Transcription factors (TFs) forming MYB-bHLH-WDR complexes are known to regulate the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites in angiosperms through an intricate network. These specialized metabolites participate in a wide range of biological processes including plant growth, development, reproduction as well as in plant immunity. Studying the regulation of their biosynthesis is thus essential. ...

At present, the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay is the sole commercially available serologic method available to detect exposure to ophidian paramyxovirus (OPMV) in snakes. During 2006, 26 eastern massasaugas (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) were collected, and blood was sampled to determine their OPMV status. Samples from each snake were divided into 3 aliquots and tested by using commer...

Effects of intravenous administration of picrotoxin (PTX), a GABA(A) receptor antagonist, upon activities of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in the lumbar spinal cord were studied in urethane-chloralose anesthetized cats. Intravenous PTX augmented tactile evoked responses of WDR neurons, but reduced nociceptive responses dose-dependently. Spinal transection reversed the suppression of nocicept...

Xu J, Chu KL, Zhu CZ, Niforatos W, Swensen A, Searle X, Lee L, Jarvis MF, McGaraughty S. A mixed Ca channel blocker, A-1264087, utilizes peripheral and spinal mechanisms to inhibit spinal nociceptive transmission in a rat model of neuropathic pain. J Neurophysiol 111: 394–404, 2014. First published October 23, 2013; doi:10.1152/jn.00463.2013.—N-, Tand P/Q-type voltage-gated Ca channels are crit...

Neuropathic pain represents a substantial clinical challenge; understanding the underlying neural mechanisms and back-translation of therapeutics could aid targeting of treatments more effectively. The ventral posterior thalamus (VP) is the major termination site for the spinothalamic tract and relays nociceptive activity to the somatosensory cortex; however, under neuropathic conditions, it is...

The Nrf family of transcription factors plays a critical role in mediating adaptive responses to cellular stress and defends against neurodegeneration, aging, and cancer. Here, we report a novel role for the Caenorhabditis elegans Nrf homolog SKN-1 in regulating synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Activation of SKN-1, either by acute pharmacological treatment with the mitoc...

The research on wind-driven rain (WDR) transport process of the splash-saltation has increased over the last twenty years as wind tunnel experimental studies provide new insights into the mechanisms of simultaneous wind and rain (WDR) transport. The present study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of the BEST® sediment traps in catching the sand particles transported through the splash...

To elucidate the effect of chronic inflammation on spinal nociceptive neurons in the elderly, we compared nocifensive behavior, peripheral inflammatory responses, and spinal dorsal horn neuronal activities between the aged (29-34 mo) and adult (7-12 mo) male rats after injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the hind paw. Aged rats exhibited a significantly lower mechanical paw withd...

Theanine is a non-dietary amino acid linked to the modulation of synaptic transmission in the central nervous system, although the acute effects of theanine in vivo, particularly on nociceptive transmission in the trigeminal system, remain to be determined. The present study investigated whether acute intravenous theanine administration to rats attenuates the excitability of wide dynamic range ...

PURPOSE To evaluate if chemotherapy (CT) dose-intensification jeopardizes radiotherapy (RT) dose-intensity (DI). PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1992 to 1997, 247 stage I-II breast cancer patients, treated with conserving surgery, were treated at the National Cancer Institute of Genoa in a randomized study comparing the same CEF regimen delivered every two weeks (CEF14) or three weeks (CEF21). RT w...