Ecological and physical characteristics of the Te Awa O Katapaki Stream, Flagstaff, Waikato

1. The fish, macroinvertebrates, aquatic vegetation, and water quality indicate that the Te Awa O Katapaki Stream is an unpolluted, pastureland stream that is typical of the Waikato region. 2. The stream has very high nutrient concentrations that probably result from the dairy farming upstream. 3. The fish fauna is dominated by the native shortfinned eels. The presence of the migratory common smelt indicates that swimming fish species also have free access to the stream from the Waikato River. 4. Fish of high conservation value, such as giant or banded kokopu (Galaxias argenteus or G. fasciatus) were absent, which is predictable given the warm, unshaded nature of the stream. 5. Fish and invertebrates would soon recolonise the restored stream following any work in the streambed

High dose antipsychotic polypharmacy and dopamine partial agonists - time to rethink guidelines?

Guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia limit the use of antipsychotic agents to clinically-established maximum doses. This acknowledges both the absence of additional efficacy of dopamine D2 receptor antagonists above a receptor occupancy threshold, and the increases in side effects that can occur at higher doses. These limits restrict the dosing of combinations of antipsychotics as they do single agents; drugs sharing the major antipsychotic mechanism of D2 receptor antagonism will act additively in blocking these receptors. Several newer antipsychotic drugs, including aripiprazole and cariprazine, act as partial agonists at the D2 receptor site and avoid action at several other receptors, effects at which are responsible for some non-dopaminergic adverse effects. This pharmacology imparts different characteristics to the drugs resulting often in a more favourable side effect profile. Their partial agonism, along with high affinities for the D2 receptor, also means that these drugs given adjunctively may in part replace, rather than enhance, the D2 antagonism of other antipsychotic agents. This can result in an improvement in certain side effects without loss of antipsychotic efficacy. This article makes the case for distinguishing the D2 partial agonists from antagonists in defining maximum doses of combined treatments, which would increase the options available to the prescriber, emphasising that pharmacological mechanisms need to be understood in identifying optimal treatments for psychotic illness

The neurochemical pathology of schizophrenia: post-mortem studies from dopamine to parvalbumin

Research in Peter Riederer’s lab in Vienna in the late 1970’s came from a strong tradition in post-mortem neurochemical studies, at that time a relatively niche approach in neuroscience research. He was also early to recognise the value of post-mortem brain tissue in elucidating pharmacological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric treatments. I was fortunate to have Peter Riederer as a mentor in my early post-doctoral career; his generous support and the opportunities to use post-mortem brain tissue provided an invaluable grounding on which much of my future research was based. In this paper, I shall provide a brief overview of one trajectory of my research into the neurobiology of schizophrenia that started in the Riederer lab in Vienna investigating dopamine and the D2 receptor. Subsequent research to understand findings of increased dopamine resulted in the identification of reduced GABAergic innervation, culminating in the finding of a deficit in the parvalbumin-containing subtype of GABAergic neurons. Most recent work has been studying how changes in DNA methylation of the parvalbumin gene may relate to these findings in psychotic illness and its animal models

The trace amine-associated receptor 1 agonists – non-dopaminergic antipsychotics or covert modulators of D2 receptors?

A major effort of the pharmaceutical industry has been to identify and market drug treatments that are effective in ameliorating the symptoms of psychotic illness but without the limitations of the current treatments acting at dopamine D2 receptors. These limitations include the induction of a range of adverse effects, the inadequate treatment response of a substantial proportion of people with schizophrenia, and the generally poor response to negative and cognitive features of the disease. Recently introduced drug treatments have gone some way to avoiding the first of these, with a reduced propensity for weight gain, cardiovascular risk and extrapyramidal motor effects. Despite claims of some small improvements in negative symptoms, these drugs have not demonstrated substantial increases in efficacy. Of the drugs currently in development as antipsychotic agents, several are misleadingly described as having novel ‘non-dopaminergic’ mechanisms that may offer improvements in addressing the limitations of adverse effects and efficacy. It will be argued, using the trace amine-associated receptor 1 agonist as an example, that several of these new drugs still act primarily through modulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission and, in not addressing the primary pathology of schizophrenia, are therefore unlikely to have the much-needed improvements in efficacy required to address the unmet need associated with resistance to current treatments. </jats:p

Micronutrient Deficiencies Presenting with Optic Disc Swelling Associated with or without Intracranial Hypertension:A Systematic Review

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological disorder characterised by optic disc swelling secondary to raised intracranial pressure (ICP) of unknown cause. Obesity is the most established and prevalent risk factor in developed countries. As obesogenic diets are high in calories and nutrient-poor, there may be associated nutritional deficiencies that contribute to the clinical presentation of IIH. Yet none, aside from iron deficiency, are currently included in the inclusion or exclusion criteria for the diagnosis of IIH. Our primary aim was to determine which micronutrient deficiencies, aside from iron deficiency, could present with optic disc swelling associated with or without intracranial hypertension that could potentially meet current IIH diagnostic criteria. To this end, we conducted a systematic search of articles published between 1 January 1980 and 18 December 2020 reporting cases of optic disc swelling associated with micronutrient deficiencies. In total, 65 cases met the eligibility criteria from initial searches: all were case reports and case series with a high risk of bias. Our findings suggest that patients with IIH or unexplained optic disc swelling ought to be screened, investigated, and treated for associated micronutrient deficiencies in vitamin A, B1 and B12; and weight loss interventions in IIH patients ought to promote better nutrition in addition to overall calorie restriction

An investigation of novel coatings for the protection of organic coated iron based substrates and the industrialisation of dye-sensitised solar cell technology.

A high-throughput method of investigating organic coating delamination from iron substrates incorporating interfacial thin metallic films of varying thickness is presented. Physical vapour deposited aluminium is demonstrated as a means of limiting underfilm oxygen reduction and slowing rates of corrosion-driven cathodic disbondment. A wedge of graded thickness is deposited on an iron surface and overcoated with a model organic layer. After initiating corrosion by applying corrosive electrolyte to a penetrative defect, rates of corrosion-driven delamination are determined by in-situ scanning Kelvin probe measurements, enabling the influence of a range of Al thicknesses to be studied on a single sample. A novel method of monitoring corrosion activity when an iodide/ triiodide dye- sensitized solar cell redox electrolyte is placed in contact with a range of metallic substrates is also described. Corrosion of the metallic substrate results from anodic dissolution of the metallic surface coupled with cathodic reduction of triiodide (I3-) to colorless iodide ions in solution. In the work described here, UV/Vis spectrophotometry in reflectance mode is used in conjunction with encapsulation cells that incorporate a 25 mum thick electrolyte layer, prepared using a range of polished metallic substrates. The corrosion rate is quantified by monitoring changes in the absorption spectra with respect to time. Of the metals evaluated, only titanium was wholly resistant to corrosion and did not show evidence of reaction with the electrolyte for periods of up to 3 months. Other metals such as zinc reacted within seconds and complete and irreversible loss of I3- was observed after only a few minutes. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have been assembled directly onto a pre-painted construction steel substrate. This has been achieved by chemically isolating the underlying substrate through the application of a high temperature resistant organic polymer rendered conducting by applying a 1.2 mum collection electrode of magnetron sputtered titanium. The resultant DSC achieved 2.9% energy conversion efficiency under one sun illumination compared to 3.2% for identical cells manufactured on 1mm thick Ti coupons. The slight reduction in efficiency reflects the increasing resistance of the substrate 1.2 mum Ti layer that results from microcracking during the titania sintering step. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have also been assembled directly onto an electrochromium coated steel substrate that has been both chemically and electrically isolated through the application of a high temperature resistant organic polymer (polyimide) coating. The surface of the coated product has been rendered conducting through the application of 0.5 mum aluminium and titanium films deposited directly by DC magnetron sputtering. The resultant DSCs achieved very poor energy conversion efficiencies under one sun illumination as did cells produced on bulk Al substrates. Cells manufactured on 1mm thick Ti coupons gave efficiencies of around 3.2%. The poor efficiencies for the sputtered Ti and Al films can be related to the increasing resistance of the Ti film due to the formation of micro cracking during the titania sintering step, and the inadequate corrosion performance of Al when in contact with an iodine triiodide redox electrolyte. An Al-Ti bilayer has been proposed where the Ti film has been used as a barrier layer to corrosion, cells fabricated on this substrate have showed much promise, and efficiencies of 2.2 % have been achieved

Variability of the Accretion Stream in the Eclipsing Polar EP Dra

We present the first high time resolution light curves for six eclipses of the magnetic cataclysmic variable EP Dra, taken using the superconducting tunnel junction imager S-Cam2. The system shows a varying eclipse profile between consecutive eclipses over the two nights of observation. We attribute the variable stream eclipse after accretion region ingress to a variation in the amount and location of bright material in the accretion stream. This material creates an accretion curtain as it is threaded by many field lines along the accretion stream trajectory. We identify this as the cause of absorption evident in the light curves when the system is in a high accretion state. We do not see direct evidence in the light curves for an accretion spot on the white dwarf; however, the variation of the stream brightness with the brightness of the rapid decline in flux at eclipse ingress indicates the presence of some form of accretion region. This accretion region is most likely located at high colatitude on the white dwarf surface, forming an arc shape at the foot points of the many field lines channeling the accretion curtain.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (7 pages

Agricultural work and reduced circulating uric acid are both associated with initial hospital admission for Parkinson’s disease

Abstract: Monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors act in Parkinson’s disease (PD) via potentiation of dopamine, but may also have neuroprotective effects by reducing oxidative damage. Oxidative damage is also a feature of environmental toxins, including pesticides, that are an established risk factor for PD. Another risk factor is low circulating uric acid (UA), which may relate to UA being the major endogenous antioxidant in the human body. We have undertaken a study of 192 initial admissions for PD in a general hospital neurology department in a partly rural region of Southern China to determine if there is an increased rate of PD in agricultural workers who have a high risk of exposure to pesticides, and how it may relate to deficits in UA. We found a disproportionately high number of agricultural workers admitted with PD (66.7% vs. 54.3% of all neurology admissions) and that PD subjects have a substantial reduction in UA. This is further reduced in agricultural workers and thus may contribute to the increased vulnerability of this group to PD