Testing the relationship between lateralization on sequence-based motor tasks and language laterality using an online battery.

ABSTRACTStudies have highlighted an association between motor laterality and speech production laterality. It is thought that common demands for sequential processing may underlie this association. However, most studies in this area have relied on relatively small samples and have infrequently explored the reliability of the tools used to assess lateralization. We, therefore, established the validity and reliability of an online battery measuring sequence-based motor laterality and language laterality before exploring the associations between laterality indices on language and motor tasks. The online battery was completed by 621 participants, 52 of whom returned to complete the battery a second time. The three motor tasks included in the battery showed good between-session reliability (r ≥ .78) and were lateralized in concordance with hand preference. The novel measure of speech production laterality was left lateralized at population level as predicted, but reliability was less satisfactory (r = .62). We found no evidence of an association between sequence-based motor laterality and language laterality. Those with a left-hand preference were more strongly lateralized on motor tasks requiring midline crossing; this effect was not observed in right-handers. We conclude that there is little evidence of the co-lateralization of language and sequence-based motor skill on this battery.

Connectivity and Neuronal Synchrony during Seizures.

There is uncertainty regarding when and which groups of neurons fire synchronously during seizures. While several studies found heterogeneous firing during seizures, others suggested synchronous neuronal firing in the seizure core. We tested whether neuronal activity during seizures is orderly in the direction of the excitatory neuronal connections in the circuit. There are strong excitatory connections laterally within the septotemporally organized lamella and inhibitory trans-lamellar connections in the hippocampus, which allow testing of the connectivity hypothesis. We further tested whether epileptogenesis enhances synchrony and antiseizure drug administration disrupts it. We recorded local field potentials from CA1 pyramidal neurons using a small microelectrode array and kindled rats by a rapid, recurrent hippocampal stimulation protocol. We compared cross-correlation, theta phase synchronization, entropy, and event synchronization. These analyses revealed that the firing pattern was correlated along the lamellar, but not the septotemporal, axis during evoked seizures. During kindling, neuronal synchrony increased along the lamellar axis, while synchrony along the septotemporal axis remained relatively low. Additionally, the theta phase distribution demonstrated that CA1 pyramidal cell firing became preferential for theta oscillation negative peak as kindling progressed in the lamellar direction but not in the trans-lamellar direction. Last, event synchronization demonstrated that neuronal firings along the lamellar axis were more synchronized than those along the septotemporal axis. There was a marked decrease in synchronization and phase preference after treatment with phenytoin and levetiracetam. The synchrony structure of CA1 pyramidal neurons during seizures and epileptogenesis depends on anatomic connectivity and plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We could improve the efficacy of brain stimulation to treat seizures by understanding the structure of synchrony. Electrical stimulation may disrupt seizures by desynchronizing neurons, but there is an uncertainty on which groups of neurons fire synchronously or chaotically during seizures. Here, we demonstrate that neurons linked by excitatory connections fire synchronously during seizures, and this synchrony is modulated by epileptogenesis and antiseizure drugs. Closed-loop brain stimulation carefully targeted to disrupt synchrony may improve the treatment of seizures.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for the Management of Liver Metastases from Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Preliminary Study.

INTRODUCTION: Liver metastases are common in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms. The role of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is not well understood in this population. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SABR in treating well-differentiated neuroendocrine liver metastases (WD-NELM). METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with WD-NELM treated with SABR was conducted between January 2015 and July 2019. Demographic, treatment, and clinical/radiographic follow-up data were abstracted. RECIST 1.1 criteria were applied to each individual target to evaluate the response to treatment. Local control (LC) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined using the Kaplan-Meier methodology. Toxicity was reported according to the CTCAE v5.0. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients with a total of 53 liver metastases treated with SABR were identified. Most patients (68%) had midgut tumors, were grade 2 (80%), and had high-volume intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic disease (76%). The median number of liver metastases treated was 2, with a median size of 2.5 cm. The median radiation dose delivered was 50 Gy/5 fractions. The median follow-up was 14 months; 24 of the 25 patients were alive at the time of analysis. The objective response rate was 32%, with improvement or stability in 96% of lesions treated. The median time to best response was 9 months. The 1-year LC and PFS were 92 and 44%, respectively. No grade 3/4 acute or late toxicity was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Liver SABR is a safe and promising means of providing LC for WD-NELM. This treatment modality should be evaluated in selected patients in concert with strategies to manage systemic disease.

Efficacy of Chondroprotective Food Supplements Based on Collagen Hydrolysate and Compounds Isolated from Marine Organisms.

Osteoarthritis belongs to the most common joint diseases in humans and animals and shows increased incidence in older patients. The bioactivities of collagen hydrolysates, sulfated glucosamine and a special fatty acid enriched dog-food were tested in a dog patient study of 52 dogs as potential therapeutic treatment options in early osteoarthritis. Biophysical, biochemical, cell biological and molecular modeling methods support that these well-defined substances may act as effective nutraceuticals. Importantly, the applied collagen hydrolysates as well as sulfated glucosamine residues from marine organisms were strongly supported by both an animal model and molecular modeling of intermolecular interactions. Molecular modeling of predicted interaction dynamics was evaluated for the receptor proteins MMP-3 and ADAMTS-5. These proteins play a prominent role in the maintenance of cartilage health as well as innate and adapted immunity. Nutraceutical data were generated in a veterinary clinical study focusing on mobility and agility. Specifically, key clinical parameter (MMP-3 and TIMP-1) were obtained from blood probes of German shepherd dogs with early osteoarthritis symptoms fed with collagen hydrolysates. Collagen hydrolysate, a chondroprotective food supplement was examined by high resolution NMR experiments. Molecular modeling simulations were used to further characterize the interaction potency of collagen fragments and glucosamines with protein receptor structures. Potential beneficial effects of collagen hydrolysates, sulfated glycans (i.e., sulfated glucosamine from crabs and mussels) and lipids, especially, eicosapentaenoic acid (extracted from fish oil) on biochemical and physiological processes are discussed here in the context of human and veterinary medicine.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Synovial Chondromatosis of the Temporomandibular Joint With Cranial Base Involvement: A Brief Review of the Literature and Case Report.

Synovial chondromatosis (SC) is an infrequent, benign condition of unknown etiology affecting the synovium within articular joints. Often considered a metaplastic process, multiple cartilaginous nodules develop in the confines of the synovial membrane. In time, these cartilage nodules develop into fragments, sometimes detaching from the synovium and, thus, become loose in an adjacent synovial cavity. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an unusual site of involvement, with the extracapsular compromise of the cranial base exceedingly rare. A 68-year-old woman presented with a tender mass to the left TMJ that later proved to be SC. Computed tomography illustrated a rare extension of the lesion into the middle cranial fossa. The multidisciplinary effort to remove the mass in its entirety included both oral and maxillofacial surgical and neurosurgical teams. We have reviewed the presentation, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and outcomes of the present case, with diagnostic images and photomicrographs of the lesion included. We also briefly reviewed the reported studies.

True Unilateral Mandibular Cherubism: A Literature Review and Case Report.

Cherubism is a self-limiting fibro-osseous disorder that is classically characterized by bilateral mandibular swelling in the first or second decade of life. Three cases of unilateral cherubism have been described in the literature; however, bilateral involvement did not eventually develop in only 1 case. Histopathologic variation and genetic heterogeneity complicate the diagnosis and treatment of a unilateral benign giant cell lesion of the jaws. Our case report presents a 13-year-old male patient with unilateral posterior mandibular swelling that proved to be histologically and clinically consistent with unilateral cherubism. Involution of the unilateral lesion with no bilateral involvement occurred during 8 years of serial examination.

Late gadolinium MRI enhancement of colorectal liver metastases is associated with overall survival among nonsurgical patients.

PURPOSE: To determine if late gadolinium MRI enhancement of colorectal liver metastases (CRCLM) is associated with overall survival among nonsurgical patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional research ethics board. Late gadolinium enhancement was measured using target tumour enhancement (TTE) in all nonsurgical patients with CRCLM who received a 10-min delayed phase gadobutrol-enhanced liver MRI between March 1, 2006, and August 31, 2014. A total of 122 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Patients were dichotomized into strong and weak TTE. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression statistics were used to determine whether TTE was associated with overall survival. Noncontributory potential confounding variables (age, sex, number and size of metastases, carcinoembryonic (CEA) level, and presence of extrahepatic disease) were excluded from the final Cox regression model using the backward Wald elimination. Subgroup Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed on patients who were chemotherapy-naïve and chemotherapy-treated at the time of MRI. RESULTS: Strong TTE had increased survival compared with those with weak TTE on Kaplan-Meier analysis (2-year survival: 69.8% vs. 43.5%, p = 0.002). Among 96 patients where data was available for multivariable analysis, weak TTE was associated with death (adjusted hazard ratio 0.25, 95% CI 0.11-0.59, p = 0.002), after adjusting for CEA level. Other potential confounders were noncontributory. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that strong TTE had increased survival compared with those with weak TTE in both the chemotherapy-naïve (p = 0.047) and chemotherapy-treated (p = 0.008) groups. CONCLUSION: Strong late gadolinium MRI enhancement of CRCLM is associated with overall survival among nonsurgical patients. KEY POINTS: • MRI enhancement of colorectal liver metastases is associated with overall survival in nonsurgical patients. • MRI enhancement of colorectal liver metastases is associated with overall survival in both chemotherapy-naïve and chemotherapy-treated subgroups.

Reproducibility of 2 Liver 2-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastographic Techniques in the Fasting and Postprandial States.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the reliability and agreement of 2 methods of 2-dimensional (2D) shear wave elastography (SWE) on liver stiffness in healthy volunteers. We also assessed effects of the prandial state and operator experience on measurements. METHODS: Two operators, 1 experienced and 1 novice, independently examined 20 healthy volunteers with 2D SWE on 2 ultrasound machines (Aixplorer [SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France] and Aplio 500 [Canon Medical Systems Corporation, Otawara, Japan]). Volunteers were scanned 8 times by the operators using both machines in fasting and postprandial states. Agreement was evaluated by a Bland-Altman analysis, and the correlation was assessed by the Pearson correlation and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). An analysis of variance was conducted to determine the contribution of the machine, prandial state, and operator experience to the variability. RESULTS: Agreement assessed by Bland-Altman plots showed no statistically significant difference in measured liver stiffness between the machines (mean difference, -0.8%; 95% confidence interval, -3.7%, 2.1%), with a critical difference of 1.36 kPa. The correlation was good to excellent for both the crude overall Pearson coefficient and the ICC, both measuring 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.82, 0.92). Subclass ICCs for the fasting state, postprandial state, novice operator, and experienced operator were 0.89, 0.88, 0.90, and 0.86, respectively. The 2-way mixed effect analysis of variance showed that the volunteers accounted for 86.3% of variation in median liver stiffness, with no statistically significant contribution from operator experience, the prandial state, or the machine (P = .108, .067, and .296, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the 2D SWE techniques had a high degree of reliability and agreement in measurement of liver stiffness in a healthy population. Operator experience and the prandial state did not impart significant variability to stiffness measurements.

Associations between quantitative evaluation of bowel wall microvascular flow by contrast-enhanced ultrasound and indices of disease activity in Crohn's disease patients using both bolus and infusion techniques.

PURPOSE: The aim is to investigate whether baseline contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) correlates with indices of activity in Crohn's disease (CD) and can predict response to medical treatment. METHODS: In this prospective study, symptomatic CD patients underwent baseline CEUS performed with Definity using both bolus and infusion methods. Time-intensity curves (TIC), peak intensity (PI), and area under curve (AUC) from a region of interest over the diseased bowel were calculated for both bolus and infusion acquisitions. We used Mann-Whitney U test for continuous and chi-square/two-tailed Fisher's exact test for categorical variable comparison and Spearman's correlation coefficient to correlate clinical score and CEUS kinetic parameters. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (9 men, 12 women, median age 32 years) were accrued. Fifteen patients had clinically active disease defined as Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) score ≥5. Median values of baseline CEUS parameters PI (bolus: 26 vs 8.86; P = .023 and perfusion: 7.6 vs 3.2; P = .009) and AUC (bolus: 769 vs 248.8; P = .036 and perfusion: 188.9 vs 73.9; P = .012) differed significantly in patients with active vs inactive disease. Nine patients with active disease underwent escalated or new treatment. Five were nonresponders. Responders had higher median values of baseline parameters (PI, bolus: 35 vs 18.8; P = .556, and perfusion: 7.6 vs 3.9; P = 190), (AUC, bolus: 1473.9 vs 314; P = .111, and perfusion: 154.7 vs 74.4, P = .286). CONCLUSIONS: CEUS kinetic parameters correlate with clinical and laboratory indices and are significantly higher in patients with active disease. The responders had higher CEUS kinetic parameters than nonresponders that did not reach statistical significance in our small cohort.

The prognostic and predictive value of vascular response parameters measured by dynamic contrast-enhanced-CT, -MRI and -US in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving sunitinib.

OBJECTIVES: To identify dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging parameters from MRI, CT and US that are prognostic and predictive in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) receiving sunitinib. METHODS: Thirty-four patients were monitored by DCE imaging on day 0 and 14 of the first course of sunitinib treatment. Additional scans were performed with DCE-US only (day 7 or 28 and 2 weeks after the treatment break). Perfusion parameters that demonstrated a significant correlation (Spearman p < 0.05) with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were investigated using Cox proportional hazard models/ratios (HR) and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: A higher baseline and day 14 value for Ktrans (DCE-MRI) and a lower pre-treatment vascular heterogeneity (DCE-US) were significantly associated with a longer PFS (HR, 0.62, 0.37 and 5.5, respectively). A larger per cent decrease in blood volume on day 14 (DCE-US) predicted a longer OS (HR, 1.45). We did not find significant correlations between any of the DCE-CT parameters and PFS/OS, unless a cut-off analysis was used. CONCLUSIONS: DCE-MRI, -CT and ultrasound produce complementary parameters that reflect the prognosis of patients receiving sunitinib for mRCC. Blood volume measured by DCE-US was the only parameter whose change during early anti-angiogenic therapy predicted for OS and PFS. KEY POINTS: • DCE-CT, -MRI and ultrasound are complementary modalities for monitoring anti-angiogenic therapy. • The change in blood volume measured by DCE-US was predictive of OS/PFS. • Baseline vascular heterogeneity by DCE-US has the strongest prognostic value for PFS.

Partial synchronization of relaxation oscillators with repulsive coupling in autocatalytic integrate-and-fire model and electrochemical experiments.

Experiments and supporting theoretical analysis are presented to describe the synchronization patterns that can be observed with a population of globally coupled electrochemical oscillators close to a homoclinic, saddle-loop bifurcation, where the coupling is repulsive in the electrode potential. While attractive coupling generates phase clusters and desynchronized states, repulsive coupling results in synchronized oscillations. The experiments are interpreted with a phenomenological model that captures the waveform of the oscillations (exponential increase) followed by a refractory period. The globally coupled autocatalytic integrate-and-fire model predicts the development of partially synchronized states that occur through attracting heteroclinic cycles between out-of-phase two-cluster states. Similar behavior can be expected in many other systems where the oscillations occur close to a saddle-loop bifurcation, e.g., with Morris-Lecar neurons.

Xenopus pitx3 target genes lhx1 and xnr5 are identified using a novel three-fluor flow cytometry-based analysis of promoter activation and repression.

BACKGROUND: Pitx3 plays a well understood role in directing development of lens, muscle fiber, and dopaminergic neurons; however, in Xenopus laevis, it may also play a role in early gastrulation and somitogenesis. Potential downstream targets of pitx3 possess multiple binding motifs that would not be readily accessible by conventional promoter analysis. RESULTS: We isolated and characterized pitx3 target genes lhx1 and xnr5 using a novel three-fluor flow cytometry tool that was designed to dissect promoters with multiple binding sites for the same transcription factor. This approach was calibrated using a known pitx3 target gene, Tyrosine hydroxylase. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate how flow cytometry can be used to detect gene regulatory changes with exquisite precision on a cell-by-cell basis, and establish that in HEK293 cells, pitx3 directly activates lhx1 and represses xnr5. Developmental Dynamics 246:657-669, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Retrospective Chart Review of the Triage Algorithm for Psychiatric Screening (TAPS) for Patients Who Present to Emergency Departments With Psychiatric Chief Complaints.

INTRODUCTION: There is a growing number of mental health illnesses (MHIs) in the nation and no standardization of the medical screening examination (MSE) in the emergency department. Many health care organizations are at the tipping point of discarding a battery of laboratory workups. A triage tool-specific to psychiatric chief complaints and cost effective-is needed for the emergency department. METHODS: A nonexperimental, retrospective overlay of the Triage Algorithm for Psychiatric Screening (TAPS) onto previous psychiatric patients' records was performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the TAPS in ruling out acute medical illness. The laboratory test results, length of stay (LOS), and cost of treatment for all psychiatric patients were examined to determine if there was a correlation with their TAPS scores or if the use of the TAPS would have resulted in efficient care and cost savings. RESULTS: This study shows the TAPS tool can be used reliably to rule out acute medical illness in patients with psychiatric chief complaints in a community hospital setting with an on-site inpatient psychiatric unit. The TAPS tool appropriately identified low-acuity patients without significant medical illness (TAPS of 0). As such, the TAPS tool could be used in selected settings to expedite psychiatric care and reduce unnecessary laboratory testing. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results of this project represent a valuable step forward in improving the triage of adult patients who present to the emergency department with psychiatric chief complaints. A reproducible study of the TAPS method was the next practice step in determining feasibility. Use of the TAPS tool can be a method to decease costs and ED crowding. For research and quality improvement projects in the future, addiction chief complaints should be treated as a separate category from psychiatric or medical complaints, as they meet the criteria of both.

Treatment of Osteomyelitis: A Case for Disruption of the Affected Adjacent Periosteum.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the response of mandibular osteomyelitis treated by surgical decortication with disruption of the affected adjacent periosteum in concert with long-term targeted antibiotic therapy. The hypothesis is that, by removing the buccal cortical plate and disrupting the hypertrophically inflamed adjacent periosteum, the medullary bone will be brought in contact with bleeding tissue and circulating immunologic factors and antibiotics, which will promote definitive resolution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 7 patient charts with associated radiographs from November 2010 to August 2016 treated by the first author at the University of Tennessee Medical Center (Knoxville, TN). Patients with chronic suppurative or nonsuppurative osteomyelitis of the mandible without condylar involvement or pathologic fracture were selected and treated with decortication with periosteal disruption in combination with long-term targeted antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: Seven patients (3 women and 4 men; mean age, 60 yr) underwent decortication with periosteal disruption of the affected area and received at least 6 weeks of targeted intravenous antibiotics. Computed tomography was performed preoperatively and a repeat study was performed after completion of antibiotics. In each case, post-treatment imaging showed definitive resolution after treatment with decortication in concert with disruption of the inflamed hypertrophic periosteum and intravenous antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Debridement of the infected cortical bone with restoration of the blood supply through disruption of the adjacent periosteum provided definitive resolution of mandibular osteomyelitis in the 7 patients treated. The hypothesis is that disruption of the affected adjacent periosteum reintroduces an immune-mediated response in concert with improved antibiotic delivery to and penetrance of the diseased mandible, aiding in definitive resolution. Decortication with periosteal disruption allows for preservation of the inferior alveolar nerve, maintains mandibular integrity, and obviates reconstructive surgery. Decortication with disruption of the adjacent periosteum, when combined with targeted antimicrobial therapy, produced definitive resolution of osteomyelitis as shown by postoperative imaging. It is the authors' assertion that not only decortication, but also disruption of the adjacent periosteum in combination with targeted antibiotic therapy should be considered a valid and principal therapeutic option for the surgical treatment of osteomyelitis of the mandible.

Improving the Medical Curriculum in Predoctoral Dental Education: Recommendations From the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Committee on Predoctoral Education and Training.

Dental procedures are often performed on patients who present with some level of medical fragility. In many dental schools, the exercise of taking a medical history is all too often a transcription of information to the dental chart, with little emphasis on the presurgical risk assessment and the development of a treatment plan appropriate to the medical status of the dental patient. Changes in dentistry, driven by an increasingly medically complex population of dental patients, combined with treatment advances rooted in the biomedical sciences necessitate the adaptation of our dental education to include a stronger background in systemic health. Many predoctoral educators in the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) have expressed concern about the medical preparedness of our dental students; therefore, the AAOMS and its Committee on Predoctoral Education and Training have provided recommendations for improving the medical curriculum in predoctoral dental education, including a strengthening of training in clinical medicine and biomedical sciences, with specific recommendations for improved training of our dental students and dental faculty.

Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Nurse Manager Recognition of and Response to Nurse-to-Nurse Bullying.

Health care bullying is a pervasive, underestimated, and underreported problem that results in poor outcomes for staff, patients, and health care organizations. The most common form of health care bullying occurs between nurses. Nurse managers hold an important role in the prevention and elimination of frontline nurse-to-nurse bullying. An anonymous Web-based survey was conducted to uncover what behaviors nurse managers perceive as bullying and how they respond to bullying acts. Respondents who had witnessed or been victimized by bullying were more apt to identify bullying and those who had been victimized or supervised nurses for more than 20 years were more prone to act upon bullying behaviors. There was only a moderate correlation between the identification of and response to bullying behaviors. Finally, overt bullying elicited a stronger response for intervention than covert bullying. Although nurse managers are well positioned to prevent and eliminate nurse-to-nurse bullying, they may not recognize it and often lack the skills and support necessary to address it. Decreases in nurse-to-nurse bullying reduce health care costs, improve nurse and patient satisfaction, and enhance patient outcomes. Therefore, nurse managers at all levels need education and support to ensure proper identification of bullying and, furthermore, to prevent and eliminate the behaviors.

Concurrence of Gemination and Fusion in Maxillary Central Incisors: A Case Report.

This case reports the concurrence of gemination and fusion affecting the maxillary central incisors of a twelve-year-old patient and the collaboration of the pediatric dentist, endodontist, orthodontist and oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Developmental dental anomalies can occur in both primary and permanent dentitions as a result of conjoining defects. Double teeth, or cases of gemination or fusion, are not exceedingly rare, but the presence of both anomalies in a single patient is a rarity. Gemination is the division of a single tooth bud, resulting in a large single tooth with a bifid crown and common root and root canal. Fusion is the union of two separate tooth buds, resulting in a joined tooth with confluence of dentin and separate root canals. Labial apexogenesis with MTA, composite resin placement, re-contouring and orthodontic care allowed proper alignment with long-term monitoring of growth and development for possible incisor replacement.

Synchronization of action potentials during low-magnesium-induced bursting.

The relationship between mono- and polysynaptic strength and action potential synchronization was explored using a reduced external Mg(2+) model. Single and dual whole cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in hippocampal cultures in three concentrations of external Mg(2+). In decreased Mg(2+) medium, the individual cells transitioned to spontaneous bursting behavior. In lowered Mg(2+) media the larger excitatory synaptic events were observed more frequently and fewer transmission failures occurred, suggesting strengthened synaptic transmission. The event synchronization was calculated for the neural action potentials of the cell pairs, and it increased in media where Mg(2+) concentration was lowered. Analysis of surrogate data where bursting was present, but no direct or indirect connections existed between the neurons, showed minimal action potential synchronization. This suggests the synchronization of action potentials is a product of the strengthening synaptic connections within neuronal networks.

Developmental role of plk4 in Xenopus laevis and Danio rerio: implications for Seckel Syndrome.

The polo-like kinases are a family of conserved serine/threonine kinases that play multiple roles in regulation of the cell cycle. Unlike its four other family members, the role of Plk4 in embryonic development has not been well characterized. In mice, Plk4(-)(/)(-) embryos arrest at E7.5, just prior to the initiation of somitogenesis. This has led to the hypothesis that Plk4 expression may be essential to somitogenesis. Recently characterized human mutations lead to Seckel Syndrome. Riboprobe in situ hybridization revealed that plk4 is ubiquitously expressed during early stages of development of Xenopus and Danio; in later stages, expression in frogs restricts to somites as well as eye, otic vesicle, and branchial arch, and brain. Expression patterns in fish remain ubiquitous. Both somite and eye development require planar cell polarity, and disruption of plk4 function in frog by means of morpholino-mediated translational knockdown yields orientational disorganization of both these structures. These results provide the first steps in defining a new role for plk4 in organogenesis and implies a role in planar cell polarity, segmentation, and in recently described PLK4 mutations in human.

Public attitudes to GM foods. The balancing of risks and gains.

In the paper we study the variables influencing attitudes to the use of two biotechnologies related to gene transfer within apples. Using Eurobarometer 73.1 survey data on biotechnology, science and technology, with 15,650 respondents, we study the extent these attitudes are determined by socio-economic and other variables. We found that attitudes to the risks and gains are determined by socio-economic variables and also by the individual's knowledge, scientific background, their parent's education in science and their religion. Perceptions of naturalness and of environmental impact combined with perceived risks and gains in determining overall approval, proxied by views on whether the technologies should be encouraged, for GMTs. However there are substantial differences in attitudes to transgenesis and cisgenesis.