Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization and conditioning in male Japanese quail

Repeated intermittent cocaine treatment often results in behavioral sensitization or an augmented response to cocaine. Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization may be an important contributor to cocaine addiction and abuse. Some studies have also shown that conditioned drug effects may play a role in behavioral sensitization. The current experiment utilized a simplified discrimination paradigm to investigate behavioral sensitization and the role of conditioning in an avian species. Male Japanese quail received alternating injections of cocaine (10 mg/kg i.p.) paired with a context and saline injections paired with a different context. They were later given a cocaine challenge followed by and a saline challenge in the drug-paired context. Results showed that birds that received cocaine paired with one context also demonstrated behavioral sensitization to a cocaine challenge given after a withdrawal period and they developed conditioning to the drug-paired context. A saline control and a control group that received cocaine that was not paired with the test context failed to demonstrate sensitization or conditioning. The findings demonstrate visual discrimination learning and implicate the role of Pavlovian conditioning in behavioral sensitization.     

Synthesis and structure-activity analysis of new phosphonium salts with potent activity against African trypanosomes

A series of 73 bisphosphonium salts and 10 monophosphonium salt derivatives were synthesized and tested in vitro against several wild type and resistant lines of Trypanosoma brucei (T. b. rhodesiense STIB900, T. b. brucei strain 427, TbAT1-KO, and TbB48). More than half of the compounds tested showed a submicromolar EC(50) against these parasites. The compounds did not display any cross-resistance to existing diamidine therapies, such as pentamidine. In most cases, the compounds displayed a good selectivity index versus human cell lines. None of the known T. b. brucei drug transporters were required for trypanocidal activity, although some of the bisphosphonium compounds inhibited the low affinity pentamidine transporter. It was found that phosphonium drugs act slowly to clear a trypanosome population but that only a short exposure time is needed for irreversible damage to the cells. A comparative molecular field analysis model (CoMFA) was generated to gain insights into the SAR of this class of compounds, identifying key features for trypanocidal activity.     

Mosaic marker chromosome 16 resulting in 16q11.2-q12.1 gain in a child with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and cerebellar cortical dysplasia

Proximal duplications of the long arm of chromosome 16 are rare and only a few patients have been reported. Clinically, the patients do not have a distinctive syndromic appearance; however they all show some degree of intellectual disability and most have severely delayed speech development. We report on a child presenting with mild-to-moderate intellectual disability, microcephaly, language dyspraxia, and mild dysmorphisms who was found to have a mosaic gain of chromosome 16q (16q11.2-16q12.1). Magnetic resonance imaging done at the age of 4 years demonstrated cerebellar cortical dysplasia involving the vermis and hemispheres. This is the first report of cerebellar anomalies in a patient with partial trisomy 16q. The genes ZNF423 and CBLN1 found in the duplicated region play a role in the development of the cerebellum and may be responsible for the cerebellar cortical dysplasia.     

Reorganization of secondary medical care in the Israeli Defense Forces Medical Corps: A cost-effect analysis

OBJECTIVE: To increase accessibility and availability of secondary medical care, 10 secondary unit specialist clinics were established side-by-side with five existing regional specialist centers, thus achieving decentralization. The purpose was to analyze the impact of this reorganization on overall consumption of secondary medical care and expenditures. METHODS: Consumption of secondary medical care was analyzed by using computerized clinic and Medical Corps databases. Functional efficiency and budgetary expenditures were evaluated in four representative unit specialist clinics. RESULTS: The reorganization resulted in an 8% increase in total secondary care consumption over 2.5 years. The establishment of unit specialist clinics did not achieve increased accessibility or availability for military personnel. Functional analysis of representative unit specialist clinics showed diversity in efficiency, differences in physicians' performance, and excess expenditures. CONCLUSION: The decentralizing reorganization of secondary medical care generated an increase in medical care consumption, possibly because of supply-induced demand. The uniform inefficiency of the unit specialist clinics might have been related to incorrect planning and management. The decentralization of secondary medical care within the Israeli Defense Forces has not proved to be cost-efficient.     

Congenital patent ductus venosus: an association with the hyper IgE syndrome

We describe an association between congenital patent ductus venosus and hyper immunoglobulin E syndrome in a pair of siblings. The possibility that this is a separate entity or a genetically linked association is discussed.     

The fate and behaviour of gunshot residue: recreational shooter distribution

ABSTRACT

Despite continued improvements in gunshot residue (GSR) detection and analysis, there are still challenges in the interpretation of GSR evidence. The level and distribution of GSR present on an individual can be influenced by many factors, dependent upon the context of any given case. Due and diligent attention must therefore be placed upon fate and behaviour processes in relation to GSR when assessing and interpreting any case findings. The distribution of GSR upon the body of a recreational shooter was assessed. Samples were taken from 17 positions across a shooter’s body immediately after the discharge of one round of ammunition. The shooting hand prevailed as the most GSR-contaminated area, with as many as 351 characteristic GSR particles identified. The face and supporting hand also exhibited high levels of GSR contamination. This level of contamination raises questions concerning the fate and behaviour of GSR particles within the general environment, specifically with regard to transfer processes.     

Differential expression of keratins in goldfish optic nerve during regeneration

The goldfish visual pathway, unlike the visual pathway of higher vertebrates, retains continuous growth and development throughout life and is capable of functional regeneration. The structure and expression of proteins that support the physiological attributes of this system are of interest. Glial cells in this pathway express keratins as the predominant intermediate filament proteins rather than the expected glial fibrillary acidic protein. Previously we identified and characterized cDNA clones representing two type I keratins from the goldfish optic nerve, GK48 and GK49. The GK48 protein is the type I keratin partner to the type II keratin ON₃, while the GK49 protein is expressed in a different cell type. Here, we extend our studies on the expression of mRNA for the GK48, GK49, and ON₃ proteins at the early stages of optic nerve regeneration. Rnase protection assays show that at 10 days post-crush, there is no overall change in levels of mRNA for these proteins as compared to uncrushed control nerves and nerves from unoperated fish. In addition, we show by in situ hybridization that the GK49 protein shows no changes in its distribution of mRNA in the optic nerve after crush. In contrast, the level of GK48 and ON₃ mRNA are greatly reduced within the crush zone. However, these two mRNAs are differentially expressed at different time points during regeneration, with GK48 mRNA appearing in the crush zone before ON₃. These results indicate that the mRNA for the GK48 and ON₃ proteins are differentially regulated during regeneration and that these two proteins are expressed in a different cell type from the GK49 protein. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.