Gender Differences among Sardinians with Alcohol Use Disorder

Sardinia is an Italian island in the Mediterranean characterized by secular isolation and the singular genetic characteristics of its inhabitants. Findings obtained in populations with diverse genetic make-up and cultural background indicate gender differences and/or similarities in drinking characteristics of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Knowledge of these characteristics in AUD patients is useful to improve access to treatments. This paper investigated the drinking characteristics of 66 female and 282 male outpatients with AUD, born from 1937 to 1991, living in Sardinia, and compared their characteristics with those of AUD patients living in other countries. Most Sardinian patients were men, approximately 3 years younger than women; women consumed lower amounts of alcohol than men but did not differ from men in the severity of AUD. Men were more often single than women, while a higher proportion of women reported that their mother or spouse was affected by AUD. Anxiety and depression were more prevalent among women while a higher proportion of men were affected by substance use disorders. Women were older than men at the age of first drink, regular drinking, and onset of AUD, and progressed faster than men from regular use to AUD onset. Women did not differ from men in age at first request for care, and in the lapse from AUD onset to first request for care. Women and men waited for more than 8 and 9 years, respectively, before receiving medical treatment. Gender differences progressively decreased among younger patients. Although the scarce number of women in some cohorts limits the strength of these findings, drinking characteristics of Sardinian patients did not vary significantly from those of AUD patients living in other countries. These results suggest that the number of Sardinian women with AUD is increasing and services for treatment of AUD should (a) consider women’s specific needs, and (b) realize effective policies to reduce latency prior to accessing medical treatment for both men and women with AUD

Proteomic datasets of uninfected and Staphylococcus aureus-infected goat milk

We present a proteomic dataset generated from half-udder Alpine goat milk. The milk samples belonged to 3 groups: i) mid-lactation, low somatic cell count, uninfected milk (MLU, n=3); ii) late lactation, high somatic cell count, uninfected milk (LHU, n=3); and late lactation, high somatic cell count, Staphylococcus aureus subclinically infected milk (LHS, n=3). The detailed description of results is reported in the research article entitled \u201cImpact of Staphylococcus aureus infection on the late lactation goat milk proteome: new perspectives for monitoring and understanding mastitis in dairy goats\u201d. After milk defatting, high speed centrifugation and trypsin digestion of milk with the FASP protocol, peptide mixtures were analyzed by LC-MS/MS on a Q-Exactive. Peptide identification was carried out using Sequest-HT in Proteome Discoverer. Then, the Normalized Abundance Spectrum Factor (NSAF) value was calculated by label free quantitation using the spectral counting approach, and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation by Uniprot was carried out by reporting biological process, molecular function and cellular component. The MS data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange via the PRIDE with the dataset identifier PXD017243

A sharp incisor tool for predator house mice back to the wild

The house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus), as a successful invasive species worldwide, has to forage a variety of resources. Subantarctic mice display among the most notable diet shift from the usual omnivorous–granivorous diet, relying on a larger proportion of terrestrial animal prey. In agreement, a recent study of their mandible morphology evidenced an evolution of their mandible shape to optimize incisor biting and hence seize preys. Here, the incisors themselves are the focus of a morphometric analysis combined with a 3D study of their internal structure, aiming at a comparison between subantarctic populations (Guillou island, Kerguelen archipelago) with a range of western European continental, commensal mice. The predatory foraging behavior of Guillou mice was indeed associated with a sharper bevel of the lower incisor, which appears as an efficient morphology for piercing prey. The incisor of these mice also displays a reduced pulp cavity, suggesting slower eruption counterbalancing a reduced abrasion on such soft food material. The dynamics of the ever‐growing incisor may thus allow adaptive incisor sculpting and participate to the success of mice in foraging diverse resources

Impact of Staphylococcus aureus infection on the late lactation goat milk proteome: New perspectives for monitoring and understanding mastitis in dairy goats

The milk somatic cell count (SCC) is a standard parameter for monitoring intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy ruminants. In goats, however, the physiological increase in SCC occurring in late lactation heavily compromises its reliability. To identify and understand milk protein changes specifically related to IMI, we carried out a shotgun proteomics study comparing high SCC late lactation milk from goats with subclinical Staphylococcus aureus IMI and from healthy goats to low SCC mid-lactation milk from healthy goats. As a result, we detected 52 and 19 differential proteins (DPs) in S. aureus-infected and uninfected late lactation milk, respectively. Unexpectedly, one of the proteins higher in uninfected milk was serum amyloid A. On the other hand, 38 DPs were increased only in S. aureus-infected milk and included haptoglobin and numerous cytoskeletal proteins. Based on STRING analysis, the DPs unique to S. aureus infected milk were mainly involved in defense response, cytoskeleton organization, cell-to-cell, and cell-to-matrix interactions. Being tightly and specifically related to infectious/inflammatory processes, these proteins may hold promise as more reliable markers of IMI than SCC in late lactation goats. Significance: The biological relevance of our results lies in the increased understanding of the changes specifically related to bacterial infection of the goat udder in late lactation. The DPs present only in S. aureus infected milk may find application as markers for improving the specificity of subclinical mastitis monitoring and detection in dairy goats in late lactation, when other widespread tools such as the SCC lose diagnostic value

Migraine and gastrointestinal disorders in middle and old age: A UK Biobank study

Introduction: Migraine is a prevalent condition causing a substantial level of disability worldwide. Despite this, the pathophysiological mechanisms are not fully understood. Migraine often co-occurs with gastrointestinal disorders, but the direction of a potential causal link is unclear. The aim of this project was to investigate the associations between migraine and several gastrointestinal disorders in the same cohort in order to determine the relative strengths of these associations. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined whether migraine is associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), peptic ulcers, Helicobacter pylori (HP) infections, celiac disease, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Baseline data covering 489,753 UK Biobank participants (migraine group: n = 14,180) were analyzed using Pearson's chi-square tests and adjusted binary logistic regression models. Results: Migraine was significantly associated with IBS (odds ratio [OR] 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.08–2.40, p <.001) and peptic ulcers (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.35–1.77, p <.001). Migraine was not associated with HP infection (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.04–1.73, p =.024), celiac disease (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.04–1.60, p =.023), Crohn's disease (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.80–1.45, p =.617) or ulcerative colitis (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.79–1.27, p =.979) after adjusting for multiple testing. Conclusions: Migraine was associated with IBS and peptic ulcers in this large population-based cohort. The associations with HP infection, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis did not reach significance, suggesting a weaker link between migraine and autoimmune gastrointestinal conditions or HP infection

Unravelling the functional and technological potential of soy milk based microencapsulated Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus gasseri

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of microencapsulation with soy milk as a carrier, conducted by spray-drying, on three mixed cultures of functional vaginal lactobacilli, Lactobacillus crispatus (BC1, BC3, and BC4) and Lactobacillus gasseri BC9, that could be further exploited as an adjunct in health foods. The i) physicochemical properties (using scanning electronic microscopy), ii) viability of encapsulated bacteria over time, and iii) functional features of powders containing the encapsulated bacteria were characterised considering different storage conditions. All microbial mixtures exhibited high viability for 90 d of storage, regardless of the storage conditions. All microencapsulated microbial combinations, excluding L. crispatus BC3 + L. gasseri BC9, exhibited hydrophobicity values exceeding 60%. Moreover, regardless of the considered combination, the in vitro digestion results exhibited a more significant decrease in cell viability for non-encapsulated microbial combinations than that of the encapsulated strains

WSN hardware for automotive applications: Preliminary results for the case of public transportation

The ubiquitous nature and great potential of Wireless Sensors Network has not yet been fully exploited in automotive applications. This work deals with the choice of the cost-effective hardware required to face the challenges and issues proposed by the new trend in the development of intelligent transportation systems. With this aim, a preliminary WSN architecture is proposed. Several commercially available open-source platforms are compared and the Raspberry Pi stood out as a suitable and viable solution. The sensing layer is designed with two goals. Firstly, accelerometric, temperature, and relative humidity sensors were integrated on a dedicated PCB to test if mechanical or environmental stresses during bus rides could be harmful to the device or to its performances. The physical quantities are monitored automatically to alert the driver, thus improving the quality of service. Then, the rationale and functioning of the management and service layer is presented. The proposed cost-effective WSN node was employed and tested to transmit messages and videos, while investigating if any quantitative relationship exists between these operations and the environmental and operative conditions experienced by the hardware

Sistema di misura ottico non a contatto per tumori sottocutanei nei topi

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High leptin levels are associated with migraine with aura.

Background Migraine is a prevalent disorder characterised by recurrent headache attacks preceded or accompanied by aura in a subgroup of patients. Migraine often occurs together with major depressive disorder (MDD). Alterations of adipokine levels have been reported both in migraine and in MDD. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the associations between serum leptin and adiponectin levels and migraine or migraine subtypes. Analyses were adjusted for a lifetime history of MDD in order to investigate the association between adipokines and migraine under consideration of depression status. Methods We included 3025 participants from the CoLaus/PsyCoLaus study. The impact of leptin and adiponectin levels on a diagnosis of migraine was analysed by binary regression analyses, adjusting for variables known to influence adipokine levels. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on the presence of aura. Results Crude leptin levels were significantly higher in subjects with migraine than controls (Mann-Whitney U = 515,102, p = 6 × 10-7). When performing adjusted analyses, leptin levels were found to be significantly higher in subjects with migraine (odds ratio = 1.22, p = 0.024) and migraine with aura (odds ratio = 1.34, p = 0.004). Conclusion High leptin levels might play a role in the pathogenesis of migraine and migraine with aura