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Neurotrophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), are known to play a crucial role in growth, differentiation and function in a variety of brain neurons during development and in adult life. We have recently shown that environmental changes, aggressive behavior and anxiety-like responses alter both circulating and brain basal NGF levels. In the present review, we present data obtained using animal models which suggest that neurotrophic factors, particularly NGF and BDNF, might be implicated in mechanism(s) leading to a condition associated with schizophrenic-like behaviors. The hypothesis that neurotrophins of the NGF family can be implicated in some maldevelopmental aspects of schizophrenia is supported by findings indicating that the constitutive levels of NGF and BDNF are affected in schizophrenic patients.

Neurotrophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), are known to play a crucial role in growth, differentiation and function in a variety of brain neurons during development and in adult life. We have recently shown that environmental changes, aggressive behavior and anxiety-like responses alter both circulating and brain basal NGF levels. In the present review, we present data obtained using animal models which suggest that neurotrophic factors, particularly NGF and BDNF, might be implicated in mechanism(s) leading to a condition associated with schizophrenic-like behaviors. The hypothesis that neurotrophins of the NGF family can be implicated in some maldevelopmental aspects of schizophrenia is supported by findings indicating that the constitutive levels of NGF and BDNF are affected in schizophrenic patients.

Moderate doses of alcohol will have detrimental effects on memory functions used in various aspects of human interaction with information technology. The need to deal with multidigit numbers while under alcohol intoxication (e.g., making telephone calls) is a reality of life. To determine these relations, the effects of alcohol on immediate ordered recall were studied in a practical number-dialing task.Immediate ordered recall of eight-digit numbers, presented visually or auditorily, was tested in read-and-dial or listen-and-dial forced ordered recall tasks with male subjects (N = 11) under two levels of blood alcohol concentration (BrAC = 0.05% and BrAC = 0.1%) and a no-alcohol placebo control condition (BrAC = 0.0%).With increasing alcohol level, immediate ordered recall of whole numbers (all eight digits correct and in the right order) fell by 9% (visual presentation) and 15% (auditory presentation). No significant interaction effect between alcohol level and digit position in the number was found for visually presented numbers, while a weak, but significant, effect was found for auditorily presented numbers (most prominent at digit positions 5, 6 and 7). This is probably due to the difference in rehearsal opportunities in the two presentation modes. No significant interaction effects between alcohol level and presentation modality were found.The results, tailored to a practical everyday task of dialing unfamiliar eight-digit telephone numbers, show that even moderate doses of alcohol will affect the performance of an already fragile short-term memory system engaged whenever reproduction of digit strings is required.

Moderate doses of alcohol will have detrimental effects on memory functions used in various aspects of human interaction with information technology. The need to deal with multidigit numbers while under alcohol intoxication (e.g., making telephone calls) is a reality of life. To determine these relations, the effects of alcohol on immediate ordered recall were studied in a practical number-dialing task.Immediate ordered recall of eight-digit numbers, presented visually or auditorily, was tested in read-and-dial or listen-and-dial forced ordered recall tasks with male subjects (N = 11) under two levels of blood alcohol concentration (BrAC = 0.05% and BrAC = 0.1%) and a no-alcohol placebo control condition (BrAC = 0.0%).With increasing alcohol level, immediate ordered recall of whole numbers (all eight digits correct and in the right order) fell by 9% (visual presentation) and 15% (auditory presentation). No significant interaction effect between alcohol level and digit position in the number was found for visually presented numbers, while a weak, but significant, effect was found for auditorily presented numbers (most prominent at digit positions 5, 6 and 7). This is probably due to the difference in rehearsal opportunities in the two presentation modes. No significant interaction effects between alcohol level and presentation modality were found.The results, tailored to a practical everyday task of dialing unfamiliar eight-digit telephone numbers, show that even moderate doses of alcohol will affect the performance of an already fragile short-term memory system engaged whenever reproduction of digit strings is required.

A study of the production of prompt J/ψ mesons contained in jets in proton-proton collisions at s=8TeV is presented. The analysis is based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.1 fb−1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC. For events with at least one observed jet, the angular separation between the J/ψ meson and the jet is used to test whether the J/ψ meson is part of the jet. The analysis shows that most prompt J/ψ mesons having energy above 15 GeV and rapidity |y|<1 are contained in jets with pseudorapidity |ηjet|<1. The differential distributions of the probability to have a J/ψ meson contained in a jet as a function of jet energy for a fixed J/ψ energy fraction are compared to a theoretical model using the fragmenting jet function approach. The data agree best with fragmenting jet function calculations that use a long-distance matrix element parameter set in which prompt J/ψ mesons are predicted to be unpolarized. This technique demonstrates a new way to test predictions for prompt J/ψ production using nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics. Physics Letters B, 804 ISSN:0370-2693 ISSN:0031-9163 ISSN:1873-2445