Obsessive Compulsive Tic Disorder: appropriate diagnosis and treatment as key elements to improve health and rationalize use of resources

Background: Obsessive Compulsive Tic Disorder (OCTD) has been described recently as an early onset and highly disabling endophenotype of Tic Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. OCTD has a relevant but largely unknown clinical, social and economic burden for patients and their families. Our paper aimed to explore relevant aspects of the burden of OCTD. Methods: we conducted a literature review and a pilot study using retrospective demographic, clinical and economic data of patients with OCTD accessing the Galeazzi Hospital in Milan. Results: the literature review shows the absence of information on OCTD. From the pilot study we analysed data of 30 patients (80.0% male, 36.7% aged from 7 to 13 years, 63.3% aged from 15 to 48 years), 83.0% declared that obsessions and/or compulsions were the most important factors determining their social impairment. Adult patients refractory to drug treatment underwent Deep Brain Stimulation plus drugs. The mean clinical scores at the time of diagnosis indicated a severe condition for both tics and obsessive compulsive components. The mean time elapsed from symptoms onset to diagnosis of OCTD was 5.6 years, reaching up to 11 years in one case. Before reaching the correct diagnosis, different specialists visited the patients several times, 93.3% underwent diagnostic examinations and 86.7% took 2 or 3 different drugs. Ten patients were hospitalised and 8 had received psychotherapy. Discussion: Albeit preliminary, these results show that attention is mandatory for establishing correct diagnosis and treatment guidelines to improve health and rationally spend resources for OCTD

Cdk1 inactivation terminates mitotic checkpoint surveillance and stabilizes kinetochore attachments in anaphase

Two mechanisms safeguard the bipolar attachment of chromosomes in mitosis. A correction mechanism destabilizes erroneous attachments that do not generate tension across sister kinetochores [1]. In response to unattached kinetochores, the mitotic checkpoint delays anaphase onset by inhibiting the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/CCdc20) [2]. Upon satisfaction of both pathways, the APC/CCdc20 elicits the degradation of securin and cyclin B [3]. This liberates separase triggering sister chromatid disjunction and inactivates cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) causing mitotic exit. How eukaryotic cells avoid the engagement of attachment monitoring mechanisms when sister chromatids split and tension is lost at anaphase is poorly understood [4]. Here we show that Cdk1 inactivation disables mitotic checkpoint surveillance at anaphase onset in human cells. Preventing cyclin B1 proteolysis at the time of sister chromatid disjunction destabilizes kinetochore-microtubule attachments and triggers the engagement of the mitotic checkpoint. As a consequence, mitotic checkpoint proteins accumulate at anaphase kinetochores, the APC/CCdc20 is inhibited, and securin reaccumulates. Conversely, acute pharmacological inhibition of Cdk1 abrogates the engagement and maintenance of the mitotic checkpoint upon microtubule depolymerization. We propose that the simultaneous destruction of securin and cyclin B elicited by the APC/CCdc20 couples chromosome segregation to the dissolution of attachment monitoring mechanisms during mitotic exit

The Reptile Collection of the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil

Brazilian scientific collections represent an important sample of the country’s biodiversity and are a testament to its history. The Reptile Collection of the Museu de Zoologia from Universidade Federal da Bahia (CRMZUFBA) has 5,206 specimens and 185 species (13 endemic to Brazil and 9 threatened) with one quarter of the known reptile species listed in Brazil, from over 175 municipalities. Although the CRMZUFBA houses species from all Brazilian biomes there is a strong regional presence. Knowledge of the species housed in smaller collections could avoid unrepresentative species descriptions and provide information concerning intraspecific variation, ecological features and geographic coverage

γ-Tubulin regulates the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome during interphase

Activation of the APC/C requires microtubule-nucleating independent aspects of γ-tubulin function

Why we shouldn’t blame women for gender disparity in academia : perspectives of women in zoology

The following letter, from a network of women zoologists, is a reply to the article of AlShebli et al. (2020), which suggests that female protégés reap more benefits when mentored by men and concludes that female mentors hinder the success of their female protégés and the quality of their impact. This contribution has two parts. First, we highlight the most relevant methodological flaws which, in our opinion, may have impacted the conclusions of AlShebli et al. (2020). Second, we discuss issues pertaining to women in science, bring a perspective of Women in Zoology and discuss how current diversity policies are positively changing our field

Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018.

Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. As we provide molecularly oriented definitions of terms including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, we discuss the utility of neologisms that refer to highly specialized instances of these processes. The mission of the NCCD is to provide a widely accepted nomenclature on cell death in support of the continued development of the field

Diversificação morfológica e molecular em lagartos Dactyloidae sul-americanos

CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoCAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorA compreensão dos padrões de distribuição da diversidade biológica, tem sido um tema amplamente discutido em estudos ecológicos e biogeográficos nas últimas décadas (Gaston, 2000; Ricklefs, 2004; Diniz-Filho et al., 2009). Nesse contexto, a região neotropical sul-americana destaca-se pela sua alta diversidade, distribuída nos mais diversos biomas (Morrone, 2004; Turchetto-Zolet et al., 2013). Estudos recentes demonstram que as alterações climáticas e geomorfológicas apoiam um cenário de mudanças complexas na paisagem do continente, influenciando na distribuição espacial dos táxons, riqueza de espécies, endemismos, diversidade genética e padrões biogeográficos observados (Nores 2004; Rull, 2008; Antonelli et al, 2009; Carnaval et al, 2009; Hoorn et al, 2010; Thomé et al., 2010; Werneck et al, 2012; Ribas et al 2012; Turchetto-Zolet et al., 2013, Rull, 2011, 2013). A conformação atual da América do Sul foi grandemente influenciada pelo soerguimento dos Andes, processo iniciado há aproximadamente 65 Ma, causando alterações climáticas e hidrográficas no continente (Hoorn et al. 1995; Van der Hammen & Hooghiemstra, 2000). Uma das principais consequências da elevação dos Andes foi a alteração do padrão de drenagem continental, levando à formação da bacia amazônica como a conhecemos atualmente (Hoorn et al 2010). Embora haja discordâncias sobre quando o Rio Amazonas começou a correr para o leste, a partir dos Andes, diferentes dados indicam que este já havia atingido seu fluxo atual a partir do Plioceno inferior (Figueredo et al. 2009; Latrubesse et al. 2010). Ainda que em menor escala, contudo, movimentos tectônicos continuaram a ocorrer na região, produzindo alterações ao menos locais, até o início do Holoceno (Rosseti et al. 2005; Rosseti & Valeriano, 2007)

Filogenia molecular e taxonomia do grupo Anolis chrysolepis Duméril & Bibron, 1837 (Squamata, Polychrotidae)

The Amazon forest is the largest continumm tropical forest around the world and several mecanisms have been proposed to explain its high biological diversity. The Refuge Hypothesis is one of the most debated explanations used and is based on the contraction of forested areas during dry periods, restricting populations to forest refugia. Forests expand during wet periods and these climatic and vegetational oscillations during the Pleistocene would be responsible for speciation and distribution patterns seen in Amazonian species. However, recent molecular phylogenetic studies confront this notion by indicating that most divergences among tropical forest vertebrate species predate the Pleistocene period. The Anolis chrysolepis clade, along with Anolis bombiceps, was previously studied and cited as a classic example of Pleistocene speciation, but recent studies showed substantial molecular divergence in the complex indicating that further studies about the subspecies relationships will demonstrate they are distinct species. We used the mithocondrial gene (ND2) to estimate phylogenetic relationships among the Anolis chrysolepis subspecies and the taxa previously hypothetized as related to them. In addition, their morphology and taxonomy status were revisited in order to confirm the congruence among the molecular and morphological datasets, determining if morphologically defined taxa are valid species. Based on both datasets, we elevate the five subspecies of Anolis chrysolepis to species status, diagnosticating each one of them with comments about the main morphological differences between the sister taxon and providing new distribution data.A Amazônia é considerada a maior floresta tropical contínua do mundo e diversos mecanismos têm sido propostos para tentar explicar a sua alta diversidade biológica. Um dos mecanismos mais discutidos desde sua proposição é a hipótese dos Refúgios, que se baseia na retração da floresta em períodos mais secos, isolando a fauna de florestas em refúgios imersos em uma matriz de vegetação aberta. Essas retrações e subseqüentes expansões em períodos mais mésicos provocariam a interrupção do fluxo gênico entre as populações isoladas e poderiam gerar especiação. Contudo, estudos moleculares recentes indicam que a diversificação de espécies de vertebrados de florestas tropicais provavelmente precede o período pleistocênico, originalmente indicado na hipótese dos Refúgios como o período em que esses eventos teriam ocorrido. A espécie politípica Anolis chrysolepis, juntamente com Anolis bombiceps, foi previamente estudada como um típico exemplo de diversificação gerada pelas flutuações climáticas do Pleistoceno, embora estudos posteriores tenham domonstrado a presença de grande divergência molecular entre parte das subespécies, indicando uma separação mais antiga desses táxons e levantando o questionamento sobre seu status taxonômico. Utilizamos o gene mitocondrial ND2 para investigar as relações filogenéticas entre as subespécies de Anolis chrysolepis e os táxons determinados em estudos anteriores como mais próximos a elas. Além disso, a sua morfologia e o seu status taxonômico foram revisados, a fim de verificar a congruência entre os dados morfológicos e moleculares, determinando se os táxons previamente reconhecidos morfologicamente são espécies válidas. Com base nos dois conjuntos de dados, nós elevamos as cinco subespécies do grupo Anolis chrysolepis ao status de espécies, diagnosticamos cada uma delas com comentários sobre as principais diferenças morfológicas entre as espécies irmãs e fornecemos novos dados de distribuição