Conservation psychology strategies for collaborative planning and impact evaluation.

Conservation psychology principles can be useful for aligning organizations and scaling up conservation programs to increase impact while strategically engaging partners and communities. We can use findings and recommendations from conservation psychology to inform organizational collaborations between zoos and aquariums to maximize efficiency and coordination. In this study, we developed and evaluated a collaborative conservation initiative for monarch butterflies built with conservation psychology principles.

DDT in endangered Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki).

We characterize for the first time the presence of DDT and its metabolites in tropical Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wolleabeki). ∑DDT concentrations in Galapagos sea lion pups sampled in 2005 and 2008 ranged from 16 to 3070 μg/kg lipid. Concentrations of ∑DDT in pups in 2008 averaged 525 μg/kg lipid and were 1.

Retrograde viral vector-mediated inhibition of pontospinal noradrenergic neurons causes hyperalgesia in rats.

Pontospinal noradrenergic neurons form a component of an endogenous analgesic system and represent a potential therapeutic target. We tested the principle that genetic manipulation of their excitability can alter nociception using an adenoviral vector (AVV-PRS-hKir(2.1)) containing a catecholaminergic-selective promoter (PRS) to retrogradely transduce and inhibit the noradrenergic neurons projecting to the lumbar dorsal horn through the expression of a potassium channel (hKir(2.

Retrograde adenoviral vector targeting of nociresponsive pontospinal noradrenergic neurons in the rat in vivo.

The spinal dorsal horn receives a dense innervation of noradrenaline-containing fibers that originate from pontine neurons in the A5, locus coeruleus (LC), and A7 cell groups. These pontospinal neurons are believed to constitute a component of the endogenous analgesic system. We used an adenoviral vector with a catecholaminergic-selective promoter (AVV-PRS) to retrogradely label the noradrenergic neurons projecting to the lumbar (L4-L5) dorsal horn with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP).

Restraining influence of A2 neurons in chronic control of arterial pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Objectives: The role of A2 noradrenergic neurons in regulating cardiovascular homeostasis chronically is poorly understood. We aimed to genetically target A2 neurons and induce expression of a potassium channel to reduce their electrical excitability and study how this impacts on long-term blood pressure control.

Methods: We used a lentiviral vector with PRSx8 promoter for targeting noradrenergic neurons to express a human inwardly rectifying potassium channel, hK(ir)2.

Synthesis, molecular modeling and biological evaluation of aza-proline and aza-pipecolic derivatives as FKBP12 ligands and their in vivo neuroprotective effects.

Nonimmunosuppressant ligands, exemplified by GPI 1046 (1), for the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase FKBP12 have been found to unexpectedly possess powerful neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects in vitro and in vivo. We have extensively explored the therapeutic utility of FKBP12 ligands based on analogues of proline and pipecolic acid. As part of our ongoing program to explore novel structural classes of FKBP12 ligands, we herein wish to report a new class of FKBP12 ligands containing aza-proline and aza-pipecolic acid analogues.

The dimensions of insight in people with dementia.

This study aims to characterize the factors determining the retention or loss of insight in dementia through: (i). a comparison of assessment procedures previously used to quantify loss of insight and (ii). a qualitative analysis of interviews with patients and carers.

Synthesis of ketone analogues of prolyl and pipecolyl ester FKBP12 ligands.

The recently discovered small-molecule ligands for the peptidyl and prolyl isomerases (PPIase) of FKBP12 have been shown to possess powerful neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects. Ketone analogues of the prolyl and pipecolyl esters, which mimic only the FKBP binding domain portion of FK506, are proposed and an efficient synthetic strategy is presented in this report, along with the preliminary results of in vitro and in vivo biological studies.

Synthesis of N-glyoxyl prolyl and pipecolyl amides and thioesters and evaluation of their in vitro and in vivo nerve regenerative effects.

The recent discovery that small molecule ligands for the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) FKBP12 possess powerful neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties in vitro and in vivo suggests therapeutic utility for such compounds in neurodegenerative disease. The neurotrophic effects of these compounds are independent of the immunosuppressive pathways by which drugs such as FK506 and rapamycin operate. Previous work by ourselves and other groups exploring the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of small molecules that mimic only the FKBP binding domain portion of FK506 has focused on esters of proline and pipecolic acid.

Solid-phase synthesis of FKBP12 inhibitors: N-sulfonyl and N-carbamoylprolyl/pipecolyl amides.

In parallel with our work on solution-phase parallel synthesis of ligands for the rotamase enzyme FKBP12, we herein report a methodology for the solid-phase synthesis of two classes of inhibitor, N-sulfonyl and N-carbamoylprolyl and pipecolyl amides along with their in vitro/in vivo biological results.

Use of parallel-synthesis combinatorial libraries for rapid identification of potent FKBP12 inhibitors.

Using simple, inexpensive equipment, we have used solution-phase parallel synthesis to rapidly prepare hundreds of sulfonamide- and urea-containing FKBP inhibitors, resulting in rapid identification of extremely potent compounds in these series.

The small molecule FKBP ligand GPI 1046 induces partial striatal re-innervation after intranigral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion in rats.

Extensive unilateral striatal deafferentation was produced by intranigral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in rats. Beginning 60 days after 6-OHDA injection animals received a 14-day course of treatment with either the small molecule FKBP ligand GPI 1046 (10 mg/kg) or its vehicle alone. Striatal dopaminergic innervation density was determined from high power image analysis of striatal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry.

The effect of tuberculosis and tuberculosis contact tracing on school function: an exploratory focus group study.

Setting: Selected schools in East York, an ethnically diverse municipality of 110,000 people within Toronto.

Objective: To explore school staff's attitudes and beliefs about the nature of tuberculosis and its possible effect on the function and culture of schools.

Design: Four focus groups of 6-8 school staff, lasting from 1 to 1.

Lesions of the intermediate medial hyperstriatum ventrale impair sickness-conditioned learning in day-old chicks.

Lesion studies show that the intermediate medial hyperstriatum ventrale (IMHV), a forebrain visual association area in chicks, is involved in learning and memory for one-trial passive avoidance and imprinting. We examined the effects of IMHV lesions in a one-trial, nongustatory, sickness-conditioned learning task. This task is similar to passive avoidance and imprinting because all three tasks require the chick to remember visual cues in order to respond correctly.

A new look at an old task: advantages and uses of sickness-conditioned learning in day-old chicks.

In sickness-conditioned learning, animals become ill after sampling a new substance and develop an aversion that is expressed as avoidance of that substance in subsequent presentations. We examined the parameters of a one-trial, nongustatory, sickness-conditioned learning task in day-old chicks. Chicks pecked a bead and were made ill by i.

Neurotrophic immunophilin ligands stimulate structural and functional recovery in neurodegenerative animal models.

Although immunosuppressant immunophilin ligands promote neurite outgrowth in vitro, their neurotrophic activities are clearly independent of their immunosuppressive activity. In the present report, a novel nonimmunosuppressive immunophilin ligand, GPI-1046 (3-(3-pyridyl)-1-propyl (2S)-1-(3,3-dimethyl-1,2-dioxopentyl)-2-pyrrolidinecarboxylate+ ++) is described. In vitro, GPI-1046 bound to FK506 binding protein-12 and elicited neurite outgrowth from sensory neuronal cultures with picomolar potency with maximal effects comparable to nerve growth factor.

The biochemistry of heat illness.

The two common forms of heat illness in the Services are heatstroke and heat exhaustion. Biochemical predisposing factors are considered for each. Susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia should be tested for in cases of heat stroke.

The role of isotonic and hypertonic solutions in the resuscitation of shocked patients.

The role of intravenous salt solutions in resuscitation is reviewed historically. A brief account of the pathophysiology of shock is given. The particular use of hypertonic solutions in the resuscitation of severely shocked patients is reviewed and its mechanism of action discussed.

The accuracy and standardization of TBG kits.

Three kits for measurement of serum thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) were compared with a reference radioimmunoassay in forty-three normal euthyroid subjects. The Corning Immophase kit gave similar results to those with the reference method with satisfactory precision and accuracy. The Behringwerke AG RIA-gnost kit gave results with adequate but lower correlation with the reference method (r = 0.

A method for the preparation of human thyroxine-binding globulin; its importance in the establishment of an accurate and specific radioimmunoassay.

Pure thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) is required in radioimmunoassay to prepare monospecific antisera, [125I]TBG and as primary standard. Homogeneous TBG was prepared by a three-stage affinity chromatography procedure; it could not be dissociated into subunits and its molecular weight by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was 59 000. The amino acid composition was in agreement with two earlier reports.