Heart rate variability and the relationship between trauma exposure age, and psychopathology in a post-conflict setting

BACKGROUND: Cumulative exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) increases risk for mental distress in conflict-affected settings, but the psychophysiological mechanisms that mediate this dose-response relationship are unknown. We investigated diminished heart rate variability (HRV) - an index of vagus nerve function and a robust predictor of emotion regulation capacity - as a vulnerability marker that potentially mediates the association between PTE exposure, age and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological distress and aggressive behavior, in a community sample from Timor-Leste - a post-conflict country with a history of mass violence. METHOD: Resting state heart rate data was recorded from 45 cases of PTSD, depression and intermittent explosive disorder (IED); and 29 non-case controls. RESULTS: Resting HRV was significantly reduced in the combined case group compared with non-cases (p = .021; Cohen's d = 0.5). A significant mediation effect was also observed, whereby a sequence of increased age, reduced HRV and elevated PTSD symptoms mediated the association between PTE exposure and distress (B = .06, SE = .05, 95% CI = [.00-.217]) and aggression (B = .02, SE = .02, 95% CI = [.0003-.069])). CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate an association between diminished resting HRV and psychopathology. Moreover, age-related HRV reductions emerged as a potential psychophysiological mechanism that underlies enhanced vulnerability to distress and aggression following cumulative PTE exposure

Typification of the name Edraianthus siculus (Campanulaceae), endemic species from S-Italy

Edraianthus (Candolle 1830: 130) Candolle (1839: 149) (Campanulaceae Juss.) is a genus of 10–14 species with a centre of distribution in the Balkans, while disjunctions occur in the central and southern Apennines (peninsular Italy), Sicily, and the southern Carpathians (Stefanović et al. 2008). Four species complexes were recognized by Stefanović et al. (2008) and Surina et al. (2009), i.e. “E. tenuifoliuscomplex”, “E. pumilio-complex”, “E. serpyllifolius-complex”, and “E. graminifolius-complex”. The same authors (Stefanović et al. l.c., and Surina et al. l.c.) highlighted the existence of multiple lineages within the current delimitation of Edraianthus graminifolius (Linnaeus 1753: 268) Candolle (1839: 448) s.l. Campanula graminifolia L. [basionym of Edraianthus. graminifolius subsp. graminifolius], the only Linnaean name currently included within Edraianthus, was recently typified by Ferrer-Gallego (2019) who proposed a lectotype (a Barrelier’s image) and an epitype deposited at BEOU (“Campo Imperatore-La Fornaca, Lakušić & Conti s.n., BEOU9637!”). The other subspecies currently accepted, i.e. Campanula graminifolia subsp. siculus (Strobl 1883: 551) Candolle (1839: 448), has not yet been typified and it is here investigated as part of the project Italian Loci Classici Census (see e.g., Peruzzi et al. 2019), and of a line of research developed in the last decade by the Herbarium Flaminio (HFLA, Sapienza University of Rome) that is focused on the amphiadriatic floristic component of the Apennine-Balkan montane dry grasslands (e.g., Di Pietro et al. 2013, 2017, Iamonico et al. 2017)

A taxonomic revision of the Siler montanum group (Apiaceae) in Italy and the Balkan Peninsula

Abstract: A morphometric-based taxonomic revision of the Siler montanum group (Apiaceae) from Italy and the Balkan Peninsula was carried out. Multivariate and univariate analyses were performed on 47 morphological characters including seven ratios, and based on the study of 328 dried herbarium specimens. According to our results, the characters employed in the study revealed their suitability as key characters for the examined taxa. A taxonomic treatment was presented and a new diagnostic key to the S. montanum group is also provided for Italy and Balkan Peninsula. Ten taxa were recognized within the group, and among them three new subspecies were described: S. montanum subsp. apuanum, S. montanum subsp. corrasianum and S. montanum subsp. ogliastrinum. Furthermore, three new combinations were proposed: S. zernyi subsp. laeve, S. zernyi subsp. ochridanum and S. montanum subsp. stabianum. Six names were lectotypified: Laserpitium garganicum var. balcanicum, L. garganicum var. laeve, L. garganicum var. scabrum, L. siculum var. stabianum, L. siler var. ovalifolium and Ligusticum garganicum. Occurrences were confirmed for Siler zernyi subsp. zernyi in Greece and S. zernyi subsp. laeve in North Macedonia. Occurrences were excluded for S. montanum subsp. garganicum in Greece and North Macedonia and S. montanum subsp. siculum in C and S Italy. Citation: Conti F., Bartolucci F., Bacchetta G., Pennesi R., Lakušić D. & Niketić M. 2021: A taxonomic revision of the Siler montanum group (Apiaceae) in Italy and the Balkan Peninsula.-Willdenowia 51: 321-347. Version of record first published online on 16 November 2021 ahead of inclusion in December 2021 issue

Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes on some names of Sesleria sect. Argenteae (Poaceae) from Italy and the Balkans

Several names belonging to the Sesleria sect. Argenteae (Poaceae) were discussed in this paper and, where necessary, typified. Lectotypes were designated for the names Sesleria nitida var. brevidentata, S. nitida var. intermedia, S. nitida var. tenoreana f. macrostachya, and S. nitida var. tenoreana f. visianii. Neotypes were designated for the names Sesleria nitida var. tenoreana s.s. and S. nitida var. de-gasperiana. Synonyms were proposed for the following names (accepted names in brackets): S. feretrana (= S. italica), S. italica subsp. mariculensis (= S. italica), S. nitida var. brevidentata (= S. vaginalis), S. nitida var. candae (= S. italica), S. nitida var. intermedia (= S. robusta), S. nitida var. tenoreana f. visianii (= S. italica), and S. nitida var. tenoreana f. macrostachya (= S. italica). As regards Sesleria nitida var. de-gasperiana and S. nitida var. sancti-marinii, they were confirmed as synonyms of S. pichiana. Due to the extremely limited number of herbarium specimens available, we could not confirm the taxonomic autonomy of S. nitida var. pulchella (basionym of the taxon currently accepted as S. pulchella) and consider it as a preliminary synonym of Sesleria italica

Essential oil and its systematic significance in species of Micromeria Bentham from Serbia & Montenegro

The composition and quantity of the essential oil of Micromeria allowed us to clearly distinguish between sections Pseudomelissa and Eumicromeria. According to our results the species of section Pseudomelissa (M. thymifolia, M. albanica, M. dalmatica and M. pulegium) contained a large quantity of oil (>0.5%) dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes of the menthane type, while the species of section Eumicromeria (M. croatica, M. juliana, M. cristata and M. parviflora) had a small quantity of essential oil (<0.5%) dominated by various terpene compounds. 0.5% of essential oil is defined like boundary value on the basis of the lowest quantity of essential oil measured in populations of species of section Pseudomelissa. © Springer-Verlag 2005

Chemical Composition, Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil from Aerial Parts of Chaerophyllum aromaticum

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Chaerophyllum aromaticum L. was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by lipoxygenase inhibition assay. Antioxidant activity was tested by DPPH method. Antimicrobial activity was carried out using microdilution method against seven bacteria and one fungus. The yield of light yellow-coloured essential oil was 1.1 % Eighteen compounds were identified in oil of the aerial parts representing 99.2 % of the C. aromaticum oil. Sabinene (28.1 %), terpinolene (16.7 %) and gamma-terpinene (16.1 %) were characterized as the main compounds. The oil exhibited remarkable anti-inflammatory activity with an IC50, value of 63.62 +/- 1.26 mu g/ml. The oil at a concentration of 20 mg/mL inhibited DPPH radical by 2.06 %. The oil exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 (MIC: 156 mu g/ml) and Sepidermidis ATCC 12228 (MIC: 625 mu g/ml). The results showed that C. aromaticum essential oil was rich in monoterpene compounds and had moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus strains as well as having significant anti-inflammatory activity

Temporal Changes in Incidence Rates of the Most Common Gynecological Cancers in the Female Population in Central Serbia

Background and Objectives: There were 1,335,503 newly diagnosed cases of the most common gynecological cancers in women (cervical, uterine and ovarian cancer) worldwide in 2020. The main objective of this paper was to assess temporal changes in incidence rates of the most common gynecological cancers and to determine the age group with the greatest increase in incidence in the Serbian female population in the period 2003–2018. Material and Methods: Trends and annual percentage change (APC) of the incidence rate with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by Joinpoint regression analysis. The trend was considered to be significantly increasing (positive change) or decreasing (negative change) when the p-value was below 0.05 (p Results: The total number of newly registered cancer cases from 2003 to 2018 was 35,799. There was a significant increase of age standardized rate (ASR) for all cancer incidences in women from 2012 to 2018 with APC 6.9% (95% CI from 0.9 to 13.3, p = 0.028) and for uterine cancer during the 2014–2018 period with APC of 16.8% (95% CI: from 4.0 to 31.1, p = 0.014), as well as for ovarian cancer incidence in the 2012–2018 period with APC of 12.1% (95% CI: from 6.7 to 17.8, p p = 0.887) and a non-significant increase of ASRs incidence from 2015 to 2018 with APC of 14.21% (95% CI: from −13.3 to 50.5, p = 0.311). The most common gynecological cancers were present in all age groups and only ovarian cancer was registered in the youngest age group (0–4 years). Cervical cancer showed a typical increase after the age of 30, with peak incidence in women aged 40–44 and 65–69 years. The increased incidence trend regarding age for cervical cancer (y = 1.3966x + 0.3765, R2 = 0.3395), uterine cancer (y = 1.7963x − 5.4688, R2 = 0.5063) and ovarian cancer (y = 1.0791x − 0.8245, R2 = 0.5317) is statistically significant. Conclusion: Based on our presented results, a significant increase of incidence trend for the most common gynecological cancers in the Serbian female population from 2012 to 2018 was determined. There has been a significant increase in the incidence of uterine cancer from 2014 up to 2018, as well as for ovarian cancer from 2012 up to 2018, while cervical cancer showed a non-significant decrease of incidence trend from 2003 until 2015 and then a non-significant increase. In women below 20 years of age, ovarian cancer was significantly more prevalent, while cervical cancer was significantly more prevalent in the age groups 20–39 and 40–59 years. In the age group of 60–79, uterine cancer had a significantly higher incidence than the other two cancers. Measures of primary prevention, such as vaccination of children against Human Papilloma Virus and screening measures of secondary prevention, for the female population aged 25 to 64 years of age are needed, as well as educating females about healthy lifestyles via media and social networks to help prevent the most common gynecological cancers