Evaluating integrated headache care: a one-year follow-up observational study in patients treated at the Essen headache centre

Background  

Outpatient integrated headache care was established in 2005 at the Essen Headache Centre in Germany. This paper reports outcome data for this approach.     

p53 mediates target gene association with nuclear speckles for amplified RNA expression

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Shielded environments reduce stress in alien Asteraceae species during hot and dry summers along urban‐to‐rural gradients

Urban environments often host a greater abundance and diversity of alien plant species than rural areas. This is frequently linked to higher disturbance and propagule pressure, but could also be related to the additional establishment of species from warmer native ranges in cities, facilitated by the latter''s higher air temperatures and drier soils. A hitherto unresolved question is how stressful the urban environments become during climate extremes such as heatwaves and droughts. Do such episodes still favor alien plant species, or set them back? We used in situ measured phenotypic leaf and development trait responses of the six most widespread alien Asteraceae species from various native climates along Belgian urban‐to‐rural gradients, measured during two unusually warm and dry summers. Urbanization was characterized by three factors: the percentage of artificially sealed surfaces (urbanity, measured at three spatial scales from in situ to satellite‐based), the vegetation cover and the sky view factor (SVF, fraction of the hemisphere not blocked by buildings or vegetation). Across species, either from colder or warmer native climates, we found a predominant protective effect of shielded environments that block solar radiation (low SVF) along the entire urban‐to‐rural gradient. Such environments induced lower leaf anthocyanins and flavonols indices, indicating heat stress mitigation. Shielded environments also increased specific leaf area (SLA), a typical shade response. We found that vegetated areas had a secondary importance, increasing the chlorophyll content and decreasing the flavonols index, but these effects were not consistent across species. Finally, urbanity at the organism spatial scale decreased plant height, while broader‐scale urbanity had no significant influence. Our results suggest that sealed surfaces constrain alien Asteraceae during unusually warm and dry summers, while shielded environments protect them, possibly canceling out the lack of light. These findings shed new light on alien plant species success along urban‐to‐rural gradients in a changing climate.     

Aerobic endurance training versus relaxation training in patients with migraine (ARMIG): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Migraine is one of the most frequent headache diseases and impairs patients' quality of life. Up to now, many randomized studies reported efficacy of prophylactic therapy with medications such as beta-blockers or anti-epileptic drugs. Non-medical treatment, like aerobic endurance training, is considered to be an encouraging alternative in migraine prophylaxis. However, there is still a lack of prospective, high-quality randomized trials. We therefore designed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of aerobic endurance training versus relaxation training in patients with migraine (ARMIG). METHODS: This is a single-center, open-label, prospective, randomized trial. Sixty participants with migraine are randomly allocated to either endurance training or a relaxation group. After baseline headache diary documentation over at least 4 weeks, participants in the exercise group will start moderate aerobic endurance training under a sport therapist's supervision at least 3 times a week over a 12-week period. The second group will perform Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation training guided by a trained relaxation therapist, also at least 3 times a week over a 12-week period. Both study arms will train in groups of up to 10 participants. More frequent individual training is possible. The follow-up period will be 12 weeks after the training period. The general state of health, possible state of anxiety or depression, impairments due to the headache disorder, pain-related disabilities, the headache-specific locus of control, and the motor fitness status are measured with standardized questionnaires. DISCUSSION: The study design is adequate to generate meaningful results. The trial will be helpful in gaining important data on exercise training for non-medical migraine prophylaxis. Trial registration The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01407861.     

Morphology,development and reproduction of Pyrgomorpha vignaudii (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae)

Pyrgomorpha vignaudii (Guérin‐Méneville, 1849) is a pest of a wide variety of crop plants in Africa. To facilitate the search for a sustainable strategy against this pest, we have studied the post‐embryonic development, morphology and reproduction on Manihot esculenta in the laboratory. Five‐hundred and two larvae at the first stage of development obtained in the laboratory were individually reared in cages. Post‐embryonic development passed through seven stages. The total number of days spent for larval development varied from 77 to 108. The mean duration of development of stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 larvae were, respectively, 16.48 ± 0.43, 14.40 ± 0.55, 13.70 ± 0.61, 15.07 ± 0.84, 15.21 ± 1.31 and 16.21 ± 1.27 days. After the final molt, the females of P. vignaudii take an average of 12.7 ± 1.04 days before the first mating. The time between the first mating and first oviposition ranged from 14 to 34 days (averagely 25.2 ± 4.62 days). The females realized one to nine ovipositions during their lives. The number of eggs per egg‐pods (ootheca) varied from 16 to 93 with a mean of 45.31 ± 3.51. Our results provide valuable information for the search for a control strategy against P. vignaudii.     

The fission yeast Rad32 (Mre11)-Rad50-Nbs1 complex is required for the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint

Mre11, Rad50, and Nbs1 form a conserved heterotrimeric complex that is involved in recombination and DNA damage checkpoints. Mutations in this complex disrupt the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint, the checkpoint which slows replication in response to DNA damage, and cause chromosome instability and cancer in humans. However, how these proteins function and specifically where they act in the checkpoint signaling pathway remain crucial questions. We identified fission yeast Nbs1 by using a comparative genomic approach and showed that the genes for human Nbs1 and fission yeast Nbs1 and that for their budding yeast counterpart, Xrs2, are members of an evolutionarily related but rapidly diverging gene family. Fission yeast Nbs1, Rad32 (the homolog of Mre11), and Rad50 are involved in DNA damage repair, telomere regulation, and the S-phase DNA damage checkpoint. However, they are not required for G(2) DNA damage checkpoint. Our results suggest that a complex of Rad32, Rad50, and Nbs1 acts specifically in the S-phase branch of the DNA damage checkpoint and is not involved in general DNA damage recognition or signaling.     

Functional Principles of Posterior Septal Inputs to the Medial Habenula

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