Descriptive and comparative analysis of geometrical properties of neuronal tree structures

The morphology of neurons is an important factor for the identification and the study of the changes that occur in the nervous system during development or as a result of disease or an experimental treatment. A number of methods to describe the topological aspects of neuronal morphology is discussed. Furthermore it is illustrated how different groups of neurons can be compared. Although both topological and metrical aspects are considered in the comparative sections emphasis is put on counting instead of measuring. Our intention is to present quick and easy methods that are applicable to camera lucida drawings.     

Non-auditory effects of noise in industry

A review of the literature shows a growing interest in non-auditory effects of noise at work. Somatic, vestibular and psychological effects and different kinds of activity interferences are described. Suggestive evidence of an elevation of the blood pressure by noise exists, although the quality of the studies is limited. Many non-auditory effects can be described in a stress model. Annoyance and stress, however, were seldom the subject of field studies.     

Activation of 5-HT3 receptor by 1-phenylbiguanide increases dopamine release in the rat nucleus accumbens

The serotonin-3 (5-HT₃) agonist 1-phenylbuguanide (0.1–1.0 mM in perfusate) caused a robust, dose-dependent enhancement of extracellular dopamine content in nucleus accumbens as measured by in vivo microdialysis. This action was antagonized by co-perfusion of the 5-HT₃ antagonists zacopride and GR38032F (1 mM in perfusate). Similar effects were observed in 5-HT-denervated rats. These findings suggest that there is a potent modulation of dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens mediated via 5-HT₃ receptors, which appear to be located presynaptically on DA terminals of the mesolimbic DA pathway.