In Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain, the levels of these neurosteroids are known to be altered compared to age-matched non-demented controls. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of PREGS and DHEA on the hippocampal neurogenesis in 8-month-old male APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic

(APP/PS1) mice that show amyloid plaques and impaired spatial cognitive performance. In the DG of APP/PS1 mice the proliferation of progenitor cells was increased, while the neurite growth and survival of newborn neuronal cells were markedly Protein Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor impaired. Treatment with PREGS or DHEA rescued perfectly the hypoplastic neurite of newborn neurons in APP/PS1 mice, while neither of them affected the over-proliferation of progenitor cells. Notably, the administration of PREGS, but not DHEA, to APP/PS1 mice could protect the survival and maturation of newborn neuronal cells, which was accompanied by the improvement of spatial cognitive performance. The

results indicate that treatment of AD like brains GW786034 manufacturer of APP/PS1 mice with PREGS might protect the hippocampal neurogenesis, leading to the improved spatial cognitive performance.”
“The perpendicular exchange bias effect in multilayer systems Cr2O3(0001)/[Co/Pt](n), n >= 1, is strongly correlated with the temperature dependence of the antiferromagnetic order parameter in Cr2O3 in the vicinity of its Neel temperature. A crossover between surface and 3D bulk critical

behavior is found for the interface moments of Cr2O3. In addition, for the first time, a specific exchange bias-related contribution to the ferromagnetic coercive field could be separated. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3621460]“
“On December 2006, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred at a residential-care facility for the elderly in northern Italy. Thirty-five of 61 individuals interviewed (attack rate, 57.4%) fell ill. In 94.3% of cases, the onset of illness was within 48 h of a Christmas party selleck chemical at the facility. Norovirus (NoV) was detected by RT-PCR in 24 of 31 individuals examined, including three asymptomatic food-handlers, in whom there was evidence of long-lasting excretion of viral particles. The identification of a sequence referring to the ’2006a GII. 4 NoV variant’ in all examined strains supported the hypothesis of a common point source. This retrospective cohort study is the first report on an outbreak of NoV gastroenteritis in an Italian residential-care facility for the elderly.”
“Dopaminergic neurons are selectively vulnerable to oxidative stress and inflammatory attack.