Delay in the Recovery of Normal Sleep-Wake Cycle after Disruption of the Light-Dark Cycle in Mice: A Bipolar Disorder-Prone Animal Model?

Objective

Disruption of the circadian rhythm is known as a provoking factor for manic episodes. Individual differences exist in the recovery rate from disruption in the general population. To develop a screening method to detect individuals vulnerable to bipolar disorder, the authors observed the relationship between the recovery of the normal sleep-wake cycle after switching the light-dark (LD) cycle and quinpirole-induced hyperactivity in mice.

Methods

Sixteen male mice (age of 5 weeks, weight 28-29 gm) were subjected to a circadian rhythm disruption protocol. Sleep-wake behaviors were checked every 5 min for a total duration of 15 days, i.e., 2 days of baseline observations, 3 days of LD cycle changes, and 10 days of recovery. During the dark cycle on the 16th experimental day, their general locomotor activities were measured in an open field for 120 minutes after an injection of quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.).

Results

The individual differences in the recovery rate of the baseline sleep-wake cycle were noted after 3 days of switching the LD cycle. Fifty percent (n=8) of the mice returned to the baseline cycle within 6 days after normalizing the LD cycle (early recovery group). The locomotor activities of mice that failed to recover within 6 days (delayed recovery group) were significantly higher (mean rank=12.25) than those of the early recovery group (mean rank=4.75, u=62.0, p=0.001, Mann-Whitney U test).

Conclusion

Given that the quinpirole-induced hyperactivity is an animal model of bipolar disorder, our results suggest individuals who have difficulties in recovery from circadian rhythm disruption may be vulnerable to bipolar disorder.     

Isolation and characterization of 57 novel polynucleotide microsatellites from yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) genome for genetic analysis

Yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) is one of the important economic freshwater fish in Eastern Asia. In recent years, the wild resources were decreased sharply due to overfishing and pollution. It is necessary to conserve the wild stocks for the sustainable use of the species. In this study, 200 microsatellite markers were isolated from yellow catfish genome using Roche 454 pyrosequencing method. Among these markers, 57 exhibited polymorphism in yellow catfish population collected from Songhua River in China. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 13 and the number of effect alleles ranged from 1.112 to 8.980. The observed heterozygosity (H _o) and the expected heterozygosity (H _e) varied from 0.106 to 0.957 and from 0.102 to 0.898, respectively. Most loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium with the exclusion of five loci. These polymorphic loci will be valuable for population genetic structure and genetic conservation for the P. fulvidraco.     

Multitask Extreme Learning Machine for Visual Tracking

In this paper, we try to address the joint optimization problem of the extreme learning machines corresponding to different features. The method is based on the L _2,1 norm penalty, which encourages joint sparse coding. By adopting such a technology, the intrinsic relation between different features can be sufficiently preserved. To tackle the problem that the labeled samples is rare, we introduce the semi-supervised regularization term and seamlessly incorporate them into the particle filter framework to realize visual tracking. In addition, an online updating strategy is introduced which also exploits the large amount of unlabeled samples that are collected during the tracking period. Finally, the proposed tracking algorithm is compared to other state-of-the-arts on some challenging video sequences and shows promising results.     

Comparative outcomes of the tubularized incised plate and transverse island flap onlay techniques for the repair of proximal hypospadias

Purpose

The optimal management of proximal hypospadias remains uncertain. In this study, the surgical outcomes of tubularized incised plate repair (TIP) and transverse island flap (TVIF) onlay urethroplasty in boys with hypospadias were compared.

Methods

A total of 176 patients with proximal hypospadias underwent TIP (n = 83) or TVIF onlay repairs (n = 93) by a single surgeon and were evaluated retrospectively. No patient received a testosterone injection prior to surgery. A retrospective review of their medical records collected data regarding age at surgery, chordee, dorsal plication, hypospadias site, penoscrotal transposition, bifid scrotum, congenital hernia, undescended testis and any postoperative complications, including fistula, recurrent curvature, dehiscence, diverticulum, meatal stenosis and urethral stricture. The pediatric penile perception score (PPPS) was completed by parents to evaluate their perception of cosmetic outcomes.

Results

There was no statistical difference in age or any of the anatomical and clinical features of hypospadias. The median follow-up duration was 22 months (range 12–48 months) and 25 months (14–51 months) for the TIP and TVIF onlay groups, respectively. The overall complication rate in the TVIF onlay group was 21.5 % (20/93), which was higher than 18.1 % (15/83) in the TIP group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.569). The most common complication was urethrocutaneous fistula, occurring in 9.6 % (8/83) of the TIP group and 10.8 % (10/93) of the TVIF onlay group. There were no significant differences in the rate of any complication and the overall PPPS between the two groups.

Conclusion

TIP and TVIF onlay are clinically equivalent for the repair of proximal hypospadias.