The Role of Dopamine and Dopaminergic Pathways in Dystonia: Insights from Neuroimaging

Background: Dystonia constitutes a heterogeneous group of movement abnormalities, characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal postures. Overwhelming data suggest involvement of basal ganglia and dopaminergic pathways in dystonia. In this review, we critically evaluate recent neuroimaging studies that investigate dopamine receptors, endogenous dopamine release, morphology of striatum, and structural or functional connectivity in cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical and related cerebellar circuits in dystonia. Method: A PubMed search was conducted in August 2014. Results: Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging offers strong evidence for altered D2/D3 receptor binding and dopaminergic release in many forms of idiopathic dystonia. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data reveal likely involvement of related cerebello-thalamocortical and sensory-motor networks in addition to basal ganglia. Discussion: PET imaging of dopamine receptors or transmitter release remains an effective means to investigate dopaminergic pathways, yet may miss factors affecting dopamine homeostasis and related subcellular signaling cascades that could alter the function of these pathways. fMRI and DTI methods may reveal functional or anatomical changes associated with dysfunction of dopamine-mediated pathways. Each of these methods can be used to monitor target engagement for potential new treatments. PET imaging of striatal phosphodiesterase and development of new selective PET radiotracers for dopamine D3-specific receptors and Mechanistic target of rampamycin (mTOR) are crucial to further investigate dopaminergic pathways. A multimodal approach may have the greatest potential, using PET to identify the sites of molecular pathology and magnetic resonance methods to determine their downstream effects

Failure Analysis of Brazed Joints Using the CZM Approach

Brazing, as a type of joining process, is widely used in manufacturing industries to join individual components of a structure. Structural reliability of a brazed assembly is strongly dependent on the joint mechanical properties. In the present work, mechanical reliability of low carbon steel brazed joints with copper filler metal is investigated and a methodology for failure analysis of brazed joints using the cohesive zone model (CZM) is presented. Mechanical reliability of the brazed joints is characterized by strength and toughness. Uniaxial and biaxial strengths of the joints are evaluated experimentally and estimated by finite element method using the ABAQUS software. Microstructural analysis of the joint fracture surfaces reveals different failure mechanisms of dimple rupture and dendritic failure. Resistance of the brazed joints against crack propagation, evaluated by the single-parameter fracture toughness criterion, shows dependency on the specimen geometry and loading configuration. Fracture of the brazed joints and the subsequent ductile tearing process are investigated using a two-parameter CZM. The characterizing model parameters of the cohesive strength and cohesive energy are identified by a four-point bend fracture test accompanied with corresponding FE simulation. Using the characterized CZM, the joint fracture behavior under tensile loading is well estimated. Predictability of the developed cohesive zone FE model for fracture analysis of brazed joints independent of geometry and loading configuration is validated. The developed cohesive zone FE model is extended to fatigue crack growth analysis in brazed joints. A cyclic damage evolution law is implemented into the cohesive zone constitutive model to irreversibly account for the joint stiffness degradation over the number of cycles. Fatigue failure behavior of the brazed joints is characterized by performing fully reversed strain controlled cyclic tests. The damage law parameters are calibrated based on the analytical solutions and the experimental fatigue crack growth data. The characterized irreversible CZM shows applicability to fatigue crack growth life prediction of brazed joints

Examination of the Prevalence of Pneumonia Caused by Pasteurella Multocida in Calves Referred to Slaughterhouse of Borujen City

Abstract In this study which has been done for 4 seasons from March 2014 to april 2015. We have taken sample from the lung tissue's through the 552 calves which has been send to the slaughterhouse. At first (before we entering the slaughterhouse) there's a questionnaire has been planned which include items like sex, living place, the animal bed at parturition time and also we test the animals through checking their heartbeats, respiratory system and observing the secretions of the eyes and the nose. According to the low economical value of the lung, especially in the large animal, we have send the Anterior and ventral lobe and Lymph nodes of the upper part of respiratory system by the slaughterhouse personnel's' cooperation to the lab for the further studying and passing pathology test. Spss 19& Excel were the software tools which we evaluate information via them and the results was: The most infection times to Pasteurella multocida were reported in winter and by the way we can see a meaningful link among seasons. Also infection was higher in the cases where the animals were kept in the close environments and finally the most lesions were related to Bronchopneumonia an the less to Suppurative pneumonia. 434 Yaser Karimi Faradonbeh et al

Absorbed radiation dosimetry of the D3-specific PET radioligand [18F]FluorTriopride estimated using rodent and nonhuman primate

[(18)F]FluorTriopride ([(18)F]FTP) is a dopamine D(3)-receptor preferring radioligand with potential for investigation of neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson disease, dystonia and schizophrenia. Here we estimate human radiation dosimetry for [(18)F]FTP based on the ex-vivo biodistribution in rodents and in vivo distribution in nonhuman primates. Biodistribution data were generated using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats injected with ~370 KBq of [(18)F]FTP and euthanized at 5, 30, 60, 120, and 240 min. Organs of interest were dissected, weighed and assayed for radioactivity content. PET imaging studies were performed in two male and one female macaque fascicularis administered 143-190 MBq of [(18)F]FTP and scanned whole-body in sequential sections. Organ residence times were calculated based on organ time activity curves (TAC) created from regions of Interest. OLINDA/EXM 1.1 was used to estimate human radiation dosimetry based on scaled organ residence times. In the rodent, the highest absorbed radiation dose was the upper large intestines (0.32-0.49 mGy/MBq), with an effective dose of 0.07 mSv/MBq in males and 0.1 mSv/MBq in females. For the nonhuman primate, however, the gallbladder wall was the critical organ (1.81 mGy/MBq), and the effective dose was 0.02 mSv/MBq. The species discrepancy in dosimetry estimates for [(18)F]FTP based on rat and primate data can be attributed to the slower transit of tracer through the hepatobiliary track of the primate compared to the rat, which lacks a gallbladder. Out findings demonstrate that the nonhuman primate model is more appropriate model for estimating human absorbed radiation dosimetry when hepatobiliary excretion plays a major role in radiotracer elimination

Radiation dosimetry of [ 18 F]VAT in nonhuman primates

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to determine the radiation dosimetry of a novel radiotracer for vesicular acetylcholine transporter (−)-(1-((2R,3R)-8-(2-[(18)F]fluoro-ethoxy)-3-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)piperidin-4-yl)(4-fluorophenyl)-methanone ([(18)F]VAT) based on PET imaging in nonhuman primates. [(18)F]VAT has potential for investigation of neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dystonia. METHODS: Three macaque fascicularis (two males, one female) received 185.4–198.3 MBq [(18)F]VAT prior to whole-body imaging in a MicroPET-F220 scanner. Time activity curves (TACs) were created from regions of interest (ROIs) that encompassed the entire small organs or samples with the highest activity within large organs. Organ residence times were calculated based on the TACs. We then used OLINDA/EXM 1.1 to calculate human radiation dose estimates based on scaled organ residence times. RESULTS: Measurements from directly sampled arterial blood yielded a residence time of 0.30 h in agreement with the residence time of 0.39 h calculated from a PET-generated time activity curve measured in the left ventricle. Organ dosimetry revealed the liver as the critical organ (51.1 and 65.4 μGy/MBq) and an effective dose of 16 and 19 μSv/MBq for male and female, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The macaque biodistribution data showed high retention of [(18)F]VAT in the liver consistent with hepatobiliary clearance. These dosimetry data support that relatively safe doses of [(18)F]VAT can be administered to obtain imaging in humans

Unilateral vs. bilateral STN DBS effects on working memory and motor function in Parkinson disease

Bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) can reduce working memory while improving motor function in Parkinson disease (PD), but findings are variable. One possible explanation for this variability is that the effects of bilateral STN DBS on working memory function depend in part on functional or disease asymmetry. The goal of this study was to determine the relative contributions of unilateral DBS to the effects seen with bilateral DBS. Motor (Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale Part III, UPDRS) and working memory function (Spatial Delayed Response, SDR) were measured in 49 PD patients with bilateral STN DBS while stimulators were Both-off, Left-on, Right-on and Both-on in a randomized, double-blind manner. Patients were off PD medications overnight. Effects of unilateral DBS were compared to effects of bilateral STN DBS. Mean UPDRS and SDR responses to Left-on vs. Right-on conditions did not differ (p>.20). However, improvement in contralateral UPDRS was greater and SDR performance was more impaired by unilateral DBS in the more affected side of the brain than in the less affected side of the brain (p=.008). The effect of unilateral DBS on the more affected side on contralateral UPDRS and SDR responses was equivalent to that of bilateral DBS. These results suggest that motor and working memory function respond to unilateral STN DBS differentially depending on the asymmetry of motor symptoms

No Differential Regulation of Dopamine Transporter (DAT) and Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 (VMAT2) Binding in a Primate Model of Parkinson Disease

Radioligands for DAT and VMAT2 are widely used presynaptic markers for assessing dopamine (DA) nerve terminals in Parkinson disease (PD). Previous in vivo imaging and postmortem studies suggest that these transporter sites may be regulated as the numbers of nigrostriatal neurons change in pathologic conditions. To investigate this issue, we used in vitro quantitative autoradioradiography to measure striatal DAT and VMAT2 specific binding in postmortem brain from 14 monkeys after unilateral internal carotid artery infusion of 1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) with doses varying from 0 to 0.31 mg/kg. Quantitative estimates of the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (ir) neurons in substantia nigra (SN) were determined with unbiased stereology, and quantitative autoradiography was used to measure DAT and VMAT2 striatal specific binding. Striatal VMAT2 and DAT binding correlated with striatal DA (rs = 0.83, rs = 0.80, respectively, both with n = 14, p<0.001) but only with nigra TH-ir cells when nigral cell loss was 50% or less (r = 0.93, n = 8, p = 0.001 and r = 0.91, n = 8, p = 0.002 respectively). Reduction of VMAT2 and DAT striatal specific binding sites strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.93, n = 14, p<0.0005). These similar changes in DAT and VMAT2 binding sites in the striatal terminal fields of the surviving nigrostriatal neurons demonstrate that there is no differential regulation of these two sites at 2 months after MPTP infusion