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Polarization transfer to a bound proton in polarized electron knock-out reactions, A(e→,e′p→), is a powerful tool to look for an in-medium modification of the bound proton. It requires comparison to calculations that consider the many-body effects accompanying the quasi-free process. We report here measured components Px′, Pz′, and their ratio Px′/Pz′, of polarization transfer to protons bound in Ca40, which is described well by the shell model and for which reliable calculations are available. While the calculations capture the essence of the data, our statistical precision allows us to observe deviations that cannot be explained by simple scaling, including by varying the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio GE/GM. We further explore the deviations of the ratio of the polarization transfer components from that of a free proton, (Px′/Pz′)A/(Px′/Pz′)H, and its dependence on the bound-proton virtuality.

Locusts are attractive model preparations for cellular investigations of neurodevelopment. In this study, we investigate the immunocytochemical localization of histamine in the developing ventral nerve cord of two locust species, Schistocerca gregaria and Locusta migratoria. Histamine is the fast neurotransmitter of photoreceptor neurons in the compound eye of insects, but it is also synthesized in interneurons of the central nervous system. In the locust ventral nerve cord, the pattern of histamine-immunoreactive neurons follows a relatively simple bauplan. The histaminergic system comprises a set of single, ascending projection neurons that are segmentally arranged in almost every neuromere. The neurons send out their axons anteriorly, forming branches and varicosities throughout the adjacent ganglia. In the suboesophageal ganglion, the cell bodies lie in a posteriolateral position. The prothoracic ganglion lacks histaminergic neurons. In the posterior ganglia of the ventral nerve cord, the somata of the histaminergic neurons are ventromedially positioned. Histamine-immunoreactivity starts around 50% of embryonic development in interneurons of the brain. Subsequently, the neurons of the more posterior ganglia of the ventral nerve cord become immunoreactive. From 60% embryonic development, the pattern of soma staining in the nerve cord appears mature. Around 65% of embryonic development, the photoreceptor cells show histamine-immunoreactivity. The histaminergic innervation of the neuropile develops from the central branches toward the periphery of the ganglia and is completed right before hatching. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide evidence for axonal regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) of the locust (Locusta migratoria). We followed the morphology of a small set of proctolin-immunoreactive neurons in the ventral nerve cord before and after crushing one cervical connective in the third instar. The proximal segments started sprouting within 3 days post lesion and grew into the suboesophageal ganglion within 9 days, covering a distance of approximately 2 mm. Within the suboesophageal ganglion, the regenerated neurites formed arborisations in the appropriate region which closely resemble the original shape. These findings will allow us to compare regeneration to the well-described embryonic development of axonal connectivity in this animal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]