Homocysteine levels and cardiovascular disease in migraine with aura

Clinical studies suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia could be considered an independent risk factor for premature cerebral, peripheral and vascular diseases. A number of authors found an epidemiological correlation between increased risk of cerebrovascular disease and migraine with aura. In this study, 34 patients suffering from migraine with aura and 36 healthy controls were evaluated with respect to total plasma homocysteine levels, measured with FPIA immunoassay in the fasting state and after methionine load. Moreover, vitamin B12, folate and other classic biochemical indicators of atherosclerosis disease were evaluated. In this study, homocysteine levels, both at basal and after load, and other cardiovascular risk factors such as vitamin B12 and apo-LpA were within the normal range. Other multicentric randomised trials are needed to carry on and confirm these data

Role of the Tracy-Widom distribution in the finite-size fluctuations of the critical temperature of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin glass

We investigate the finite-size fluctuations due to quenched disorder of the critical temperature of the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin glass. In order to accomplish this task, we perform a finite-size analysis of the spectrum of the susceptibility matrix obtained via the Plefka expansion. By exploiting results from random matrix theory, we obtain that the fluctuations of the critical temperature are described by the Tracy-Widom distribution with a non-trivial scaling exponent 2/3

Molecular Coancestry and Classical Genetic Distances Depict Different Patterns of Relationship Among Sheep Breeds from Southern Italy

Several molecular-based parameters, such as similarity indexes, can be adopted to optimize the management of genetic diversity in conservation programmes. From simulated data, Oliehoek et al. (2006) showed that molecular coancestry (Toro et al., 2002) is, among the possible relatedness estimators, the one that performs better in structured populations, such as populations in need of conservation usually are. Several studies have, therefore, proposed the use of molecular coancestry coefficients as a measure of genetic variability and as a useful tool for conservation of endangered breeds (Ciampolini et al., 2007; Glowatzki-Mullis et al., 2009). Here we report the results obtained evaluating within- and between-breed molecular coancestry (Toro et al., 2002), together with other classical genetic parameters, for two insular sheep breeds (Sarda from Sardinia and Comisana from Sicily), recently spread almost all over Italy, and for five local rare sheep breeds from Southern Italy

Interplay between YB-1 and IL-6 promotes the metastatic phenotype in breast cancer cells

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) induces cell plasticity and promotes metastasis. The multifunctional oncoprotein Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) and the pleiotropic cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) have both been implicated in tumor cell metastasis and EMT, but via distinct pathways. Here, we show that direct interplay between YB-1 and IL-6 regulates breast cancer metastasis. Overexpression of YB-1 in breast cancer cell lines induced IL-6 production while stimulation with IL-6 increased YB-1 expression and YB-1 phosphorylation. Either approach was sufficient to induce EMT features, including increased cell migration and invasion. Silencing of YB-1 partially reverted the EMT and blocked the effect of IL-6 while inhibition of IL-6 signaling blocked the phenotype induced by YB-1 overexpression, demonstrating a clear YB-1/IL-6 interdependence. Our findings describe a novel signaling network in which YB-1 regulates IL-6, and vice versa, creating a positive feed-forward loop driving EMT-like metastatic features during breast cancer progression. Identification of signaling partners or pathways underlying this co-dependence may uncover novel therapeutic opportunitiesThis work was supported by Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (11/00185) and Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (Ref. RD06/0020/1020). SRC acknowledges support from Generalitat de Catalunya (Ref. 2005SGR00144) and Fundación Mutua Madrileña (FMMA/2009/02). TA acknowledges support from Instituto de Salud Carlos III grant PI13/00763 and grant CP10/00624, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF

Finite-size scaling analysis of the distributions of pseudo-critical temperatures in spin glasses

Using the results of large scale numerical simulations we study the probability distribution of the pseudo critical temperature for the three-dimensional Edwards-Anderson Ising spin glass and for the fully connected Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. We find that the behavior of our data is nicely described by straightforward finite-size scaling relations.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figures. Version accepted for publication in J. Stat. Mec

A pre seismic radio anomaly revealed in the area where the Abruzzo earthquake ( M =6.3) occurred on 6 April 2009

Abstract. On 6 April 2009 a strong (Mw=6.3) earthquake occurred in the Abruzzo region (central Italy). Since 1996, the intensity of CLT (f=189 kHz, Sicily, Italy), MCO (f=216 kHz, France) and CZE (f=270 kHz, Czech Republic) broadcast signals has been collected with a ten minutes sampling rate by a receiver operating in a place located about 13 km far from the epicenter. During March 2009, the old receiver was substituted with a new one able to measure, with one minute sampling rate, the intensity of five VLF signals and five LF signals radiated by transmitters located in different zones of Europe. The MCO and CZE transmitters mentioned above are included among them. From 31 March to 1 April the intensity of the MCO radio signal dropped and this drop was observed only in this signal. The possibility that the drop was connected to problems in the transmitter or in the receiver was investigated and excluded. So, the drop indicates a defocusing of the radiated signal. Since no particular meteorological situation along the path transmitter-receiver happened, the defocusing must be related to other causes, and a possibility is presented that it is a precursor of the Abruzzo earthquake

Joint statement on the role of respiratory rehabilitation in the COVID-19 crisis: the Italian position paper.

Due to an exponential growth of the number of subjects affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the entire Italian healthcare system had to respond promptly and in a very short time with the need of semi-intensive and intensive care units. Moreover, trained dedicated COVID-19 teams consisting of physicians coming from different specialties (intensivists or pneumologists and infectivologists), while respiratory therapists and nurses have been recruited to work on and on with rest. However, due to still limited and evolving knowledge of COVID-19 disease, there are little recommendations for need in respiratory rehabilitation and physiotherapy interventions. The presentation of this manuscript is the result of a consensus promoted by the Italian societies of respiratory health care professionals who contacted pulmonologists directly involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of COVID-19. The aim was to formulate the more proper and common suggestions to be applied in different hospital settings in offering rehabilitative programs and physiotherapy workforce planning in COVID-19 patients. Two main areas of intervention were identified: organization and treatment, which were described in this paper to face with the emergency

Disturbances in groundwater chemical parameters related to seismic and volcanic activity in Kamchatka (Russia)

International audienceStarting from 1992 geochemical data are being collected with a mean sampling frequency of three days in the form of the pH value and of the most common ions and gases in the groundwater in one deep well located in Petropavlovsk, the capital city of Kamchatka (Russia). On 1 January 1996 a strong eruption started from the Karymsky volcano, that is located about 100km far from the well, in the north-northeastern direction. At the same time, a large earthquake (M=6.9) occurred in the Karymsky area. On 5 December 1997 a very large earthquake (M=7.7) occurred offshore, at a distance of 350km from the well and towards the same direction. The analysis of the geochemical data shows clear variations in the raw temporal trends on both cases. For the first event, a clear premonitory phase appeared; for the second one, some pre-seismic variations could be revealed but permanent modifications of the chemistry of the water subsequent to the earthquake are very clear. In both cases the feature of the geochemical variations is consistent with an afflux of new water in the aquifer connected with the well and with an escape of the Carbon dioxide gas from the ground in different directions. A schematic model able to justify such a phenomenology and the connections of the geochemical variations with the previous tectonic activities is proposed

Retrospective analysis for detecting seismic precursors in groundwater argon content

We examined the groundwater Argon content data sampled from 1988 to 2001 at two wells in Kamchatka (Russia) and anomalous increases appeared clearly during June-July&nbsp;1996. On 21&nbsp;June, a shallow (1km) earthquake with <i>M</i>=7.1 occurred at a distance less than 250km from the wells and so the previous increases could be related to this earthquake and, in particular, could be considered premonitory anomalies. In order to support this raw interpretation, we analysed the data collected in details. At first we smoothed out the high frequency fluctuations arising from the errors in a single measurement. Next we considered the known external effects on the water of a well that are the slow tectonic re-adjustment processes, the meteorology and the gravity tides and we separated these effects applying band-pass filters to the Argon content raw trends. Then we identified the largest fluctuations in these trends applying the 3 σ criterion and we found three anomalies in a case and two anomalies in other case. Comparing the time occurrence of the anomalies at the two wells we found out that a coincidence exists only in the case of the premonitory anomalies we are studying. The simultaneous appearance of well definite anomalies in the residual trends of the same parameter at two different sites supports their meaning and the possibility that they are related to some large scale effect, as the occurrence of a strong earthquake. But, other earthquakes similar to the June&nbsp;1996 event took place during the Argon content measurements time and no anomaly appeared in this content. In the past, some of the authors of this paper studied the Helium content data collected in three natural springs of the Caucasus during seven years. A very similar result, that is the simultaneous appearance of clear premonitory anomalies only on the occasion of a strong (<i>M</i>=7.0) but shallow (2–4km) earthquake, was obtained. The correspondence with the case of the Caucasus validates the interpretation of the Kamchatkian anomalies as precursors