Migraine and cluster headache show impaired neurosteroids patterns

Background: Perturbation of neuronal excitability contributes to migraine. Neurosteroids modulate the activity of γ-aminobutyric acid A and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors, and might be involved in the pathogenesis of migraine. Here, we measured plasma levels of four neurosteroids, i.e., allopregnanolone, epiallopregnanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone and deydroepiandrosterone sulfate, in patients affected by episodic migraine, chronic migraine, or cluster headache. Methods: Nineteen female patients affected by episodic migraine, 51 female patients affected by chronic migraine, and 18 male patients affected by cluster headache were recruited to the study. Sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects (31 females and 16 males) were also recruited. Patients were clinically characterized by using validated questionnaires. Plasma neurosteroid levels were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results: We found disease-specific changes in neurosteroid levels in our study groups. For example, allopregnanolone levels were significantly increased in episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients than in control subjects, whereas they were reduced in patients affected by cluster headache. Dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels were reduced in patients affected by chronic migraine, but did not change in patients affected by cluster headache. Conclusion: We have shown for the first time that large and disease-specific changes in circulating neurosteroid levels are associated with chronic headache disorders, raising the interesting possibility that fluctuations of neurosteroids at their site of action might shape the natural course of migraine and cluster headache. Whether the observed changes in neurosteroids are genetically determined or rather result from exposure to environmental or intrinsic stressors is unknown. This might also be matter for further investigation because stress is a known triggering factor for headache attacks in both migraineurs and cluster headache patients

A first assessment of genetic variability in the longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Italian Apennines

The Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is a strictly protected saproxylic beetle, widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe and mainly associated with ancient beech forests. To improve knowledge about the conservation status of R. alpina in Italy, available molecular markers (microsatellites and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I(COI)) were tested for the first time on Italian populations. The study was performed in four sampling sites distributed in two areas placed in Northern (“Foreste Casentinesi” National Park) and Central Apennines (“Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise” National Park) where populational data about Rosalia longicorn were collected in the framework of the European LIFE MIPP Project. The genetic relationship among Apennine and Central/South-eastern European populations was explored by a comparison with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data from literature. Microsatellite markers were only partially informative when applied to R. alpina Italian individuals, although providing some preliminary indication on an extensive gene flow among populations from the Apennines and local ongoing processes of genetic erosion. Genetic data are consistent with previous ecological data suggesting that the maintenance of variability in this species could be related to both habitat continuity and preservation of large senescent or standing dead trees in forests. Finally, a peculiar origin of the Apennine populations of R. alpina from a putative “Glacial Refugium” in Italy was inferred through COI data. The high genetic distance scored among the analysed populations and those from Central and South-eastern Europe indicates that the R. alpina deme from Apennine Mountains might represent a relevant conservation unit in Europe. Further genetic analyses will allow assessing other possible conservation units of R. alpina and, thus, defining large-scale conservation strategies to protect this endangered longhorn beetle in Europe

Flexibilidade comportamental de um grupo de macacos-prego (Cebus libidinosus) no Parque Nacional de Brasília (Brasil): conseqüências da convivência com os visitantes

Increasing urbanization and deforestation have enhanced the opportunities of contact between humans and monkeys and the impact of human activities on primate behavior is receiving growing attention. This study explores whether activity budgets and diet of a group of capuchin monkeys (Cebus libidinosus) inhabiting the area of the swimming pools of the National Park of Brasília is affected by the presence of visitors providing food to them. During one year, both in the dry and the wet seasons, we scored capuchins' behavior via scan sampling every ten minutes. Results showed that this group spent less time foraging for wild foods than other comparable groups living in similar habitats. Moreover, capuchins relied more on human food during the dry season, when pulpy fruits were less available, than in the wet season. Our findings confirm other studies on different monkey species that have shown that access to human food decreases the time spent foraging for wild food and the home range size. They also show that capuchins are able to modify their diet, to exploit alternative food sources, and to change their activity budget in response to the availability of new food opportunities and to seasonal food availability.Recentemente, o impacto de atividades humanas sobre o comportamento de primatas tem recebido maior importância dado o crescente desmatamento e urbanização, que têm favorecido o aumento do contato entre humanos e macacos. O presente estudo descreve os padrões de atividade e a dieta de um grupo de macacos-prego (Cebus libidinosus) que vive no Parque Nacional de Brasília. O Parque é freqüentado diariamente por visitantes, de modo que os animais estão habituados à presença humana, bem como ao consumo de itens de sua dieta. Observações comportamentais do grupo foram realizadas ao longo de um ano, compreendendo a estação seca e a chuvosa, utilizando-se registro de varredura a cada 10 minutos. Resultados obtidos indicaram que o grupo despendeu menos tempo forrageando itens naturais do que outros grupos vivendo em habitats similares. Além disso, durante a estação seca, quando há menor disponibilidade dos frutos de polpa, os macacos-prego alimentaram-se mais de itens da dieta humana como uma fonte alternativa de recurso. Como demonstrado em estudos anteriores realizados com outras espécies de macacos, a alimentação baseada em itens da dieta humana pareceu diminuir a motivação dos animais para forragear no seu habitat natural, assim como promoveu a redução do tempo gasto no forrageamento e a redução de sua área de uso. Nossos resultados indicaram ainda que o consumo de comida humana reflete o caráter adaptável dos animais em explorar fontes alternativas de recurso, bem como a sua habilidade em modificar a sua dieta e padrões de comportamento face às mudanças ambientais

Organic enrichment can increase the impact of microplastics on meiofaunal assemblages in tropical beach systems

The cumulative impact of microplastic and organic enrichment is still largely unknown. Here, we investigated the microplastic contamination, the organic enrichment and their effects on meiofaunal distribution and diversity in two islands of the Maldivian archipelago: one more pristine, and another strongly anthropized. Field studies were coupled with manipulative experiments in which microplastic polymers were added to sediments from the non-anthropized island (i.e., without organic enrichment) to assess the relative effect of microplastic pollution on meiofauna assemblages. Our results reveal that the impact of microplastic contamination on meiofaunal abundance and taxa richness was more significant in the anthropized island, which was also characterized by a significant organic enrichment. Meiofauna exposed experimentally to microplastic contamination showed: i) the increased abundance of opportunistic nematodes and copepods and ii) a shift in the trophic structure, increasing relevance in epistrate-feeder nematodes. Based on all these results, we argue that the coexistence of chronic organic enrichment and microplastics can significantly increase the ecological impacts on meiofaunal assemblages. Since microplastic pollution in the oceans is predicted to increase in the next decades, its negative effects on benthic biodiversity and functioning of tropical ecosystems are expected to worsen especially when coupled with human-induced eutrophication. Urgent actions and management plans are needed to avoid the cumulative impact of microplastic and organic enrichment

Evidence that muscle cells do not express the histidine-rich glycoprotein associated with AMP deaminase but can internalise the plasma protein

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is synthesized by liver and is present at relatively high concentration in the plasma of vertebrates. We have previously described the association of a HRG-like molecule to purified rabbit skeletal muscle AMP deaminase (AMPD). We also provided the first evidence for the presence of a HRG-like protein in human skeletal muscle where a positive correlation between HRG content and total determined AMPD activity has been shown. In the present paper we investigate the origin of skeletal muscle HRG. The screening of a human skeletal muscle cDNA expression library using an anti-HRG antibody failed to reveal any positive clone. The RT-PCR analysis, performed on human skeletal muscle RNA as well as on RNA from the rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cell line, failed to show any mRNA specific for the plasma HRG or for the putative muscle variant. When the RD cells were incubated with human plasma HRG, a time-dependent increase of the HRG immunoreactivity was detected both at the plasma membrane level and intracellularly. The internalisation of HRG was inhibited by the addition of heparin. The above data strongly suggest that skeletal muscle cells do not synthesize the muscle variant of HRG but instead can actively internalise it from plasma

Conceptual design of electron beam diagnostics for high brightness plasma accelerator

A design study of the diagnostics of a high brightness linac, based on X-band structures, and a plasma accelerator stage, has been delivered in the framework of the EuPRAXIA@SPARC_LAB project. In this paper, we present a conceptual design of the proposed diagnostics, using state of the art systems and new and under development devices. Single shot measurements are preferable for plasma accelerated beams, including emittance, while $\mu$m level and fs scale beam size and bunch length respectively are requested. The needed to separate the driver pulse (both laser or beam) from the witness accelerated bunch imposes additional constrains for the diagnostics. We plan to use betatron radiation for the emittance measurement just at the end of the plasma booster, while other single-shot methods must be proven before to be implemented. Longitudinal measurements, being in any case not trivial for the fs level bunch length, seem to have already a wider range of possibilities

Modeling population dynamics of Anoda cristata in a glyphosate-resistant soybean crop under different management systems

ABSTRACT A computer simulation model was developed to describe Anoda cristata (L.) Schlecht seedbank dynamics in soybeans. The model considers different weed management strategies: absence of control, control with the recommended rate and with glyphosate at half the recommended rate, and two soybean row spacings (35 and 70 cm). The model was evaluated using data from previous experiments obtained for four consecutive years. The model accurately reproduced the seedbank dynamics. The seedbank decreased more in weed management strategies without seed production. In absence of control, the seedbank reached an equilibrium density. When seeds were produced every year, the model output was more sensitive to changes in the rate of predation; but without seed production, seed mortality was the most important process. Simulation demonstrated that long-term eradication may occur with continuous use of glyphosate at the recommended rate or with the combination of soybean at 35 cm between rows and glyphosate at half the recommended rate

Accounting for the growth of observation stays in the assessment of Medicare\u27s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program

IMPORTANCE: Decreases in 30-day readmissions following the implementation of the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) have occurred against the backdrop of increasing hospital observation stay use, yet observation stays are not captured in readmission measures. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the HRRP was associated with decreases in 30-day readmissions after accounting for observation stays. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study included a 20% sample of inpatient admissions and observation stays among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2015. Data analysis was performed from November 2021 to June 2022. A differences-in-differences analysis assessed changes in 30-day readmissions after the announcement of the HRRP and implementation of penalties for target conditions (heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia) vs nontarget conditions under scenarios that excluded and included observation stays. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Thirty-day inpatient admissions and observation stays. RESULTS: The study included 8 944 295 hospitalizations (mean [SD] age, 78.7 [8.2] years; 58.6% were female; 1.3% Asian; 10.0% Black; 2.0% Hispanic; 0.5% North American Native; 85.0% White; and 1.2% other or unknown). Observation stays increased from 2.3% to 4.4% (91.3% relative increase) of index hospitalizations among target conditions and 14.1% to 21.3% (51.1% relative increase) of index hospitalizations for nontarget conditions. Readmission rates decreased significantly after the announcement of the HRRP and returned to baseline by the time penalties were implemented for both target and nontarget conditions regardless of whether observation stays were included. When only inpatient hospitalizations were counted, decreasing readmissions accrued into a -1.48 percentage point (95% CI, -1.65 to -1.31 percentage points) absolute reduction in readmission rates by the postpenalty period for target conditions and -1.13 percentage point (95% CI, -1.30 to -0.96 percentage points) absolute reduction in readmission rates by the postpenalty period for nontarget conditions. This reduction corresponded to a statistically significant differential change of -0.35 percentage points (95% CI, -0.59 to -0.11 percentage points). Accounting for observation stays more than halved the absolute decrease in readmission rates for target conditions (-0.66 percentage points; 95% CI, -0.83 to -0.49 percentage points). Nontarget conditions showed an overall greater decrease during the same period (-0.76 percentage points; 95% CI, -0.92 to -0.59 percentage points), corresponding to a differential change in readmission rates of 0.10 percentage points (95% CI, -0.14 to 0.33 percentage points) that was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this study suggest that the reduction of readmissions associated with the implementation of the HRRP was smaller than originally reported. More than half of the decrease in readmissions for target conditions appears to be attributable to the reclassification of inpatient admission to observation stays