The one-hour post-load plasma glucose predicts progression to prediabetes in a multiethnic cohort of obese youths

One-hour post-load hyperglycemia has been proposed as an independent predictor of type 2 diabetes in adults. We examined whether 1-hour plasma glucose (1hPG) during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) can predict changes in the glucose tolerance status in a multiethnic cohort of youths with normal glucose tolerance (NGT)

Hemostasis and ageing

On March 19, 2008 a Symposium on Pathophysiology of Ageing and Age-Related Diseases was held in Palermo, Italy. The lecture of D. Mari on Hemostasis and ageing is summarized herein. Physiological ageing is associated with increased plasma levels of many proteins of blood coagulation together with fibrinolysis impairment. This may be of great concern in view of the known association between vascular and thromboembolic diseases and ageing. On the other hand, centenarians are characterized by a state of hypercoagulability and possession of several high-risk alleles and well-known atherothrombotic risk markers but this appears to be compatible with longevity and/or health. Parameters considered risk factors for atherosclerotic vascular diseases in young people may lose their biological significance in advanced age and assume a different role

From emotional (dys)regulation to internet addiction: a mediation model of problematic social media use among italian young adults

Internet addiction (IA) has mostly been investigated with the fear of missing out and difficulties in emotional regulation. The present study examined the link between IA and variables related to problematic social media use (i.e., fear of missing out, social media addiction), together with emotional (dys)regulation and personality traits, providing new insights and an integrated assessment of IA. In total, 397 participants, aged 18-35 years (M = 22.00; SD = 3.83), were administered a set of questionnaires pertaining to IA, problematic social media use, emotional (dys)regulation, and personality traits. Pearson's correlations showed significant associations between IA and the investigated variables, and the tested mediation model highlighted the crucial role played by emotional (dys)regulation in the fear of missing out and problematic use of social networks. Overall, the findings provide support for a new integrated model for understanding the features, predictors, and risk factors of IA

Demonstration of a Transportable Fabry–Pérot Refractometer by a Ring-Type Comparison of Dead-Weight Pressure Balances at Four European National Metrology Institutes

Fabry–Pérot-based refractometry has demonstrated the ability to assess gas pressure with high accuracy and has been prophesized to be able to realize the SI unit for pressure, the pascal, based on quantum calculations of the molar polarizabilities of gases. So far, the technology has mostly been limited to well-controlled laboratories. However, recently, an easy-to-use transportable refractometer has been constructed. Although its performance has previously been assessed under well-controlled laboratory conditions, to assess its ability to serve as an actually transportable system, a ring-type comparison addressing various well-characterized pressure balances in the 10–90 kPa range at several European national metrology institutes is presented in this work. It was found that the transportable refractometer is capable of being transported and swiftly set up to be operational with retained performance in a variety of environments. The system could also verify that the pressure balances used within the ring-type comparison agree with each other. These results constitute an important step toward broadening the application areas of FP-based refractometry technology and bringing it within reach of various types of stakeholders, not least within industry

Compassionate use of cefiderocol as adjunctive treatment of native aortic valve endocarditis due to XDR-Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Serious infections such as endocarditis due to extremely drug-resistance gram-negative bacteria are an increasing challenge. Here, we present successful adjunctive use of cefiderocol for a patient with persistently bacteremic healthcare-associated native aortic valve endocarditis due to an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptible in vitro only to colistin, following failure of conventional therapeutic options

Disruption of fasting and post-load glucose homeostasis are largely independent and sustained by distinct and early major beta-cell function defects: a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the relationship between insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular risk (RISC) study cohort

Background/aims: Uncertainty still exists on the earliest beta-cell defects at the bases of the type 2 diabetes. We assume that this depends on the inaccurate distinction between fasting and post-load glucose homeostasis and aim at providing a description of major beta-cell functions across the full physiologic spectrum of each condition. Methods: In 1320 non-diabetic individuals we performed an OGTT with insulin secretion modeling and a euglycemic insulin clamp, coupled in subgroups to glucose tracers and IVGTT; 1038 subjects underwent another OGTT after 3.5 years. Post-load glucose homeostasis was defined as mean plasma glucose above fasting levels (δOGTT). The analysis was performed by two-way ANCOVA. Results: Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and δOGTT were weakly related variables (stβ = 0.12) as were their changes over time (r = −0.08). Disruption of FPG control was associated with an isolated and progressive decline (approaching 60%) of the sensitivity of the beta-cell to glucose values within the normal fasting range. Disruption of post-load glucose control was characterized by a progressive decline (approaching 60%) of the slope of the full beta-cell vs glucose dose-response curve and an early minor (30%) decline of potentiation. The acute dynamic beta-cell responses, neither per se nor in relation to the degree of insulin resistance appeared to play a relevant role in disruption of fasting or post-load homeostasis. Follow-up data qualitatively and quantitatively confirmed the results of the cross-sectional analysis. Conclusion: In normal subjects fasting and post-load glucose homeostasis are largely independent, and their disruption is sustained by different and specific beta-cell defects

Pegaso: an ultra-light long duration stratospheric

Launched from the Mario Zuccelli Station (Baia Terra Nova) in Antarctica during the 2005/06 austral summer, the PEGASO-D payload lifted into the stratospheric anticyclone over the southern polar region. This effort marks the first Long Duration Scientific payload to be launched from this location and is the fourth such payload launched in the polar regions. Performing in the framework of the NOBILE/AMUNDSEN collaborative LDB development between ASI-ARR. The Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), with the sponsorship of the Italian Antarctic Program (PNRA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI),designed and built the Ultra-Light system together with three Universities in Italy. The Pegaso program has been created to investigate the Earth magnetic field and provide a precursor series of small payload launches for the bigger LDB program such as OLIMPO, BOOMERanG and BArSPOrt through this collaboration between ASI and ARR. The Italian scientific community, aware of the big advantages that LDB balloons can offer to their experiments, proposed to extend the LDB program to Southern polar regions, besides performing launches from the newly initiated Nobile/Amundsen Stratospheric Balloon Center in Svalbard, Norway.Three PEGASO (Polar Explorer for Geomagnetics And other Scientific Observations) payloads have been launched from the Svalbard (No) in collaboration with Andoya Rocket Range, ASI and ISTAR (Operations and logistics) during the past two northern summers. These stratospheric (altitude m.35000) small 10kmc balloons have floated in the stratosphere between 14 to 39 days measuring the magnetic field of polar regions, by means of a 3-axys-fluxgate magnetometer, during a three year campaign. The study of the magnetic field and its variations is done through permanent observatories. They provide us with high quality data but their spatial distribution is not quite regular, specially in Antarctica due to logistic difficulties. The coverage is improved through marine and aeromagnetic surveys, and also through satellite missions. There exists nevertheless a gap in the wavelengths of the magnetic field represented by these kind of measurements. Satellite data are too far away from Earth's surface to individuate wavelengths lower than 1000 km, and near-ground sur- veys are not able to represent wavelengths longer than the dimensions of the surveyed area. Moreover, there is a region empty of data around the geographical pole for the satellite measurements. The size of these gaps depends on the orbital parameters, but it can reach up to 10 degrees around the pole. PEGASO allows to bridge this gap in the measurements of the magnetic field. Surveys carried out at 35 km height allow the study of crustal anomalies in the range between, we can say, 60 and 1000 km. Taking into account that pathfinders (smaller non-recoverable balloon systems) are usually sent to explore the atmospheric currents, the use of PEGASO as pathfinder allows us to obtain all these results at a very affordable cost. The PEGASO payload was also developed as a single source system integrating science, housekeeping and operational control of the entire balloon borne configuration.Satellite telemetry sent the scientific (magnetometric) data, house-keeping (temperature, solar panel voltage and current, altitude and time) and telecommand (four ballast, two parachute release system, system reset), and powered the terminate system. Data flows through the IRIDIUM telephone service. The onboard systems were kept inside a vessel (white painted and pressurizzed vessel due to power dissipation) except for external flexible solar panels and magnetometer, attached to an external boom. Two redundant tracking systems have been used: a first GPS was integrated inside the on-board telemetry system, necessary to reconstruct position and time of scientific data, while an independent GPS-ARGOS system gave the balloon trajectory, including its descent. Continuous trajectory predictions were made during the missions; they have been necessary, in particular, for the flight safety requirements of the northern hemisphere. The evaluation of the statistical error is proposed. The PEGASO payload was developed to be a light, cost effective way to explore the potential of Ultra-Light Long Duration Ballooning for science as well as an introduction to the earth-space possibilities for students.PublishedBeijing, China1A. Geomagnetismo e Paleomagnetism

Role of prothrombotic polymorphisms in successful or unsuccessful aging

The study of the genetic profile of centenarians aims to identify the genes and allelic variants which may influence a greater life expectancy and that can be considered as predisposing factors associated to the aging diseases, such as Alzheimer. Centenarians, that represent a cohort of selected survivors, show an hypercoagulability state characterised by striking signs of high coagulation enzyme activity, as directly assessed by the tested higher plasma level of some important factors involved in the haemostasis balance. Anyway, these individuals seem to have a reduced susceptibility to dementia, as well as to cardiovascular events. In this study we analyze the frequencies of Leiden Factor V polymorphism (G1691A), and G20210A of prothrombin (FII) in three cohorts of subjects: patients with Alzheimer\u2019s disease (unsuccessful aging), nonagenarians (successful aging) and young healthy controls, to assess whether allelic variants associated to the modification of haemostatic system function, may play a role in the protection or susceptibility to Alzheimer disease, as well as to reach a successful aging. No significant differences were observed in the frequencies of the three groups studied. These results indicate that the presence or absence of the gene variants examined did not influence the achievement of advanced age and are not risk factors for Alzheimer\u2019s disease. The state of hypercoagulability and the possession of these risk alleles appear to be compatible with the achievement of longevity and are not implied as risk factors in Alzheimer disease development

Genetics of circulating inflammatory proteins identifies drivers of immune-mediated disease risk and therapeutic targets

Circulating proteins have important functions in inflammation and a broad range of diseases. To identify genetic influences on inflammation-related proteins, we conducted a genome-wide protein quantitative trait locus (pQTL) study of 91 plasma proteins measured using the Olink Target platform in 14,824 participants. We identified 180 pQTLs (59 cis, 121 trans). Integration of pQTL data with eQTL and disease genome-wide association studies provided insight into pathogenesis, implicating lymphotoxin-alpha in multiple sclerosis. Using Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess causality in disease etiology, we identified both shared and distinct effects of specific proteins across immune-mediated diseases, including directionally discordant effects of CD40 on risk of rheumatoid arthritis versus multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. MR implicated CXCL5 in the etiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) and we show elevated gut CXCL5 transcript expression in patients with UC. These results identify targets of existing drugs and provide a powerful resource to facilitate future drug target prioritization. Here the authors identify genetic effectors of the level of inflammation-related plasma proteins and use Mendelian randomization to identify proteins that contribute to immune-mediated disease risk

Towards long-term standardised carbon and greenhouse gas observations for monitoring Europe's terrestrial ecosystems : a review

Research infrastructures play a key role in launching a new generation of integrated long-term, geographically distributed observation programmes designed to monitor climate change, better understand its impacts on global ecosystems, and evaluate possible mitigation and adaptation strategies. The pan-European Integrated Carbon Observation System combines carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG; CO2, CH4, N2O, H2O) observations within the atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystems and oceans. High-precision measurements are obtained using standardised methodologies, are centrally processed and openly available in a traceable and verifiable fashion in combination with detailed metadata. The Integrated Carbon Observation System ecosystem station network aims to sample climate and land-cover variability across Europe. In addition to GHG flux measurements, a large set of complementary data (including management practices, vegetation and soil characteristics) is collected to support the interpretation, spatial upscaling and modelling of observed ecosystem carbon and GHG dynamics. The applied sampling design was developed and formulated in protocols by the scientific community, representing a trade-off between an ideal dataset and practical feasibility. The use of open-access, high-quality and multi-level data products by different user communities is crucial for the Integrated Carbon Observation System in order to achieve its scientific potential and societal value.Peer reviewe