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Nicotine has two effects on reinforcement in traditional self-administration paradigms. It serves as a primary reinforcer by increasing the probability of behaviors that result in nicotine delivery. However, nicotine also potently enhances behaviors that result in the delivery of nonpharmacological reinforcers. The present study sought to dissociate these two effects of nicotine on reinforcement. For one group of rats (2 lever), a nonpharmacological reinforcer [visual stimulus (VS)] was available for pressing one lever. Nicotine infusions were available for pressing a different lever. A second group (NIC + VS) received more traditional self-administration training; both the VS and nicotine were delivered for pressing a single active lever. Control groups received either nicotine infusions (NIC only) or VS presentations (VS only) for pressing the active lever. Nicotine alone was a weak reinforcer; the VS alone was slightly more reinforcing than nicotine. When these two reinforcers were combined (NIC + VS), response rates were synergistically increased. For the 2-lever group, responding on the nicotine lever was weak, matching the response rates of rats receiving nicotine alone. However, responding on the VS lever was potently enhanced in this group; equaling the response rates for rats receiving both reinforcers for making a single response (NIC + VS). These data indicate that the reinforcement-enhancing effects of nicotine are very potent even when only moderate quantities of the drug are self-administered. Moreover, they provide the first demonstration that the reinforcement-enhancing and primary reinforcing effects of nicotine can be dissociated behaviorally.

The rapid growth in microplastic pollution research is influencing funding priorities, environmental policy, and public perceptions of risks to water quality and environmental and human health. Ensuring that environmental microplastics research data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) is essential to inform policy and mitigation strategies. We present a bibliographic analysis of data sharing practices in the environmental microplastics research community, highlighting the state of openness of microplastics data. A stratified (by year) random subset of 785 of 6,608 microplastics articles indexed in Web of Science indicates that, since 2006, less than a third (28.5%) contained a data sharing statement. These statements further show that most often, the data were provided in the articles’ supplementary material (38.8%) and only 13.8% via a data repository. Of the 279 microplastics datasets found in online data repositories, 20.4% presented only metadata with access to the data requiring additional approval. Although increasing, the rate of microplastic data sharing still lags behind that of publication of peer-reviewed articles on environmental microplastics. About a quarter of the repository data originated from North America (12.8%) and Europe (13.4%). Marine and estuarine environments are the most frequently sampled systems (26.2%); sediments (18.8%) and water (15.3%) are the predominant media. Of the available datasets accessible, 15.4% and 18.2% do not have adequate metadata to determine the sampling location and media type, respectively. We discuss five recommendations to strengthen data sharing practices in the environmental microplastic research community.

In September 2013, the FDA released a draft revision of the Bioanalytical Method Validation (BMV) Guidance, which included a number of changes to the expectations for bioanalysis, most notably the inclusion of biomarker assays and data. To provide a forum for an open, inclusive discussion of the revised draft BMV Guidance, the AAPS and FDA once again collaborated to convene a two-and-a-half day workshop during early December 2013 in Baltimore, MD, USA. The resulting format embodied extensive open discussion and each thematic session included only brief, concise descriptions by Agency and industry representatives prior to opening the floor discussion. The Workshop was built around four thematic sessions (Common Topics, Chromatographic, Ligand-Binding Assays, and Biomarkers) and a final session with international regulators, concluding with a review of the outcomes and recommendations from the thematic sessions. This Workshop report summarizes the outcomes and includes topics of agreement, those where the FDA will consider the Industry’s perspective, and those where the workshop provided a first open dialogue. This article will be available to the bioanalytical community at http://www.aaps.org/BMV13.

BackgroundHoloprosencephaly (HPE), the most common malformation of the human forebrain, may be due to mutations in genes associated with non-syndromic HPE. Mutations in ZIC2, located on chromosome 13q32, are a common cause of non-syndromic, non-chromosomal HPE.ObjectiveTo characterise genetic and clinical findings in patients with ZIC2 mutations.MethodsThrough the National Institutes of Health and collaborating centres, DNA from approximately 1200 individuals with HPE spectrum disorders was analysed for sequence variations in ZIC2. Clinical details were examined and all other known cases of mutations in ZIC2 were included through a literature search.ResultsBy direct sequencing of DNA samples of an unselected group of unrelated patients with HPE in our NIH laboratory, ZIC2 mutations were found in 8.4% (49/582) of probands. A total of 157 individuals from 119 unrelated kindreds are described, including 141 patients with intragenic sequence determined mutations in ZIC2. Only 39/157 patients have previously been clinically described. Unlike HPE due to mutations in other genes, most mutations occur de novo and the distribution of HPE types differs significantly from that of non-ZIC2 related HPE. Evidence is presented for the presence of a novel facial phenotype which includes bitemporal narrowing, upslanting palpebral fissures, a short nose with anteverted nares, a broad and well demarcated philtrum, and large ears.ConclusionsHPE due to ZIC2 mutations is distinct from that due to mutations in other genes. This may shed light on the mechanisms involved in formation of the forebrain and face and will help direct genetic counselling and diagnostic strategies.

The rapid growth in microplastic pollution research is influencing funding priorities, environmental policy, and public perceptions of risks to water quality and environmental and human health. Ensuring that environmental microplastics research data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) is essential to inform policy and mitigation strategies. We present a bibliographic analysis of data sharing practices in the environmental microplastics research community, highlighting the state of openness of microplastics data. A stratified (by year) random subset of 785 of 6,608 microplastics articles indexed in Web of Science indicates that, since 2006, less than a third (28.5%) contained a data sharing statement. These statements further show that most often, the data were provided in the articles’ supplementary material (38.8%) and only 13.8% via a data repository. Of the 279 microplastics datasets found in online data repositories, 20.4% presented only metadata with access to the data requiring additional approval. Although increasing, the rate of microplastic data sharing still lags behind that of publication of peer-reviewed articles on environmental microplastics. About a quarter of the repository data originated from North America (12.8%) and Europe (13.4%). Marine and estuarine environments are the most frequently sampled systems (26.2%); sediments (18.8%) and water (15.3%) are the predominant media. Of the available datasets accessible, 15.4% and 18.2% do not have adequate metadata to determine the sampling location and media type, respectively. We discuss five recommendations to strengthen data sharing practices in the environmental microplastic research community.

The rapid growth in microplastic pollution research is influencing funding priorities, environmental policy, and public perceptions of risks to water quality and environmental and human health. Ensuring that environmental microplastics research data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) is essential to inform policy and mitigation strategies. We present a bibliographic analysis of data sharing practices in the environmental microplastics research community, highlighting the state of openness of microplastics data. A stratified (by year) random subset of 785 of 6,608 microplastics articles indexed in Web of Science indicates that, since 2006, less than a third (28.5%) contained a data sharing statement. These statements further show that most often, the data were provided in the articles’ supplementary material (38.8%) and only 13.8% via a data repository. Of the 279 microplastics datasets found in online data repositories, 20.4% presented only metadata with access to the data requiring additional approval. Although increasing, the rate of microplastic data sharing still lags behind that of publication of peer-reviewed articles on environmental microplastics. About a quarter of the repository data originated from North America (12.8%) and Europe (13.4%). Marine and estuarine environments are the most frequently sampled systems (26.2%); sediments (18.8%) and water (15.3%) are the predominant media. Of the available datasets accessible, 15.4% and 18.2% do not have adequate metadata to determine the sampling location and media type, respectively. We discuss five recommendations to strengthen data sharing practices in the environmental microplastic research community.

A novel format was introduced at the recent AAPS NBC Workshop on Method Development, Validation and Troubleshooting in San Diego on 18th May 2014. The workshop format was initiated by Binodh De Silva; Marie Rock and Sherri Dudal joined the initiative to develop and chair the workshop. Questions were solicited by a variety of avenues, including a Linked-In Discussion Group. Once collated and clarified, the topics covered assay development, validation, and analysis of PK, Immunogenicity, and Biomarkers with an additional topic on alternative bioanalytical technologies. A panel of experts (workshop report co-authors) was assigned to each topic to bring forward thought-provoking aspects of each topic. The format of the workshop was developed to target the needs of bioanalytical scientists with intermediate to advanced experience in the field ranging to enable robust discussion and to delve deeper into the current bioanalytical hot topics. While the new format allowed for an interactive session with the topical discussion driven by the audience members, it did not foster equal discussion time for all of the proposed topics, especially Biomarkers and alternative LBA technologies.

Recruitment of faculty members in academic departments shapes the department for decades in both research and teaching arenas. Having a diverse department is beneficial for undergraduate and graduate students as representation of underrepresented minority groups in the professoriate can inspire a greater diversity of students to pursue higher levels of education or research-focused careers. Increased diversity benefits research directly as diverse teams have been shown to have better ideas and outcomes. In 2020, our department had lower gender diversity than would be expected based on the pool of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows in Canada. Therefore, we altered our hiring process, primarily by redacting applications, for recruitment into entry-level tenure-track faculty positions. With this change in process, female hires increased from 17% in the previous ten years (5 hires) to 80% in the subsequent four years (5 hires) with no substantial change in hiring of racially diverse individuals (50% to 40%). Overall, combined with retirements, the percentage of female faculty in the department went from 25% to 50% and the percentage of racialized faculty went from 38% to 44%. The new hires have met or exceeded expectations of success with respect to grant funding and are on track to meet or exceed expectations for other metrics of success. Thus, our intervention was very successful in increasing the diversity of our department within a short timeframe. We believe that our experience could provide other departments with a template for making substantive change, even in the absence of internal expertise in the area.