Our data show the feasibility of passive unilateral sensorimotor stimulation during neonatal clinical MRI protocols. The bilateral activation pattern observed at this age is compatible with a bilaterally distributed sensorimotor system. Our data validate initial accounts for a raised incidence of negative blood oxygenation level-dependent responses in the primary sensorimotor cortex at this developmental stage. The negative blood oxygenation level-dependent response is likely to reflect a reduction of the oxy/deoxy-hemoglobin ratio during a maturational stage characterized by rapid formation of synapses, yet ineffective processing. Positive blood oxygenation level-dependent responses or failure to activate the sensorimotor cortex may be an early indicator of abnormal development and will have to be followed up carefully.

The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasias (NEN) continues to increase. Since the primary tumor cannot be diagnosed in some cases of metastatic disease, new biomarkers are clearly needed to find the most probable site of origin. Tissue samples from 79 patients were analyzed and microRNA profiles were generated from a total of 76 primary tumors, 31 lymph node and 14 solid organ metastases. NEN metastases were associated with elevated levels of miR-30a-5p, miR-210, miR-339-3p, miR-345 and miR-660. Three microRNAs showed a strong correlation between proliferation index and metastatic disease in general (miR-150, miR-21 and miR-660). Further, each anatomic location (primary or metastatic) had one or more site-specific microRNAs more highly expressed in these tissues. Comparison between primary tumors and metastases revealed an overlap only in pancreatic (miR-127) and ileal tumors (let-7g, miR-200a and miR-331). This thorough analysis of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors demonstrates site-specific microRNA profiles, correlation with proliferation indices as well as corresponding nodal and distant metastases. Using microRNA profiling might improve NEN diagnostics by linking metastases to a most probable site of origin.

Many studies have used functional magnetic resonance imaging to unravel the neuronal underpinnings of motor system abnormalities in Parkinson's disease, indicating functional inhibition at the level of basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical motor networks. The study aim was to extend the characterization of functional motor changes in Parkinson's Disease by dissociating between two phases of action (i.e. motor planning and motor execution) during an automated unilateral finger movement sequence with the left and right hand, separately. In essence, we wished to identify neuronal dysfunction and potential neuronal compensation before (planning) and during (execution) automated sequential motor behavior in unmedicated early stage Parkinson's Disease patients. Twenty-two Parkinson's Disease patients (14 males; 53 ± 11 years; Hoehn and Yahr score 1.4 ± 0.6; UPDRS (part 3) motor score 16 ± 6) and 22 healthy controls (14 males; 49 ± 12 years) performed a pre-learnt four finger sequence (index, ring, middle and little finger, in order), either self-initiated ( FREE ) or externally triggered ( REACT ), within an 8-second time window. Findings were most pronounced during FREE with the clinically most affected side, where motor execution revealed significant underactivity of contralateral primary motor cortex, contralateral posterior putamen (sensorimotor territory), ipsilateral anterior cerebellum / cerebellar vermis, along with underactivity in supplementary motor area (based on ROI analyses only), corroborating previous findings in Parkinson's Disease. During motor planning, Parkinson's Disease patients showed a significant relative overactivity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), suggesting a compensatory overactivity. To a variable extent this relative overactivity in the DLPFC went along with a relative overactivity in the precuneus and the ipsilateral anterior cerebellum/cerebellar vermis Our study illustrates that a refined view of disturbances in motor function and compensatory processes can be gained from experimental designs that try to dissociate motor planning from motor execution, emphasizing that compensatory mechanisms are triggered in Parkinson's Disease when voluntary movements are conceptualized for action.

Radiotherapy is an important treatment option in the therapy of multiple tumor entities among them head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the success of radiotherapy is limited by the development of radiation resistances. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK) is a cofactor of p53 and represents a potential target for radio sensitization of tumor cells. In this study, we analyzed the impact of hnRNPK on the DNA damage response after gamma irradiation. By yH2AX foci analysis, we found that hnRNPK knockdown increases DNA damage levels in irradiated cells. Tumor cells bearing a p53 mutation showed increased damage levels and delayed repair. Knockdown of hnRNPK applied simultaneously with irradiation reduced colony-forming ability and survival of tumor cells. Taken together, our data shows that hnRNPK is a relevant modifier of DNA damage repair and tumor cell survival. We therefore recommend further studies to evaluate the potential of hnRNPK as a drug target for improvement of radiotherapy success.

Turkey hens were allowed to incubate eggs and to hatch and rear young. Plasma prolactin (Prl) levels increased prior to the start of continuous incubation and rose sharply as incubation progressed to reach a peak of 1178.2 +/- 221.8 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM) just before hatching. Prl levels then fell precipitously before the hens left the nest, and returned to preincubation levels (36.8 +/- 3.4 ng/ml) by the time the poults were 2 weeks old. These results show that the high plasma concentrations of Prl found during incubation are not initiated or maintained only by the stimulus of nesting. We suggest that the decline in Prl levels at the end of incubation could be related to the pipping and hatching of eggs, and the consequent shift to maternal behavior. Plasma growth hormone (GH) levels were significantly increased in hens which were brooding poults, but not in hens incubating eggs. An elevenfold, 1-day increase in plasma GH was observed immediately after the hens left the nests. Mean plasma GH levels rose from 12.0 +/- 4.7 ng/ml on the day that the hens left the nests to 133.0 +/- 32.0 ng/ml on the following day, and then declined to 23.1 +/- 9.6 ng/ml after an additional day. There were no significant changes in plasma thyroxine levels during laying, incubation and brooding. Plasma glucose concentration was significantly depressed during incubation.