The paper highlights some evidence of changes and/or trends that

The paper highlights some evidence of changes and/or trends that suggest particular attention, precautions, or changes in the behavior of the local communities in relation to the land use management, and to the maintenance of the drainage system itself. The largest changes in the channel network happened between

1954 and 1981, when the changes in agricultural practices determined changes in the network patterns and conformations; in 2006 the progressive urbanization further decreased the network storage capacity. To evaluate the Ruxolitinib cell line effects of the network changes, we developed a new index called Network Saturation Index (NSI),) that provides a measure of how long it takes for a designed rainfall to saturate the available storage volume. The results underline

how the higher changes in the NSI index derive from the changes in storage capacity registered from 1954 to 1981, while from 1981 to 2006 the NSI only changes slightly. The changes in storage capacity have a greater effect for events with a shorter return time, and this is true both in average, and if we consider the worst case scenarios, or the less critical ones. The results also underline how the loss in storage capacity has greater effects on events whose NSI suggested a longer delay in the watershed response in RG7420 research buy 1954. This suggests to carefully plan the land use changes over reclaimed lands, as they may seriously constrain the functionality of the reclamation system, resulting in an increase of the flood risk for rather frequent rainfall MG-132 chemical structure events that are not necessarily associated with extreme meteorological condition, and that are not necessarily associated with the worst case scenarios. Given that land managers/planners have little or no power to interfere with the climatic trend, to reduce the rainfall intensification, the proposed work underlines how land use/land cover change policies in reclamation areas should focus on the maintenance of the existing network storage capacity, providing at the same time measures to compensate the changes in storage capacity determined by the different conformation of the network. Analysis resources were provided by the Interdepartmental Research Centre of Geomatics,

at the University of Padova—CIRGEO. LiDAR data of the main were provided by the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea (Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, MATTM), within the framework of the ‘Extraordinary Plan of Environmental Remote Sensing’ (Piano Straordinario di Telerilevamento Ambientale, PST-A). Rainfall data for the climatic analysis were provided by the ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la. Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale) within the framework of the project SCIA-Sistema Nazionale per la raccolta, l’elaborazione e la diffusione di dati Climatologici di Interesse Ambientale. “
“Mountain landscapes are highly sensitive to natural hazards and disturbances due to their harsh geophysical characteristics and severe climatic conditions (Beniston, 2003).

Likewise, every effort was made to avoid unnecessary stress and p

Likewise, every effort was made to avoid unnecessary stress and pain to

the experimental animals. The number of animals was kept to the minimum necessary to test the concept. The experimental animals used in this study were Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) of approximately 26–30 g, Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) of 150–200 g, and frog (Lithobates catesbeianus). The toxicity of A. paulensis venom was evaluated by determining the 50% lethal dose (LD50) in mice, the dose able to kill 50% of animals tested. Four experimental groups were tested with different doses of venom: 20, 25, 30 and 40 μg/g of mice (n = 5/group). The venom was dissolved in 100 μL saline solution (150 mM NaCl) and injected by i.p. route. The control group (n = 5) was injected with saline. The lethality rate of animals was observed 48 h after inoculation of venom or saline. At the end of the experiment, the surviving animals were euthanized with an

ABT 199 overdose of sodium pentobarbital (about 75 mg/kg). The values for the lethality assay and their confidence limits were calculated by Probit analysis ( Finney, 1971), using the software BioStat 5.8.4 version 2009. The venom of the A. paulensis spider was evaluated for its ability to induce behavioral and physiological changes in mice. All animals used in the lethality assay were observed during the first hour of the experiment, and the symptoms were identified as described in Table 1. All mice utilized in the lethality assay were dissected and their heart, lung, kidney, liver and spleen were removed, fixed in 10% buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin (Prophet et al., 1992). Histological sections (4 mm thick) were stained with hematoxylin eosin (HE) selleckchem and analyzed under a light microscope (Axioskop-2, Zeiss, Germany). The tissues of animals injected with A. paulensis venom were compared with the tissues of animals injected with saline solution, and any changes were considered. The nociceptive behavior was evaluated by the intradermal Urease injection in mice. The assay was preformed similar to formalin test, in which two phases can be observed: Phase I (0–10 min) is referred as the acute phase and the Phase II (10–50 min)

is associated with local release of endogenous mediators, which generate local inflammatory response (for review, see Le Bars et al., 2001). Twenty-eight mice (n = 5–6/group) were used. Three experimental groups were subcutaneously injected through intraplantar route into the left hind-paw with different doses of crude venom (5, 10 and 20 μg/paw). The venom was dissolved in saline solution (150 mM NaCl), and the injection volume was 50 μL. The positive control mice received 50 μL of 2.5% formalin and the negative one 50 μL saline solution through the same route of administration. After injections, each mouse was placed in a transparent glass cage, and the amount of time the animal licked, bit or shook the injected paw was determined between 0 and 10 min (first phase) and 10 and 50 min (second phase).

Caution is needed in this field not to mislabel normal variation

Caution is needed in this field not to mislabel normal variation in PEs in the general population as psychiatric illness

[42]. Evidence for or against psychotic illness being on a continuum with PEs does not change the practical need for categorical definitions of psychiatric illness [43]. Vice versa, because there is clinical need for categorical definitions, this PLX3397 ic50 should not prevent researchers exploring the causes of PEs dimensionally, given that they exist dimensionally in the population (see Figure 1). Another improvement has been research on specific individual PEs, which brings greater clarity to what causes individual experiences such as paranoia, hallucinations, and negative symptoms individually, rather than assuming that PEs form part of a single construct, which is in opposition to empirical psychometric evidence 3, 12, 44 and 45]. Going forward, it is unrealistic

to expect a one-to-one mapping between PEs and schizophrenia, or to find large effect sizes between PEs and schizophrenia, in light see more of the heterogeneity inherent in the latter. There is much anticipation to understand the origins of PEs as normal aspects of life, particularly in young people, and as predictors of clinically relevant psychopathology. Nothing declared. Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted as: •• of outstanding interest AR was funded by the Medical Research Council (G1100559). The Phloretin author would like to thank Professor Daniel Freeman for comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. “
“Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 2015, 2:89–95 This review comes from a themed issue on Behavioral genetics Edited by William Davies and Laramie Duncan

http://dx.doi.10.1016/j.cobeha.2014.10.002 2352-1546/© 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All right reserved. Behavior genetics is the study of the inheritance of behavioral phenotypes. Many different species have been studied, especially rodents (mice and rats), fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), worms (Caenorhabditis elegans), and humans, with zebrafish (Danio rerio) currently catching up swiftly. Especially in the last few decades, progress has been rapid and many new genetic techniques are helping elucidate the role of genetics in the causation of behavior. Many of these advances will be addressed in the other reviews in this issue. In this review I will focus on a few key issues facing contemporary behavior genetics. Behavior genetics is, in principle, not very different from other subfields of genetics: It is strongly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, with contributions from ethology, psychology, neuroscience, ecology, psychiatry, etc., and focuses on a specific class of phenotypes: behavior. Therein, however, also lays its greatest distinction with most other genetics disciplines.

After these experimental analyses, all lactones compounds were su

After these experimental analyses, all lactones compounds were submitted to ab initio quantum calculations (DFT – Density Functional Theory – UB3LYP/6-31G*) and the values

of their physical–chemistry properties were analyzed by chemometric methods, in order to recognize patterns that correlate the lactone structures with their biological activities. The results obtained may aid in the development of new selective inhibitors for phospholipases A2 and, consequently, selleck chemicals llc the treatment of poisoning by snake bites. All reagents, including Lac01 (α-santonin), were purchased from Aldrich or Sigma Co (USA). B. jararacussu venom was purchased from a private serpentarium in Formiga, MG, Brazil. B. jararacussu PLA2 was isolated employing two chromatographic steps: first gel filtration on Sephadex G-75, followed by cation-exchange chromatography. The column was previously equilibrated with 0.05 M ammonium bicarbonate buffer, pH 8.0. Elution was carried out with a continuous gradient up to a concentration

of 0.5 M ammonium bicarbonate. Absorbance of the effluent solution was recorded at a wavelength of 280 nm. PLA2 homogeneity was assessed by native and SDS-PAGE and reverse-phase see more HPLC. Fraction II, known as Asp49 BthTX-II, was used in this study. This phospholipase will be denominated in this paper as just PLA2 ( Da Silva et al., 2008a and Da Silva et al., 2008b). Male Swiss mice, 6–8

weeks old, were matched for body weight (18–22 g). The animals were housed for at least one week before the experiment in laminar-flow cages maintained at a temperature of 22 ± 2 °C and a relative humidity of 50–60%, under a 12:12 h light–dark cycle. The animal experiments were carried out with the approval of the institutional committee of ethics, in accordance with protocols following the recommendations of the Canadian Council on Animal Care. The mice used in this study 6-phosphogluconolactonase were kept under specific pathogen-free conditions. The compounds employed in this study are shown in Fig. 1. Lactones 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 were prepared by procedures described in the literature (Arantes et al., 2009 and De Alvarenga et al., 2009). Lac04 was prepared as described below. To characterization of Lac04: IR spectra were recorded on a Perkin Elmer Paragon 1000 FTIR spectrophotometer, KBr, νmax, cm−1. 1H and 13C NMR spectra were obtained on a Bruker AVANCE DRX400 spectrometer at 400 and 100 MHz, respectively, and a Varian Mercury spectrometer observing 1H at 300 MHz and 13C at 75 MHz. All 1H and 13C spectra were obtained using CDCl3 as solvent and TMS as internal standard. Low resolution mass spectra were obtained on a SHIMADZU GC MS-QP5050A instrument by direct injection. The microanalysis was obtained on a PERKIN ELMER 2400 instrument.

The primary objective

The primary objective selleck chemical of the present study was to assess the reliability of UCEIS scoring and perform an initial validation in an independent cohort of videos and investigators after appropriate training. Secondary objectives included an assessment of the impact of endoscopists’ knowledge

of clinical details on the evaluation of endoscopic disease severity. For consistency in the text, the word “index” refers to an instrument for assessing activity, “descriptor” refers to an item within that index with severity allocated on a Likert scale, and “level” refers to the severity graded for an item. “Score” is the overall measure provided by an index. Initial development of the UCEIS has been reported.6 In brief, a library of 670 video sigmoidoscopies from patients with

Mayo Clinic scores of 0 to 11, supplemented by 10 videos from 5 people without UC and 5 hospitalized patients with acute, severe UC, was used. Phase 1 mapped inconsistency in overall endoscopic assessment of 16 of 24 video sigmoidoscopies by specialists (the clinical authors) and defined word for word by common agreement 10 endoscopic descriptors that evaluated components of the visual image. Compound C nmr Phase 2 was conducted in a separate cohort of 30 investigators from 13 countries. The investigators rated descriptors in 25 of 60 randomly assigned videos and assessed overall endoscopic severity on a VAS from 0 to 100. An index (the UCEIS) consisting of the sum of 3 descriptors, each with 3 or 4 levels of severity, was then constructed that could be tested for reliability Janus kinase (JAK) and validation (Table 1). Interobserver and intraobserver variations in these descriptors were also quantified. Phase 3 of the study is reported here. Investigators were recruited to reflect a range of geographic and institutional characteristics (see Acknowledgments) from gastroenterologists known to have endoscopic training in trials of inflammatory bowel disease or known to the authors to have an interest in endoscopy and inflammatory bowel disease. Each investigator was then

further trained to ensure consistency in understanding and use of the descriptors for assessing endoscopic severity. Training involved assessing video clips of each descriptor at each level, each with an agreed definition of severity. During training, investigators scored 4 standardized videos from phase 2 that included characteristics of the 3 descriptors. To qualify, investigators had to identify correctly the level of the descriptor “erosions and ulcers” on each video and the descriptors “vascular pattern” and “bleeding” within one level of the correct response on each video. Investigators failing to qualify at first assessment were permitted one retest that consisted of correctly scoring 2 of 3 different examples (from different videos) of the descriptor(s) that they had previously incorrectly scored.

The authors declare that no experiments were performed on humans

The authors declare that no experiments were performed on humans or animals for this investigation. The authors declare that they have followed the protocols of their work centre on the publication

of patient data and that all the patients included in the study have received sufficient information and have given their informed consent in writing to participate in that study. The authors declare that no patient data appear in this article. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. “
“Mulher de 66 anos, leucodérmica, seguida em consulta por anemia ferropénica e referenciada por suspeita de doença linfoproliferativa. Medicada com propranolol, ranitidina, sinvastatina, loflazepato de etilo, bromazepam, Ipilimumab supplier diclofenac e sulfato ferroso oral. A endoscopia Dabrafenib ic50 digestiva alta era normal. A tomografia computorizada revelou exuberante componente adenomegálico mediastínico, abdominal e retroperitoneal, bem como neoformação sólida com 9 cm de extensão, envolvendo o cólon transverso. Foi submetida a colonoscopia tendo sido detetada, no cólon transverso, uma extensa lesão ulcerada com coloração negra e de bordos elevados (Figura 1, Figura 2 and Figura

3). A análise histológica das biopsias colhidas revelou adenocarcinoma pouco diferenciado com extensa ulceração e depósitos de material negro positivo na coloração de Perls. Procedeu-se ainda a estudo dirigido das linfadenopatias que se revelaram lesões metastáticas do adenocarcinoma cólico. O óbito ocorreu cerca de 5 meses após o diagnóstico. Os autores apresentam este caso pela raridade do aspeto endoscópico do tumor do cólon. A coloração negra em lesão endoscópica pode ser devida à produção de melanina – o que não se verificou nesta doente – ou à presença de pigmentos exógenos. Nesta doente, o pigmento depositado na mucosa ulcerada era positivo para a coloração de Perls, identificando iões de ferro na forma férrica. Várias espécies de bactérias pertencentes à flora do cólon produzem sulfureto de hidrogénio, que ao reagir com iões

ferro, provenientes não só da hemorragia local como Loperamide também da medicação da doente, origina sulfato férrico, apresentando-se como um precipitado negro1. Será provavelmente esta a razão para a coloração encontrada2. Os autores declaram não haver conflito de interesses. “
“Homem de 50 anos, raça branca, submetido a endoscopia digestiva alta por queixas dispépticas. Observou-se um pólipo séssil com 10 mm de diâmetro no 1/3 inferior do esófago, de aparente origem subepitelial (fig. 1), que se removeu com ansa diatérmica. A histologia foi compatível com tumor de células granulares, com margens livres (Figura 2 and Figura 3). A endoscopia de controlo, realizada após 12 meses, não mostrou evidência de recidiva tumoral. O tumor de células granulares foi descrito pela primeira vez em 1926 por Abrikossoff.

0:1 0 of wall material:core material, and when they increased the

0:1.0 of wall material:core material, and when they increased the concentration of core material, the yield declined. The low values obtained for encapsulation process

yield and encapsulation efficiency in the present Nintedanib study can be explained by the fact that the SPI showed low solubility, limiting its application in food systems, even after using ultrasound to improve the solubility of the protein (Mendanha et al., 2009; Molina-Ortiz et al., 2009). Another possible explanation is the fact that the pH was not altered in each trial to obtain stoichiometric equilibrium between the charges, and was hence distant from the ideal zeta potential. According to Jun-xia et al. (2011), a pH of 4.0 was the ideal value for systems formed from the biopolymers SPI:GA with a core material of orange essential oil, based on the encapsulation yield and absorbance of the supernatant observed in the pH range between 2.5 and 4.5. The analyses of the effects EPZ5676 price of the concentration of the wall materials (SPI:GA), the wall material to core material ratio (wall:core) and the TG concentration on the encapsulation efficiency, failed to present acceptable regression coefficients (R2 < 55%) for obtaining mathematical models considering the independent variables under study, even though the repeatability of the results was proven by the central point trials (C15, C16, C17 and C18–1.5:1.0 SPI:GA; 2.0:1.0

wall:core; 6.0 UA of TG/g), which did not present statistical differences between them (p > 0.05). In the comparison of the experimental trials with the control trials (C20 – without TG), the trial C14 (1.5:1.0 SPI:GA; 2.0:1.0 wall:core; 10 UA/g TG) showed the highest encapsulation efficiency of approximately 70 g/100 g, differing

statistically from the others (p < 0.05). Lamprecht et al. (2001) obtained lower results of 60% encapsulation efficiency for capsules of fish oil ethyl ester encapsulated in a matrix of gelatin:GA by complex coacervation, although they managed to get elevated results Molecular motor for encapsulation efficiency. The formation of microcapsules of fatty acid ethyl esters was confirmed by SEM. All the trials presented the same topographical conformation, with accentuated wrinkling and the presence of smaller microcapsules adhering to the surfaces, a characteristic better observed in Fig. 2. Tang and Li (2012) also observed indented and wrinkled surface morphology of microcapsules produced with SPI by spray drying process, very similar to those found in this work, and justified this fact by uneven shrinkage during the drying or the surface protein content of your wall. The presence of microcapsules with incomplete parts can be observed (C9), a fact also observed by Jun-xia et al. (2011), who indicated the need for more extensive studies in relation to the interaction of the two biopolymers used, since the presence of cracks could represent the non-sealing and incomplete formation of the microcapsules.

In addition

to the diagnostics of intracranial vascular d

In addition

to the diagnostics of intracranial vascular disease, this technique is valuable in intensive care and stroke units for follow-up examinations in vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage and for intraoperative monitoring. In difficult anatomical conditions, the application of echo contrast agents can improve the diagnostic reliability of the examination. Based on advances in computer and transducer technology Gefitinib manufacturer TCCS as a noninvasive method has a great potential in further innovative imaging and therapeutic solutions such as cerebral perfusion imaging, sonothrombolysis, and site targeted ultrasound contrast agents for drug delivery to the brain. “
“The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke trial of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) showed that PF-02341066 mouse intravenous thrombolysis with acute ischemic stroke within 3 h from onset had favorable clinical recovery compared with placebo-treated patients [1]. However, a thrombolytic effect was not evaluated with monitoring of occlusion artery in this study. Cerebrovascular ultrasonography was useful clinically for evaluating cerebral hemodynamics rapidly and in real-time for the patients with acute ischemic stroke compared with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). The timing and speed of recanalization after (tPA) therapy monitoring by transcranial Doppler (TCD) correlates with clinical recovery [2] and [3]. These real-time flow informations are

useful in developing next therapies and in selection for interventional treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze if the patients had early recanalization or not using transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS) in order to evaluate the usefulness of real-time monitoring in systemic thrombolysis. Thalidomide Consecutive patients who had acute ischemic stroke with intravenous tPA within 3 h from onset between April 2010 and January 2011 were included in this study.

tPA was administered in a dose of 0.6 mg/kg (10% bolus, 90% continuous infusion during 1 h) according to Japanese standard protocol [4]. The patients with insufficient acoustic window were excluded. An experienced neuro-sonographer performed all TCCS studies using a EUB-7500 or 8500 with a 2 MHz sector transducer (S50A, HITACHI Medical Corporation, Japan). We evaluated occlusion of intracranial arteries from transtemporal or suboccipital window by TCCS with Thrombolysis in Brain Ischemia (TIBI) flow-grading system [5] and monitored residual flow in real-time every 15 min until 120 min after the t-PA bolus. An insonation time with TCCS was not longer than 5 min in each examination. No head frame was used during insonation. Complete recanalization was defined as TIBI 0–3 to 5, and partial recanalization was defined as TIBI 0–2 to 3. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were obtained before tPA treatment, every 15 min until 1 h and every 30 min after 1 h by a neurologist.

In a second experiment, using the same strain and S9, reference s

In a second experiment, using the same strain and S9, reference sample 2R4F again gave the highest revertant yield, but there was no clear

concentration-related increase in mutagenicity for any PM. Two further experiments confirmed weak concentration-related increases in revertants for all of the http://www.selleckchem.com/products/bgj398-nvp-bgj398.html PMs, with reference sample 2R4F giving the clearest response. The mutagenic potencies of the extracts in TA1537 were generally lower than they were in TA100, and showed some variation between experiments. In one of the three experiments with a concentration-related increase in revertants, conducted with TA1537, W862 and W863 were significantly less mutagenic than W860, W861 and W864; and W863 and W864 also exhibited significantly lower potencies than W861 in two experiments. In conclusion, there were no qualitative differences between PMs in any strains. The PMs were also the same in terms of S9 dependence. Quantitatively, PMs with 80% BT tobacco Icotinib were less mutagenic than the other PMs in strain TA98 with S9 activation. All PMs induced

dose-related increases in cytotoxicity, and also induced genotoxicity with and without S9 and at the different treatment times. PMs increased the frequency of micronucleated binucleate cells by more than 3-fold. In terms of dose and %MnBn/μg NFDPM, the 20 h treatment without S9 was more sensitive than the 3 h treatments. At 20 h without S9, W862 induced fewer micronuclei than W860 and W861 in both experiments

(Fig. 2). This was statistically significant in both experiments for W860 and in one experiment for W861 (Table 6). At 3 h ± S9, W862 induced fewer micronuclei than W861, in two experiments (Table 6). The assay’s resolving power was limited by GABA Receptor relatively large variability within and between experiments, non-linear responses and >50% cytotoxicity at the higher doses in the 3 h treatments. This may have contributed to the inconsistent differences observed between PMs. Concentrations of test and reference PMs were selected in order to provide as many points as possible lying on the linear part of concentration–response curves, and to provide as many concentrations as possible that were common to each PM treatment, whilst allowing treatment up to toxicity limiting dose levels. In some cases the highest concentration levels were not selected for plating to determine viability and TFT resistance, or were excluded from analysis, due to excessive toxicity (based on cell count data). Statistically significant increases in mutation frequency (MF) of 3- to 4-fold were observed with each of the PMs, on each experimental occasion and with each of the treatment conditions employed (e.g. Fig. 3). In terms of dose and MF/μg NFDPM, the 20 h treatment without S9 was the most sensitive, and the 3 h treatment with S9 was the least sensitive.

, 2005) Consistent with these results, we suggest that exposure

, 2005). Consistent with these results, we suggest that exposure to morphine in early life might lead to drug-induced adaptations in the excitatory pain pathways, such as neuroplastic changes at the receptor level and/or in the synthesis of algesic substances (Yaksh SCH772984 purchase et al., 1986), which may produce

secondary hyperalgesic effects that increase the intensity of the pain (Celerier et al., 1999 and Larcher et al., 1998). The effect of ketamine seen here may be explained by activation of the glutamatergic system in opioid-mediated hyperalgesia (Sanford and Silverman, 2009). It is well accepted that persistent activation of the NMDA receptor by excitatory amino acids released from primary afferent terminals results in the sensitization of spinal neurons (Baranauskas and Nistri, 1998), and such NMDA receptor-mediated central sensitization is believed to drive enhanced nociception in chronic pain states and opioid-induced abnormal pain (Larcher et al., 1998, Laulin et al., 1999 and Mao and Mayer, 2001). The involvement of excitatory neurotransmitters,

mainly glutamate, in inflammatory nociception is supported by the increase in levels of these neurotransmitters in the dorsal root ganglion and dorsal horn, elicited by chronic inflammation Ulixertinib datasheet (Wimalawansa, 1996, Löfgren et al., 1997 and Ossipov et al., 2005). In addition, peripheral inflammation is capable of increasing the expression of subunits of the NMDA receptor and enhancing

neurotransmitter release in CNS structures related to nociception (Zhuo, 2002 and Zhao et al., 2006). Therefore, it is possible that the animals that received morphine in early life presented central sensitization in the medium and long term induced by changes in the glutamatergic system, and this may be responsible, at least in part, for the increase in nociceptive behavior in phase II of the formalin test (which represents the inflammatory pain response) observed in this study. This explanation for the latter result is supported by the fact that an NMDA receptor Etofibrate antagonist (ketamine) completely eliminated the hyperalgesia induced by morphine exposure in early life. In addition, indomethacin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was unable to completely reverse the hyperalgesia resulting from early morphine treatment. This suggests that there is an inflammatory component involved, but we cannot discard other mechanisms that may contribute to the hyperalgesia observed in this study. Following on from previous studies that found that pre-treatment with an NSAID may increase spinal cord levels of kynurenic acid (an endogenous excitatory amino acid antagonist) (Edwards et al.