Perinatal Stress and Methamphetamine Exposure Decreases Anxiety-Like Behavior in Adult Male Rats

Methamphetamine (MA) is an illicit synthetic psychostimulant drug, and its abuse is growing worldwide. MA has been reported as the primary drug of choice, by drug-abusing women, during pregnancy. Since MA easily crosses the placental barrier, the fetus is exposed to MA in a similar fashion to the mother. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of long-term perinatal stressors and drug exposure on anxiety-like behavior in adult male rats using the open field test (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM). Dams were divided into three groups according to drug treatment during pregnancy: controls (C), saline—SA [subcutaneous (s.c.), 1 ml/kg], and MA (s.c., 5 mg/kg). Litters were divided into four groups according to postnatal stressors: non-stressed controls (N), maternal separation (S), maternal cold water stress (W), and maternal separation plus maternal cold water stress (SW). Forty-five minutes before testing (in both OF and EPM), one-half of adult male rats received an (s.c.) injection of MA and the other half received an SA injection. Prenatal MA/stress exposure did not affect anxiety-like behavior in adult male rats in both tests. In the OF, an acute MA dose in adulthood increased the time spent in the central disk area, decreased time spent in the corners, and decreased time spent immobile and grooming. Also, postnatal stress increased time spent in the central disk area, decreased time spent in corners, and increased mobility compared to controls. All groups of rats exposed to postnatal stressors spent significantly less time in the closed arms of the EPM compared to controls. Overall, our results indicate that early postnatal stress and a single acute MA administration in adulthood decreases the parameters of anxiety-like behavior in adult male rats regardless of prenatal MA exposure. Moreover, postnatal stress via maternal separation impacts the effect of acute MA administration in adulthood. Long-term postnatal stress may thus result in improved adaptation to subsequent stressful experiences later in life.

Altered fovea in AQP4-IgG–seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

ObjectiveTo investigate disease-specific foveal shape changes in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) using foveal morphometry.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included macular spectral domain optical coherence tomography scans of 52 eyes from 28 patients with aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-seropositive NMOSD, 116 eyes from 60 patients with MS, and 123 eyes from 62 healthy controls (HCs), retrospectively, and an independent confirmatory cohort comprised 33/33 patients with NMOSD/MS. The fovea was characterized using 3D foveal morphometry. We included peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness and combined macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) volume to account for optic neuritis (ON)-related neuroaxonal damage.ResultsGroup comparison showed significant differences compared with HC in the majority of foveal shape parameters in NMOSD, but not MS. Pit flat disk area, average pit flat disk diameter, inner rim volume, and major slope disk length, as selected parameters, showed differences between NMOSD and MS (p value = 0.017, 0.002, 0.005, and 0.033, respectively). This effect was independent of ON. Area under the curve was between 0.7 and 0.8 (receiver operating characteristic curve) for discriminating between NMOSD and MS. Pit flat disk area and average pit flat disk diameter changes independent of ON were confirmed in an independent cohort.ConclusionsFoveal morphometry reveals a wider and flatter fovea in NMOSD in comparison to MS and HC. Comparison to MS and accounting for ON suggest this effect to be at least in part independent of ON. This supports a primary retinopathy in AQP4-IgG–seropositive NMOSD.

Paleoecology and taxonomy of Schoenaster carterensis, a new encrinasterid ophiuroid species from the Upper Mississippian (Chesterian) Slade Formation of northeastern Kentucky, USA

Schoenaster carterensis new species, is an asteroid-like ophiuroid (Echinodermata) from Upper Mississippian (Chesterian) shallow-water carbonates in the Ramey Creek Member of the Slade Formation in northeastern Kentucky. First described in the 1860s from Lower and Middle Mississippian rocks, Schoenaster Meek and Worthen, 1860 is not a well-known fossil genus, but the 39 specimens in this collection permitted further definition of the genus and extended its range by ca. 17 Ma into Late Mississippian (Chesterian) time. The number of specimens also permitted differentiation of growth stages based on average arm length and showed that arm length, disk perimeter, and disk area are interrelated in statistically significant ways. Although replaced by chert, the specimens are nearly intact due to rapid burial as rare constituents in habitat communities distributed among four once-contiguous habitats, including shoal, shoal margin, transitional, and basinal. Most of the ophiuroids were concentrated on firm grounds or hardgrounds in shoal and transitional environments, concentrations that probably reflect substratum stability and the ability to support the ophiuroid's generalist feeding strategy. Many fossil ophiuroid species are known from only a few specimens, severely limiting interpretations about their detailed taxonomy, individual variation, and ecology. In contrast, the greater number of specimens and extensive knowledge of geologic occurrence in this study permitted detailed interpretations regarding the taxonomic, intraspecific, and ecologic attributes of this species, which might be useful in the study of other fossil ophiuroids.UUID: http://www.zoobank.org/ffd945d8-63ac-4c38-a2d3-8647558dbbf0

Gambaran Parameter Optical Coherence Tomoghraphy Papil dan Hubungannya dengan Fungsi Penglihatan pada Pasien Non-Arthreritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy di FKUI-RSCM Kirana

Tujuan : Untuk menggambarkan parameter diskus optik dan retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) pada pasien non arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) dan untuk menggambarkan korelasinya dengan defek lapang pandang dan tajam penglihatan. Metode: 27 pasien NAION disertakan pada penelitian ini. Pemeriksaan berikut dilakukan secara potong lintang: Humphrey HFA II-i 750 24-2 threshold , tajam penglihatan dengan koreksi (TPDK) dengan Snellen chart dan optical coherence tomography (OCT) StratusTM fast optic disc dan fast RNFL 3.4mm. Hasil : Kami menemukan 14 mata (25,9%) dengan diskus optik edema, 21 mata (38,9%) dengan diskus optik atrofi dan 19 mata dengan diskus optik normal. Disk Area dan Rim cross sectional area dapat membedakan kondisi diskus edema, atrofi, dan normal (DA: 3,52 ± 1,16; 2,73 ± 0,55; 2,59 ± 0,44; p = 0,01) (RCSA : 2,44 ± 1,34; 1,52 (0,94-3,02); 1,83 ± 0,34; p = 0,014) masing-masing. Ketebalan RNFL di semua kuadran juga dapat membedakan morfologi diskus. Tidak ada korelasi yang ditemukan antara parameter diskus optik-RNFL dengan defek lapang pandang (LP). Kami menemukan korelasi sedang antara ketebalan RNFL kuadran temporal dengan TPDK (r -0,433; p = 0,05). Kesimpulan : Parameter diskus optik dan RNFL dengan OCT dapat digunakan untuk membedakan morfologi diskus optik. Ketebalan kuadran temporal RNFL adalah prediktor baik tajam penglihatan sentral pada pasien dengan NAION karena fungsi makula.

Analysis of bipolar outflow parameters, magnetic fields and maser activity relationship in EGO sources

The interferometric and single-dish observations of the Extended Green Objects sample have been carried out in order to check the possible common pumping mechanism of class I methanol maser (cIMM) and OH(1720 MHz) maser and their identification with a front of bipolar outflow as a source of interstellar shock stimulating collisional pumping of the molecules. High spatial and spectral resolution observations of OH masers allow us to investigate structure, kinematics, and magnetic field configuration of the inner region of the source, i.e., the outflow ejection region. Analysis of magnetic field strength in a disk area is crucial to understanding of the outflow origin.