BackgroundThere is strong evidence that sensory experience in early life has a profound influence on the development of sensory circuits. Very little is known, however, about the role of experience in the early development of striatal networks which regulate both motor and cognitive function. To address this, we have investigated the influence of early environmental enrichment on motor development.Methodology/Principal FindingsMice were raised in standard or enriched housing from birth. For animals assessed as adults, half of the mice had their rearing condition reversed at weaning to enable the examination of the effects of pre- versus post-weaning enrichment. We found that exclusively pre-weaning enrichment significantly improved performance on the Morris water maze compared to non-enriched mice. The effects of early enrichment on the emergence of motor programs were assessed by performing behavioural tests at postnatal day 10. Enriched mice traversed a significantly larger region of the test arena in an open-field test and had improved swimming ability compared to non-enriched cohorts. A potential cellular correlate of these changes was investigated using Wisteria-floribunda agglutinin (WFA) staining to mark chondroitin-sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). We found that the previously reported transition of CSPG staining from striosome-associated clouds to matrix-associated perineuronal nets (PNNs) is accelerated in enriched mice.Conclusions/SignificanceThis is the first demonstration that the early emergence of exploratory as well as coordinated movement is sensitive to experience. These behavioural changes are correlated with an acceleration of the emergence of striatal PNNs suggesting that they may consolidate the neural circuits underlying these behaviours. Finally, we confirm that pre-weaning experience can lead to life long changes in the learning ability of mice.

b) Figure 1. Examples of different shapes a Robogami can transform into (a) a table (b) a pinwheel. Abstract-The robotic origami (Robogami) is a low-profile, sheet-like robot with multi degrees-of-freedom (DoF) that embeds different functional layers. Due to its planar form, it can take advantage of precise 2D fabrication methods usually reserved for micro and nano systems. Not only can these methods reduce fabrication time and expenses, by offering a high precision, they enable us to integrate actuators, sensors and electronic components into a thin sheet. In this research, we study sensors, actuators and fabrication methods for Robogami which can reconfigure into various forms. Our main objective is to develop technologies that can be easily applied to Robogamis consisting of many active folds and DoFs. In this paper, after studying the performance of the proposed sensors and actuators in one fold, we use a design for a crawler robot consisting of four folds to assess the performance of these technologies.

The striatum is the primary input nucleus of the basal ganglia, a collection of nuclei that play important roles in motor control and associative learning. We have previously reported that perineuronal nets (PNNs), aggregations of chondroitin-sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs), form in the matrix compartment of the mouse striatum during the second postnatal week. This period overlaps with important developmental changes, including the attainment of an adult-like gait. Here, we investigate the identity of the cells encapsulated by PNNs, characterize their topographical distribution and determine their function by assessing the impact of enzymatic digestion of PNNs on two striatum-dependent behaviors: ambulation and goal-directed spatial learning. We show PNNs are more numerous caudally, and that a substantial fraction (41%) of these structures surrounds parvalbumin positive (PV+) interneurons, while approximately 51% of PV+ cells are ensheathed by PNNs. The colocalization of these structures is greatest in dorsal, lateral and caudal regions of the striatum. Bilateral digestion of striatal PNNs led to an increase in both the width and variability of hind limb gait. Intriguingly, this also resulted in an improvement in the acquisition rate of the Morris water maze. Together, these data show that PNNs are associated with specific elements of striatal circuits and play a key role in regulating the function of this important structure in the mouse.

OBJECTIVE -We investigated the link between lipid-rich skeletal muscle, namely lowdensity muscle, and insulin resistance in Korea.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -Abdominal adipose tissue areas and midthigh skeletal muscle areas of 75 obese nondiabetic subjects (23 men, 52 women; mean age Ϯ SD, 41.9 Ϯ 14.1 years) were measured by computed tomography (CT). The midthigh skeletal muscle areas were subdivided into low-density muscle (0 to ϩ30 Hounsfield units) and normal-density muscle (ϩ31 to ϩ100 Hounsfield units). The homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) score was calculated to assess whole-body insulin sensitivity.RESULTS -The abdominal visceral fat area and the midthigh low-density muscle area were found to be well correlated with the HOMA score (r ϭ 0.471, P Ͻ 0.01 and r ϭ 0.513, P Ͻ 0.01, respectively). The correlation between low-density muscle area and insulin resistance persisted after adjusting for BMI or total body fat mass (r ϭ 0.451, P Ͻ 0.01 and r ϭ 0.522, P Ͻ 0.01, respectively) and even after adjusting for abdominal visceral fat area (r ϭ 0.399, P Ͻ 0.01).CONCLUSIONS -The midthigh low-density muscle area seems to be a reliable determinant of insulin resistance in Korean obese nondiabetic patients. Diabetes Care 26:1825-1830, 2003T he close relationship between abdominal adiposity and insulin resistance has been described in previous studies (1-3). Moreover, visceral adipose tissue is well recognized to be significantly related to insulin resistance of obese type 2 diabetic patients and even patients with normal weight (4,5).Recently, the role of intramuscular lipid components in insulin resistance became the subject of attention (6 -8). Lowdensity muscle represents lipid-rich skeletal muscle, which includes fat components between and inside the muscle fibers. Many other studies have already shown that low-density muscle is significantly related to insulin resistance in obese type 2 diabetic patients. However, this relation has not been investigated in Korea, where the prevalence of both obesity and diabetes is relatively low. Therefore, the current study was undertaken to investigate the potential link between low-density muscle and insulin resistance in the Korean population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS SubjectsA total of 75 subjects (23 men, 52 women; mean age Ϯ SD, 41.9 Ϯ 14.1 years) with sedentary lifestyle were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Of these, 69 patients were obese (BMI Ͼ25 kg/m 2 ) and the remainder were overweight (BMI 23-25 kg/m 2 ), according to the revised definition of adult obesity in the AsianPacific race proposed at the Hong Kong meeting (9). A total of 33 premenopausal women and 19 women with natural menopause (mean age Ϯ SD, 31.2 Ϯ 7.8 and 54.8 Ϯ 7.9 years, respectively) were included. Subjects were divided into a normal glucose tolerance group (n ϭ 46) and an impaired glucose tolerance group (n ϭ 29), according to the results of an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Individuals with a history of or evidence of hypertension, any type of diabetes, or cardiovascular disea...

BackgroundThe neostriatum, the mouse homologue of the primate caudate/putamen, is the input nucleus for the basal ganglia, receiving both cortical and dopaminergic input to each of its sub-compartments, the striosomes and matrix. The coordinated activation of corticostriatal pathways is considered vital for motor and cognitive abilities, yet the mechanisms which underlie the generation of these circuits are unknown. The early and specific targeting of striatal subcompartments by both corticostriatal and nigrostriatal terminals suggests activity-independent mechanisms, such as axon guidance cues, may play a role in this process. Candidates include the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) family of glycoproteins which have roles not only in axon guidance, but also in the maturation and stability of neural circuits where they are expressed in lattice-like perineuronal nets (PNNs).Methodology/Principal FindingsThe expression of CSPG-associated structures and PNNs with respect to neostriatal subcompartments has been examined qualitatively and quantitatively using double-labelling for Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA), and the μ-opioid receptor (μOR), a marker for striosomes, at six postnatal ages in mice. We find that at the earliest ages (postnatal day (P)4 and P10), WFA-positive clusters overlap preferentially with the striosome compartment. By P14, these clusters disappear. In contrast, PNNs were first seen at P10 and continued to increase in density and spread throughout the caudate/putamen with maturation. Remarkably, the PNNs overlap almost exclusively with the neostriatal matrix.Conclusions/SignificanceThis is the first description of a reversal in the distribution of CSPG associated structures, as well as the emergence and maintenance of PNNs in specific subcompartments of the neostriatum. These results suggest diverse roles for CSPGs in the formation of functional corticostriatal and nigrostriatal connectivity within the striosome and matrix compartments of the developing caudate/putamen.