Hydrogen Storage: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspective.

Abstract not availableJRC.F-Institute for Energy (Petten

The use of environmental enrichments affects performance and behavior of growing rabbits housed in collective pens

This study assessed the effects of an elevated plastic-slatted platform and/or a plastic hiding tube in collective pens with large group sizes (27 or 36 rabbits/pen; 16 rabbits/m2) on the performance and welfare of rabbits kept from weaning (at 33 days of age) to slaughter (at 68 or 75 days of age). Growth performance, injuries, and behavior (video recorded for 24 h) of rabbits (n = 504) were recorded. The platform allowed rabbits to adopt the rearing position more frequently (+0.14 events during 2 min every 30 min across 24 h) and to rest with stretched body for longer (+3.8% of observed time) (p < 0.001). Production parameters and reactivity at the open field test were not modified, but the occurrence of injured rabbits at the trial end was higher in pens with platforms (+8.9%; p < 0.01). This result was possibly related to the higher group size in pens with platforms (36 rabbits) compared to those without platforms (27 rabbits). The inclusion of the tube decreased growth (-2.2 g/d; p < 0.05), whereas it was scarcely used by rabbits and it did not substantially change their behavior or the occurrence of injuries. In conclusion, under the experimental conditions of this study, elevated platforms worked as a useful structural enrichment in view of animal behavior but negatively impacted on the rate of injuries, whereas the usefulness of the tube was not confirmed

Linking early-life NMDAR hypofunction and oxidative stress in schizophrenia pathogenesis.

Molecular, genetic and pathological evidence suggests that deficits in GABAergic parvalbumin-positive interneurons contribute to schizophrenia pathophysiology through alterations in the brain's excitation-inhibition balance that result in impaired behaviour and cognition. Although the factors that trigger these deficits are diverse, there is increasing evidence that they converge on a common pathological hub that involves NMDA receptor hypofunction and oxidative stress. These factors have been separately linked to schizophrenia pathogenesis, but evidence now suggests that they are mechanistically interdependent and contribute to a common schizophrenia-associated pathology

Stable Isotope Metabolic Labeling with a Novel 15N-Enriched Bacteria Diet for Improved Proteomic Analyses of Mouse Models for Psychopathologies

The identification of differentially regulated proteins in animal models of psychiatric diseases is essential for a comprehensive analysis of associated psychopathological processes. Mass spectrometry is the most relevant method for analyzing differences in protein expression of tissue and body fluid proteomes. However, standardization of sample handling and sample-to-sample variability are problematic. Stable isotope metabolic labeling of a proteome represents the gold standard for quantitative mass spectrometry analysis. The simultaneous processing of a mixture of labeled and unlabeled samples allows a sensitive and accurate comparative analysis between the respective proteomes. Here, we describe a cost-effective feeding protocol based on a newly developed 15N bacteria diet based on Ralstonia eutropha protein, which was applied to a mouse model for trait anxiety. Tissue from 15N-labeled vs. 14N-unlabeled mice was examined by mass spectrometry and differences in the expression of glyoxalase-1 (GLO1) and histidine triad nucleotide binding protein 2 (Hint2) proteins were correlated with the animals' psychopathological behaviors for methodological validation and proof of concept, respectively. Additionally, phenotyping unraveled an antidepressant-like effect of the incorporation of the stable isotope 15N into the proteome of highly anxious mice. This novel phenomenon is of considerable relevance to the metabolic labeling method and could provide an opportunity for the discovery of candidate proteins involved in depression-like behavior. The newly developed 15N bacteria diet provides researchers a novel tool to discover disease-relevant protein expression differences in mouse models using quantitative mass spectrometry

In vivo expression of innate immunity markers in patients with mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Toll-like receptors (TLRs), Coronin-1 and Sp110 are essential factors for the containment of <it>Mycobacterium tuberculosis </it>infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the <it>in vivo </it>expression of these molecules at different stages of the infection and uncover possible relationships between these markers and the state of the disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty-two patients with active tuberculosis, 15 close contacts of subjects with latent disease, 17 close contacts of subjects negative for mycobacterium antigens and 10 healthy, unrelated to patients, subjects were studied. Quantitative mRNA expression of Coronin-1, Sp110, TLRs-1,-2,-4 and -6 was analysed in total blood cells <it>vs </it>an endogenous house-keeping gene.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mRNA expression of Coronin-1, Sp110 and TLR-2 was significantly higher in patients with active tuberculosis and subjects with latent disease compared to the uninfected ones. Positive linear correlation for the expression of those factors was only found in the infected populations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that the up-regulation of Coronin-1 and Sp110, through a pathway that also includes TLR-2 up-regulation may be involved in the process of tuberculous infection in humans. However, further studies are needed, in order to elucidate whether the selective upregulation of these factors in the infected patients could serve as a specific molecular marker of tuberculosis.</p

In situ strain measurements in carbon fibre thermoplastic composites

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