Unveiling the magnetic nature of chromospheric vortices

Context. Vortex structures in the Sun’s chromosphere are believed to channel energy between different layers of the solar atmosphere. Aims. We investigate the nature and dynamics of two small-scale quiet-Sun rotating structures in the chromosphere. Methods. We analysed two chromospheric structures that show clear rotational patterns in spectropolarimetric observations taken with the Interferometric Bidimensional Spectrometer at the Ca II 8542 Å line. Results. We present the detection of spectropolarimetric signals that manifest the magnetic nature of rotating structures in the chromosphere. Our observations show two long-lived structures of plasma that each rotate clockwise inside a 10 arcsec2 quiet-Sun region. Their circular polarisation signals are five to ten times above the noise level. Line-of-sight Doppler velocity and horizontal velocity maps from the observations reveal clear plasma flows at and around the two structures. A magnetohydrodynamics simulation shows these two structures are plausibly magnetically connected. Wave analysis suggests that the observed rotational vortex pattern could be due to a combination of slow actual rotation and a faster azimuthal phase speed pattern of a magnetoacoustic mode. Conclusions. Our results imply that the vortex structures observed in the Sun’s chromosphere are magnetic in nature and that they can be connected locally through the chromospher

Dispersal of Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus: the first case of long-distance relocation of an individual from France to Sicily.

Knowledge of juvenile dispersal is important for understanding population dynamics and for effective conservation, particularly of geographically isolated raptor populations. Here, we report the first documented case of a long-distance movement of an Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus from the French population to Sicily. This observation opens a new perspective for the conservation of the small and endangered Sicilian population of this species, providing evidence that persistence of the Italian population may be aided by new input from other countries

A genome-wide association study of breast and prostate cancer in the NHLBI's Framingham Heart Study

BACKGROUND: Breast and prostate cancer are two commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. Prior work suggests that cancer causing genes and cancer susceptibility genes can be identified. METHODS: We conducted a genome-wide association study (Affymetrix 100K SNP GeneChip) of cancer in the community-based Framingham Heart Study. We report on 2 cancer traits – prostate cancer and breast cancer – in up to 1335 participants from 330 families (54% women, mean entry age 33 years). Multivariable-adjusted residuals, computed using Cox proportional hazards models, were tested for association with qualifying SNPs (70, 987 autosomal SNPs with genotypic call rate ≥80%, minor allele frequency ≥10%, Hardy-Weinberg test p ≥ 0.001) using generalized estimating equations (GEE) models and family based association tests (FBAT). RESULTS: There were 58 women with breast cancer and 59 men with prostate cancer. No SNP associations attained genome-wide significance. The top SNP associations in GEE models for each trait were as follows: breast cancer, rs2075555, p = 8.0 × 10-8 in COL1A1; and prostate cancer, rs9311171, p = 1.75 × 10-6 in CTDSPL. In analysis of selected candidate cancer susceptibility genes, two MSR1 SNPs (rs9325782, GEE p = 0.008 and rs2410373, FBAT p = 0.021) were associated with prostate cancer and three ERBB4 SNPs (rs905883 GEE p = 0.0002, rs7564590 GEE p = 0.003, rs7558615 GEE p = 0.0078) were associated with breast cancer. The previously reported risk SNP for prostate cancer, rs1447295, was not included on the 100K chip. Results of cancer phenotype-genotype associations for all autosomal SNPs are web posted at. CONCLUSION: Although no association attained genome-wide significance, several interesting associations emerged for breast and prostate cancer. These findings can serve as a resource for replication in other populations to identify novel biologic pathways contributing to cancer susceptibility.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study (N01-HC-25195); National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources Shared Instrumentation grant (1S10RR163736-01A1

Associations between reliable changes in depression and changes in BMI, total body fatness and visceral adiposity during a 12-month weight loss trial.

We investigated associations between changes in depression and body composition over a 12-month weight loss trial. Of the 298 adults (BMI > 27 m/kg2), 219 with complete depression and body composition data were included. A 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale measured depression; dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured body composition. Multinomial logistic regression predicted reliable changes in depression by BMI, body fat (BF) and visceral adiposity (VAT). Multiplicative interaction terms tested modification by sex and ethnicity. Participants with increases in body composition were less likely to experience improvements in depression (BMI: RRR = 0.79 (0.68-0.91), p < 0.01; BF: RRR = 0.97 (0.94 - 0.99), p = 0.01; VAT: RRR = 0.99 (0.98-1.00), p = 0.02), but not worsening of depression (BMI: RRR = 1.29 (0.96-1.73), p = 0.10; BF: RRR = 1.04 (0.99-1.09), p = 0.15; VAT: RRR = 1.01 (1.00-1.03), p = 0.18). Sex and ethnicity interaction terms were not significant. However, the relationship was only significant among females, among non-Latinos for BMI and BF, and among Latinos for VAT. Our study supports the association between depression and obesity and highlights the need for longitudinal studies investigating VAT and depression in diverse ethnic groups

Eating and feeding disorders in pediatric age

Eating and feeding disorders are common in pediatric age and may be important to discover and recover the early symptoms in order to optimize the treatment and management

Motor skills in children with primary headache: A pilot case-control study

Background: Headache is the most common painful manifestation in the developmental age, often accompanied by severe disability such as scholastic absenteeism, low quality of academic performance and compromised emotional functioning. The aim of the study is to evaluate praxic abilities in a population of children without aural migraine. Materials and methods: The test population consists of 10 subjects without migraine without aura (MwA), (8 Males) (mean age 8.40, SD ± 1.17) and 11 healthy children (7 Males) (mean age 8.27; SD ± 1.10; p = 0.800). All subjects underwent evaluation of motor coordination skills through the Battery for Children Movement Assessment (M-ABC). Results: The two groups (10 MwA vs 11 Controls) were similar for age (8.40 ± 1.17 vs 8.27 ± 1.10; p = 0.800), sex (p = 0.730), and BMI (p = 0.204). The migraine subjects show an average worse performance than the Movement ABC; specifically, migraineurs show significantly higher total score values (31.00 ± 23.65 vs 4.72 ± 2.61; p = 0.001), manual dexterity (12.10 ± 11.20 vs 2.04 ± 2.65; p = 0.009) and balance (14.85 ± 10.08 vs. 1.04 ± 1.05; p <0.001). The mean percentile of migraine performance is significantly reduced compared to controls (9.00 ± 3.82 vs 51.00 ± 24.34, p <0.001) (Table 1). Conclusion: Migraine can alter many cognitive and executive functions such as motor skills in developmental age

Animals-assisted therapy: A brief review

In rehabilitative setting, the presence of animals can be considered as an important stimulus for verbal and social communication, and for mood regulation. Interaction with an animal is beneficial for children's development and numerous psychological tests have revealed that growing up with pets has a beneficial effect on children's self-esteem and self-confidence, can improve empathy, a sense of responsibility and cognitive development, as well as social status within the peer group

Visuospatial skills in children affected by primary nocturnal enuresis: Rehabilitative proposals

The sphincterial control problems in childhood are very common, with relevant comorbidities (i.e.: difficulty in academic performance, sleep disturbances, minor neurological signs) involved in the complex process of maturation and learning, such as to cause a great deal of discomfort and related disorders in affected subjects. Enuresis is characterized by the involuntary urination in the absence of a physical disorder, socially unacceptable in places and at one stage of life where such control is acquired by the majority of subjects (about 5 years). The present study aims to evaluate the visuospatial skills in children affected by primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE). 31 PMNE children (16 males and 15 females) (mean age 10.87, SD ± 1.68) and 61 healthy children (32 males, 29 females) (mean age 11.03, SD ± 1.85, p = 0687) were evaluated for visuomotor skills with the Visual-Motor Integration Scale (VMI). PMNE subjects show a worse performance on average to VMI, especially in the total visual-motor integration test. This finding emphasizes the importance of a framework for global and more complex than is commonly implemented, across the border but framing the subject of enuretic symptoms in a more global perspective