Neuronal nAChRs are a diverse family of pentameric ion channels with wide distribution throughout cells of the nervous and immune systems. However, the role of specific subtypes in normal and pathological states remains poorly understood due to the lack of selective probes. Here, we used a binding assay based on acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP), a homolog of the nicotinic acetylcholine lig...

A number of articles written in recent years about the pattern of blood flow through the amphibian heart have described results which differ quite widely (Simons, 1957, 1959; de Graaf, 1957; Johansen, 1963; Shelton & Jones, 1965a, b). One of the main difficulties in interpretation has been that all the work cited above has been done on different species of anuran and urodele. It is clearly poss...

Our country’s textile industry is in the producing and processing field in the global value chain, so textiles’ added value is low and profit margins is narrow. Developed countries take up fields of high-grade fabrics production and advanced textile machinery manufacture. Because textile fabrics, textile machinery and equipment of China's textile industry fall behind developed countries, produc...

Coronary artery fistulas are rare coronary-cardiac anomalies, which occasionally become symptomatic. We herein report a case of a 54-year-old woman with a huge conus branch aneurysm resulting from an abnormal fistula between the conus branch and the upper portion of the right atrium, which was successfully removed by surgery.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a structural 3-dimensional deformity the spine, which is occurring between 10 years of age and skeletal maturity and it mostly affects prepuberbal girls. The etiology of AIS remains unknown and seems should be multifactorial. According to the theories, there could be a shorter spinal cord or a higher location of the conus medullaris and disproportionate ...

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma with variable clinical manifestations. Although neurological symptoms are common in patients with IVLBCL, isolated cauda equina-conus medullaris syndrome is rarely reported. We herein report a case of IVLBCL whose initial presentation was cauda equina-conus medullaris syndrome with neither dermatological nor hematologic...

BACKGROUND Members of the predatory gastropod genus Conus use a venom comprised of a cocktail of peptide neurotoxins, termed conotoxins or conopeptides, to paralyze prey and conotoxin gene family members diversify via strong positive selection. Because Conus venoms are used primarily to subdue prey, the evolution of venoms is likely affected by predator-prey interactions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPA...

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated Na+ channels that are expressed throughout the nervous system. ASICs have been implicated in several neuronal disorders, like ischemic stroke, neuronal inflammation, and pathological pain. Several toxins from venomous animals have been identified that target ASICs with high specificity and potency. These toxins are extremely useful in providing...