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Objective: To describe a case of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) with an atypical cognitive profile. Method: A 41-year-old PTLDS patient underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing and psychological assessment. Results: The patient exhibited impaired intensive attention but preserved selective attention. Executive functions were normal. Short-term and anterograde memory were intact, while retrograde and semantic memory were significantly impaired. The patient also experienced identity loss, specific phobias, dissociative symptoms, and depressed mood. Conclusions: Severe episodic-autobiographical and retrograde semantic amnesia was consistent with some reports of dissociative amnesia. Loss of identity and phobias were also highly suggestive of a psychogenic mechanism underlying amnesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Respiratory disorders remain incompletely described in multiple sclerosis (MS), even though they are a frequent cause of death. Methods: The objective was to describe respiratory disorders in MS patients with Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) ⩾ 6.5. Diaphragm dysfunction was defined by at least two of the seven criteria: clinical signs, inspiratory recruitment of neck muscles during wakefulness, reduced upright vital capacity (VC) < 80%, upright-to-supine VC ⩾ 15% of upright VC, decrease in Maximal Inspiratory Pressure < 60%, phasic activation of inspiratory neck muscles during sleep, and opposition of thoracic and abdominal movements during sleep. Cough weakness was defined by a peak cough flow < 270 L/min and/or need for cough assist. Sleep apnea syndrome was defined by an apnea–hypopnea index ⩾ 15. Results: Notably, 71 MS patients were included: median age 54 [48, 61] years; median disease duration 21.4 [16.0, 31.4] years. Of these, 52 patients had one or more respiratory disorders; diaphragm dysfunction was the most frequent (n = 34). Patients with diaphragm dysfunction and cough weakness were more disabled. The fatigue score and the cognitive evaluations did not differ between the groups. Five patients required non-invasive ventilation. Conclusion: Respiratory disorders are frequent in severe MS, mostly diaphragm dysfunction. Of interest, instrumental interventions are available to address these disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River bifurcations are constituent components of multi-thread fluvial systems, playing a crucial role in their morphodynamic evolution and the partitioning of water and sediment. Although many studies have been directed at exploring bifurcation dynamics, the conditions under which avulsions occur, resulting in the complete abandonment of one branch, are still not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, we develop a novel 1D numerical model based on existing nodal point relations for sediment partitioning, which allows for the simulation of the morphodynamic evolution of a free bifurcation. Model results show that when the discharge asymmetry is so high that the shoaling branch does not transport sediments (partial avulsion conditions) the dominant branch undergoes significant degradation, leading to a higher inlet step between the bifurcates and further amplifying the discharge asymmetry. The degree of asymmetry is found to increase with the length of the downstream channels to the point that when they are sufficiently long, the shoaling branch is completely abandoned (full avulsion conditions). To complement our numerical findings, we also formulate a new analytical model that is able to reproduce the essential characteristics of the partial avulsion equilibrium, which enables us to identify the key parameters that control the transition between different configurations. In summary, this research sheds light on the fundamental processes that drive avulsion through the abandonment of river bifurcations. The insights gained from this study provide a foundation for further investigations and may offer valuable information for the design of sustainable river restoration projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineered grafts constitute an alternative to autologous transplant for repairing severe peripheral nerve injuries. However, current clinically available solutions have substantial limitations and are not suited for the repair of long nerve defects. A novel design of nerve conduit is presented here, which consists of a chitosan porous matrix embedding a 3D‐printed poly‐ε‐caprolactone mesh. These materials are selected due to their high biocompatibility, safe degradability, and ability to support the nerve regeneration process. The proposed design allows high control over geometrical features, pores morphology, compression resistance, and bending stiffness, yielding tunable and easy‐to‐manipulate grafts. The conduits are tested in chronic animal experiments, aiming to repair a 15‐mm long gap in the sciatic nerve of rats, and the results are compared with an autograft. Electrophysiological and nociception tests performed monthly during a 4‐month follow‐up show that these conduits allow a good degree of muscle functional recovery. Histological analyses show abundant cellularization in the wall and in the lumen of the conduits and regenerated axons within all rats treated with these grafts. It is suggested that the proposed conduits have the potential to repair nerves over the limiting gap length and can be proposed as strategy to overcome the limitations of autograft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroinformatics is a research field that focusses on software tools capable of identifying, analysing, modelling, organising and sharing multiscale neuroscience data. Neuroinformatics has exploded in the last two decades with the emergence of the Big Data phenomenon, characterised by the so‐called 3Vs (volume, velocity and variety), which provided neuroscientists with an improved ability to acquire and process data faster and more cheaply thanks to technical improvements in clinical, genomic and radiological technologies. This situation has led to a 'data deluge', as neuroscientists can routinely collect more study data in a few days than they could in a year just a decade ago. To address this phenomenon, several neuroimaging‐focussed neuroinformatics platforms have emerged, funded by national or transnational agencies, with the following goals: (i) development of tools for archiving and organising analytical data (XNAT, REDCap and LabKey); (ii) development of data‐driven models evolving from reductionist approaches to multidimensional models (RIN, IVN, HBD, EuroPOND, E‐DADS and GAAIN BRAIN); and (iii) development of e‐infrastructures to provide sufficient computational power and storage resources (neuGRID, HBP‐EBRAINS, LONI and CONP). Although the scenario is still fragmented, there are technological and economical attempts at both national and international levels to introduce high standards for open and Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) neuroscience worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and characterization of a multi-dipolar microwave electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) hydrogen plasma reactor are presented. In this configuration, 16 ECR sources are disposed uniformly along the azimuthal direction at a constant distance from the center of a cylindrical reactor. Several plasma diagnostics have been used to determine key parameters such as neutral species temperature; electron density and temperature; and H+, H2+, and H3+ ion energy distributions. The experimental characterization is supported by electromagnetic and magnetostatic field simulations as well as Particle In-Cell Monte Carlo Collisions simulations to analyze the observed ion energy distribution functions. Especially, we show that both electron density and temperature are spatially uniform, i.e., 1011 cm−3 and 3 eV, respectively. This plasma enables generating ion flux and energy in the ranges 1019–1022 ions m−2 s−1 and few keVs, respectively. The H2+ ion distribution function shows two populations which were attributed to surface effects. These features make this reactor particularly suitable for studying hydrogen plasma surface interaction under controlled conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to alter the distribution of flow discharge in rivers worldwide. We study the impact of climate‐driven flow changes on the shape of riverbed, and specifically on alternate bars, large deposits of gravel/sand that often form in rivers. We consider the illustrative example of the Alpine Rhine River, showing two nearby reaches with similar hydro‐morphological characteristics, but different channel width. Hydrological projections are obtained from literature, while the evolution of alternate bars is predicted through a novel, semi‐analytical model. Results show a remarkably different behavior of the two reaches: the upstream one, being wide enough for a full development of alternate bars, is resistant to flow alterations; the downstream reach, whose width is close to threshold conditions, is highly susceptible to future changes, showing a strong tendency to increase bar prominence. These findings reflect a general tendency of near‐threshold geomorphic systems to be vulnerable to anthropic stressors. Plain Language Summary: The worldwide alteration of the river flow induced by climate change is likely to significantly impact the bed morphology of embanked rivers, which is often characterized by the presence of alternate bars, namely repetitive sequences of large sediment deposits and scour zones. Bar formation is both a major issue for river management (due to local erosion at instream structures and increase of flood risk), and an important resource for sustaining biodiversity, because bar morphology templates rich habitats for river fauna and vegetation. We analyze the effect of climate change on river bars by considering existing state‐of‐the‐art projections of future flow discharge, and by implementing a mathematical model suitable to perform long‐term simulations, while keeping the essential ingredients to reproduce bar dynamics. Model results reveal a very different adaptation of the riverbed to climate change: relatively wide reaches are expected to maintain the current alternate bar characteristics, while reaches whose width is close to a critical threshold value are likely to experience a remarkable alteration in the next decades, which provides a noteworthy example of how near‐threshold geomorphic systems may be highly sensitive to climate change. Key Points: Climate‐driven changes of hydrological regime can have a significant impact on bar morphologyThe formation of alternate bars in channelized rivers is promoted by a decrease of frequency of high flowsSensitivity of bar morphology to climatic stressors depends on how far the river width is from the key morphodynamic threshold value [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definition: This entry overviews the pioneering experimental studies exploiting eye movement data to investigate language processing in real time. After examining how vision and language were found to be closely related, herein focus the discussion on the evolution of eye-tracking methodologies to investigate children's language development. To conclude, herein provide some insights about the use of eye-tracking technology for research purposes, focusing on data collection and data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Volunteers' participation in scientific research has increased in recent decades. Citizen science (CS) data have been used in quantitative ecology to analyse species ranges by means of species distribution models. We investigated the Italian distribution of five large saproxylic beetles (big five), to describe their niche space, paramount areas for their conservation, and conservation gaps. Methods. CS data from two projects, climate and environmental variables were used to produce Habitat suitability (HS) maps for each species and averaged HS maps. The big five's conservation status was assessed interpolating HS maps with the distribution of protected areas, concomitantly identifying conservation gaps. Results. The pre-alpine and Apennines arcs, north-eastern Sicily and eastern Sardinia, were identified as conservation's hotspots. Ranking HS levels from minimum to optimal, the extent of conservation gaps decreases as environmental suitability for the big five increases. Conclusions. For the first time in Italy, CS data have been used to investigate niche space of the largest protected saproxylic beetles and analyse the distribution of their suitable habitat. The resulting HS raster maps and vector layers, reporting HS value in all Italian protected areas (n° 3771), were provided and discussed, reporting an application example for conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric materials are a class of compounds that is gaining increasing interest in various applications such as energy harvesting. During the last decade, lead-free ZnSnO3 perovskite ceramic has gained attention among the scientific community thanks to its unique symmetry-dependent and spontaneous polarization properties such as piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity. Nevertheless, only a few studies successfully prepared pure ZnSnO3, while most seem to mislead the product for its hydroxide precursor (ZnSn(OH)6) or a mixture of Zn2SnO4 and SnO2. In our work, we investigated the conversion of ZnSn(OH)6 at different temperatures (500, 600, 700, 750 and 800 °C) by X-ray powder diffraction analysis, and in-situ using synchrotron radiation up to 950 °C under ambient atmosphere and in a vacuum, to reproduce conventional reaction conditions. SEM and TEM have been used to understand the evolution of the particle shape and surface structure before and after the thermal treatments. Our results show the instability of the ZnSn(OH)6 phase, which converts into an amorphous structure at low temperature. Above 750 °C, the material segregates into Zn2SnO4 and SnO2, supporting the hypothesis that the thermal treatment of the hydroxide phase under typical conditions results in the formation of an oxide mixture rather than the phase pure ZnSnO3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looping patterns, where channels divide and reconnect further downstream, are widespread in natural rivers. Here, we build an extensive dataset of different gravel‐bed and sand‐bed rivers around the world encompassing a wide range of physiographic and sedimentological conditions. Field data show the existence of quasi‐universal relations for the anabranches length when scaled with bankfull hydraulic geometry variables of the main upstream channel. The dimensionless length is found to be nearly slope‐invariant, identifying a clear difference with respect to deltaic systems. This scaling relationship is explained by interpreting the dynamics of river loops as basically controlled by a two‐way interaction between their constitutive elements, bifurcations and confluences. The identification of a quasi‐universal length scale provides insight on the morphological evolution of multi‐thread networks and constitutes a key information for the design of self‐sustaining river restoration interventions. Plain Language Summary: River loops, where the water course splits into smaller branches that reconnect further downstream, are ubiquitous in natural environments. A deeper understanding of their spatial structure can greatly improve the effectiveness and sustainability of common practices in river restoration, where multiple channels are reactivated to recover the ecological functions of harmed riverine ecosystems. The analysis of many different rivers worldwide shows that the length of river loops is not randomly distributed but follows a characteristic law. In particular, the average length of bifurcating branches is found to be proportional to the hydraulic parameters (width, depth) of the main upstream channel, regardless of the specific climatic or geologic context. This relationship is explained in terms of the key physical mechanisms that control the distribution of water and sediment between the branches. Key Points: River anabranches show a characteristic length set by bankfull hydraulic geometry parameters of the main channelThe anabranches length is unrelated to backwater length, thus marking a clear difference with respect to deltaic systemsField evidence is theoretically explained as the result of morphodynamic interaction between bifurcation and confluence nodes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the spectral theory for the first-order system J u ′ + q u = w f of differential equations on the real interval (a , b) where J is a constant, invertible, skew-hermitian matrix and q and w are matrices whose entries are distributions of order 0 with q hermitian and w non-negative. Specifically, we construct a generalized Weyl-Titchmarsh m -function with corresponding spectral measure τ and a generalized Fourier transform after imposing certain conditions on J , q , and w. Different conditions are motivated and studied in the later sections. A Fatou-type identity needed for our result is recorded in the appendix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria play a key role in cellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. Dysfunction in the organelle Ca2+ handling appears to be involved in several pathological conditions, ranging from neurodegenerative diseases, cardiac failure and malignant transformation. In the past years, several targeted green fluorescent protein (GFP)-based genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators (GECIs) have been developed to study Ca2+ dynamics inside mitochondria of living cells. Surprisingly, while there is a number of transgenic mice expressing different types of cytosolic GECIs, few examples are available expressing mitochondria-localized GECIs, and none of them exhibits adequate spatial resolution. Here we report the generation and characterization of a transgenic mouse line (hereafter called mt-Cam) for the controlled expression of a mitochondriatargeted, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based Cameleon, 4mtD3cpv. To achieve this goal, we engineered the mouse ROSA26 genomic locus by inserting the optimized sequence of 4mtD3cpv, preceded by a loxP-STOP-loxP sequence. The probe can be readily expressed in a tissue-specific manner upon Cre recombinase-mediated excision, obtainable with a single cross. Upon ubiquitous Cre expression, the Cameleon is specifically localized in the mitochondrial matrix of cells in all the organs and tissues analyzed, from embryos to aged animals. Ca2+ imaging experiments performed in vitro and ex vivo in brain slices confirmed the functionality of the probe in isolated cells and live tissues. This new transgenic mouse line allows the study of mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics in different tissues with no invasive intervention (such as viral infection or electroporation), potentially allowing simple calibration of the fluorescent signals in terms of mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of alternate bars in straightened river reaches represents a fundamental process of river morphodynamics that has received great attention in the last decades. It is well-established that migrating alternate bars arise from an autogenic instability mechanism occurring when the channel width-to-depth ratio is sufficiently large. While several empirical and theoretical relations are available for predicting how bar height and length depend on the key dimensionless parameters, there is a lack of direct, quantitative information about the dependence of bar properties on flow discharge. We performed a series of experiments in a long, mobile-bed flume with fixed and straight banks at different discharges. The self-formed bed topography was surveyed, different metrics were analyzed to obtain quantitative information about bar height and shape, and results were interpreted in the light of existing theoretical models. The analysis reveals that the shape of alternate bars highly depends on their formative discharge, with remarkable variations in the harmonic composition and a strong decreasing trend of the skewness of the bed elevation. Similarly, the height of alternate bars clearly decreases with the water discharge, in quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions. However, the disappearance of bars when discharge exceeds a critical threshold is not as sharp as expected due to the formation of so-called "diagonal bars". This work provides basic information for modeling and interpreting short-term morphological variations during individual flood events and long-term trajectories due to alterations of the hydrological regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: chitosan; limiting gap length; nerve conduits; nerve injury; nerve regeneration; PLC EN chitosan limiting gap length nerve conduits nerve injury nerve regeneration PLC 1 1 1 09/14/23 20230911 NES 230911 B 3D-Printed Nerve Conduits b Engineered nerve conduits (NCs) efficacy in restoring limiting gap lesions is still poor, due to low biomimicry. A Novel 3D-Printed/Porous Conduit with Tunable Properties to Enhance Nerve Regeneration Over the Limiting Gap Length (Adv. Chitosan, limiting gap length, nerve conduits, nerve injury, nerve regeneration, PLC. [Extracted from the article]

New data collection techniques offer numerical modelers the ability to gather and utilize high quality data sets with high spatial and temporal resolution. Such data sets are currently needed for calibration, verification, and to fuel future model development, particularly morphological simulations. This study explores the use of high quality spatial and temporal data sets of observed bed load transport in braided river flume experiments to evaluate the ability of a two-dimensional model, Delft3D, to predict bed load transport. This study uses a fixed bed model configuration and examines the model's shear stress calculations, which are the foundation to predict the sediment fluxes necessary for morphological simulations. The evaluation is conducted for three flow rates, and model setup used highly accurate Structure-from-Motion (SfM) topography and discharge boundary conditions. The model was hydraulically calibrated using bed roughness, and performance was evaluated based on depth and inundation agreement. Model bed load performance was evaluated in terms of critical shear stress exceedance area compared to maps of observed bed mobility in a flume. Following the standard hydraulic calibration, bed load performance was tested for sensitivity to horizontal eddy viscosity parameterization and bed morphology updating. Simulations produced depth errors equal to the SfM inherent errors, inundation agreement of 77–85%, and critical shear stress exceedance in agreement with 49–68% of the observed active area. This study provides insight into the ability of physically based, two-dimensional simulations to accurately predict bed load as well as the effects of horizontal eddy viscosity and bed updating. Further, this study highlights how using high spatial and temporal data to capture the physical processes at work during flume experiments can help to improve morphological modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longhorn beetle Morimus asper exhibits the typical sexual dimorphism of cerambycid beetles: males have longer antennae than females and the antennal length also varies greatly among males of the same population. This study explores the sexual dimorphism in M. asper and the scaling relationship between antennal length and body size in males. Our aim was to assess the allometric pattern of these two traits and their potential effects on individual eco-ethological features. Sexual dimorphism was observed in antennal length and in other morphological traits: males showed longer pronota and females larger and longer elytra, suggesting that males allocate more resources to the anterior body traits, while in females more resources are invested in the development of post-prothoracic body traits. The allometric relationship between antennal length and elytra length of males was best described by a segmented regression, which identified a switch point dividing the male population into two different groups. The analysis of covariance showed that smaller males (with elytra length below the switch point) exhibit a positive allometry, while larger males (above the switch point) showed isometric scaling relationship. Our findings showed that morphometric traits were correlated with aspects of male behaviour and ecology: larger males were more frequently found mating, probably because they have an advantage in defending mates and in winning fights against other males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the so-called “saturated-surface-dried” state shows a strong dependency on the test operator in the case of fine porous aggregates. This leads to low reliability and reproducibility of water absorption measurement for this family of particles. Evaporative methods for water absorption measurements seem to be a promising alternative. In this paper, we aim at evaluating the robustness and the limit of such methods while understanding the general underlying physical processes. We therefore measure the drying kinetics of non-porous and porous, real and model particles with various sizes and morphologies. We study specifically the unexpected effects of angularity and roughness of particles on drying rate changes over time. Our results suggest that this method is not suitable for all porous particles but shall apply well to crushed fine porous particles such as crushed sand and recycled sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen storage is a key enabling technology for the extensive use of hydrogen as energy carrier. This is particularly true in the widespread introduction of hydrogen in car transportation. Indeed, one of the greatest technological barriers for such development is an efficient and safe storage method. So, in this tutorial review the existing hydrogen storage technologies are described with a special emphasis on hydrogen storage in hydrogen cars: the current and the ongoing solutions. A particular focus is given on solid storage and some of the recent advances on plasma hydrogen ion implantation, which should allow not only the preparation of metal hydrides, but also the imagination of a new refluing circuit. From hydrogen discovery to its use as an energy vector in cars, this review wants to be as exhaustive as possible, introducing the basics of hydrogen storage, and discussing the experimental practicalities of car hydrogen fuel. It wants to serve as a guide for anyone wanting to undertake such a technology and to equip the reader with an advanced knowledge on hydrogen storage and hydrogen storage in hydrogen cars to stimulate further researches and yet more innovative applications for this highly interesting field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report here on the fabrication of a new example of nano-object that combines magnetic and plasmonic properties. The strategy is based on the electrostatic assembly of negatively charged gold nanorods (NIR-resonant) on positively charged silica-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Silica coating of magnetic nanoparticles prevented iron oxide nanoparticles irreversible aggregation in water environment. Finally the stability of the nanocomposite in biological medium has been improved through a protein coating (BSA, bovine serum albumin). Morphological, optical and magnetic properties of the hybrid nanomaterials have been evaluated as well as its ability to be manipulated by an external magnetic field. Furthermore, temperature characterization upon NIR laser excitation has been performed in order to assess nanocomposite capability of increasing local environmental temperature. This nanomaterial could be used as a smart tool for photothermal treatment of cancerous lesions in order to maximize precision and efficacy of tissue heating upon laser stimulation by magnetically accumulating nanoparticles nearby the cancerous lesion, avoiding dispersion of the nanomaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: To investigate the type of emotional and behavioural impact that having a parent with a severe acquired brain injury (ABI) has on children during the first period of adjustment. Methods and procedure: The study involved 25 couples in which one of the spouses was affected by ABI, and their 35 children (3–14 years). The children attended three sessions with a psychologist aimed at identifying their spontaneous playing and relational behaviour by means of a grid created on the basis of ICD-10 criteria. Both members of each parental couple attended a session with the psychologist, and were administered the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the 36-item Health Survey and the Caregiver Burden Inventory. Results: 63% of the children showed signs of emotional suffering, the presence of which was underestimated by their parents on the basis of the psychologist’s assessments. The variables that correlated most closely with the children’s psychological condition were related to the quality of their parents’ relationship. Conclusions: Our findings confirm the need for early interventions aimed at both parents and their children in order to investigate the children’s emotional-affective situation, and favour an understanding of their discomfort by their parents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The exaggerated male traits under sexual selection are widespread throughout the animal kingdom, including ornaments to attract mates and weapons to deter rivals. Many species of stag beetles show a considerable interspecific and intraspecific variation in mandible size and shape. In the present study we used traditional and geometric morphometric approaches, on live Lucanus cervus males, to study the intraspecific variation in mandible and head size and shape and to get evolutionary insights about the exaggerated weaponry of the European stag beetle. We found that the shape of these structures strongly depends on their size (centroid size) and body size (elytron length), outlining two different morphologies: small males with wide and rounded mandibles and less developed head edges and larger ones with slender mandibles equipped with fully developed teeth and wider head edges. These shape differences may be related to alternative mating tactics and behaviours in smaller and larger males. Head and mandibles show a great shape variation, indicating that they can be considered as a functional unit, evolved under influence of the same selective pressures. By comparing traditional to geometric morphometric approach, we concluded that reducing the complex mandible structure to a linear distance is an accurate representation of size. Contrariwise, male head size cannot be reduced to linear distances, as usually done for the genus Lucanus, hence a geometric morphometric approach is needed to describe at best the magnitude of its changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relative abundance of hole-nesting birds in fourMediterranean forest types, each of which has undergone different patterns of forest management. Nine species were sampled in 24 study plots, to compare cork oak forest, turkey oak forest, holm oak forest and pine plantation. The abundance of hole-nesters was greater in cork oak forest and turkey oak forest. Three species were most frequently detected: Great Tit (Parusmajor), Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Nuthatch (Sitta europaea). Bird abundancewas significantly lower in holmoak forest, particularly in the cases of Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis), Nuthatch and Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla). TheGreat SpottedWoodpecker showed a positive correlation with the abundance of three secondary cavity nesters: Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper and Starling; in contrast, Green Woodpecker showed a negative correlation with Starling. Habitat structure varied significantly among forest types, especially themean andmaximumtree height, these being lower in holmoak forest. The Great SpottedWoodpecker proved to be a good indicator of less disturbed woodlands. In fact, maximum tree height turned out to be a significant and positive explanatory variable for woodpecker abundance.We consider that intensive coppicing and timbermanagement in holm oak forest during the 20th century widely affected trees' age-profile, with consequences for their suitability forwoodpeckers and other hole-nesting birds. Tomonitor the response of hole-nesting birds to forest management in terms of abundance, we propose the use of the great spotted woodpecker as an indicator species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of different Ru precursors and/or deposition methods on the electrical characteristics of Ru/SrTiO x /Ru capacitors has been investigated. The observed increase of the leakage current density ( J g ) and the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) for ALD (atomic layer deposition) deposited Ru layers compared to PVD (physical vapor deposition) deposited ones was found to be caused by a SrRuTiO x layer formation at the SrTiO x /Ru interface aided by the presence of the oxygen co-reactant used during the ALD, regardless of the precursor used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple experimental method to estimate the power effectively absorbed by a plasma is presented. It relies on a thermal management study that is applied to the whole discharge system, providing the energy released by the plasma and lost by convection and radiation at the reactor walls. The methodology is illustrated in the case of H2 Electron Cyclotron Resonance microwave plasma. Nevertheless, this method can be extended to a variety of electrical discharge or feed gases. Using this method, an experimental coupling efficiency of ∼22 ± ∼8% was derived. In comparison, an analytical balance of the plasma power absorption yields a theoretical coupling efficiency of ∼28 ± ∼9%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the fundamental problems in image classification is to devise models that allow us to relate the images to higher-level semantic concepts in an efficient and reliable way. A widely used approach consists on extracting local descriptors from the images and to summarize them into an image-level representation. Within this framework, the Fisher vector (FV) is one of the most robust signatures to date. In the FV, local descriptors are modeled as samples drawn from a mixture of Gaussian pdfs. An image is represented by a gradient vector characterizing the distributions of samples w.r.t. the model. Equipped with robust features like SIFT, the FV has shown state-of-the-art performance on different recognition problems. However, it is not clear how it should be applied when the feature space is clearly non-Euclidean, leading to heuristics that ignore the underlying structure of the space. In this paper we generalize the Gaussian FV to a broader family of distributions known as the exponential family . The model, termed exponential family Fisher vectors ( eFV ), provides a unified framework from which rich and powerful representations can be derived. Experimental results show the generality and flexibility of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The measurement of cortical shrinkage is a candidate marker of disease progression in Alzheimer’s. This study evaluated the performance of two pipelines: Civet-CLASP (v1.1.9) and Freesurfer (v5.3.0). Methods: Images from 185 ADNI1 cases (69 elderly controls (CTR), 37 stable MCI (sMCI), 27 progressive MCI (pMCI), and 52 Alzheimer (AD) patients) scanned at baseline, month 12, and month 24 were processed using the two pipelines and two interconnected e-infrastructures: neuGRID () and VIP (). The vertex-by-vertex cross-algorithm comparison was made possible applying the 3D gradient vector flow (GVF) and closest point search (CPS) techniques. Results: The cortical thickness measured with Freesurfer was systematically lower by one third if compared to Civet’s. Cross-sectionally, Freesurfer’s effect size was significantly different in the posterior division of the temporal fusiform cortex. Both pipelines were weakly or mildly correlated with the Mini Mental State Examination score (MMSE) and the hippocampal volumetry. Civet differed significantly from Freesurfer in large frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital regions (p<0.05). In a discriminant analysis with cortical ROIs having effect size larger than 0.8, both pipelines gave no significant differences in area under the curve (AUC). Longitudinally, effect sizes were not significantly different in any of the 28 ROIs tested. Both pipelines weakly correlated with MMSE decay, showing no significant differences. Freesurfer mildly correlated with hippocampal thinning rate and differed in the supramarginal gyrus, temporal gyrus, and in the lateral occipital cortex compared to Civet (p<0.05). In a discriminant analysis with ROIs having effect size larger than 0.6, both pipelines yielded no significant differences in the AUC. Conclusions: Civet appears slightly more sensitive to the typical AD atrophic pattern at the MCI stage, but both pipelines can accurately characterize the topography of cortical thinning at the dementia stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The type of neuronal activity required for circuit development is a matter of significant debate. We addressed this issue by analyzing the topographic organization of the olfactory bulb in transgenic mice engineered to have very little afferent spontaneous activity due to the overexpression of the inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir2.1 in the olfactory sensory neurons (Kir2.1 mice). In these conditions, the topography of the olfactory bulb was unrefined. Odor-evoked responses were readily recorded in glomeruli with reduced spontaneous afferent activity, although the functional maps were coarser than in controls and contributed to altered olfactory discrimination behavior. In addition, overexpression of Kir2.1 in adults induced a regression of the already refined connectivity to an immature (i.e., coarser) status. Our data suggest that spontaneous activity plays a critical role not only in the development but also in the maintenance of the topography of the olfactory bulb and in sensory information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The North American Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (NA-ADNI) was the first program to develop standardized procedures for Alzheimer's disease (AD) imaging biomarker collection. Objective: We describe the validation of acquisition and processing of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in different Italian academic AD clinics following NA-ADNI procedures. Methods: 373 patients with subjective memory impairment (n = 12), mild cognitive impairment (n = 92), Alzheimer's dementia (n = 253), and frontotemporal dementia (n = 16) were enrolled in 9 Italian centers. 22 cognitively healthy elderly controls were also included. MRI site qualification and MP-RAGE quality assessment was applied following the NA-ADNI procedures. Indices of validity were: (i) NA-ADNI phantom's signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratio, (ii) proportion of images passing quality control, (iii) comparability of automated intracranial volume (ICV) estimates across scanners, and (iv) known-group validity of manual hippocampal volumetry. Results: Results on Phantom and Volunteers scans showed that I-ADNI acquisition parameters were comparable with those one of the ranked-A ADNI scans. Eighty-seven percent of I-ADNI MPRAGE images were ranked of high quality in comparison of 69% of NA-ADNI. ICV showed homogeneous variances across scanners except for Siemens scanners at 3.0 Tesla (p = 0.039). A significant difference in hippocampal volume was found between AD and controls on 1.5 Tesla scans (p < 0.001), confirming known group validity test. Conclusion: This study has provided standardization of MRI acquisition and imaging marker collection across different Italian clinical units and equipment. This is a mandatory step to the implementation of imaging biomarkers in clinical routine for early and differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The North American Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (NA-ADNI) was the first program to develop standardized procedures for Alzheimer's disease (AD) imaging biomarker collection.Objective: We describe the validation of acquisition and processing of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in different Italian academic AD clinics following NA-ADNI procedures.Methods: 373 patients with subjective memory impairment (n = 12), mild cognitive impairment (n = 92), Alzheimer's dementia (n = 253), and frontotemporal dementia (n = 16) were enrolled in 9 Italian centers. 22 cognitively healthy elderly controls were also included. MRI site qualification and MP-RAGE quality assessment was applied following the NA-ADNI procedures. Indices of validity were: (i) NA-ADNI phantom's signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratio, (ii) proportion of images passing quality control, (iii) comparability of automated intracranial volume (ICV) estimates across scanners, and (iv) known-group validity of manual hippocampal volumetry.Results: Results on Phantom and Volunteers scans showed that I-ADNI acquisition parameters were comparable with those one of the ranked-A ADNI scans. Eighty-seven percent of I-ADNI MPRAGE images were ranked of high quality in comparison of 69% of NA-ADNI. ICV showed homogeneous variances across scanners except for Siemens scanners at 3.0 Tesla (p = 0.039). A significant difference in hippocampal volume was found between AD and controls on 1.5 Tesla scans (p < 0.001), confirming known group validity test.Conclusion: This study has provided standardization of MRI acquisition and imaging marker collection across different Italian clinical units and equipment. This is a mandatory step to the implementation of imaging biomarkers in clinical routine for early and differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a traumatic event causes complete denervation, muscle functional recovery is highly compromised. A possible solution to this issue is the implantation of a biodegradable polymeric tubular scaffold, providing a biomimetic environment to support the nerve regeneration process. However, in the case of consistent peripheral nerve damage, the regeneration capabilities are poor. Hence, a crucial challenge in this field is the development of biodegradable micro- nanostructured polymeric carriers for controlled and sustained release of molecules to enhance nerve regeneration. The aim of these systems is to favor the cellular processes that support nerve regeneration to increase the functional recovery outcome. Drug delivery systems (DDSs) are interesting solutions in the nerve regeneration framework, due to the possibility of specifically targeting the active principle within the site of interest, maximizing its therapeutical efficacy. The scope of this review is to highlight the recent advances regarding the study of biodegradable polymeric DDS for nerve regeneration and to discuss their potential to enhance regenerative performance in those clinical scenarios characterized by severe nerve damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work presents a process to fabricate Bulk FinFETs with advancements in critical fabrication steps such as the shallow trench oxide recess and the adjustment of the fin height. These steps are accomplished with the adoption of Siconi™ Selective Material Removal (SMR™) in the fabrication flow. FinFETs obtained with this new integration scheme were tested in a co-fabrication process flow proposed to integrate planar CMOS and Bulk FinFETs on the same wafer. Morphological and electrical results indicate perfectly filled trenches, a better fin height control and a Bulk FinFET static performance similar to planar CMOS. The 20nm wide fins are fabricated using 193nm illumination lithography followed by a series of trimming steps during the trench etching, the filling and a fin re-oxidation during the steam densification of the trench filling oxide. Trench depth is 300nm and the electrically active fin height is 40nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The unprecedented growth, availability and accessibility of imaging data from people with neurodegenerative conditions has led to the development of computational infrastructures, which offer scientists access to large image databases and e-Science services such as sophisticated image analysis algorithm pipelines and powerful computational resources, as well as three-dimensional visualization and statistical tools. Scientific e-infrastructures have been and are being developed in Europe and North America that offer a suite of services for computational neuroscientists. The convergence of these initiatives represents a worldwide infrastructure that will constitute a global virtual imaging laboratory. This will provide computational neuroscientists with a virtual space that is accessible through an ordinary web browser, where image data sets and related clinical variables, algorithm pipelines, computational resources, and statistical and visualization tools will be transparently accessible to users irrespective of their physical location. Such an experimental environment will be instrumental to the success of ambitious scientific initiatives with high societal impact, such as the prevention of Alzheimer disease. In this article, we provide an overview of the currently available e-infrastructures and consider how computational neuroscience in neurodegenerative disease might evolve in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The amount of fluid displaced overnight from the legs into the neck as a consequence of lying recumbent correlates with the number of apneas and hypopneas per hour of sleep (AHI). Sedentary living promotes dependent fluid accumulation in the legs that can be counteracted by venous compression of the legs (compression stockings). We hypothesized that, in non-obese sedentary men with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), wearing compression stockings during daytime will reduce the AHI by reducing the amount of fluid available for the displacement into the neck overnight. Polysomnography and measurement of overnight changes in leg fluid volume and neck circumference were performed at baseline and after one day of legs venous compression. The median AHI decreased from 30.9 (interquartile range 19.6–60.4) to 23.4 (12.9–31.8) (P =0.016) in association with a median 40% reduction in the change in leg fluid volume (P =0.016) and a median 42% reduction in the increase in neck circumference (P =0.016). These results provide proof-of-principle that overnight fluid displacement into the neck plays a causative role in OSA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses a study on the development and reproductive behavior of the ectoparasitoid, Elasmus steffani in its substitute host Ephestia kuehniella. It is stated that the E. steffani females could lay an average of 5.4 eggs per day after preoviposition of 8.9 days and oviposition of 30.4 days. It further states that adults fed on both honey-water mixture as well as its host E. kuehniella and exhibits arrhenotokic parthenogenesis.

This paper discusses some aspects of the kerosene components oxidation in a soil matrix by a dielectric barrier discharge reactor at atmospheric pressure. The total kerosene components abatement can reaches 90% for an energy density of 960Jgsoil-1. The analyses of the discharge cell outlet gas reveals that COx and hydrocarbon compounds selectivity is close to 10%. A semi-quantitative approach by GC-FID shows that the carbon content in the oxidized compounds in soil is about 20% of the carbon content in the initial kerosene components. The polar species formed in soil are a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic molecules containing alcohol and carboxylic acid groups. The process of kerosene oxidation in soil matrix is more promoted than kerosene desorption followed by an oxidation in gas phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Obstructive sleep apnoeas generate an intense afferent traffic leading to arousal and apnoea termination. Yet a decrease in the sensitivity of the afferents has been described in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, and could be a determinant of disease severity. How mechanical changes within the respiratory system are processed in the brain can be studied through the analysis of airway occlusion-related respiratory-related evoked potentials. Respiratory-related evoked potentials have been found altered during sleep in mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, with contradictory results during wake. We hypothesized that respiratory-related evoked potentials’ alterations during wake, if indeed a feature of the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, should be present in untreated severe patients. Methods: Ten untreated patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and eight matched controls were studied. Respiratory-related evoked potentials were recorded in Cz-C3 and Cz-C4, and described in terms of the amplitudes and latencies of their components P1, N1, P2 and N2. Results: Components amplitudes were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference in P1 latencies. This was also the case for N1 in Cz-C3. In contrast, N1 latencies in Cz-C4 were significantly longer in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome [median 98 ms (interquartile range 16·00) versus 79·5 ms (5·98), P = 0·015]. P2 and N2 were also significantly delayed, on both sides. Conclusions: The cortical processing of airway occlusion-related afferents seems abnormal in untreated patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. This could be either a severity marker and/or an aggravating factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonobese diabetics with diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) show an elevated prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH). Objective: It was the aim of this study to assess if the presence of DAN could further increase the risk of developing OSAH in obese diabetics. Methods: Eighteen obese diabetic patients, 8 with DAN [age 57 ± 5 years, body mass index (BMI) 35 ± 4] and 10 without DAN (age 56 ± 8 years, BMI 37 ± 5), were recruited. Ten age-matched obese subjects were studied as controls (age 53 ± 12 years, BMI 34 ± 3). All subjects underwent a cardiorespiratory sleep study in the in-hospital sleep laboratory to obtain the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation indices. Results: Diabetics with DAN (Ob-DAN+) had a higher AHI than diabetics without DAN (Ob-DAN–) and controls, amounting to 39.5 ± 13 versus 15.8 ± 12 (p < 0.01) and 19.3 ± 21 (p < 0.05), respectively. A moderate-to-severe OSAH (AHI ≥15) occurred in all Ob-DAN+ and only in 4 Ob-DAN– and 4 control patients. Moreover, the indices reflecting the impairment of oxygen saturation (SaO2) during sleep such as the mean lowest SaO2 and sleep time with a SaO2 <90% were more severely affected in Ob-DAN+ patients compared with the other groups and were associated with longer obstructive respiratory events. Conclusions: Apneas-hypopneas are more frequent and last longer in Ob-DAN+ than in other obese subjects, with or without diabetes. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal foraging sequence of the Camponatus sp. ant on the flowering buttons of the Neoraimondia arequipensis subsp. roseiflora (Werdermann & Backeberg) Ostolaza (Cactaceae) cactus was the subject of a study at Umarcata hills, lower Rio Chillon basin, Lima, Peru. Fifteen mature cacti plants were marked randomly and the number of total buttons, up to a maximum of 50 buttons, produced by each plant was registered monthly, during twelve months, and the observed total number of ants in each flowering button was simultaneously recorded. Observations were taken monthly from October 2003 to September 2004. Similarity matrices between these months, based on phenological and ant-related data, were compared by the Procrustes technique of rotational axis. A randomized test, Procrustes test or Protest with 1000 permutations, was used to analyze the significance of (non random) association between the configurations obtained by non parametric multidimensional acaling (NMDS) ordenation technique. Ants forage the nectar secreted over the flowering buttons, from the time they are covered by the areoles plush hair till they open as pink flowers. Ant visits show a peak during the months of March, April and May, reaching their maximum in April in response to the recurrent cactus phenophase, temperature and relative humidity. There is an association between the number of flower buttons produced and the number of visiting ants, which is intensified during April, July, October and November, and becomes weaker during the remaining months, which might respond to food offer and abiotic factors such as temperature and relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring of the daily activity of the Camponotus sp. ant over the Neoraimondia arequipensis subsp. roseiflora (Werdermann & Backeberg) Ostolaza cactus was investigated at Umarcata hills, lower Chillon river basin, Lima, Peru. There were three visits to this site: on September 2003, January and August 2004. In each visit, hourly, for a 24-hour period, the number of working-ants on the button surface on the moment that the observer set his or her eyes on the floral button (n=7 buttons on each of 10 plants) was registered. Results show that the activity pattern of Camponotus sp. on these three visits was unimodal, with a maximum between 6 and 7 pm, and a minimum between 6 and 7 am. Similarly, Camponotus sp. presented greater dynamism during night hours. Ant daily activity is not related to temperature, nor relative humidity, but it might be related to photoperiod and the cactus-food offer, which might be reaching its highest nectar production peak during the night, similarly to many other nocturnal flowering cacti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ant nests were studied in three olive orchards under different agricultural managements located 20 km from Granada City. In each orchard, the area covered by 60 trees -six 10 trees contiguous rows- and five 100m long and 1m wide transects in the alleyways among the rows were monitored. In the ground under each tree crown and in the alleyways, the position of the nests were determined covering an area of 540 m² (9 m²/tree) and of 500 m² (100 m²/alley) respectively. Nest positions were assessed during May, July and September of 1997 and May of 1998. The distance between ant nests was mapped in the three 1997 months. Ant nests distribution was obtained with the distance to the nearest neighbour method. Results show regular nests distributions for the main ant species –Aphaenogaster senilis, Messor barbarus, Crematogaster auberti, Crematogaster sordidula, Solenopsis latro, Tetramorium semilaeve, Tapinoma nigerrima, Plagiolepis pygmaea, Cataglyphis rosenhaueri- and for all of the species in the orchards but it may turn into a random distribution when the nest density is decreased. The intra-annual nest permanence indeces were low (0.0 % to 57 %) and the inter-annual nests permanence indeces were 0%. The nest renovation indeces ranged from 0.0 % to 100 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ant nests were studied in three olive orchards under different agricultural management located 20 km away from Granada City, Spain. In each orchard, It was monitored the area covered by 60 trees (six contiguous rows of 10 trees each) and five transects of 100 m long and 1 m wide on the alleyways among the tree rows. It was determined for each ant specie, the number of active nests in the ground under each tree crown -9 m²/tree- and in the alleyways -100 m²/alley- for a period of 15 min per tree and per transect between 09:00 and 14:00 hours, during May, July and September of 1997 and 1998. It was also determined the number of ant nests within the tree trunk through five-minute observation intervals. Results indicate that disturbances caused by cultural practices affect the number and abundance of ant nests in the ground under the trees and in the alleys. Olive orchards with an ecological management (Arenales) or abandoned (Colomera 2) showed significantly higher nest density in the ground below the tree than the orchard with pesticide application (Colomera 1). This orchard did not show any nest in the alleys. Cultural practices and pesticide applications done in the abandoned olive orchard resulted in the increase of subsidiary nests and their posterior decrease. Eighty-year old olive trees (Arenales) show nests in their trunks, while 25-year old trees do not show them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium (Ca2+) signaling coordinates are crucial processes in brain physiology. Particularly, fundamental aspects of neuronal function such as synaptic transmission and neuronal plasticity are regulated by Ca2+, and neuronal survival itself relies on Ca2+-dependent cascades. Indeed, impaired Ca2+ homeostasis has been reported in aging as well as in the onset and progression of neurodegeneration. Understanding the physiology of brain function and the key processes leading to its derangement is a core challenge for neuroscience. In this context, Ca2+ imaging represents a powerful tool, effectively fostered by the continuous amelioration of Ca2+ sensors in parallel with the improvement of imaging instrumentation. In this review, we explore the potentiality of the most used animal models employed for Ca2+ imaging, highlighting their application in brain research to explore the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Sleep disturbances often accompany mood disorders and persistent insomnia after mood symptoms have resolved may be a marker of poor outcome. The association between sleep symptoms and mood disorders seems to change with age and sex. This study aims to assess the frequency of depressive episodes and sleep disorders in the general population through an agile screening questionnaire and to evaluate the association of depressive episodes and sleep symptoms by sex and age categories. Methods: 774 women and 728 men from Sardinia aged > 16 years old were enrolled. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was administered through a computer-assisted telephonic interview. Results: The frequency of depressive episodes was double in women (10.6% vs. 4.4%; p < 0.0001), with the highest values in women > 75 yo (17.4%). The frequency of sleep dysregulation was double in women (18.7% vs. 9.6%; p < 0.0001), with the highest values in women > 75 yo (35.9%) and the lowest in the group of men > 75 yo. The group of young males showed the lowest frequency of depressive episodes (1.4%) and a frequency of sleep dysregulation (9.1%) similar to that of the other groups of age and sex. Sleep dysregulation without depressive episodes presented a higher distribution in the elderly, both in males (20.7%) and in females (18.5%). No significative differences were found across sex and age groups in the distribution of depressive episodes without sleep dysregulation. Conclusions: The use of an agile screener such as PHQ9 in the general population and/or in populations at risk can be a valuable tool in finding those individuals in whom sleep dysregulation may represent an early warning signal, one that may be thoroughly evaluated to identify and treat possible sleep disorders early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by repeated airway obstructions during sleep, causing hypopnea, apnea, intermittent hypoxia, and sleep fragmentation. The severity of OSA is measured using the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), with AHI ≥ 5 indicating OSA. This study aims to assess the frequency and type of depressive disorder characteristics of OSA patients and to evaluate the impact on quality of life, also considering the presence of hyperactivity. Methods: A case-control study using OSA patients referred to Cagliari's sleep disorder center. Controls were matched by age and sex from community databases. OSA diagnoses were made with AHI > 15. Depressive episodes were identified using BDI-SF, and H-QoL (Health related Quality of Life) was measured with the SF-12, focusing on item 10 for hyper-energy. Results: The clinical sample (n = 25) had a higher frequency of depressive episodes (36%) compared to controls (7% and 4%). Depressed OSA patients had worse H-QoL and higher hyper-energy scores, but the additional burden from depression was relatively low. Conclusions: The OSA sample has a higher frequency of depressive episodes compared to the general population. Depressive episodes in OSA patients are linked to higher scores on item 10 of the SF-12, indicating hyper-energy despite lower overall quality of life scores. While OSA significantly impacts quality of life, the additional burden from depression is less severe than in other chronic diseases. These findings suggest that depressive episodes in OSA may be related to rhythm dysregulation and hyperactivity (DYMERS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the soluble protein constitution of infected leaves have been reported to occur in Nicotiana species hypersensitively reacting to viruses (Gianinazzi, Vallée and Martin 1969, Gianinazzi, Martin and Vallée 1970, van Loon and van Kammen 1970, van Loon 1975, Khurana and Kawaguchi 1977, Rohloff and Lerch 1977, Ota and Taniguchi 1978, Gianinazzi, Ahl and Cornu 1981). In 'Samsun NN' and 'Xanthi n.c.' tobacco varieties, four new protein constituents have been demonstrated in virus inoculated leaves (Gianinazzi, Martin and Vallée 1970, van Loon and van Kammen 1970). The appearance of new protein components has also been reported in other host-virus hypersensitive combinations (Ladygina et al. 1977, Coutts 1978). A further generalization of this finding could lead to the conclusion that this phenomenon is a general feature, although not exclusive (Kassanis, Gianinazzi and White 1974), of the hypersensitive reaction to viruses. The role of these proteins, some of which have recently been purified and characterized (Antoniw et al. 1980) still remains to be explained. We report here a study on qualitative and quantitative changes in the soluble protein constitution of Gomphrena globosa leaves hypersensitively reacting to tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and potato virus X (PVX). Preliminary results on this subject, limited to one virus only, have already been stated at the 19th Congress of the Italian Society of Plant Physiology (Pennazio, Vecchiati and Redolfi 1980). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The average maximal peak torques of the knee extensor and knee flexor muscles were measured during one, two or three series of 20 maximal contractions at an angular velocity of pi rad s[sup -1]. After the first series, a 10 min rest was allowed before the second series of contractions. In one case only was a third series of contractions performed. Various sequences of contractions of the dominant and contralateral limbs were tested. Capillary blood lactate concentration ([LA][sub cap]) was determined in the blood samples taken from an earlobe during each recovery. The difference between peak capillary blood lactate concentration and the concentration that would have occurred without any previous contraction (delta[LA][sub cap]) was taken as the index of metabolic comparison between the exercise bouts. The mechanical power output during the first series of contractions was similar to that in the second and third series, but the lactate elevation was significantly higher in the first series. The discrepancy between the constancy of the power output and the decrease in lactate elevation was even more evident if delta[LA][sub cap] was calculated as the difference between peak capillary blood lactate concentration and the value measured immediately before the second or third series. The decrease in lactate elevation was not affected by the change of the contracting limb from the first to the second series. In conclusion, the capillary blood lactate concentration profile during intermittent maximal exercise cannot be considered a suitable technique for evaluating lactate production. Each series lasted about 20 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endogenous primary amino acid derivative N'-Trimethyl-L-Lysine (TML) induces resistance in bean plants against the biotrophic fungi Uromyces phaseoli. The effectiveness of protection depends on the interval between treatment and inoculation of the plants and on the dosage of applicated TML. It acts as resistance inducer within two concentration ranges of 10-3-10-5 and 10-8-10-10 mol/l, respectively, if applied 6 or 8 days after inoculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]