Context-Processing Deficits in Schizotypal Personality Disorder.

Research suggests that schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is a part of the spectrum of schizophrenia-related illnesses. This article hypothesizes that a deficit in the representation and maintenance of context is a core cognitive disturbance in schizophrenia and that SPD individuals should demonstrate context-processing deficits. To test this hypothesis, the authors administered 3 versions of their AX-CPT task, designed to assess context processing, to 35 healthy controls and 26 individuals with DSM-IV SPD. They also administered working memory and selective attention tasks. SPD individuals displayed context representation deficits similar to those found in schizophrenia but did not show the same additional deficits in context maintenance. Context processing was strongly associated with working memory and selective attention performance in the SPD individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Network views for personalized medicine

Clinical Proteomics has traveled a long way pinpointing potential biomarkers for a variety of diseases. However, the absence of clinical implementation of proteomics findings has led to a frank evaluation and reconsideration of applied practices in biomarker discovery, recruitment of technological tools for biomarker verification and generation of new guidelines for data reporting. Nevertheless, considering the need for vast clinical resources for biomarker validation, the frequent lack of clear definitions of contexts of use, in combination to the biomarker “high offer,” progress toward biomarker implementation will even more require the adoption of an extensive open-minded approach: disease-focused networks are needed to ensure rapid exchange of information, initiation of appropriate studies, parallel validation of multiple biomarkers and sharing of valuable clinical resources. This viewpoint article targets to reflect on these issues and advocates the added value of multidisciplinary networks in biomarker development using bladder cancer as a paradigm.     

From embedded sensors to sensorial materials—The road to function scale integration

Ubiquitous computing is about to become part of our everyday lives by integrating hundreds of “invisible” to us computing devices in our environment, so that they can unobtrusively and constantly assist us. This will imply more and smaller “invisible” sensors, homogeneously distributed and at the same time densely packed in host materials, responding to various stimuli and immediately delivering information. In order to reach this aim, the embedded sensors should be integrated within the host material, heading towards sensorial materials. The first step is to omit all parts that are not needed for the sensorial task and to find new solutions for a gentle integration. This is what we call function scale integration. The paper discusses sensor embedding in the human hand as an example of integration in nature, new technological applications and main challenges associated with this approach.     

Pigment and colour stability of frozen kiwi-fruit slices during prolonged storage

Changes in major pigment constituents of frozen kiwi-fruit slices during prolonged storage at –18° C and correlation with colour measurements (Hunter Lab parameters) were studied. Kiwi-fruit cultivars (Hayward, Bruno, Monty and Abbot) were processed without previous treatment and vacuum packed after freezing. HPLC using a diode array detector was used to individually quantify and identify the three major pigment components (xanthophylls, chlorophylls and derivatives and-carotene). The colour of fresh and frozen slices by Hunter Color values were correlated with each class of pigment compounds. An apparent first order degradation rate was found for total chlorophylls and xanthophylls. Hayward and Bruno were more suitable for prolonged freezing preservation in terms of colour deterioration.

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Haltbarkeit von Pigment und Farbe gefrorener Kiwifrucht-Scheiben während langer Lagerung

Zusammenfassung Es wurden die Veränderungen der meisten Pigmentbestandteile gefrorener Kiwifrucht-Scheiben während langer Lagerzeit bei –18°C und die Korrelation mit Farbmessungen studiert. Kiwifrüchte der Sorten Hayward, Bruno, Monty und Abbot wurden ohne vorherige Behandlung unter Vakuum direkt nach dem Gefrierprozeß verpackt. Mit HPLC wurde quantitativ gemessen und die drei Pigmentbestandteile Xanthophyll, Chlorophyll und-Carotin identifiziert. Die Farbe der frischen, gefrorenen Scheiben (Hunter-Farb-Werte) korrelierte mit jedem der Pigmentbestandteile. Ein Verlust, scheinbar erster Ordnung, wurde für Chlorophyll und Xantophyll bei den Sorten Hayward und Bruno beobachtet, jedoch sind sie für das Gefrieren bei langer Lagerzeit trotz Farbverlust geeignet.

     

Integration of “Components” to Test Software Components

We present an ongoing research project aimed at developing a framework for component-based testing, in which we re-use and suitably combine some existing tools: the system architecture and the components are specified by the UML, and specifically the recently proposed UML Components methodology; the test cases are derived by applying the Cow_Suite, an environment for UML-based testing, previously conceived for the integration testing of OO systems; and the tests are codified and executed within the CDT, a framework under development, allowing for the decoupling between the abstract specification of tests, which is made against an architectural model, and their concrete execution, which needs to take into account the component implementations.     

Neurodegenerative Diseases: Can Caffeine Be a Powerful Ally to Weaken Neuroinflammation?

In recent years, there has been considerable research showing that coffee consumption seems to be beneficial to human health, as it contains a mixture of different bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acids, caffeic acid, alkaloids, diterpenes and polyphenols. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are debilitating, and non-curable diseases associated with impaired central, peripheral and muscle nervous systems. Several studies demonstrate that neuroinflammation mediated by glial cells—such as microglia and astrocytes—is a critical factor contributing to neurodegeneration that causes the dysfunction of brain homeostasis, resulting in a progressive loss of structure, function, and number of neuronal cells. This happens over time and leads to brain damage and physical impairment. The most known chronic NDs are represented by Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD). According to epidemiological studies, regular coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we summarize the latest research about the potential effects of caffeine in neurodegenerative disorders prevention and discuss the role of controlled caffeine delivery systems in maintaining high plasma caffeine concentrations for an extended time.     

TMEM106B Acts as a Modifier of Cognitive and Motor Functions in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

The transmembrane protein 106B (TMEM106B) gene is a susceptibility factor and disease modifier of frontotemporal dementia, but few studies have investigated its role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of the TMEM106B rs1990622 (A–major risk allele; G–minor allele) on phenotypic variability of 865 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Demographic and clinical features were compared according to genotypes by additive, dominant, and recessive genetic models. Bulbar onset was overrepresented among carriers of the AA risk genotype, together with enhanced upper motor neuron involvement and poorer functional status in patients harboring at least one major risk allele (A). In a subset of 195 patients, we found that the homozygotes for the minor allele (GG) showed lower scores at the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Screen, indicating a more severe cognitive impairment, mainly involving the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-specific cognitive functions and memory. Moreover, lower motor neuron burden predominated among patients with at least one minor allele (G). Overall, we found that TMEM106B is a disease modifier of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, whose phenotypic effects encompass both sites of onset and functional status (major risk allele), motor functions (both major risk and minor alleles), and cognition (minor allele).     

Ion Channels in Multiple Myeloma: Pathogenic Role and Therapeutic Perspectives

Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that allow ions to flow across plasma membranes and intracellular organelles in both excitable and non-excitable cells. They are involved in the regulation of several biological processes (i.e., proliferation, cell volume and shape, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis). Recently, the aberrant expression of ion channels has emerged as an important step of malignant transformation, tumor progression, and drug resistance, leading to the idea of “onco-channelopathy”. Here, we review the contribution of ion channels and transporters in multiple myeloma (MM), a hematological neoplasia characterized by the expansion of tumor plasma cells (MM cells) in the bone marrow (BM). Deregulation of ion channels sustains MM progression by modulating intracellular pathways that promote MM cells’ survival, proliferation, and drug resistance. Finally, we focus on the promising role of ion channels as therapeutic targets for the treatment of MM patients in a combination strategy with currently used anti-MM drugs to improve their cytotoxic activity and reduce adverse effects.     

碳水化合物——蛋白质饮料对运动耐力的影响

人在长时间运动后的疲劳和体内存储的肌糖原的消耗密切相关,因此运动后糖原合成的速度是短时间内运动恢复的关键因素。接下来的实验有效地研究了运动后补充的营养成分对于再次运动时耐力表现的影响。