Neuronal localization of the 5-HT2 receptor family in the amygdaloid complex

The amygdaloid complex (or amygdala), a heterogeneous structure located in the medial portion of the temporal lobe, is composed of deep, superficial, and “remaining” nuclei. This structure is involved in the generation of emotional behavior, in the formation of emotional memories and in the modulation of the consolidation of explicit memories for emotionally arousing events. The serotoninergic fibers originating in the dorsal and medial raphe nuclei are critically involved in amygdalar functions. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) regulates amygdalar activity through the activation of the 5-HT2 receptor family, which includes three receptor subtypes: 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B, and 5-HT2C. The distribution and the functional activity of the 5-HT2 receptor family has been studied more extensively than that of the 5-HT2A receptor subtypes, especially in the deep nuclei. In these nuclei, the 5-HT2A receptor is expressed on both pyramidal and non-pyramidal neurons, and could play a critical role in the formation of emotional memories. However, the exact role of the 5-HT2A receptor subtypes, as well as that of the 5-HT2B and 5-HT2C receptor subtypes, in the modulation of the amygdalar microcircuits requires additional study. The present review reports data concerning the distribution and the functional roles of the 5-HT2 receptor family in the amygdal

Functional anatomy of 5-HT2A receptors in the amygdala and hippocampal complex : relevance to memory functions

The amygdaloid complex and hippocampal region contribute to emotional activities, learning, and memory. Mounting evidence suggests a primary role for serotonin (5-HT) in the physiological basis of memory and its pathogenesis by modulating directly the activity of these two areas and their cross-talk. Indeed, both the amygdala and the hippocampus receive remarkably dense serotoninergic inputs from the dorsal and median raphe nuclei. Anatomical, behavioral and electrophysiological evidence indicates the 5-HT2A receptor as one of the principal postsynaptic targets mediating 5-HT effects. In fact, the 5-HT2A receptor is the most abundant 5-HT receptor expressed in these brain structures and is expressed on both amygdalar and hippocampal pyramidal glutamatergic neurons as well as on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-containing interneurons. 5-HT2A receptors on GABAergic interneurons stimulate GABA release, and thereby have an important role in regulating network activity and neural oscillations in the amygdala and hippocampal region. This review will focus on the distribution and physiological functions of the 5-HT2A receptor in the amygdala and hippocampal region. Taken together the results discussed here suggest that 5-HT2A receptor may be a potential therapeutic target for those disorders related to hippocampal and amygdala dysfunction.peer-reviewe

Ações de liberdade de índias e índios escravizados no Estado do Maranhão e Grão-Pará, primeira metade do século XVIII

Nas atas do Tribunal da Junta das Missões das capitanias do Pará e Maranhão existe um considerável número de denúncias que demonstram as irregularidades do sistema de escravidão indígena na primeira metade do século XVIII, momento em que ocorre um incremento das atividades legais e ilegais de captura e exploração de mão de obra nativa. Essas denúncias estavam associadas às ações de liberdade em que indígenas solicitavam ao Tribunal o fim de seu cativeiro e de seus familiares. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar de que maneira índias e índios escravizados acionaram as estruturas jurídicas coloniais para sair do jugo de seus senhores. Argumentamos que, ao realizar as ações, os indígenas objetivavam livrar-se de situações de maus tratos e jornadas árduas de trabalho, bem como conquistar o direito de escolher a quem servir, com quem casar, onde morar e, fundamentalmente, no caso das índias, de transmitir a sua condição de liberdade à descendência

Variability of the monsoon regime over Brazil: the present climate and projections for a 2xCO2 scenario using the MIROC model

Este trabalho investiga a variabilidade do Sistema de Monções da América do Sul (SMAS) sobre o Brasil com particular interesse na região do cerrado brasileiro. O início, final e total de precipitação durante as monções de verão são examinados utilizando estimativas de precipitação por satélite (pêntadas) do Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) entre 1979-2004. Analogamente, as características do regime de monção simuladas pelo modelo climático global acoplado MIROC (Model for interdisciplinary Research on Climate) do IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change) são examinadas em dois cenários distintos: o clima do século XX (1981-2000) e o clima em uma condição com o dobro da concentração atual de CO2 (2xCO2) na atmosfera (2061-2080). Mostra-se que a variabilidade espacial do início da monção de verão sobre o cerrado na simulação do clima do século XX pelo MIROC corresponde bem às observações. Além disso, há indicação de uma mudança das caudas da distribuição sazonal da precipitação no Cerrado para um cenário com 2xCO2, comparativamente com o clima presente. Este resultado sugere uma mudança na probabilidade de ocorrência de eventos extremos (secos ou úmidos) em um cenário com 2xCO2 sobre o cerrado, o que de acordo com o MIROC, indica uma maior exposição da região às conseqüências de possíveis mudanças climáticas resultantes do aumento de gases de efeito estufa.This study investigates the temporal variability of the South America monsoon system (SAMS) over Brazil with focus on the Brazilian savanna. The onset, end, and total rainfall during the summer monsoon are investigated using precipitation pentad estimates from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (1979-2004). Likewise, the variability of SAMS characteristics are investigated using the intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) coupled global climate model for Interdisciplinary Research (MIROC) in the 20th century (1981-2000) and in a scenario with the double present concentration of CO2 (2xCO2) (2061-2080).. It is shown that the spatial variability of the onsets over central Brazil simulated by MIROC for the 20th century run corresponds very well to the observations. Moreover, there is indication of change in the tails of the seasonal precipitation distributions over the savanna for the scenario with 2xCO2, comparatively to the present climate. This suggests changes in the probability of extremes (dry or wet) events over that region in a scenario with 2xCO2, which indicates according to MIROC the large exposure of the region to possible consequences of climate changes resulting from increasing greenhouse gases.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESPCNP

Progettazione e Sviluppo di un Sistema Mobile per il Tracciamento Preospedaliero

Le tecnologie informatiche possono fornire un valido contributo nell’ambito medico poiché, attraverso strumenti che supportino il lavoro degli operatori sanitari, è possibile ottenere notevoli benefici. In quest'ottica si inserisce il progetto TraumaTracker, nato della collaborazione tra un gruppo di ricerca dell'Università di Bologna e il Trauma Center dell'ospedale Bufalini di Cesena, che consente di realizzare il tracciamento delle informazioni relative alla gestione di un trauma e di produrre così una documentazione accurata e automatizzata. TraumaTracker ha portato grandi vantaggi, tuttavia entra in funzione solo quando il paziente raggiunge la struttura ospedaliera. Vi è una fase precedente, definita "preospedaliera", che è cruciale per la sopravvivenza e che viene documentata manualmente. Dalla necessità di automatizzare il tracciamento di questa fase nasce il progetto PreH Soccorso, che si pone l’obiettivo di realizzare un sistema, autonomo e esterno a TraumaTracker, in grado di tracciare la fase preospedaliera di avvenimenti generici. All’interno del progetto PreH Soccorso, il mio contributo è costituito dallo sviluppo di un sistema mobile in grado di raccogliere, gestire e inviare i dati relativi a una missione di soccorso. In questa tesi di laurea saranno descritte le fasi che hanno portato alla realizzazione di questa applicazione, che possono essere brevemente riassunte in cinque punti: analisi dei requisiti, approfondimento sullo sviluppo mobile finalizzato alla scelta di una tecnologia adatta al progetto, progettazione, sviluppo e validazione

Unconventional magnetic order on the hyperhoneycomb Kitaev lattice in β\beta-Li2IrO3: full solution via magnetic resonant x-ray diffraction

The recently-synthesized iridate $\beta$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ has been proposed as a candidate to display novel magnetic behavior stabilized by frustration effects from bond-dependent, anisotropic interactions (Kitaev model) on a three-dimensional "hyperhoneycomb" lattice. Here we report a combined study using neutron powder diffraction and magnetic resonant x-ray diffraction to solve the complete magnetic structure. We find a complex, incommensurate magnetic order with non-coplanar and counter-rotating Ir moments, which surprisingly shares many of its features with the related structural polytype "stripyhoneycomb" $\gamma$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$, where dominant Kitaev interactions have been invoked to explain the stability of the observed magnetic structure. The similarities of behavior between those two structural polytypes, which have different global lattice topologies but the same local connectivity, is strongly suggestive that the same magnetic interactions and the same underlying mechanism governs the stability of the magnetic order in both materials, indicating that both $\beta$- and $\gamma$-Li$_2$IrO$_3$ are strong candidates to realize dominant Kitaev interactions in a solid state material.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

Electrical switching of magnetic polarity in a multiferroic BiFeO3 device at room temperature

We have directly imaged reversible electrical switching of the cycloidal rotation direction (magnetic polarity) in a (111)-BiFeO3 epitaxial-film device at room temperature by non-resonant x-ray magnetic scattering. Consistent with previous reports, fully relaxed (111)-BiFeO3 epitaxial films consisting of a single ferroelectric domain were found to comprise a sub-micron-scale mosaic of magneto-elastic domains, all sharing a common direction of the magnetic polarity, which was found to switch reversibly upon reversal of the ferroelectric polarization without any measurable change of the magneto-elastic domain population. A real-space polarimetry map of our device clearly distinguished between regions of the sample electrically addressed into the two magnetic states with a resolution of a few tens of micron. Contrary to the general belief that the magneto-electric coupling in BiFeO3 is weak, we find that electrical switching has a dramatic effect on the magnetic structure, with the magnetic moments rotating on average by 90 degrees at every cycle.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures; corrected figure

Locus coeruleus complex of the family Delphinidae

The locus coeruleus (LC) is the largest catecholaminergic nucleus and extensively projects to widespread areas of the brain and spinal cord. The LC is the largest source of noradrenaline in the brain. To date, the only examined Delphinidae species for the LC has been a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). In our experimental series including different Delphinidae species, the LC was composed of five subdivisions: A6d, A6v, A7, A5, and A4. The examined animals had the A4 subdivision, which had not been previously described in the only Delphinidae in which this nucleus was investigated. Moreover, the neurons had a large amount of neuromelanin in the interior of their perikarya, making this nucleus highly similar to that of humans and non-human primates. This report also presents the first description of neuromelanin in the cetaceans' LC complex, as well as in the cetaceans' brain

Developmental changes of GABA immunoreactivity in cortico-thalamic networks of an absence seizure model

Absence seizures (ASs) are associated with abnormalities in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission in the thalamus and the cortex. In the present study, we used light microscopy GABA immunocytochemistry to quantify the GABA-immunoreactive (GABA-IR) neurons and neuropil in the thalamic ventral basal (VB) nucleus, the nucleus reticularis thalami (NRT), the dorsal lateral geniculate (dLGN), the primary motor cortex (M1) and perioral region of the somatosensory cortex (S1po) of genetic absence epilepsy rats from Strasbourg (GAERS). We used both the relative non-epileptic control (NEC) and normal Wistar rats as control strains, and investigated GABA immunostaining at postnatal day 15 (P15), P25, and P90. The main findings were i) an increase in GABA-IR neuropil in the VB at P25 and P90 in GAERS but not in NEC and Wistar rats; ii) an increase in NRT GABA-IR neurons in GAERS and NEC, but not Wistar, rats at both P25 and P90; and iii) an increase in GABA-IR neuron density in S1po of GAERS at P25 and P90 and in Wistar at P90. These results indicate that the increased GABAergic innervation in the VB at P25 most likely contributes to the enhanced tonic inhibition observed in GAERS prior to AS onset, whereas the lack of any anatomo-morphological GABAergic differences in GAERS S1po suggests that functional more than structural abnormalities underlie the origin of cortical paroxysms in S1po of this AS model