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Prenatal stress can alter the serotonin (5-HT) system in the developing and adult brain and lead to mood and behavioral disorders in children and adults. The chicken provides a unique animal model to study the effects of embryonic stressors on childhood and adolescent behavior. Manipulations to the egg can be made in the absence of confounding maternal effects from treatment. Eggs were injected with 50 μL of excess 5-HT (10 μg/egg), 8-OH-DPAT (a 5-HT1A receptor agonist; 16 μg/egg), or saline on day 0 prior to the 21 days incubation. Injections were performed at 0.5 cm below the shell. Behavior was analyzed at 9 weeks of age and again at the onset of sexual maturity (18 weeks). Hens treated with excess embryonic 5-HT exhibited significantly less aggressive behaviors at 9 weeks of age compared to both 5-HT1A agonist treated and saline hens ( P < 0.05), and at 18 weeks of age compared to saline control birds only ( P < 0.05). Excess embryonic 5-HT also increased fearfulness response ( P < 0.05) as tested by duration of tonic immobility. Increased degree of fluctuating asymmetry at 18 weeks in 5-HT-treated birds ( P < 0.05) suggests that excess 5-HT in early embryonic stages may create a developmental instability, causing phenotypic variations. These results showed that modification of the serotonergic system during early embryonic development alters its functions in mediating aggressive and fearful or anxious behaviors. Prenatal modification of the serotonergic system has long lived implications on both physiology and behavior, especially aggressive and fearful behaviors. Aggr. Behav. 39:91-98, 2013. Published in 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the magnetic field on the magnetic properties of NiFe/Cu composite wires electroplated under a longitudinal magnetic controlling field is presented. Composite wire samples of 20-μm-diameter Cu electroplated with a layer of Permalloy™ (Ni[sub 80]Fe[sub 20]) under the influence of a longitudinal magnetic field of intensities ranging from 0 to 400 Oe were produced, and the microstructure and magnetic properties were measured. The results showed that the longitudinal magnetic field in the composite wire plating makes the packing of the crystals in the plated layer more orderly, and thus increases the uniformity and magnetic softness of the plated material. It also shifts the magnetic anisotropy of the plated layer from circumferential to longitudinal, and increases the critical frequency of the plated composite wire in magnetoimpedance effect testing, at which the magnetoimpedance ratio reaches the maximum. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To describe the acute and late ocular manifestations and complications in toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN) and Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS), and identify predictors for development of late complications. Methods: Cases of TEN and SJS during a 9-year period were included. Patients with ocular involvement were reviewed for acute ocular complications. Patients with a minimum 6 months follow-up were reviewed for late complications. Records were reviewed for their demographics, etiology, and severity of ocular involvement. Results: There were 117 patients with a mean age of 52.2 ± 18.6 years. Eighty-one of these (69%) had acute ocular involvement. This was mild in 40%, moderate in 25% and severe in 4%. Adverse drug reactions were the predominant cause. Patients with thrombocytopenia had more severe acute ocular involvement. Forty-four patients had a minimum 6 months of follow-up and half developed late complications. Severe dry eyes and trichiatic lashes were the commonest late complications. Patients treated with topical antibiotic were more likely to have late complications, particularly dry eyes. There was no difference in the severity of acute eye involvement or late complications when SJS and TEN patients were compared. The severity of the acute ocular disease and abnormal laboratory tests were not found to be the significant risk factors of late complications. Conclusions: Ocular involvement is common in SJS and TEN and can be severe and blinding. The severity of acute ocular complications does not predict late complications. The diagnosis of TEN does not imply a more severe ocular involvement or increased frequency of late ocular complications compared with SJS. Care should be taken even in mild cases. Appropriate intervention during acute ocular disease may prevent late complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo compare acute ocular complications of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) following treatment with high-dose human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) with a historical cohort not treated with IVIG.MethodsRetrospective, historically controlled study. In all, 10 consecutive patients with TEN (treatment cohort) presenting between 1 July 2001 and 30 June 2002. Totally, 18 consecutive patients with TEN (historical cohort).SettingTan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. The treatment cohort received high-dose IVIG (2 g/kg body weight over 2 days). Patients' records were retrospectively reviewed for their demographic characteristics, causative drug, treatment, ocular involvement (if any, as assessed by an ophthamologist), and its severity. The historical cohort comprised patients coded with a diagnosis of TEN (ICD Code 695.1) between 1 July 1995 and 30 June 2001.ResultsNine (90%) of 10 patients treated with IVIG had ocular involvement. Phenytoin was the implicated drug in three (37.5%) patients. Of the nine patients, 1 died of septic shock. Of the eight survivors, IVIG was initiated immediately upon onset of TEN as all the patients were hospitalized by the time of onset of an exanthema. Acute ocular complications were mild in two (25%) (lid oedema or mild conjunctival injection), moderate in four (50%) (pseudomembranes) and severe in two (25%) (nonhealing epithelial defect with visual loss and symblepharon). In total, 10 (55.6%) of 18 patients in the historical cohort with TEN had acute ocular involvement. Two patients died. Ocular involvement in survivors was mild in five (62.5%) cases and moderate in three (37.5%), with no severe cases.ConclusionsIVIG did not appear to reduce the severity of visually significant ocular complications. Larger studies are needed to confirm this finding.Eye (2005) 19, 846–853. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6701653; published online, 24 September 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the knowledge and willingness of Singapore adults towards corneal donation: Methods: The study population consists of a cluster random sample of the population living in Bedok North (an area in the eastern part of Singapore). the study population comprised residents aged 21-65 years living in 675 randomly sampled housing units. The participation rate was 65.9% (544/825). all participants were interviewed face to face with a questionnaire formulated according to the modified Horton and Horton model. Knowledge, values, attitudes, and spiritual beliefs of participants were assessed to evaluated their willingness to donate their corneas. Results: 67.0% of participants were willing to donate their corneas. Ethinicity (Chinese) and religion (Christians, Hindus, or those with no religion) were associated with increased willingness to donate corneas. Greater knowledge and increased altruistic values were also associated with increased willingness to donate corneas. Conclusion: A proportion of participants were willing to donate their corneas, Awareness of corneal donation is high but specific knowledge should be further increased among adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene; it is characterized by a high concentration of LDL, which frequently gives rise to tendon xanthomas and premature coronary artery disease (CAD). Individuals with heterozygous FH in China often exhibit a milder phenotype than those in other countries. The diagnosis of heterozygous FH relies on the clinical phenotype and this does not always permit unequivocal diagnosis of the disease. In the course of investigation of FH in a Chinese population sample, we found a family whose proband showed a markedly raised concentration of LDL cholesterol in plasma, and the presence of skin and tendon xanthomata. We used single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis to screen all the 18 exons and the exon-intron boundaries of the LDLR gene. One novel homozygous mutation, replacing T by C at nucleotide 850 in exon 6 was identified. This change substituted cysteine for arginine at codon 263 (C263R) of the LDLR. By means of mutant allele-specific amplification, we unequivocally diagnosed six heterozygotes with this novel mutation in the proband's family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]