Frizzled-3a and slit2 genetically interact to modulate midline axon crossing in the telencephalon

The anterior commissure forms the first axon connections between the two sides of the embryonic telencephalon. We investigated the role of the transmembrane receptor Frizzled-3a in the development of this commissure using zebrafish as an experimental model. Knock down of Frizzled-3a resulted in complete loss of the anterior commissure. This defect was accompanied by a loss of the glial bridge, expansion of the slit2 expression domain and perturbation of the midline telencephalic-diencephalic boundary. Blocking Slit2 activity following knock down of Frizzled-3a effectively rescued the anterior commissure defect which suggested that Frizzled-3a was indirectly controlling the growth of axons across the rostral midline. We have shown here that Frizzled-3a is essential for normal development of the commissural plate and that loss-of-function causes Slit2-dependent defects in axon midline crossing in the embryonic vertebrate forebrain. These data supports a model whereby Wnt signaling through Frizzled-3a attenuates expression of Slit2 in the rostral midline of the forebrain. The absence of Slit2 facilitates the formation of a midline bridge of glial cells which is used as a substrate for commissural axons. In the absence of this platform of glia, commissural axons fail to cross the rostral midline of the forebrain. Crown copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

The SU.FOL.OM3 Study: a secondary prevention trial testing the impact of supplementation with folate and B-vitamins and/or Omega-3 PUFA on fatal and non fatal cardiovascular events, design, methods and participants characteristics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>During the last decades, many basic and clinical research have pointed to the role of B vitamins (folate, vitamins B6 and B12) and n-3 fatty acids as nutritional factors that might have a protective effect on the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>The SU.FOL.OM3 (SUpplementation with FOlate, vitamin B6 and B12 and/or OMega-3 fatty acids) trial is a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, secondary-prevention trial designed to test the efficacy of 5-methyl tetra-hydro-folates (5-MTHF) supplementation, in combination with vitamin B6 and B12 and/or n-3 fatty acids, at nutritional doses, on fatal and non fatal ischemic CVD in a 2 × 2 factorial design. A total of 2501 patients aged between 45 and 80 years who had a past history, in the previous year, of myocardial infarction (n = 1151) or instable angina pectoris (n = 711) or an ischemic stroke (n = 639) were included. Subjects have to be supplemented and followed up for five years. Daily supplementation comprised nutritional doses of 5-MTHF (560 μg), vitamin B6 (3 mg) and B12 (20 μg) and/or n-3 fatty acids (600 mg with an EPA:DHA ratio of 2:1). A factorial design 2 × 2 has been applied to investigate the separate effects of the B-vitamins, and the n-3 fatty acids, as well as their interaction as compared to the placebo.</p> <p>The primary endpoint is a combination of myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke and cardiovascular death. Secondary endpoints are events of the composite endpoint taken separately, total mortality, and other cardiovascular events such as acute coronary syndromes, coronary revascularization, cardiac failure, arrhythmia...</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Baseline socio-demographic and medical characteristics of participants are totally comparable in the four randomized groups.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN41926726</p

Effects of B vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids on cardiovascular diseases: a randomised placebo controlled trial

Objective To investigate whether dietary supplementation with B vitamins or omega 3 fatty acids, or both, could prevent major cardiovascular events in patients with a history of ischaemic heart disease or stroke

Cluster Agglomeration Induced by Dust-Density Waves in Complex Plasmas

International audienc

A Gaussian distribution for refined DT invariants and 3D partitions

We show that the refined Donaldson-Thomas invariants of C3, suitably normalized, have a Gaussian distribution as limit law. Combinatorially these numbers are given by weighted counts of 3D partitions. Our technique is to use the Hardy-Littlewood circle method to analyze the bivariate asymptotics of a q-deformation of MacMahon's function. The proof is based on that of E.M. Wright who explored the single variable case.Comment: 11 pages and 3 figure