Serotonergic,Brain Volume and Attentional Correlates of Trait Anxiety in Primates

Trait anxiety is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of affective disorders, and insights into the underlying brain mechanisms are vital for improving treatment and prevention strategies. Translational studies in non-human primates, where targeted neurochemical and genetic manipulations can be made, are critical in view of their close neuroanatomical similarity to humans in brain regions implicated in trait anxiety. Thus, we characterised the serotonergic and regional brain volume correlates of trait-like anxiety in the marmoset monkey. Low- and high-anxious animals were identified by behavioral responses to a human intruder (HI) that are known to be sensitive to anxiolytic drug treatment. Extracellular serotonin levels within the amygdala were measured with in vivo microdialysis, at baseline and in response to challenge with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, citalopram. Regional brain volume was assessed by structural magnetic resonance imaging. Anxious individuals showed persistent, long-term fearful responses to both a HI and a model snake, alongside sustained attention (vigilance) to novel cues in a context associated with unpredictable threat. Neurally, high-anxious marmosets showed reduced amygdala serotonin levels, and smaller volumes in a closely connected prefrontal region, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. These findings highlight behavioral and neural similarities between trait-like anxiety in marmosets and humans, and set the stage for further investigation of the processes contributing to vulnerability and resilience to affective disorders.     

MALDI Biotyper-Based Rapid Resistance Detection by Stable-Isotope Labeling

Against the background of increasing numbers of resistant microorganisms, the fast and cost-efficient detection of microbial resistance is an important clinical requirement for optimal therapeutic intervention. Current routine assays take at least 5 h, but in most cases an overnight incubation is necessary to identify resistant isolates. The usage of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) profiling in combination with growth media containing isotopically labeled amino acids facilitates the detection of resistant microorganisms after 3 h or less directly from the profile spectrum. Growing microorganisms incorporate isotopically labeled amino acids, increasing protein masses and thereby leading to mass shifts of their corresponding peaks in the profile spectra. In the presence of antibiotics, only resistant microorganisms are able to grow and to incorporate the labeled amino acids. This leads to a difference in the mass spectra of susceptible and resistant isolates, allowing their differentiation. In the presented study, we demonstrated the applicability of this novel approach for the detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and tested different bioinformatics approaches for automated data interpretation.     

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Development of the German Speech Intelligibility Index for the treatment of oral cancer patients

ObjectivesThis study aimed at 1) adapting the well-established Speech Handicap Index (SHI) to German, 2) testing the suitability of the instrument for assessing speech-related quality of life, 3) comparing it to the German Voice-Handicap-Index (VHI), in order to support treatment of oral cancer patients who experience posttreatment speech difficulties that affect their quality of life.Material and methodsParticipants completed a web-based survey that employed a 2 (experienced problem: speech/articulation-related vs. voice-related) x 2 (SHI vs. VHI) between-subject experimental design, enabling it to distinguish between the experiences of voice and intelligibility impairments, and to determine the discriminatory ability of the two instruments.ResultsThe German SHI reliably assessed speech intelligibility and articulation-related Quality of life. While voice impairments were equally well assessed by both, VHI: M 2.48, SD 0.65; SHI: M 2.52, SD 0.63; only the latter appropriately registered intelligibility handicap in speech impairments (VHI: M 2.05, SD 0.70; SHI: 2.68, SD 0.73). The responsivity of the SHI in capturing the experienced handicap was significantly greater in the speech/articulation-impairment condition (p = .001).ConclusionThe German SHI is a reliable and responsive measure for speech intelligibility and articulation-related quality of life that should be chosen in preference to the VHI.