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Dendoraite-(NH4), (NH4)2NaAl(C2O4)(PO3OH)2(H2O)2, is a new mineral species from the Rowley mine, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. It occurs in an unusual bat-guano-related, post-mining assemblage of phases that include a variety of vanadates, phosphates, oxalates and chlorides, some containing NH4+. Other secondary minerals found in association with dendoraite-(NH4) are antipinite, fluorite, mimetite, mottramite, relianceite-(K), rowleyite, salammoniac, struvite, vanadinite, willemite, wulfenite and at least one other new mineral. Crystals of dendoraite-(NH4) are colourless blades up to ~0.1 mm in length. The streak is white and lustre is vitreous, Mohs hardness is 2½, tenacity is brittle and fracture is splintery. The calculated density is 2.122 g⋅cm–3. Dendoraite-(NH4) is optically biaxial (–) with α = 1.490(5), β = 1.540(5) and γ = 1.541(5) (white light); 2Vcalc = 15.7°; and orientation X = b. Electron microprobe analysis gave the empirical formula [(NH4)1.48K0.52]Σ2.00Na0.96(Al0.96Fe3+0.03)Σ0.99(C2O4)[PO2.97(OH)1.03]2(H2O)2, with the C, N and H contents constrained by the crystal structure. Dendoraite-(NH4) is monoclinic, P21/n, with a = 10.695(6), b = 6.285(4), c = 19.227(12) Å, β = 90.933(10)°, V = 1292(2) Å3, and Z = 4. The structural unit in the crystal structure of dendoraite-(NH4) (R1 = 0.0467 for 1322 Io > 2σI reflections) is a double-strand chain of corner-sharing AlO6 octahedra and PO3OH tetrahedra decorated by additional PO3OH tetrahedra and C2O4 groups. Topologically, this is the same chain found in the structure of thebaite-(NH4). The decorated chains connect to one another through links to NaO7(H2O) polyhedra to form a [Na(H2O)Al(C2O4)(PO3OH)2]2– sheet, which connect to one another through bonds to (NH4)/K and through hydrogen bonds.
Relianceite-(K), K4Mg(V4+O)2(C2O4)(PO3OH)4(H2O)10, is a new mineral species from the Rowley mine, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. It occurs in an unusual bat-guano-related, post-mining assemblage of phases. Other secondary minerals associated with relianceite-(K) are antipinite, dendoraite-(NH4), fluorite, mimetite, mottramite, rowleyite, salammoniac, struvite, vanadinite, willemite, wulfenite and at least one other new mineral. Crystals of relianceite-(K) are sky blue prisms up to ~0.1 mm in length. The streak is very pale blue and lustre is vitreous, Mohs hardness is 2½, tenacity is brittle and fracture is splintery. The calculated density is 2.111 g⋅cm–3. Relianceite-(K) is optically biaxial (+) with α = 1.528(2), β = 1.529(2), γ = 1.562(2) (white light); 2Vmeas = 22(1)°; orientation Z = b; pleochroism: X = colourless, Y = pale blue, Z = pale blue; X < Y ≈ Z. Electron microprobe analysis gave the empirical formula [K2.21(NH4)1.79]Σ4.00Mg0.96(V4+0.95O)2(C2O4)[P1.03O3.03(OH)0.97]4(H2O)10, with the C, N and H contents constrained by the crystal structure. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of NH4 and C2O4. Relianceite-(K) is monoclinic, Pc, with a = 12.404 (7) Å, b = 9.014 (6), c = 13.260 (8) Å, β = 100.803(10)°, V = 1456 (2) Å3 and Z = 2. The structural unit in the crystal structure of relianceite-(K) (R1 = 0.0540 for 3751 Io > 2σI reflections) is a (V4+O)2(C2O4)(PO3OH)4 chain in which VO6 octahedra are bridged by an oxalate group to form [V2C2O12] dimers, PO3OH tetrahedra form a double bridge between the VO6 octahedra of the dimers, and additional PO3OH tetrahedra decorate the chain. Topologically, this is the same chain found in the structure of davidbrownite-(NH4). The MgO(H2O)5 octahedron can be considered a distant decoration on the chain. The chains are linked to each other through an extensive system of K/NH4–O bonds and hydrogen bonds.
Background: Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) are known as epilepsy biomarkers for seizure detection, and It is essential for clinicians to detect them from from physiological events with similar temporal frequency characteristics. Methods: We analyzed the SEEG recordings obtained from patients with medically-resistant epilepsy (MRE) implanted with DE at the Western University Hospital Epilepsy Unit. The data were cleaned, denoised, montaged and segmented based on the clinical annotations, such as sleep intervals and observed Ictals. For event detection, the signal waveform and its power were extracted symmetrically in non-overlapping intervals of 500 ms. Each waveform’s power across all detected spikes was computed and clustered based on their energy distributions. Results: The recordings included thirteen sessions of 24 hours of extracellular recordings from two patients, with 312 hours extracted from four hippocampus electrodes anterior and posterior hippocampus. Our results indicate IEDs carrying the most different characteristics in the bands [25-75] Hz; SWR, on the other hand, are distributed between [80-170] Hz. Conclusions: Our algorithm detected and successfully distinguished IED from SWRs based on their carrying energy during non-sleep periods. Also, the most powerful spectral features that they were distinguished from occur in [15-30] Hz and [75-90] Hz.
Background: The quality of sleep is frequently impacted in patients with epilepsy. Vagus Nerve Stimulation is a relatively common treatment used in patients with medically resistant epilepsy. Some studies show an improvement in quality of life, however, there is limited data on the impact on sleep quality. Methods: A database analysis was conducted on Medline, Embase, and Cochrane to find studies that examined the VNS’s effect on quality of sleep in medically resistant epilepsy. These studies included randomized clinical trails, case studies or reports, cohort studies, and systematic reviews. Results: 75 papers were reviewed and 16 studies from eight countries were included in the analysis. A total of 93 patients with ages ranged from 10 – 49 were included. Analyzing the change in the quality of sleep after VNS was evaluated using Multiple Sleep Latency Test. The literature showed that at low stimulus intensities, VNS treatment improves daytime sleepiness in patients. However, VNS setting titration has a dose-dependent effect on obstructive sleep apnea where higher VNS frequencies are related to higher apnea events. Conclusions: Limited data is available on the impact of VNS on the quality of sleep. Further studies are required to evaluate the improvement of sleep in patients with VNS.
Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for treatment resistant schizophrenia but adverse reactions to clozapine include neutropenia. Patients with COVID-19 infection frequently experience lymphopenia, but not neutropenia.The impact of clozapine treatment in the presence of COVID-19 is unknown
Objectives
Show 2 cases of neutropenia in patients treated with long-term clozapine during COVID-19 infection.
Methods
Subjects: 48 admitted patients to a long-stay psychiatric unit. COVID-19 infection confirmed by positive nasopharyngeal swab for viral ribonucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2. Hematological controls between March and April 2020.
Results
16 patients (33%) treated with clozapine.18 patients (37’5%) had COVID-19 infection, of which 5 (10’4%) were treated with clozapine; 2 presented neutropenia. 1- 56-year-old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia on clozapine since 2009. Begins to have a dry cough and fever with positive COVID-19 swab (day 0). Slight leukopenia without neutropenia was observed on day 1. On day 7, neutropenia was observed with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of 1100. We decided to suspend clozapine and to initiate daily hematological controls. The ANC on day 8 was 970. Over the next few days the ANC will progressively improve until neutropenia resolved (day 22). 2- 55-year-old woman who required a transfer to a general hospital because of respiratory complications from COVID-19. She presented significant leukopenia (1’01x 10^3/uL) and neutropenia (ANC 100). Clozapine was not withdrawn. She was treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.
Conclusions
An urgent full blood count will be required to exclude neutropenia with appropriate action. Further research will be needed to clarify the possible relationship between COVID-19, clozapine and neutropenia.
The Cognitive Disorders Unit carries out sessions of Psychoeducational Groups (PG) for caregivers of patients diagnosed with cognitive impairment (CI). The aim is to educate about the disease, improve the caregiver’s self-care and learn how to take better care of the sick.
Objectives
Analyze the profile of the caregivers that participate in PG and assess changes in their psychological state.
Methods
Subjects: 110 caregivers of patients diagnosed with mild-moderate CI who have participated in PG. Methodology: sociodemographic data of the caregiver and patient are collected. The following scales are passed: General-Health-Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Global-Deterioration-Scale, Barthel-Index. 5 sessions of 90 minutes are carried out every fortnight. An opinion questionnaire and the GHQ-12 are administered at the end of the sessions.
Results
86% of caregivers are women: 37% spouses and 55% daughters; mean age 57; 92% of patients live with the caregiver. 62% of caregivers present some kind of psychological disorder that is significantly reduced (p=0,0003) after some sessions. After PG: 65% of caregivers are able to further enjoy their daily activities 46% improve concentration capacity 42% improve sleeping and mood. Opinion Questionnaire Results: 98% of caregivers are satisfied with the activities, the topics addressed and their applicability.
Conclusions
The participants in PG were mostly daughters of patients, with average age 57, and living in the same household. Participation in PG improves the information and skills of caregivers, and reduces psychological disorders by improving their mood, their ability to concentrate, their quality of sleep and enjoyment of daily activities.
Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for treatment resistant schizophrenia. In patients treated with clozapine, COVID-19 infection may result in complications including an increased risk of pneumonia, clozapine toxicity, and disruption to clozapine treatment by COVID-19 induced lymphopenia.
Objectives
We report 5 cases of elevated clozapine levels occurring in patients with COVID-19 infection who had been previously managed for several years on stable doses.
Methods
Subjects: 48 admitted patients to a long-stay psychiatric unit. COVID-19 infection confirmed by positive nasopharyngeal swab for viral ribonucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2. Hematological controls between March and April 2020.
Results
16 patients (33%) treated with clozapine.18 patients (37’5%) had COVID-19 infection, of which 5 (10’4%) were treated with clozapine. Results are presented in table 1. Increases in plasma clozapine levels were observed in all cases (49’38 to 307.5%). We don’t have the clozapine levels of a patient who presented a pneumonia requiring admission and treatment in the general hospital. Two cases of neutropenia were observed, of which one had to discontinue treatment with clozapine. In the other three patients the dose of clozapine was reduced and they did not present haematological or intoxication complications that required further adjustments.
Conclusions
Covid-19 infection is associated with increased serum clozapine levels by probably multifactorial mechanisms (systemic infection, reduced smoking). Importance of full clinical assessment of suspected COVID-19 infection in clozapine treated patients, including assessment clozapine level, and full blood count. The general recommendation is to reduce the dose of clozapine in this patients.
Horticultural therapy is a professional practice that is increasingly used in a lot of mental health rehabilitation programs. This therapy was introduced in the Comunitary Rehabilitation Service of INAD, considering its beneficial results in patients with severe mental disorder in combination with the usual rehabilitation program.
Objectives
We would like to study the benefits of this therapy compared to the usual in our patients.
Methods
This is an explanatory study for the purpose of establishing the association between the application of a Therapeutic Horticulture Program and the Clinical Symptomatology of Schizophrenia. A research with an experimental design Pre and Post-Test was carried out, by applying a Horticulture Program and evaluating with PANSS after 6 months its effects on the Clinical Symptomatology. The participants of the experimental group were selectively chosen. The only selection criteria were to attend the orchard at least once a week and be diagnosed with a schizophrenic disorder. The control group was chosen according to the number of members that made up the other group, with the criterion that they did not perform any outdoor activities and also had a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Results
The comparison of the Pre and Post-Test measures in the case of the experimental group reports the presence of statistically significant differences in the scale of positive symptomatology composite scale and general scale.
Conclusions
This psychopathological improvement of those participants open a door to possible applications of this therapy as a psychosocial treatment.
This study explores the relationship between railroad integration and regional development on the European periphery between 1870 and 1910, based on a regional data set including 291 spatial units. Railroad integration is proxied by railroad density, while per capita GDP is used as an indicator of economic development. The period under study is of particular relevance as it has been associated with the second wave of railroad construction in Europe and also coincides with the industrialization of most of the continent. Overall, we found that railroads had a significant and positive impact on the growth of per capita GDP across Europe. The magnitude of this relationship appears to be relatively modest, but the results obtained are robust with respect to a number of different specifications. From a geographical perspective, we found that railroads had a significantly greater influence on regions located in countries on the northern periphery of Europe than in other outlying areas. They also helped the economies of these areas to begin the process of catching up with the continent’s industrialized core. In contrast, the regions on the southern periphery showed lower levels of economic growth, with this exacerbating the preexisting divergence in economic development. The expansion of the railroad network in them was unable to homogenize the diffusion of economic development and tended to further benefit the regions that were already industrialized. In most of the cases, the capital effect was magnified, and this contributed to the consolidation of newly created nation-states.
Thebaite-(NH4), (NH4,K)3Al(C2O4)(PO3OH)2(H2O), is a new mineral species (IMA2020-072) from the Rowley mine, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. It occurs in an unusual bat-guano-related, post-mining assemblage of phases that include a variety of vanadates, phosphates, oxalates and chlorides, some containing NH4+. Other secondary minerals found in association with thebaite-(NH4) are antipinite, vanadinite and at least one other new mineral. Crystals of thebaite-(NH4) are colourless blades up to ~0.1 mm in length. The streak is white, lustre is vitreous, Mohs hardness is 1½–2, tenacity is brittle and fracture is splintery. There are two good cleavages in the [010] zone, probably {100} and {10$\bar{2}$}. The calculated density is 2.093 g⋅cm–3. Thebaite-(NH4) is optically biaxial (–) with α = 1.490(2), β = 1.534(2), γ = 1.570(2) (white light); 2V = 82.7(5)°; slight r > v dispersion; and orientation X = b, Y ^ c = 13° in obtuse β. Electron microprobe analysis gave the empirical formula [(NH4)2.12K0.69Na0.20]Σ3.01(Al0.84Fe3+0.11V3+0.04)Σ0.99(C2O4)[(P0.98Si0.02)O3OH]2(H2O), with the C, N and H contents constrained by the crystal structure. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of NH4 and C2O4. Thebaite-(NH4) is monoclinic, P21/c, with a = 11.156(9), b = 6.234(6), c = 18.651(16) Å, β = 102.928(15)°, V = 1264.2(19) Å3 and Z = 4. The structural unit in the crystal structure of thebaite-(NH4) (R1 = 0.0612 for 863 Io > 2σI reflections) is a double-strand chain of corner-sharing AlO6 octahedra and PO3OH tetrahedra decorated by additional PO3OH tetrahedra and C2O4 groups. The decorated chains connect to one another through bonds to NH4+ and K+ and through hydrogen bonds.
Hagstromite, Pb8Cu2+(Te6+O6)2(CO3)Cl4, (IMA2019-093) is a new tellurate mineral from Otto Mountain near Baker, California, USA. It occurs on quartz in association with cerussite, fuettererite and thorneite. It is a secondary oxidation zone mineral and is presumed to have formed by oxidation of earlier formed tellurides, chalcopyrite and galena. Hagstromite occurs as light yellow–green blades, up to ~100 μm long. Crystals are transparent with adamantine to silky lustre. The mineral is brittle with two cleavages providing splintery fracture; the Mohs hardness is probably between 2 and 3. The calculated density is 7.062 g cm–3. Hagstromite is optically biaxial (+), with calculated indices of refraction for α = 2.045, β = 2.066 and γ = 2.102; 2Vmeas = 76(1)°; and optical orientation X = b, Y = a and Z = c. The Raman spectrum of hagstromite exhibits similarities with those of agaite and thorneite and confirms the presence of CO32–. The electron microprobe analyses provided the empirical formula Pb8.07Cu2+0.98Te6+1.96C1.17Cl3.83O15.34. Hagstromite is orthorhombic, space group Ibam, with a = 23.688(17), b = 9.026(8), c = 10.461(8) Å, V = 2237(3) Å3 and Z = 4. The crystal structure of hagstromite (R1 = 0.0659 for 284 I > 2σI reflections) contains a novel Cu2+Te6+2O12 chain assembled of corner-sharing Cu2+O4 squares and Te6+O6 octahedra. The O atoms in the chains form bonds with Pb2+ cations, which in turn bond to Cl– and CO32– anions, thereby creating a framework structure.
This study is aimed to establish biological, psychological, and social risk factors for a group of patients hospitalized following a suicide attempt or suicide ideation, and controls. Patients were characterized by different degrees of severity, namely: 1)Nearly Lethal Suicide Attempt 2)Suicide Attempt with a Survival Strategy 3)Suicidal Ideation without Suicide Attempt, 4) Control inpatients without suicide ideation or history.
Methods:
We evaluated nearly 100 patients using several scales for the assessment of: Personality, Reasons for Living, Axis I, Social factors and History of previous suicide attempts.
Results:
There is a higher proportion of young, adolescent, single and female patients. Most of them asked for help after the suicide attempt. The majority had a comorbid diagnosis for substance abuse. In reference to personality disorders, we found counterintuitively, that those who made a Nearly Lethal Suicide attempt were healthier than the subjects who's suicide attempt was less severe.
Conclusions:
This finding is also reflected in the fact that those with a less severe suicide attempt rated much higher on impulsivity and also were much less satisfied with their family and friends. This last trait is probably associated with personality disorders.
Patients who made a Nearly lethal suicide attempt had much higher on the Reasons for Living questionnaire. Compared to less severe suicide attempters, they had more reasons to stay alive. This last finding might be an early aftereffect of the attempt.
Behavioural, psychological and cognitive disturbance have been associated with hypothyroidism, even it has been suggested that this symptoms may remain despite adequate replacement therapy with thyroxine.
Objective
To describe prevalence, sociodemographics and clinical features of patients with hypothyroidism in an acute psychiatric unit.
Aims
To know about the relation between hypothyroidism and psychiatric symptoms.
Methods
Data base collection of all patients admitted between 2010 and 2014 in the acute unit of our psychiatric hospital in Barcelona, was analyzed using SPSS program.
Results
In all 3.1% of the 4536 total patients had hypothyroidism. Among them, 46% were duplicate cases. Mean age was 53 ± 14.27 years. A total of 82.7% were woman. Patients having a TSH lower than 0.30 were 12%, TSH normal were 60.2%, TSH higher than 5 were 27.8%. Most frequent Levothyroxine dosage was: 75 μg (22.1%), 100 μg (19%), 25 μg (12.5%) and 125 μg (12.5%). Diagnosis more frequently associated with hypothyroidism was: Bipolar (26.5%), Schizophrenia (20%), Depression (15.1%), Unspecified psychosis (10%), Personality disorder (10%), Schizoaffective disorder (7.2%), Paranoia 4.3%.
Conclusion
Most of patients were stable of thyroid condition when had been admitted to our hospital. Hypothyroidism could be a relapse factor, even when treatment is adequate. Affective disorders are more frequently related with hypothyroidism (lithium has to be consider a confounding factor).
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
The integrated care in dual diagnosis units involves selecting pharmacological treatment strategies for both substance use disorder and the non-addictive psychiatric disorder. It is recommended to choose drugs with a favorable balance between efficacy/tolerability, an adequate side effects profile and the minimal drug interactions.
Objectives and aims
To evaluate the tolerability and side effects after first administration-first dose of an extended-release injectable suspension of aripiprazole in a group of patients admitted to an acute dual diagnosis unit.
Methods
The study included a series of patients admitted in our unit from May to August 2015 that received the first dose of the aripiprazole preparation (400 mg). Evaluations included different scales for side effects (SAS, ESRS, UKU) and the clinical global impression scale (CGI).
Results
A total of 9 patients were included and evaluated (all men, mean age: 39-years-old). Diagnoses were: bipolar disorder (5/9), schizophrenia (2/9), schizoaffective disorder (1/9) and delusional disorder (1/9) with concomitant substance use disorder (6 cannabis, 2 alcohol, 1 cocaine). All of them without outpatient control and treatment at admission. The results of the clinical scales conclude that none of them had significant side effects, including extrapyramidal, with an improvement in the ICG scale.
Conclusion
Tolerability of extended-release injectable suspension of aripiprazole was good in all cases. In the future, new cases should be included to extend the sample and to evaluate other aspects such as the craving for substances.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Personality dimensions related with drug use are novelty seeking, impulsivity and harm avoidance. Studies predicting drug of choice over personality variables are controversial.
Objective
To describe personality profile of drug users in relation to substance of choice.
Aims
To know personality dimension differences according to drug used.
Methods
Cloninger's TCI-R was administered to 218 patients in a dual diagnosis unit.
SPSS was applied.
Results
Of the patients, 33.94% had personality disorder. Principal substances used were alcohol, cocaine and cannabis.
Most of drug users had normal scores in each dimension. No high scores were found in reward dependence, self-directedness and cooperativeness with any drug.
High scores were observed for novelty seeking in 42.9% of timulants users; for arm avoidance in a quarter of cocaine, alcohol and methadone users and for persistence in 18.2% of hypnotics users.
Low scores were observed for reward dependence in 45% of heroine and hypnotics users; for persistence in 50% of methadone and 32% of cocaine users; for self-directedness in most of types of drug users and for cooperativeness in up to 50% in heroine, hypnotics, stimulants and cocaine users.
Statistical significant differences were observed for cocaine use and high novelty seeking and low cooperation; for non cannabis use and high harm avoidance; for non anfetamine use and low scores in reward dependence; for opiate use and low self-directedness.
Conclusions
Most of patients had normal scores in the different dimensions.
Presence of comorbid personality disorder led us to consider the results with caution.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Describe the distinguishing characteristics between patients with early onset of alcohol use (EARLY, age < 15) and late onset of alcohol use (LATE, age > 16), both affected of acute non-substance use psychiatric disorders (non-SUD) and any substance use disorder admitted in a dual diagnosis unit.
Material and methods
Data on demographic, family, and clinical factors were gathered among subjects admitted to our dual diagnosis unit along three years, all of them meeting DSM-IV criteria of any non-substance related Axis I or II disorder and comorbid substance use disorder (SUD). Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS program.
Results
We show results of 748 patients (437 of EARLY group and 311 of LATE group). Predominantly male (73,53%) with a mean age of 39,60 ± 9,7 years. Most prevalent non-SUD psychiatric disorders were psychotic disorder (39,97%) and personality disorder (39,30%). In our sample, most common substances of abuse were Alcohol (45,05%) and Cocaine (30,35%). EARLY patients had an earlier first contact all substances as well as an earlier age of problematic consumption of cocaine, alcohol, opioids and nicotine; they also had major prevalence of opioid SUD, sedatives SUD and amphetamines SUD (see Tables 1, 2 and 3).
Conclusions
Patients who began earlier their consumptions of alcohol had major prevalence of opioid, sedatives and amphetamine use. They also had earlier consumptions of other substances and earlier problematic consumptions of cocaine, alcohol, opioids and nicotine, what probably means greater severity of drug addiction in the long run.
Disclosure of interest
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Motor abnormalities (MAs) are the primary manifestations of schizophrenia. However, the extent to which MAs are related to alterations of subcortical structures remains understudied.
Methods
We aimed to investigate the associations of MAs and basal ganglia abnormalities in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy controls. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 48 right-handed FEP and 23 age-, gender-, handedness-, and educational attainment-matched controls, to obtain basal ganglia shape analysis, diffusion tensor imaging techniques (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity), and relaxometry (R2*) to estimate iron load. A comprehensive motor battery was applied including the assessment of parkinsonism, catatonic signs, and neurological soft signs (NSS). A fully automated model-based segmentation algorithm on 1.5T MRI anatomical images and accurate corregistration of diffusion and T2* volumes and R2* was used.
Results
FEP patients showed significant local atrophic changes in left globus pallidus nucleus regarding controls. Hypertrophic changes in left-side caudate were associated with higher scores in sensory integration, and in right accumbens with tremor subscale. FEP patients showed lower fractional anisotropy measures than controls but no significant differences regarding mean diffusivity and iron load of basal ganglia. However, iron load in left basal ganglia and right accumbens correlated significantly with higher extrapyramidal and motor coordination signs in FEP patients.
Conclusions
Taken together, iron load in left basal ganglia may have a role in the emergence of extrapyramidal signs and NSS of FEP patients and in consequence in the pathophysiology of psychosis.
For their glucose supply, ruminants are highly dependent on the endogenous synthesis in the liver, but despite the numerous studies that evaluated hepatic glucose production, very few simultaneously measured hepatic glucose production and uptake of all precursors. As a result, the variability of precursor conversion into glucose in the liver is not known. The present study aimed at investigating by meta-analysis the relationships between hepatic glucose net release and uptake of precursors. We used the FLuxes of nutrients across Organs and tissues in Ruminant Animals database, which gathers international results on net nutrient fluxes at splanchnic level measured in catheterized animals. Response equations were developed for intakes up to 41 g DM intake/kg BW per day of diets varying from 0 to 100 g of concentrate/100 g DM in the absence of additives. The net hepatic uptake of propionate, α-amino-N and l-lactate was linearly and better related to their net portal appearance (NPA) than to their afferent hepatic flux. Blood flow data were corrected for lack of deacetylation of the para-aminohippuric acid, and this correction was shown to impact the response equations. To develop response equations between the availability of precursors (portal appearance and hepatic uptake) and net glucose hepatic release, missing data on precursor fluxes were predicted from dietary characteristics using previously developed response equations. Net hepatic release of glucose was curvilinearly related to hepatic supply and uptake of the sum of precursors, suggesting a lower conversion rate of precursors at high precursor supply. Factors of variation were explored for the linear portion of this relationship, which applied to NPA of precursors ranging from 0.99 to 9.60 mmol C/kg BW per h. Hepatic release of glucose was shown to be reduced by the portal absorption of glucose from diets containing bypass starch and to be increased by an increased uptake of β-hydroxybutyrate indicative of higher body tissue mobilization. These relationships were affected by the physiological status of the animals. In conclusion, we established equations that quantify the net release of glucose by the liver from the net availability of precursors. They provide a quantitative overview of factors regulating hepatic glucose synthesis in ruminants. These equations can be linked with the predictions of portal absorption of nutrients from intake and dietary characteristics, and provide indications of glucose synthesis from dietary characteristics.
As a result of the genetic selection for prolificacy and the improvements in the environment and farms management, litter size has increased in the last few years so that energy requirements of the lactating sow are greater. In addition, selection for feed efficiency of growing pigs is also conducted in maternal lines, and this has led to a decrease in appetite and feed intake that is extended to the lactation period, so the females are not able to obtain the necessary energy and nutrients for milk production and they mobilize their energetic reserves. When this mobilization is excessive, reproductive and health problems occur which ends up in an early sow culling. In this context, it has been suggested to improve feed efficiency at lactation through genetic selection. The aim of this study is to know, in a Duroc population, the genetic determinism of sow feed efficiency during lactation and traits involved in its definition, as well as genetic and environmental associations between them. The studied traits are daily lactation feed intake (dLFI), daily sow weight balance (dSWB), backfat thickness balance (BFTB), daily litter weight gain (dLWG), sow residual feed intake (RFI) and sow restricted residual feed intake (RRFI) during lactation. Data corresponded to 851 parities from 581 Duroc sows. A Bayesian analysis was performed using Gibbs sampling. A four-trait repeatability animal model was implemented including the systematic factors of batch and parity order, the standardized covariates of sow weight (SWf) and litter weight (LWs) at farrowing for all traits and lactation length for BFTB. The posterior mean (posterior SD) of heritabilities were: 0.09 (0.03) for dLFI, 0.37 (0.07) for dSWB, 0.09 (0.03) for BFTB, 0.22 (0.05) for dLWG, 0.04 (0.02) for RFI and null for RRFI. The genetic correlation between dLFI and dSWB was high and positive (0.74 (0.11)) and null between dLFI and BFTB. Genetic correlation was favourable between RFI and dLFI and BFTB (0.71 (0.16) and −0.69 (0.18)), respectively. The other genetic correlations were not statistically different from zero. The phenotypic correlations were low and positive between dLFI and dSWB (0.27 (0.03), dSWB and BFTB (0.25 (0.04)), and between dLFI and dLWG (0.16 (0.03)). Therefore, in the population under study, the improvement of the lactation feed efficiency would be possible either using RFI, which would not have unfavourable correlated effects, or through an index including its component traits.