University of Lausanne

About: University of Lausanne is a education organization based out in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 20508 authors who have published 46458 publications receiving 1996655 citations. The organization is also known as: Université de Lausanne & UNIL.

A peptide inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase protects against excitotoxicity and cerebral ischemia.

Abstract: Neuronal death in cerebral ischemia is largely due to excitotoxic mechanisms, which are known to activate the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. We have evaluated the neuroprotective power of a cell-penetrating, protease-resistant peptide that blocks the access of JNK to many of its targets. We obtained strong protection in two models of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO): transient occlusion in adult mice and permanent occlusion in 14-d-old rat pups. In the first model, intraventricular administration as late as 6 h after occlusion reduced the lesion volume by more than 90% for at least 14 d and prevented behavioral consequences. In the second model, systemic delivery reduced the lesion by 78% and 49% at 6 and 12 h after ischemia, respectively. Protection correlated with prevention of an increase in c-Jun activation and c-Fos transcription. In view of its potency and long therapeutic window, this protease-resistant peptide is a promising neuroprotective agent for stroke.

TRAIL receptor-2 signals apoptosis through FADD and caspase-8

Abstract: ertain cytokines of the tumour-necrosis factor (TNF) family and their cognate receptors (collectively named death receptors) are potent inducers of programmed cell death (apoptosis). One such protein is the cell-surface receptor Fas, which, upon ligand binding, trimerizes and recruits the adaptor protein FADD through the cytoplasmic death domain of Fas. FADD then binds and activates procaspase-8 (ref. 1). TRAIL, the most recently identified member of the TNF family of death ligands, can induce apoptosis in a wide variety of tumour cells but not in normal cells. TRAIL induces apoptosis through two death-domain-containing receptors, TRAIL-R1 (also called death receptor (DR) 4) and TRAIL-R2 (or DR5). Investigation of the intracellular signalling pathways responsible for TRAIL-receptor-induced apoptosis has produced controversial results. Genetic evidence indicates the C

Use of niche models in invasive species risk assessments.

Abstract: Risk maps summarizing landscape suitability of novel areas for invading species can be valuable tools for preventing species’ invasions or controlling their spread, but methods employed for development of such maps remain variable and unstandardized. We discuss several considerations in development of such models, including types of distributional information that should be used, the nature of explanatory variables that should be incorporated, and caveats regarding model testing and evaluation. We highlight that, in the case of invasive species, such distributional predictions should aim to derive the best hypothesis of the potential distribution of the species by using (1) all distributional information available, including information from both the native range and other invaded regions; (2) predictors linked as directly as is feasible to the physiological requirements of the species; and (3) modelling procedures that carefully avoid overfitting to the training data. Finally, model testing and evaluation should focus on well-predicted presences, and less on efficient prediction of absences; a k-fold regional cross-validation test is discussed.