Electromyographic biofeedback training for tension headache in the elderly: A prospective study

This study evaluated the effects of a 12-session frontal electromyographic biofeedback training regimen on the headache activity of eight tension headache sufferers aged 62 and older. The biofeedback sessions were slightly modified for a geriatric population, essentially to increase comprehension and retention of rationale and instructions. Post-treatment assessment at three months revealed significant decreases in overall headache activity (50% or greater) in 50% of the subjects, and moderate improvement (35%–45%) in three of the remaining four subjects. Significant clinical and/or statistical prepost differences were also found for the number of headache-free days, peak headache activity, and medication index. This is the first prospective study of biofeedback training for tension headache in an elderly population and, unlike previous retrospective studies, suggests that such therapy may be an effective intervention in the treatment of tension headaches in the elderly.The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. This study was supported by a Department of Veterans Affairs MERIT-Review awarded to the first author.     

Influence of pHo on calcium channel block by amlodipine, a charged dihydropyridine compound. Implications for location of the dihydropyridine receptor

We have investigated the modulation of L-type calcium channel currents in isolated ventricular cells by the dihydropyridine derivative amlodipine, a weak base with a pKa of 8.6. Under conditions that favor neutral drug molecules, amlodipine block resembles other, previously described, neutral dihydropyridine derivatives: block is more pronounced at depolarized voltages, repetitive pulsing is not needed to promote block, and recovery is complete at hyperpolarized voltages. When the drug is ionized, depolarized voltages still enhance block, however, the time course is slow and speeded by repetitive pulses that open channels. Recovery from block by ionized drug molecules is very slow and incomplete, but can be rapidly modified by changes in external hydrogen ion concentration. We conclude from these observations that the degree of ionization of the drug molecule can affect access to the dihydropyridine receptor and that external protons can interact with the drug-receptor complex even if channels are blocked and closed. These observations place limitations on the location of this receptor in the ventricular cell membrane.     

Metabolomics Reveals Phospholipids as Important Nutrient Sources during Salmonella Growth in Bile In Vitro and In Vivo

During the colonization of hosts, bacterial pathogens are presented with many challenges that must be overcome for colonization to occur successfully. This requires the bacterial sensing of the surroundings and adaptation to the conditions encountered. One of the major impediments to the pathogen colonization of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract is the antibacterial action of bile. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium has specific mechanisms involved in resistance to bile. Additionally, Salmonella can successfully multiply in bile, using it as a source of nutrients. This accomplishment is highly relevant to pathogenesis, as Salmonella colonizes the gallbladder of hosts, where it can be carried asymptomatically and promote further host spread and transmission. To gain insights into the mechanisms used by Salmonella to grow in bile, we studied the changes elicited by Salmonella in the chemical composition of bile during growth in vitro and in vivo through a metabolomics approach. Our data suggest that phospholipids are an important source of carbon and energy for Salmonella during growth in the laboratory as well as during gallbladder infections of mice. Further studies in this area will generate a better understanding of how Salmonella exploits this generally hostile environment for its own benefit.     

Peanut and Lotus tetragonolobus binding sites in human kidney from congenital nephrotic syndrome of Finnish type

The authors have studied kidney tissues from two cases of Congenital Nephrotic Syndrome of Finnish Type (CNS:FT), two cases of infantile polycystic disease and five normal newborns using Peanut (PNA) and Lotus Tetragonolobus (LTA) peroxidase-labeled lectins. In CNS:FT a positive reaction for LTA has been documented at the luminal surface of the microcysts, while no staining was observed with PNA. In infantile polycystic disease the cysts were stained by PNA, whereas LTA binds selectively proximal undilated tubules. In normal kidney distal tubules as well as collecting ducts and proximal tubules were stained by PNA and LTA respectively. The results suggest that in CNS:FT microcystic transformation of the kidney can originate from proximal tubules according to microdissection studies elsewhere reported.     

Toward an understanding of mechanisms regulating plant response to biochar application

Plant growth and development are affected by several environmental factors, among which soil nutrient availability. Biochar addition to soil is recognized to exert beneficial effects on soil fertility and thus plant growth; furthermore, it is a promising option for climate change mitigation. However, multi-species studies and meta-analyses have indicated considerable variations in biochar responses among plant species. To date, information on the biochar effect on plants, especially at molecular level, is still scarce. Using a multi-target approach with a model plant such as tomato, we demonstrate that biochar has a negligible effect on soil nutrient content and plant growth, even if it misbalances the plant photosynthetic machinery, as well as mechanisms recognizing pathogen-derived molecules. Ethylene could be one of the signal-molecule driving the alteration of tomato-pathogen recognition signaling by inactivation of vesicle trafficking. All these modifications could be at the basis of the increased susceptibility of biochar-treated plants to pathogen attack. Further organ-specific and tissue-specific multi-level studies, from high-resolution internal processes towards high-throughput external phenotyping, coupled with powerful biostatistic and informatic analysis, will help to decipher, in a network-type fashion, all the factors and signaling mechanisms related to the complex interaction between different plant, soil and biochar types.     

Growth,photosynthetic activity and tuber quality of two potato cultivars in controlled environment as affected by light source

In order to elucidate the effect of genetic material and light source and their interaction on plant performance of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), we studied the influence of two light sources, white fluorescent tubes (WF) and red blue LEDs with ratio 8:1 (RB) and two cultivars, ‘Avanti’ and ‘Colomba’ grown in phytotron, on growth, leaf photosynthesis and photochemistry and tuber quality. Under WF, net photosynthesis (NP) increased from the vegetative phase until flowering, then decreased during tuber bulking, with no differences between the cultivars. Lighting with RB increased the NP and the PSII maximum quantum use efficiency compared to WF. RB reduced stem elongation in both cultivars, as well as the number and area of leaves, and the aerial biomass per plant in ‘Colomba’, compared to WF. Conversely, tuber yield was higher in plants under RB light in both ‘Avanti’ and ‘Colomba’. Light source did not influence the tuber content of starch and total glycoalkaloids, while it affected differently in the cultivars the protein content and the glycoalkaloid profile. Our results highlight how interactions between light source and genotype need to be considered for potato cultivation in controlled environment under artificial lighting.     

Assessing potential desertification environmental impact in life cycle assessment

Background, aim and scope  

Life cycle assessment (LCA) enables the objective assessment of global environmental burdens associated with the life cycle of a product or a production system. One of the main weaknesses of LCA is that, as yet, there is no scientific agreement on the assessment methods for land-use related impacts, which results in either the exclusion or the lack of assessment of local environmental impacts related to land use. The inclusion of the desertification impact in LCA studies of any human activity can be important in high-desertification risk regions.     

Modern proteomic methodologies for the characterization of lactosylation protein targets in milk

Heat treatment of milk induces the Maillard reaction between lactose and proteins; in this context, β‐lactoglobulin and α‐lactalbumin adducts have been used as markers to monitor milk quality. Since some milk proteins have been reported as essential for the delivery of microelements and, being resistant against proteolysis in the gastrointestinal tract, also contributing to the acquired immune response against pathogens and the stimulation of cellular proliferation, it is crucial to systematically determine the milk subproteome affected by the Maillard reaction for a careful evaluation of aliment functional properties. This is more important when milk is the unique nutritional source, as in infant diet. To this purpose, a combination of proteomic procedures based on analyte capture by combinatorial peptide ligand libraries, selective trapping of lactosylated peptides by m‐aminophenylboronic acid‐agarose chromatography and collision‐induced dissociation and electron transfer dissociation MS was used for systematic identification of the lactosylated proteins in milk samples subjected to different thermal treatments. An exhaustive modification of proteins was observed in milk powdered preparations for infant nutrition. Globally, this approach allowed the identification of 271 non‐redundant modification sites in 33 milk proteins, which also included low‐abundance components involved in nutrient delivery, defence response against virus/microorganisms and cellular proliferative events. A comparison of the modified peptide identification percentages resulting from electron transfer dissociation or collision‐induced dissociation fragmentation spectra confirmed the first activation mode as most advantageous for the analysis of lactosylated proteins. Nutritional, biological and toxicological consequences of these findings are discussed on the basis of the recent literature on this subject, emphasizing their impact on newborn diet.