Nutrition and genetics in NAFLD : The perfect binomium

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a global healthcare burden since it is epidemiologically related to obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). It embraces a wide spectrum of hepatic injuries, which include simple steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The susceptibility to develop NAFLD is highly variable and it is influenced by several cues including environmental (i.e., dietary habits and physical activity) and inherited (i.e., genetic/epigenetic) risk factors. Nonetheless, even intestinal microbiota and its by-products play a crucial role in NAFLD pathophysiology. The interaction of dietary exposure with the genome is referred to as \u2018nutritional genomics,\u2019 which encompasses both \u2018nutrigenetics\u2019 and \u2018nutriepigenomics.\u2019 It is focused on revealing the biological mechanisms that entail both the acute and persistent genome-nutrient interactions that influence health and it may represent a promising field of study to improve both clinical and health nutrition practices. Thus, the premise of this review is to discuss the relevance of personalized nutritional advices as a novel therapeutic approach in NAFLD tailored management

Augmentation of endogenous neurosteroid synthesis alters experimental status epilepticus dynamics

Neurosteroids can modulate γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor-mediated inhibitory currents. Recently, we discovered that the neurosteroids progesterone, 5α-dihydroprogesterone, allopregnanolone, and pregnanolone are reduced in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with status epilepticus (SE). However, it is undetermined whether neurosteroids influence SE. For this reason, first we evaluated whether the inhibitor of adrenocortical steroid production trilostane (50 mg/kg) could modify the levels of neurosteroids in the hippocampus and neocortex, and we found a remarkable increase in pregnenolone, progesterone, 5α-dihydroprogesterone, and allopregnanolone levels using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Second, we characterized the dynamics of SE in the presence of the varied neurosteroidal milieu by a single intraperitoneal kainic acid (KA; 15 mg/kg) injection in trilostane-treated rats and their controls. Convulsions started in advance in the trilostane group, already appearing 90 minutes after the KA injection. In contrast to controls, convulsions prevalently developed as generalized seizures with loss of posture in the trilostane group. However, this effect was transient, and convulsions waned 2 hours before the control group. Moreover, electrocorticographic traces of convulsions were shorter in trilostane-treated rats, especially at the 180-minute (P < .001) and 210-minute (P < .01) time points. These findings indicate that endogenous neurosteroids remarkably modulate SE dynamics

Guest or pest? Spatio-temporal occurrence and effects on soil and vegetation of the wild boar on the Elba island

In areas where allochthonous large mammals, such as the wild boars (Sus scrofa), occur in high density, human-wildlife conflicts may arise. In these contexts, assessing spatio-temporal patterns of the introduced population is paramount to its management. Here, we studied wild boars in the Elba island, Italy, where they have been introduced and are perceived as pests. While crop-raiding has been documented, no studies addressed the spatio-temporal occurrence, nor the impact of foraging on natural habitat. We surveyed the Western part of the island with three camera trapping surveys within one year. We found that the species' estimated occupancy probability was higher in summer-autumn (0.75±0.14) and winter-early spring (0.70±0.10) than in late spring-summer (0.53±0.15), whereas detection probability did not vary. Occupancy was significantly associated with elevation and vegetation cover, with preference for lower elevation and woodland. The lower site use of wild boars during spring-summer might reflect lower food availability in this season, and/or movements towards landfarms outside the sampled area. Detectability increased with proximity to roads during spring-summer and decreased with humans' relative abundance in the other periods. Moreover, boars were mainly nocturnal, with an overlap with human activity that decreased when human presence was higher. Combined, these suggest behavioural avoidance of human disturbance by boars. We also evaluated the impact of boars' foraging on the soil and vegetation and found that it was higher in pine plantations than other covers, however, it was not associated with variation in boars' occupancy across habitats. Our results indicate that the spatio-temporal activity of wild boars on Elba island appears driven by seasonal preferences for food-rich cover and avoidance of human disturbance. The lowered site use in months with lower resources could partially reflect increased proximity to settled and farmed areas, which may, in turn, trigger crop-raiding and hence the negative perception by residents

Stratigraphic framework of the late Miocene Pisco Formation at Cerro Los Quesos (Ica Desert, Peru)

The enormous concentration of marine vertebrates documented within the Pisco Formation is unique for Peru and South America and places this unit among the prime fossil Lagerstätten for Miocene to Pliocene marine mammals worldwide. In order to provide a robust stratigraphic framework for the fossil-bearing locality of Cerro Los Quesos, this study presents a 1:10,000 scale geological map covering an area of about 21 km2, a detailed measured section spanning 290 m of strata, and a refined chronostratigraphy for the studied succession well constrained by diatom biostratigraphy and high-resolution 40Ar/39Ar isotopic dating of three interbedded ash layers. Within the apparently monotonous, diatomite-dominated sedimentary section, the Pisco Formation has been subdivided into six local members, with stratigraphic control over the different outcrops facilitated by the establishment of a detailed marker bed stratigraphy based on fifteen readily distinguishable sediment layers of different nature