The association between anger rumination and emotional dysregulation in borderline personality disorder: A review.

INTRODUCTION: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by impulsiveness, interpersonal difficulties, emotional instability and dysfunctional cognitive processes. In addition to these symptoms, anger rumination is a cognitive mechanism often prominent in BPD patients and it has been found to be associated with maladaptive outcomes, such as increasing anger feelings, aggressive and impulsive behaviors. In this context, the aim of our review is to synthesize results on the relationship between emotional dysregulation and anger rumination in BPD with the final goal to get more information about possible psychotherapeutic methods in the treatment of BPD. METHODS: A comprehensive search on BPD and anger rumination was performed on PubMed, Embase and Scopus. The search identified 8 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Most of the studies reported a correlation between BPD emotional instability and dyscontrolled behaviors, anger and depressive rumination. Specifically, from the reviewed studies, it emerged that the tendency to use dysfunctional cognitive strategies, such as anger rumination, predicted aggressive behavior above and beyond emotion dysregulation, ultimately suggesting that anger rumination mediates the relationship between emotional dysregulation and aggression proneness. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design and the inclusion of subjects without a definite diagnosis of BPD (e.g., university students), may have decreased the generalizability of the results to the clinical populations and limited the possibility to explore the effect of anger rumination over time in BPD. CONCLUSIONS: From the reviewed studies emerged that the identification of anger rumination as a proximal process with respect to BPD may have the potential to expand and support psychotherapeutic treatment.

Neural correlates of emotional processing in panic disorder: A mini review of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies.

BACKGROUND: Panic Disorder (PD) is mainly characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks. Although the presence of emotional functioning deficits in PD is well established, their neuronal bases are still less known. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarize the available functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies investigating the neural correlates associated with the processing of facial emotional expressions in patients with PD. METHODS: A comprehensive search on PubMed was performed and 10 fMRI studies meeting our inclusion criteria were included in this review. RESULTS: The majority of the studies reported selective deficits in key brain regions within the prefronto-limbic network in PD patients. Specifically, a mixed picture of hyperactivation and hypoactivation patterns were observed in limbic regions, including the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), as well as in areas within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), either during negative or positive valenced stimuli, as compared to healthy controls (HC) or other anxiety disorders. LIMITATIONS: The limited number of studies and the clinical and methodological heterogeneity make it difficult to draw definite conclusions on the neural mechanism of emotional processing associated with PD. CONCLUSION: Although the results of the available evidence suggest the presence of selective dysfunctions in regions within the cortico-limbic network in PD patients during processing of emotional stimuli, the direction of these abnormalities is still unclear. Therefore, future larger and more homogeneous studies are needed to elucidate the neural mechanisms underpinning the emotional processing dysfunctions often observed in PD patients.

Stigma on Mental Health among High School Students: Validation of the Italian Version of the Attribution Questionnaire-27 (AQ-27-I) in a High School Student Population.

The purpose of this study was to describe the psychometric characteristics of the AQ-27-I in a high school student population. Students aged between 17 and 20 years and attending the fourth and fifth year of a scientific high school in Milan were approached at the school and were asked to fill in an anonymous socio-demographic form and the AQ-27-I. Cronbach's alpha was used to estimate the instrument reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and compared to the original English version factor structure. The AQ-27-I demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 and only one subscale (Personal responsibility) with an alpha lower than 0.60. Fit indices were very positive for the Dangerousness Model supporting the factor structure and paths of the original version. The Personal Responsibility Model, on the other hand, showed some weakness, concerning the process dynamics of the model. The results obtained are similar with those from other studies carried out in Italy and other countries. The questionnaire can be used for the quantitative description of stereotypes, emotions and behaviors associated with stigma in mental health in high school student populations.

The cell cycle-regulated genes of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Many genes are regulated as an innate part of the eukaryotic cell cycle, and a complex transcriptional network helps enable the cyclic behavior of dividing cells. This transcriptional network has been studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) and elsewhere. To provide more perspective on these regulatory mechanisms, we have used microarrays to measure gene expression through the cell cycle of Schizosaccharomyces pombe (fission yeast). The 750 genes with the most significant oscillations were identified and analyzed. There were two broad waves of cell cycle transcription, one in early/mid G2 phase, and the other near the G2/M transition. The early/mid G2 wave included many genes involved in ribosome biogenesis, possibly explaining the cell cycle oscillation in protein synthesis in S. pombe. The G2/M wave included at least three distinctly regulated clusters of genes: one large cluster including mitosis, mitotic exit, and cell separation functions, one small cluster dedicated to DNA replication, and another small cluster dedicated to cytokinesis and division. S. pombe cell cycle genes have relatively long, complex promoters containing groups of multiple DNA sequence motifs, often of two, three, or more different kinds. Many of the genes, transcription factors, and regulatory mechanisms are conserved between S. pombe and S. cerevisiae. Finally, we found preliminary evidence for a nearly genome-wide oscillation in gene expression: 2,000 or more genes undergo slight oscillations in expression as a function of the cell cycle, although whether this is adaptive, or incidental to other events in the cell, such as chromatin condensation, we do not know.

Checkpoint effects and telomere amplification during DNA re-replication in fission yeast.

BACKGROUND: Although much is known about molecular mechanisms that prevent re-initiation of DNA replication on newly replicated DNA during a single cell cycle, knowledge is sparse regarding the regions that are most susceptible to re-replication when those mechanisms are bypassed and regarding the extents to which checkpoint pathways modulate re-replication. We used microarrays to learn more about these issues in wild-type and checkpoint-mutant cells of the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. RESULTS: We found that over-expressing a non-phosphorylatable form of the replication-initiation protein, Cdc18 (known as Cdc6 in other eukaryotes), drove re-replication of DNA sequences genome-wide, rather than forcing high level amplification of just a few sequences. Moderate variations in extents of re-replication generated regions spanning hundreds of kilobases that were amplified (or not) approximately 2-fold more (or less) than average. However, these regions showed little correlation with replication origins used during S phase. The extents and locations of amplified regions in cells deleted for the checkpoint genes encoding Rad3 (ortholog of human ATR and budding yeast Mec1) and Cds1 (ortholog of human Chk2 and budding yeast Rad53) were similar to those in wild-type cells. Relatively minor but distinct effects, including increased re-replication of heterochromatic regions, were found specifically in cells lacking Rad3. These might be due to Cds1-independent roles for Rad3 in regulating re-replication and/or due to the fact that cells lacking Rad3 continued to divide during re-replication, unlike wild-type cells or cells lacking Cds1. In both wild-type and checkpoint-mutant cells, regions near telomeres were particularly susceptible to re-replication. Highly re-replicated telomere-proximal regions (50-100 kb) were, in each case, followed by some of the least re-replicated DNA in the genome. CONCLUSION: The origins used, and the extent of replication fork progression, during re-replication are largely independent of the replication and DNA-damage checkpoint pathways mediated by Cds1 and Rad3. The fission yeast pattern of telomere-proximal amplification adjacent to a region of under-replication has also been seen in the distantly-related budding yeast, which suggests that subtelomeric sequences may be a promising place to look for DNA re-replication in other organisms.

Checkpoint independence of most DNA replication origins in fission yeast.

BACKGROUND: In budding yeast, the replication checkpoint slows progress through S phase by inhibiting replication origin firing. In mammals, the replication checkpoint inhibits both origin firing and replication fork movement. To find out which strategy is employed in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we used microarrays to investigate the use of origins by wild-type and checkpoint-mutant strains in the presence of hydroxyurea (HU), which limits the pool of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) and activates the replication checkpoint. The checkpoint-mutant cells carried deletions either of rad3 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of ATR) or cds1 (which encodes the fission yeast homologue of Chk2). RESULTS: Our microarray results proved to be largely consistent with those independently obtained and recently published by three other laboratories. However, we were able to reconcile differences between the previous studies regarding the extent to which fission yeast replication origins are affected by the replication checkpoint. We found (consistent with the three previous studies after appropriate interpretation) that, in surprising contrast to budding yeast, most fission yeast origins, including both early- and late-firing origins, are not significantly affected by checkpoint mutations during replication in the presence of HU. A few origins (approximately 3%) behaved like those in budding yeast: they replicated earlier in the checkpoint mutants than in wild type. These were located primarily in the heterochromatic subtelomeric regions of chromosomes 1 and 2. Indeed, the subtelomeric regions defined by the strongest checkpoint restraint correspond precisely to previously mapped subtelomeric heterochromatin. This observation implies that subtelomeric heterochromatin in fission yeast differs from heterochromatin at centromeres, in the mating type region, and in ribosomal DNA, since these regions replicated at least as efficiently in wild-type cells as in checkpoint-mutant cells. CONCLUSION: The fact that approximately 97% of fission yeast replication origins - both early and late - are not significantly affected by replication checkpoint mutations in HU-treated cells suggests that (i) most late-firing origins are restrained from firing in HU-treated cells by at least one checkpoint-independent mechanism, and (ii) checkpoint-dependent slowing of S phase in fission yeast when DNA is damaged may be accomplished primarily by the slowing of replication forks.

PCI proteins eIF3e and eIF3m define distinct translation initiation factor 3 complexes.

BACKGROUND: PCI/MPN domain protein complexes comprise the 19S proteasome lid, the COP9 signalosome (CSN), and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3). The eIF3 complex is thought to be composed of essential core subunits required for global protein synthesis and non-essential subunits that may modulate mRNA specificity. Interactions of unclear significance were reported between eIF3 subunits and PCI proteins contained in the CSN. RESULTS: Here, we report the unexpected finding that fission yeast has two distinct eIF3 complexes sharing common core subunits, but distinguished by the PCI proteins eIF3e and the novel eIF3m, which was previously annotated as a putative CSN subunit. Whereas neither eIF3e nor eIF3m contribute to the non-essential activities of CSN in cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase control, eif3m, unlike eif3e, is an essential gene required for global cellular protein synthesis and polysome formation. Using a ribonomic approach, this phenotypic distinction was correlated with a different set of mRNAs associated with the eIF3e and eIF3m complexes. Whereas the eIF3m complex appears to associate with the bulk of cellular mRNAs, the eIF3e complex associates with a far more restricted set. The microarray findings were independently corroborated for a random set of 14 mRNAs by RT-PCR analysis. CONCLUSION: We propose that the PCI proteins eIF3e and eIF3m define distinct eIF3 complexes that may assist in the translation of different sets of mRNAs.

Phytotoxins from the leaves of Ruta graveolens.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract of Ruta graveolens (common rue) leaves led to the isolation of the furanocoumarins 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MOP), 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), and the quinolone alkaloid graveoline as phytotoxic constituents. Graveoline and 8-MOP substantially inhibited growth of Lactuca sativa (lettuce) seedlings and reduced chlorophyll content at 100 microM; this effect was not due to a direct effect on chlorophyll synthesis. Radical growth of L. sativa was inhibited by 10 microM 8-MOP. Graveoline inhibited growth of Lemna paucicostata (duckweed) at 100 microM. This is the first report of the phytotoxic activity of graveoline. Growth of Agrostis stolonifera (bentgrass) was inhibited by 5-MOP at 30 microM. All three compounds substantially reduced cell division in Allium cepa (onion) at or below 100 microM. None of the compounds caused significant cellular leakage of Cucumis sativus (cucumber) cotyledon disks at 100 microM. All three compounds inhibit plant growth, at least partially through inhibition of cell division.

Natural fungicides from Ruta graveolens L. leaves, including a new quinolone alkaloid.

Bioassay-directed isolation of antifungal compounds from an ethyl acetate extract of Ruta graveolens leaves yielded two furanocoumarins, one quinoline alkaloid, and four quinolone alkaloids, including a novel compound, 1-methyl-2-[6'-(3' ',4' '-methylenedioxyphenyl)hexyl]-4-quinolone. The (1)H and (13)C NMR assignments of the new compound are reported. Antifungal activities of the isolated compounds, together with 7-hydroxycoumarin, 4-hydroxycoumarin, and 7-methoxycoumarin, which are known to occur in Rutaceae species, were evaluated by bioautography and microbioassay. Four of the alkaloids had moderate activity against Colletotrichum species, including a benomyl-resistant C. acutatum. These compounds and the furanocoumarins 5- and 8-methoxypsoralen had moderate activity against Fusarium oxysporum. The novel quinolone alkaloid was highly active against Botrytis cinerea. Phomopsis species were much more sensitive to most of the compounds, with P. viticola being highly sensitive to all of the compounds.

The DNA replication checkpoint directly regulates MBF-dependent G1/S transcription.

The DNA replication checkpoint transcriptionally upregulates genes that allow cells to adapt to and survive replication stress. Our results show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the replication checkpoint regulates the entire G(1)/S transcriptional program by directly regulating MBF, the G(1)/S transcription factor. Instead of initiating a checkpoint-specific transcriptional program, the replication checkpoint targets MBF to maintain the normal G(1)/S transcriptional program during replication stress. We propose a mechanism for this regulation, based on in vitro phosphorylation of the Cdc10 subunit of MBF by the Cds1 replication-checkpoint kinase. Replacement of two potential phosphorylation sites with phosphomimetic amino acids suffices to promote the checkpoint transcriptional program, suggesting that Cds1 phosphorylation directly regulates MBF-dependent transcription. The conservation of MBF between fission and budding yeast, and recent results implicating MBF as a target of the budding yeast replication checkpoint, suggests that checkpoint regulation of the MBF transcription factor is a conserved strategy for coping with replication stress. Furthermore, the structural and regulatory similarity between MBF and E2F, the metazoan G(1)/S transcription factor, suggests that this checkpoint mechanism may be broadly conserved among eukaryotes.

Molecular and physiological characterization of Italian isolates of Pyrenochaeta lycopersici.

Corky root of tomato caused by Pyrenochaeta lycopersici is a disease of concern in Italy and for many tomato growing areas in the world. Isolates of the fungus were characterized at both the physiological and molecular level. The optimal in vitro growth temperature for all isolates was 23 degrees C. All Italian isolates of P. lycopersici showed similar RAPD and esterase banding patterns. No relevant polymorphisms were detected after enzymatic digestion of PCR-amplified ITS and IGS regions. The overall results indicate a low degree of genetic variability within a collection of 43 Italian isolates. These data are of interest in breeding programs for resistance against corky root of tomato and they provide useful information for the development of molecular diagnostic tools for the rapid identification and detection of P. lycopersici.

Experiência clínica com o uso conjunto de sibutramina e orlistat em pacientes obesos / Clinical experience with the suite use of sibutramine and orlistat in obese patients

Avaliamos a eficácia e a tolerabilidade da associação de sibutramina (10mg) e orlistat (120mg três vezes por dia às refeições) no tratamento da obesidade em um estudo aberto de três meses de duração. O estudo envolveu 114 pacientes não diabéticos com sobrepeso ou obesidade em busca de tratamento em clínica privada. Após dois meses, a perda média de peso foi 7,1kg (- 6,5 por cento) e após três meses, a perda média de peso foi 8,9kg (- 8,2 por cento). A associação de sibutramina e orlistat parece ser uma opção útil de tratamento da obesidade.

Como diagnosticar e tratar obesidade / How to diagnose and treat obesity

Although obesity is very diffused, it shows several aspects that are not all known yet. In spite of this, it should be faced as a disease (specially the android obesity) which must be treated mainly with behaviour therapy concerning diet and physical activity, with a view to the judged utilization of drugs.

Comparaçäo entre o gasto energético basal calculado pela calorimetria indireta e pela fórmula de Harris-Benedict / Basal energy expenditure assessed by indirectcalorimetry compared to that calculated by Harris-Benedict formula

Este estudo consiste na comparaçäo do Gasto Energético Basal (GEB) calculado pela calorimetria indireta com o calculado pela fórmula de Harris-Benedict. Fora analisados 96 pacientes que relataram dificuldade em perder peso. Os pacientes foram submetidos à biopedância elétrica; a partir dos resultados foram traçadas as seguintes relaçöes: o GEB calculado pela calorometria indireta com o peso, com a percentagem de massa magra, com a percentagem de gordura corporal, com o IMC e com a fórmula de Harris-Benedict. Através da análise dos resultados conclui-se que a preciäo aumentada se utilizada em conjunto com a fórmula proposta neste estudo. (au)

Prevalência de risco de sobrepeso e sobrepeso em escolares de 10 a 13 anos da cidade de Säo Paulo / Prevalence of overweight and obesity in 10 to 13-years-old school children in Säo PAulo

A obesidade em adultos vem apresentando crescimento nítido nas últimas décadas. No Brasil, a prevalência atual de sobrepeso somada com a de obesidade é de cerca de 40 porcento. Os dados em crianças ainda näo estäo totalmente esclarecidos. Contudo, sobrepeso e obesidade na infância têm sido associados com morbimortalidade na vida adulta. Neste sentido, foi estudada a prevalência de risco de sobrepeso e sobrepeso em 194 escolares de 10 a 13 anos de escolas públicas e particulares, os quais foram classificados de acordo com dois parâmetros: IMC (tabela HIMES e DIETZ, 1994) e Gráfico de adequaçäo ponderal (NCHS). Através destas classificaçöes, concluiu-se que a prevalência de risco de sobrepeso e sobrepeso é alta (cerca de 30 porcento), quer em escolas particulares, quer em escolas públicas.(au)