Stress-induced alterations in anxiety-like behavior and adaptations in plasticity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

In vulnerable individuals, exposure to stressors can result in chronic disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The extended amygdala is critically implicated in mediating acute and chronic stress responsivity and anxiety-like behaviors. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a subregion of the extended amygdala, serves as a relay of corticolimbic information to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) to directly influence the stress response.

Emerging role of relaxin in the maternal adaptations to normal pregnancy: implications for preeclampsia.

Relaxin is an approximately 6-kilodalton peptide hormone secreted by the corpus luteum, and circulates in the maternal blood during pregnancy. Relaxin administration to awake, chronically instrumented, nonpregnant rats mimics the vasodilatory phenomena of pregnancy. Furthermore, immunoneutralization of relaxin or its elimination from the circulation during midterm pregnancy in awake rats prevents maternal systemic and renal vasodilation, and the increase in global arterial compliance.

Multiplex assessment of non-organ-specific autoantibodies with a novel microbead-based immunoassay.

Advances in immunofluorescence assay development paved the way for the simultaneous detection of several antibodies in one sample, for the serological diagnosis of systemic rheumatic diseases. Standardized automated screening of such antibodies can be achieved by HEp-2 cell-based indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) using a multicolor fluorescence imaging technical platform. To create a common platform for both screening and specific antibody assessment, multiplex measurement of antibodies using fluorescence-coded immobilized microbeads was employed on the same platform.

Autoantibodies to GP2, the major zymogen granule membrane glycoprotein, are new markers in Crohn's disease.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by reactivity against microbial and self antigens. Zymogen granule glycoprotein 2 (GP2) was identified as the major autoantigen of CD-specific pancreatic autoantibodies (PAB).

Methods: Human GP2 was expressed in the Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cell line using the baculovirus system, purified by Ni-chelate chromatography, and used as antigen for anti-GP2 IgA and IgG assessment by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

Altered anxiety-like behavior and long-term potentiation in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in adult mice exposed to chronic social isolation, unpredictable stress, and ethanol beginning in adolescence.

Alcohol and chronic stress exposure, especially during adolescence, can lead to an increased risk in adulthood of developing alcohol use disorders. To date, however, no study has assessed the potential long-term effects of chronic intermittent and unpredictable ethanol (EtOH) exposure in mice chronically stressed beginning in adolescence on brain function and anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood. In particular, alterations in function of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region heavily implicated in anxiety-related behaviors and altered plasticity following EtOH exposure, may play a key role in the pathological responses to chronic stress and EtOH.

Self-report measure of psychological abuse of older adults.

Purpose: This study tested key psychometric properties of the Older Adult Psychological Abuse Measure (OAPAM), one self-report scale of the Older Adult Mistreatment Assessment (OAMA).

Design And Methods: Items and theory were developed in a prior concept mapping study. Subsequently, the measures were administered to 226 substantiated clients by 22 elder abuse staff from 7 agencies in a full-scale field test.

Light promotes an increase of cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase activity during senescence of barley leaf segments.

Following a study of the relationship between cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) and senescence in darkened barley leaf segments, we have now investigated the influence of light on the in vitro activity of CKX. Seedlings of Hordeum vulgare L. were grown for 8d under a light/dark regime of 18h white light and 6h darkness.

Gene expression in first trimester preeclampsia placenta.

Background: The goal of this study was to further validate eight candidate genes identified in a microarray analysis of first trimester placentas in preeclampsia.

Material And Method: Surplus chorionic villus sampling (CVS) specimens of 4 women subsequently diagnosed with preeclampsia (PE) and 8 control women (C) without preeclampsia analyzed previously by microarray and 24 independent additional control samples (AS) were submitted for confirmatory studies by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Results: Downregulation was significant in FSTL3 in PE as compared to C and AS (p = .

A Comparison of Content-Balancing Procedures for Estimating Multiple Clinical Domains in Computerized Adaptive Testing: Relative Precision, Validity, and Detection of Persons With Misfitting Responses.

This simulation study sought to compare four different computerized adaptive testing (CAT) content balancing procedures designed for use in a multidimensional assessment with respect to measurement precision, symptom severity classification; validity of clinical diagnostic recommendations; and sensitivity to atypical responding. The four content balancing procedures were: (1) no content balancing, (2) Screener-based, (3) Mixed (Screener plus content balancing), and (4) Full content balancing. In Full content balancing and in Mixed content balancing following administration of the screener items, item selection was based on: (1) whether the target number of items for the item's subscale was reached, and (2) the item's information function.

Self-report measure of financial exploitation of older adults.

Purpose: this study was designed to improve the measurement of financial exploitation (FE) by testing psychometric properties of the older adult financial exploitation measure (OAFEM), a client self-report instrument.

Design And Methods: rasch item response theory and traditional validation approaches were used. Questionnaires were administered by 22 adult protective services investigators from 7 agencies in Illinois to 227 substantiated abuse clients.

Interleukin-17-producing T helper cells in autoimmunity.

With all the incredible progress in scientific research over the past two decades, the trigger of the majority of autoimmune disorders remains largely elusive. Research on the biology of T helper type 17 (T(H)17) cells over the last decade not only clarified previous observations of immune regulations and disease manifestations, but also provided considerable information on the signaling pathways mediating the effects of this lineage and its seemingly dual role in fighting the invading pathogens on one hand, and in frightening the host by inducing chronic inflammation and autoimmunity on the other hand. In this context, recent reports have implicated T(H)17 cells in mediating host defense as well as a growing list of autoimmune diseases in genetically-susceptible individuals.

Persistent increases in cocaine-seeking behavior after acute exposure to cold swim stress.

Background: Acute and chronic stress reinstates drug-seeking behavior. Current animal models show that these effects are contingent (temporally, contextually, or both) on the drug-conditioning environment. To date, no paradigm exists to model the common human situation in which stressors that are distinct from the experience of drugs can lead to relapse.

Dopamine receptor expression and distribution dynamically change in the rat nucleus accumbens after withdrawal from cocaine self-administration.

Dopamine receptors (DARs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are critical for cocaine's actions but the nature of adaptations in DAR function after repeated cocaine exposure remains controversial. This may be due in part to the fact that different methods used in previous studies measured different DAR pools. In the present study, we used a protein crosslinking assay to make the first measurements of DAR surface expression in the NAc of cocaine-experienced rats.

Validation of the Crime and Violence Scale (CVS) against the Rasch measurement model including differences by gender, race, and age.

In assessing criminality, researchers have used counts of crimes, arrests, and so on, because interval measures were not available. Additionally, crime seriousness varies depending on demographic factors. This study examined the Crime and Violence Scale (CVS) regarding psychometric quality using item response theory (IRT) and invariance of the crime seriousness hierarchy for gender, age, and racial/ethnic groups on 7,435 respondents.

Selection pressures have caused genome-wide population differentiation of Anthoxanthum odoratum despite the potential for high gene flow.

The extent to which divergent selection can drive genome-wide population differentiation remains unclear. Theory predicts that in the face of ongoing gene flow, population differentiation should be apparent only at those markers that are directly or indirectly (i.e.

Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of lupus erythematosus in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome.

Objective: Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) is an early-onset encephalopathy resembling congenital viral infection that is characterized by basal ganglia calcifications, loss of white matter, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytosis, and elevated interferon-alpha levels in the CSF. Studies have shown that AGS is an autosomal-recessive disease linked to mutations in 5 genes, encoding the 3'-repair DNA exonuclease 1 (TREX1), the 3 subunits of ribonuclease H2 (RNASEH2A-C), and sterile alpha motif domain and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1). In this study we further characterized the phenotypic spectrum of this disease.

Profiling of rheumatoid arthritis associated autoantibodies.

An increasing number of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated autoantibodies (AAB) are available for AAB profiling that may improve the early diagnosis of RA and provide prognostic and, probably theranostic information. To select AAB specificities for optimal AAB combinations, known AAB should be evaluated with standardized methods by means of standardized study designs and subjected to statistical analysis. Profiling of anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibodies (ACPA), anti-A2/RA-33 antibodies, and rheumatoid factors (RF) IgM and IgA improves the serologic diagnosis of RA using cut-offs corresponding to 98% specificity for each parameter included.

Search for and identification of novel tumor-associated autoantigens.

During the development of tumors, autoantibodies against aberrant or overexpressed autoantigens can be induced. Several hundreds of tumor-associated autoantibodies (TAAB) with more or less specificity for tumors have been found until now by molecular cloning and proteomics technologies. Many TAAB are detectable in preclinical stages of the disease and may be indicators of tumor development.

High sensitive detection of double-stranded DNA autoantibodies by a modified Crithidia luciliae immunofluorescence test.

Anti-double-stranded (ds)DNA antibodies are serological markers of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Of all anti-dsDNA antibody detection methods, the Crithidia luciliae immunofluorescence test (CLIFT) is thought to have the highest specificity for SLE. However, the clinical application is hampered by the low diagnostic sensitivity.

Autoantibody detection using indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells.

The detection of autoantibodies is an important element in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression in patients with autoimmune diseases. In laboratory diagnostic tests for connective tissue and autoimmune liver diseases, indirect immunofluorescence on HEp-2 cells plays a central role in a multistage diagnostic process. Despite the high quality of diagnostics, findings at different laboratories can differ considerably due to a lack of standardization, as well as subjective factors.

High-sensitivity detection of autoantibodies against proteinase-3 by a novel third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a novel third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the high-sensitivity detection of autoantibodies to proteinase-3 (PR3) in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). First- and second-generation ELISA for the detection of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) frequently demonstrate insufficient sensitivity due to inadequate presentation of autoantigenic epitopes. Human PR3 was immobilized on the solid phase of ELISA plates by anchoring technique.

The development of a conceptual model for understanding elder self-neglect.

Purpose: Elder self-neglect (ESN) represents half or more of all cases reported to adult protective services. ESN directly affects older adults and also their families, neighbors, and the larger communities around them. ESN has public health implications and is associated with higher than expected mortality rates, hospitalizations, long-term care placements, and localized environmental and safety hazards.