A neurodevelopmental perspective to improve innovation in preventive treatment of substance use disorders

Background: Midbrain dopaminergic neurons have been associated with substance use disorders (Blaess & Ang, 2015). Understanding their neurodevelopment during early stages of life is fundamental for innovating preventive care treatments. The animal model Monodelphis domestica has been proposed as an excellent candidate to study neurodevelopmental changes due to the ease of access to see changes in their embryonic development (Mate et al., 1994). The purpose of our study is to inform how brain cells, including and especially dopaminergic neurons, mature by quantifying their number during early development. Additionally, the study aims to compare different midbrain areas and track neurodevelopmental changes across early development. Methods: Monodelphis brains were collected at different developmental times points, brains were sliced, and brain sections processed following standard immunohistochemistry and other staining protocols to visualize different protein markers. ImageJ and Zen software were used to conduct area analysis and neuronal quantification. A modified stereological approach developed by our lab was utilized for precise neuronal quantification. A descriptive analysis was utilized to compare anatomical and neuronal numerical differences across different developmental stages. Inter-rater reliability was utilized to reduce bias during the neuronal quantification process. Results: A preliminary analysis from a previous study (Perez et al., 2021) revealed anatomical differences in area and volume across three different stages, embryonic day 14 (area= 27260.36 μm, m= 381.376, V=81781.0735 um^3), postnatal day 1 (49917.28 μm, m= 404.12, V= 149751.827 μm^3), and postnatal day 6 (81866.66 μm, m=166.016, V= 245599.9853 μm^3). Neuronal and area differences from the stages of postnatal day 21, 30, 8 weeks and 23 weeks will be included once inter-rater reliability is established

A preliminary timeline of the midbrain development in the Monodelphis Domestica animal model

Introduction: The Brazilian short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis Domestica) is an understudied animal model compared to the Mus musculus that has been identified as a perfect candidate to study neurodevelopment (Baggott, L. & Moore, H., 1990). What makes the Monodelphis Domestica a perfect specimen for neurodevelopment is that the embryo develops outside the pouch of the mother providing easy noninvasive access to track changes across different developmental stages (Mate et al., 1994). Objective: The objective of the study is to compare the area and volume in the development of the Monodelphis’s midbrain across three different developmental stages. Our research is beneficial because it facilitates the study of neurodevelopmental mental health disorders and its impact in the brain. Methods: We utilized ImageJ and Zen software to perform the volumetric and area analysis of these stages. To conduct a volumetric analysis a Volume Macro code was used in ImageJ software. The area analysis was completed using Zen software. A descriptive analysis was used to compare the differences in area and volume across the developmental stages

Interaction of Tropical Cyclones with a Dipole Vortex

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss certain disturbances around the pole of a Venus–type planet that result as a response to barotropic instability processes in a zonal flow. We discuss a linear instability of normal modes in a zonal flow through the barotropic vorticity equations (BVEs). By using a simple idealization of a zonal flow, the instability is employed on measurements of the upper atmosphere of Venus. In 1998, the tropical cyclone Mitch gave way to the observational study of a dipole vortex. This dipole vortex might have helped to intensify the cyclone and moved it towards the SW. In order to examine this process of interaction, the nonlinear BVE was integrated in time applied to the 800–200 hPa average layer in the previous moment when it moved towards the SW. The 2‐day integrations carried out with the model showed that the geometric structure of the solution can be calculated to a good approximation. The solution HLC moves very fast westwards as observed. On October 27, the HLA headed north‐eastward and then became quasi‐stationary. It was also observed that HLA and HLC as a coupled system rotates in the clockwise direction

Crystallographic orientations of structural elements in skeletons of Syringoporicae (tabulate corals, Carboniferous): Implications for biomineralization processes in Palaeozoic corals

he crystallographic orientation of structural elements in skeletons of representatives of Carboniferous Syringoporicae (Auloporida) has been analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), petrographic microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) on specimens from the Iberian Peninsula. The skeletons of the tabulate corals of the Syringoporicae consist of biogenic calcite crystals, and their microstructure is composed of lamellae, fibres and granules, or of a combination of these. Independent of the microstructure, the c-axis is oriented towards the lumen, quasi-perpendicular to the growth direction of the skeleton (perpendicular to the morphological axis lamellae, parallel to fibres). Most phaceloid taxa have a turbostratic distribution, as a biogenic response to prevent the cleavage of crystals. Cerioid and some phaceloid corals, whose microstructure is conditioned by wall elements, do not exhibit turbostratic distribution. Wall elements are determined by the biology of each taxon. Holacanth septal spines are composed of fibres arranged in a cone-shape structure, sometimes clamped to the external part of the corallite and show a complex crystallography. Monacanth septal spines are spindle shaped and composed of bundles of fibres. Tabulae are composed of lamellae. Their development and crystallographic orientation depends on the position of the epithelium in each case. Shared walls are formed by a combination of the walls of two independent corallites with a median lamina, composed of granules; these have a crystallographic orientation between that of the two corallites. The growth of the microstructure is derived by a coordinated stepping mode of growth, similar to other groups of organisms such as molluscs and scleractinians. The nucleation and formation of packages of co-oriented microcrystals suggest a growth mode similar to mineral bridges with a competitive growth mode between each crystal. The growth pattern of corallites suggests that the growth direction is divided into two main components: a horizontal growth direction towards the lumen and a vertical direction towards the top