Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) Grows Slower and Smaller in the Adriatic Sea: New Insights from a Comparison of Two Populations with a Time Interval of 30 Years

Nowadays, overexploitation and climate change are among the major threats to fish production all over the world. In this study, we focused our attention on the Adriatic Sea (AS), a shallow semi-enclosed sub-basin showing the highest exploitation level and warming trend over the last decades within the Mediterranean Sea. We investigated the life history traits and population dynamics of the cold-water species whiting (Merlangius merlangus, Gadidae) 30 years apart, which is one of the main commercial species in the Northern AS. The AS represents its southern limit of distribution, in accordance with the thermal preference of this cold-water species. Fish samples were collected monthly using a commercial bottom trawl within the periods 1990–1991 and 2020–2021. The historical comparison highlighted a recent reduction in large specimens (>25 cm total length, TL), which was not associated with trunked age structures, therefore indicating a decrease in growth performance over a period of 30 years (L∞90–91 = 29.5 cm TL; L∞20–21 = 22.8 cm TL). The current size at first sexual maturity was achieved within the first year of life, at around 16 cm TL for males and 17 cm TL for females. In the AS, whiting spawns in batches from December to March, showing a reproductive investment (gonadosomatic index) one order of magnitude higher in females than in males. Potential fecundity (F) ranged from 46,144 to 424,298, with it being heavily dependent on fish size. We hypothesize that the decreased growth performance might be related to a metabolic constraint, possibly related to the increased temperature and its consequences. Moreover, considering the detrimental effects of size reduction on reproductive potential, these findings suggest a potential endangerment situation for the long-term maintenance of whiting and cold-related species in the AS, which should be accounted for in setting management strategies

Suppressive efficacy by a commercially available blue lens on PPR in 610 photosensitive epilepsy patients

PURPOSE: Photosensitivity can represent a serious problem in epilepsy patients, also because pharmacologic treatment is often ineffective. Nonpharmacologic treatment using blue sunglasses is effective and safe in controlling photosensitivity, but large series of patients have never been studied. METHODS: This multicenter study was conducted in 12 epilepsy centers in northern, central, southern, and insular Italy. A commercially available lens, named Z1, obtained in a previous trial, was used to test consecutively enrolled pediatric and adult epilepsy patients with photosensitivity. Only type 4 photosensitivity (photoparoxysmal response, PPR) was considered in the study. A standardized method was used for photostimulation. RESULTS: Six hundred ten epilepsy patients were tested. Four hundred (66%) were female patients; 396 (65%) were younger than 14 years. Three hundred eighty-one (62%) subjects were pharmacologically treated at the time of investigation. Z1 lenses made PPR disappear in 463 (75.9%) patients, and PPR was considerably reduced in an additional 109 (17.9%) of them. PPR remained unchanged only in the remaining 38 (6.2%) patients. The response of PPR to Z1 lenses was not significantly influenced by the patients' age, sex, or type of epilepsy. No difference was found between pharmacologically treated and untreated patients. CONCLUSIONS: The Z1 lens is highly effective in controlling PPR in a very large number of photosensitive epilepsy patients irrespective of their epilepsy or antiepileptic drug treatment. The lens might become a valid resource in the daily activity of any clinician who cares for patients with epileps

An educational campaign about epilepsy among Italian primary school teachers. 2. The results of a focused training program.

A cohort of 582 Italian primary school teachers underwent a questionnaire survey to test their knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy and verify whether an intensive and focused educational program could result in improvement of knowledge and attitudes. The program consisted of a presentation of the clinical manifestations of epilepsy and the distribution of informative brochures and an educational kit on the disease and its management to be used with their students. After several months, 317 teachers were retested using the same questions. Upon retest, the number of "don't know" answers decreased significantly for almost all questions. This was not the case for negative attitudes. The same holds true for teachers believing that epilepsy is a source of learning disability and social disadvantage. These findings support the beliefs that education on epilepsy is more likely to affect ignorance than prejudice and that stronger interventions are needed to counteract stigmatizing behaviors

An educational campaign toward epilepsy among Italian primary school teachers: 1. Survey on knowledge and attitudes.

A questionnaire survey was undertaken to assess the impact of a nationwide educational campaign about epilepsy on the knowledge and attitudes toward the disease among Italian primary school teachers. Five hundred and eighty-two teachers participated. All interviewees were aware of the existence of epilepsy, and most of them had direct experience with the disease. Answers about frequency, causes, outcome, and response to treatments were variable and not correlated with age, residency, and years of experience. Teachers had positive attitudes toward epilepsy, except for the idea that driving and sports can be safe for people with epilepsy. Epilepsy and its treatment were considered a source of learning disability and social disadvantages. Several teachers declared themselves being unable to help a child having seizures. Calling an ambulance was a frequent action. Knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy are improved compared with those reported in our previous studies. Although this may be a positive reflection of the increasing knowledge and the greater availability of information on epilepsy, there are still areas of uncertainty and incorrect behaviors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Exon-disrupting deletions of NRXN1 in idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Neurexins are neuronal adhesion molecules located in the presynaptic terminal, where they interact with postsynaptic neuroligins to form a transsynaptic complex required for efficient neurotransmission in the brain. Recently, deletions and point mutations of the neurexin 1 (NRXN1) gene have been associated with a broad spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate if NRXN1 deletions also increase the risk of idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs). METHODS: We screened for deletions involving the NRXN1 gene in 1,569 patients with IGE and 6,201 controls using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays. KEY FINDINGS: We identified exon-disrupting deletions of NRXN1 in 5 of 1,569 patients with IGE and 2 of 6,201 control individuals (p = 0.0049; odds ratio (OR) 9.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.92-51.12). A complex familial segregation pattern in the IGE families was observed, suggesting that heterozygous NRXN1 deletions are susceptibility variants. Intriguingly, we identified a second large copy number variant in three of five index patients, supporting an involvement of heterogeneous susceptibility alleles in the etiology of IGE. SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that exon-disrupting deletions of NRXN1 represent a genetic risk factor in the genetically complex predisposition of common IGE syndromes