Sleep quality in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

Objective To assess the sleep quality in primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) patients and evaluate its relationship with the disease, quality of life and mood disorders. Methods The sleep quality of 29 pSS women and 29 matched controls was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Seven domains are grouped according to three factors: F1 perceived sleep quality (subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, use of sleeping medication), F2 sleep efficiency (sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency) and F3 daily disturbances (sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction). These domains are scored as a single factor of global sleep quality. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) fatigue scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were also administered. Disease activity and damage were evaluated with the EULAR Sjögren’s syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI), the Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity and Damage Indexes (SSDAI, SSDDI). Results The mean PSQI global score had higher pathological values (8.6±4.6) compared with controls (5.6±2.2) (p=0.002). F1 and F3 were significantly worse in cases (p=0.01, p=0.009). A negative correlation was found between SF-36 subscales and the global PSQI, F2 and F3. The anxiety HADS correlated with F2 and F3, while depression only with F3. No correlation with FACIT and disease indexes emerged. Conclusion Using PSQI, an impaired sleep quality was demonstrated in pSS patients, especially with perceived quality and the daily disturbances. It is associated with a reduced quality of life but not with disease-related variables.Objective To assess the sleep quality in primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) patients and evaluate its relationship with the disease, quality of life and mood disorders. Methods The sleep quality of 29 pSS women and 29 matched controls was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Seven domains are grouped according to three factors: F1 perceived sleep quality (subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, use of sleeping medication), F2 sleep efficiency (sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency) and F3 daily disturbances (sleep disturbances, daytime dysfunction). These domains are scored as a single factor of global sleep quality. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) fatigue scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were also administered. Disease activity and damage were evaluated with the EULAR Sjögren’s syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI), the Sjögren’s Syndrome Disease Activity and Damage Indexes (SSDAI, SSDDI). Results The mean PSQI global score had higher pathological values (8.6±4.6) compared with controls (5.6±2.2) (p=0.002). F1 and F3 were significantly worse in cases (p=0.01, p=0.009). A negative correlation was found between SF-36 subscales and the global PSQI, F2 and F3. The anxiety HADS correlated with F2 and F3, while depression only with F3. No correlation with FACIT and disease indexes emerged. Conclusion Using PSQI, an impaired sleep quality was demonstrated in pSS patients, especially with perceived quality and the daily disturbances. It is associated with a reduced quality of life but not with disease-related variables

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Flavanones from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (licorice) Leaf Phytocomplexes: Identification of Licoflavanone as a Modulator of NF-kB/MAPK Pathway

Inflammation represents an adaptive response generated by injuries or harmful stimuli. Natural remedies represent an interesting alternative to traditional therapies, involving several biochemical pathways. Besides, the valorization of agrochemical wastes nowadays seems to be a feasible way to reduce the health spending and improve the accessibility at bioactive natural compounds. In this context, the chemical composition of three Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (licorice) leaf extracts, obtained through maceration or ultrasound-assisted method (fresh and dried leaves) was investigated. A guided fractionation obtained three main components: pinocembrin, glabranin and licoflavanone. All the extracts showed similar antioxidant properties, evaluated by 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) or 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) Diammonium Salt (ABTS) assay, while, among the isolated compounds, licoflavanone exhibited the best antioxidant activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts and the purified compounds was investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. Extract C and licoflavanone showed a good anti-inflammatory activity without affecting cell viability, as they decreased nitrite levels even when used at 12.5 μg/mL (p < 0.005) and 50 μM concentration (p < 0.001), respectively. Interestingly, licoflavanone markedly decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase 2/inducible nitric oxide synthase (COX-2/iNOS) expression levels (p < 0.001). A modulation of nuclear factor kappa B/mitogen-activated protein kinases (NF-kB/MAPK) pathway underlay such behavior, highlighting the potential of this natural compound as a new scaffold in anti-inflammatory drug research

Effect of Ferric Sodium EDTA administration, in combination with vitamin C, folic acid, copper gluconate, zinc gluconate and selenomethionine, on cardiovascular risk evaluation: exploration of the HRV frequency domain

diseases. Using the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis is possible to provide an evaluation of the safety and the effectiveness of intervention. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ferric Sodium EDTA in combination with vitamin C, folic acid, copper gluconate, zinc gluconate and selenomethionine (Ferachel forte®) 2 tabs/day for 24 days in elderly patients with secondary anaemia, by exploring the HRV frequency domain. Methods: In 45 elderly patients with secondary anaemia and/or low-moderate kidney failure, laboratory values after administration of Ferric Sodium EDTA, 2 tabs a day, in combination with vitamin C, folic acid, copper gluconate, zinc gluconate and selenomethionine (Ferachel forte®) for 24 days (N=16 patients) or ferrous gluconate 63 mg/day added to saline solution, administered using intravenous access during the hospitalization period of 15 ± 5 days (N=29 patients) were evaluated. Also, ECG signals and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) were measured. Results: Oral iron supplementation with Ferric Sodium EDTA, in combination with vitamin C, folic acid, copper gluconate, zinc gluconate and selenomethionine (Ferachel forte®) confirmed to be effective and safe about the cardiovascular risk in old patients. This study showed the real superiority of the oral administration about the cardiovascular risk in elderly patients in comparison with intravenous administration of ferrous gluconate. Conclusion: This study confirms that Ferric Sodium EDTA combination (Ferachel forte®) can be a valid alternative to ferrous gluconate intravenous therapy (gold standard) in the treatment of secondary anaemia in elderly patients. In fact, during the treatment, efficacy results have been maintained without statistically significant variations about cardiovascular risk, evaluated by exploring the HRV frequency domain

Noise Induced Phenomena in the Dynamics of Two Competing Species

Noise through its interaction with the nonlinearity of the living systems can give rise to counter-intuitive phenomena. In this paper we shortly review noise induced effects in different ecosystems, in which two populations compete for the same resources. We also present new results on spatial patterns of two populations, while modeling real distributions of anchovies and sardines. The transient dynamics of these ecosystems are analyzed through generalized Lotka-Volterra equations in the presence of multiplicative noise, which models the interaction between the species and the environment. We find noise induced phenomena such as quasi-deterministic oscillations, stochastic resonance, noise delayed extinction, and noise induced pattern formation. In addition, our theoretical results are validated with experimental findings. Specifically the results, obtained by a coupled map lattice model, well reproduce the spatial distributions of anchovies and sardines, observed in a marine ecosystem. Moreover, the experimental dynamical behavior of two competing bacterial populations in a meat product and the probability distribution at long times of one of them are well reproduced by a stochastic microbial predictive model.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures; to be published in Math. Model. Nat. Phenom. (2016

Geopedologia e a sua influência sobre espécies arbóreas em florestas fluviais.

A recuperação de florestas fluviais compreende uma série de ações, sendo a primeira identificar a unidade fitogeográfica em que se está trabalhando. Na seqüência, a bacia hidrográfica deve ser compartimentada geopedologicamente, buscando identificar suas características hidrodinâmicas e, sobretudo, relacionar essas com os diversos padrões de leitos de rio, os quais possuem feições geomórficas distintas, ocupadas por diferentes tipos de solos. Em seguida, há a necessidade de se reconhecer como as espécies vegetais estão inseridas nesse contexto ambiental. Isso pode ser feito valendo-se de estudos que relacionem a fitossociologia às classes de solos, identificando a distribuição das espécies vegetais aos tipos de solos. Após a obtenção dessas informações e, com uma noção mais precisa do número necessário de indivíduos a ser produzido, além das informações fenológicas das mesmas, pode ser procedida a coleta de sementes. Essas ações irão garantir uma maior racionalização da operação. O procedimento de compartimentação geopedológica aqui proposto foi usado para segmentar a bacia hidrográfica do rio Itajaí em seis segmentos, havendo a indicação de espécies de acordo com o grau de saturação hídrica dos solos identificados na planície deste rio. Três categorias distintas de espécies (mesófilas, higrófilas e hidrófilas) são apontadas neste trabalho como potenciais para a recuperação de ambientes fluviais, todas em concordância com os padrões de solos identificados ao longo da Bacia.bitstream/CNPF-2009-09/40966/1/doc135.pd