Preface

Over the past few years, the Internet of things (IoT) has introduced the possibility to design a whole new concept of our world "smart environments...

New 3-hit model of schizophrenia: behavioral and electrophysiological investigations

International audienc

Altering glutamate transmission in combination with an early post-natal stress to mimic schizophrenia in male and female mice

International audienc

Bat-Cluster: A Bat Algorithm-based Automated Graph Clustering Approach

Defining the correct number of clusters is one of the most fundamental tasks in graph clustering. When it comes to large graphs, this task becomes more challenging because of the lack of prior information. This paper presents an approach to solve this problem based on the Bat Algorithm, one of the most promising swarm intelligence based algorithms. We chose to call our solution, “Bat-Cluster (BC).” This approach allows an automation of graph clustering based on a balance between global and local search processes. The simulation of four benchmark graphs of different sizes shows that our proposed algorithm is efficient and can provide higher precision and exceed some best-known values

Патопсихологические особенности и закономерности развития органических психических расстройств при болезни Паркинсона

Проанализированы особенности эмоционально−потребностной сферы, выраженность личностных особенностей, типы отношения к болезни у пациентов с болезнью Паркинсона (БП) и психическими расстройствами. Выявлены патопсихологические факторы формирования органического депрессивного расстройства (F06.36), органического тревожного расстройства (F06.4), органического эмоционально−лабильного расстройства (F06.6), описаны механизмы их патогенеза. Относительно деменции (F02.3) у больных БП единого патопсихологического механизма ее формирования не обнаружено, основная роль в ее патогенезе принадлежит органическому поражению головного мозга.Проаналізовано особливості емоційно−потребової сфери, виразність особистісних особливостей, типи ставлення до хвороби у пацієнтів із хворобою Паркінсона (ХП) та психічними розладами. Виявлено патопсихологічні фактори формування органічного депресивного розладу (F06.36), органічного тривожного розладу (F06.4), органічного емоційно−лабільного розладу (F06.6), описано механізми їх патогенезу. Щодо деменції (F02.3) у хворих на ХП єдиного патопсихологічного механізму її формування не виявлено, основна роль в її патогенезі належить органічному ураженню головного мозку.The peculiarities of emotion−need sphere, degree of personality peculiarities, types of attitude to the disease were analyzed in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and mental disorders. Pathopsychological factors of forming organic depressive disorder (F06.36), organic anxiety disorder (F06.4), organic emotional−labile disorder (F06.6) were revealed. The mechanisms of their pathogenesis were described. As for dementia (F02.3), uniform pathopsychological mechanism of its formation was not revealed in patients with PD. Main role in its pathogenesis is played by organic brain lesions

Age-dependent effects of chronic fluoxetine treatment on the serotonergic system one week following treatment

Abstract Rationale Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine are increasingly used for the treatment of depression in children. Limited data are, however, available on their effects on brain development and their efficacy remains debated. Moreover, previous experimental studies are seriously hampered in their clinical relevance. Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate putative age-related effects of a chronic treatment with fluoxetine (5 mg/kg, either orally or i.p. for 3 weeks, 1 week washout) using conventional methods (behavioral testing and binding assay using [ 123 I]β-CIT) and a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach. Methods Behavior was assessed, as well as serotonin transporter (SERT) availability and function through ex vivo binding assays and in vivo pharmacological MRI (phMRI) with an acute fluoxetine challenge (10 mg/kg oral or 5 mg/kg i.v.) in adolescent and adult rats. Results Fluoxetine caused an increase in anxiety-like behavior in treated adult, but not adolescent, rats. On the binding assays, we observed increased SERT densities in most cortical brain regions and hypothalamus in adolescent, but not adult, treated rats. Finally, reductions in brain activation were observed with phMRI following treatment, in both adult and adolescent treated animals. Conclusion Collectively, our data indicate that the shortterm effects of fluoxetine on the 5-HT system may be agedependent. These findings could reflect structural and functional rearrangements in the developing brain that do not occur in the matured rat brain. phMRI possibly will be well suited to study this important issue in the pediatric population

Vezatin is essential for dendritic spine morphogenesis and functional synaptic maturation.

International audienceVezatin is an integral membrane protein associated with cell-cell adhesion complex and actin cytoskeleton. It is expressed in the developing and mature mammalian brain, but its neuronal function is unknown. Here, we show that Vezatin localizes in spines in mature mouse hippocampal neurons and codistributes with PSD95, a major scaffolding protein of the excitatory postsynaptic density. Forebrain-specific conditional ablation of Vezatin induced anxiety-like behavior and impaired cued fear-conditioning memory response. Vezatin knock-down in cultured hippocampal neurons and Vezatin conditional knock-out in mice led to a significantly increased proportion of stubby spines and a reduced proportion of mature dendritic spines. PSD95 remained tethered to presynaptic terminals in Vezatin-deficient hippocampal neurons, suggesting that the reduced expression of Vezatin does not compromise the maintenance of synaptic connections. Accordingly, neither the amplitude nor the frequency of miniature EPSCs was affected in Vezatin-deficient hippocampal neurons. However, the AMPA/NMDA ratio of evoked EPSCs was reduced, suggesting impaired functional maturation of excitatory synapses. These results suggest a role of Vezatin in dendritic spine morphogenesis and functional synaptic maturation

On the importance of long-term functional assessment after stroke to improve translation from bench to bedside

Despite extensive research efforts in the field of cerebral ischemia, numerous disappointments came from the translational step. Even if experimental studies showed a large number of promising drugs, most of them failed to be efficient in clinical trials. Based on these reports, factors that play a significant role in causing outcome differences between animal experiments and clinical trials have been identified; and latest works in the field have tried to discard them in order to improve the scope of the results. Nevertheless, efforts must be maintained, especially for long-term functional evaluations. As observed in clinical practice, animals display a large degree of spontaneous recovery after stroke. The neurological impairment, assessed by basic items, typically disappears during the firsts week following stroke in rodents. On the contrary, more demanding sensorimotor and cognitive tasks underline other deficits, which are usually long-lasting. Unfortunately, studies addressing such behavioral impairments are less abundant. Because the characterization of long-term functional recovery is critical for evaluating the efficacy of potential therapeutic agents in experimental strokes, behavioral tests that proved sensitive enough to detect long-term deficits are reported here. And since the ultimate goal of any stroke therapy is the restoration of normal function, an objective appraisal of the behavioral deficits should be done

Sudden changes in fluvial style across the Permian / Triassic boundary in the eastern Iberian Ranges, Spain: Analysis of possible causes

The sedimentary record of the Late Permian and Early Triassic of the eastern Iberian Ranges shows four major, sudden, or very rapid, vertical changes in fluvial style. The Late Permian sedimentary cycle starts with the Boniches Formation, of alluvial fan-braided fluvial origin, which grades vertically over within a few metres into the Alcotas Formation, deposited by low to high sinuosity, avulsion-prone rivers with extensive floodplains. The Alcotas Formation contains calcimorphic soils, plant remains and pollen and spore assemblages. However, the upper third of the unit is devoid of all organic remains and soils and is characterized by a dominant red colour, the sandstone levels were deposited by high-sinuosity, meandering rivers. This major change took place during the Late Permian and is probably coeval with the emplacement of the Emeishan basaltic Large Igneous Province (LIP) in SE China. Rocks of the Boniches and Alcotas Formations are separated by an angular unconformity from the overlying strata, which consist of the Late Permian conglomeratic Hoz del Gallo Formation, of alluvial fan–gravel braided fluvial origin and the sandy Cañizar Formation, of low-sinuosity sandy river origin. The Permian– Triassic boundary lies, probably between the upper part of the Hoz del Gallo Formation and the first metres of the Cañizar Formation. Late Permian pollen and spore assemblages have been found in the Hoz del Gallo Formation but the Cañizar Formation is barren, with the exception of an Anisian (Middle Triassic) assemblage at the top. Tectonic extensional pulses in the Iberian Basin caused the changes observed between the lower and upper parts of the Boniches Formation, at the base of the Hoz del Gallo Formation and between the lower and upper part of this Formation. The changes observed in the uppermost part of the Alcotas Formation are not easily explained by tectonic causes, nor those in the passage from the Hoz del Gallo Formation to the Cañizar Formation. Similar sedimentary characteristics of the sandy Cañizar Formation such as amalgamated sandstone bodies, erosion and reactivation surfaces, dominant trough cross-stratification, tabular geometry, absence of plant remains and pollen and spores, and absence of silts and clays to those of coeval formations in places as far away as Australia, South Africa and Brazil suggest a global rather than local cause for these abrupt changes in fluvial style. This global cause was probably die-off of plant cover over extensive areas of the catchment, related to the end of the Permian mass extinction and possibly related to the emplacement of the West Siberian basaltic Large Igneous Province (LIP), responsible for drastic atmospheric and marine changes

A Biphasic and Brain-Region Selective Down-Regulation of Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Concentrations Supports Object Recognition in the Rat

Background: We aimed to further understand the relationship between cAMP concentration and mnesic performance. Methods and Findings: Rats were injected with milrinone (PDE3 inhibitor, 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.), rolipram (PDE4 inhibitor, 0.3 mg/ kg, i.p.) and/or the selective 5-HT4R agonist RS 67333 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) before testing in the object recognition paradigm. Cyclic AMP concentrations were measured in brain structures linked to episodic-like memory (i.e. hippocampus, prefrontal and perirhinal cortices) before or after either the sample or the testing phase. Except in the hippocampus of rolipram treated-rats, all treatment increased cAMP levels in each brain sub-region studied before the sample phase. After the sample phase, cAMP levels were significantly increased in hippocampus (1.8 fold), prefrontal (1.3 fold) and perirhinal (1.3 fold) cortices from controls rat while decreased in prefrontal cortex (,0.83 to 0.62 fold) from drug-treated rats (except for milrinone+RS 67333 treatment). After the testing phase, cAMP concentrations were still increased in both the hippocampus (2.76 fold) and the perirhinal cortex (2.1 fold) from controls animals. Minor increase were reported in hippocampus and perirhinal cortex from both rolipram (respectively, 1.44 fold and 1.70 fold) and milrinone (respectively 1.46 fold and 1.56 fold)-treated rat. Following the paradigm, cAMP levels were significantly lower in the hippocampus, prefrontal and perirhinal cortices from drug-treated rat when compared to controls animals, however, only drug-treated rats spent longer time exploring the novel object during the testing phase (inter-phase interval of 4 h)