Neoglacial lake-ecosystem changes above and below the subarctic Fennoscandian treeline inferred from changes in diatom functional groups

Algal communities act as sensitive indicators of past and present climate effects on northern lakes, but their responses can vary considerably between ecosystems. Functional trait-based approaches may help us better understand the nature of the diverse biotic responses and their underlying ecosystem changes. We explored patterns in diatom (Bacillariophyceae) growth forms and species composition during the Neoglacial in two shallow lakes typical of subarctic regions, including a dark-colored woodland lake and a clear tundra lake. Sediment carbon and nitrogen elemental and isotope biogeochemistry and spectral indices were used to track broadscale changes in lake productivity, the inflow of organic carbon from land, and benthic substratum over the past three millennia. The biogeochemical indices tracked declines in land-lake connectivity as well as lake-water and sediment organic enrichment above and below the subarctic treeline driven by Neoglacial cooling. This broadscale environmental transition was intercepted by periods of elevated primary production associated with transient Neoglacial warm anomalies and, in particular, the twentieth century warming. Although the Neoglacial development of the lakes showed conspicuous similarities, diatom functional and taxonomic responses were not uniform between the lakes pointing to intrinsic differences in the development of benthic habitats and underwater-light regimes. Many of the observed biotic shifts aligned with expectations based on earlier research linking diatom functional traits to changing light and organic levels but the results also point to further research needs, particularly to better differentiate the individual and interactive effects of substratum and light. Despite distinct anthropogenic imprints in the biogeochemical record, the scale of human impact on the lakes' biota has not, as yet, been profound, but the changes are nonetheless clear when compared to the previous three millennia of natural lake development.Peer reviewe

Familial aggregation of MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery scores in a large sample of outpatients with schizophrenia and their unaffected relatives

Background The increased use of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) to investigate cognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia fostered interest in its sensitivity in the context of family studies. As various measures of the same cognitive domains may have different power to distinguish between unaffected relatives of patients and controls, the relative sensitivity of MCCB tests for relative-control differences has to be established. We compared MCCB scores of 852 outpatients with schizophrenia (SCZ) with those of 342 unaffected relatives (REL) and a normative Italian sample of 774 healthy subjects (HCS). We examined familial aggregation of cognitive impairment by investigating within-family prediction of MCCB scores based on probands' scores.Methods Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze group differences in adjusted MCCB scores. Weighted least-squares analysis was used to investigate whether probands' MCCB scores predicted REL neurocognitive performance.Results SCZ were significantly impaired on all MCCB domains. REL had intermediate scores between SCZ and HCS, showing a similar pattern of impairment, except for social cognition. Proband's scores significantly predicted REL MCCB scores on all domains except for visual learning.Conclusions In a large sample of stable patients with schizophrenia, living in the community, and in their unaffected relatives, MCCB demonstrated sensitivity to cognitive deficits in both groups. Our findings of significant within-family prediction of MCCB scores might reflect disease-related genetic or environmental factors

Solar signals in diatom (Bacillariophyceae) species and trait distribution in two mountain lakes

Liuennut orgaaninen hiili ja jääpeite kontrolloivat vedenalaisia valaistusolosuhteita herkissä vuoristojärvissä. Järven hiilipooleihin vaikuttavat paikalliset, alueelliset ja globaalit tekijät, jotka linkittyvät ilmastonmuutokseen ja muihin ihmistoiminnan seurauksena aiheutuneisiin häiriöihin kuten ilmaperäiseen laskeumaan. Tämän työn tarkoituksena oli selvittää vedenalaisten valaistusolosuhteitten muutoksia viimeisen ~200 vuoden aikana kahdessa oligotrofisessa vuoristojärvessä ja muutosten vaikutuksia piilevien ekologisiin kiltoihin. Tämän selvittämiseksi piileväyhteisöt ja ekologiset killat analysoitiin järvien sedimenttinäytesarjoista ja järvien litoraalivyöhykkeen habitaattinäytteistä syvyysgradientilta. Lisäksi sedimenttinäytesarjoista analysoitiin klorofylli a (CHLa, chlorophyll a) ja järven veden kokonaishiili (TOC, total organic carbon) tutkitulta ajanjaksolta kuvaamaan perustuotannon ja kokonaishiilen määrää järvivedessä. Saadut tulokset osoittivat happamoitumisen ja sekä ilmastonmuutokseen liittyvien tekijöiden muokanneen järvien ekologiaa. Järviveden kokonaishiilen määrä laski ja kohosi happamoitumisen sekä sitä seuraavan pH -tason palautumisen myötä vaikuttaen todennäköisesti vedenalaisiin valaistusolosuhteisiin. Valaistusolosuhteitten muutos ei kuitenkaan ollut yksiselitteisesti liitettävissä havaittuihin piilevien funktionaalisten ryhmien muutoksiin. Ilmastonmuutos selittää todennäköisesti osin piilevälajiston monimuotoistumista, mutta järvien kokonaistuotannossa ei havaittu merkittäviä muutoksia lämpenemisen myötä. Vaikka tutkimuksen tuloksena vedenalaisten valaistusolosuhteitten roolia piilevä yhteisöjä ja funktionaalisia ryhmiä muokkaavana tekijänä ei pystytty tarkoin erittelemään, tulokset osoittavat ihmistoiminnan muokanneen biologisten yhteisöjen kehitystä tutkituissa etäisissä vuoristojärvissä.Underwater light climate in mountain lakes is controlled by dissolved organic carbon concentrations and by lake ice regimes. Both are affected by local, regional and global variables linked to anthropogenic disturbances such as climate change and atmospheric pollution. Aim of this work was to investigate changes in underwater light climate over the past ~200 years in two oligotrophic mountain lakes and how it reflects on diatom (Bacillariophyceae) guild distribution. For these aims, diatom communities and ecological guilds were analyzed from sediment core and contemporary habitat samples along a depth gradient. In addition, sediment inferred chlorophyll a (CHLa) and lake water total organic carbon (TOC) were analyzed to detect development of primary production and lake water carbon content. Results showed that acidification of the lakes together with climate induced changes have been important drivers of the ecology of the lakes. Lake water TOC showed a decline and subsequent increase in line with the acidification and subsequent recovery of the lakes, likely affecting underwater light climate in the lakes. However, this did not reflect unambiguously into changes in diatom functionality. Warming has likely contributed to diversification of the diatom community over the study period while no distinct increases were observed in whole lake primary production. Overall, if the present study could not distinguish the exact role of underwater light in driving changes in diatom communities and functional traits, the result show that human pressures have left distinct imprints in the development of biotic communities in these remote mountain lakes

Impacts of anthropogenic pressures on underwater light conditions and diatom functional group distributions in mountain lakes

underwater light availability and exposure of ultraviolet radiation (UV) in mountain lakes is mainly controlled by dissolved organic matter and ice-cover. However, both of these factors are affected by climate warming and other anthropogenic pressures. Still, little is known of the impacts of long-term fluctuations in underwater light conditions onto functional distribution of diatoms, species sensitive to changes in climate and UV penetration in mountain lakes. Two mountain lakes in the Italian Alps were analysed using paleolimnological approaches to investigate impacts of anthropogenic pressures (e.g., climate warming, acidification) on underwater light availability, exposure to UV and diatom functional group distributions, focusing on the post-industrial era. Contemporary diatom communities were collected from the main habitats in the shallow, high-irradiance littoral zones of these lakes and geochemical proxies describing the development of lake-water transparency and carbon dynamics were analyzed from the Sediment cores covering the time period from ca. 1400 CE to present. The geochemical data indicate that cultural acidification decreased lake-water organic carbon concentrations in both lakes, which suggests increased light availability and UV exposure during the past century. The responses of the studied lakes to anthropogenic pressures varied, as the lake situated at a lower altitude with a larger catchment showed only a few biotic changes indicating higher resilience, whereas the lake situated at higher altitude showed distinct changes in its ecological status. In this alpine lake, almost 30% of the diatom functional groups shifted from benthic to planktic during the post-industrial era. The role of increased light availability and UV exposure as a driver of diatom functional group distributions could not be unambiguously separated, and such diatom-assemblage changes have been shown in many regions and most closely linked to a warming climate. However, low guild functional groups, prevalent also in the contemporary samples from the shallow littoral zone, dominated the diatom communities throughout the studied period, suggesting high tolerance to UV radiation.Peer reviewe

Severe-Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN): a case series

Abstract Background Anorexia Nervosa (AN) poses significant therapeutic challenges, especially in cases meeting the criteria for Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN). This subset of AN is associated with severe medical complications, frequent use of services, and the highest mortality rate among psychiatric disorders. Case presentation In the present case series, 14 patients were selected from those currently or previously taken care of at the Eating Disorders Outpatients Unit of the Maggiore Hospital in Bologna between January 2012 and May 2023. This case series focuses on the effects of the disease, the treatment compliance, and the description of those variables that could help understand the great complexity of the disorder. Conclusion This case series highlights the relevant issue of resistance to treatment, as well as medical and psychological complications that mark the life course of SE-AN patients. The chronicity of these disorders is determined by the overlapping of the disorder's ego-syntonic nature, the health system's difficulty in recognizing the problem in its early stages, and the presence of occupational and social impairment

Assessment of eating disorders with the diabetes eating problems survey - revised (DEPS-R) in a representative sample of insulin-treated diabetic patients: A validation study in Italy

Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate in a sample of insulin-treated diabetic patients, with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the psychometric characteristics of the Italian version of the DEPS-R scale, a diabetes-specific self-report questionnaire used to analyze disordered eating behaviors. Methods: The study was performed on 211 consecutive insulin-treated diabetic patients attending two specialist centers. Lifetime prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) according to DSM-IV and DSM-5 criteria were assessed by means of the Module H of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV Axis I Disorder and the Module H modified, according to DSM-5 criteria. The following questionnaires were administered: DEPS-R and the Eating Disorder Inventory - 3 (EDI-3). Test/retest reproducibility was assessed on a subgroup of 70 patients. The factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of DEPS-R were assessed. Results: Overall, 21.8% of the sample met criteria for at least one DSM-5 diagnosis of ED. A "clinical risk" of ED was observed in 13.3% of the sample. Females displayed higher scores at DEPS-R, a higher percentage of at least one diagnosis of ED and a higher clinical risk for ED. A high level of reproducibility and homogeneity of the scale were revealed. A significant correlation was detected between DEPS-R and the 3 ED risk scales of EDI-3. Conclusions: The data confirmed the overall reliability and validity of the scale. In view of the significance and implications of EDs in diabetic patients, it should be conducted a more extensive investigation of the phenomenon by means of evaluation instruments of demonstrated validity and reliability

Familial aggregation of MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery scores in a large sample of outpatients with schizophrenia and their unaffected relatives

Background. The increased use of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) to investigate cognitive dysfunctions in schizophrenia fostered interest in its sensitivity in the context of family studies. As various measures of the same cognitive domains may have different power to distinguish between unaffected relatives of patients and controls, the relative sensitivity of MCCB tests for relative-control differences has to be established. We compared MCCB scores of 852 outpatients with schizophrenia (SCZ) with those of 342 unaffected relatives (REL) and a normative Italian sample of 774 healthy subjects (HCS). We examined familial aggregation of cognitive impairment by investigating within-family prediction of MCCB scores based on probands' scores. Methods. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze group differences in adjusted MCCB scores. Weighted least-squares analysis was used to investigate whether probands' MCCB scores predicted REL neurocognitive performance. Results. SCZ were significantly impaired on all MCCB domains. REL had intermediate scores between SCZ and HCS, showing a similar pattern of impairment, except for social cognition. Proband's scores significantly predicted REL MCCB scores on all domains except for visual learning. Conclusions. In a large sample of stable patients with schizophrenia, living in the community, and in their unaffected relatives, MCCB demonstrated sensitivity to cognitive deficits in both groups. Our findings of significant within-family prediction of MCCB scores might reflect disease-related genetic or environmental factors