Monozygotic twin correlations for cerebellar activation were generally much larger than dizygotic twin correlations, consistent with genetic influences. Structural

equation models showed that up to 65% of the variance in cerebellar activation during working memory is genetic (averaging 34% across significant voxels), most prominently in the lobules VI, and VIIa Crus 1, with the remaining variance explained by unique/unshared environmental factors. Heritability estimates for brain activation in the cerebellum agree with those found for working memory activation in the cerebral AZD9291 cortex, even though cerebellar cyto-architecture differs substantially. Phenotypic correlations between BOLD percent signal change in cerebrum and cerebellum were low, and bivariate modeling indicated that genetic influences on the cerebellum are at least partly specific to the cerebellum. Activation on the voxel-level correlated very weakly with cerebellar gray matter volume, suggesting specific genetic influences on the BOLD signal. Heritable signals identified here should facilitate discovery of generic polymorphisms influencing cerebellar function through genome-wide association

studies, to elucidate the genetic liability to brain disorders affecting the cerebellum. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Graft stenosis is among the most serious post-surgical complications that can occur after tracheal transplantation. Typically, stenosis is caused selleckchem by resorption of tracheal cartilage. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is efficient at stimulating bone or

cartilage regeneration. In this study, BMP-2 is tested for its effects on stimulation of cartilage regeneration in tracheal transplantation.\n\nMethods: For tracheal autotransplantation, 24 mongrel dogs were divided equally into four groups and BMP-2 was injected between the cartilage rings at doses of 1, 3, 5 or 7 mg. For tracheal allotransplantation, 12 mongrel dogs were divided equally into two groups. One group received KU-57788 5 mg of BMP-2 per graft, and the other received collagen only as a control. The grafts were harvested after 4 weeks and subjected to pathologic analysis. The diameter of the graft lumen and areas of new cartilage regeneration were measured.\n\nResults: Regenerated cartilage areas were found in both the injected area and around the perichondrium. The areas of regenerated cartilage, as well as the diameter of the tracheal lumen, increased significantly with increasing concentrations of BMP-2. Five milligrams per milliliter was the most effective dose of BMP-2 in this study.\n\nConclusions: BMP-2 can significantly stimulate cartilage regeneration in tracheal grafts and also can be used to prevent stenosis after tracheal transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant 2009;28:285-9.