to changing conditions but can depend on the social context and behavioural phenotype of the individual. Learning rates have been linked to consistent individual differences in behavioural traits, especially in situations which require engaging with novelty, but the social environment can also play an important role. The presence of others can modulate the effects of individual behavioural traits and afford access to social information that can reduce the need for 'risky' asocial learning. Most studies of social effects on learning are focused on more social species; however, such factors can be important even for less-social animals, including non-grouping or facultatively social species which may still derive benefit from social conditions. Using archerfish, Toxotes chatareus, which exhibit high levels of intra-specific competition and do not show a strong preference for grouping, we explored the effect of social contexts on learning. Individually housed fish were assayed in an 'open-field' test and then trained to criterion in a task where fish learnt to shoot a novel cue for a food reward—with a conspecific neighbour visible either during training, outside of training or never (full, partial or no visible presence). Time to learn to shoot the novel cue differed across individuals but not across social context. This suggests that social context does not have a strong effect on learning in this non-obligatory social species; instead, it further highlights the importance that inter-individual variation in behavioural traits can have on learning. Significance statement: Some individuals learn faster than others. Many factors can affect an animal's learning rate—for example, its behavioural phenotype may make it more or less likely to engage with novel objects. The social environment can play a big role too—affecting learning directly and modifying the effects of an individual's traits. Effects of social context on learning mostly come from highly social species, but recent research has focused on less-social animals. Archerfish display high intra-specific competition, and our study suggests that social context has no strong effect on their learning to shoot novel objects for rewards. Our results may have some relevance for social enrichment and welfare of this increasingly studied species, suggesting there are no negative effects of short- to medium-term isolation of this species—at least with regards to behavioural performance and learning tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-series data are measured across the sciences, from astronomy to biomedicine, but meaningful cross-disciplinary interactions are limited by the challenge of identifying fruitful connections. Here we introduce the web platform, CompEngine, a self-organizing, living library of time-series data, that lowers the barrier to forming meaningful interdisciplinary connections between time series. Using a canonical feature-based representation, CompEngine places all time series in a common feature space, regardless of their origin, allowing users to upload their data and immediately explore diverse data with similar properties, and be alerted when similar data is uploaded in future. In contrast to conventional databases which are organized by assigned metadata, CompEngine incentivizes data sharing by automatically connecting experimental and theoretical scientists across disciplines based on the empirical structure of the data they measure. CompEngine's growing library of interdisciplinary time-series data also enables the comprehensive characterization of time-series analysis algorithms across diverse types of empirical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of multicellularity was one of the major transitions in evolution and occurred independently multiple times in algae, plants, animals, and fungi. However recent comparative genome analyses suggest that fungi followed a different route to other eukaryotic lineages. To understand the driving forces behind the transition from unicellular fungi to hyphal forms of growth, we develop a comparative model of osmotrophic resource acquisition. This predicts that whenever the local resource is immobile, hard-to-digest, and nutrient poor, hyphal osmotrophs outcompete motile or autolytic unicellular osmotrophs. This hyphal advantage arises because transporting nutrients via a contiguous cytoplasm enables continued exploitation of remaining resources after local depletion of essential nutrients, and more efficient use of costly exoenzymes. The model provides a mechanistic explanation for the origins of multicellular hyphal organisms, and explains why fungi, rather than unicellular bacteria, evolved to dominate decay of recalcitrant, nutrient poor substrates such as leaf litter or wood. Multicellularity is one of the major transitions in evolution. Here, authors use a model to show that compared to unicellular bacteria, multicellular fungi can more rapidly colonise immobile, nutrient poor resources because exoenzymes provide greater or longer lasting benefits to mycelial organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thymus supports multiple αβ T cell lineages that are functionally distinct, but mechanisms that control this multifaceted development are poorly understood. Here we examine medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC) heterogeneity and its influence on CD1d-restricted iNKT cells. We find three distinct mTEClow subsets distinguished by surface, intracellular and secreted molecules, and identify LTβR as a cell-autonomous controller of their development. Importantly, this mTEC heterogeneity enables the thymus to differentially control iNKT sublineages possessing distinct effector properties. mTEC expression of LTβR is essential for the development thymic tuft cells which regulate NKT2 via IL-25, while LTβR controls CD104+CCL21+ mTEClow that are capable of IL-15-transpresentation for regulating NKT1 and NKT17. Finally, mTECs regulate both iNKT-mediated activation of thymic dendritic cells, and iNKT availability in extrathymic sites. In conclusion, mTEC specialization controls intrathymic iNKT cell development and function, and determines iNKT pool size in peripheral tissues. Thymus is a unique environment hosting the development of many T cell subsets with distinct functions. Here the authors show that medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTEC) are functionally diverse, with LTβR signaling serving differential regulation of mTEC for specific control of multiple lineages of invariant natural killer T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capturing the dynamical properties of time series concisely as interpretable feature vectors can enable efficient clustering and classification for time-series applications across science and industry. Selecting an appropriate feature-based representation of time series for a given application can be achieved through systematic comparison across a comprehensive time-series feature library, such as those in the hctsa toolbox. However, this approach is computationally expensive and involves evaluating many similar features, limiting the widespread adoption of feature-based representations of time series for real-world applications. In this work, we introduce a method to infer small sets of time-series features that (i) exhibit strong classification performance across a given collection of time-series problems, and (ii) are minimally redundant. Applying our method to a set of 93 time-series classification datasets (containing over 147,000 time series) and using a filtered version of the hctsa feature library (4791 features), we introduce a set of 22 CAnonical Time-series CHaracteristics, catch22, tailored to the dynamics typically encountered in time-series data-mining tasks. This dimensionality reduction, from 4791 to 22, is associated with an approximately 1000-fold reduction in computation time and near linear scaling with time-series length, despite an average reduction in classification accuracy of just 7%. catch22 captures a diverse and interpretable signature of time series in terms of their properties, including linear and non-linear autocorrelation, successive differences, value distributions and outliers, and fluctuation scaling properties. We provide an efficient implementation of catch22, accessible from many programming environments, that facilitates feature-based time-series analysis for scientific, industrial, financial and medical applications using a common language of interpretable time-series properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioelectronic Medicines that modulate the activity patterns on peripheral nerves have promise as a new way of treating diverse medical conditions from epilepsy to rheumatism. Progress in the field builds upon time consuming and expensive experiments in living organisms. To reduce experimentation load and allow for a faster, more detailed analysis of peripheral nerve stimulation and recording, computational models incorporating experimental insights will be of great help. We present a peripheral nerve simulator that combines biophysical axon models and numerically solved and idealised extracellular space models in one environment. We modelled the extracellular space as a three-dimensional resistive continuum governed by the electro-quasistatic approximation of the Maxwell equations. Potential distributions were precomputed in finite element models for different media (homogeneous, nerve in saline, nerve in cuff) and imported into our simulator. Axons, on the other hand, were modelled more abstractly as one-dimensional chains of compartments. Unmyelinated fibres were based on the Hodgkin-Huxley model; for myelinated fibres, we adapted the model proposed by McIntyre et al. in 2002 to smaller diameters. To obtain realistic axon shapes, an iterative algorithm positioned fibres along the nerve with a variable tortuosity fit to imaged trajectories. We validated our model with data from the stimulated rat vagus nerve. Simulation results predicted that tortuosity alters recorded signal shapes and increases stimulation thresholds. The model we developed can easily be adapted to different nerves, and may be of use for Bioelectronic Medicine research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vital mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) populations exist in cells and may consist of heteroplasmic mixtures of mtDNA types. The evolution of these heteroplasmic populations through development, ageing, and generations is central to genetic diseases, but is poorly understood in mammals. Here we dissect these population dynamics using a dataset of unprecedented size and temporal span, comprising 1947 single-cell oocyte and 899 somatic measurements of heteroplasmy change throughout lifetimes and generations in two genetically distinct mouse models. We provide a novel and detailed quantitative characterisation of the linear increase in heteroplasmy variance throughout mammalian life courses in oocytes and pups. We find that differences in mean heteroplasmy are induced between generations, and the heteroplasmy of germline and somatic precursors diverge early in development, with a haplotype-specific direction of segregation. We develop stochastic theory predicting the implications of these dynamics for ageing and disease manifestation and discuss its application to human mtDNA dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past decade, studies on facial pain have shown that there is a distinct group of patients who have a form of facial neuralgia that has all the characteristics of tension-type headache, except that it affects the midface; it is called midfacial segment pain. The pain is described as a feeling of pressure, although some patients might feel that their nose is blocked when they have no nasal airway obstruction. Midfacial segment pain is symmetric, and it might involve areas of the nasion (the root of the nose), under the bridge of the nose, on either side of the nose, the peri- or retro-orbital regions, or across the cheeks. There might be hyperesthesia of the skin and soft tissues over the affected area. Nasal endoscopy and CT scans are typically normal. Most patients with this condition respond to low-dose amitriptyline, but noticeable improvement might require up to 6 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past two decades have seen the development of computed tomography scanning as the principal investigation for paranasal sinus disease. This article describes the benefits and limitations of computed tomography scanning in the assessment of rhinosinusitis. It also discusses the role of magnetic resonance imaging as a further diagnostic tool in the assessment of rhinosinusitis and in particular its complications. Other imaging modalities such as plain radiographs and ultrasound have limited use in this field. The introduction of image guidance techniques as an aid to surgical treatment and possible future developments are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arising from E.-Z. Shen et al. 508, 128-132 (2014); doi:10.1038/nature13012Ageing and lifespan of organisms are determined by complicated interactions between their genetics and the environment, but the cellular mechanisms remain controversial; several studies suggest that cellular energy metabolism and free radical dynamics affect lifespan, implicating mitochondrial function. Recently, Shen et al. provided apparent mechanistic insight by reporting that mitochondrial oscillations of 'free radical production', called 'mitoflashes', in the pharynx of three-day old Caenorhabditis elegans correlated inversely with lifespan. The interpretation of mitoflashes as 'bursts of superoxide radicals' assumes that circularly permuted yellow fluorescent protein (cpYFP) is a reliable indicator of mitochondrial superoxide, but this interpretation has been criticized because experiments and theoretical considerations both show that changes in cpYFP fluorescence are due to alterations in pH, not superoxide. Here we show that purified cpYFP is completely unresponsive to superoxide, and that mitoflashes do not reflect superoxide generation or provide a link between mitochondrial free radical dynamics and lifespan. There is a Reply to this Brief Communication Arising by Cheng, H. et al. Nature 514, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature13859 (2014). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The following text: "This project has received funding from European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant no. 319818." is missing in the Acknowledgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 400,000 deaths from severe malaria (SM) are reported every year, mainly in African children. The diversity of clinical presentations associated with SM indicates important differences in disease pathogenesis that require specific treatment, and this clinical heterogeneity of SM remains poorly understood. Here, we apply tools from machine learning and model-based inference to harness large-scale data and dissect the heterogeneity in patterns of clinical features associated with SM in 2904 Gambian children admitted to hospital with malaria. This quantitative analysis reveals features predicting the severity of individual patient outcomes, and the dynamic pathways of SM progression, notably inferred without requiring longitudinal observations. Bayesian inference of these pathways allows us assign quantitative mortality risks to individual patients. By independently surveying expert practitioners, we show that this data-driven approach agrees with and expands the current state of knowledge on malaria progression, while simultaneously providing a data-supported framework for predicting clinical risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somatic mutations during stem cell division are responsible for several cancers. In principle, a similar process could occur during the intense cell proliferation accompanying human brain development, leading to the accumulation of regionally distributed foci of mutations. Using dual platform >5000-fold depth sequencing of 102 genes in 173 adult human brain samples, we detect and validate somatic mutations in 27 of 54 brains. Using a mathematical model of neurodevelopment and approximate Bayesian inference, we predict that macroscopic islands of pathologically mutated neurons are likely to be common in the general population. The detected mutation spectrum also includes DNMT3A and TET2 which are likely to have originated from blood cell lineages. Together, these findings establish developmental mutagenesis as a potential mechanism for neurodegenerative disorders, and provide a novel mechanism for the regional onset and focal pathology in sporadic cases. Similar to cancers, somatic mutations might lead to neurodegenerative diseases. Here, the authors perform ultra-deep sequencing of 102 genes in 173 adult human brains, detect somatic mutations in 54 brains, and develop a mathematical model to estimate the frequency of mutated foci in human brains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study by Susanna Melkas and colleagues from Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland which shows the association between small-vessel disease (SVD) and poor long-term post-stroke survival. The researchers have discovered that patients with ischemic stroke attributable to SVD have poorer long-term survival compared to stroke patients without SVD. Findings indicate an association between poor survival in patients with SVD and increased risk of cardiac death.

The article discusses the results of a research by Aldo Quattrone and his colleagues at the University Magna Graecia in Italy which found that the magnetic resonance parkinsonism index (MRPI) can accurately differentiate patients with possible or probable Parkinson disease (PD) and those with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). It reveals that clinicians find it difficult to differentiate the two conditions because of similar symptoms such as bradykinesia. Findings provide evidence of the accuracy of the MRPI compared to the midbrain-pons ratio.

The article discusses research study on the use of Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) to quantify demyelination in multiple sclerosis. It references a study by Bruno Stankoff and colleagues, published in "Annals of Neurology." The study analyzed the in vitro binding of PIB to myelin in mice. Study authors concluded that PIB can be used to quantify myelin loss in patients with MS.

The article examines a study on the use of test your memory (TYM) in detecting Alzheimer's disease (AD). It references the study "Self-Administered Cognitive Screening test (TYM) for Detection of Alzheimer's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study," by Jeremy Brown and colleagues which appeared in an issue "British Medical Journal (BMJ)." According to Brown, TYM has been proven to be effective for use in screening patients for AD and other dementias. Brown cites the advantages of TYM over Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), one of which is sensitivity for AD.

The article discusses research on the role of the interaction between neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) in the treatment of cerebral ischemia in rodents. It references the study "Treatment of Ischemia by Disrupting Ischemia-Induced Interaction of nNOS With PSD-95," by L. Zhou et al. published in a 2010 issue of "Nature Medicine." When neurons were treated with glycine and glutamate, the levels of nNOS-PSD-95 increased, indicating the activation of N-methyl-D-asparate receptors (NMDARs).

The article discusses research on the use of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers to identify frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). It references a study by John Trojanowski and colleagues, published in "Neurology." Study authors examined how CSF biomarkers could differentiate between FTLD with TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (FTLD-TDP) pathology and FTLD with tau (FTLD-tau) pathology. They concluded that CSF biomarkers can identify patients with FTLD.

The article discusses research on the use of biomarkers to predict progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer disease (AD). It references a study by Clifford Jack and colleagues, published in "Brain." The study found that biomarkers of amyloid-Β (AΒ) load and neurodegeneration can predict a short time to progress from MCI to AD.

The article discusses research by B. C. Healy et al. on the role of human leukocytes antigen (HLA B*44 in multiple sclerosis, published in a 2010 issue of "Neurology."

The article discusses research on the role of plasma clusterin in Alzheimer disease (AD). It references the study "Association of Plasma Clusterin Concentration With Severity, Pathology, and Progression in Alzheimer Disease," by Madhav Thambisetty et al. published in a 2010 issue of "Archives of General Psychiatry." It has found that plasma levels of clusterin were higher in patients with mild cognitive impairment or AD. Plasma levels were also high in mice with fibrillar amyloid-β burden in entorhinal cortex.

The article discusses research on the pathophysiological role for local cytokine gene expression in small-fiber neuropathy (SFN). It references a study by N. Üçeyler and colleagues in a 2010 issue of "Neurology." SFN is said to be associated with numerous metabolic disorders and is characterized by spontaneous burning pain in the extremities, commonly in the feet.

The article discusses research on the reduction in size and growth of low-grade gliomas (LGG) due to Procarbazine-CCNU-vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy, referencing a study by M. Peyre et al, published in an issue of "Neuro-Oncology."

The article provides information about the increase in the risk of having dementia and Alzheimer disease resulting from occupational exposure to pesticides. It is inferred that long-term exposure to pesticides have deleterious effects on the nervous system, and increases the risk of developing Parkinson disease. Organophosphates and organochlorines that were vastly used in agriculture production were known to affect the functioning of the central nervous system.

The article discusses research on the reduction of neurite abnormalities through anti-amyloid vaccination. It references the study "Beneficial Effect of Human Anti-Amyloid-β Active Immunization on Neurite Morphology and Tau Pathology," by A. Serrano-Pozo et al. in a 2010 issue of "Brain." Results indicate that vaccines that target amyloid-β can lessen neuronal alterations linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as amyloid-β load in the brain. It adds that another benefit of such vaccination is a reduction in tau phosphorylation.

The article discusses research on the effectiveness of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in reducing seizures. It references the study "Electrical Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus for Treatment of Refractory Epilepsy," by Robert Fisher et al. published in a 2010 issue of "Epilepsia." In 110 patients who had not experienced the benefits of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), seizures was reduced by a median of 40% after DBS. Fisher added that seizure rates fell by 56% after two years of treatment and by 68% after three years.

The article discusses research on the impact of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1 on patients with Parkinson disease (PD). It references a study by D. P. Narendra, published in the 2010 issue of "Public Library of Science Biology." The researcher assessed the gene mutations that are responsible for encoding the E3 ligase Parkin as well as the mitochondrial kinase PINK1. The study found that there is a possibility that PD and PINK1 interact on the mitochondrial surface.

The article presents two studies which explored the effectiveness of an orally administered fingolimod in treating multiple sclerosis (MS). The studies were conducted by Jeffrey Cohen of the Cleveland Clinic and Ludwig Kappos of the University of Basel, Switzerland. The first study compared two daily doses of fingolimod with interferonß1a while the other compared the same dose to a placebo. It was found out that there was no significant difference in the efficacy between the two fingolimod doses.

The article discusses research on mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). It references a study by E. Hattingen et al at Goethe University in Germany, published in the 2009 issue of the periodical "Brain." The study found a bilateral reduction in levels of high-energy phosphates in the putamen and midbrain of PD patients. Phosphorus and proton magnetic spectroscopy was used by the researchers to measure high-energy phosphates in the brain.

The article discusses research on the efficacy of surgery in the long-term control of seizure. It references the study "Long-term Surgical Outcomes of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Associated With Low-Grade Brain Tumors," by Ji Hoon Phi and colleagues, published in "Cancer." The study included 87 patients with tumor-related temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Study authors concluded that surgery provides long-term control of seizure in patients with tumor-related TLE.

The article discusses research on the potential role of increased immune responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in prognosticating the transformation of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) into multiple sclerosis (MS). It references the study "Elevated EBNA1 Immune Responses Predict Conversion to Multiple Sclerosis," by J. D. Lunemann et al. published in an issue of "Annals of Neurology." Manuel Comabella of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Spain cited the potential use of EBNA1-immunoglobulin G (Ig)G titers as a predictive marker for such change.

The article discusses a study on the potential use of a cosmetic surgery technique in minimizing migraine symptoms, published in an issue of "Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery," and presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in October 2009. Lead researcher Bahman Guyuron has observed that migraine symptoms are reduced by such technique which eliminates the so-called trigger points around the head. Robert Kunkel of Cleveland Clinic of Ohio warned that such surgery is not designed for the general treatment of migraines.

The article discusses a study which identified two sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) susceptibility loci. It references the study "Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies 19p13.3 (UNC13A) and 9p21.2 as Susceptibility Loci for Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis," by M. A. van Es et al. in the 2009 issue of "Nature Genetics." The authors found one in a region that encodes a protein involved in the release of neurotransmitters, and another on chromosome 9p21.2 that has been already been linked to familial ALS with frontotemporal dementia.

The article discusses research being done on the link between elevated plasma levels of asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) and increased prevalence of silent brain infarcts (SBIs). It references the study "Association of Plasma ADMA Levels With MRI Markers of Vascular Brain Injury: Framingham Offspring Study," by A. Pikula et al in the 2009 issue of the periodical "Stroke." The researchers believe that ADMA might be a potentially useful novel biomarker of subclinical vascular brain injury.

The article discusses research being done on the potential of spinal cord plasticity to provide an opportunity for rehabilitation. It reference the study "Chondroitinase ABC Treatment Opens a Window of Opportunity for Task-Specific Rehabilitation," by James W. Fawcett et al in the 2009 issue of the periodical "Nature Neuroscience." It notes the need for effective means to treat spinal cord injury (SCI). The study shows the achievement of marked improvements in motor function by using specific rehabilitation combined with targeted spinal cord plasticity.

The article discusses research on the link between photophobia and migraine in mice. It references the study "Role of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in Light-Aversive Behavior: Implications for Migraine," by Andrew Russo et al published in a 2009 issue of "Journal of Neuroscience." They found that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) worsen photophobia of transgenic mice but it is weakened when it is combined with the CGRP receptor antagonist olecegepant. They concluded that receptor activity-modifying protein 1 (RAMP1) gene increases migraine risk.

The article discusses research on the link between visual hallucinations and cholinergic system dysfunction in Parkinson disease (PD). It references the study "Functional Involvement of Central Cholinergic Circuits and Visual Hallucinations in Parkinson's Disease," by F. Manganelli et al, published in the periodical "Brain." PD visual hallucinations serve as a risk factor for developing dementia. The researchers used the short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) technique to investigate cholinergeic pathway dysfunction in PD visual hallucinations.

The article discusses research on the role of antibodies in Alzheimer disease (AD). It references the study "Neuroprotective Natural Antibodies to Assemblies of Amyloidogenic Peptides Decreases With Normal Aging and Advancing Alzheimer's Disease," by Tony Wyss-Coray et al published in a 2009 issue of "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America." High concentrations of antibodies recognizing amyloid-β peptide were found in AD patients. It revealed immunoreactivity of mutant forms of Aβ peptide.

The article discusses a study on the impact of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on cognitive functions in Parkinson's disease (PD). It references the study "Deep Brain Stimulation and Cognitive Functions in Parkinson's Disease: A Three-Year Controlled Study," by Roberta Zangaglia and colleagues published in an issue of "Movement Disorders." The study shows that DBS does not contribute to cognitive decline in patients with PD. Results also indicate that DBS tends to lead to a worsening of verbal fluency.

Cell competition is emerging as a quality-control mechanism that eliminates unfit cells in a wide range of settings from development to the adult. However, the nature of the cells normally eliminated by cell competition and what triggers their elimination remains poorly understood. In mice, 35% of epiblast cells are eliminated before gastrulation. Here we show that cells with mitochondrial defects are eliminated by cell competition during early mouse development. Using single-cell transcriptional profiling of eliminated mouse epiblast cells, we identify hallmarks of cell competition and mitochondrial defects. We demonstrate that mitochondrial defects are common to a range of different loser cell types and that manipulating mitochondrial function triggers cell competition. Moreover, we show that in the mouse embryo, cell competition eliminates cells with sequence changes in mt-Rnr1 and mt-Rnr2, and that even non-pathological changes in mitochondrial DNA sequences can induce cell competition. Our results suggest that cell competition is a purifying selection that optimizes mitochondrial performance before gastrulation., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)