(C) 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Seasonal variations in ambient temperature (T-a) require changes in thermoregulatory responses of endotherms. These responses vary according to several factors including taxon and energy constraints. Despite a plethora of studies on chiropteran variations in thermoregulation, few have examined African species. In this study, we used the Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi, body mass approximate to 115 g) to determine how the thermoregulatory abilities of an Afrotropical chiropteran respond to seasonal changes in T-a,. Mass specific Resting Metabolic Rates (RMRTa)

and basal metabolic rate (BMR) were significantly higher in winter than in summer. Furthermore, winter body mass was significantly higher than summer body mass. A broad thermoneutral SRT1720 ic50 zone (TNZ) was observed in winter (15-35 degrees C) compared with summer (25-30 degrees C). This species exhibited heterothermy (rectal

and core body temperature) during the photophase (bats’ check details rest-phase) particularly at lower T(a)s and had a low tolerance of high T(a)s. Overall, there was a significant seasonal variation in the thermoregulatory abilities of E. wahlbergi. The relative paucity of data relating to the seasonal thermoregulatory abilities of Afrotropical bats suggest further work is needed for comparison and possible effects

of climate change, particularly extreme hot days. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which the nigro-striatal Selleck VX770 dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons have been selectively lost. Due to side effects of levodopa, a dopamine precursor drug, recently cell replacement therapy for PD has been considered. Lack of sufficient amounts of, embryos and ethical problems regarding the use of dopamine-rich embryonic neural cells have limited the application of these cells for PD cell therapy. Therefore, many investigators have focused on using the pluripotent stem cells to generate DAergic neurons. This study is aimed first to establish a mouse embryonic stem (mES) cell line that can stably co-express Nurr1 (Nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 2) transcription factor in order to efficiently generate DAergic neurons, and glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1) to protect the differentiated DAergic-like cells against oxidative stress. In addition to genetic engineering of ES cells, the effect of Beta-boswellic acid (BBA) on DAergic differentiation course of mES cells was sought in the present study. To that end, the feeder-independent CGR8 mouse embryonic stem cells were transduced by Nurr1- and GPX-1-harboring Lentiviruses and the generated Nurr1/GPX-1-expresssing ES clones were characterized and verified.