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The past six years have been marked by some of the most dramatic climatic events observed in the Antarctic region in recent history, commencing with the 2017 sea-ice extreme low. The Humpback Whale Sentinel Programme is a circum-polar biomonitoring program for long term surveillance of the Antarctic sea-ice ecosystem. It has previously signalled the extreme La Niña event of 2010/11, and it was therefore of interest to assess the capacity of existing biomonitoring measures under the program to detect the impacts of 2017 anomalous climatic events. Six ecophysiological markers of population adiposity, diet, and fecundity were targeted, as well as calf and juvenile mortality via stranding records. All indicators, with the exception of bulk stable isotope dietary tracers, indicated a negative trend in 2017, whilst C and N bulk stable isotopes appeared to indicate a lag phase resulting from the anomalous year. The collation of multiple biochemical, chemical, and observational lines of evidence via a single biomonitoring platform provides comprehensive information for evidence-led policy in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean region.

The introduction of exotic species can generate changes in the composition of organic debris of alien origin in aquatic ecosystems close to the places of introduction. This new debris can cause impacts at the level of communities and ecosystems. Therefore, the present work aims to answer the following question: are the macroinvertebrate communities present in substrates formed by leaves of the exotic species Pinus caribaea Morelet (Pinaceae) and Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden (Myrtaceae) similar to those found in substrates composed by the mix of these two species and substrates composed by a mix of native species? For the collection of macroinvertebrates, sets of four types of artificial substrates were submerged in a stream inside the Ecological Station of Panga (Uberlândia—MG, Brazil). The treatments were: leaves of P. caribaea, leaves of E. grandis, leaves of both exotic species and leaves of two native species. In the 20 sample units, about 250 individuals were found, belonging to the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Heteroptera, Megaloptera, Odonata, Plecoptera and Trichoptera. The effects of the treatments were observed in the exponential decay of the substrate mass and in the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrates communities. The composition of these communities differed among treatments, with high dissimilarity observed between P. caribaea treatments and the mix of exotic species. Therefore, the results demonstrate the importance of substrate complexity for benthic macroinvertebrates, as well as the possible effects of biological invasion and co-invasion by species widely used in silviculture activities.

Pre-Kraepelinian observations converged in Kahlbaum’s and Hecker’s description of Hebephrenia. For Kraepelin, Hebephrenia was an ‘idiopathic incurable dementia whose onset is in adolescence’. It became the core of ‘Dementia Praecox’, and then Bleulerian ‘Schizophrenia’. In recent decades, the resurgence of the ‘late neurodevelopment’ hypothesis of schizophrenia has brought into focus Hecker’s clinical reports of adolescents who, as a result of a putative loss of psychic energy, showed a rapidly progressive cognitive impairment leading to functional and behavioural disorganization. This paper summarizes the nineteenth-century conceptualization of Hebephrenia as a developmental illness.

This thesis describes the novel use of multiple steroid hormone analysis to investigate and gain understanding of previously unknown aspects of the endocrinology and reproductive biology of the Southern Hemisphere humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Steroid hormones are a class of structurally related molecules that function as messengers in a variety of important physiological processes (e.g. salt homeostasis, immune system, sexual development and reproductive cycles). A number of endogenous steroid hormones have been identified as critical for reproduction (e.g. androgens, progestogens, oestrogens) and stress response (e.g. corticosteroids) in mammals. Understanding the species-specific roles and baseline levels of endogenous steroid hormones enable these compounds to be used as biomarkers of reproductive status and stress exposure. The use of steroid biomarkers for these purposes promises to be extremely advantageous in cetacean species, since other approaches often require increased time and resources. However, the collection and interpretation of steroid hormone data in the humpback whale is currently limited by methodological issues (e.g. challenging sampling, difficult comparison between sample types, analytical approach restricted to single hormone analysis), and by a general lack of detailed knowledge of the humpback whale endocrine system. Collection of biological samples from cetaceans is inherently difficult. In particular, free-swimming individuals of baleen whale species, including humpback whales, cannot be kept in captivity, nor they can be immobilised for sampling. Contemporary studies have demonstrated that steroid hormones analysis is viable in baleen species through the use of remotely collected tissues and fluids (i.e. faeces, blow, blubber). The seasonal migration of the humpback whales from the Antarctic feeding areas to the tropical breeding grounds, however, imposes further restrictions in regard to sample types and timing of collection. To date, blubber is the only matrix employed for steroid analysis in this specie and comprehensive seasonal steroid hormone changes have not being studied. Blubber is a lipid-rich tissue, able to sequester traces of steroid hormones from circulation. This is advantageous as multiple types of steroid hormones are likely to be present in this tissue. However, steroid hormones in blubber, particularly those at trace levels, can only be quantified by using sensitive techniques that need to accommodate the presence of lipids in the matrix. Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is typically used for steroid hormone analysis in complex matrices, as it requires minimal sample preparation. Although EIA provides high sensitivity, its precision can suffer due to the indirect nature of the measurements and by the possibility of cross-reactivity. A significant disadvantage of employing EIAs for the investigation of species-specific endocrinology is that each EIA quantifies only a single steroid hormone, or a single class of steroid metabolites in its ensemble. Single steroid hormone measurements can be misleading, as steroid hormones act in concert. The same steroid hormone can have different roles and increase or decrease in concentration to accommodate different biosynthetic pathways (e.g. acting as an active metabolite, or as a precursor to or degradation product from other steroids). Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) represents an alternative to EIAs, as it can provide accurate and precise quantification of multiple steroid hormones from the same sample portion. Major issues in LC-MS/MS methods include the coelution of multiple analytes or the interference of matrix components, which can sometimes be resolved only through a trade-off between analyte resolution and sensitivity. These challenges can however be identified prior to the analysis, and overcome, at least partially, by optimising the sample extraction and cleanup. This thesis aimed to adapt and validate a LC-MS/MS method for extracts of humpback whale blubber, and to evaluate use of multiple steroid hormone measurements in relation to reproductive status and possible stress exposure from free-ranging individuals. Blubber samples from stranded humpback whale carcasses were initially employed to assess the applicability, scope, and repeatability of a LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of multiple steroid hormones (Chapter 2). The method, initially developed for bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) blubber, proved to be applicable to the comparatively lipid-rich humpback whale outer blubber. Levels of five corticosteroids and six reproductive steroids (including androgens, progestagens and oestrogens) were determined in humpback whale blubber, and ten of these analytes could be quantified with high accuracy (error on amended samples < 15%) and repeatability (percent standard deviation < 15%). The multi-steroid hormone profiles obtained by the stranded carcasses were also investigated as potentially indicative of the endocrinological responses of some of the whales to stress exposure. Subsequently, the LC-MS/MS method was applied to biopsy extracts from freeswimming humpback whales collected at two time points of the whale breeding season over multiple years. The application of this methodology to live biopsies resulted in a smaller number of analytes detected, predominantly as an effect of the corticosteroid analytes being lower in concentration or undetectable in these samples. The quantified steroid hormones provided, however, novel insights into endocrinology and reproductive biology of female (Chapter 3) and male (Chapter 4) humpback whales. In Chapter 3, we show how the use of a previously validated pregnancy concentration threshold for the single hormone progesterone failed to detect any pregnant females based on LC-MS/MS analysis of blubber extracts from 23 females sampled while approaching the breeding grounds. However, by considering multiple steroid profiles including androgens and cortisol, we suggest that relatively high blubber concentrations of androstenedione may distinguish pregnant individuals during the last month of gestation. This hypothesis is supported by reference to steroid hormone measurements through pregnancy in evolutionarily related mammal species, although further work (e.g combining photo identification) is required to provide conclusive evidence. In addition, the same previously validated progesterone threshold resulted in an unexpectedly low proportion of pregnant females (3%) from among 29 females departing the breeding grounds. This prompted the suggestion of a new lower progesterone concentration threshold for assignment of early pregnancy status. In Chapter 4, the seasonal variations in blubber steroid hormone concentration in males are examined through the breeding season. Lowering of testosterone during the expected peak in reproductive activity suggests asynchronicity between blubber testosterone levels and male fertility. Correlation analyses among multiple hormone couples are used to postulate the changes in biosynthetic pathways behind the large interseasonal variations in steroid concentrations. These large intra-season variations in blubber androgens and a contrasting relationship with cortisol across the migration, encourages further investigation on the effects of age and sexual maturity on concentrations of these two hormones. This is necessary before they can be used as biomarkers for reproductive status or stress exposure. An application of how some of the multi-hormone information can be used to improve humpback whale monitoring is provided in Chapter 5. Early and late pregnancy diagnoses as formulated in Chapter 3, are combined with body condition information simultaneously measured in the same female individuals. Superior body condition among late-pregnant female corroborated previous observations that females would increase their feeding opportunities before parturition in order to support, as capital breeders, the combined energetic cost of migration and lactation. In contrast, no relationship was found between whales identified as early pregnant and their body condition compared to the rest of the migrating females. These results suggest that body condition and fertility might not be directly related during the breeding season. Instead, annual winter-feeding efficiency might be more important than accumulated energy stores in guaranteeing the annual reproductive success in females of this species. Overall, by analysing for a larger suite of steroid compounds and focusing on a comparatively less studied period of the migration, this work revealed some limitations of the current methodology used to measure steroid hormones in humpback whales. These findings enhance our knowledge of the humpback whale endocrine system and provide new approaches for the diagnostic use of steroid hormones profiles in free-swimming humpback whales.

The blubber steroid hormone profiles of 52 female humpback whales migrating along the east coast of Australia were investigated for seasonal endocrine changes associated with reproduction. Individuals were randomly sampled during two stages of the annual migration: before reaching the breeding grounds (northward migration; June/July), and after departing from the breeding grounds (southward migration; September/October). Assignment of reproductive status of the sampled individuals was based on season, single-hormone ranks and multi-variate analysis of the hormonal profiles. High concentrations of progesterone (>19 ng/g, wet weight), recognised as an indicator of pregnancy in this species, were only detected in one sample. However, the androgens, testosterone and androstenedione were measured in unusually high concentrations (1.6–12 and 7.8–40 ng/g wet weight, respectively) in 36% of the females approaching the breeding grounds. The absence of a strong accompanying progesterone signal in these animals raises the possibility of progesterone withdrawal prior to parturition. As seen with other cetacean species, testosterone and androstenedione could be markers of near-term pregnancy in humpback whales. Confirmation of these androgens as alternate biomarkers of near-term pregnancy would carry implications for improved monitoring of the annual fecundity of humpback whales via non-lethal and minimally invasive methods.

A rede hoteleira está ganhando mais espaço no cotidiano da população, sendo assim, há uma grande concentração de pessoas que se alimentam neste local, o que torna essencial monitorar a manipulação de alimentos e evitar doenças transmitidas por alimentos(DTA). O estudo tem como objetivo principal avaliar o conhecimento, comprometimento e percepções de risco de manipuladores de alimentos que trabalham em hotéis do estado de São Paulo. Para tal, foram avaliados 6 hotéis e 89 manipuladores. Observou-se conhecimento razoável sobre higiene dos alimentos, baixa percepção de risco e elevados escores de comprometimento.

As estratégias utilizadas para a formação de manipuladores de alimentos é de extrema importância para a prevenção de Doenças transmitidas por alimentos, nesse contexto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo principal medir o escore de risco sanitário em hotéis, relacionando-o com sistemas de gestão e aspectos de liderança, em hotéis localizados no estado de São Paulo. Foram avaliados 6 serviços de alimentação, 8 líderes em boas práticas e 90 manipuladores de alimentos. Para mensuração do risco sanitário foi utilizada uma lista de verificação com ponderação de risco, onde o estabelecimento com menor adequação de estrutura física obteve também a maior pontuação de risco, pois as falhas cometidas eram justamente as que apresentavam maior risco. Os aspectos de liderança foram avaliados por meio do questionário multifatorial de liderança (MLQ-6S), o qual apresentou resultados positivos em relação a postura do líder com a equipe de trabalho. A comunicação teve sua avaliação por meio da análise das estratégias de treinamento e nível de conhecimento em boas práticas dos líderes, o qual foi averiguado através de um questionário, apresentando como resultado 8,6 de média. O ambiente de trabalho foi avaliado por meio de uma lista de verificação de estrutura física baseada na legislação sanitária vigente RDC 216, sendo observado que as maiores falhas eram referentes ao preparo do alimento e ao comportamento dos manipuladores.

Marine mammal blubber is known to have quantifiable concentrations of steroid hormones and is increasingly chosen as a matrix for the detection of these reproductive and stress biomarkers. Steroid hormones act through complex cascades, often in concert, yet studies conducted on cetaceans have rarely measured more than two steroids simultaneously. Due to the role of steroid hormones in multiple physiological processes, and variability in concentration among individuals, data on single compounds are often difficult to interpret. Here a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous analyses of multiple steroid hormones in cetacean blubber was validated and applied to samples from 10 stranded humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, oestrone, oestradiol, cortisone, cortisol, corticosterone and 11-deoxycorticosterone were reliably (relative standard deviation on six replicates

Marine mammal blubber is known to have quantifiable concentrations of steroid hormones and is increasingly chosen as a matrix for the detection of these reproductive and stress biomarkers. Steroid hormones act through complex cascades, often in concert, yet studies conducted on cetaceans have rarely measured more than two steroids simultaneously. Due to the role of steroid hormones in multiple physiological processes, and variability in concentration among individuals, data on single compounds are often difficult to interpret. Here a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous analyses of multiple steroid hormones in cetacean blubber was validated and applied to samples from 10 stranded humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, oestrone, oestradiol, cortisone, cortisol, corticosterone and 11-deoxycorticosterone were reliably (relative standard deviation on six replicates

Southern hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) rely on summer prey abundance of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) to fuel one of the longest‐known mammalian migrations on the planet. It is hypothesized that this species, already adapted to endure metabolic extremes, will be one of the first Antarctic consumers to show measurable physiological change in response to fluctuating prey availability in a changing climate; and as such, a powerful sentinel candidate for the Antarctic sea‐ice ecosystem. Here, we targeted the sentinel parameters of humpback whale adiposity and diet, using novel, as well as established, chemical and biochemical markers, and assembled a time trend spanning 8 years. We show the synchronous, inter‐annual oscillation of two measures of humpback whale adiposity with Southern Ocean environmental variables and climate indices. Furthermore, bulk stable isotope signatures provide clear indication of dietary compensation strategies, or a lower trophic level isotopic change, following years indicated as leaner years for the whales. The observed synchronicity of humpback whale adiposity and dietary markers, with climate patterns in the Southern Ocean, lends strength to the role of humpback whales as powerful Antarctic sea‐ice ecosystem sentinels. The work carries significant potential to reform current ecosystem surveillance in the Antarctic region. This is the peer reviewed version of an article, which has been published in final form at [http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14035]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.

An increasing number of data has been recently focused on recognizing pathological grief reactions and on the distinction from physiological processes. Particularly, several studies have supported Complicated Grief (CG) as an independent disorder, in order to define the failure of spontaneous physiological mourning resolution. Upon these studies, the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) with the name of "Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder". This article aims at retracing the history of clinical research about the physiological and psychopathological processes related to grief and aims at presenting the main scientific studies that have described the features of the CG defining it as a distinct disorder. Similarities and distinctions among CG and Depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Adjustment Disorder were also reported.

In the field of cardiovascular diseases, elevated levels of serum uric acid (UA) reflect a marked activation of the xanthine oxidase pathway with increase in free radicals production; it is often associated with an inflammatory state, oxygen consumption and endothelial dysfunction. All these associations have been also confirmed in heart failure (HF) but the pathophysiological role of UA in this setting is not well understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic role of UA in outpatients enrolled in the Italian Registry of Congestive Heart Failure (IN-CHF).All patients met the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) criteria for diagnosis of HF. We considered patients with complete clinical data and UA level available at the baseline and at 1-year follow-up. The study population was composed of 877 patients aged 63 ± 12 years. One-year mortality was 10.8% and dead patients had a higher level of UA than survivors (7.1 mg dl⁻¹ vs 6.6 mg dl⁻¹, p0.0207). In multivariable full model of analysis, UA did not result in an independent predictor of death in overall population, but only in patients with low body mass index (BMI) (≤22 kg m⁻²) (hazard ratio (HR): 2.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-4.18). In this subgroup, a statistically significant gradual relationship between UA and survival was detected starting from values higher than 8 mg dl⁻¹.Elevated level of UA is not an independent predictor of mortality in chronic HF, but it markedly worsens outcome if associated with low level of BMI. This association is likely an indicator of chronic inflammatory and catabolic state.

Il film, diretto da Ryan Murphy (2006) e tratto dal libro autobiografico di Augusten Burroughs (2002), mostra i comportamenti e le modalitŕ relazionali di diversi personaggi ascrivibili all'area "borderline": la crisi adolescenziale d'identitŕ, i problemi di separazione e attaccamento, la sessualizzazione, la ricerca di un contesto ambientale vivibile (metafora dell'"adozione"), la ribellione verso figure di attaccamento ambivalentemente idealizzate, le derive psicotiche. Al centro di queste dinamiche vi č il Dr. Finch, bizzarro psicoanalista post-freudiano, attore di gravi infrazioni dele di altre forme diin parte necessarie per gestire la sua "famiglia allargata", una sorta di "comunitŕ terapeutica" costituita da pazienti, figli naturali e adottivi. Questo gruppo, mantenuto da una idealizzazione del terapeuta, si disgrega lentamente consentendo ad Augusten, per contrasto, di elaborare la propria crisi adolescenziale.

Growing interest has recently been devoted to partial forms of autism, lying at the diagnostic boundaries of those conditions previously diagnosed as Asperger’s Disorder. This latter includes an important retrieval of the European classical psychopathological concepts of adult autism to which Hans Asperger referred in his work. Based on the review of Asperger's Autistische Psychopathie, from first descriptions through the DSM-IV Asperger’s Disorder and up to the recent DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder, the paper aims to propose a Subthreshold Autism Spectrum Model that encompasses not only threshold-level manifestations but also mild/atypical symptoms, gender-specific features, behavioral manifestations and personality traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This model includes, but is not limited to, the so-called broad autism phenotype spanning across the general population that does not fully meet Autism Spectrum Disorder criteria. From this perspective, we propose a subthreshold autism as a unique psychological/behavioral model for research that could help to understand the neurodevelopmental trajectories leading from autistic traits to a broad range of mental disorders.

Growing interest has recently been devoted to partial forms of autism, lying at the diagnostic boundaries of those conditions previously diagnosed as Asperger’s Disorder. This latter includes an important retrieval of the European classical psychopathological concepts of adult autism to which Hans Asperger referred in his work. Based on the review of Asperger's Autistische Psychopathie, from first descriptions through the DSM-IV Asperger’s Disorder and up to the recent DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder, the paper aims to propose a Subthreshold Autism Spectrum Model that encompasses not only threshold-level manifestations but also mild/atypical symptoms, gender-specific features, behavioral manifestations and personality traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This model includes, but is not limited to, the so-called broad autism phenotype spanning across the general population that does not fully meet Autism Spectrum Disorder criteria. From this perspective, we propose a subthreshold autism as a unique psychological/behavioral model for research that could help to understand the neurodevelopmental trajectories leading from autistic traits to a broad range of mental disorders.

Recent advances in glycobiology have revealed the essential role of lectins in deciphering the glycocodes at the cell surface to generate important biological signaling responses. ArtinM, a d-mannose-binding lectin isolated from the seeds of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), is composed of 16kDa subunits that are associated to form a homotetramer. Native ArtinM (n-ArtinM) exerts immunomodulatory and regenerative effects, but the potential pharmaceutical applicability of the lectin is highly limited by the fact that its production is expensive, laborious, and impossible to be scaled up. This led us to characterize a recombinant form of the lectin obtained by expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (y-ArtinM). In the present study, we demonstrated that y-ArtinM is similar to n-ArtinM in subunit arrangement, oligomerization and carbohydrate binding specificity. We showed that y-ArtinM can exert n-ArtinM biological activities such as erythrocyte agglutination, stimulation of neutrophil migration and degranulation, mast cell degranulation, and induction of interleukin-12 and interleukin-10 production by macrophages. In summary, the expression of ArtinM in yeast resulted in successful production of an active, recombinant form of ArtinM that is potentially useful for pharmaceutical application.

Nicola Luigi Bragazzi,1 Giorgio Ratto,2,3 Nicola Dalle Luche,4 Tiziana Canfori,5 Claudio Proietti,5 Giovanni Del Puente6 1Department of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Genoa; 2Giacomo Puccini Conservatory of Music, La Spezia; 3Carlo Soliva School of Music, Casale Monferrato; 4La Scala Theatre, Milan; 5Niccolo Paganini Conservatory of Music, Genoa; 6Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Italy

This paper highlights the clinical challenges faced when assessing patients with stalking behaviors with psychotic disorders, suggesting the need for an accurate assessment of adult autism spectrum symptoms. A 25-year-old man with a diagnosis of delusional disorder, erotomanic type, was hospitalized for acute psychotic symptoms occurred in the framework of a repeated stalking behavior towards his ex girlfriend. When assessed for adult autism spectrum symptoms upon an accurate clinical evaluation, he reported elevated scores in the mentalizing deficit and social anxiety domains by means of the 14 item Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale (RAADS-14). Authors discuss a possible role of adult (subthreshold) autism spectrum symptoms, generally disregarded in adult psychiatry, on the type of psychotic features and stalking behavior developed that may help for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.