Alexander Bain's Mind and Body (1872): An underappreciated contribution to early neuropsychology.

Alexander Bain (1818-1903) is well known for his two influential textbooks, The senses and the intellect (1855) and The emotions and the will (1859). In comparison, Bain's Mind and body: The theories of their relation (1872) has been of limited interest to historians, and it is here where he presents one of the first neural network models. This paper addresses the historical foundations of Bain's neural network model and explores some of his primary influences. Additionally, this study addresses some of the reasons Bain's Mind and Body did not receive the historical notice his earlier works garnered.

Xenopus laevis RIC-3 enhances the functional expression of the C. elegans homomeric nicotinic receptor, ACR-16, in Xenopus oocytes.

RIC-3 enhances the functional expression of certain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in vertebrates and invertebrates and increases the availability of functional receptors in cultured cells and Xenopus laevis oocytes. Maximal activity of RIC-3 may be cell-type dependent, so neither mammalian nor invertebrate proteins is optimal in amphibian oocytes. We cloned the X. laevis ric-3 cDNA and tested the frog protein in oocyte expression studies. X. laevis RIC-3 shares 52% amino acid identity with human RIC-3 and only 17% with that of Caenorhabditis elegans. We used the C. elegans nicotinic receptor, ACR-16, to compare the ability of RIC-3 from three species to enhance receptor expression. In the absence of RIC-3, the proportion of oocytes expressing detectable nAChRs was greatly reduced. Varying the ratio of acr-16 to X. laevis ric-3 cRNAs injected into oocytes had little impact on the total cell current. When X. laevis, human or C. elegans ric-3 cRNAs were co-injected with acr-16 cRNA (1 : 1 ratio), 100 µM acetylcholine induced larger currents in oocytes expressing X. laevis RIC-3 compared with its orthologues. This provides further evidence for a species-specific component of RIC-3 activity, and suggests that X. laevis RIC-3 is useful for enhancing the expression of invertebrate nAChRs in X. laevis oocytes.

Candidate anthelmintic resistance-associated gene expression and sequence polymorphisms in a triple-resistant field isolate of Haemonchus contortus.

An isolate of Haemonchus contortus, UGA/2004, highly resistant to benzimidazoles, levamisole, and ivermectin was isolated from sheep at the University of Georgia, and passaged through experimentally infected goats. We measured the expression of twenty-nine mRNAs encoding drug targets and P-glycoproteins (P-gps), comparing the results to a fully susceptible laboratory passaged isolate. Expression levels of some nicotinic acetylcholine receptor mRNAs were markedly different in UGA/2004. Levels of the Hco-acr-8b mRNA, encoding a truncated subunit, were very high in resistant L3, but undetectable in susceptible larvae, with expression of the full-length Hco-acr-8a mRNA also significant increased. Expression of Hco-unc-63 and Hco-unc-29.3 mRNAs was significantly reduced in the resistant larvae. Expression of the Hco-glc-3 and Hco-glc-5 mRNAs, encoding glutamate-gated chloride channel subunits, were slightly reduced in resistant larvae. We observed significant increases in the expression of the Hco-pgp-2 and Hco-pgp-9 mRNAs in the UGA/2004 larvae, consistent with previous reports; we also saw a decrease in the levels of Hco-pgp-1 mRNA. Treatment of the larvae with ivermectin and moxidectin in vitro produced variable and inconsistent changes in P-gp mRNA levels. The sequences of the ß-tubulin isotype 1 mRNAs showed that the resistant larvae had a resistance-associated allele frequency of >95% at codon 200 and ∼40% and codon 167. No changes at codon 198 were present. The presence of the truncated acr-8b mRNA may be a reliable indicator of levamisole resistance, but complex changes in gene expression associated with macrocyclic lactone resistance make the identification of a single genetic marker for this resistance difficult.

A new homogeneous assay for high throughput serological diagnosis of brucellosis in ruminants.

The control and eradication of brucellosis is highly desirable but heavily resource intensive as high throughput serological testing is required. The aim of this study was to meet the needs of high throughput screening laboratories involved in this process through the development of a new assay. An existing cELISA used for the serodiagnosis of brucellosis in ruminants was converted to an AlphaLISA homogenous proximity based assay. This assay requires no separation steps and can be performed in low volume microtitre format. The Brucella AlphaLISA was validated on a panel of bovine, ovine and caprine sera from infected and uninfected animals. The diagnostic sensitivities (>96%) and specificities (>98%) obtained compared well to those from cELISA, iELISA and FPA performed on the same samples. The AlphaLISA met the testing criteria set for ELISAs as defined by the OIEELISA standards and had an analytical sensitivity similar to that of the parent cELISA. The method was also used on a small panel of serum samples from cattle that were experimentally infected with Yersinia enterocolitica O:9. Some false positive reactions were obtained as was also the case with results from FPA, iELISA, cELISA, CFT and SAT. Despite this, the methodological advantages of the AlphaLISA mean that this assay is well suited to high throughput serodiagnosis. This report is the first description of the use of AlphaLISA to detect pathogen specific antibodies. Furthermore, the relative ease with which the cELISA was converted to this platform indicates that this technology is ready to meet the high throughput testing requirements for the diagnosis of many other diseases.

Low vision service models in Alberta: innovation, collaboration, and future opportunities.

As Alberta's population ages over the next 20 years, the number of older adults experiencing age-related blindness or vision loss is likely to at least double. To prevent a crisis in low vision service provision, we need to build upon, and extend, existing partnerships between the CNIB and ophthalmologists, optometrists, government policy makers, and other service providers. Future service models for low vision rehabilitation should also emphasize interventions such as counselling and peer support that enhance quality of life. With thoughtful planning, adequate funding, and involvement of all stakeholders, Alberta has the potential to become a world leader in the field of low vision treatment and rehabilitation.