Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies consistently reported abnormalities in fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD), measures of the integrity of white matter (WM), in bipolar ...disorder (BD), that may reflect underlying pathophysiologic processes. There is, however, a pressing need to identify peripheral measures that are related to these WM measures, to help identify easily obtainable peripheral biomarkers of BD. Given the high lipid content of axonal membranes and myelin sheaths, and that elevated serum levels of lipid peroxidation are reported in BD, these serum measures may be promising peripheral biomarkers of underlying WM abnormalities in BD. We used DTI and probabilistic tractography to compare FA and RD in ten prefrontal-centered WM tracts, 8 of which are consistently shown to have abnormal FA (and/or RD) in BD, and also examined serum lipid peroxidation (lipid hydroperoxides, LPH and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, 4-HNE), in 24 currently euthymic BD adults (BDE) and 19 age- and gender-matched healthy adults (CONT). There was a significant effect of group upon FA in these a priori WM tracts (BDE<CONT: F1,41=6.8; P=0.013) and RD (BDE>CONT: F1,41=10.3; P=0.003), and a significant between-group difference in LPH (BDE>CONT: t40=2.4; P=0.022), but not in 4-HNE. Multivariate multiple regression analyses revealed that LPH variance explained, respectively, 59 and 51% of the variance of FA and RD across all study participants. This is the first study to examine relationships between measures of WM integrity and peripheral measures of lipid peroxidation. Our findings suggest that serum LPH may be useful in the development of a clinically relevant, yet easily obtainable and inexpensive, peripheral biomarkers of BD.
The size increase of a nanoscale material is commonly associated with the increased stability of its ordered phases. Here we give a counterexample to this trend by considering the formation of the ...defect-free L1
ordered phase in AgPt nanoparticles, and showing that it is better stabilized in small nanoparticles (up to 2.5 nm) than in larger ones, in which the ordered phase breaks in multiple domains or is interrupted by faults. The driving force for the L1
phase formation in small nanoparticles is the segregation of a monolayer silver shell (an Ag-skin) which prevents the element with higher surface energy (Pt) from occupying surface sites. With increasing particle size, the Ag-skin causes internal stress in the L1
domains which cannot thus exceed the critical size of ~2.5 nm. A multiscale modelling approach using full-DFT global optimization calculations and atomistic modelling is used to interpret the findings.
It has been proposed that animals subjected to chronic stress show a stress response that can be reduced by the intake of highly palatable foods (“comfort foods”). However, a palatable diet, rich in ...sugar or fat, can also lead to oxidative damage and neuronal injury. So, the aim of this study is to verify, in male and female rats, the effects of exposure to chronic stress during free access to regular chow and to a highly palatable diet, on exploratory and anxiety-like behavior, on oxidative stress and on DNA breaks in two structures of the nervous system, hippocampus and striatum. The results showed stress- and diet-induced DNA breaks and an imbalance in the activity of antioxidants enzymes, such as CAT, GPx and SOD in the both structures. In addition, we observed that female rats appear to have higher susceptibility to the stress effects evaluated, and that access to a palatable diet was able to counteract some behavioral effects of stress. However, this same diet-induced oxidative stress and increased DNA breaks, especially in males. Replication of these results with larger sample sizes would further reinforce these conclusions.
Abstract Background It has been reported that patients with bipolar disorder (BD) remain about 10 years symptomatic before the correct diagnosis is made. This fact is particularly important for ...patients with predominantly depressed polarity who tend to be diagnosed as suffering from unipolar major depressive disorder and treated with antidepressants. The present study was carried out to assess clinical differences between predominantly manic and depressed BD patients with a special focus on the time that patients remained undiagnosed. Methods Clinical and socio-demographic characteristics were obtained from a sample of 149 euthymic bipolar outpatients. Patients were divided into depressive or manic predominance of polarity. Clinical features, number of years undiagnosed (NYU) and occupational functioning were assessed in the two groups. Results Forty-five patients were classified as a “Depressive Polarity” whilst forty-seven were considered as “Manic Polarity”. Depressive Polarity was associated with a longer delay to be diagnosed (F = 14.43, df = 89, p = 0.001). The predominantly depressive patients tended to present a depressive onset of illness, earlier age of onset, longer duration of illness and higher number of suicide attempts than manic polarity patients. Conclusion There was a marked clinical difference between predominantly manic and depressive bipolar patients. Predominantly depressive polarity is associated with a longer delay in receiving a correct diagnosis and effective treatment which has an important impact on the management of the illness.
The radiative association of P and O atoms Andreazza, C. M; de Almeida, A. A; Borin, A. C
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
04/2016, Volume:
457, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The formation of PO from the radiative association of phosphorus and oxygen atoms has been estimated by accurate quantum chemistry calculations. The radiative association of P and O atoms along the ...B2Σ+ potential energy curve is the most efficient way of producing PO in the X2Π ground state. For temperatures ranging between 300 and 14 000 K, the rate coefficients are found to vary from 1.61 × 10−24 to 1.99 × 10−18 cm3s−1, respectively. These values indicate that only a very small amount of PO molecules can be formed by radiative association in dense and hot gas close to the photosphere of evolved oxygen-rich stars and other hostile environments.
► Oxidative stress is associated with bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). ► Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is a proton carrier located in the mitochondria. ► It is involved in controlling ...reactive oxygen species in the neuron. ► UCP2 mRNA expression is reduced in the DLPFC of subjects with BD and SCZ. ► UCP2 is not a compensatory mechanism to reduce oxidative stress in BD and SCZ.
Although the neurobiological basis of bipolar disorder (BD) remains unknown, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and oxidative cell damage have been identified in this disease. Uncoupling proteins (UCP) are proton carriers located in the inner membrane of the mitochondria involved in controlling the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, in this study we wished to investigate the involvement of UCP in BD. We analyzed the RNA and protein levels of UCP2 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of subjects with BD and schizophrenia (SCZ) and assessed the potential relationship between the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD1 and SOD2) and UCP2 in the same region. Our results showed a downregulation of UCP2 mRNA levels in the DLPFC of subjects with BD and SCZ. There were no differences in UCP2 protein, SOD1 and SOD2 levels between patients and controls. Although more studies are necessary, our results suggest that UCP2 is not been used as a compensatory mechanism to oppose the higher levels of oxidative stress found in BD and SCZ.
Although our understanding of psychotic disorders has advanced substantially in the past few decades, very little has changed in the standard of care for these illnesses since the development of ...atypical anti-psychotics in the 1990s. Here, we integrate new insights into the pathophysiology with the increasing interest in early detection and prevention. First, we explore the role of
-methyl-d-aspartate receptors in a subpopulation of cortical parvalbumin-containing interneurons (PVIs). Postmortem and preclinical data has implicated these neurons in the positive and negative symptoms, as well as the cognitive dysfunction present in schizophrenia. These neurons also appear to be sensitive to inflammation and oxidative stress during the perinatal and peripubertal periods, which may be mediated in large part by aberrant synaptic pruning. After exploring some of the molecular mechanisms through which neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are thought to exert their effects, we highlight the progress that has been made in identifying psychosis prior to onset through the identification of individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR). By combining our understanding of psychosis pathogenesis with the increasing characterization of endophenotypes that precede frank psychosis, it may be possible to identify patients before they present with psychosis and intervene to reduce the burden of the disease to both patients and families.
Drosophila suzukii
(Matsumura) has been recently detected causing damage to strawberries in Brazil. Infestation in strawberry culture has often been observed jointly with the presence of
Zaprionus ...indianus
Gupta. This study investigated the susceptibility of strawberries at three ripening stages to infestation of
D. suzukii
and
Z. indianus
and their interaction. In the laboratory, strawberries cv. Albion at different ripening stages (green, semi-ripe and ripe) were exposed to
D. suzukii
and
Z. indianus
for 24 h in choice and no-choice bioassays. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of mechanical damage incurred artificially or by
D. suzukii
oviposition on
Z. indianus
infestation. In no-choice bioassay, there were no significant differences in fruit susceptibility to
D. suzukii
infestation at different ripening stages. However, in choice bioassay,
D. suzukii
adults preferred to oviposit on R fruit. The presence of mechanical damage did not increase susceptibility of fruit to
D. suzukii
oviposition. For
Z. indianus
, there was greater susceptibility of R fruit in relation to SR and G fruit in both the choice and no-choice bioassays. There was a significant and positive interaction of mechanical damage and damage caused by
D. suzukii
to R fruit and infestation by
Z. indianus
, which was not observed in SR and G fruit. Although infestation of
Z. indianus
is related to attack damaged or decaying fruit, this work shows that this species has the ability to oviposit and develop in healthy strawberry fruit with and increased infestation level when the fruit has damage to its epidermis.
In the implantation of forests, soil tillage can affect the soil fauna, but over the years, it is possible that forest development can recompose the biological indicators of soil quality. So, the aim ...of this study was to evaluate the influence of different periods of eucalyptus development on community of edaphic fauna. The experiment was carried out in forest areas in the municipality of Ametista do Sul, RS. The Experimental design was completely randomized with 6 treatments, once 4 of the treatments were with different ages of the Eucalyptus grandis (two, four, six and eight years after trasnplant - YAT); plus 2 control treatments: Native Forest and Soil Naked, with 7 collection points. To sample the edaphic fauna, it was used traps such as PROVID. Also, the edaphic fauna was sampled at the depth of 0-5 cm for the quantification of mites. It was carried out the counting of individuals at the level of order and family for the mites, the means of the groups were submitted to the Tukey test and comparisons by Orthogonal Contrasts and calculated indices of Biodiversity: Margalef Richness, Simpson dominance, Shannon diversity and Pielou uniformity. The results showed lower abundance of individuals in Naked soil, while the Native Forest presented the best Biodiversity indices. With eight years of implantation of eucalyptus there was recovered the biological quality of the soil expressed by the population of springtails. The population of oribatídeos mites increased expressively from the six years of implantation of eucalyptus.
PDF
