Neurotransmitter turnover in rat striatum is correlated with morphine self-administration

Drugs of abuse probably exert their reinforcing effects through 'reward' pathways in the central nervous system (CNS). Neuronal systems mediating opiate reinforcement have been investigated using pharmacological and electrolytic lesion procedures. Drugs that interfere with catecholaminergic and cholinergic neuronal activity decrease intravenous (i.v.) morphine self-administration in monkeys and rats. Electrolytic lesion procedures in rats have demonstrated that the medial forebrain bundle and caudate nucleus are important in maintaining i.v. morphine self-administration. We have now carried out a direct investigation of striatal (caudate nucleus, putamen and globus pallidus) neuronal systems. We show here that striatal catecholaminergic systems are important in mediating opiate reinforcement, and present direct evidence for the involvement of neurotransmitter systems in morphine reward.     

Amino acid transport by small and large intestine of newborn pig

Summary Unidirectional fluxes of different amino acids have been determined across newborn pig small intestine and colon. The systems responsible for amino acid transport are present in the same proportion in both tissues. Colonic transport of amino acids appears to represent a transient overspill function of the small intestine.     

Condensation of an alkyl chain on 1,7,7-trimethylbicycloheptane: A model for the effect of camphor on lipid membranes

Summary Enthalpies of mixing of the hydrocarbon portion of camphor with n-octane show that it exerts a condensation interaction on adjacent alkyl chains. This is a similar interaction to that displayed by cholesterol in cell membranes which results in an alteration of the membrane fluidity.Acknowledgments. I thank Professor K. Marsh for his hospitality and assistance in the use of his microcalorimeter.     

Combination of forecasts in electricity demand prediction

Accurate demand prediction is of great importance in the electricity supply industry. Electricity cannot be stored, and generating plant must be scheduled well in advance to meet future demand. Up to now, where online information about external conditions is unavailable, time series methods on the historical demand series have been used for short-term demand prediction. These have drawbacks, both in their sensitivity to changing weather conditions and in their poor modelling of the daily/weekly business cycles. To overcome these problems a framework has been constructed whereby forecasts from different prediction methods and different forecasting origins can be selected and combined, solely on the basis of recent forecasting performance, with no a priori assumptions of demand behaviour. This added flexibility in univariate forecasting provides a significant improvement in prediction accuracy.     

Corticotropin releasing factor induction of leukocyte-derived immunoreactive ACTH and endorphins

Human peripheral leukocytes infected by virus or treated with endotoxin will, like unstimulated mouse spleen macrophages, synthesize immunoreactive corticotrophin (ir-ACTH) and endorphins. The ir-ACTH produced appears to be identical with authentic ACTH, while enough of the material has been produced in hypophysectomized mice infected with virus to demonstrate a steroidogenic response. Because the production of ACTH by in vivo pituitary cells and by leukocytes is suppressed by dexamethasone both in vitro and in vitro, suggesting that the production of ACTH and endorphins by leukocytes is indeed controlled, we have investigated the effects of corticotropin releasing-factor (CRF), which is known to regulate the pituitary production of both ACTH and beta-endorphin. We now report that the production of ACTH and endorphins by leukocytes is indeed induced by synthetic CRF and, in turn, suppressed by dexamethasone, suggesting that, as in pituitary cells, the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene may be expressed and similarly controlled in leukocytes.     

Earthquake monitoring in australia using satellite radar interferometry

Are there any earthquakes in Australia? Although most Australians are not as familiar with earthquakes as citizens in countries such as Japan, there are some quakes on the Australian continent every year. Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) has been widely used in recent years for monitoring crustal deformation due to earthquakes, volcanoes, underground mining, oil extraction, and so on. Hence the follow-on question is, can repeat-pass satellite DInSAR be used in Australian regions to monitor earthquakes? Nine ERS-1 and ERS-2 radar images of the Burakin region in Western Australia were used to form the InSAR pairs. Twenty-two InSAR pairs were formed and were used to study the temporal decorrelation characteristics in the Burakin area. It was found that good coherence could be maintained all over the full scene for a pair spanning 211 d. The repeat cycles of RADARSAT and ERS (all C-band SAR missions) are 24 and 35 d respectively, Furthermore it is easier to maintain good coherence in L-band SAR images (e.g. the JERS-1 mission has a 44 d repeat cycle). Therefore the authors are confident that repeat-pass differential InSAR can be used to monitor ground deformation due to earthquakes in the Burakin region.     

Polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA of European and Africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera)

This study demonstrates polymorphisms in both the length and in the restriction enzyme cleavage sites of honeybee mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The levels of variation are typical of those found in other metazoan species. These polymorphisms are potentially useful for the identification of Africanized bees in the western hemisphere and for study of honeybee phylogenetics.     

Respiration characteristics differ among cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum L.) populations

Cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum L.) is a dominant weed that has increased the frequency of wildfire in the Great Basin since its introduction about 100 yr ago. This study examines characteristics of respiratory metabolism in several different populations. Seeds from 6 populations were germinated and metabolic heat rates (q) and dark respiration rates (R co2 ) of all seedlings were measured calorimetrically at 15° and 25° C or (for 3 populations) at 5° intervals from 5° to 35° C. Growth rates, substrate carbon conversion efficiencies, and Arrhenius temperature coefficients were calculated from the data. Results show that cheatgrass metabolism is most efficient at temperatures near 0° C; at temperatures above 20-25° C, efficiency goes to zero. Cheatgrass populations differ in their temperature dependencies of substrate carbon conversion efficiency and predicted growth rate. Measurements of respiratory heat and CO 2 rates as functions of temperature can be made relatively quickly and used to aid understanding of metabolic adaptation by invasive and native species to the environment.