e., headaches, fatigue, and decreased sex drive). In study 2, 2D:4D and/or middle-phalangeal hair was/were associated with a reported find more history of: (a) discontinuation due to negative mood side effects; (b) specific mood-related side effects (i.e., negative mood, disrupted steep, increased aggression, and altered trust in one’s partner) and (c) specific physical side effects (i.e., headaches, decreased menstrual cramps, and increased sex drive/arousal). The general pattern was that adverse OC side effects were experienced by women with lower 2D:4D and fewer middle-phalangeal hairs. Almost all relationships remained significant when response bias was controlled. These results suggest a possible role for prenatal testosterone

exposure and both androgen action and sensitivity in women’s experience of OC side effects. Furthermore, these two digit measures may be useful predictors of hormonal contraceptive side effects in women. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Brain-derived

neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin growth factor family and is implicated as a modulator of neuronal survival and differentiation, synaptic plasticity, and higher order cognitive functions such as learning and memory. A common single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Selleck PSI-7977 has been identified in the human BDNF gene (BDNF Val66Met) that leads to decreased BDNF secretion and impairments in specific forms of learning Roscovitine datasheet in humans. To better understand the impact of this SNP on biological function, the authors generated a mouse model containing the BDNF Met allele, which they found to replicate the key phenotypes observed in humans and provided further insight into the functional impact of this SNP in vivo. They used a “”bottom-up”" approach to study the BDNF SNP, which provided external validation in biologically less complex, genetically uniform systems, which minimized the variability inherent in human studies. In this review, the authors discuss the impact of the BDNF

SNP on learning and memory while providing arguments for the relevance of a vertically integrated approach to studying human genetic variants.”
“Objectives: The acute dissection of an ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) represents a devastating separation of elastic layers occurring when the hemodynamic loads on the diseased wall exceed the adhesive strength between layers. At present, the mechanics underlying aortic dissection are largely unclear, and the biomechanical delamination properties of the aneurysmal aorta are not defined. Individuals with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) are particularly predisposed to ascending aortic aneurysm formation, with a marked risk of aortic dissection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the dissection properties of nonaneurysmal and aneurysmal human ascending thoracic aorta from patients with BAV morphology or normal tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) morphology using biomechanical delamination testing.