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A clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is a term which describes the first clinical onset of a potential multiple sclerosis (MS). It ought to be defined as an MS stage rather than a separate disease entity; however, with respect to the diagnostic work-up, differential diagnoses to be considered, prognostic factors for the development of a clinically confirmed MS and initiation of an immunomodulatory therapy, there are some important considerations supported by recent studies. These considerations as well as the current guidelines are critically discussed in this review article. Additionally, recommendations are given regarding the management of radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) an imaging-based diagnosis of a potential preclinical stage of MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We study the quantitative effects of excitation, ionization, radiation energy and pressure, on the jump conditions in hypersonic shocks in a real gas. The ionization structure and excitation energies are calculated from the local temperature and density, using the Screened Hydrogenic Model. We assume an optically thick medium and no radiation flux through the shock front. We investigate the jump conditions in different gases and propose a phenomenological description of compression for different shock velocities. We find that the excitation energy term is the dominant term in ionized gases at low velocities. Consequently, higher shock velocities than the values predicted by standard calculations in a perfect gas must be reached in order to observe the effects of radiation in the compression ratio. Our results provide constraints for the design of future radiative shock experiments on the next generation of powerful nanosecond lasers or on Z-pinches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chalcone (CHS) and stilbene (STS) synthases are related plant-specific polyketide synthases that are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of flavonoids and of stilbene phytoalexins, respectively. A phylogenetic tree constructed from 34 CHS and four STS sequences revealed that the STS formed no separate cluster but grouped with CHS from the same or related plants. This suggested that STS evolved from CHS several times independently. We attempted to simulate this by site-directed mutagenesis of an interfamily CHS/STS hybrid, which contained 107 amino acids of a CHS from Sinapis alba (N-terminal) and 287 amino acids of a STS from Arachis hypogaea. The hybrid had no enzyme activity. Three amino acid exchanges in the CHS part (Gln-100 to Glu, Val-103 to Met, Val-105 to Arg) were sufficient to obtain low STS activity, and one additional exchange (Gly-23 to Thr) resulted in 20-25% of the parent STS activity. A kinetic analysis indicated (1) that the hybrids had the same K for the substrate 4-coumaroyl-CoA but a lower V than the parent STS, and (2) that they had a different substrate preference than the parent STS and CHS. Most of the other mutations and their combinations led to enzymatically inactive protein aggregates, suggesting that the subunit folding and/or the dimerization was disturbed. We propose that STS evolved from CHS by a limited number of amino acid exchanges, and that the advantage gained by this enzyme function favored the selection of plants with improved STS activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) spectroscopy can be obtained only with good B 0-field homogeneity and optimal coil sensitivity. This demands double-tumed coils with a highly sensitive31P channel and an additional1H channel for1H-magnetic resonance imaging, shimming,1H decoupling, and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE). For studies on an 11.75 T magnet, we built coils derived from the four-ring birdcage design originally described by Murphy-Boesch. A comparison with conventional, single-tuned coils shows that, in spite of double tuning, there is no significant loss in31P sensitivity while the1H channel provides the requested performance. The coil design offers the advantage of circular polarization on both channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Anatomie und Entwicklungsgeschichte is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Anatomie und Entwicklungsgeschichte is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents a survey of the rare coding variants in candidate genes in schizophrenia by deep sequencing. Topics discussed include 525 patients diagnosed of having schizophrenia, coding sequences through the use Nimblegen capture array and Illumina HiSeq paired-end sequencing at the Beijing Genome Institute (BGI) Inc., and damaging missense variants which can contribute schizophrenia etiology.