Evaluating Cholinergic Receptor Expression in Guinea Pig Primary Auditory and Rostral Belt Cortices After Noise Damage Using [H]Scopolamine and [F]Flubatine Autoradiography.

Noise-induced hearing loss leads to anatomic and physiologic changes in primary auditory cortex (A1) and the adjacent dorsal rostral belt (RB). Since acetylcholine is known to modulate plasticity in other cortical areas, changes in A1 and RB following noise damage may be due to changes in cholinergic receptor expression. We used [H]scopolamine and [F]flubatine binding to measure muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) expression, respectively, in guinea pig A1 and RB 3 weeks following unilateral, left ear noise exposure, and a temporary threshold shift in hearing.

Synthesis and pre-clinical evaluation of a potential radiotracer for PET imaging of the dopamine D receptor.

There is considerable interest in using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to understand the function of dopamine D receptors. Due to high sequence homology with D receptors, development of D-selective PET radiotracers has been challenging. In an effort to overcome this issue, we report the radiosynthesis of a new selective D ligand with carbon-11 ( ), and its initial preclincial evaluation as a potential PET radiotracer for imaging of D receptors.

Socially selected ornaments and fitness: Signals of fighting ability in paper wasps are positively associated with survival, reproductive success, and rank.

Many animals have ornaments that mediate choice and competition in social and sexual contexts. Individuals with elaborate sexual ornaments typically have higher fitness than those with less elaborate ornaments, but less is known about whether socially selected ornaments are associated with fitness. Here, we test the relationship between fitness and facial patterns that are a socially selected signal of fighting ability in Polistes dominula wasps.