Extracellular Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Serotonin in the Nucleus Accumbens of Freely Moving Rats During Intracerebral Dialysis with Cocaine and Other Monoamine Uptake Blockers

Abstract: Monoamine-uptake blockers were applied focally (0.1–1,000 µ M ) through a dialysis probe in the nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats, and the extracellular concentrations of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin were measured. The selective dopamine-uptake blocker GBR 12935 increased dopamine preferentially with only a small effect on norepinephrine, whereas the selective serotonin-uptake blocker fluoxetine increased serotonin output preferentially. In contrast, the selective norepinephrine-uptake blockers desipramine and nisoxetine enhanced not only norepinephrine, but also serotonin and dopamine appreciably. Cocaine increased all three amines with the greatest effects on dopamine and serotonin. As in our previous study on the ventral tegmental area, there was a positive association between dopamine and norepinephrine output when all blocker data were taken together. The present results suggest a contribution of the increase in norepinephrine, but not serotonin, to the enhancement of dopamine after cocaine applied focally in the nucleus accumbens.     

Treatment of thrombocytosis in myeloproliferative disorders with interferon alpha-2a

In an open prospective pilot trial, we tested the effect of recombinant interferon alpha-2 a (rIFN alpha-2 a) on thrombocytosis in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). Since October 1986, 13 patients with MPD (4 with chronic granulocytic leukemia, 4 with polycythemia vera, 3 with essential thrombocythemia and 2 with myeloid metaplasia) were treated with rIFN alpha-2 a. Platelet counts decreased in all treated patients within 2 to 10 weeks from a median value of 1,050 x 10(9)/l (range 610-1,940 x 10(9)/l) to 340 x 10(9)/l (range 230-495 x 10(9)/l). The response was dose-dependent. In 11 patients we observed a simultaneous reduction of the white blood cell count. Six patients still continue the IFN alpha-2 a therapy. In 7 treatment was discontinued, because of chronic side effects in 3, and because of noncompliance in one. In these patients, thrombocytosis recurred after discontinuation of the therapy. These results show that rIFN alpha-2 a is effective in controlling thrombocytosis in MPD. However, the long-term benefit of interferon in these disorders remains to be established.     

Experiences of Genetic Risk: Disclosure and the Gendering of Responsibility

The question of ‘who owns genetic information‘ is increasingly a focus of ethical inquiry. Applied to predictive testing, several recent critiques suggest that persons with a genetic disorder have a moral duty to disclose that information to other family members. The justification for this obligation is that genetic information belongs to and may benefit not only a single individual, but also members of a biological kinship. This paper considers this issue from a different vantage point: How does gender intersect with the moral duty to disclose genetic information? Scholars have argued that gender is partly comprised of distinct assignments and assumptions of responsibility. Thus, there is a danger that gendered patterns of socialization will make women feel that they should take primary responsibility for disclosing genetic information to others. This article explores issues of responsibility and disclosure of risk information by drawing on an empirical study of women and men who have undergone genetic testing for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer. The research study suggests that disclosure of genetic information is a gendered activity, with both the benefits and burdens of this task falling primarily on women. It also illustrates that when disclosure is understood contextually, it is a far more complicated matter than when viewed through a theoretical lens. The article considers the relevance of these findings on ethical debate and genetic counselling practices.     

Phylogenetic analysis of cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) reveals a partially artificial classification at the genus level and a species‐rich clade of bee parasitoids

Cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) are a species‐rich family of obligate brood parasites (i.e. parasitoids and kleptoparasites) whose hosts range from sawflies, wasps and bees, to walking sticks and moths. Their brood parasitic lifestyle has led to the evolution of fascinating adaptations, including chemical mimicry of host odours by some species. Long‐term nomenclatural stability of the higher taxonomic units (e.g. genera, tribes, and subfamilies) in this family and a thorough understanding of the family's evolutionary history critically depend on a robust phylogeny of cuckoo wasps. Here we present the results from phylogenetically analysing ten nuclear‐encoded genes and one mitochondrial gene, all protein‐coding, in a total of 186 different species of cuckoo wasps representing most major cuckoo wasp lineages. The compiled data matrix comprised 4946 coding nucleotide sites and was phylogenetically analysed using classical maximum‐likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. The results of our phylogenetic analyses are mostly consistent with earlier ideas on the phylogenetic relationships of the cuckoo wasps' subfamilies and tribes, but cast doubts on the hitherto hypothesized phylogenetic position of the subfamily Amiseginae. However, the molecular data are not fully conclusive in this respect due to low branch support values at deep nodes. In contrast, our phylogenetic estimates clearly indicate that the current systematics of cuckoo wasps at the genus level is artificial. Several of the currently recognized genera are para‐ or polyphyletic (e.g. Cephaloparnops, Chrysis, Chrysura, Euchroeus, Hedychridium, Praestochrysis, Pseudochrysis, Spintharina, and Spinolia). At the same time, our data support the validity of the genus Colpopyga, previously synonymized with Hedychridium. We discuss possible solutions for how to resolve the current shortcomings in the systematics of cuckoo wasp genera and decided to grant Prospinolia the status of a valid genus (Prospinolia stat.n. ) and transferring Spinolia theresae [du Buysson 1900] from Spinolia to Prospinolia (Prospinolia theresae stat.restit. ). We discuss the implications of our phylogenetic inferences for understanding the evolution of host associations in this group. The results of our study not only shed new light on the evolutionary history of cuckoo wasps, but also set the basis for future phylogenomic investigations on this captivating group of wasps by guiding taxonomic sampling efforts and the design of probes for target DNA enrichment approaches.     

Population Changes of Heterodera glycines and Soybean Yields Resulting from Soil Treatment with Alachlor,Fenamiphos, and Ethoprop

The population dynamics of Heterodera glycines as influenced by alachlor, fenamiphos, and ethoprop alone and in herbicide-nematicide combinations were studied in the field. Numbers of H. glycines juveniles and eggs were higher at midseason and harvest where nematicides were applied. Fenamiphos alone or in combination with alachlor provided better control of H. glycines and greater seed yields than treatments with ethoprop. Numbers of H. glycines eggs at harvest in 1980 were positively correlated with numbers of juveniles at planting in 1981 and negatively related to seed yield in 1981.     

Molecular recognition of anions by synthetic receptors

Over the past year, several significant developments have been made in the field of anion binding. The fundamental principles of molecular recognition are increasingly being better understood, and of particular interest are reports of several synthetic anion receptors able to perform their task in complex natural media. Additionally, macroscopic devices such as anion specific electrodes and membranes based on a molecular recognition approach are now being made.     

Availability Analysis for Multitask Production Systems

A multitask production system is one in which different subsets of the components can be used to perform distinct functions or tasks. For such a system, some of the components are used intermittently and some may be used continuously. This type of operational protocol is often applied to flexible manufacturing systems. In this paper, we develop models of the operational reliability and of the availability of multitask systems. We construct models for both the case in which preventive maintenance is used and the case in which preventive maintenance is not used. The models presented here constitute an extension to existing models to allow the study of the behavior of modern manufacturing equipment.