Lifetime caffeine and adolescent nicotine exposure in mice: effects on anxiety-like behavior and reward.

Caffeine consumption occurs throughout life, while nicotine use typically begins during adolescence, the period when caffeine-nicotine epidemiological association begins in earnest. Despite that, few studies in animal models parallel the pattern of coexposure that occurs in humans. Therefore, the neurobehavioral consequences of the association between these drugs remain unclear.

Forced swimming stress increases natatory activity of lead-exposed mice.

Recent evidence points to the relationship between lead toxicity and the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which suggests that lead exposure could influence how an individual cope with stress. Here we test this hypothesis by investigating the behavioral effects of lead exposure in mice during the forced swimming test (FST), a parading in which animals are exposed to a stressful situation and environment. Swiss mice received either 180 ppm or 540 ppm of lead acetate (Pb) in their ad-lib water supply for 60-90 days, starting at postnatal day 30.

Ethanol exposure during the brain growth spurt affects social behavior and increases susceptibility to acute ethanol effects during adolescence in male mice.

The brain is particularly vulnerable to ethanol effects during its growth spurt. Outcomes of early ethanol exposure such as hyperactivity have been extensively investigated; however, persons with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder frequently have social impairments and are heavy drinkers. Despite that, scant information is available regarding the neurobiological basis of these latter behavioral issues.

Maternal undernutrition during lactation alters nicotine reward and DOPAC/dopamine ratio in cerebral cortex in adolescent mice, but does not affect nicotine-induced nAChRs upregulation.

Early undernutrition causes long lasting alterations that affect the response to psychoactive drugs. Particularly, undernutrition during lactation affects the acute locomotor response to nicotine during adolescence, but the reward effect of continued exposure to nicotine remains unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of undernutrition during lactation on the nicotine susceptibility indexed via conditioned place preference (CPP), on dopamine content and turnover and on nicotine-induced nicotinic cholinergic receptor (nAChR) upregulation in the cerebral cortex, midbrain and hippocampus of adolescent mice.

Lay Definitions of Happiness across Nations: The Primacy of Inner Harmony and Relational Connectedness.

In well-being research the term happiness is often used as synonymous with life satisfaction. However, little is known about lay people's understanding of happiness. Building on the available literature, this study explored lay definitions of happiness across nations and cultural dimensions, analyzing their components and relationship with participants' demographic features.

Teachers perception about epilepsy.

Purpose: To identify in a town of Brazil the knowledge, attitude and perception of epilepsy in teachers of elementary schools and to compare these before and after a training exercise.

Methods: Teachers of nine public schools of Barão Geraldo, Campinas, Brazil completed a questionnaire. Two researchers had meetings with teachers, presenting the Global Campaign "Epilepsy out of the shadows", when the questionnaire was first completed by all attendees.

[Assessment of environmental pollution from lead particles emitted by a battery repair shop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil].

In this study, the lead (Pb) levels in the air surrounding a battery repair shop were measured before and after installation of an exhaust system. Samples were collected in six and four points located at approximately 25 m and 500 m, respectively, from the battery repair shop. The limit of 1.

Kids' perception about epilepsy.

Purpose: Epilepsy remains a stigmatized condition. Lack of information has been pointed to as a cause of the perpetuation of stigma. Our goal was to survey children's perception of epilepsy.

[Control of lead emissions from a battery repair shop in the city of Rio de Janeiro using the air as indicator].

Lead levels in the air surrounding a battery repair shop (BRS) located in the Olaria neighborhood (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) were monitored from April to July 1999. Most of the samples collected within 25 meters of the BRS exceeded the limit of 1.5 micro g.