Cortical abnormalities in bipolar disorder: an MRI analysis of 6503 individuals from the ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group.

Despite decades of research, the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) is still not well understood. Structural brain differences have been associated with BD, but results from neuroimaging studies have been inconsistent. To address this, we performed the largest study to date of cortical gray matter thickness and surface area measures from brain magnetic resonance imaging scans of 6503 individuals including 1837 unrelated adults with BD and 2582 unrelated healthy controls for group differences while also examining the effects of commonly prescribed medications, age of illness onset, history of psychosis, mood state, age and sex differences on cortical regions. In BD, cortical gray matter was thinner in frontal, temporal and parietal regions of both brain hemispheres. BD had the strongest effects on left pars opercularis (Cohen's d=-0.293; P=1.71 × 10-21), left fusiform gyrus (d=-0.288; P=8.25 × 10-21) and left rostral middle frontal cortex (d=-0.276; P=2.99 × 10-19). Longer duration of illness (after accounting for age at the time of scanning) was associated with reduced cortical thickness in frontal, medial parietal and occipital regions. We found that several commonly prescribed medications, including lithium, antiepileptic and antipsychotic treatment showed significant associations with cortical thickness and surface area, even after accounting for patients who received multiple medications. We found evidence of reduced cortical surface area associated with a history of psychosis but no associations with mood state at the time of scanning. Our analysis revealed previously undetected associations and provides an extensive analysis of potential confounding variables in neuroimaging studies of BD.

Early warning of footpad dermatitis and hockburn in broiler chicken flocks using optical flow, bodyweight and water consumption.

Footpad dermatitis and hockburn are serious welfare and economic issues for the production of broiler (meat) chickens. The authors here describe the use of an inexpensive camera system that monitors the movements of broiler flocks throughout their lives and suggest that it is possible to predict, even in young birds, the cross-sectional prevalence at slaughter of footpad dermatitis and hockburn before external signs are visible. The skew and kurtosis calculated from the authors' camera-based optical flow system had considerably more power to predict these outcomes in the 50 flocks reported here than water consumption, bodyweight or mortality and therefore have the potential to inform improved flock management through giving farmers early warning of welfare issues. Further trials are underway to establish the generality of the results.

Prospective longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study of major depressive disorder in young individuals at high familial risk.

BACKGROUND: Previous neuroimaging studies indicate abnormalities in cortico-limbic circuitry in mood disorder. Here we employ prospective longitudinal voxel-based morphometry to examine the trajectory of these abnormalities during early stages of illness development. METHOD: Unaffected individuals (16-25 years) at high and low familial risk of mood disorder underwent structural brain imaging on two occasions 2 years apart. Further clinical assessment was conducted 2 years after the second scan (time 3). Clinical outcome data at time 3 was used to categorize individuals: (i) healthy controls ('low risk', n = 48); (ii) high-risk individuals who remained well (HR well, n = 53); and (iii) high-risk individuals who developed a major depressive disorder (HR MDD, n = 30). Groups were compared using longitudinal voxel-based morphometry. We also examined whether progress to illness was associated with changes in other potential risk markers (personality traits, symptoms scores and baseline measures of childhood trauma), and whether any changes in brain structure could be indexed using these measures. RESULTS: Significant decreases in right amygdala grey matter were found in HR MDD v. controls (p = 0.001) and v. HR well (p = 0.005). This structural change was not related to measures of childhood trauma, symptom severity or measures of sub-diagnostic anxiety, neuroticism or extraversion, although cross-sectionally these measures significantly differentiated the groups at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: These longitudinal findings implicate structural amygdala changes in the neurobiology of mood disorder. They also provide a potential biomarker for risk stratification capturing additional information beyond clinically ascertained measures.

The use of micro computed tomography to ascertain the morphology of bloodstains on fabric.

Very little is known about the interactions of blood and fabric and how bloodstains on fabric are formed. Whereas the blood stain size for non-absorbent surfaces depends on impact velocity, previous work has suggested that for fabrics the blood stain size is independent of impact velocity when the drop size is kept constant. Therefore, a greater understanding of the interaction of blood and fabric is required. This paper explores the possibility of using a micro computed tomography (CT) scanner to study bloodstain size and shape throughout fabrics. Two different fabrics were used: 100% cotton rib knit and 100% cotton bull drill. Bloodstains were created by dropping blood droplets from three heights; 500 mm, 1000 mm and 1500 mm. Results from the CT scanner clearly showed the bloodstain shape throughout the fabric. The blood was found to form a diamond shaped stain, with the maximum cross-sectional area 0.3-0.5mm below the surface. The bloodstain morphology depended on both the impact velocity and fabric structure.

Environmental monitoring of genetically modified crops.

Genetically modified (GM) crops are now approved for commercial use in several world areas. In terms of commercial acreage, the majority of these products possess either herbicide tolerance or insect protection traits. Prior to commercialization, each product underwent a country specific review of environmental safety data by independent regulatory authorities. Registration was granted after review of the data allowed authorities to conclude that the risks were minimal or manageable when balanced with the benefits. As a condition of registration, insect resistance management (IRM) has been imposed for insect protected products in most countries. Other world areas have reviewed similar data packages and have not yet been able to grant registration for commercial release. Post-registration environmental monitoring of GM crops is viewed in some world areas as a means of enabling approvals by addressing uncertainty that exists with this technology. Questions such as, who should monitor and who should pay for it, how should monitoring be conducted, what information is necessary to collect and how long should a given product be monitored are yet to be answered. Monitoring methods could be general (surveys and questionnaires) or specific (scientific studies to address specific questions). Independent research currently underway in countries where GM crops are commercial involves monitoring the benefits as well as the risks of these products. Experience with other products has shown that monitoring of GM crops will be of value only if the questions are clearly defined, the methods are appropriate and the end points (data collected) are interpretable.

The expressed protein in glyphosate-tolerant soybean, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4, is rapidly digested in vitro and is not toxic to acutely gavaged mice.

The safety of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase enzyme derived from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4 (CP4 EPSPS) was assessed. CP4 EPSPS is the only protein introduced by genetic manipulation that is expressed in glyphosate-tolerant soybeans, which are being developed to provide new weed-control options for farmers. Expression of this protein in plants imparts high levels of glyphosate tolerance. The safety of CP4 EPSPS was ascertained by evaluating both physical and functional characteristics. CP4 EPSPS degrades readily in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, suggesting that this protein will be degraded in the mammalian digestive tract upon ingestion as a component of food or feed, There were no deleterious effects due to the acute administration of CP4 EPSPS to mice by gavage at a high dosage of 572 mg/kg body wt, which exceeds 1000-fold tha anticipated consumption level of food products potentially containing CP4 EPSPS protein. CP4 EPSPS does not pose any important allergen concerns because this protein does not possess characteristics typical of allergenic proteins. These data, in combination with seed compositional analysis and animal feeding studies, support the conclusion that glyphosate-tolerant soybean are as safe and nutritious as traditional soybeans currently being marketed.

Phenamide, a fungicidal metabolite from Streptomyces albospinus A19301. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, physico-chemical and biological properties.

A new derivative of phenylalanine, phenamide, was discovered from the fermentation broth of an actinomycete identified as a member of the Streptomyces albospinus cluster. Phenamide was purified using successive C18 reverse phase and cation exchange chromatography. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Its molecular formula, C14H20N2O3, was determined by HRFAB-MS. Phenamide showed activity against Septoria nodorum, the causal agent of wheat glume blotch.