Increasing NR2A subunit expression and the associated shortening of the NMDA-EPSC are thought to underlie the loss of diverse types of sensory cortical plasticity. Lu and colleagues (Lu et al., 2001 [this issue of Neuron]) now report that mice lacking the NR2A subunit display normal duration of critical periods of barrel cortex plasticity. Shortening of the NMDA-EPSC is therefore not responsibl...

BACKGROUND Xenon, the inert anesthetic gas, is neuroprotective in models of brain injury. The authors investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of the inert gases such as xenon, argon, krypton, neon, and helium in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury. METHODS The authors use an in vitro model using mouse organotypic hippocampal brain slices, subjected to a focal mechanical trauma, wit...

The enantiomeric and diastereomeric profiling of chiral pharmaceuticals (ephedrine, norephedrine, atenolol and venlafaxine) and illicit drugs (amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine (MDEA)) was undertaken over a period of fourteen consecutive days in three wastewater treatment pla...

Cross-reactivity with Diagnostic Products Corporation (DPC) amphetamine and methamphetamine radioimmunoassay (RIA) reagents was determined for amphetamine, methamphetamine, and a number of amphetamine analogs. Concentrations from 100 to 100,000 ng/mL were assayed. 3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) showed significant cross-reactivity for the ampheta...

Five new aromatic poly(amide-imide)s (5a-e) were synthesized by direct polycondensationreaction of N-(4-carboxy phenyl) trimellitimide (3) with five aromatic diamines (4a-e) by usingtriphenyl phosphite in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and pyridine at solution containingdissolved CaCl2. All of the polymers were obtained in quantitative yields with inherentviscosities between 0.29-0.40 dL/g. The r...

iron overload is a serious clinical condition which can be largely prevented by the use of iron-specific chelating agents. in this study, the synthesis and determination of partition coefficients (kpart) of a range of n-alkyl hydroxypyridinones, as orally active iron chelators, are described. synthesis of n-aryl hydroxypyridinones was achieved via a single step synthetic pathway. in this method...