Effect of Diet on the Growth and Survival of Adrenalectomized Rats Treated with Corticosterone

Author Institution: Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Ohio at Toledo ; Bureau of Biological Research, Rutgers UniversityDietary protein content did not influence the life sustaining capacity of a daily 300 vg dose of corticosterone in adrenalectomized rats. A lower daily dosage of 150 ng was less effective when animals were fed a 5% casein diet. Depletion of body protein stores prior to adrenalectomy did not significantly alter the response pattern of animals maintained on a daily 300 fxg dose of corticosterone. Reducing the dietary protein content from 20% to 10% interfered with the capacity of the daily 150 /Jig dosage of corticosterone to support body weight gain in adrenalectomized rats. No significant changes in bod}^ weight were noted in adrenalectomized animals fed a 5% casein diet. Protein depletion had a favorable effect on this aspect of the hormone's activity when adrenalectomized rats were treated with the daily 300 ,ug dosage and refed 10% or 20% casein diets. Adrenalectomized animals maintained under these experimental conditions gained more weight than nondepleted animals fed the same diets

Assessment of ethanol and nicotine interactions using a reinforcer demand modeling with grouped and individual levels of analyses in a long-access self-administration model using male rats

Previous reports have indicated the reciprocal effects of nicotine and ethanol on their rewarding and reinforcing properties, but studies using methodological approaches resembling substance use in vulnerable populations are lacking. In our study, rats first self-administered ethanol, and their sensitivity to ethanol’s reinforcing effects was assessed using a reinforcer demand modeling approach. Subsequently, rats were equipped with intravenous catheters to self-administer nicotine, and their sensitivity to nicotine’s reinforcing effects was evaluated using the same approach. In the final phase, rats were allowed to self-administer ethanol and nicotine concurrently, investigating the influence of one substance on the rate of responding for the other substance. Group analyses revealed notable differences in demand among sucrose, sweetened ethanol, and ethanolalone, with sucrose demonstrating the highest demand and ethanol-alone exhibiting greater sensitivity to changes in cost. At the individual level, our study finds significant correlations between rats’ demand for sucrose and sweetened ethanol, suggesting parallel efforts for both substances. Our individual data also suggest interconnections in the elasticity of demand for sweetened ethanol and ethanol-alone, as well as a potential relationship in price response patterns between ethanol and nicotine. Furthermore, concurrent self-administration of ethanol and nicotine at the group level displayed reciprocal effects, with reduced responding for nicotine in the presence of ethanol and increased responding for ethanol in the presence of nicotine. This study provides valuable insights into modeling the co-use of ethanol and nicotine and assessing their interaction effects using reinforcer demand modeling and concurrent self-administration or noncontingent administration tests. These findings contribute to our understanding of the complex interplay between ethanol and nicotine and have implications for elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved in polydrug use

Role of Multiparametric-MRI in Bladder Cancer

Purpose of ReviewThis narrative review article aims to show the actual role of imaging, in particular MRI, and the role of VI-RADS Score, in recognition and follow-up of the tumor.Recent FindingsA team of professionals created VI-RADS with the goal of standardizing the acquisition and interpretation of multiparametric-MRI in bladder cancer.Bladder cancer is the most common cancer involving the urinary system. It is the fourth most common urological cancer in men and the second most frequent cancer affecting the urinary tract. Main risks factors are advanced age, male sex, and cigarette smoking. Bladder cancer ranges from unaggressive and usually non-invasive tumors that recur and commit patients to long-term invasive surveillance, to aggressive and invasive tumors with high disease-specific mortality. At the time of diagnosis, 70% of patients are experiencing non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Vesical imaging-reporting and data system score (VI-RADS) is a scoring system useful to standardize the approach to multiparametric-MRI interpretation, and reporting for bladder cancer

GHz QKD at telecom wavelengths using up-conversion detectors

We have developed a hybrid single photon detection scheme for telecom wavelengths based on nonlinear sum-frequency generation and silicon single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The SPAD devices employed have been designed to have very narrow temporal response, i.e. low jitter, which we can exploit for increasing the allowable bit rate for quantum key distribution. The wavelength conversion is obtained using periodically poled Lithium niobate waveguides (W/Gs). The inherently high efficiency of these W/Gs allows us to use a continuous wave laser to seed the nonlinear conversion so as to have a continuous detection scheme. We also present a 1.27GHz qubit repetition rate, one-way phase encoding, quantum key distribution experiment operating at telecom wavelengths that takes advantage of this detection scheme. The proof of principle experiment shows a system capable of MHz raw count rates with a QBER less than 2% and estimated secure key rates greater than 100 kbit/s over 25 km.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

A role for the ELAV RNA-binding proteins in neural stem cells : stabilization of Msi1 mRNA

Post-transcriptional regulation exerted by neural-specific RNA-binding proteins plays a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of the nervous system. Neural ELAV proteins are key inducers of neuronal differentiation through the stabilization and/or translational enhancement of target transcripts bearing the AU-rich elements (AREs), whereas Musashi-1 maintains the stem cell proliferation state by acting as a translational repressor. Since the gene encoding Musashi-1 (Msi1) contains a conserved ARE in its 3' untranslated region, the authors focused on the possibility of a mechanistic relation between ELAV proteins and Musashi-1 in cell fate commitment. Colocalization of neural ELAV proteins with Musashi-1 clearly shows that ELAV proteins are expressed at early stages of neural commitment, whereas interaction studies demonstrate that neural ELAV proteins exert an ARE-dependent binding activity on the Msi1 mRNA. This binding activity has functional effects, since the ELAV protein family member HuD is able to stabilize the Msi1 ARE-contg. mRNA in a sequence-dependent way in a deadenylation/degrdn. assay. Furthermore activation of the neural ELAV proteins by phorbol esters in human SH-SY5Y cells is assocd. with an increase of Musashi-1 protein content in the cytoskeleton. The authors propose that ELAV RNA-binding proteins exert an important post-transcriptional control on Musashi-1 expression in the transition from proliferation to neural differentiation of stem/progenitor cells

Dementia Among Migrants and Ethnic Minorities in Italy: Rationale and Study Protocol of the ImmiDem Project

Introduction: Due to the ongoing demographic and epidemiological transitions, estimating the phenomenon of dementia in migrants and minority groups, exploring its characteristics and challenges and implementing dedicated healthcare policies, constitute emerging and urgent matters for Western countries. In the present paper we describe the rationale and design of the 'Dementia in immigrants and ethnic minorities living in Italy: clinical-epidemiological aspects and public health perspectives" (ImmiDem) project. Methods and analysis: Three main aims will be pursued by the ImmiDem project. First, a survey of all Italian dementia services will be conducted with dedicated questionnaires in order to estimate and describe the proportion and characteristics of migrants seeking help for cognitive disturbances. The different clinical approaches for diagnosing dementia and the challenges encountered in the assessment of cognitive functioning and in the provision of care in these groups of individuals will also be investigated. Second, record linkage procedures of data routinely collected in regional Health Information Systems will be conducted in order to identify and monitor migrant individuals with dementia living in the Lazio region. Third, tailored national and local care-coordination pathways and/or good practices dedicated to migrants affected by dementia and cognitive disorders will be identified and promoted. Ethics and dissemination: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Italian National Institute of Health (protocol 10749; 5 April 2018). The project was launched in November 2018 and will end in November 2021. The findings of the project will be disseminated through scientific peer-reviewed journals as well as to the public via the Dementia Observatory website (https://demenze.iss.it)