Importance of Animal Models in Schizophrenia Research

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 550-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Van Den Buuse ◽  
B Garner ◽  
A Gogos ◽  
S Kusljic
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Psychiatric Illnesses ◽  
New Information ◽  
Behavioural Phenotyping ◽  
Rats And Mice ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

Objective: This review aims to summarize the importance of animal models for research on psychiatric illnesses, particularly schizophrenia. Method and Results: Several aspects of animal models are addressed, including animal experimentation ethics and theoretical considerations of different aspects of validity of animal models. A more specific discussion is included on two of the most widely used behavioural models, psychotropic drug-induced locomotor hyperactivity and prepulse inhibition, followed by comments on the difficulty of modelling negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Furthermore, we emphasize the impact of new developments in molecular biology and the generation of genetically modified mice, which have generated the concept of behavioural phenotyping. Conclusions: Complex psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, cannot be exactly reproduced in species such as rats and mice. Nevertheless, by providing new information on the role of neurotransmitter systems and genes in behavioural function, animal ‘models’ can be an important tool in unravelling mechanisms involved in the symptoms and development of such illnesses, alongside approaches such as post-mortem studies, cognitive and psychophysiological studies, imaging and epidemiology.

Bacteriocins: antibiotics in the age of the microbiome

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Egan ◽  
R. Paul Ross ◽  
Colin Hill
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Collateral Damage ◽  
Safety And Efficacy ◽  
Antibiotic Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Activity Animal

Antibiotics have revolutionised the treatment of infectious disease and improved the lives of billions of people worldwide over many decades. With the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and corresponding lack of antibiotic development, we find ourselves in dire need of alternative treatments. Bacteriocins are a class of bacterially produced, ribosomally synthesised, antimicrobial peptides that may be narrow or broad in their spectra of activity. Animal models have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of bacteriocins in treating a broad range of infections; however, one of the principal drawbacks has been their relatively narrow spectra when compared with small-molecule antibiotics. In an era where we are beginning to appreciate the role of the microbiota in human and animal health, the fact that bacteriocins cause much less collateral damage to the host microbiome makes them a highly desirable therapeutic. This review makes a case for the implementation of bacteriocins as therapeutic antimicrobials, either alone or in combination with existing antibiotics to alleviate the AMR crisis and to lessen the impact of antibiotics on the host microbiome.

ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN COVID PANDEMIC; A BOON OR BANE ???

2021 ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
Rajitha J ◽  
Anirudh Khetarpal ◽  
Rhea Chatrath ◽  
Muskan Aggarwal ◽  
Ashna Malhotra
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
New Information ◽  
Alternative Techniques ◽  
The Impact

The Covid-19 pandemic has struck at a moment when the natural world is more intertwined than ever before. It's the rst pandemic of the digital era, and never before has it been possible to communicate and stay connected so swiftly during a pandemic.Though physical connectivity has hastened the disease's spread over the globe due to extensive travel, social media connectivity is a tool that, when utilised properly and judiciously, can inuence people's behaviour and enhance individual’s and global health.These social media portals may be used to quickly broadcast signicant new information, relevant new scientic results, discuss diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up protocols, and evaluate alternative techniques globally, removing potential geographic barriers. Simultaneously, a massive volume of potentially harmful misinformation is spreading at a faster rate via social media than the disease itself. As a result, it is vital to give timely, reliable, and trustworthy information addressing critical infection control issues. In this review, we present the most signicant facts on the impact, benets, and drawbacks of using social networks during the COVID-19 pandemic .

scholarly journals The incentive sensitization theory of addiction: some current issues

2008 ◽  
Vol 363 (1507) ◽  
pp. 3137-3146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry E Robinson ◽  
Kent C Berridge
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Incentive Motivation ◽  
Incentive Salience ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Incentive Sensitization ◽  
The Brain

We present a brief overview of the incentive sensitization theory of addiction. This posits that addiction is caused primarily by drug-induced sensitization in the brain mesocorticolimbic systems that attribute incentive salience to reward-associated stimuli. If rendered hypersensitive, these systems cause pathological incentive motivation (‘wanting’) for drugs. We address some current questions including: what is the role of learning in incentive sensitization and addiction? Does incentive sensitization occur in human addicts? Is the development of addiction-like behaviour in animals associated with sensitization? What is the best way to model addiction symptoms using animal models? And, finally, what are the roles of affective pleasure or withdrawal in addiction?

scholarly journals The impact of creativity on functional outcome in schizophrenia: a mediational model

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agurne Sampedro ◽  
Javier Peña ◽  
Pedro Sánchez ◽  
Naroa Ibarretxe-Bilbao ◽  
Nagore Iriarte-Yoller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Outcome ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Mediational Model ◽  
Predictive Role ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractFunctional impairment remains one of the most challenging issues for treatment in schizophrenia. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the negative impact of symptoms excluding variables that could positively impact functional outcome, such as creativity, which is considered an adaptive capacity for real-life problem-solving. This study analyzed the predictive role of creativity on functional outcome in 96 patients with schizophrenia through a mediational model, including sociodemographic, clinical, neurocognitive, and social cognitive variables. Path analysis revealed that creativity significantly mediated the relationship between neurocognition and functional outcome, and that creativity mediated between negative symptoms and functional outcome. Additionally, neurocognition was directly associated with functional outcome and social functioning was associated with creativity. The involvement of creativity in functional outcome could have relevant implications for the development of new interventions. These findings open up a new field of research on additional personal resources as possible factors of functional outcome in schizophrenia and other diseases.

scholarly journals The Impact of Multimedia in Teaching and Learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
Fatmir Agaj
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Virtual Schools ◽  
Multimedia Systems ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Educational Innovations ◽  
New Information ◽  
Implementation Of Innovations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In

The innovations that happen in education seek for great leaders and with an outstanding professional background. The innovation managers are very open-minded to the changes that occur in schools, but unfortunately there are many of them who are closed to such changes in schools, the reason to resist is the lack of knowledge towards these educational innovations and of the changes that could be made in the schools and in the classrooms. Avoiding such problems could be made through active participation of the teachers in trainings, because the development of the technology and the improvement of the educational technology influences many changes in teaching methods and forms. Based on previous research it was seen that the role of multimedia in the classroom influences a great interest in participating actively in learning. This research was chosen intentionally with the reason of playing a positive role in raising the awareness of the community, with the argumentation of the hypothesis that multimedia in the learning process has a great role in purifying students with new information. Education, as a rule, slowly accepts any implementation of innovations in comparison with business, producing, transportation etcetera. In addition to it, implementing multimedia systems, distance learning, virtual schools etcetera would definitely increase the activity of the students in advancing their skills in comparison with their former background knowledge.

scholarly journals Improving the efficiency of human resources with the use of new technologies and reorganization process

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
Arben Tërstena ◽  
Arta Jashari Goga ◽  
Bujar Jashari
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Work Process ◽  
Manufacturing Enterprises ◽  
New Information ◽  
The Impact

Information technology (IT) as a structural factor and instrument transforms the architecture of organizations, business processes, and communication which is increasingly integrated into human resource management (HRM). It is an important part of the human resources work process. IT is designed to support HR professionals at all stages of management. This paper is focused on analyzing how information technology affects the improvement of human resource efficiency. The survey was conducted in private enterprises in Ferizaj, region (Kosovo), through questionnaires. Twenty employees/managers of manufacturing enterprises were surveyed who were well informed about the role of human resources in general and the impact on the efficiency of information technology. The results of the empirical study show that the use of new information technology improves the efficiency of HR and enhances the performance of the enterprise.

scholarly journals The role of animal models in understanding feeding behavior in infants

2004 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31
Author(s):  
R German ◽  
◽  
A Crompton ◽  
A Thexton
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Rhythmic Activity ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Basic Model ◽  
Pharyngeal Swallow ◽  
The Impact

The common evolutionary history humans share with mammals provides us with a solid basis for understanding normal oropharyngeal anatomy and functions. Physiologically, feeding is a cycle of neurophysiologic activity, where sensory input travels to the CNS which sends motor signals out to the periphery. Research with animal models is valuable because it is possible to disrupt this cycle, and develop predictive models on the causal basis of deviation from normal. Based on work with animal models, normal mammalian infant feeding behavior consists of the tongue functioning as a pump. First, the tongue assists in acquisition of milk from the nipple into the oral cavity, and then it pumps milk from the oral cavity into the valleculae prior to the pharyngeal swallow. Starting with this basic model, feeding in infant pigs was manipulated to determine the impact of variation in sensory input on behavioral output. One set of experiments suggested that chemo- or liquid sensation, in the form of milk is necessary to elicit continuing rhythmic activity. However, the rates of rhythmic suckling are intrinsic to an animal, and variation in rate cannot be entrained. Another set showed that initiation of the swallow does not purely depend on the volume of milk delivered, but also on the sensory stimulation at the mouth. These results support the idea that feeding behavior involves complex sensory integration.

scholarly journals Behavioral models in psychopathology: Epistemic and semantic considerations

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caio Maximino ◽  
Franz Josef van der Staay
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Comparative Psychology ◽  
Behavioral Pharmacology ◽  
Behavioral Models ◽  
Experimental Psychopathology ◽  
Evaluation Approaches ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

The use of animals in neurosciences has a long history. It is considered indispensable in areas in which “translational” research is deemed invaluable, such as behavioral pharmacology and comparative psychology. Animal models are being used in pharmacology and genetics to screen for treatment targets, and in the field of experimental psychopathology to understand the neurobehavioral underpinnings of a disorder and of its putative treatment. The centrality of behavioral models betrays the complexity of the epistemic and semantic considerations which are needed to understand what a model is. In this review, such considerations are made, and the breadth of model building and evaluation approaches is extended to include theoretical considerations on the etiology of mental disorders. This expansion is expected to help improve the validity of behavioral models and to increase their translational value. Moreover, the role of theory in improving construct validity creates the need for behavioral scientists to fully engage this process.

scholarly journals A Critical Review of Animal Models Used in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Pathophysiology

Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Skayneh ◽  
Jishi ◽  
Hleihel ◽  
Hamieh ◽  
Darwiche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Molecular Abnormalities ◽  
Powerful Approach ◽  
Rats And Mice ◽  
Critical Overview ◽  
Acute Myeloid

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most frequent, complex, and heterogeneous hematological malignancies. AML prognosis largely depends on acquired cytogenetic, epigenetic, and molecular abnormalities. Despite the improvement in understanding the biology of AML, survival rates remain quite low. Animal models offer a valuable tool to recapitulate different AML subtypes, and to assess the potential role of novel and known mutations in disease progression. This review provides a comprehensive and critical overview of select available AML animal models. These include the non-mammalian Zebrafish and Drosophila models as well as the mammalian rodent systems, comprising rats and mice. The suitability of each animal model, its contribution to the advancement of knowledge in AML pathophysiology and treatment, as well as its advantages and limitations are discussed. Despite some limitations, animal models represent a powerful approach to assess toxicity, and permit the design of new therapeutic strategies.

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