Assessment of 8-isoprostane (8-isoPGF2α) in urine of non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing chemotherapy.

8-Isoprostane (8-isoPGF2α) is a reliable marker and considered a gold standard for lipid peroxidation. There are very few reports of 8-isoprostane levels in cancer patients, and in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Oxidative stress is however expected and has been observed in patients with cancer.

The translational role of diffusion tensor image analysis in animal models of developmental pathologies.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) has proven itself a powerful technique for clinical investigation of the neurobiological targets and mechanisms underlying developmental pathologies. The success of DTI in clinical studies has demonstrated its great potential for understanding translational animal models of clinical disorders, and preclinical animal researchers are beginning to embrace this new technology to study developmental pathologies. In animal models, genetics can be effectively controlled, drugs consistently administered, subject compliance ensured, and image acquisition times dramatically increased to reduce between-subject variability and improve image quality.

Chemically homogeneous and thermally reversible oxidation of epitaxial graphene.

With its exceptional charge mobility, graphene holds great promise for applications in next-generation electronics. In an effort to tailor its properties and interfacial characteristics, the chemical functionalization of graphene is being actively pursued. The oxidation of graphene via the Hummers method is most widely used in current studies, although the chemical inhomogeneity and irreversibility of the resulting graphene oxide compromises its use in high-performance devices.

Prenatal Cocaine Disrupts Serotonin Signaling-Dependent Behaviors: Implications for Sex Differences, Early Stress and Prenatal SSRI Exposure.

Prenatal cocaine (PC) exposure negatively impacts the developing nervous system, including numerous changes in serotonergic signaling. Cocaine, a competitive antagonist of the serotonin transporter, similar to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also blocks dopamine and norepinephrine transporters, leaving the direct mechanism through which cocaine disrupts the developing serotonin system unclear. In order to understand the role of the serotonin transporter in cocaine's effect on the serotonergic system, we compare reports concerning PC and prenatal antidepressant exposure and conclude that PC exposure affects many facets of serotonergic signaling (serotonin levels, receptors, transporters) and that these effects differ significantly from what is observed following prenatal SSRI exposure.

Chronic cocaine exposure during pregnancy increases postpartum neuroendocrine stress responses.

The cycle of chronic cocaine (CC) use and withdrawal results in increased anxiety, depression and disrupted stress-responsiveness. Oxytocin and corticosterone (CORT) interact to mediate hormonal stress responses and can be altered by cocaine use. These neuroendocrine signals play important regulatory roles in a variety of social behaviours, specifically during the postpartum period, and are sensitive to disruption by CC exposure in both clinical settings and preclinical models.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis: a new look at the underlying stem cell niche, theories of development, and occurrence in animals.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is the formation and development of blood cells outside the medullary spaces of the bone marrow. Although widely considered an epiphenomenon, secondary to underlying primary disease and lacking serious clinical or diagnostic implications, the presence of EMH is far from incidental on a molecular basis; rather, it reflects a well-choreographed suite of changes involving stem cells and their microenvironment (the stem cell niche). The goals of this review are to reconsider the molecular basis of EMH based on current knowledge of stem cell niches and to examine its role in the pathophysiologic mechanisms of EMH in animals.

Post-transfusion survival of biotin-labeled allogeneic RBCs in adult horses.

Background: Post-transfusion survival of allogeneic RBCs has been reported to be much shorter in horses than in other species. We hypothesized that post-transfusion survival of biotinylated allogeneic equine RBCs would be greater than the survival previously reported from studies using radioactive RBC-labeling techniques.

Objective: The study objective was to determine post-transfusion survival of N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)-biotin-labeled allogeneic equine RBCs transfused into adult horses.

Processing of equine bone marrow using the automated MarrowXpress System: RBC depletion, volume reduction, and mononuclear cell recovery.

Background: The therapeutic use of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (MNCs) and mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of soft tissue and orthopedic injuries in equine patients is expanding. After collection, bone marrow must be reduced in volume and depleted of RBCs for immediate therapeutic use or to prepare cells for culture or cryopreservation and storage. The MarrowXpress (MXP) System is an automated, closed, sterile system designed to process human bone marrow samples.

Development of translational methods in spectral analysis of human infant crying and rat pup ultrasonic vocalizations for early neurobehavioral assessment.

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of translational methods by which spectrum analysis of human infant crying and rat pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) can be used to assess potentially adverse effects of various prenatal conditions on early neurobehavioral development. The study of human infant crying has resulted in a rich set of measures that has long been used to assess early neurobehavioral insult due to non-optimal prenatal environments, even among seemingly healthy newborn and young infants. In another domain of study, the analysis of rat put USVs has been conducted via paradigms that allow for better experimental control over correlated prenatal conditions that may confound findings and conclusions regarding the effects of specific prenatal experiences.

Use of High Resolution 3D Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Study Brain White Matter Development in Live Neonatal Rats.

High resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can provide important information on brain development, yet it is challenging in live neonatal rats due to the small size of neonatal brain and motion-sensitive nature of DTI. Imaging in live neonatal rats has clear advantages over fixed brain scans, as longitudinal and functional studies would be feasible to understand neuro-developmental abnormalities. In this study, we developed imaging strategies that can be used to obtain high resolution 3D DTI images in live neonatal rats at postnatal day 5 (PND5) and PND14, using only 3 h of imaging acquisition time.

Synergy of image analysis for animal and human neuroimaging supports translational research on drug abuse.

The use of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in animal models of neuropathology is of increasing interest to the neuroscience community. In this work, we present our approach to create optimal translational studies that include both animal and human neuroimaging data within the frameworks of a study of post-natal neuro-development in intra-uterine cocaine-exposure. We propose the use of non-invasive neuroimaging to study developmental brain structural and white matter pathway abnormalities via sMRI and DTI, as advanced MR imaging technology is readily available and automated image analysis methodology have recently been transferred from the human to animal imaging setting.

Downregulation of CXCL12 signaling and altered hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell trafficking in a murine model of acute Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection.

Infection with a variety of bacterial pathogens results in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) mobilization. The mechanism and kinetics of HSPC mobilization during infection are largely unknown. Previously, we found altered HSPC activity in bone marrow, spleen and blood during infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis.

Clinical use of a model to predict the viability of early intrauterine pregnancies when no embryo is visible on ultrasound.

Background: When a small gestational sac with no visible embryo is seen at an early pregnancy ultrasound scan, the clinician cannot distinguish a viable from a non-viable pregnancy. A test for the prediction of early pregnancy viability at the initial visit was developed in 2003. Maternal age, gestational sac diameter (GSD) and serum progesterone levels were used in a logistic regression model to create an algorithm for estimation of the probability of a viable pregnancy.

Automatic cortical thickness analysis on rodent brain.

Localized difference in the cortex is one of the most useful morphometric traits in human and animal brain studies. There are many tools and methods already developed to automatically measure and analyze cortical thickness for the human brain. However, these tools cannot be directly applied to rodent brains due to the different scales; even adult rodent brains are 50 to 100 times smaller than humans.

Automatic Skull-stripping of Rat MRI/DTI Scans and Atlas Building.

3D Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) have become important noninvasive tools for the study of animal models of brain development and neuropathologies. Fully automated analysis methods adapted to rodent scale for these images will allow high-throughput studies. A fundamental first step for most quantitative analysis algorithms is skull-stripping, which refers to the segmentation of the image into two tissue categories, brain and non-brain.

Disruption of maternal parenting circuitry by addictive process: rewiring of reward and stress systems.

Addiction represents a complex interaction between the reward and stress neural circuits, with increasing drug use reflecting a shift from positive reinforcement to negative reinforcement mechanisms in sustaining drug dependence. Preclinical studies have indicated the involvement of regions within the extended amygdala as subserving this transition, especially under stressful conditions. In the addictive situation, the reward system serves to maintain habitual behaviors that are associated with the relief of negative affect, at the cost of attenuating the salience of other rewards.

Cocaine Exposure and Children's Self-Regulation: Indirect Association via Maternal Harshness.

Objectives: This study examined the association between prenatal cocaine exposure and children's self-regulation at 3 years of child age. In addition to direct effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on children's self-regulation, we hypothesized there would be indirect associations between cocaine exposure and self-regulation via higher maternal harshness and poor autonomic regulation in infancy.

Methods: The sample consisted of 216 mother-infant dyads recruited at delivery from local area hospitals (116 cocaine-exposed, 100 non-exposed).

Combined norepinephrine/serotonergic reuptake inhibition: effects on maternal behavior, aggression, and oxytocin in the rat.

Background: Few systematic studies exist on the effects of chronic reuptake of monoamine neurotransmitter systems during pregnancy on the regulation of maternal behavior (MB), although many drugs act primarily through one or more of these systems. Previous studies examining fluoxetine and amfonelic acid treatment during gestation on subsequent MB in rodents indicated significant alterations in postpartum maternal care, aggression, and oxytocin levels. In this study, we extended our studies to include chronic gestational treatment with desipramine or amitriptyline to examine differential effects of reuptake inhibition of norepinephrine and combined noradrenergic and serotonergic systems on MB, aggression, and oxytocin system changes.

Expression and activity of a novel cathelicidin from domestic cats.

Cathelicidins are small cationic antimicrobial peptides found in many species including primates, mammals, marsupials, birds and even more primitive vertebrates, such as the hagfish. Some animals encode multiple cathelicidins in their genome, whereas others have only one. This report identifies and characterizes feline cathelicidin (feCath) as the sole cathelicidin in domestic cats (Felis catus).

Synthesis and thermal decomposition of N,N-dialkoxyamides.

N,N-dialkoxyamides 1c, a virtually unstudied member of the new class of anomeric amides, amides bearing two electronegative atoms at nitrogen, have been synthesised in useful yields directly from hydroxamic esters using phenyliodine(III)bis(trifluoroacetate) (PIFA). Infrared carbonyl stretch frequencies and carbonyl (13)C NMR properties have been reported, which support strong inhibition of amide resonance in these amides. Their thermal decomposition reactions in mesitylene at 155 °C proceed by homolysis to form alkoxyamidyl and alkoxyl free radicals in preference to HERON rearrangements to esters.

The evolution and long-term results of laparoscopic antireflux surgery for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background: For nearly 2 decades, the laparoscopic correction of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has demonstrated its utility. However, the surgical technique has evolved over time, with mixed long-term results. We briefly review the evolution of antireflux surgery for the treatment of GERD, provide an update specific to the long-term efficacy of laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS), and analyze the factors predictive of a desirable outcome.

The origin of charge localization observed in organic photovoltaic materials.

Two of the primary hurdles facing organic electronics and photovoltaics are their low charge mobility and the inability to disentangle morphological and molecular effects on charge transport. Specific chemical groups such as alkyl side chains are often added to enable spin-casting and to improve overall power efficiency and morphologies, but their exact influence on mobility is poorly understood. Here, we use two-photon photoemission spectroscopy to study the charge transport properties of two organic semiconductors, one with and one without alkyl substituents (sexithiophene and dihexyl-sexithiophene).