Towards a replacement therapy for stimulant betel quid dependence: A proof of concept study.

Stimulant betel quid (SBQ) containing Piper betle leaf (L), green unripe Areca catechu nut (AN) and the alkalizing agent, slaked lime, is an addictive, carcinogenic stimulant, with no pharmacotherapy, chewed by millions of people in the Asia/Pacific region. We compared the in vivo physiological profile of chewing (1) non-stimulant P. betle leaf+AN (LAN), (2) SBQ utilizing slaked lime and (3) a novel SBQ utilizing Mg(OH) , as an alkalizing agent, by measuring physiological parameters of intoxication and these were correlated with in vitro levels of alkaloids measured by UHPLC-MS/MS.

A trait-based approach to both forestry and timber building can synchronize forest harvest and resilience.

Along with forest managers, builders are key change agents of forest ecosystems' structure and composition through the specification and use of wood products. New forest management approaches are being advocated to increase the resilience and adaptability of forests to climate change and other natural disturbances. Such approaches call for a diversification of our forests based on species' functional traits that will dramatically change the harvested species composition, volume, and output of our forested landscapes.

Rapid green analytical methodology for simultaneous biomonitoring of five toxic areca nut alkaloids using UHPLC-MS/MS for predicting health hazardous risks.

Areca nut (AN) is a fundamental component of betel quid (BQ), an addictive and carcinogenic mixture chewed by hundreds of millions of people in India-Asia-Pacific. Chewing of BQ is associated with oral cancers due to specific carcinogenic alkaloids (arecaidine, guvacine, guvacoline, arecoline, N-Nitrosoguvacoline) in AN. To predict the hazardous health risks of short and long-term chewing of BQ, it is crucial to identify five toxic AN alkaloids in saliva and urine of BQ chewers.

Intoxication and substance use disorder to Areca catechu nut containing betel quid: A review of epidemiological evidence, pharmacological basis and social factors influencing quitting strategies.

Aim: We present a systematic review of substance use disorder (SUD) to Areca catechu nut (AN) and AN containing betel quid (ANcBQ) with emphasis on dependence resulting from chewing of tobacco-free ANcBQ. We examined pharmacology of intoxication and addiction, and factors influencing quitting strategies.

Methods: Epidemiological publications of SUD were included according to PRISMA criteria.

TCF/Lef regulates the Gsx ParaHox gene in central nervous system development in chordates.

Background: The ParaHox genes play an integral role in the anterior-posterior (A-P) patterning of the nervous system and gut of most animals. The ParaHox cluster is an ideal system in which to study the evolution and regulation of developmental genes and gene clusters, as it displays similar regulatory phenomena to its sister cluster, the Hox cluster, but offers a much simpler system with only three genes.

Results: Using Ciona intestinalis transgenics, we isolated a regulatory element upstream of Branchiostoma floridae Gsx that drives expression within the central nervous system of Ciona embryos.

Problematizing Disciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Problematics.

This article situates current debates about transdisciplinarity within the deeper history of academic disciplinarity, in its difference from the notions of inter- and multi-disciplinarity. It offers a brief typology and history of established conceptions of transdisciplinarity within science and technology studies. It then goes on to raise the question of the conceptual structure of transdisciplinary generality in the humanities, with respect to the incorporation of the 19th- and 20th-century German and French philosophical traditions into the anglophone humanities, under the name of 'theory'.

Characterization of the psychological, physiological and EEG profile of acute betel quid intoxication in naïve subjects.

Betel quid use and abuse is wide spread in Asia but the physiological basis of intoxication and addiction are unknown. In subjects naïve to the habit of betel quid intoxication, the psychological and physiological profile of intoxication has never been reported. We compared the effect of chewing gum or chewing betel quid, and subsequent betel quid intoxication, on psychological assessment, prospective time interval estimation, numerical and character digit span, computerized 2 choice tests and mental tasks such as reading and mathematics with concurrent monitoring of ECG, EEG and face temperature in healthy, non-sleep deprived, male subjects naïve to the habit of chewing betel quid.

Seasonality and fasting effect in raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides serum leptin levels determined by canine leptin-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Leptin is an adipocyte-derived peptide hormone that acts on the brain and regulates food intake and energy balance. Several previous reports have suggested that overwintering raccoon dogs Nyctereutes procyonoides are able to control their adiposity efficiently, but the contribution of leptin to weight regulation in these animals remains unclear. To study the seasonality of overwintering raccoon dogs as well as the effects of fasting on them, serum leptin levels were investigated using a newly established canine leptin-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.

The selective 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist NAD-299 increases acetylcholine release but not extracellular glutamate levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of awake rat.

The effects of the HT(1A) receptor antagonist NAD-299 on extracellular acetylcholine (ACh) and glutamate (Glu) levels in the frontal cortex (FC) and ventral hippocampus (HPC) of the awake rats were investigated by the use of in vivo microdialysis. Systemic administration of NAD-299 (0.3; 1 and 3micromol/kg s.

Chordate Hox and ParaHox gene clusters differ dramatically in their repetitive element content.

The ParaHox and Hox gene clusters control aspects of animal anterior-posterior development and are related as paralogous evolutionary sisters. Despite this relationship, it is not clear if the clusters operate in similar ways, with similar constraints. To compare clusters, we examined the transposable-element (TE) content of amphioxus and mammalian ParaHox and Hox clusters.

Retinoic acid and Wnt/beta-catenin have complementary roles in anterior/posterior patterning embryos of the basal chordate amphioxus.

A role for Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in axial patterning has been demonstrated in animals as basal as cnidarians, while roles in axial patterning for retinoic acid (RA) probably evolved in the deuterostomes and may be chordate-specific. In vertebrates, these two pathways interact both directly and indirectly. To investigate the evolutionary origins of interactions between these two pathways, we manipulated Wnt/beta-catenin and RA signaling in the basal chordate amphioxus during the gastrula stage, which is the RA-sensitive period for anterior/posterior (A/P) patterning.

Differential regulation of ParaHox genes by retinoic acid in the invertebrate chordate amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae).

The ParaHox cluster is the evolutionary sister to the Hox cluster. Like the Hox cluster, the ParaHox cluster displays spatial and temporal regulation of the component genes along the anterior/posterior axis in a manner that correlates with the gene positions within the cluster (a feature called collinearity). The ParaHox cluster is however a simpler system to study because it is composed of only three genes.

Overwintering strategy of wild free-ranging and enclosure-housed Japanese raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus).

The raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides, is a canid with a passive overwintering strategy in northern Europe. However, the behaviour and physiology of the Japanese subspecies, N. p.

Mammalian cerebral metabolism and amino acid neurotransmission during hibernation.

This report demonstrates that during the torpor phase of hibernation, hamsters utilize (14)C and (13)C glucose in torpor-specific brain metabolic pathways. Microdialysis of (14)C glucose into the striatum rapidly induced a steady state labeling of extracellular fluid (ECF) lactate and labeling of tissue GABA, glutamate, glutamine, and alanine in ipsilateral and contralateral striata. The same tissue metabolites were labeled in cortex, hypothalamus, and brainstem after microdialysis of (14)C lactate into the lateral ventricle.

Special report: ISTCs. Opportunity knocks.

Independent sector treatment centres can be a force for innovation, improvement and value in the NHS. Despite accusations that ITSCs have an unfair advantage, they will eventually operate at tariff. ITSCs' independence means they are better placed than NHS bodies to use international best practice.

Brain ECF antioxidant interactions in hamsters during arousal from hibernation.

Warming from hibernation to cenothermia involves intense metabolic activity and large fluxes in regional blood flow and volume. During this transition, levels of the antioxidants, ascorbate (AA), urate and glutathione (GSH) in brain tissue, extracellular fluid (ECF) and plasma change substantially. Striatal ECF was sampled and manipulated using very slow perfusion microdialysis to examine the mechanisms that influence the changing profile of striatal ECF AA, urate and GSH levels during arousal from hibernation to cenothermia in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

Patterns of conservation and change in honey bee developmental genes.

The current insect genome sequencing projects provide an opportunity to extend studies of the evolution of developmental genes and pathways in insects. In this paper we examine the conservation and divergence of genes and developmental processes between Drosophila and the honey bee; two holometabolous insects whose lineages separated approximately 300 million years ago, by comparing the presence or absence of 308 Drosophila developmental genes in the honey bee. Through examination of the presence or absence of genes involved in conserved pathways (cell signaling, axis formation, segmentation and homeobox transcription factors), we find that the vast majority of genes are conserved.

Brain antioxidant levels in hamsters during hibernation, arousal and cenothermia.

Warming from hibernation to cenothermia involves intense metabolic activity coincident with large fluxes in blood flow and is considered to be a period of oxidative stress during which utilization of endogenous antioxidants prevents pathology. Very slow flow brain microdialysis enabled temperature independent sampling of the brain striatal extracellular fluid (ECF) during hibernation, arousal and cenothermia in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Brain tissue and dialysates were analyzed to provide the first profile of changes in ECF levels of ascorbate (AA), glutathione (GSH) and urate during hibernation and the transition to cenothermia.

Expression of Pax group III genes in the honeybee (Apis mellifera).

Pax group III genes are involved in a number of processes during insect segmentation. In Drosophila melanogaster, three genes, paired, gooseberry and gooseberry-neuro, regulate segmental patterning of the epidermis and nervous system. Paired acts as a pair-rule gene and gooseberry as a segment polarity gene.

Chemical polymerization of m-phenylenediamine, in the presence of glucose oxidase, produces an enzyme-retaining electrooxidisable polymer used to produce a biosensor for amperometric detection of glucose from brain dialysate.

A new procedure involving chemical polymerization of a monomer of m-phenylenediamine (m-ppd) containing glucose oxidase (GOx) and subsequent electro-synthesis of the functional GOx containing polymer onto platinum needle electrodes (PTNE) was used for the amperometric analysis of glucose concentration in brain dialysates. Monomer solutions of o-phenylenediamine (o-ppd) and m-ppd were polymerized by low concentrations of glutaraldehyde (GA) and precipitated from solution. The 1,3 position of the amines on the benzene was amenable to stable polymerization by GA but polymerization of o-ppd (1,2 position) by GA was unstable and degraded.

Perfusate oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration influence basal microdialysate levels of striatal glucose and lactate in conscious rats.

O(2) concentration ([O(2)]) in air equilibrated solutions at room temperature is three fold higher than that in brain extracellular fluid (ECF), and CO(2) concentration ([CO(2)]) is 100 times lower. Using microdialysis the ECF is routinely dialyzed against glucose free isotonic perfusates containing 200 microM O(2) and 10 microM CO(2). In conscious rats, 2 days after probe implantation, decreasing perfusate [O(2)] from 200 to 68 microM (physiologic level) for 60 min, while maintaining a low [CO(2)] (10 microM), increased striatal dialysate glucose and lactate by 12% and 33%, respectively.

Hyperoxia caused by microdialysis perfusion decreased striatal monoamines: involvement of oxidative stress.

Due to complex influence, such as utilization and permeability of arterial vessels to oxygen, there is a considerable difference of oxygen tension between extracellular fluid and perfusate usually used in microdialysis (30-60 Torr versus 145 Torr). Dialysate dopamine and monoamine metabolites-3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were measured under different kinds of oxygen tension solutions (145, 72, 48 Torr). In the acute and anesthetized group, dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and homovanillic acid increased 72, 93, 86 and 65%, respectively when changing the perfusate from 145 Torr to near physiological 48 Torr, while in chronic and conscious group, carried out 72 h after surgery, these compounds showed obscure increases (only homovanillic acid produced a significant change of 14%).

Cyclic voltammetry characterization of metal complex imprinted polymer.

Polymer capable of specific binding to Cu(2+)-2, 2'-dipyridyl complex was prepared by molecular imprinting technology. The binding specificity of the polymer to the template (Cu(2+)-2, 2'-dipyridyl complex) was investigated by cyclic voltammetric scanning using the carbon paste electrode modified by polymer particles in phosphate buffer solution. Factors that influence rebinding of the imprinted polymer were explored.

Continuous on-line measurement of cerebral hydrogen peroxide using enzyme-modified ring-disk plastic carbon film electrode.

An amperometric method suitable for the continuous on-line measurement of cerebral hydrogen peroxide from a microdialysate has been successfully performed for the first time by using an enzyme-modified ring-disk plastic carbon film electrode (PCFE) in a thin-layer radial flow cell. PCFE consists of a ring electrode modified with horseradish peroxidase to detect H2O2 at 0.0 V (vs Ag/ AgCl) and a disk electrode coated with ascorbate oxidase (AOx) to preoxidize ascorbic acid (AA) and thus suppress interference via direct oxidation.