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engineering h5n1 avian influenza viruses to study human adaptation.two studies of h5n1 avian influenza viruses that had been genetically engineered to render them transmissible between ferrets have proved highly controversial. divergent opinions exist about the importance of these studies of influenza transmission and about potential 'dual use' research implications. no consensus has developed yet about how to balance these concerns. after not recommending immediate full publication of earlier, less complete versions of the studies, the united states national s ...201222722191
low pathogenic avian influenza isolates from wild birds replicate and transmit via contact in ferrets without prior adaptation.direct transmission of avian influenza viruses to mammals has become an increasingly investigated topic during the past decade; however, isolates that have been primarily investigated are typically ones originating from human or poultry outbreaks. currently there is minimal comparative information on the behavior of the innumerable viruses that exist in the natural wild bird host. we have previously demonstrated the capacity of numerous north american avian influenza viruses isolated from wild b ...201222675507
mechanisms underlying azimuth selectivity in the auditory cortex of the pallid bat.this study focused on mechanisms underlying azimuth selectivity in the primary auditory cortex (a1) of pallid bats. the pallid bat listens to prey-generated noise (5-35 khz) to localize and hunt terrestrial prey. the region of a1 tuned between 5 and 35 khz consists of two clusters of neurons distinguished by interaural intensity difference (iid) selectivity: binaurally inhibited (ei) and peaked. the first aim of this study was to use sequential dichotic/free-field stimulation to test the hypothe ...201222641192
a triclade dna vaccine designed on the basis of a comprehensive serologic study elicits neutralizing antibody responses against all clades and subclades of highly pathogenic avian influenza h5n1 viruses.because of their rapid evolution, genetic diversity, broad host range, ongoing circulation in birds, and potential human-to-human transmission, h5n1 influenza viruses remain a major global health concern. their high degree of genetic diversity also poses enormous burdens and uncertainties in developing effective vaccines. to overcome this, we took a new approach, i.e., the development of immunogens based on a comprehensive serologic study. we constructed dna plasmids encoding codon-optimized hem ...201222496212
working safely with h5n1 viruses.research on h5n1 influenza viruses has received much attention recently due to the possible dangers associated with newly developed avian h5n1 viruses that were derived from highly pathogenic avian viruses and are now transmissible among ferrets via respiratory droplets. an appropriate discussion, based on scientific facts about the risks that such viruses pose and on the biocontainment facilities and practices necessary for working safely with these viruses, is needed. selecting the right level ...201222396483
h5n1 influenza viruses: facts, not fear.the ongoing controversy over publication of two studies involving the transmission in ferrets of h5n1 (h5) subtype influenza viruses and the recommendations of the national science advisory board for biosecurity to redact key details in the manuscripts call for an examination of relevant scientific facts. in addition, there are calls in the media to destroy the viruses, curtail future research in this area, and protect the public from such "frightening" research efforts. fear needs to be put to ...201222308474
rare and new cumaceans (crustacea, peracarida) from the southern margin of the cap ferret canyon (bay of biscay).a new cumacean genus and species, ithyleucon sorbeigen. et sp. n., was described from material collected in the southern margin of the cap ferret canyon (bay of biscay, ne atlantic). although the new genus resembles pseudoleucon zimmer, 1903, in terms of the general aspect of the carapace and the pseudo-rostrum position, it shows important differences in the uropod structure and in the size of the antenna 1 accessory flagellum. in addition, some comments regarding the morphology of certain rare ...201223226964
man's underground best friend: domestic ferrets, unlike the wild forms, show evidence of dog-like social-cognitive skills.recent research has shown that dogs' possess surprisingly sophisticated human-like social communication skills compared to wolves or chimpanzees. the effects of domestication on the emergence of socio-cognitive skills, however, are still highly debated. one way to investigate this is to compare socialized individuals from closely related domestic and wild species. in the present study we tested domestic ferrets (mustela furo) and compared their performance to a group of wild mustela hybrids and ...201222905244
echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings in client-owned ferrets: 95 cases (1994-2009).to characterize echocardiographic and ecg findings in ferrets (mustela putorius furo) evaluated at a clinical practice.201223176241
development of cerebral sulci and gyri in ferrets (mustela putorius).the present study aimed to clarify sulcation and gyration patterns in the developing cerebrum of ferrets. while the brain weight and fronto-occipital length of the cerebral hemisphere reached a plateau by postnatal day (pd) 42, the cerebral width reached a plateau at the rostral region by pd 21, and subsequently at the caudal region by pd 42. the ferret cerebrum already showed a convoluted surface with indentations of coronal and rostral suprasylvian sulci on pd 4. the presylvian and cruciate su ...201222925218
ventricular septal defect in a ferret (mustela putorius furo).a four-year-old, castrated male ferret (mustela putorius furo) was evaluated because of a one-year history of sporadic cough. on physical examination a grade 5 of 6 holosystolic murmur was audible over the right apex of the heart. radiographic findings included the presence of air bronchograms in apical lobes accompanied by pulmonary venous congestion. colour doppler echocardiography revealed a left-to-right shunting compatible with a ventricular septal defect. medical therapy was initiated at t ...201222861049
intramedullary lumbosacral teratoma in a domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo).an 18-month-old, female, spayed domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo) was presented for progressive hind limb paresis of 1 week duration. the ferret was mentally appropriate but cachexic and ataxic with neurological deficits, which localized the lesion to the lumbosacral region. a depression in the lumbosacral spine was associated with discomfort on palpation. results of whole body radiographs were consistent with an abnormal angle between vertebrae l6 and s1, which resulted in hyperflexion of ...201222529139
a new orally active, aminothiol radioprotector-free of nausea and hypotension side effects at its highest radioprotective doses.a new aminothiol, prc-210, was tested for orally conferred radioprotection (rats, mice; 9.0 gy whole-body, which was otherwise lethal to 100% of the animals) and presence of the debilitating side effects (nausea/vomiting, hypotension/fainting) that restrict use of the current aminothiol, amifostine (ethyol, wr-2721).201222330992
endogenous lentiviruses in the ferret genome.by screening 74 chordate genomes for endogenous lentiviruses using pol sequences of exogenous lentiviruses as a reference, we identified a novel endogenous lentivirus in the genome of the ferret (mustela putorius furo). phylogenetic analysis suggested that the ferret endogenous lentivirus, denoted elvmpf, diverged early in the evolution of the mammalian lentiviruses, although with a lack of resolution at key nodes. these data support the notion that lentiviruses have evolved on timescales of mil ...201222238305
a novel computerized system for thermal stimulation of tooth in ferrets.a dual thermal and electrical stimulator was developed to examine the central pathways that transmit noxious stimuli for intact dentition. this system allows computer-controlled stimulation of the canines of ferrets with either noxious heat or electrical stimuli. a set of in vitro studies demonstrated that the application of thermal stimuli to an intact tooth can produce pulpal temperatures above 43 °c, which is perceived as a painful stimulus in humans. in a set of in vivo studies, it was demon ...201222001221
scientific investigations into febrile reactions observed in the paediatric population following vaccination with a 2010 southern hemisphere trivalent influenza vaccine.during the 2010 southern hemisphere (sh) influenza season, there was an unexpected increase in the number of febrile reactions reported in the paediatric population in australia shortly after vaccination with the csl 2010 trivalent influenza vaccine (tiv) compared to previous seasons. a series of scientific investigations were initiated to identify the root cause of these adverse events, including in vitro cytokine/chemokine assays following stimulation of adult and paediatric whole blood, as we ...201223063831
mapping pitch representation in neural ensembles with fmri.functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) in humans and macaques allows a test of the hypothesis that there is a specialized neural ensemble for pitch within auditory cortex: a pitch center. fmri measures the blood oxygenation level-dependent (bold) response related to regional synaptic activity (logothetis et al., 2001). the distinction between synaptic activity and spike firing, and species differences encourage caution when comparing bold activity in humans and macaques to recordings from ...201223015424
abnormal endocrine pancreas function at birth in cystic fibrosis ferrets.diabetes is a common comorbidity in cystic fibrosis (cf) that worsens prognosis. the lack of an animal model for cf-related diabetes (cfrd) has made it difficult to dissect how the onset of pancreatic pathology influences the emergence of cfrd. we evaluated the structure and function of the neonatal cf endocrine pancreas using a new cftr-knockout ferret model. although cf kits are born with only mild exocrine pancreas disease, progressive exocrine and endocrine pancreatic loss during the first m ...201222996690
determination of axonal and dendritic orientation distributions within the developing cerebral cortex by diffusion tensor imaging.as neurons of the developing brain form functional circuits, they undergo morphological differentiation. in immature cerebral cortex, radially-oriented cellular processes of undifferentiated neurons impede water diffusion parallel, but not perpendicular, to the pial surface, as measured via diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and give rise to water diffusion anisotropy. as the cerebral cortex matures, the loss of water diffusion anisotropy accompanies cellular morphological differenti ...201221768045
the laminar development of direction selectivity in ferret visual cortex.sensory experience plays a critical role in the development of cortical circuits. at the time of eye opening, visual cortical neurons in the ferret exhibit orientation selectivity, but lack direction selectivity, which is a feature of mature cortical neurons in this species. direction selectivity emerges in the days and weeks following eye opening via a process that requires visual experience. however, the circuit mechanisms that underlie the development of direction selectivity remain unclear. ...201223238731
anesthesia case of the month. hyperthermia and hypercarbia in a ferret during anesthesia. 201223216029
deafferentation-induced plasticity of visual callosal connections: predicting critical periods and analyzing cortical abnormalities using diffusion tensor imaging.callosal connections form elaborate patterns that bear close association with striate and extrastriate visual areas. although it is known that retinal input is required for normal callosal development, there is little information regarding the period during which the retina is critically needed and whether this period correlates with the same developmental stage across species. here we review the timing of this critical period, identified in rodents and ferrets by the effects that timed enucleat ...201223213572
insulin glargine treatment of a ferret with diabetes mellitus.a 7.5-year-old spayed female ferret was evaluated because of weight loss despite a good appetite. pancreatic insulinoma had been diagnosed at another animal hospital on the basis of detection of low blood glucose concentration on 1 occasion; however, concurrent determination of blood insulin concentration was not performed. the ferret had been treated sc with methylprednisolone acetate (unknown dosage) every 30 days for 2 years. no follow-up data regarding blood glucose concentration were availa ...201223176242
reference intervals and working ferrets. 201223144096
the use of a slow release gnrh-agonist implant in female ferrets in season for oestrus suppression.the jill is a long-day breeder with a constant oestrus without mating. persistent oestrogen production results in clinical signs of hyperoestrogenism including pancytopenia and death if untreated. as spaying is thought to be related to the development of hyperadrenocorticism, a non-invasive, safe and effective long-term treatment is needed for oestrus suppression in jills. seven jills in oestrus were treated with a 4.7mg deslorelin implant. blood samples for estradiol-17ß (e2) and progesterone ( ...201223117991
[the role of the auditory cortex in the spatial information processing].sound localization is a computational process accomplished along the auditory pathway. once the acoustic information received at each ear is analyzed independently (monaural cues) and comparatively (binaural cues), those cues are integrated to generate a coherent spatial percept. using adult ferrets trained by positive conditioning in a spatial task, we aimed to study the role of the auditory cortex in the ability to localize sounds under both normal hearing and monaurally occluded conditions, t ...201222760769
sparse coding on the spot: spontaneous retinal waves suffice for orientation selectivity.ohshiro, hussain, and weliky (2011) recently showed that ferrets reared with exposure to flickering spot stimuli, in the absence of oriented visual experience, develop oriented receptive fields. they interpreted this as refutation of efficient coding models, which require oriented input in order to develop oriented receptive fields. here we show that these data are compatible with the efficient coding hypothesis if the influence of spontaneous retinal waves is considered. we demonstrate that ind ...201222734490
rapid and efficient genetic manipulation of gyrencephalic carnivores using in utero electroporation.higher mammals such as primates and carnivores have highly developed unique brain structures such as the ocular dominance columns in the visual cortex, and the gyrus and outer subventricular zone of the cerebral cortex. however, our molecular understanding of the formation, function and diseases of these structures is still limited, mainly because genetic manipulations that can be applied to higher mammals are still poorly available.201222716093
signal detection in animal psychoacoustics: analysis and simulation of sensory and decision-related influences.signal detection theory (sdt) provides a framework for interpreting psychophysical experiments, separating the putative internal sensory representation and the decision process. sdt was used to analyse ferret behavioural responses in a (yes-no) tone-in-noise detection task. instead of measuring the receiver-operating characteristic (roc), we tested sdt by comparing responses collected using two common psychophysical data collection methods. these (constant stimuli, limits) differ in the set of s ...201222698686
a quantitative analysis of information about past and present stimuli encoded by spikes of a1 neurons.to process the rich temporal structure of their acoustic environment, organisms have to integrate information over time into an appropriate neural response. previous studies have addressed the modulation of responses of auditory neurons to a current sound in dependence of the immediate stimulation history, but a quantitative analysis of this important computational process has been missing. in this study, we analyzed temporal integration of information in the spike output of 122 single neurons i ...201222696538
contribution of pheromones processed by the main olfactory system to mate recognition in female mammals.until recently it was widely believed that the ability of female mammals (with the likely exception of women) to identify and seek out a male breeding partner relied on the detection of non-volatile male pheromones by the female's vomeronasal organ (vno) and their subsequent processing by a neural circuit that includes the accessory olfactory bulb (aob), vomeronasal amygdala, and hypothalamus. emperical data are reviewed in this paper that demonstrate the detection of volatile pheromones by the ...201222679420
five cases of contact dermatitis to a trendy pet.skin contact with animal hair may induce contact urticaria (syndrome) or protein contact dermatitis. we report here 5 cases of dermatitis due to contact with ferrets kept as pets. the nature of the skin lesions, i.e. eczematous dermatitis, as well as the history of our 5 cases point to protein contact dermatitis. further studies are requested to confirm this hypothesis and to identify the mechanisms and allergens. physicians must be aware of the possibility of contact dermatitis with ferrets, es ...201222677934
[heart abnormalities in the cat, dog and ferret]. 201222667184
initial neighborhood biases and the quality of motion stimulation jointly influence the rapid emergence of direction preference in visual cortex.visual experience plays a critical role in the development of direction-selective responses in ferret visual cortex. in visually naive animals, presentation of a bidirectional "training" stimulus induces rapid increases in the direction-selective responses of single neurons that can be predicted by small but significant direction biases that are present in neighboring neurons at the onset of stimulation. in this study we used in vivo two-photon imaging of calcium signals to further explore the c ...201222623671
comparative processing and function of human and ferret cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator.the most common cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) gene mutation is δf508, and this causes cystic fibrosis (cf). new cf models in the pig and ferret have been generated that develop lung, pancreatic, liver, and intestinal pathologies that reflect disease in cf patients. species-specific biology in the processing of cftr has demonstrated that pig and mouse δf508-cftr proteins are more effectively processed to the apical membrane of airway epithelia than human δf508-cftr. t ...201222570484
discovery of a novel orally active pde-4 inhibitor effective in an ovalbumin-induced asthma murine model.phosphodiesterase-4 (pde-4) is responsible for metabolizing adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate that reduces the activation of a wide range of inflammatory cells including eosinophils. pde-4 inhibitors are under development for the treatment of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. herein, we report a novel pde-4 inhibitor, pde-423 (3-[1-(3-cyclopropylmethoxy-4-difluoromethoxybenzyl)-1h-pyrazol-3-yl]-benzoic acid), which shows good in vitro and in vivo o ...201222554769
plasticity of spatial hearing: behavioural effects of cortical inactivation.the cerebral cortex plays a critical role in perception and in learning-induced plasticity. we show that reversibly silencing any of the main regions of auditory cortex impairs the ability of adult ferrets to localize sound, with the largest deficit seen after deactivating the primary fields. although these animals had no trouble localizing longer sound bursts, their performance dropped considerably when auditory spatial cues were altered by occluding one ear with an earplug. in contrast to cont ...201222547635
dynamics of phase-independent spectro-temporal tuning in primary auditory cortex of the awake ferret.tuning of cortical neurons is often measured as a static property, or during a steady-state regime, despite a number of studies suggesting that tuning depends on when it is measured during a neuron's response (e.g., onset vs. sustained vs. offset). we have previously shown that phase-locked tuning to feature transients evolves as a dynamic quantity from the onset of the sound. in this follow-up study, we examined the phase-independent tuning during feature transients. based on previous results, ...201222531376
multisensory dysfunction accompanies crossmodal plasticity following adult hearing impairment.until now, cortical crossmodal plasticity has largely been regarded as the effect of early and complete sensory loss. recently, massive crossmodal cortical reorganization was demonstrated to result from profound hearing loss in adult ferrets (allman et al., 2009a). moderate adult hearing loss, on the other hand, induced not just crossmodal reorganization, but also merged new crossmodal inputs with residual auditory function to generate multisensory neurons. because multisensory convergence can l ...201222516008
post-anesthesia vomiting: impact of isoflurane and morphine on ferrets and musk shrews.although partially controlled with antiemetic drugs, postoperative nausea and vomiting (ponv) continues to be a problem for many patients. clinical research suggests that opioid analgesics and volatile anesthetics are the main triggers of ponv. the aim of this study was to develop an animal model for post-anesthesia vomiting for future studies to further determine mechanisms and preclinical drug efficacy. ferrets (n=34) were initially used because they have served as a gold standard for emesis r ...201222504494
a review of pathophysiology and management of fetuses and neonates with meconium ileus for the pediatric surgeon.meconium ileus (mi) is the earliest clinical manifestation of cystic fibrosis (cf), occurring in up to 20% of patients with cf. our aim was to review and integrate current knowledge about the diagnosis and management of fetuses and neonates with mi that may aid the pediatric surgeon in caring for these patients.201222498395
dendritic spine density in multisensory versus primary sensory cortex.in sensory areas, neuronal dendritic spines receive sensory-specific inputs whose net activity drives neuronal spiking responses to effective external stimuli. previous studies indicate that neurons in primary sensory cortical areas, which largely receive inputs from a single sensory modality, exhibit an average of 0.5-1.4 dendritic spines/μm, depending on species. in higher-order, associational cortices, inputs converge from multiple sensory sources onto individual, multisensory neurons. this r ...201222488884
wired to run: exercise-induced endocannabinoid signaling in humans and cursorial mammals with implications for the 'runner's high'.humans report a wide range of neurobiological rewards following moderate and intense aerobic activity, popularly referred to as the 'runner's high', which may function to encourage habitual aerobic exercise. endocannabinoids (ecbs) are endogenous neurotransmitters that appear to play a major role in generating these rewards by activating cannabinoid receptors in brain reward regions during and after exercise. other species also regularly engage in endurance exercise (cursorial mammals), and as h ...201222442371
role of ca(2+) in the rapid cooling-induced ca(2+) release from sarcoplasmic reticulum in ferret cardiac muscles.rapid lowering of the solution temperature (rapid cooling, rc) from 24 to 3°c within 3 s releases considerable amounts of ca(2+) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (sr) in mammalian cardiac muscles. in this study, we investigated the intracellular mechanism of rc-induced ca(2+) release, especially the role of ca(2+), in ferret ventricular muscle. saponin-treated skinned trabeculae were placed in a glass capillary, and the amount of ca(2+) released from the sr by rc and caffeine (50 mm) was measured ...201222431072
fabrication of an inexpensive, implantable cooling device for reversible brain deactivation in animals ranging from rodents to primates.we have developed a compact and lightweight microfluidic cooling device to reversibly deactivate one or more areas of the neocortex to examine its functional macrocircuitry as well as behavioral and cortical plasticity. the device, which we term the "cooling chip," consists of thin silicone tubing (through which chilled ethanol is circulated) embedded in mechanically compliant polydimethylsiloxane (pdms). pdms is tailored to compact device dimensions (as small as 21 mm(3)) that precisely accommo ...201222402651
systemic coronavirus-associated disease resembling feline infectious peritonitis in ferrets in the uk. 201222923084
comparison of the activation of somatostatin- and neuropeptide y-containing neuronal populations of the rat amygdala following two different anxiogenic stressors.rats exposed to the odor of a predator or to the elevated plus maze express fear behaviors without a prior exposure to either stimulus. the expression of innate fear provides for an ideal model of anxiety which can aid in the elucidation of brain circuits involved in anxiety-related behaviors. the current experiments compared activation of neuropeptide-containing neuronal populations in the amygdala of rats exposed to either the elevated plus maze (epm; 5 min) versus home cage controls, or preda ...201222917777
spectrotemporal contrast kernels for neurons in primary auditory cortex.auditory neurons are often described in terms of their spectrotemporal receptive fields (strfs). these map the relationship between features of the sound spectrogram and firing rates of neurons. recently, we showed that neurons in the primary fields of the ferret auditory cortex are also subject to gain control: when sounds undergo smaller fluctuations in their level over time, the neurons become more sensitive to small-level changes (rabinowitz et al., 2011). just as strfs measure the spectrote ...201222895711
early hearing-impairment results in crossmodal reorganization of ferret core auditory cortex.numerous investigations of cortical crossmodal plasticity, most often in congenital or early-deaf subjects, have indicated that secondary auditory cortical areas reorganize to exhibit visual responsiveness while the core auditory regions are largely spared. however, a recent study of adult-deafened ferrets demonstrated that core auditory cortex was reorganized by the somatosensory modality. because adult animals have matured beyond their critical period of sensory development and plasticity, it ...201222888454
reference ranges for laboratory parameters in ferrets.the purpose of this study was to establish reference ranges (robust methods) for 51 laboratory parameters in ferrets for use in private practice. current literature concerning reference values in ferrets is often based on small patient numbers, methods of blood sampling not suitable for practice, and outdated laboratory methods. blood was collected from the v saphena lateralis of 111 clinically healthy ferrets (age 11 weeks to 9 years; 61 male, 50 female). age, sex (male or female) and fasting s ...201222859408
the phase response of the cortical slow oscillation.cortical slow oscillations occur in the mammalian brain during deep sleep and have been shown to contribute to memory consolidation, an effect that can be enhanced by electrical stimulation. as the precise underlying working mechanisms are not known it is desired to develop and analyze computational models of slow oscillations and to study the response to electrical stimuli. in this paper we employ the conductance based model of compte et al. (j neurophysiol 89:2707-2725, 2003) to study the effe ...201224995052
compromise of auditory cortical tuning and topography after cross-modal invasion by visual inputs.brain damage resulting in loss of sensory stimulation can induce reorganization of sensory maps in cerebral cortex. previous research on recovery from brain damage has focused primarily on adaptive plasticity within the affected modality. less attention has been paid to maladaptive plasticity that may arise as a result of ectopic innervation from other modalities. using ferrets in which neonatal midbrain damage results in diversion of retinal projections to the auditory thalamus, we investigated ...201222836267
brain injury risk from primary blast.military service members are often exposed to at least one explosive event, and many blast-exposed veterans present with symptoms of traumatic brain injury. however, there is little information on the intensity and duration of blast necessary to cause brain injury.201222836001
ferrets further disease research. 201222821038
effects of dronabinol on morphine-induced dopamine-related behavioral effects in animals.the present study examined the effects of dronabinol, a united states fda-approved synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist, on morphine (a prototypic μ-opioid receptor agonist)-induced dopamine-related behaviors in animals. dronabinol suppressed the rewarding effects of morphine in rats and its emetic effects in ferrets. furthermore, the morphine-induced increase in dopamine release from the nucleus accumbens was significantly attenuated by dronabinol, which indicated that the suppressive effects ...201222807156
dangerous for ferrets: lethal for humans? 201222348706
contrast tuned responses in primary auditory cortex of the awake ferret.auditory neurons are often characterized by their spectro-temporal receptive field (strf), a linear measure that captures overall trends of neural responses to modulations of the spectro-temporal envelopes of sounds. we have previously shown that primary auditory cortex neurons of the awake ferret are better characterized by strfs followed by a non-trivial non-linearity. this non-linearity is a half-wave rectification followed by a squaring function, indicating that cortical neurons probably enc ...201222321018
task reward structure shapes rapid receptive field plasticity in auditory cortex.as sensory stimuli and behavioral demands change, the attentive brain quickly identifies task-relevant stimuli and associates them with appropriate motor responses. the effects of attention on sensory processing vary across task paradigms, suggesting that the brain may use multiple strategies and mechanisms to highlight attended stimuli and link them to motor action. to better understand factors that contribute to these variable effects, we studied sensory representations in primary auditory cor ...201222308415
functional biases in visual cortex neurons with identified projections to higher cortical targets.visual perception involves information flow from lower- to higher-order cortical areas, which are known to process different kinds of information. how does this functional specialization arise? as a step toward addressing this question, we combined fluorescent retrograde tracing with in vivo two-photon calcium imaging to simultaneously compare the tuning properties of neighboring neurons in areas 17 and 18 of ferret visual cortex that have different higher cortical projection targets.201222305753
avian influenza. the limits of avian flu studies in ferrets. 201222301288
urine specific gravity values in clinically healthy young pet ferrets (mustela furo).to determine urine specific gravity values in clinically healthy pet ferrets and explore possible associations with sex, sampling techniques, hydration status and urine analytes.201222283794
the cult of personality testing: why assessments are essential for employee selection.in today's complex business environment, it is more essential than ever to recognize that talent selection is critical and therefore must be at the top of a manager's list of priorities. it is very difficult to ferret out the important behavioral, motivational, and judgment traits that distinguish an inferior choice from a superior performer. adding people with high performance capability and low turnover potential adds tremendously to the bottom line. employing modern psychometric tools that ac ...201222283069
functional properties of tooth pulp neurons responding to thermal stimulation.the response properties of tooth pulp neurons that respond to noxious thermal stimulation of the dental pulp have been not well-studied. the present study was designed to characterize the response properties of tooth pulp neurons to noxious thermal stimulation of the dental pulp. experiments were conducted on 25 male ferrets, and heat stimulation was applied by a computer-controlled thermode. only 15% of tooth pulp neurons (n = 39) responded to noxious thermal stimulation of the teeth. tooth pul ...201222257665
mycobacterial lesions in fish, amphibians, reptiles, rodents, lagomorphs, and ferrets with reference to animal models.mycobacteriosis is a serious disease across many animal species. approximately more than 120 species are currently recognized in the genus mycobacterium. this article describes the zoonotic potential of mycobacteria and mycobacteriosis in fish, amphibians, rodents, rabbits, and ferrets. it considers clinical signs; histology; molecular methods of identification, such as polymerase chain reaction and dna sequencing; routes of infection; and disease progression. studying the disease in animals may ...201222244111
canine distemper outbreak in ferrets in the uk. 201222228869
the effects of proton radiation on the prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times of irradiated ferrets.to determine whether proton radiation affects coagulation.201222221163
nebulized live-attenuated influenza vaccine provides protection in ferrets at a reduced dose.live-attenuated influenza vaccine (laiv) is delivered to vaccine recipients using a nasal spray syringe. laiv delivered by this method is immunogenic at current doses; however, improvements in nasal delivery might allow for significant dose reduction. we investigated laiv vaccination in ferrets using a high efficiency nebulizer designed for nasal delivery. laiv nasal aerosol elicited high levels of serum neutralizing antibodies and protected ferrets from homologous virus challenge at conventiona ...201222075083
immunization with sars coronavirus vaccines leads to pulmonary immunopathology on challenge with the sars virus.severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars) emerged in china in 2002 and spread to other countries before brought under control. because of a concern for reemergence or a deliberate release of the sars coronavirus, vaccine development was initiated. evaluations of an inactivated whole virus vaccine in ferrets and nonhuman primates and a virus-like-particle vaccine in mice induced protection against infection but challenged animals exhibited an immunopathologic-type lung disease.201222536382
lack of innate interferon responses during sars coronavirus infection in a vaccination and reinfection ferret model.in terms of its highly pathogenic nature, there remains a significant need to further define the immune pathology of sars-coronavirus (sars-cov) infection, as well as identify correlates of immunity to help develop vaccines for severe coronaviral infections. here we use a sars-cov infection-reinfection ferret model and a functional genomics approach to gain insight into sars immunopathogenesis and to identify correlates of immune protection during sars-cov-challenge in ferrets previously infecte ...201223029269
overexpression of serum response factor in astrocytes improves neuronal plasticity in a model of early alcohol exposure.neuronal plasticity deficits underlie many of the cognitive problems seen in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (fasd). we have developed a ferret model showing that early alcohol exposure leads to a persistent disruption in ocular dominance (od) plasticity. recently, we showed that this deficit could be reversed by overexpression of serum response factor (srf) in the primary visual cortex during the period of monocular deprivation (md). surprisingly, this restoration was observed throughout the e ...201222742904
immunity to influenza in ferrets. 13. protection against influenza infection by serum antibody to homologous haemagglutinin or neuraminidase antigens. 20124422499
isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo).the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo) is an important model organism for the study of avian influenza and other diseases of humans and animals, as well as a popular pet animal. in order to evaluate genetic diversity and study disease relationships in ferrets, 22 nuclear microsatellite loci (17 dinucleotide and 5 tetranucleotide) were developed from ferret genomic libraries and organized into seven multiplex sets. polymorphism was preliminarily assessed in one population in australia and on ...201223443120
campylobacter polysaccharide capsules: virulence and vaccines.campylobacter jejuni remains a major cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide and is associated with numerous sequelae, including guillain barré syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, reactive arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. c. jejuni is unusual for an intestinal pathogen in its ability to coat its surface with a polysaccharide capsule (cps). these capsular polysaccharides vary in sugar composition and linkage, especially those involving heptoses of unusual configuration and o-methyl phosph ...201222919599
ferret thoracic anatomy by 2-deoxy-2-(18f)fluoro-d-glucose (18f-fdg) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18f-fdg pet/ct) imaging.the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo) has been a long-standing animal model used in the evaluation and treatment of human diseases. molecular imaging techniques such as 2-deoxy-2-((18)f)fluoro-d-glucose ((18)f-fdg) positron emission tomography (pet) would be an invaluable method of tracking disease in vivo, but this technique has not been reported in the literature. thus, the aim of this study was to establish baseline imaging characteristics of pet/computed tomography (ct) with (18)f-fdg ...201223382267
neurovirulence of h5n1 infection in ferrets is mediated by multifocal replication in distinct permissive neuronal cell regions.highly pathogenic avian influenza a (hpai), subtype h5n1, remains an emergent threat to the human population. while respiratory disease is a hallmark of influenza infection, h5n1 has a high incidence of neurological sequelae in many animal species and sporadically in humans. we elucidate the temporal/spatial infection of h5n1 in the brain of ferrets following a low dose, intranasal infection of two hpai strains of varying neurovirulence and lethality. a/vietnam/1203/2004 (vn1203) induced mortali ...201223056366
porcine head response to blast.recent studies have shown an increase in the frequency of traumatic brain injuries related to blast exposure. however, the mechanisms that cause blast neurotrauma are unknown. blast neurotrauma research using computational models has been one method to elucidate that response of the brain in blast, and to identify possible mechanical correlates of injury. however, model validation against experimental data is required to ensure that the model output is representative of in vivo biomechanical res ...201222586417
sequencing, annotation, and characterization of the influenza ferret infectome.ferrets have become an indispensable tool in the understanding of influenza virus virulence and pathogenesis. furthermore, ferrets are the preferred preclinical model for influenza vaccine and therapeutic testing. here we characterized the influenza infectome during the different stages of the infectious process in ferrets with and without prior specific immunity to influenza. rna from lung tissue and lymph nodes from infected and naïve animals was subjected to next-generation sequencing, follow ...201223236062
comparative analysis of the subventricular zone in rat, ferret and macaque: evidence for an outer subventricular zone in rodents.the mammalian cerebral cortex arises from precursor cells that reside in a proliferative region surrounding the lateral ventricles of the developing brain. recent work has shown that precursor cells in the subventricular zone (svz) provide a major contribution to prenatal cortical neurogenesis, and that the svz is significantly thicker in gyrencephalic mammals such as primates than it is in lissencephalic mammals including rodents. identifying characteristics that are shared by or that distingui ...201222272298
histopathologic correlation with diffusion tensor imaging after chronic hypoxia in the immature ferret.introduction:chronic hypoxia in rodents induces white matter (wm) injury similar to that in human preterm infants. we used diffusion tensor imaging (dti) and immunohistochemistry to study the impact of hypoxia in the immature ferret at two developmental time points relevant to the preterm and term brain.results:on ex vivo imaging, the apparent diffusion coefficient (adc) was decreased throughout the wm after 10 days of hypoxia (hypoxia from postnatal day 10 (p10) to p20 and killed at p20 (early ...201222258131
Characterization and scanning electron microscopic investigation of crosslinked freeze dried gelatin matrices for study of drug diffusivity and release kinetics.Drug delivery is a promising technique to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the drug. However, properties of carrier materials require intense improvement for effective transport of drug molecules. In the current study, attempts have been made to develop freeze dried gelatin matrices cross linked with genipin at various temperatures (5°C, 15°C and 25°C) prior to freeze-drying (-80°C). The freeze dried matrices thus obtained at the said temperatures are characterized for crosslinking density, c ...201222172346
Usefulness of Olanzapine as an Adjunct to Opioid Treatment and for the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain.BACKGROUND:: The use of opioids for pain management is often associated with nausea and vomiting. Although conventional antipsychotics are often used to counter emesis, they can be associated with extrapyramidal symptoms. However, chronic pain can induce sleep disturbance. The authors investigated the effects of the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine on morphine-induced emesis and the sleep dysregulation associated with chronic pain. METHODS:: A receptor binding assay was performed using mouse wh ...201222126917
in vitro evolution of h5n1 avian influenza virus toward human-type receptor specificity.acquisition of α2-6 sialoside receptor specificity by α2-3 specific highly-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (h5n1) is thought to be a prerequisite for efficient transmission in humans. by in vitro selection for binding α2-6 sialosides, we identified four variant viruses with amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin (s227n, d187g, e190g, and q196r) that revealed modestly increased α2-6 and minimally decreased α2-3 binding by glycan array analysis. however, a mutant virus combining q196r wi ...201222056389
experimental adaptation of an influenza h5ha strain confers respiratory droplet transmission to reassortant h5h/h1n1 virus strain in ferrets.an evaluation of the role - if any - of censorship in scientific papers, based on the publishing of the article that shows it is possible to modify the genetics of the h5n1 aviary influenza virus, enhancing its transmission among mammals, which was followed by much ado and ethical discussion.201223386026
in vivo genetic manipulation of cortical progenitors in gyrencephalic carnivores using in utero electroporation.brain structures such as the outer subventricular zone (osvz) and the inner fiber layer (ifl) in the developing cerebral cortex are especially prominent in higher mammals. however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of the osvz are still largely unknown, mainly because genetic manipulations that can be applied to the osvz in higher mammals had been poorly available. here we developed and validated a rapid and efficient genetic manipulation technique for germinal zones including th ...201223336081
Vaccine-specific antibody secreting cells are a robust early marker of LAIV-induced B-cell response in ferrets.Currently, a robust set of immune correlates for live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) efficacy in humans has not been fully elucidated. The serum hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay has been historically used to measure humoral immune responses to injectable inactivated influenza vaccination. However, serum antibody titers do not reliably reflect the complete mechanism of action of LAIV, which is an intranasally delivered vaccine and is expected to induce local mucosal and cellular immun ...201222080173
Virulence differences of closely related pandemic 2009 H1N1 isolates correlate with increased inflammatory responses in ferrets.Several early pandemic H1N1 influenza isolates cause severe disease in different animals models, while most strains result in mild clinical signs similar to seasonal influenza. In this study, the pathogenesis of the virulent Mexican isolate A/Mexico/InDRE4487/2009 and a mild Canadian isolate A/Canada-AB/RV1532/2009 was compared in ferrets. These viruses differed at nine residues, none of which has been previously identified as virulence factor. The Mexican isolate caused more severe disease and ...201222074911
evidence for distinct chronic wasting disease (cwd) strains in experimental cwd in ferrets.chronic wasting disease (cwd) is an evolving prion disease of cervids (deer, elk and moose) that has been recognized in north america and korea. infection of non-cervid reservoir or transport species in nature is not reported. however, the ferret (mustela putorius furo) is susceptible to cwd after experimental inoculation. here, we report that infection of ferrets with either of two ferret cwd isolates by various routes of exposure has revealed biologically distinct strain-like properties distin ...201221918005
endogenous lentiviral elements in the weasel family (mustelidae).endogenous retroviruses provide molecular fossils for studying the ancient evolutionary history of retroviruses. here, we report our independent discovery and analysis of endogenous lentiviral insertions (mustelidae endogenous lentivirus [melv]) within the genomes of weasel family (mustelidae). genome-scale screening identified melv elements in the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo) genome (melvmpf). melvmpf exhibits a typical lentiviral genomic organization. phylogenetic analyses position ...201222522310
evaluation of synthetic infection-enhancing lipopeptides as adjuvants for a live-attenuated canine distemper virus vaccine administered intra-nasally to ferrets.inactivated paramyxovirus vaccines have been associated with hypersensitivity responses upon challenge infection. for measles and canine distemper virus (cdv) safe and effective live-attenuated virus vaccines are available, but for human respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus development of such vaccines has proven difficult. we recently identified three synthetic bacterial lipopeptides that enhance paramyxovirus infections in vitro, and hypothesized these could be used as adjuvan ...201222705079
recombinant canine distemper virus strain snyder hill expressing green or red fluorescent proteins causes meningoencephalitis in the ferret.the propensity of canine distemper virus (cdv) to spread to the central nervous system is one of the primary features of distemper. therefore, we developed a reverse genetics system based on the neurovirulent snyder hill (sh) strain of cdv (cdv(sh)) and show that this virus rapidly circumvents the blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid (csf) barriers to spread into the subarachnoid space to induce dramatic viral meningoencephalitis. the use of recombinant cdv(sh) (rcdv(sh)) expressing enhance ...201222553334
canine distemper virus epithelial cell infection is required for clinical disease but not for immunosuppression.to characterize the importance of infection of epithelial cells for morbillivirus pathogenesis, we took advantage of the severe disease caused by canine distemper virus (cdv) in ferrets. to obtain a cdv that was unable to enter epithelial cells but retained the ability to enter immune cells, we transferred to its attachment (h) protein two mutations shown to interfere with the interaction of measles virus h with its epithelial receptor, human nectin-4. as expected for an epithelial receptor (epr ...201222278252
higher immunological protection of pandemic 2009 h1n1 influenza live virus infection than split vaccine against the homologous virus for long term immunization in ferret.the study was to evaluate the long term immunological efficacy of pandemic 2009 h1n1 influenza live virus infection and split vaccine against the homologous virus challenge in ferrets. antibodies in ferrets were monitored by haemagglutination inhibition (hi) assay for 200 days, the hi titers of both infected-only and vaccinated plus infected ferrets could maintain a high level for at least 182 days, without significant difference between the two infected groups. while one-dose and two-dose vacci ...201224293813
consecutive ct in vivo lung imaging as quantitative parameter of influenza vaccine efficacy in the ferret model.preclinical vaccine efficacy studies are generally limited to certain read out parameters such as assessment of virus titers in swabs and organs, clinical signs, serum antibody titers, and pathological changes. these parameters are not always routinely applied and not always scheduled in a logical standardized way. we used computed tomography (ct) imaging as additional and novel read out parameter in a vaccine efficacy study by quantifying alterations in aerated lung volumes in ferrets challenge ...201223085360
differential pathological and immune responses in newly weaned ferrets are associated with a mild clinical outcome of pandemic 2009 h1n1 infection.young children are typically considered a high-risk group for disease associated with influenza virus infection. interestingly, recent clinical reports suggested that young children were the smallest group of cases with severe pandemic 2009 h1n1 (h1n1pdm) influenza virus infection. here we established a newly weaned ferret model for the investigation of h1n1pdm infection in young age groups compared to adults. we found that young ferrets had a significantly milder fever and less weight loss than ...201223055557
characterization of the 2009 pandemic a/beijing/501/2009 h1n1 influenza strain in human airway epithelial cells and ferrets.a novel 2009 swine-origin influenza a h1n1 virus (s-oiv h1n1) has been transmitted among humans worldwide. however, the pathogenesis of this virus in human airway epithelial cells and mammals is not well understood.201223049974
comparison of the protection of ferrets against pandemic 2009 influenza a virus (h1n1) by 244 di influenza virus and oseltamivir.the main antivirals employed to combat seasonal and pandemic influenza are oseltamivir and zanamivir which act by inhibiting the virus-encoded neuraminidase. these have to be deployed close to the time of infection and antiviral resistance to the more widely used oseltamivir has arisen relatively rapidly. defective interfering (di) influenza virus is a natural antiviral that works in a different way to oseltamivir and zanamivir, and a cloned version (segment 1 244 di rna in a cloned a/pr/8/34 vi ...201223041142
virulence and transmissibility of h1n2 influenza virus in ferrets imply the continuing threat of triple-reassortant swine viruses.efficient worldwide swine surveillance for influenza a viruses is urgently needed; the emergence of a novel reassortant pandemic h1n1 (ph1n1) virus in 2009 demonstrated that swine can be the direct source of pandemic influenza and that the pandemic potential of viruses prevalent in swine populations must be monitored. we used the ferret model to assess the pathogenicity and transmissibility of predominant korean triple-reassortant swine (trsw) h1n2 and h3n2 influenza viruses genetically related ...201223019374
flagellin-ha vaccines protect ferrets and mice against h5n1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (hpaiv) infections.in order to meet the global demand for rapid production of pandemic influenza vaccines, we have developed a recombinant fusion vaccine platform in which the globular head of hemagglutinin (ha) antigen is genetically fused to bacterial flagellin (a tlr5 ligand). these flagellin-ha fusion vaccine candidates elicit highly protective immunity against a lethal challenge with 2009 pandemic h1n1 (liu, et al. plos one 2011; 6:e20928) or h5n1 influenza a/vietnam/1203/04 (a/vn) infections in mice (song, e ...201223000130
transmission of a 2009 h1n1 pandemic influenza virus occurs before fever is detected, in the ferret model.during the early phase of the 2009 influenza pandemic, attempts were made to contain the spread of the virus. success of reactive control measures may be compromised if the proportion of transmission that occurs before overt clinical symptoms develop is high. in this study we investigated the timing of transmission of an early prototypic strain of pandemic h1n1 2009 influenza virus in the ferret model. ferrets are the only animal model in which this can be assessed because they display typical i ...201222952661
pentamers not found in the universal proteome can enhance antigen specific immune responses and adjuvant vaccines.certain short peptides do not occur in humans and are rare or non-existent in the universal proteome. antigens that contain rare amino acid sequences are in general highly immunogenic and may activate different arms of the immune system. we first generated a list of rare, semi-common, and common 5-mer peptides using bioinformatics tools to analyze the uniprotkb database. experimental observations indicated that rare and semi-common 5-mers generated stronger cellular responses in comparison with ...201222937099
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