In this article we describe how to individually label neurons in the embryonic CNS of Drosophila melanogaster by juxtacellular injection of the lipophilic fluorescent membrane marker DiI. This method allows the visualization of neuronal cell morphology in great detail. It is possible to label any cell in the CNS: cell bodies of target neurons are visualized under DIC optics or by expression of ...

Many neurological disorders accompanied by cognitive deficits, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome, exhibit abnormal dendritic spine morphology. Actin-based cytoskeletal network dynamics is critical for the regulation of spine morphology and function. Recent experimental data from an AD animal model revealed that defects in intracellular signaling cascades related to the accumu...

The rock cavies (Kerodon rupestris) are rodents belonging to family Caviidae, with habitat restricted to northeastern Brazil. Current studies have shown that blood cord has stem and hematopoietic cells both with a high regenerative potential, microscopic studies about the description in rodents and other mammals are scarce. The aim of this study was to describe the structural components of the ...

Microfluidic technology is a valuable tool for realizing more in vitro models capturing cellular and organ level responses rapid animal-free risk assessment of new chemicals drugs. cell-based devices allow high-throughput screening flexible automation while lowering costs reagent consumption due to their miniaturization. There growing need faster approaches drug development safety (Registration...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Mesencymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from foetal tissues present a multipotent progenitor cell source for application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The present study was carried out to derive foetal mesenchymal stem cells from ovine source and analyze their differentiation to osteogenic linage to serve as an animal model to predict human applications. ...

Mussels use their shells for protection which they can thicken or grow in response to predator cues, commonly referred as an inducible defense. Oceans are experiencing elevated p CO 2 due climate change. Elevated have negative effects on bivalve morphology and physiology, but we still learning about the consequences of these predator-prey interactions, a key motivation this study. Using 4 wk (s...

The communication systems of nonhuman animals are reviewed, together with a discussion of their relevance for the evolution of human language. The teaching of language to nonhumans, as well as signs of mind and consciousness outside our species, are considered as possible bridges between us and the rest of the animal kingdom.

Sexual dimorphism, i.e., differences in morphology between sexes of a species caused by intersexual the strength or direction sexual natural selection, is prevalent throughout animal kingdom. Contrary to body size, little known about shape dimorphism anurans. Here we investigated Bufo verrucosissimus (Pallas, 1814) taking 27 linear measurements characterize 23 males and females. Relative their ...

Xenografts--as simplified animal models of cancer-differ substantially in vasculature and stromal architecture when compared to clinical tumours. This makes mathematical model-based predictions of clinical outcome challenging. Our objective is to further understand differences in tumour progression and physiology between animal models and the clinic. To achieve that, we propose a mathematical m...