Clinical Aspects of Melatonin Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease Progression

Melatonin secretion decreases in Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and this decrease has been postulated as responsible for the circadian disorganization, decrease in sleep efficiency and impaired cognitive function seen in those patients. Half of severely ill AD patients develop chronobiological day-night rhythm disturbances like an agitated behavior during the evening hours (so-called “sundowning”). Melatonin replacement has been shown effective to treat sundowning and other sleep wake disorders in AD patients. The antioxidant, mitochondrial and antiamyloidogenic effects of melatonin indicate its potentiality to interfere with the onset of the disease. This is of particularly importance in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an etiologically heterogeneous syndrome that precedes dementia. The aim of this manuscript was to assess published evidence of the efficacy of melatonin to treat AD and MCI patients. PubMed was searched using Entrez for articles including clinical trials and published up to 15 January 2010. Search terms were “Alzheimer” and “melatonin”. Full publications were obtained and references were checked for additional material where appropriate. Only clinical studies with empirical treatment data were reviewed. The analysis of published evidence made it possible to postulate melatonin as a useful ad-on therapeutic tool in MCI. In the case of AD, larger randomized controlled trials are necessary to yield evidence of effectiveness (i.e. clinical and subjective relevance) before melatonin´s use can be advocated

Sleep hygiene impacts on episodic memories in young and older adults during quarantine by Covid-19: preliminary results

Sleep benefits off-line memory consolidation. Due to quarantine by Covid-19, sleep routines and sleep quality were affected. Preliminary results from our Lab showed that episodic memory formation is impaired by emotional variables, such as anxiety and depression. We hypothesize that sleep hygiene during quarantine positively impacts memory processes and emotional variables. To test this, we perform a 21-day study. Young and older participants were trained on the episodic memory task (video of neutral content). On day 7 they were tested and half of them began a sleep hygiene program. On day 14, participants were trained in a new episodic task and were tested on day 21. We found that young and older adults that received the sleep hygiene treatment had a positive impact on memory performance. Furthermore, older adults had better performance in memory recognition than young adults independently of the hygiene treatment. Moreover, older adults that received the sleep hygiene treatment showed a positive correlation between the total amount of sleep hygiene activities and the amount of correct recognition as well as a negative correlation with false recognition. We did not found a significant effect on emotional variables. These results demonstrate that sleep hygiene can be an effective tool for young and older adults to improve memory, however one-week treatment is not enough to induce emotional improvements.Fil: Tassone, Leonela Magali. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Moyano, Malen Daiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Solferino, C.. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Feldberg, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Neurociencias Buenos Aires S. A.; ArgentinaFil: Tartaglini, Maria Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Neurociencias Buenos Aires S. A.; ArgentinaFil: Brusco, I.. Centro de Neuropsiquiatría y Neurología de la Conducta; ArgentinaFil: Forcato, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaXXXV Annual Meeting of the Argentinian Society for Neuroscience ResearchCiudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencia

Analysis of the DNA methylation pattern of the promoter region of calcitonin gene-related peptide 1 gene in patients with episodic migraine: An exploratory case-control study

Recent studies suggested that epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, may be involved in migraine pathogenesis. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), encoded by calcitonin gene-related peptide 1 (CALCA) gene, plays a key role in the disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate DNA methylation of CALCA gene in patients with episodic migraine. 22 patients with episodic migraine (F/M 15/7, mean age 39.7 ± 13.4 years) and 20 controls (F/M 12/8, mean age 40.5 ± 14.8 years) were recruited. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Cytosine-to-thymine conversion was obtained with sodium bisulfite. The methylation pattern of two CpG islands in the promoter region of CALCA gene was analyzed. No difference of methylation of the 30 CpG sites at the distal region of CALCA promoter was observed between migraineurs and controls. Interestingly, in patients with episodic migraine the methylation level was lower in 2 CpG sites at the proximal promoter region (CpG −1461, p = 0.037, and −1415, p = 0.035, respectively). Furthermore, DNA methylation level at different CpG sites correlates with several clinical characteristics of the disease, as age at onset, presence of nausea/vomiting, depression and anxiety (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we found that DNA methylation profile in two CpG sites at the proximal promoter region of CALCA is lower in migraineurs when compared to controls. Intriguingly, the −1415 hypomethylated unit is located at the CREB binding site, a nuclear transcription factor. In addition, we found a correlation between the level of CALCA methylation and several clinical features of migraine. Further studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm these results

Evolution of innovation policy in Emilia-Romagna and Valencia: Similar reality, similar results?

This is an author's accepted manuscript of an article published in: “European Planning Studies"; Volume 22, Issue 11, 2014; copyright Taylor & Francis; available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2013.831398[EN] This paper examines the evolution of regional innovation policy in Emilia-Romagna and Valencia, two regions with similar economic features that implemented close innovation policies in the 1970s and 1980s. We investigate whether their similarities have led to parallel targets, policy tools and governance developments. We show that innovation policy in both regions suffered from the effects of privatization, budget constraints and changes to manufacturing during the 1990s and we highlight the consequences. Although Emilia-Romagna experienced deeper changes to its innovation policy, privatizations and/or the replacement of public funds promoted commercial approaches and induced market failures in both regions. The worst effects of these policies were the implementation of less-risky innovation projects, the shift towards extraregional projects and markets, and the favouring of large firms.López Estornell, M.; Barberá Tomás, JD.; Garcia Reche, A.; Mas Verdú, F. (2013). Evolution of innovation policy in Emilia-Romagna and Valencia: Similar reality, similar results?. European Planning Studies. 22(11):2287-2304. doi:10.1080/09654313.2013.831398S22872304221

High frequency of ribosomal protein gene deletions in Italian Diamond-Blackfan anemia patients detected by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay

Diamond-Blackfan anemia is an autosomal dominant disease due to mutations in nine ribosomal protein encoding genes. Because most mutations are loss of function and detected by direct sequencing of coding exons, we reasoned that part of the approximately 50% mutation negative patients may have carried a copy number variant of ribosomal protein genes. As a proof of concept, we designed a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay targeted to screen the six genes that are most frequently mutated in Diamond-Blackfan anemia patients: RPS17, RPS19, RPS26, RPL5, RPL11, and RPL35A. Using this assay we showed that deletions represent approximately 20% of all mutations. The combination of sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis of these six genes allows the genetic characterization of approximately 65% of patients, showing that Diamond-Blackfan anemia is indisputably a ribosomopathy

El puzzle de grupos: una alternativa a la exposición magistral para el aprendizaje activo de técnicas experimentales con herbicidas

Se presenta la implementación y evaluación de una experiencia educativa basada en la técnica del “puzzle de grupos”, como una alternativa a la exposición magistral. La finalidad de la actividad fue favorecer el aprendizaje activo, mediante la aplicación de contenidos conceptuales a una situación concreta, en sustitución de la recepción pasiva por parte de los estudiantes de información trasmitida por el docente. El tema fue “Técnicas experimentales con herbicidas”, dentro de un curso de Terapéutica Vegetal de la carrera de ingeniero agrónomo. Los estudiantes debieron efectuar propuestas de experimentos para determinar el grado de eficacia de herbicidas en el control de malezas y fitotoxicidad a un cultivo. La actividad se desarrolló con la siguiente secuencia: 1) conformación de los grupos básicos; 2) presentación del tema; 3) Rescate de conocimientos previos; 4) profundización de los contenidos de bajo orden; 5) elaboración de propuestas en los grupos básicos; 6) presentaciones plenarias y discusión. La evaluación de los aprendizajes se efectuó a través de las producciones grupales y las correspondientes fundamentaciones. La actividad se valoró por medio de observaciones no participantes de dos docentes, b) el diario del docente responsable, c) una encuesta semi-estructurada a los estudiantes y d) una encuesta no estructurada diferida a los estudiantes. Por medio de estos instrumentos y agentes informantes se efectuó la triangulación. Se obtuvieron muy buenos niveles de aprendizaje, alto grado de satisfacción en los participantes e importante sugerencias de mejora. Se concluyó que la propuesta desarrollada constituyó una excelente alternativa a la exposición magistral.Eje temático 2: Los cambios e innovaciones en los procesos de formación a - Alternativas didácticas y experiencias de renovación de la enseñanzaFacultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales (FCAF