Pre-natal social stress and post-natal pain affect the developing pig reproductive axis

This study assessed the effect of pre-natal social stress and post-natal pain on the reproductive development of young (approximately day 40) pigs. Male pigs carried by sows that were stressed by mixing with unfamiliar older sows for two 1-week periods during mid-pregnancy had lower plasma testosterone (0.54 vs 0.86 ng/ml, S.E.D.=0.11; P=0.014) and oestradiol (E(2); 22.9 vs 38.7 pg/ml, S.E.D.=7.80; P=0.021) concentrations compared with males carried by unstressed control sows. Although there was no effect of pre-natal stress on female E(2) concentrations, female pigs carried by stressed sows had fewer primordial ovarian follicles (log -4.32/μm(2) vs -4.00/μm(2), s.e.d.=0.136; P=0.027). Tail amputation on day 3 after birth reduced E(2) concentrations in female (4.78 vs 6.84 pg/ml, s.e.d.=0.86; P=0.03) and in male (25.6 vs 34.9 pg/ml, S.E.D.=3.56; P=0.021) pigs and reduced both testis weight (0.09% of body weight vs 0.10% of body weight, S.E.D.=0.003; P=0.01) and the percentage of proliferating Leydig cells (1.97 vs 2.12, S.E.D.=0.114; P=0.036) compared with sham-amputated littermate controls. There was a significant (P=0.036) interaction between the effects of pre-natal stress and post-natal pain on testicular expression of the steroidogenic enzyme 17α-hydroxylase, such that amputation increased expression in pigs born to control sows, but reduced expression in animals born to stressed sows. This study shows that stressful procedures associated with routine animal husbandry can disrupt the developing reproductive axis.     

The predictive validity of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth in secondary educational settings.

Current developments in violence risk assessment warrant consideration for use within educational settings. Using a structured professional judgment (SPJ) model, the present study investigated the predictive validity of the Structured Assessment of Violence in Youth (SAVRY) within educational settings. The predictive accuracy of the SAVRY scales was assessed using a retrospective file review to gather data on 87 adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 18 years. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses were used to gauge the predictive accuracy. With an area under the curve of .72 (p = .001), the accuracy of the SAVRY total score in correctly identifying violent youth exceeds the accuracy of identifications based on chance predictions in this sample. Logistic regression analyses assessed the relative contribution of the SAVRY subscales, whereas the omnibus equation using all subscale scores correctly classified 82% of those adolescents who were nonviolent and 45% of those adolescents who were violent. These results build on previous research and provide support for the use of the SAVRY in educational settings for identification as well as directing intervention efforts. Practical implications and areas for future research are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Arsenic removal from groundwater by MnO2-modified natural clinoptilolite zeolite: effects of pH and initial feed concentration

Adsorption of arsenic (As(5+)) on natural and MnO(2)-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite adsorbents was investigated to explore the feasibility of removing arsenic from groundwater using natural zeolite adsorbents. The natural and MnO(2)-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite adsorbents were characterized with nitrogen adsorption at 77K for pore textural properties, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence for morphology, elemental composition and distribution. Batch adsorption equilibrium experiments were conducted to study the effects of pH and initial feed concentration on arsenic removal efficiency. It was found that the amphoteric properties and arsenic removal efficiency of the natural clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite were significantly improved after modification with MnO(2). The MnO(2)-modified zeolite could effectively remove arsenic from water at a wide pH range, and the arsenic removal efficiency that is basically independent of the pH of feed solutions varies slightly with the initial arsenic concentration in the feed solutions. The removal efficiency obtained on the modified zeolite was doubled as compared to that obtained on the unmodified zeolite. The MnO(2)-modified clinoptilolite-Ca zeolite appears to be a promising adsorbent for removing trace arsenic amounts from water.     

Role of Etanercept and Infliximab on Nociceptive Changes Induced by the Experimental Model of Fibromyalgia

Background: Fibromyalgia is a clinical condition that affects 1% to 5% of the population. No proper therapy has been currently found. It has been described that inflammation plays a central role in the nerve sensitizations that characterize the pathology. Methods: This paper aimed to evaluate the efficacy of etanercept and infliximab in the management of pain sensitization. Fibromyalgia was induced by three injections once a day of reserpine at the dose of 1 mg/kg. Etanercept (3 mg/kg) and infliximab (10 mg/kg) were administered the day after the last reserpine injection and then 5 days after that. Behavioral analyses were conducted once a week, and molecular investigations were performed at the end of the experiment. Results: Our data confirmed the major effect of infliximab administration as compared to etanercept: infliximab administration strongly reduced pain sensitization in thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. From the molecular point of view, infliximab reduced the activation of microglia and astrocytes and the expression of the purinergic P2X7 receptor ubiquitously expressed on glia and neurons. Downstream of the P2X7 receptor, infliximab also reduced p38-MAPK overexpression induced by the reserpine administration. Conclusion: Etanercept and infliximab treatment caused a significant reduction in pain. In particular, rats that received infliximab showed less pain sensitization. Moreover, infliximab reduced the activation of microglia and astrocytes, reducing the expression of the purinergic receptor P2X7 and p38-MAPK pathway.     

Learning and generalization deficits in patients with memory impairments due to anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture or hypoxic brain injury.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 22(6) of Neuropsychology (see record 2008-15268-012). Author Ramona O. Hopkins's name was misspelled as Romona O. Hopkins.] Human anterograde amnesia can result from a variety of etiologies, including hypoxic brain injury and anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm rupture. Although each etiology can cause a similarly severe disruption in declarative memory for verbal and visual material, there may be differences in incrementally acquired, feedback-based learning, as well as generalization. Here, 6 individuals who survived hypoxic brain injury, 7 individuals who survived ACoA aneurysm rupture, and 13 matched controls were tested on 2 tasks that included a feedback-based learning phase followed by a transfer phase in which familiar information is presented in new ways. In both tasks, the ACoA group was slow on initial learning, but those patients who completed the learning phase went on to transfer as well as controls. In the hypoxic group, 1 patient failed to complete either task; the remaining hypoxic group did not differ from controls during learning of either task, but was impaired on transfer. These results highlight a difference in feedback-based learning in 2 amnesic etiologies, despite similar levels of declarative memory impairment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Learning and generalization deficits in patients with memory impairments due to anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture or hypoxic brain injury": Correction.

Reports an error in "Learning and generalization deficits in patients with memory impairments due to anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture or hypoxic brain injury" by Catherine E. Myers, Ramona O. Hopkins, John DeLuca, Nancy B. Moore, Leo J. Wolansky, Jennifer M. Sumner and Mark A. Gluck (Neuropsychology, 2008[Sep], Vol 22[5], 681-686). Author Ramona O. Hopkins's name was misspelled as Romona O. Hopkins. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-11707-013.) Human anterograde amnesia can result from a variety of etiologies, including hypoxic brain injury and anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysm rupture. Although each etiology can cause a similarly severe disruption in declarative memory for verbal and visual material, there may be differences in incrementally acquired, feedback-based learning, as well as generalization. Here, 6 individuals who survived hypoxic brain injury, 7 individuals who survived ACoA aneurysm rupture, and 13 matched controls were tested on 2 tasks that included a feedback-based learning phase followed by a transfer phase in which familiar information is presented in new ways. In both tasks, the ACoA group was slow on initial learning, but those patients who completed the learning phase went on to transfer as well as controls. In the hypoxic group, 1 patient failed to complete either task; the remaining hypoxic group did not differ from controls during learning of either task, but was impaired on transfer. These results highlight a difference in feedback-based learning in 2 amnesic etiologies, despite similar levels of declarative memory impairment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Growth of carbon nanotube forests between a bi-metallic catalyst layer and a SiO2 substrate to form a self-assembled carbon–metal heterostructure

A special nanostructure was formed by the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) between a substrate and a thin bi-metallic catalyst layer using a thermal chemical vapor deposition process. The catalyst layer is composed of adjacently disposed Cr and Ni phases formed prior to CNT growth. The Cr/Ni layer serves as a bi-metallic catalyst layer, which is pushed away from the substrate as a thin and continuous nanomembrane with the growth of CNTs. The self-assembled CNT–catalyst heterostructure possesses a smooth surface (RMS = 2.9 nm) with a metallic shine. Directly interlinked to the Cr/Ni layer, dense and vertically aligned multi-walled CNTs are found. Compared to conventional CNT films, the structure has significant advantages for CNT integration. From technology point of view, the structure allows further processing without impact on the CNTs as well as transfer of pristine vertically aligned CNTs to arbitrary substrates. Moreover, the as-grown CNT films provide an interface ideal for further electrical, thermal and mechanical contacting of CNT films. We present structural investigations of this special CNT–metal heterostructure. Furthermore, we discuss possible interface mechanisms during catalyst layer formation and CNT growth.     

Use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) biofilms for the control of Listeria monocytogenes in a small-scale model

The antilisterial activity in biofilms developed in a small-scale model by two LAB (lactic acid bacteria) bacteriocin producers (Lactobacillus plantarum 35d, Enterococcus casseliflavus IM 416K1) and by two non-producers (L. plantarum 396/1, Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2) was evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes NCTC 10888. The LAB biofilms showed the capability to influence the survival and the multiplication of the pathogen with differences among the strains. L. plantarum 35d displayed the highest efficacy reducing L. monocytogenes by 5.4 log in the planktonic population and by 3.9 log in the adherent population at the end of the experiment (10 days). L. plantarum 396/1 reduced L. monocytogenes by 3.8 log in the adherent cells and by 4.9 log in the planktonic cells and this outcome could be attributed to the pH reduction.The E. casseliflavus IM 416K1 biofilm caused a L. monocytogenes reduction of 3.7 log in the adherent cells and of 4.8 log in the planktonic cells and the role of the bacteriocin production seemed to be predominant as the pH values did not significantly decrease. This hypothesis is confirmed by a slight capability to influence the L. monocytogenes survival by the non-bacteriocinogenic E. faecalis JH2-2. Studies performed with L. monocytogenes in co-culture with a Pseudomonas putida strain, revealed a reduction of the antilisterial activity only for the biofilms produced by lactobacilli.