Age-related effects of exogenous melatonin on anxiety-like behavior in C57/B6J mice

The synthesis of melatonin (MLT) physiologically decreases during aging. Treatment with MLT has shown anxiolytic, hypnotic, and analgesic effects, but little is known about possible age-dependent differences in its efficacy. Therefore, we studied the effects of MLT (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) on anxiety-like behavior (open field (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPMT), three-chamber sociability, and marble-burying (MBT) tests), and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-dorsal hippocampus (dHippo) circuit in adolescent (35-40 days old) and adult (three-five months old) C57BL/6 male mice. MLT did not show any effect in adolescents in the OFT and EPMT. In adults, compared to vehicles, it decreased locomotor activity and time spent in the center of the arena in the OFT and time spent in the open arms in the EPMT. In the MBT, no MLT effects were observed in both age groups. In the three-chamber sociability test, MLT decreased sociability and social novelty in adults, while it increased sociability in adolescents. Using local field potential recordings, we found higher mPFC-dHippo synchronization in the delta and low-theta frequency ranges in adults but not in adolescents after MLT treatment. Here, we show age-dependent differences in the effects of MLT in anxiety paradigms and in the modulation of the mPFC-dHippo circuit, indicating that when investigating the pharmacology of the MLT system, age can significantly impact the study outcomes

UNA NUOVA STAZIONE A VULCANO PER IL MONITORAGGIO DEL FLUSSO DI CALORE DAL SUOLO

Una stazione per il monitoraggio delle variazioni del flusso di calore dal suolo è stata installata all’isola di Vulcano sul cono attivo di La Fossa, all’esterno del campo fumarolico di alta temperatura. La stazione misura i valori di temperatura del suolo a sei differenti profondità, lungo uno stesso profilo verticale. Le misure consentono di ottenere il gradiente di temperatura (°C/m) nel suolo ed il coefficiente di correlazione lineare (R2) delle temperature registrate lungo il profilo. Tali parametri (R2 e °C/m) consentono di determinare il flusso di calore nei periodi in cui la componente conduttiva è la principale forma di trasporto del calore. La stazione è stata progettata ed assemblata nel laboratorio di elettronica della sezione di Palermo dell’INGV e utilizza un programma di acquisizione ed un sistema di trasmissione interamente progettati e sviluppati dallo stesso personale. Dopo un primo periodo di osservazione dei dati e di verifiche tecniche la stazione, denominata Bordosud, è entrata nel sistema di monitoraggio geochimico dell’attività di Vulcano gestito dalle Sezione di Palermo dell’INGV. L’energia termica rilasciata da un sistema vulcanico è un parametro di primaria importanza per la sorveglianza dell’attività vulcanica. Durante i periodi intereruttivi, il calore rilasciato attraverso la circolazione dei fluidi idrotermali e l’energia termica associata all’emissione di vapore attraverso i campi fumarolici costituiscono una buona parte dell’energia totale rilasciata dal vulcano

A novel infrastructure for the continuous monitoring of soil CO2 emissions: a case study at the alto Tiberina near fault observatory in Italy

Static and dynamic stress, along with earthquakes, can trigger the emission and migration of crustal fluids, as frequently observed on the surface and within the upper crust of tectonically active areas such as the northern Apennines of Italy. To investigate the origin of these fluids and their interconnection with the seismogenic process, we complemented The Alto Tiberina Near Fault Observatory (TABOO-NFO), a multidisciplinary monitoring infrastructure composed of a dense array of seismic, geodetic, strain, and radon sensors, with a proper geochemical network grounded on four soil CO2 flux monitoring stations and weather sensors, placed near the main vents of the superficial manifestations. The TABOO-NFO is a state-of-the-art monitoring infrastructure, which allows for studying various geophysical parameters connected to the deformation processes active along a crustal fault system dominated by the Alto Tiberina fault (ATF), which is a 60 km long normal fault dipping at a low angle (<15°–20°). The region is favourable for conducting geochemical studies, as it is characterised by the presence of over-pressurised fluids trapped at certain depths and superficial manifestations associated with the emission of large quantities of fluids. After describing the theoretical framework and the technological aspects based on which we developed the geochemical monitoring network, we described the data recorded in the first months. Over the studied period, the results showed that soil CO2 flux was primarily influenced by environmental parameters, and that the selected sites received a regular supply of deep-origin CO2

Melatonin MT1 receptors as a target for the psychopharmacology of bipolar disorder: a translational study

The treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) still remains a challenge. Melatonin (MLT), acting through its two receptors MT1 and MT2, plays a key role in regulating circadian rhythms which are dysfunctional in BD. Using a translational approach, we examined the implication and potential of MT1 receptors in the pathophysiology and psychopharmacology of BD. We employed a murine model of the manic phase of BD (Clock mutant (ClockΔ19) mice) to study the activation of MT1 receptors by UCM871, a selective partial agonist, in behavioral pharmacology tests and in-vivo electrophysiology. We then performed a high-resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance study on isolated membranes to characterize the molecular mechanism of interaction of UCM871. Finally, in a cohort of BD patients, we investigated the link between clinical measures of BD and genetic variants located in the MT1 receptor and CLOCK genes. We demonstrated that: 1) UCM871 can revert behavioral and electrophysiological abnormalities of ClockΔ19 mice; 2) UCM871 promotes the activation state of MT1 receptors; 3) there is a significant association between the number of severe manic episodes and MLT levels, depending on the genetic configuration of the MT1 rs2165666 variant. Overall, this work lends support to the potentiality of MT1 receptors as target for the treatment of BD

Types of Corruption in Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) in Ibadan, Nigeria

Corruption is a phenomenon that manifests in various types and forms especially among operators of Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs). Many actions of the operators which constitute corrupt practices often tend to be overlooked in spite of their grave consequences for the success SMEs in Nigeria. The fight against corruption in Nigeria is more concentrated in the formal sector. This study was, therefore, designed to investigate various forms in which corrupt practices are carried out among Small and Micro Enterprises in Ibadan, Nigeria. Business owners, their employees, apprentices and consumers constituted the study population. Primary data were collected using questionnaire administered on 200 business owners, 150 employees and 150 apprentices randomly chosen in five business districts in Ibadan; and the conduct of 10 in-depth interviews with purposively selected participants. Quantitative data were analysed at uni-variate level using simple percentages and frequencies while qualitative data were content analysed. Findings from the study revealed that corrupt practices were rampant among actors in SMEs and the common types of corrupt practices included stealing (60%), deception of customers (78.4%), tax evasion (62%), sale of fake products (76%), sale of expired products (65.2%), tampering with measurement scales (69.6%), bribery (82.4%), and poor service delivery (73%). The study concludes that the level of corruption in SMEs calls for concern and government should extend the fight against corruption to the informal sector in Nigeria

Off-label long acting injectable antipsychotics in real-world clinical practice: a cross-sectional analysis of prescriptive patterns from the STAR Network DEPOT study

Introduction Information on the off-label use of Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in the real world is lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients treated with on- vs off-label LAIs and predictors of off-label First- or Second-Generation Antipsychotic (FGA vs. SGA) LAI choice in everyday clinical practice. Method In a naturalistic national cohort of 449 patients who initiated LAI treatment in the STAR Network Depot Study, two groups were identified based on off- or on-label prescriptions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test several clinically relevant variables and identify those associated with the choice of FGA vs SGA prescription in the off-label group. Results SGA LAIs were more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, without significant differences in their on- and off-label use. Approximately 1 in 4 patients received an off-label prescription. In the off-label group, the most frequent diagnoses were bipolar disorder (67.5%) or any personality disorder (23.7%). FGA vs SGA LAI choice was significantly associated with BPRS thought disorder (OR = 1.22, CI95% 1.04 to 1.43, p = 0.015) and hostility/suspiciousness (OR = 0.83, CI95% 0.71 to 0.97, p = 0.017) dimensions. The likelihood of receiving an SGA LAI grew steadily with the increase of the BPRS thought disturbance score. Conversely, a preference towards prescribing an FGA was observed with higher scores at the BPRS hostility/suspiciousness subscale. Conclusion Our study is the first to identify predictors of FGA vs SGA choice in patients treated with off-label LAI antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex, and substance/alcohol use co-morbidities did not appear to influence the choice towards FGAs or SGAs. Despite a lack of evidence, clinicians tend to favour FGA over SGA LAIs in bipolar or personality disorder patients with relevant hostility. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment adherence and clinical effectiveness of these prescriptive patterns