COMORBIDITY OF PEDIATRIC MIGRAINE AND SLEEP DISTURBANCES: THE ROLE OF A DYSFUNCTIONAL AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

This study compared psychological and physiological differences between children diagnosed with migraine and their healthy peers. Physiological measures were obtained at baseline, after discussing an emotionally relevant stressor, and after recovery in 21 children with pediatric migraine and 32 healthy peers. Comparisons were also made on psychological measures investigating sleep problems, anxiety, and family stress. It was hypothesized that children with migraine compared to their peers 1) would report more sleep disturbances, anxiety, and family stress 2) would exhibit greater sympathetic activation at rest, in response to an emotional stressor, and after a recovery period and 3) that autonomic functioning would mediate the relation between the presence of pediatric migraine and sleep disturbances. Results indicated that the migraine group reported significantly greater anxiety compared to peers but there were no significant differences in sleep disturbances or family stress. Within the migraine group, migraine severity was significantly associated with total sleep disturbance and greater incidence of parasomnias, while migraine duration was significantly associated with greater night time awakenings. Migraine children also exhibited a significantly higher pulse rate compared to their peers at rest and a significantly higher diastolic blood pressure and marginally significant higher LF/HF ratio at recovery from an emotional stressor. These findings suggest that sleep disturbance and pediatric migraine are significantly related but the relation is unclear and warrants additional research. Results also indicate that children with migraine may experience more anxiety than peers. Of most interest, results suggest that children with migraine may experience a disinhibition of the autonomic nervous system characterized by a dominance of the sympathetic nervous system resulting in a longer recovery period following an emotional stressor

Induced Abortion and Life Satisfaction in Germany: The Role of Selection Processes and Short-Term Effects

Unintended pregnancies resulting in induced abortion are occasionally associated with poor psychological well-being. In the literature, this is attributed to either (1) the consequences of abortion, (2) the consequences of unintended pregnancy, or (3) specific selection processes. This longitudinal study addresses these explanations based on data from the German family panel “pairfam” (n = 3,604 women). It compares changes in life satisfaction among different groups of women: Those who had an abortion, those who had a live birth, and those who were not pregnant. A matching procedure ensures the comparability of the groups. The results show that women reported temporarily lower life satisfaction immediately after abortion than similar women following live birth or in absence of pregnancy, while no significant group differences were found in the long run. However, abortion is preceded by significantly lower pre-event life satisfaction than live birth or absence of pregnancy. Persistent poor well-being should therefore primarily be considered a selection criterion for abortions resulting from unintended pregnancies rather than as their consequence

Investigating the Effect of Stratospheric Radiation on Seed Germination and Growth

Three seed types: bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), corn (Zea mays) and radish (Raphanus sativus) were flown in a high altitude weather balloon into the mid-stratosphere to investigate the effects of high altitude radiation on germination success and seedling growth. After recovering and planting the seeds, the bean seeds showed lower germination success with exposure to high altitude radiation, and consequently stunted seedling growth. Cord and radish seeds experienced a statistically significant positive effect on germination success form radiation exposure compared to control seeds, but negative effect on seedling growth. Overall, the field experiments presented here support laboratory studies that show radiation exposure on vegetable seeds has a mixed effect on the germination success and negative effect on seedling growth on investigated seed types

Clinical and functional characterisation of a novel TNFRSF1A c.605T > A/V173D cleavage site mutation associated with tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome (TRAPS), cardiovascular complications and excellent response to etanercept treatment.

Objectives: To study the clinical outcome, treatment response, T-cell subsets and functional consequences of a novel tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor type 1 (TNFRSF1A) mutation affecting the receptor cleavage site. Methods: Patients with symptoms suggestive of tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) and 22 healthy controls (HC) were screened for mutations in the TNFRSF1A gene. Soluble TNFRSF1A and inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISAs. TNFRSF1A shedding was examined by stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate followed by flow cytometric analysis (FACS). Apoptosis of PBMCs was studied by stimulation with TNFa in the presence of cycloheximide and annexin V staining. T cell phenotypes were monitored by FACS. Results: TNFRSF1A sequencing disclosed a novel V173D/ p.Val202Asp substitution encoded by exon 6 in one family, the c.194–14G.A splice variant in another and the R92Q/p.Arg121Gln substitution in two families. Cardiovascular complications (lethal heart attack and peripheral arterial thrombosis) developed in two V173D patients. Subsequent etanercept treatment of the V173D carriers was highly effective over an 18-month follow-up period. Serum TNFRSF1A levels did not differ between TRAPS patients and HC, while TNFRSF1A cleavage from monocytes was significantly reduced in V173D and R92Q patients. TNFa-induced apoptosis of PBMCs and T-cell senescence were comparable between V173D patients and HC. Conclusions: The TNFRSF1A V173D cleavage site mutation may be associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular complications and shows a strong response to etanercept. T-cell senescence does not seem to have a pathogenetic role in affected patients

First report of bacterial spot caused by Xanthomonas cucurbitae on pumpkin in Italy

In 2018, a disease outbreak was observed on pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata cv. Violina) in the municipality of Reggio Emilia (Northern Italy). Symptoms were observed on leaves and fruits

Multi-decadal observations in the Alps reveal less and wetter snow, with increasing variability

Snowpack is an important temporal water storage for downstream areas, a potential source of natural hazards (avalanches or floods) and a prerequisite for winter tourism. Here, we use thousands of manual measurements of the water equivalent of the snow cover (SWE) from almost 30 stations between 1,200 and 2,900 m a.s.l. from four long-term monitoring programs (earliest start in 1937) in the center of the European Alps to derive daily SWE based on snow depth data for each station. The inferred long-term daily SWE time series were analyzed regarding spatial differences, as well as potential temporal changes in variability and seasonal averages during the last 7 decades (1957–2022). The investigation based on important hydro-climatological SWE indicators demonstrates significant decreasing trends for mean SWE (Nov-Apr) and for maximum SWE, as well as a significantly earlier occurrence of the maximum SWE and earlier disappearance of the continuous snow cover. The anomalies of mean SWE revealed that the series of low-snow winters since the 1990s is unprecedented since the beginning of measurements. Increased melting during the accumulation period below 2000 m a.s.l is also observed–especially in the most recent years–as well as slower melt rates in spring, and higher day-to-day variability. For these trends no regional differences were found despite the climatological variability of the investigated stations. This indicates that the results are transferable to other regions of the Alps