Search

The NPN InP/InGaAs heterojunction phototransistor (HPT) is numerically simulated with a two dimensional model based on a finite difference method. The electrical and optical characteristics of HPT are analyzed with different base thickness and compared as the base was scaled from 60 down to 20 nm. The impact of the base thickness on the photocurrent is highlighted and compared with the dark and the photodiode currents. This paper also includes the effect of optical power and base current on the potential, electrons density and energy band diagrams. The results show that responsivity and optical gain are not only strongly dependent on the base thickness but also on the base current. The increasing of the current gain from 60 to 100 as the base was scaled from 60 down to 20 nm. Responsivity of 14.7 A/W for 1100 nm light is achieved when the thickness of base layer is 20 nm. A good qualitative agreement of the numerical and analytical simulated value of responsivity as a function of the wavelength with the existing experimental data was achieved.

We mimicked mild mitochondrial-distress robustly reported in bipolar-disorder (BD) by chronic exposure to uniquely low doses of inhibitors of mitochondrial-respiration complexes in vitro and in vivo. Exposure of the neuronal-originating SH-SY5Y cells to very low dose (10 pM) rotenone, a mitochondrial-respiration complex (Co)I inhibitor, for 72 or 96 h did not affect cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Yet, it induced a dual effect on mitochondrial-respiration: overshooting statistically significant several-fold increase of most oxygen-consumption-rate (OCR) parameters vs. significantly decreased all OCR parameters, respectively. Chronic low doses of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) (CoII inhibitor) did not induce long-lasting changes in the cells’ mitochondria-related parameters. Intraperitoneal administration of 0.75 mg/kg/day rotenone to male mice for 4 or 8 weeks did not affect spontaneous and motor activity, caused behaviors associated with mania and depression following 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, accompanied by relevant changes in mitochondrial basal OCR and in levels of mitochondrial-respiration proteins. Our model is among the very few BD-like animal models exhibiting construct (mild mitochondrial dysfunction), face (decreased/increased immobility time in the forced-swim test, increased/decreased consumption of sweet solution, increased/decreased time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze) and predictive (reversal of rotenone-induced behavioral changes by lithium treatment) validity. Our rotenone regime, employing doses that, to the best of our knowledge, have never been used before, differs from those inducing Parkinson’s-like models by not affecting ROS-levels and cell-viability in vitro nor motor activity in vivo.

Background There is a desperate need for in-vivo behavioral screening tests for anti-manic effects. The frequently used psychostimulant-induced hyperactivity test appears to have lower validity than previously described, but other quick, simple and high throughput tests are currently unavailable. New method In the context of modeling the behavioral facets of mania, we previously suggested that the sweet solution preference test (SSP) in naive mice might have predictive validity for screening anti-manic effects. The current study further examined this proposal by testing the effects of lithium, valproate and imipramine on SSP in three strains of mice (male mice from the black Swiss, ICR and C57bl/6 strains) and an exploratory test in females (black Swiss strain). Results Data demonstrate that lithium and valproate at appropriate dosing schedules significantly and reliably reduce SSP in all three strains (including in females) but that the antidepressant imipramine has no effects. Comparison with existing methods The results support the utilization of the SSP as mice screening model for anti-manic effects of drugs with stronger predictive validity compared with other methods. Conclusions The SSP is not a comprehensive model for bipolar disorder but it has good predictive validity and strong practical value that can be applied towards simple and fast screening of large numbers of animals, without the need for specialized equipment or complicated/prolonged procedures. We therefore propose that the SSP is an advantageous screening assay for testing novel mood stabilizing drugs for anti-manic properties.

Background: Lithium (Li) is the prototypic mood-stabilizing drug, but the individual response to Li is highly heterogeneous. Some evidence suggest interactions between Li and stress, and it is possible to hypothesize that lithium’s effects are modified by stress conditions. The current study examines the interaction between 2 chronic stressors, constant light (CL) and restrain and the behavioral responses to chronic Li in female and male mice. Methods: Female and male ICR mice were exposed to 3 weeks of either (1) CL; (2) daily restrain or (3) no stress control. One week after the start of the stress intervention, mice started chronic oral Li treatment or control. After 2 weeks of stress and Li, mice were tested in a number of behavioral tests including spontaneous activity, sweet solution preference, plus-maze and forced swim test. Results: There were no effects of stressors on behavior. Effects of Li were demonstrated in males but not females with no interactions between stress and Li. Conclusions: The behavioral effects of Li in this study were not affected by stress. The lack of effects of the stressors themselves on behavior suggests that the application of more intrusive stressors might be needed to further explore the issue.

The acute antidepressant effects of ketamine provide hope for the development of a fast acting approach to treat depression but the consequences of chronic treatment with ketamine are still unclear. One theory regarding the acute effect is that ketamine acts through activation of mTOR but chronic activation of mTOR may lead to reduced autophagy and reduced autophagy could have negative consequences on neuronal plasticity and survival and on affect. To study the interaction between chronic ketamine administration, autophagy and depression the present study tested the effects of 3 weeks daily administration of 5 or 10mg/kg ketamine in both female and male ICR mice on behavior in the open field and the forced swim test and on frontal cortex levels of beclin-1 and p62, two proteins that serve as markers of autophagy. The results show that acute administration of ketamine results in an antidepressant-like effect in the FST, chronic ketamine had no effects in the behavioral tests. There was no difference in the acute or chronic groups between female and male mice. Additionally, chronic ketamine did not alter frontal cortex levels of autophagy markers. The present study suggests that in ICR mice, chronic ketamine does not have the same clear effects that are seen after acute treatment. The lack of difference between females and males and the lack of effects on autophagy after chronic treatment is discussed.

Background AMPA receptors are highly expressed throughout the central nervous system and are suggested to be involved in mood regulation. Studies found changes in glutamate, its metabolites and receptors in patients with bipolar disorder (BPD) or major depression (MD) and in animal models of stress. Additional data suggest that the glutamatergic system and AMPA receptors specifically, have an important role in modulating the therapeutic effects of mood stabilizers. Further research on the role of AMPA receptors in mood regulation can be done using AMPAkines, positive modulators of AMPA receptors. AMPAkines have been studied for cognitive enhancement in neurodegenerative disorders and some were also examined in preclinical studies of mood disorders. In that context, the present study was designed to test the effects of the AMPAkine CX717 in a strain specific battery of tests for mania-like behaviors. Methods Black Swiss male mice were sub-chronically treated with 5 different doses of CX717 or vehicle and tested in a battery of behavioral tests including spontaneous activity, sweet solution preference, resident-intruder, forced swim and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity. Results Data show that CX717 doses of 30 mg/kg and above, but not lower, reduce activity levels. Moreover, 45 mg/kg and above reduce interactions in the resident-intruder test and ameliorate amphetamine-induced hyperactivity. Conclusions The results therefore show a partial effect of CX717 on manic-like behavior, somewhat similar to previously demonstrated effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs in this strain. It is therefore suggested that further work related to AMPAkines in the treatment of affective disorders might be warranted.

Asenapine is indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia and manic episodes in bipolar disorder (BPD). There is a paucity of information on the effects of asenapine in animal models of BPD, but such work is essential to discover its scope of effects and its mechanisms of therapeutic action. This study evaluated the effects of asenapine in a validated test battery for manic-like behaviors in Black Swiss mice. Male Black Swiss mice received asenapine at 0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 mg/kg twice daily for 7 days and were tested for spontaneous activity, sweet solution preference, forced-swim test, social interaction, and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity. Asenapine treatment resulted in dose-dependent, clinically relevant plasma levels. Asenapine, at the 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg doses, reduced activity, with the 0.3 mg/kg dose also resulting in increased time in the center of an open field, increased immobility in the forced-swim test, and reduced amphetamine-induced hyperactivity. Asenapine exerted no effects in the social interaction or sweet solution preference tests. The results suggest that asenapine exerts antimanic-like effects in some of the behavioral tests performed in Black Swiss mice. These data support the utilization of asenapine in the treatment of BPD.

The disaccharide trehalose protects cells from hypoxic and anoxic injury and suppresses protein aggregation. In vivo studies with trehalose show cellular and behavioral beneficial effects in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, trehalose was shown to enhance autophagy, a process that had been recently suggested to be involved in the therapeutic action of antidepressant and mood-stabilizing drugs.The present study was therefore designed to explore antidepressant and mood-stabilizing activity of trehalose in animal models for depression and mania.Trehalose 1 or 2% was administered for 3 weeks as a drinking solution to Black Swiss mice (a model of manic-like behaviors) or 2% to ICR mice and their behavior evaluated in a number of tests related to depression or mania. The effects of trehalose were compared with similar chronic administration of the disaccharide maltose as well as with a vehicle (water) control.Chronic administration of trehalose resulted in a reduction of frontal cortex p62/beclin-1 ratio suggesting enhancement of autophagy. Trehalose had no mood-stabilizing effects on manic-like behavior in Black Swiss mice but instead augmented amphetamine-induced hyperactivity, an effect similar to antidepressant drugs. In ICR mice, trehalose did not alter spontaneous activity or amphetamine-induced hyperactivity but in two separate experiments had a significant effect to reduce immobility in the forced swim test, a standard screening test for antidepressant-like effects.The results suggest that trehalose may have antidepressant-like properties. It is hypothesized that these behavioral changes could be related to trehalose effects to enhance autophagy.

The scarcity of good animal models for bipolar disorder (BPD) and especially for mania is repeatedly mentioned as one of the rate-limiting factors in the process of gaining a better understanding into its pathophysiology and of developing better treatments. Standard models of BPD have some value but usually represent only one facet of the disease and have partial validity. A number of new approaches for modeling BPD and specifically mania have been suggested in the last few years and can be combined to improve models. These approaches include targeted mutation models representing reverse translation, the identification of advantageous strains for components of the disorder, a search for the most homologous species to address specific human pathology, and the exploration of individual differences of response including the separation between susceptible and resilient animals. Additionally, recent efforts have identified and developed new tests to distinguish between "normal" and "BPD-like" animals including the different utilization of known tests and novel tests such as the female-urine-sniffing test and behavior pattern monitor analysis. Additional tests relating to further domains of BPD are still needed. An ideal model for BPD that will encompass the entire disease and be useful for every demand will probably not become available until we have a full understanding of the pathophysiology of the disorder. However, the current advances in modeling should lead to better comprehension of the disorder and therefore to the gradual development of increasingly improved models.

Objectifs L’objectif de notre etude a ete d’analyser les caracteristiques epidemiologiques et clinico-pathologiques de ces tumeurs et decrire les differents types de traitement. Materiels et methodes Il s’agit d’une etude retrospective de 80 cas de tumeurs osseuses colligees au sein du service, sur une periode de 9 ans allant de 2006 a 2015. Il s’agit de : 44 osteosarcomes, 12 chondrosarcomes, 10 sarcomes d’Ewing, 8 tumeurs a cellules geantes malignes, 4 chordomes et 2 leiomyosarcomes. L’âge moyen est de 25 ans. Au total, 60 % des patients sont de sexe masculin. Une chimiotherapie neoadjuvante a ete administree chez tous les patients atteints d’osteosarcomes avant le traitement chirurgical. Resultats Recul 10 a 80 mois : 33 vivants, 15 deces par metastases, 14 recidives, 10 amputations secondaires et 8 perdus de vue. Discussion L’osteosarcome est la tumeur osseuse maligne primitive la plus frequente suivi par le chondrosarcome et le sarcome d’Ewing. Les caracteristiques d’âge et de sexe sont respectees dans notre serie. Dans deux tiers des cas, les tumeurs osseuses malignes primitives siegent au niveau du squelette peripherique. Le diagnostic de tumeur osseuse maligne primitive est evoque a l’etape de l’analyse radiologique et confirme par l’etude anatomopathologique. L’immunohistochimie joue actuellement un role important dans le diagnostic. Elle permet de faire la part entre une tumeur primitive de l’os et une metastase osseuse et de differencier entre les differentes formes de tumeur osseuse maligne primitive. Conclusion Le diagnostic des tumeurs osseuses malignes primitives repose sur un faisceau d’arguments cliniques, radiologiques et morphologiques. Les progres techniques en imagerie et en biologie cellulaire facilitent l’approche diagnostique et therapeutique de ces tumeurs au sein d’une equipe pluridisciplinaire.

ObjectiveA number of atypical antipsychotic drugs were demonstrated to have anxiolytic effects in patients and in animal models. These effects were mostly suggested to be the consequence of the drugs’ affinity to the serotonin system and its receptors. Asenapine is a relatively new atypical antipsychotic that is prescribed for schizophrenia and for bipolar mania. Asenapine has a broad pharmacological profile with significant effects on serotonergic receptors, hence it is reasonable to expect that asenapine may have some anxiolytic effects. The present study was therefore designed to examine possible effects of asenapine on anxiety-like behaviour of mice.MethodMale ICR mice were repeatedly treated with 0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg injections of asenapine and then tested in a battery of behavioural tests related to anxiety including the open-field test, elevated plus-maze (EPM), defensive marble burying and hyponeophagia tests. In an adjunct experiment, we tested the effects of acute diazepam in the same test battery.ResultsThe results show that diazepam reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the EPM, the defensive marble burying test and the hyponeophagia test but not in the open field. Asenapine has anxiolytic-like effects in the EPM and the defensive marble burying tests but had no effects in the open-field or the hyponeophagia tests. Asenapine had no effects on locomotor activity.ConclusionThe results suggest that asenapine may have anxiolytic-like properties and recommends that clinical trials examining such effects should be performed.

Black Swiss (BS) mice were shown to be an advantageous strain to model behavioral domains of mania, but to date only male mice were tested, whereas bipolar disorder (BPD) is equally prevalent in women and men. This study was therefore designed to examine the possibility of using both male and female BS mice in future studies. Groups of male and female BS mice were compared with each other, with or without lithium treatment, in tests for domains of mania-like behavior including activity in an open field, sweet solution preference, elevated plus maze, forced swim and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity. The results indicate mostly a similarity between female and male BS mice, both naïve and after chronic lithium treatment. The results are discussed in the context of the deficiency in utilizing female mice in animal models research and suggest that both male and female BS mice can be used to model domains of mania-like behavior.

ObjectiveThe underlying biology of bipolar disorder and the mechanisms by which effective medications induce their therapeutic effects are not clear. Appropriate use of animal models are essential to further understand biological mechanisms of disease and treatment, and further understanding the therapeutic mechanism of mood stabilisers requires that clinically relevant administration will be effective in animal models. The clinical regimens for mood-stabilising drugs include chronic oral administration; however, much of the work with animal models includes acute administration via injection. An effective chronic and oral administration of the prototypic mood stabiliser lithium was already established and the present study was designed to do the same for the mood stabiliser carbamazepine.MethodsMice were treated for 3 weeks with carbamazepine in food. ICR mice were treated with 0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75%, and C57bl/6 mice with 0.5% and 0.75%, carbamazepine in food (w/w, namely, 2.5, 5.0 or 7.5 g/kg food). Mice were then tested for spontaneous activity, forced swim test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity.ResultsOral carbamazepine administration resulted in dose-dependent blood levels reaching 3.65 μg/ml at the highest dose. In ICR mice, carbamazepine at the 0.5% dose had no effect on spontaneous activity, but significantly reduced immobility in the TST by 27% and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity by 28%. In C57bl/6 mice, carbamazepine at the 0.75% dose reduced immobility time in the FST by 26%.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate a behaviourally effective oral and chronic regimen for carbamazepine with mood stabilising-like activity in a standard model for mania-like behaviour and two standard models for depression-like behaviour.

Animal models are crucial components in the search for better understanding of the biological basis of psychiatric disorders and for the development of novel drugs. Research, in general, and research with animal models, in particular, relies on the consistency of effects of investigated drugs or manipulations across experiments. In that context, it had been noted that behavioral responses to lithium in ICR (CD-1) mice from Harlan Israel have changed across the last years. To examine this change, the present study compared the effect of lithium treatment in ICR mice from Harlan Israel with the ICR mice from Harlan USA. The mice were treated with chronic oral lithium. Their lithium serum levels were measured and their behavior in the forced swim test (FST) was evaluated. The mice were also treated with [(3)H]-inositol ICV and lithium injection and their frontal cortex [(3)H]-phosphoinositols accumulation was measured. Results show that lithium serum levels in Israeli mice were significantly lower compared with the USA mice, that lithium had no behavioral effect in the Israeli mice but significantly reduced FST immobility time of the USA mice, and that phosphoinositols accumulation was much more strongly affected by lithium in the USA mice compared with the Israeli mice. These results suggest that the Israeli Harlan colony of ICR mice changed significantly from the original ICR colony in Harlan USA and that the differences might be related to absorption or secretion of lithium.

Objectifs Ce travail illustre les presentations radio cliniques classiques des TCG et les TCG atypiques par le siege, l’âge ou le caractere evolutif, ainsi que les differentes modalites therapeutiques. Materiels et methodes Il s’agit d’une etude retrospective de 29 cas de tumeurs a cellules geantes pendant une duree de 5 ans, comprise entre janvier 2010 et decembre 2015 colliges conjointement par les services de chirurgie traumatologique et orthopedique de Blida, Bejaia et Alger centre. Tous ces cas ont eu une confirmation histologique dont 12 cas au niveau de l’extremite distale du femur, 9 cas au niveau de l’extremite proximale du tibia, 4 cas au niveau de l’extremite distale du radius, 2 cas au niveau de l’extremite proximale de l’humerus, 1 cas calcaneum et 1 cas au niveau du cuboide. Resultats Onze cas evidement-comblement par le ciment sans materiels d’osteosynthese, 8 cas evidement-comblement avec materiels d’osteosynthese, 8 cas d’arthrodese dont 6 au niveau du genou et 2 au niveau du poignet, deux resection-reconstructions par PTG, les suites postoperatoires ont ete marquees par 7 recidives tardives, 4 infections traitees, une pseudarthrose et une amputation de cuisse. Discussion La TCG est une tumeur rare, sa frequence est estimee entre 5 a 10 % par rapport a l’ensemble des tumeurs osseuses primitives. La douleur est le maitre symptome d’apparition spontanee ou souvent apres un traumatisme. A la radiographie standard, l’aspect le plus classique est celui d’une osteolyse geographique, excentree. La biopsie est necessaire afin de confirmer definitivement le diagnostic. Le traitement des TCG est principalement chirurgical, le traitement medical a base de biphosphonate et de denosumab est actuellement de plus en plus utilise dans les formes agressives avec localisation difficile a la chirurgie. Le traitement chirurgical est essentiellement un curetage intra-lesionnel associe a une greffe osseuse. Le comblement par le ciment constitue une alternative interessante dans le traitement des TCG et permet de reduire le taux des recidives. Cette technique offre de nombreux avantages : absence de prelevement osseux, possibilite de traiter des lesions prealablement infectees, usage immediat et libre du membre opere, surveillance radiologique facile et hospitalisation plus courte. L’analyse des series publiees confirme le moindre risque de recidive locale apres comblement ciment qu’apres comblement osseux. Conclusion Les tumeurs a cellules geantes sont des tumeurs dont l’evolutivite echappe souvent a nos moyens d’anticipation pronostique. Dans la plupart des cas (90 %), ce sont des tumeurs benignes qui ont une nette predilection pour les epiphyses des os longs, notamment la region du genou. Elles ont tendance a la recidive locale (beaucoup plus frequemment apres curetage-comblement qu’apres resection-reconstruction). Les formes malignes, plus rares, doivent etre traitees de facon carcinologique : resection (rarement amputation) encadree de chimiotherapie.

Background: Lithium has numerous biochemical effects but it is difficult to dissect which of these is responsible for its therapeutic action in bipolar disorder. In the current study we aimed to address one of the major hypotheses, the inositol depletion hypothesis. This hypothesis postulates that lithium's mood-stabilizing effect is mediated by the depletion of brain inositol levels and the subsequent effect on cellular signaling. Methods: We studied whether acute intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of myo-inositol could reverse the antidepressant-like effect of chronic lithium treatment in the forced swim test (FST). Results: In contrast with our prediction, acute myo-inositol administration did not reverse the effect of chronic lithium to decrease immobility in the FST. Conclusions: The results of the present study are limited due to the following: (1) inositol was given acutely while possible events downstream of inositol depletion might require a longer period and (2) ICV inositol may not have reached those areas of the brain involved in the FST.

Language understanding is a long-standing problem in computer science. However, the human brain is capable of processing complex languages with seemingly no difficulties. This paper shows a model for language understanding using biologically plausible neural networks composed of associative memories. The model is able to deal with ambiguities on the single word and grammatical level. The language system is embedded into a robot in order to demonstrate the correct semantical understanding of the input sentences by letting the robot perform corresponding actions. For that purpose, a simple neural action planning system has been combined with neural networks for visual object recognition and visual attention control mechanisms.