921 research outputs found
Dorsal-CA1 hippocampal neuronal ensembles encode nicotine-reward contextual associations
Natural and drug rewards increase the motivational valence of stimuli in the environment that, through Pavlovian learning mechanisms, become conditioned stimuli that directly motivate behavior in the absence of the original unconditioned stimulus. While the hippocampus has received extensive attention for its role in learning and memory processes, less is known regarding its role in drug-reward associations. We used in vivo Ca2+ imaging in freely moving mice during the formation of nicotine preference behavior to examine the role of the dorsal-CA1 region of the hippocampus in encoding contextual reward-seeking behavior. We show the development of specific neuronal ensembles whose activity encodes nicotine-reward contextual memories and that are necessary for the expression of place preference. Our findings increase our understanding of CA1 hippocampal function in general and as it relates to reward processing by identifying a critical role for CA1 neuronal ensembles in nicotine place preference
Stress-induced reinstatement of nicotine preference requires dynorphin/kappa opioid activity in the basolateral amygdala
UNLABELLED: The dynorphin (DYN)/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system plays a conserved role in stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking for prototypical substances of abuse. Due to nicotine\u27s high propensity for stress-induced relapse, we hypothesized that stress would induce reinstatement of nicotine seeking-like behavior in a KOR-dependent manner. Using a conditioned place preference (CPP) reinstatement procedure in mice, we show that both foot-shock stress and the pharmacological stressor yohimbine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) induce reinstatement of nicotine CPP in a norbinaltorphimine (norBNI, a KOR antagonist)-sensitive manner, indicating that KOR activity is necessary for stress-induced nicotine CPP reinstatement. After reinstatement testing, we visualized robust c-fos expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which was reduced in mice pretreated with norBNI. We then used several distinct but complementary approaches of locally disrupting BLA KOR activity to assess the role of KORs and KOR-coupled intracellular signaling cascades on reinstatement of nicotine CPP. norBNI injected locally into the BLA prevented yohimbine-induced nicotine CPP reinstatement without affecting CPP acquisition. Similarly, selective deletion of BLA KORs in KOR conditional knock-out mice prevented foot-shock-induced CPP reinstatement. Together, these findings strongly implicate BLA KORs in stress-induced nicotine seeking-like behavior. In addition, we found that chemogenetic activation of Gαi signaling within CaMKIIα BLA neurons was sufficient to induce nicotine CPP reinstatement, identifying an anatomically specific intracellular mechanism by which stress leads to reinstatement. Considered together, our findings suggest that activation of the DYN/KOR system and Gαi signaling within the BLA is both necessary and sufficient to produce reinstatement of nicotine preference.
SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Considering the major impact of nicotine use on human health, understanding the mechanisms by which stress triggers reinstatement of drug-seeking behaviors is particularly pertinent to nicotine. The dynorphin (DYN)/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in stress-induced reinstatement of drug seeking for other commonly abused drugs. However, the specific role, brain region, and mechanisms that this system plays in reinstatement of nicotine seeking has not been characterized. Here, we report region-specific engagement of the DYN/KOR system and subsequent activation of inhibitory (Gi-linked) intracellular signaling pathways within the basolateral amygdala during stress-induced reinstatement of nicotine preference. We show that the DYN/KOR system is necessary to produce this behavioral state. This work may provide novel insight for the development of therapeutic approaches to prevent stress-related nicotine relapse
Educational studies of cosmic rays with telescope of Geiger-Muller counters
A group of high school students (XII Liceum) in the framework of the Roland
Maze Project has built a compact telescope of three Geiger-Muller counters. The
connection between the telescope and PC computer was also created and programed
by students involved in the Project. This has allowed students to use their
equipment to perform serious scientific measurements concerning the single
cosmic ray muon flux at ground level and below. These measurements were then
analyzed with the programs based on the 'nowadays' knowledge on statistics. An
overview of the apparatus, methods and results were presented at several
students conferences and recently won the first prize in a national competition
of high school students scientific work. The telescope itself, in spite of its
'scientific' purposes, is built in such a way that it is hung on a wall in a
school physics lab and counts muons continuously. This can help to raise the
interest for studying physics among others. At present a few (3) groups of
young participants of the Roland Maze Project have already built their own
telescopes for their schools and some others are working on it. This work is a
perfect example of what can be done by young people when respective
opportunities are created by more experienced researchers and a little help and
advice is given.Comment: 5 figures, 10 page
Antireflective photonic structure for coherent nonlinear spectroscopy of single magnetic quantum dots
This work presents epitaxial growth and optical spectroscopy of CdTe quantum
dots (QDs) in (Cd,Zn,Mg)Te barriers placed on the top of (Cd,Zn,Mg)Te
distributed Bragg reflector. The formed photonic mode in our half-cavity
structure permits to enhance the local excitation intensity and extraction
efficiency of the QD photoluminescence, while suppressing the reflectance
within the spectral range covering the QD transitions. This allows to perform
coherent, nonlinear, resonant spectroscopy of individual QDs. The coherence
dynamics of a charged exciton is measured via four-wave mixing, with the
estimated dephasing time ps. The same structure contains
QDs doped with single Mn ions, as detected in photoluminescence spectra.
Our work therefore paves the way toward investigating and controlling an
exciton coherence coupled, via ,- exchange interaction, with an
individual spin of a magnetic dopant.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Characterizing brain stage-dependent pupil dynamics based on lateral hypothalamic activity
Pupil dynamics presents varied correlation features with brain activity under different vigilant levels. The modulation of brain dynamic stages can arise from the lateral hypothalamus (LH), where diverse neuronal cell types contribute to arousal regulation in opposite directions via the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, the relationship of the LH and pupil dynamics has seldom been investigated. Here, we performed local field potential (LFP) recordings at the LH and ACC, and whole-brain fMRI with simultaneous fiber photometry Ca2+ recording in the ACC, to evaluate their correlation with brain state-dependent pupil dynamics. Both LFP and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data showed various correlations to pupil dynamics across trials that span negative, null, and positive correlation values, demonstrating brain state-dependent coupling features. Our results indicate that the correlation of pupil dynamics with ACC LFP and whole-brain fMRI signals depends on LH activity, suggesting a role of the latter in brain dynamic stage regulation
Accretion flow behaviour during the evolution of the Quasi Periodic Oscillation Frequency of XTE J1550-564 in 1998 outburst
Low and intermediate frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are thought
to be due to oscillations of Comptonizing regions or hot regions embedded in
Keplerian discs. Observational evidence of evolutions of QPOs would therefore
be very important as they throw lights on the dynamics of the hotter region.
Our aim is to find systems in which there is a well-defined correlation among
the frequencies of the QPOs over a range of time so as to understand the
physical picture. In this paper, we concentrate on the archival data of XTE
J1550-564 obtained during 1998 outburst, and study the systematic drifts during
the rising phase from the 1998 September 7 to the 1998 September 19, when the
QPO frequency increased monotonically from 81mHz to 13.1Hz. Immediately after
that, QPO frequency started to decrease and on the 1998 September 26, the QPO
frequency became 2.62Hz. After that, its value remained almost constant. This
frequency drift can be modelled satisfactorily with a propagatory oscillating
shock solution where the post-shock region behaves as the Comptonized region.
Comparing with the nature of a more recent 2005 outburst of another black hole
candidate GRO 1655-40, where QPOs disappeared at the end of the rising phase,
we conjecture that this so-called `outburst' may not be a full-fledged
outburst.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure
X-ray Nova XTE J1550-564: RXTE Spectral Observations
Excellent coverage of the 1998 outburst of the X-ray Nova XTE J1550-564 was
provided by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. XTE J1550-564 exhibited an intense
(6.8 Crab) flare on 1998 September 19 (UT), making it the brightest new X-ray
source observed with RXTE. We present a spectral analysis utilizing 60
Proportional Counter Array spectra from 2.5-20 keV spanning 71 days, and a
nearly continuous All Sky Monitor light curve. The spectra were fit to a model
including multicolor blackbody disk and power-law components. XTE J1550-564 is
observed in the very high, high/soft, and intermediate canonical outburst
states of Black Hole X-ray Novae.Comment: 14 pages including 1 table and 4 figures, Accepted to ApJ Letter
Effects of natural plant tenderizers on proteolysis and texture of dry sausages produced with wild boar meat addition
This study was conducted to develop a method for improving tenderness and overall qualities of tough wild boar meat used to dry sausage production with direct addition of raw pineapple (Ananas comosus), mango (Mangifera indica), kiwifruit - fuzzy kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa), or ginger (Zingiber officinale roscoe - ginger rhizome) juices contained a plant proteolytic enzyme. Dry-sausages were subjected to various chemical, mechanical and sensory evaluations. An increase in proteolysis was observed in all enzyme-treated samples compared to the control and as a consequence an improvement in juiciness, tenderness and overall acceptability scores were observed. Ginger or kiwifruit juice-treated sausages received better scores for texture, flavor, and overall acceptability. From these results, it is shown that those enzymes as a raw plant juices could be used as tenderizers in dry sausage production.Keywords: Dry sausages, wild boar meat, plant enzymes, proteolysis, texture, sensory properties.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(38), pp. 5670-567
Complete RXTE Spectral Observations of the Black Hole X-ray Nova XTE J1550-564
We report on the X-ray spectral behavior of the exceptionally bright X-ray
nova XTE J1550-564 during its 1998-99 outburst. Our study is based on 209
pointed observations using the PCA and HEXTE instruments onboard the Rossi
X-ray Timing Explorer spanning 250 days and covering the entire double-peaked
eruption that occurred from 1998 September until 1999 May. The spectra are fit
to a model including multicolor blackbody disk and power-law components. The
source is observed in the very high and high/soft outburst states of black hole
X-ray novae. During the very high state, when the power-law component dominated
the spectrum, the inner disk radius is observed to vary by more than an order
of magnitude; the radius decreased by a factor of 16 in one day during a 6.8
Crab flare. If the larger of these observed radii is taken to be the last
stable orbit, then the smaller observed radius would imply that the inner edge
of the disk is inside the event horizon! However, we conclude that the apparent
variations of the inner disk radius observed during periods of increased
power-law emission are probably caused by the failure of the multicolor
disk/power-law model; the actual physical radius of the inner disk may remain
fairly constant. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the observed
inner disk radius remains approximately constant over 120 days in the high
state, when the power-law component is weak, even though the disk flux and
total flux vary by an order of magnitude. The mass of the black hole inferred
by equating the approximately constant inner disk radius observed in the
high/soft state with the last stable orbit for a Schwarzschild black hole is
M_BH = 7.4 M_sun (D/6 kpc) (cos i)^{-1/2}.Comment: Submitted to ApJ, 20 pages including 6 figures + 4 large table
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