Milk somatic cell count, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and immunoglobulin G concentration associated with mastitis caused by different pathogens: a field study

The aim of this study is to analyze how somatic cell counts (SCC), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) interact dependent on the mastitis causing pathogen. Milk samples from 152 quarters were collected on 2 Swiss dairy farms equipped with automatic milking systems. Bacteriological culturing was performed and SCC, LDH activity and IgG concentrations were measured in each sample. Correlations and regressions among SCC, LHD, and IgG were calculated after grouping by the pathogen type (control, S. aureus, C. bovis, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and S. uberis). All the mastitis causing pathogens were gram-positive bacteria (except for 3 cases with E. coli). In this study, the SCC and LDH were affected by the pathogen group. However, only in the S. uberis group the IgG concentration was higher than in the controls. All studied variables were positively correlated among each other. SCC and LDH were the highest correlated parameters in the control, S. aureus, C. bovis and coagulase- negative Staphylococcus groups. Only in the S. uberis group the correlation between LDH and IgG was higher than the correlation between SCC and LDH. The regression coefficients for SCC and LDH differed between groups whereas regression coefficients for SCC and IgG, and for LDH and IgG were similar in all groups. Because cases with E. coli infection were so rare, we could not include these cases in the statistical evaluation. Based on these few cases E. coli (n=3) seemed to cause a much higher increase of IgG and LDH than the infection with gram-positive bacteria. This study shows that the suitability of LDH as a marker for IgG transfer is dependent on the pathogen. The use of LDH in combination with SCC may be used as a marker to differentiate between gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, but does not allow differentiating the immune response between different gram-positive bacteria

Determination of regional coronary flow utilizing microspheres in ex vivo myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury

MI/R results in marked cardiac contractile dysfunction and cell death. We previously discovered that protein kinase C epsilon peptide inhibitor (PKC ε-) robustly restored post-reperfused cardiac function, and reduced infarct size, oxidative stress, and leukocyte endothelial interactions in coronary, hind limb, renal, and mesenteric vascular inflammation models. The mechanisms of these effects in part are due to attenuating uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity and increase endothelial NO bioavailability. Therefore, we hypothesize that PKC ε- will increase regional flow during reperfusion. We determined regional flow to the right ventricle, left ventricle, and septum at baseline and after 10 and 45 min reperfusion using fluorescent microspheres in isolated rat perfused hearts subjected to global I(30min)/R(45min). A cell permeable PKC ε- (myr-EAVSLKPT, MW=1054 g/mol, 10μM, n=8) was given at beginning of reperfusion for 5 min. We found that final left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) recovered to 70 ± 7%, maximal rate of left ventricular contraction, +dP/dtmax to 57 ± 7% and maximal rate of left ventricular relaxation, -dP/dtmin to 58 ± 6% of baseline values. These parameters were significantly improved compared to untreated I/R hearts (n=7) that only recovered to 30 ± 5% in LVDP, 21 ± 5% in dP/dtmax and 25 ± 5% in dP/dtmin relative to baseline values (all p \u3c 0.01). Moreover, our preliminary data suggest that PKC ε- treatment increased regional flow by 190 ± 40% in the right ventricle, 140 ± 30% in the left ventricle, and 120 ± 20% in the septum at 10 min. post reperfusion compared to non-treated control MI/R hearts. These values were maintained throughout the remaining 35 min of reperfusion. In summary, the data indicates that PKC ε- improves postreperfused cardiac function in part by restoration of regional flow

L’uso dei fear appeals nelle campagne di prevenzione contro il fumo sono ancora efficaci? Uno studio sul campo

Da parecchi anni assistiamo a numerose campagne contro il fumo, ma la loro reale efficacia non è ancora chiara. La mancanza di univocità dei risultati rende necessaria la realizzazione di ulteriori ricerche sul campo. Scopo di questo studio è esaminare l’effetto che le immagini contenenti appelli alla paura di diversa intensità e tipologia, fisica e sociale, hanno sulla rievocazione dei dettagli dell’immagine e sulla percezione della gravità del danno rappresentato, tenendo in considerazione le strategie di coping adottate dal soggetto, le resistenze alla salute attivate e l’atteggiamento mostrato nei confronti del fumo. Come strumenti per la misurazione di queste variabili sono stati usati: l’Adaptive/ Maladaptive Coping Response Scale (AMCS), la Health Resistance Measure (HR), la Smoking Attitudes Scale (SAS) e le Background Questions. Il campione della ricerca è costituito da 96 studenti universitari fumatori e non fumatori. Dai risultati è emerso che l’utilizzo di appelli alla paura intensi non sembra realmente efficace, in quanto potrebbe indurre il soggetto ad attivare delle difese che influiscono negativamente sul processo di rievocazione dell’immagine presentata. Potrebbe risultare utile far leva sui danni sociali provocati dal fumo, poiché percepiti come più gravi. L’efficacia di una campagna contro il fumo dipende anche da altri elementi, come le strategie di coping attuate dal soggetto, l’attivazione di resistenze alla salute e l’atteggiamento mostrato nei confronti del fumo, non trascurando l’età dei soggetti a cui è rivolta la campagna di prevenzione, poiché è emerso chiaramente che, con il consolidarsi dell’abitudine, aumentano le resistenze alla salute che indurranno progressivamente il soggetto a rifiutare i messaggi promossi nelle campagne. I risultati, quindi, inducono a considerare questi elementi nella progettazione di campagne contro il fumo. For several years, we have been witnessing numerous campaigns against smoking, but the real effectiveness of fear appeals is not yet clear. The absence of uniqueness of the results makes it necessary to carry out further research. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect that fear appeals images containing social and physical damages have on the re-evocation of the image details and perceived severity. We took into account Adaptive and Maladaptive Coping Strategies (AMCS), Health Resistance (HR) and Smoking Attitude (SA) adopted by our sample formed by 96 university students, smokers and not. Results show that intense physical fear appeal does not seem successful, as it could generate subject defences, that negatively affect image’s recall process. It could be useful to leverage social damage, as perceived more serious. The effectiveness of threat appeals also depends by other elements, such as the coping strategies adopted by the subject, the activation of health resistance and the attitude toward smoking, not neglecting the age of the subjects to whom the prevention campaign is aimed. Consolidation smoking habit increases health resistance, which in turn gradually induces the rejection of messages promoted in the campaigns. The results, therefore, lead us to consider these elements in the design of campaigns against smoking

Dietary Phytoestrogen Intake and Cognitive Status in Southern Italian Older Adults

Background: Aging society faces significant health challenges, among which cognitive-related disorders are emerging. Diet quality has been recognized among the major contributors to the rising prevalence of cognitive disorders, with increasing evidence of the putative role of plant-based foods and their bioactive components, including polyphenols. Dietary polyphenols, including phytoestrogens, have been hypothesized to exert beneficial effects toward brain health through various molecular mechanisms. However, the evidence on the association between dietary phytoestrogen intake and cognitive function is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between phytoestrogen intake and cognitive status in a cohort of older adults living in Sicily, Southern Italy. Methods: Dietary information from 883 individuals aged 50 years or older was collected through a validated food frequency questionnaire. Cognitive status was assessed through the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire. Results: The highest total isoflavone (including daidzein and genistein) intake was inversely associated with cognitive impairment compared to the lowest (odds ratio (OR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.20–0.92). Higher intake of total lignans and, consistently, all individual compounds (with the exception of secoisolariciresinol) were inversely associated with cognitive impairment only in the unadjusted model. Conclusions: A higher intake of phytoestrogens, especially isoflavones, was associated with a better cognitive status in a cohort of older Italian individuals living in Sicily. Taking into account the very low intake of isoflavones in Italian diets, it is noteworthy to further investigate selected populations with habitual consumption of such compounds to test whether these results may be generalized to the Italian population

When articulation does not enhance lightness contrast

Simultaneous lightness contrast (SLC) is the condition whereby two equal greys look different when they are placed one against a dark background and the other against a bright background. Adelson (1993) noticed that the SLC magnitude increases when the homogeneous backgrounds are replaced with more articulated ones. In Adelson's display, all darker patches are on one side of the stimuli whilst the brighter are on the other. The aim of this research is to test whether this regularity causes the SLC magnitude to increase. On a paper-based experiment, participants were requested to match on a Munsell scale two greys placed against a dark and a white background while the luminance of additional elements was manipulated: dark and bright elements could have been added to either side. Results show that when bright elements where added to the darker background and bright elements where added to the darker background the SLC magnitude reduced. Vice-versa, when bright elements were added to the bright background, and dark elements were added to the dark background, the SLC magnitude increased. It is concluded that the photometric relationships in the stimuli determine the SLC magnitude, not the level of articulation per se

Modulation of the activity of histone acetyltransferases by long chain alkylidenemalonates (LoCAMs)

n/

The role played by health resistance, coping response, and smoke damage perceptions in smoking threat appeal campaigns

Threat appeal campaigns have been widely used to induce people to change their bad smoking habits by adopting a better approach in favor of a healthier lifestyle. Social marketers who create this kind of messages tend to believe in the persuasive power of fear arousal. For most people, fear has an important consequence on behavior, leading them to search for means of deleting or coping with the unhealthy behavior. As demonstrated by the Ordered Protection Motivation Model, individual differences such as health resistance play an important role in determining, or not, a change of behavior when faced with the threat. This study explores the relationship between health resistance and attitude towards smoking behavior and examines the mediating impact of coping response and smoke damage perception in a sample of 260 university students, smokers and non-smokers. Results highlight that health resistance has an important direct effect on smoking attitude, but, it seems to be mitigated by the smoke severity of the damage shown in graphic images. The comparison between smokers and nonsmokers allowed us to understand the role of reactance in these two groups, and the significance that anti-smoking campaigns assume. Our results offer important suggestions for future decisions about social threat appeals campaigns

Clinical and neurocognitive predictors of functional outcome in depressed patients with partial response to treatment: one year follow-up study

Background: Cognitive dysfunction represents a distinct biological and clinical dimension in major depression disorders (MDD) and cognitive performance strongly affects psychosocial functioning in patients diagnosed with MDD. Objective: To assess which neurocognitive variables at baseline predict the functional outcome of MDD patients in a 1-year follow-up study as assessed by Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) and whether the improvement observed on affective and cognitive symptoms in our 12 week-prospective observational study after treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can affect the following long-term psychosocial functional outcome at 1 year in the same MDD patients. Methods: We recruited a total of 31 patients (8 males; 23 females) with MDD who had previously completed a pharmacological treatment with SSRIs (n = 22) or SNRIs (n = 9) for 12 weeks, and then continued the same pharmacological treatment for 1 year. After an average 1-year follow-up, they were interviewed with the FAST to assess functional outcome. Multivariate analyses were applied to identify clinical and neurocognitive predictors of functional outcome. Results: Total Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Digit Span forward (Span F) and backward (Span B), and 15 Rey words immediate recall (Rey I) scores significantly correlated with FAST. However, after performing regression models only Rey immediate recall score was useful to predict long-term functional outcome (Pearson correlation coefficient R= -0.68, p < 0.001) in four specific subdomains of FAST. When considering changes in affective and cognitive symptoms at the end of the 12 weeks of pharmacological treatment with SSRI or SNRIs (T1-T0) by multiple regression analysis, we found that Span F-test predicted scores in the FAST leisure domain, whereas, changes in Span F, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and Rey I predicted psychosocial functioning in the specific 'cognitive' subdomains of FAST. Conclusion: Our data suggest that long-term psychosocial functioning can be influenced by neurocognitive performance at baseline, with verbal memory playing a key role in overall functioning. Furthermore, improvement in verbal memory can predict functional outcome at one year in MDD patients with a recent history of partial response to antidepressants

p300/CBP-associated factor selectively regulates the extinction of conditioned fear

It is well established that the activity of chromatin-modifying enzymes is crucial for regulating gene expression associated with hippocampal-dependent memories. However, very little is known about how these epigenetic mechanisms influence the formation of cortically dependent memory, particularly when there is competition between opposing memory traces, such as that which occurs during the acquisition and extinction of conditioned fear. Here we demonstrate, in C57BL/6mice, that the activityofp300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) within the infralimbic prefrontal cortex is required for long-term potentiation and is necessary for the formation of memory associated with fear extinction, but not for fear acquisition. Further, systemic administration of the PCAF activator SPV106 enhances memory for fear extinction and prevents fear renewal. The selective influence of PCAF on fear extinction is mediated, in part, by a transient recruitment of the repressive transcription factor ATF4tothe promoter of the immediate early genezif268, which competitively inhibits its expression. Thus, within the context of fear extinction, PCAF functions as a transcriptional coactivator, which may facilitate the formation of memory for fear extinction by interfering with reconsolidation of the original memory trace

Predictors of functional outcome in patients with major depression and bipolar disorder: A dynamic network approach to identify distinct patterns of interacting symptoms

: The purpose of this study is to use a dynamic network approach as an innovative way to identify distinct patterns of interacting symptoms in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and patients with Bipolar Type I Disorder (BD). More precisely, the hypothesis will be testing that the phenotype of patients is driven by disease specific connectivity and interdependencies among various domains of functioning even in the presence of underlying common mechanisms. In a prospective observational cohort study, hundred-forty-three patients were recruited at the Psychiatric Clinic "Villa dei Gerani" (Catania, Italy), 87 patients with MDD and 56 with BD with a depressive episode. Two nested sub-groups were treated for a twelve-week period, which allowed us to explore differences in the pattern of symptom distribution (central vs. peripheral) and their connectedness (strong vs weak) before (T0) and after (T1) treatment. All patients underwent a complete neuropsychological evaluation at baseline (T0) and at T1. A network structure was computed for MDD and BD patients at T0 and T1 from a covariance matrix of 17 items belonging to three domains-neurocognitive, psychosocial, and mood-related (affective) to identify what symptoms were driving the networks. Clinically relevant differences were observed between MDD and BD, at T0 and after 12 weeks of pharmacological treatment. At time T0, MDD patients displayed an affective domain strongly connected with the nodes of psychosocial functioning, while direct connectivity of the affective domain with the neurocognitive cluster was absent. The network of patients with BD, in contrast, revealed a cluster of highly interconnected psychosocial nodes but was guided by neurocognitive functions. The nodes related to the affective domain in MDD are less connected and placed in the periphery of the networks, whereas in BD they are more connected with psychosocial and neurocognitive nodes. Noteworthy is that, from T0 to T1 the "Betweenness" centrality measure was lower in both disorders which means that fewer "shortest paths" between nodes pass through the affective domain. Moreover, fewer edges were connected directly with the nodes in this domain. In MDD patients, pharmacological treatment primarily affected executive functions which seem to improve with treatment. In contrast, in patients with BD, treatment resulted in improvement of overall connectivity and centrality of the affective domain, which seems then to affect and direct the overall network. Though different network structures were observed for MDD and BD patients, data suggest that treatment should include tailored cognitive therapy, because improvement in this central domain appeared to be fundamental for better outcomes in other domains. In sum, the advantage of network analysis is that it helps to predict the trajectory of future phenotype related disease manifestations. In turn, this allows new insights in how to balance therapeutic interventions, involving different fields of function and combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment modalities