Metals in urban soils of Europe: A systematic review.

Metal contamination of soils is widespread across Europe and is of great concern as it may impact food production, the supply of drinking water and human health (European Environment Agency, 2014; Panagos et al., 2013). Most research to date on soil metal contamination has focussed on agricultural soils (Tóth et al., 2016a). Current knowledge of the extent of urban soil metal contamination in Europe, however, is limited, especially for soils in recreational areas, which is particularly concerning as these areas may have a high footfall. Here, we conducted a systematic analysis of metal contamination in European urban soils based on 174 peer-reviewed studies spanning 143 urban sites and 29 European countries. The results show that reporting of data on urban soil metals is highly heterogeneous across the study area. Over half of all studies are from only five countries (Italy, Spain, UK, Poland and Serbia) and no data are available for 14 other European countries. The metals that most commonly exceed national safety thresholds are Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr and Ni. Elevated levels of these metals are usually attributed to anthropogenic sources, primarily traffic and industry. Some 22 % of urban sites studied show anthropogenic enrichment; this phenomenon is most common in Italy, Serbia and Finland. In contrast, 44 % of urban sites studied show geogenic metal enrichment; this is most common in Italy, the UK and Serbia. The dataset is subject to a sample size bias, whereby soil metal enrichment is identified more frequently in regions with more data. Future studies should focus on key knowledge gaps, such as urban soils in locations with current or historical heavy industrialisation and locations in central and eastern Europe. Study methods should be standardised to facilitate comparison of soil metal data from different studies and European safety thresholds should be identified for key elements.

Decoding the Evolution of Melanin in Vertebrates.

Melanins are widespread pigments in vertebrates, with important roles in visual signaling, UV protection, and homeostasis. Fossil evidence of melanin and melanin-bearing organelles - melanosomes - in ancient vertebrates may illuminate the evolution of melanin and its functions, but macroevolutionary trends are poorly resolved. Here, we integrate fossil data with current understanding of melanin function, biochemistry, and genetics. Mapping key genes onto phenotypic attributes of fossil vertebrates identifies potential genomic controls on melanin evolution. Taxonomic trends in the anatomical location, geometry, and chemistry of vertebrate melanosomes are linked to the evolution of endothermy. These shifts in melanin biology suggest fundamental links between melanization and vertebrate ecology. Tissue-specific and taxonomic trends in melanin chemistry support evidence for evolutionary tradeoffs between function and cytotoxicity.

The effects of music on cardiac patients on bed rest.

Hospitalizations that require invasive cardiac procedures or support with an intra-aortic balloon pump can be unsettling. This study was undertaken to measure the effect of a music intervention on physiologic and psychological responses of patients on bed rest due to procedural sheaths or an intra-aortic balloon pump. A randomized, two-group, pretest/post-test design was utilized to measure the effect of a 30-minute music intervention on heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, skin temperature, pain perception, and mood states. One hundred forty subjects participated, 65 in the control group and 75 in the treatment group. There were no significant differences between the groups in demographic, clinical, or baseline variables, except for respiratory rate. After the music intervention, there were reductions in blood pressure, respiratory rate, and psychological distress, as measured by the Profile of Mood States (p < 0.05). Music appeared to affect selected physiologic responses and reduce psychological distress in patients on bed rest.

Excessive daytime sleepiness associated with idiopathic alterations of consciousness.

Sleep/wake patterns were recorded by continuous 24-hour ambulatory polysomnography in 339 patients, who had episodes of altered consciousness. Patients were recorded while they were outside the hospital. From a seven-channel montage of electrodes affixed below the hairline, sleep polygraphic EEG was easily read from T3-T4, EOG from F2-F8 and EMG from T3-T6. Sleep was staged by analysis of aural signals on 60 times real time playback, augmented by continuous visual display and selected frozen frames. Patient major sleep period patterns reflected those reported for general populations. Unexpectedly, 47% of the patients took daytime naps and 44% of the nappers took more than one nap. Naps had a mean duration of 71 minutes. Those who took no naps slept significantly longer at night by 23 min. Napping reduced night sleep much more in patients who did not take CNS-acting medications. We conclude that excessive sleepiness may in part explain complaints of episodically altered consciousness.

Absence seizures associated with panic attacks initially misdiagnosed as temporal lobe epilepsy: the importance of prolonged EEG monitoring in diagnosis.

While temporal lobe epilepsy is often considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with anxiety or panic disorders, other types of epilepsy can confound the presentation or treatment of adults with panic disorders. The cases of two patients are presented who were initially thought to have temporal lobe epilepsy producing panic attacks, but who were subsequently found to have primary generalized seizures. The clinical implications are discussed.

The association of normal-pressure hydrocephalus with obstructive sleep apnea.

This report describes a 70-year-old man with obstructive sleep apnea who deteriorated rapidly when nasal continuous positive airway pressure was begun. The patient was found to have normal-pressure hydrocephalus, which was possibly exacerbated by the nasal continuous positive airway pressure. A review of the literature indicates several significant associations between apnea, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, and increased intracranial pressure and suggests that the association of obstructive sleep apnea and hydrocephalus might not be rare. Implications for diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

Sleep apnea and panic attacks.

A survey of 301 sleep apnea patients demonstrated that obstructive sleep apnea may cause nocturnal panic attack symptoms. Sleep apnea should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nocturnal panic disorder.

Psychological factors affecting neurological conditions. Depression and stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy.

As a contribution to the proposed revision of the DSM-III-R category "Psychological Factors Affecting Physical Condition" for DSM-IV, this article reviews the history of how the relationship of psychiatric illness to neurological illness has been understood with respect to depression. Since both psychiatric and neurological illness are aspects of brain functioning, any statement of the relationship of these categories entails certain epistemological assumptions, some of which have undergone considerable change and rapid evolution in the course of the last century.

Detection of sleep apnea during standard ambulatory cassette EEG recording for seizures: two case reports.

Two cases are reported of A/EEG recordings performed for the evaluation of seizures. Marked fragmentation of nocturnal sleep, which produces a "noisy" record on the rapid playback visual/analogue auditory playback technique, led to a clinical suspicion of sleep apnea, later confirmed by polysomnography.

Anticonvulsant-responsive panic attacks with temporal lobe EEG abnormalities.

The phenomenology of panic attacks and of complex partial seizures overlap, and at times distinguishing between the two entities is difficult. The authors report five patients with recurrent panic attacks and temporal lobe EEG abnormalities whose symptoms did not warrant a clinical diagnosis of partial seizures but who responded well to anticonvulsant therapy. The cases suggest that focal cortical discharges may trigger panic attacks in some patients in whom an unequivocal diagnosis of epilepsy cannot be made. Electroencephalography and anticonvulsant trials may be appropriate in patients with panic attacks refractory to conventional treatment.

Depression as a manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea: reversal with nasal continuous positive airway pressure.

Fifty-five patients with obstructive sleep apnea each completed a Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Twenty-five patients (45%) had SDS scores greater than or equal to 50, consistent with depression. The SDS scores did not correlate with age, the number of respiratory events per hour sleep, antihypertensive medication, or the oxygen saturation baseline or nadir. The group with SDS scores of 50 or greater, however, had 68.0 +/- 8.8 respiratory events per hour compared with 47.9 +/- 4.7 in the group with SDS scores under 50 (p less than .05). Nineteen patients who were treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure completed a follow-up SDS Inventory. After treatment, the SDS scores fell from 60.5 +/- 1.9 to 44.4 +/- 2.6 (p less than .001) in the 11 patients with baseline elevated scores. The authors conclude that obstructive sleep apnea can produce prominent symptoms of depression that appear to be related to the severity of the underlying apnea; furthermore, treatment of obstructive sleep apnea may result in alleviation of these symptoms in certain patients.