Effects of acetylcholine and glutamate on isolated neurons of locomotory network of Clione

In Clione limacina, locomotory rhythm is produced in the central pattern generator by reciprocal activity of two groups of interneurons. Dorsal (D) and ventral (V) phase interneurons activate neurons of the same phase and inhibit neurons of the opposite phase. Which neurotransmitters are used by these interneurons is not clear. In this study, identified follower neurons to V and D interneurons were isolated, and their responses to the local application of potential neurotransmitters were examined. Acetylcholine exerted inhibitory action on the isolated D-phase neurons and excitatory action on V-phase neurons. Glutamate produced excitation in D-phase neurons, and inhibition in V-phase neurons. These results suggest that acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter of D-phase interneurons, while glutamate might be the neurotransmitter of V-phase interneurons.     

Steps towards a consumer-driven ‘concept innovation machine’ for food and drink

Innovation is often left to insight and serendipity. A lot of what researchers call innovation is actually a process by which one can make the individual consumer or practitioner more ‘creative’. Although it is important to work with the creative individual in hopes of coming up with the better ‘idea’ and new product/service opportunity, an equally valid albeit novel and counterintuitive approach systematizes creativity in a ‘research-driven machine’. This paper presents an approach to the systematization, based upon the point of view that creativity and innovation comprise the recombination of components into new blends. Given this point of view, to then spur innovation requires a systematic database that the user can access, with tools to help manipulate that database. The paper shows how such a database can be constructed and then used to create a novel product. The approach provides a general framework for the sensory professional to become more involved in the early stages of product development, where the focus is on the conceptual aspects of food features rather than on their physical manifestations in actual products.     

Routine use of ultrasound 24 hours before laparoscopic cholecystectomy can predict the need for intraoperative cholangiogram: results of a 12-month prospective audit

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a progressive degenerative extrapyramidal disease that often masquerades as Parkinson's disease (PD). Similar to PD, dysphagia frequently complicates the course of PSP. Because there is only one published report characterizing dysphagia in PSP, we reviewed the neurologic features and dynamic videofluoroscopic swallowing function study results in 10 dysphagic PSP patients. Abnormalities during multiple stages of ingestion were recorded in each patient. Uncoordinated lingual movements, absent velar retraction or elevation, impaired posterior lingual displacement, and copious pharyngeal secretions were noted in all patients. Tongue-assisted mastication, noncohesive lingual transfer, excessive oral bolus lingual leakage to the pharynx prior to active transfer, vallecular bolus retention, abnormal epiglottic positioning, and hiatal hernias were noted in at least half of the cohort. Although ingestion abnormalities in PSP are similar to those previously reported in PD, the number of studied patients and observed differences were too few to clearly differentiate the two diseases.     

Allelic polymorphism of the DNA-loci met and D7S23, linked to the mucoviscidosis gene in human populations of the Volga-Ural region

Data on allelic polymorphism of MET and D7S23 DNA loci linked to the human cystic fibrosis gene studied in three Bashkir ethnic groups and some Volga-Ural populations (Tartars, Maris, Mordovians, Udmurts, Chuvashs, and Komis) are presented. Udmurts were found to be substantially different from Bashkirs, Tartars, Mordovians, and Chuvashs by the allele frequency distribution observed for MET, while Komis and Bashkirs differed by this parameter from Mordovians and Maris. Comparative analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) at the D7S23 locus revealed statistically significant differences in genotype frequencies between Bashkirs of the Arkhangel' skii region and populations of Mordva and Udmurtia. In this respect, the Mordovian population appeared to be notably different from the populations of Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Marii-El, Udmurtiya, Chuvashiya, and Komis. Genetic distances were calculated and corresponding dendrograms were constructed on the basis of data on Met-H, CS.7, and the ApoB locus hypervariable region allelic frequencies. Three ethnogeographic Bashkir groups belonging to one tree branch were found to be closely related to the populations of Tartars, Maris, Udmurts, and Chuvashs and substantially different from Komis and Mordovians. Thus, the position of Volga-Ural populations on the dendrogram corresponds to the degree of relationship between the Finno-Ugric and Turkic populations, confirming the usefulness of DNA polymorphism analysis for the study of the genetic structure of populations.     

EMS1 gene expression in primary breast cancer: relationship to cyclin D1 and oestrogen receptor expression and patient survival

The EMS1 and CCND1 genes at chromosome 11q13 are amplified in about 15% of primary breast cancers but appear to confer different phenotypes in ER positive and ER negative tumours. Since there are no published data on EMS1 expression in large series of breast cancers we examined the relationship of EMS1 expression with EMS1 gene copy number and expression of mRNAs for cyclin D1 and ER. In a subset of 129 patients, where matched tumour RNA and DNA was available, EMS1 mRNA overexpression was associated predominantly with gene amplification (P = 0.0061), whereas cyclin D1 mRNA overexpression was not (P = 0.3142). In a more extensive series of 351 breast cancers, there was no correlation between cyclin D1 and EMS1 expression in the EMS1 and cyclin D1 overexpressors (P = 0.3503). Although an association between EMS1 mRNA expression and ER positivity was evident (P = 0.0232), when the samples were divided into quartiles of EMS1 or cyclin D1 mRNA expression, the increase in the proportion of ER positive tumours in the ascending EMS1 mRNA quartiles was not statistically significant (P = 0.0951). In marked contrast there was a significant stepwise increase in ER positivity in ascending quartiles of cyclin D1 mRNA (P = 0.030). A potential explanation for this difference was provided by the observation that in ER positive breast cancer cells oestradiol treatment resulted in increased cyclin D1 gene expression but was without effect on EMS1. The relationship between EMS1 expression and clinical outcome was examined in a subset of 234 patients with median follow-up of 74 months. High EMS1 expression was associated with age > 50 years (P = 0.0001), postmenopausal status (P = 0.0008), lymph node negativity (P = 0.019) and an apparent trend for worse prognosis in the ER negative subgroup. These data demonstrate that overexpression of EMS1 mRNA is largely due to EMS1 gene amplification, is independent of cyclin D1 and ER expression and, in contrast to cyclin D1, is not regulated by oestrogen. Independent overexpression of these genes may confer different phenotypes and disease outcomes in breast cancer as has been inferred from recent studies of EMS1 and CCND1 gene amplification.