Using specimens that were collected over three decades from zoos, researchers at Humboldt University of Berlin examined facial motor control in African and Asian elephants. As described in their recent paper in Science Advances, they examined cell number, size, and position in the facial nucleus; conducted quantitative nerve tracing, and performed comparative analyses with other animals and between the two elephant types. The researchers found...
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As an unborn baby develops in the womb, its growth depends on a variety of factors, genetics among them. But sometimes a fetus doesn’t grow as much as is normally expected in relation to its gestational age. This is called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or fetal growth restriction (FGR)....
Read More Our state-of-the-art software for performing unbiased stereology is getting an upgrade. Faster, stronger, and better, has been a theme for us lately, as we improve our products across the board, but one place where this is especially striking is in Stereo Investigator. Set for release this spring, the new and improved Stereo Investigator will include a new imaging engine, display engine, automatic camera alignment, automatic lens calibration, the double disector, and live video zooming. “I’m...
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DNA damage occurs in human cells at a constant rate. These cells are usually able to repair themselves, but sometimes deficiencies in certain genes cause the repair process to shut down. When damaged DNA isn't fixed, mutations can occur that cause accelerated aging or cancerous tumors to form (Hoeijmakers, 2009). Scientists at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam have found a way to slow down...
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[caption id="attachment_6526" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Representative images of Iba-1+ microglia in the postnatal day 10 rat hippocampus. Image courtesy of Anna Klintsova, PhD.[/caption] Children born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders face a range of physical and cognitive impairments including long-term deficits in learning, behavior, and immune function. In a paper published in Neuroscience, Dr. Anna Klintsova and her lab at the University of Delaware report that activation...
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The optical fractionator probe was used to quantify the number of neurons and glia in the dentate gyrus Doctors have used lithium to treat patients with bipolar disorder since the 1970s. Known for its efficacy in stabilizing patients' moods by regulating manic episodes, lithium is also associated with a decreased risk of suicide. But while this naturally occurring element is the most widely prescribed medication for...
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[caption id="attachment_6326" align="aligncenter" width="600"] An immunostained image of myelin basic protein in the cerebella of a mouse brain with an iron-sufficient diet compared with the brain of a mouse exposed to alcohol and fed an iron-insufficient diet. It shows the reduced cerebellar size due to the ID-alcohol combination. Green is MBP immunostain, blue is DAPI for nuclei. Image courtesy of Susan Smith, PhD.[/caption] If a pregnant...
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[caption id="attachment_6175" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Phosphorylated tau pS422 immunoreactive profiles (dark brown) in the cortex of P301S mice after repetitive mild TBI. Image courtesy of Dr. Leyan Xu, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University.[/caption] Over the course of a football game or a boxing match, athletes may experience a series of mild concussions. Some of these athletes develop a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a...
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[caption id="attachment_6094" align="alignright" width="231"] Micrograph of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Image from Wikipedia.[/caption] Cholinergic neurons degenerate at devastating rates in Alzheimer's disease, but Dr. Mark Tuszynski and his team at the University of California, San Diego may have found a way to slow the decline. Their study, published in JAMA Neurology, reports that nerve growth factor gene therapy increased the size, axonal sprouting, and signaling of cholinergic neurons...
Read More In 2014 researchers used Stereo Investigator in 698 peer-reviewed papers - citing it almost three times more than all other stereology systems combined. Researchers tell us they use Stereo Investigator because: it works with many different microscopes and imaging technologies it provides unbiased data about neuron populations and regions of interest it comes with strong technical and research support provided by MBF Bioscience [caption id="attachment_5790" align="alignnone" width="1394"] source: google scholar[/caption] Dr. Mark West, co-developer of...
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