Selective Survival and Maturation of Adult-Born Dentate Granule Cells Expressing the Immediate Early Gene Arc/Arg3.1

Progenitor cells in the adult dentate gyrus provide a constant supply of neuronal precursors, yet only a small fraction of these cells survive and develop into mature dentate granule cells (DGCs). A major challenge of current research is thus to understand the stringent selection process that governs the maturation and functional integration of adult-born DGCs. In mature DGCs, high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the perforant path input elicits robust expression of the immediate early gene Arc/Arg3.1, trafficking of its mRNA to dendrites, and local synthesis of the protein necessary for consolidation of long-term potentiation (LTP). Given the synaptic commitment inherent in LTP consolidation, we considered that HFS-evoked expression of Arc could be used to timemap the functional integration of newborn DGCs. Dividing cells were birthmarked by BrdU-labeling at 1, 7, 14, 21, or 28 days prior to induction of LTP and expression of Arc was examined by confocal microscopy. Contrary to expectation, LTP did not induce Arc expression in newborn cells at any age, suggesting they might be refractory to synaptically-evoked Arc expression for at least one month. Importantly, however, spontaneous expression of Arc was detected in BrdU-labeled cells and strongly associated with the survival and maturation of NeuN-positive DGCs. Moreover, Arc expression at the earliest ages (1 and 7 days), clearly precedes the formation of glutamatergic synapses on new neurons. These results suggest an unexpected early role for Arc in adult-born DGCs, distinct from its functions in LTP, LTD, and homeostatic synaptic plasticity

Study of mechanical properties of soy protein based edible film as affected by its composition and process parameters by using RSM

The effect of process parameters on mechanical properties of Soy protein Isolate based edible film was studied by using response surface methodology. The process variables selected were Soy Protein Isolate (SPI) concentration, plasticizer concentration and pH whereas responses under consideration were thickness of film, tensile strength, Young’s modulus and elongation at break. It was observed that as amount of SPI concentration increases in formulation, the thickness and tensile strength increased while it decreased young’s modulus and elongation at break. However increase in plasticizer amount decreased thickness and tensile strength but it increased young’s modulus and elongation at break. The optimum formulation for meeting the set criteria of response functions was; SPI concentration 8.65%, plasticizer concentration 60%, and pH 8.99

A Multi- institutional Prospective Analysis of Impact of CanAssist Breast (Morphometric Immunohistochemistry Based Test) on Adjuvant Chemotherapy Decisions in Early Breast Cancer

Abstract Purpose: CanAssist Breast (CAB) has been validated retrospectively for assessing risk of recurrence and thereby usefulness of chemotherapy in HR+/HER2- breast cancer. The objective of this study is to assess the agreement between physician’s treatment plan and CAB risk stratification and evaluate whether CAB results aid in the physician’s treatment decision.Methods: The data on the physician’s treatment plan before and after the CAB test was collected prospectively between 2016 and 2021 in 249 patients. Changes in treatment recommendations and compliance with CAB reports were analyzed. Results: Based on conventional clinicopathological features physicians planned to treat 46% of patients with endocrine therapy (ET) (low-risk-LR)), 24% with chemoendocrine therapy (CET) (high-risk-HR)) and in 30% physicians were uncertain of prescribing chemotherapy (intermediate-risk-IR)) before CAB testing. The correlation between clinical risk assessment and CAB risk stratification (k=0.2 (0.05-0.35) was nonsignificant. CAB classified 64% as LR, which was 18% (9.3-25, P=0.0001) higher compared to clinical LR. In the clinical IR category, CAB risk proportions were 55:45 (LR: HR). We observed a substantial shift in treatment recommendation from CET to ET in 54% (40.75- 66.84, P&lt;0.0001) of clinical HR and ET to CET in 26% (18.27- 35.01, P&lt;0.0001) of clinical LR patients. Overall CAB lead to change in treatment recommendation in 42% of the cohort.Conclusions: There was a significant impact of CAB on the physician’s treatment decision. CAB provided definite treatment recommendation to IR patients where the physician had dilemma on prescribing chemotherapy and provided precise treatment plan to clinical LR and HR patients.</jats:p

Origin of high fluoride in groundwater of the Tuticorin district, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract This paper reports the results of higher F− and $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ HCO3- concentrations and its response to high pH level in a hard rock terrain in Tamil Nadu, India. About 400 groundwater samples from the study area were collected from a period of four different seasons and analysed for F−, $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ HCO3- and other major cations and anions. The key rationale for the higher fluoride and bicarbonate in the study area is the soaring rate of the leaching fluoride-bearing minerals and weathering processes. Fluoride and $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ HCO3- ranges from BDL to 3.30 mgl−1 and 12 to 940 mgl−1, its concentrations are lower for the period of SWM and it increases during POM and reaches to a maximum in PRM. Higher dissolution is observed in the NEM season due to rainfall impact. Spatial distribution and factor score show that the higher concentrations of F− and $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ HCO3- are eminent in the northern and central zone of the study area due to the impact of lithology. The higher values in pCO2 versus $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ HCO3- plot indicate higher residence time which favours more water–rock interactions, which further increase the F− concentrations in groundwater. $${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$ HCO3- is linearly correlated with F− which indicates that these ions were consequent from the weathering influences. At the same time, poor correlation of F− with pH could possibly be due to the increase of alkalinity follow-on from the swell of bicarbonate level with very low Ca2+ that promotes increase in F−concentration in the groundwater

Local projections of layer Vb-to-Va are more effective in lateral than in medial entorhinal cortex

SummaryThe entorhinal cortex, in particular neurons in layer V, allegedly mediate transfer of information from the hippocampus to the neocortex, underlying long-term memory. Recently, this circuit has been shown to comprise a hippocampal output recipient layer Vb and a cortical projecting layer Va. With the use of in vitro electrophysiology in transgenic mice specific for layer Vb, we assessed the presence of the thus necessary connection from layer Vb-to-Va in the functionally distinct medial (MEC) and lateral (LEC) subdivisions; MEC, particularly its dorsal part, processes allocentric spatial information, whereas the corresponding part of LEC processes information representing elements of episodes. Using identical experimental approaches, we show that connections from layer Vb-to-Va neurons are more effective in LEC compared with dorsal MEC. This indicates that the hippocampal-cortex output circuit is more effective in LEC, suggesting that episodic systems-consolidation may use LEC-derived information more than allocentric spatial information from MEC.</jats:p