MONOAMINE OXIDASE A (MAOA), CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, ALCOHOLISM AND AGGRESSION

Women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA) have an increased risk of alcoholism and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Among males, a functional polymorphism (MAOA-LPR, monoamine oxidase A linked polymorphic region) in the promoter region of the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) appears to moderate the effect of childhood maltreatment on antisocial behavior. Our aim was to test whether MAOA-LPR influences the impact of CSA on alcoholism and ASPD in a sample of 291 women, 50% of whom have experienced CSA; we also tested whether haplotypes covering the region where both MAOA and monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) genes are located predict risk of alcoholism and ASPD better than the MAOA-LPR locus alone. Participants included 168 alcoholics (39 with ASPD [antisocial alcoholics]) and 123 controls (no Alcoholics, no ASPD). Antisocial behavior was also modeled as a continuous trait: ASPD symptoms count. The MAOA-LPR low activity allele was associated with alcoholism (p=0.005), particularly antisocial alcoholism (p=0.00009), only among sexually-abused subjects. Sexually-abused women who were homozygous for the low activity allele had higher rates of alcoholism and ASPD, and more ASPD symptoms, than abused women homozygous for the high activity allele. Heterozygous women displayed an intermediate risk pattern. In contrast, there was no relationship between alcoholism/antisocial behavior and MAOA-LPR genotype among non-abused women. The MAOA-LPR low activity allele was found on three different haplotypes. The most abundant MAOA haplotype containing the MAOA-LPR low activity allele was found in excess among alcoholics (p=0.008) and antisocial alcoholics (p=0.001). Finally, a MAOB haplotype, that we termed haplotype C, was significantly associated with alcoholism (p=0.006), and to a lesser extent with antisocial alcoholism (p=0.03). In conclusions, MAOA seems to moderate the impact of childhood trauma on adult psychopathology in females in the same way as previously shown among males. The MAOA-LPR low activity allele appears to confer increased vulnerability to the adverse psychosocial consequences of CSA. Haplotype-based analysis of the MAOA gene appeared to strengthen the association, as compared to the MAOA-LPR locus alone. A MAOB haplotype was associated with alcoholism independently from ASPD

Biogenic Amines Content of Four Types of "Pecorino" Cheese Manufactured in Tuscany

Biogenic amines content of four types of Tuscan ewes' milk "pecorino" cheese was evaluated using HPLC-UV analysis. All cheeses were manufactured in the same dairy factory with different combinations of milk (raw or pasteurized) and type of ripening. Total biogenic amines and tyramine levels of a raw milk "pecorino" ripened five months, partly in a traditional cave, were significantly higher than those of a pasteurized milk "pecorino" with a similar ripening; and of a two months raw milk "pecorino" ripened in the dairy plant. No statistical significant difference was found when comparing total biogenic amines and tyramine contents of the same five month ripened raw milk "pecorino" with a pasteurized milk "pecorino" ripened six months, partly in a traditional "fossa." In raw milk cave-ripened and "fossa"-ripened cheeses, total biogenic amines exceeded 1000 mg/kg. In cheeses manufactured with raw milk and/or in particular ripening environments, specific hygienic cares are needed to limit biogenic amines form..

Physiological vortices in the sinuses of Valsalva: An in vitro approach for bio-prosthetic valves

Purpose: The physiological flow dynamicswithintheValsalvasinuses,intermsofglobalandlocal parameters,arestillnotfullyunderstood.Thisstudyattemptstoidentifythephysiologicalconditionsas closely aspossible,andtogiveanexplanationofthedifferentandsometimecontradictoryresultsin literature. Methods: An in vitro approach wasimplementedfortestingporcinebio-prostheticvalvesoperating within differentaorticrootconfigurations. Alltestswereperformedonapulseduplicator,underphy- siological pressureand flow conditions.The fluid dynamicsestablishedinthevariouscaseswereana- lysedbymeansof2DParticleImageVelocimetry,andrelatedwiththeachievedhydrodynamicperfor- mance. Results: Each configuration isassociatedwithsubstantiallydifferent flowdynamics,whichsignificantly affects thevalveperformance.Theconfiguration mostcloselyreplicatinghealthynativeanatomywas characterisedbythebesthemodynamicperformance,andanymismatchinsizeandpositionbetween the valveandtherootproducedsubstantialmodification ofthe fluid dynamicsdownstreamofthevalve, hindering thehydrodynamicperformanceofthesystem.Theworstconditionswereobservedfora configuration characterisedbythetotalabsenceoftheValsalvasinuses. Conclusion: This studyprovidesanexplanationforthedifferentvorticalstructuresdescribedinthelit- eraturedownstreamofbioprostheticvalves,enlighteningtheexperimentalcomplicationsinvalve testing. Mostimportantly,theresultsclearlyidentifythe fluid mechanismspromotedbytheValsalva sinuses toenhancetheejectionandclosingphases,andthisstudyexposestheimportanceofanoptimal integrationofthevalveandroot,tooperateasasinglesystem

Newer antipsychotics and the rabbit syndrome

doi:10.1186/1745-0179-3

The role of anxiety symptoms in school performance in a community sample of children and adolescents

Anxiety symptoms are relatively common among children and adolescents and can interfere with functioning. The prevalence of anxiety and the relationship between anxiety and school performance were examined among elementary, middle, and high school students

Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) recommended CMR protocols for scanning patients with active or convalescent phase COVID-19 infection

The aim of this document is to provide specific recommendations on the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) protocols in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. In patients without COVID-19, standard CMR protocols should be used based on clinical indication as usual. Protocols used in patients who have known / suspected active COVID-19 or post COVID-19 should be performed based on the specific clinical question with an emphasis on cardiac function and myocardial tissue characterization. Short and dedicated protocols are recommended

A magnetar giant flare in the nearby starburst galaxy M82

Giant flares, short explosive events releasing up to 10$^{47}$ erg of energy in the gamma-ray band in less than one second, are the most spectacular manifestation of magnetars, young neutron stars powered by a very strong magnetic field, 10$^{14-15}$ G in the magnetosphere and possibly higher in the star interior. The rate of occurrence of these rare flares is poorly constrained, as only three have been seen from three different magnetars in the Milky Way and in the Large Magellanic Cloud in about 50 years since the beginning of gamma-ray astronomy. This sample can be enlarged by the discovery of extragalactic events, since for a fraction of a second giant flares reach peak luminosities above 10$^{46}$ erg/s, which makes them visible by current instruments up to a few tens of Mpc. However, at these distances they appear similar to, and difficult to distinguish from, regular short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The latter are much more energetic events, 10$^{50-53}$ erg, produced by compact binary mergers and originating at much larger distances. Indeed, only a few short GRBs have been proposed, with different levels of confidence, as magnetar giant flare candidates in nearby galaxies. Here we report the discovery of a short GRB positionally coincident with the central region of the starburst galaxy M82. Its spectral and timing properties, together with the limits on its X-ray and optical counterparts obtained a few hours after the event and the lack of an associated gravitational wave signal, qualify with high confidence this event as a giant flare from a magnetar in M82.Comment: Submitted version. New figures. Accepted for publication in Nature with minor modification

Potential of a multiparametric optical sensor for determining in situ the maturity components of red and white vitis vinifera wine grapes

A non-destructive fluorescence-based technique for evaluating Vitis vinifera L. grape maturity using a portable sensor (Multiplex ®) is presented. It provides indices of anthocyanins and chlorophyll in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese red grapes and of flavonols and chlorophyll in Vermentino white grapes. The good exponential relationship between the anthocyanin index and the actual anthocyanin content determined by wet chemistry was used to estimate grape anthocyanins from in field sensor data during ripening. Marked differences were found in the kinetics and the amount of anthocyanins between cultivars and between seasons. A sensor-driven mapping of the anthocyanin content in the grapes, expressed as g/kg fresh weight, was performed on a 7-ha vineyard planted with Sangiovese. In the Vermentino, the flavonol index was favorably correlated to the actual content of berry skin flavonols determined by means of HPLC analysis of skin extracts. It was used to make a non-destructive estimate of the evolution in the flavonol concentration in grape berry samplings. The chlorophyll index was inversely correlated in linear manner to the total soluble solids (°Brix): it could, therefore, be used as a new index of technological maturity. The fluorescence sensor (Multiplex) possesses a high potential for representing an important innovative tool for controlling grape maturity in precision viticulture

Rationale and design of an independent randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of aripiprazole or haloperidol in combination with clozapine for treatment-resistant schizophrenia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>One third to two thirds of people with schizophrenia have persistent psychotic symptoms despite clozapine treatment. Under real-world circumstances, the need to provide effective therapeutic interventions to patients who do not have an optimal response to clozapine has been cited as the most common reason for simultaneously prescribing a second antipsychotic drug in combination treatment strategies. In a clinical area where the pressing need of providing therapeutic answers has progressively increased the occurrence of antipsychotic polypharmacy, despite the lack of robust evidence of its efficacy, we sought to implement a pre-planned protocol where two alternative therapeutic answers are systematically provided and evaluated within the context of a pragmatic, multicentre, independent randomised study.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The principal clinical question to be answered by the present project is the relative efficacy and tolerability of combination treatment with clozapine plus aripiprazole compared with combination treatment with clozapine plus haloperidol in patients with an incomplete response to treatment with clozapine over an appropriate period of time. This project is a prospective, multicentre, randomized, parallel-group, superiority trial that follow patients over a period of 12 months. Withdrawal from allocated treatment within 3 months is the primary outcome.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The implementation of the protocol presented here shows that it is possible to create a network of community psychiatric services that accept the idea of using their everyday clinical practice to produce randomised knowledge. The employed pragmatic attitude allowed to randomly allocate more than 100 individuals, which means that this study is the largest antipsychotic combination trial conducted so far in Western countries. We expect that the current project, by generating evidence on whether it is clinically useful to combine clozapine with aripiprazole rather than with haloperidol, provides physicians with a solid evidence base to be directly applied in the routine care of patients with schizophrenia.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p><b>Clincaltrials.gov Identifier</b>: NCT00395915</p