Comparison of international approaches to sustainable remediation.

Since mid-to-late 2000s growing interest for sustainable remediation has emerged in initiatives from several international and national organisations as well as other initiatives from networks and forums. This reflects a realisation that risk-management activities can about bring environmental, social, and economic impacts (positive or negative) in addition to achieving risk-based remediation goals. These ideas have begun to develop as a new discipline of "sustainable remediation".

Electroretinographic modifications induced by agomelatine: a novel avenue to the understanding of the claimed antidepressant effect of the drug?

Background: Agomelatine, the first melatonergic antidepressant, has been postulated to enhance the dopaminergic activity at the central nervous system by 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor type 2C (5-HT2C) antagonism, yet the impact of melatonergic agonism on this pathway is unclear. Previous studies employing simplified, yet reliable, proxy (retinal) measures of the central nervous system dopaminergic activity, namely the standard electroretinogram (ERG) technique, suggested a reduction of the dopaminergic activity of the main ERG parameter, the b-wave, by pure melatonin, notably a hormone devoid of any antidepressant activity. Therefore, the antidepressant effects of the melatonergic antidepressant drug agomelatine should be reflected by a differential b-wave trend at ERG versus the effect exerted by pure melatonin, which was eventually found to be due to a contrasting effect on central dopaminergic transmission between the two drugs.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and related disorders: a comprehensive survey.

Our aim was to present a comprehensive, updated survey on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive related disorders (OCRDs) and their clinical management via literature review, critical analysis and synthesis. Information on OCD and OCRD current nosography, clinical phenomenology and etiology, may lead to a better comprehension of their management. Clinicians should become familiar with the broad spectrum of OCD disorders, since it is a pivotal issue in current clinical psychiatry.

Catatonic features in major depression relieved by electroconvulsive treatment: parallel evaluation of the status of platelet serotonin transporter.

The aim of this research was to follow parallelly the clinical status of a patient and the dynamics of the serotonin transporter (SERT), a likely player in the effect of electroconvulsive treatment (ECT), a powerful tool against deep depression. A patient affected by major depression with catatonic features, not responding to pharmacological therapy, underwent ECT. Evaluations of the binding of labelled paroxetine to venous blood platelet SERT were parallel to the assessments of clinical improvements.

Epileptic seizures but not pseudoseizures are associated with decreased density of the serotonin transporter in blood platelet membranes.

The density of the serotonin transporter in the plasma membranes of blood platelets was evaluated by labelled paroxetine binding in three different groups. These groups were: normal controls, epileptic patients having undergone a recent seizure (less than 4 days before) and patients who equally recently presented psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (pseudoseizures). Real seizures resulted in a significant decrease of membrane serotonin transporter density.

Is the platelet serotonin transporter different in venous vs. arterial blood?

The binding of labelled paroxetine to the serotonin transporter (SERT) of platelet membranes has been studied in both venous and mixed venous/arterial blood of the rat. In addition, we studied the inhibition of paroxetine binding to SERT by quipazine and N-methyl-quipazine (NMQ). The results indicate differences in affinity for the two test drugs, quipazine and NMQ, in venous vs.

Decrease of serotonin transporters in blood platelets after epileptic seizures.

Serotonin transporter (SERT) was studied by [3H]-paroxetine binding in blood platelets from controls and epileptic patients with generalized convulsive seizures. The average KD and BMax were not different in the two cases. However, a significant decrease was found in the serotonin transporter density in the platelet membranes from patients having undergone an epileptic seizure less than 4 days before.