Cerebral Circulation Time is Prolonged and Not Correlated with EDSS in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Study Using Digital Subtracted Angiography

Literature has suggested that changes in brain flow circulation occur in patients with multiple sclerosis. In this study, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was used to measure the absolute CCT value in MS patients and to correlate its value to age at disease onset and duration, and to expand disability status scale (EDSS). DSA assessment was performed on eighty MS patients and on a control group of forty-four age-matched patients. CCT in MS and control groups was calculated by analyzing the angiographic images. Lesion and brain volumes were calculated in a representative group of MS patients. Statistical correlations among CCT and disease duration, age at disease onset, lesion load, brain volumes and EDSS were considered. A significant difference between CCT in MS patients (mean = 4.9s; sd = 1.27s) and control group (mean = 2.8s; sd = 0.51s) was demonstrated. No significant statistical correlation was found between CCT and the other parameters in all MS patients. Significantly increased CCT value in MS patients suggests the presence of microvascular dysfunctions, which do not depend on clinical and MRI findings. Hemodynamic changes may not be exclusively the result of a late chronic inflammatory process.     

Calpastatin Gene (CAST) Is Not Associated with Late Onset Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease in the Han Chinese Population

Recent studies point to an association between the late-onset sporadic Parkinson’s disease (PD) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs1559085 and rs27852 in Ca²⁺-dependent protease calpain inhibitor calpastatin (CAST) gene. This finding is of interest since loss of CAST activity could result in over activated calpain, potentially leading to Ca²⁺ dysregulation and loss of substantia nigra neurons in PD. We explored the association between CAST SNPs and late-onset sporadic PD in the Han Chinese population. The study included 615 evaluable patients (363 male, 252 female) with PD and 636 neurologically healthy controls (380 male, 256 female) matched for age, gender, ethnicity, and area of residence. PD cases were identified from the PD cohort of the Chinese National Consortium on Neurodegenerative Diseases (www.chinapd.cn). A total of 24 tag-SNPs were genotyped capturing 95% of the genetic variation across the CAST gene. There was no association found between any of the polymorphisms and PD in all models tested (co-dominant, dominant-effect and recessive-effect). Similarly, none of the common haplotypes was associated with a risk for PD. Our data do not support a significant association between the CAST gene polymorphisms and late onset sporadic PD in the Han Chinese population.     

La componente pollinica nell'atmosfera di Cagliari

Riassunto Gli autori riportano nel presente articolo i risultati ottenuti dal campionamento pollinico svolto nell' atmosfera di Cagliari nel periodo 1981–1985. Sono state identificate 38 famiglie e 60 generi con un numero medio/annuo di 27147 pollini. Si presentano considerazioni vegetazionali dellazona, si raffrontano i risultati con quelli di altri Centri e si prospettano correlazioni tra concentrazioni polliniche e condizione climatiche.      

Habitat Attributes and Waterbird-Use of Four Wetlands in Manas National Park,Assam, India

We studied the relationship between habitat characteristics and the use of wetlands by the waterbirds over 5 years in Manas National Park, Assam. Patterns of temporal and spatial variation in waterbird diversity, abundance and community composition were quantified in relation to eight wetland attributes. There were significant declines in majority of the waterbird species during the course of this study; carnivorous and omnivorous birds being the major sufferers. The waterbird communities exhibited both spatial and temporal shifts in distribution and community composition along with the shifts in their major food resources, and primary productivity of the wetlands did not appear to play a major role in these shifts. Our study also demonstrates that the observed declines in waterbird abundances were associated with declines in zooplankton and macroinvertebrate densities. Temporal changes in wetland size also played some roles in the waterbird decline and community composition.