Association between human leukocyte antigen class II-DR-DQ and narcolepsy: a case control study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Narcolepsy is a neurologic disorder characterized by irresistible sleep attacks. Although its etiology is unknown, it is strongly associated with genetic variances in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex. We investigated the association of HLA class II-DR-DQ alleles in a sample of patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy (narcolepsy type 1; NT1) and patients with narcolepsy without cataplexy (narcolepsy type 2; NT2) with a control group. Additionally, we compared demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients with narcolepsy with or without the DQB1*06:02 allele. METHODS: This case control study included 21 patients with NT1 (56.8%), 16 patients with NT2 (43.2%), and 100 controls. Sequence-based typing identified HLA-DRB1 alleles, and HLA-DQB1 typing was done using PCR-Sequence-Specific Oligonucleotide. Allele and haplotype frequencies were calculated by direct counting. Nocturnal polysomnography and Multiple Sleep Latency Test were performed in all participants. RESULTS: In the NT1 group, only one allele had a significantly higher frequency than in the NT2 group: DQB1*06:02 (61.9% vs. 18.8%;). Compared to controls, DQB1*06:02 (61.9% vs. 18.0% in controls) and DRB1*15:01(47.6% vs. 8.0%), had higher frequencies in patients with NT1. Multiple analyses showed that patients with NT1 had an increased chance of being HLA-DQB1*06:02 positive. HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 haplotype is associated with NT1 in our Brazilian patients. PSG was identified in DQB1*06:02 positive subgroup REM sleep latency (REML) ≤ 15 minutes, and all patients had two or more sleep-onset REM periods (SOREMPs) at MSLT. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a strong association between HLA DQB1*06:02 and the haplotype HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 in patients with NT1. Patients with DQB1*0602 allele showed shorter REMLs at PSG. These results reinforce the suggestion of DQB1 genotyping as relevant to narcolepsy screening.

Sleep and memory complaints in long COVID: an insight into clustered psychological phenotypes.

This study evaluated clinical features of individuals with long COVID (5-8 months after diagnosis) who reported sleep and memory problems (62 cases) compared to those without (52 controls). Both groups had a similar mean age (41 vs. 39 years). Around 86% of the participants were non-hospitalized at the time of infection, and none of them were vaccinated at that point. Subsequently, both cases and controls received the vaccine; however, the vaccination rates differed significantly between the groups (30.7% vs. 51.0%). Cases and controls had similar rates of symptoms at acute COVID phase. However, cases were more likely to experience coryza, dyspnea, headache, and nausea/vomiting during long COVID. Regarding new-onset symptoms in long COVID, 12.9% of cases had dyspnea, and 14.5% experienced nausea/vomiting, whereas in the control group there were only 1.9% and 0.0%, respectively. Cases also had a significantly higher prevalence of persistent headache (22.6% vs. 7.7%), and dyspnea (12.9% vs. 0.0). In addition, cases also showed an increased rate of mental health complaints: disability in daily activities (45.2% vs. 9.6%; P < 0.001); concentration/sustained attention difficulties (74.2% vs. 9.6%; P < 0.001); anxiety-Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item scale (GAD-2) ≥ 3 (66.1% vs. 34.6%; P = 0.0013); and "post-COVID sadness" (82.3% vs. 40.4%; P < 0.001). We observed a significant correlation between sadness and anxiety in cases, which was not observed in controls (P=0.0212; Spearman correlation test). Furthermore, the frequency of concomitant sadness and anxiety was markedly higher in cases compared to controls (59.7% vs. 19.2%) (P < 0.0001; Mann-Whitney test). These findings highlight a noteworthy association between sadness and anxiety specifically in cases. In conclusion, our data identified concurrent psychological phenotypes in individuals experiencing sleep and memory disturbances during long COVID. This strengthens the existing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 causes widespread brain pathology with interconnected phenotypic clusters. This finding highlights the need for comprehensive medical attention to address these complex issues, as well as major investments in testing strategies capable of preventing the development of long COVID sequelae, such as vaccination.

Bioenergy relations with agriculture, forestry and other land uses: Highlighting the specific contributions of artificial intelligence and co-citation networks.

The concerns with the environment and sustainability have promoted options for energy sources that mitigate the footprint of human life. The use of biomass from agriculture, forestry and other land uses (AFOLU) has enormous potential for the production of bioenergy as a renewable source of energy. In this context, this research aims to analyse the interrelationships between bioenergy and agriculture, forestry and other land uses, highlighting the contributions of the digital transition for these dimensions. To achieve these objectives, a bibliometric analysis through co-citation links (and items related to cited authors, references and sources) was carried out for the dimensions associated with the bioenergy and the AFOLU and after a specific literature survey was performed for the contributions from the digital transition for these frameworks. With this study, top authors, references and sources were identified for the topics assessed and it was highlighted the importance of digital transitions for more efficient bioenergy use and production in the worldwide contexts.

Blood biochemical, hormonal, and hematological responses of native sheep submitted to different environmental conditions.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical, hormonal, and hematological blood responses of native sheep subjected to five temperatures (20°, 24°, 28°, 32°, and 36 °C), using 24 sheep of the following breeds: Santa Inês (SI), Morada Nova (MN), Soinga (SO) and no defined racial pattern (NDRP), kept in collective pens inside the climatic chamber. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme (5 temperatures and 4 breeds) with 6 animals of each breed at each temperature. There was interaction for urea (P < .0001), glucose (P < .0001), cholesterol (P < .0001), and magnesium (P < .0001) as a function of breed and air temperature. Urea (P = .001), glucose (P < .0001), triglycerides (P = .033), cholesterol (P = .004), and magnesium (P < .0001) showed differences according to breed. It was observed that T4 (P < .0001) and cortisol (P < .0001) showed an interaction between breed and temperature, while T4 (P = .001) and cortisol (P = .001) an effect of breed. The highest magnesium concentration was observed in MN, and the lowest was in NDRP, SO, and SI, which are statistically similar, and SI and NDRP are statistically similar. The hormones showed a significant effect (P < .0001) for temperature, where cortisol increased, and thyroid hormones decreased with increasing temperature. Temperatures of 32° and 36 °C contribute to changes in blood, hormone, and hematological biochemical responses of native sheep.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the central monoaminergic systems: a pathophysiological link to insomnia with clinical implications.

The authors present a theoretical overview of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the central monoaminergic systems, focusing on a putative pathophysiological relationship to insomnia complaints. Insomnia is an independent and self-perpetuating disorder that requires diagnostic and therapeutic attention in the presence of concomitant disorders, likely with bidirectional influence. An adequate understanding of such mechanisms can help for a better understanding of the interplay between clinical features, neurotransmitters, and the adrenal hypothalamic-pituitary axis may help clinicians to better manage insomnia patients.

Persistent, new-onset symptoms and mental health complaints in Long COVID in a Brazilian cohort of non-hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections lead to acute- and chronic Long COVID (LC) symptoms. However, few studies have addressed LC sequelae on brain functions. This study was aimed to examine if acute symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) would persist during LC, and if memory problems would be correlated with sleep, depressive mood, or anxious complaints. METHODS: Our work followed a cohort of 236 patients from two public hospitals of the Federal District in mid-western Brazil. Patients' interviews checked for clinical symptoms during acute and LC (5-8 months after real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, RT-qPCR). RESULTS: Most cases were non-hospitalized individuals (86.3%) with a median age of 41.2 years. While myalgia (50%), hyposmia (48.3%), and dysgeusia (45.8%) were prevalent symptoms in acute phase, fatigue (21.6%) followed by headache (19.1%) and myalgia (16.1%) commonly occurred during LC. In LC, 39.8% of individuals reported memory complaints, 36.9% felt anxious, 44.9% felt depressed, and 45.8% had sleep problems. Furthermore, memory complaints were associated with sleep problems (adjusted OR 3.206; 95% CI 1.723-6.030) and depressive feelings (adjusted OR 3.981; 95% CI 2.068-7.815). CONCLUSIONS: The SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to persistent symptoms during LC, in which memory problems may be associated with sleep and depressive complaints.

microRNA signatures in prodromal REM sleep behavior disorder and early Parkinson's disease as noninvasive biomarkers.

The flow of gene expression or "The central dogma of molecular biology": DNA - RNA - protein, proposed by Watson & Crick sixty years ago, is a tightly controlled cell process. In the middle of this journey, the mRNA molecule is regulated by "RNA interference" (RNAi), a posttranscriptional gene silencing mechanism. A microRNA is an endogenous short double-stranded RNA that down-regulates hundreds of mRNAs by RNAi, maintaining healthy cell physiology. In contrast, aberrant expressions of microRNAs play a role in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. The damage may start at an early period of brain degeneration, in the non-motor or "prodromal" stage, where autonomic, mood and sleep changes are often manifested. REM-sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is the prodromal manifestation with the highest odds for conversion into PD, thereby a valuable phenotype for disease prediction. The present review focuses on microRNAs' role in the pathogenesis of PD and RBD, summarizing the state-of-the-art of these RNA molecules as noninvasive biomarkers for non-motor prodromal (RBD) and early PD.

Path Analysis between Pest Occurrence and Nutritional Status of Soybean under Phosphate Fertilization.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The phytophagous insects select their host plants according to plant tissue nutritional quality. Thus, the objective of this study was to correlate the direct and indirect effects of phosphate fertilization on the nutritional status of the soybean crop and its relationship with the occurrence of insect pests. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of phosphate fertilization on soybean was evaluated using two phosphate sources, Single Superphosphate (SSP) and Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP), applied at five rates of P2O5. A sampling of insects initiated from stage V5 and was done weekly. Leaves were collected for nutrient analysis stage R1, in stage R9 was harvest was carried out. SSP or MAP phosphate fertilization in soybean affected the incidence of Chrysodeixis includens, Helicoverpa armigera, Elasmopalpus lignosellus and Euschistus heros. RESULTS: The plants treated with MAP had the infestation reduced compared with plants treated with SSP. Higher contents of Cu and Fe in the leaf reduces the incidence of insect-pests, whereas the opposite occurred with Mn. The occurrence of E. lignosellus reduced soybean yield. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the source and rates of phosphorus in soybean fertilization change the concentration of macro and micronutrients in the leaves and affect the behavior and incidence of pest species.

Francis Rohmer: from the neurological ward to Dachau and back.

The author presents a brief synopsis of the life and works of Professor Francis Rohmer, a French neurologist whose great relevance to the development of the French Neurological Society is only outshined by his humanistic role, in spite of harsh conditions, when a prisoner at the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany, during World War II.

Francis Rohmer: from the neurological ward to Dachau and back / Francis Rohmer: da enfermaria neurológica a Dachau e de volta

ABSTRACT The author presents a brief synopsis of the life and works of Professor Francis Rohmer, a French neurologist whose great relevance to the development of the French Neurological Society is only outshined by his humanistic role, in spite of harsh conditions, when a prisoner at the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany, during World War II.

RESUMO O autor apresenta uma breve revisão da vida e obra do Prof. Francis Rohmer, neurologista francês, cuja enorme relevância para o desenvolvimento da Sociedade Neurológica Francesa foi apenas ultrapassada pelo seu papel humanístico a despeito de condições difíceis quando prisioneiro no Campo de Concentração alemão de Dachau durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial.

From Charcot's descriptions to the current understanding of neuropsychiatric symptoms in multiple sclerosis.

Neuropsychiatric disorders in multiple sclerosis have been known since the original clinicopathological description by Charcot in the late nineteenth century. Charcot, in the last decades of his life, became involved in the field of neuropsychiatry. This produced a battle between rival schools in the era that still echoes to this day. Charcot's intuition, including the line of thought of Babinski, one of his most famous disciples, was that there was a connection between mood disorders and many of the diseases of the nervous system. Medicine's concern with establishing a relationship between mood disorders and disease stems from the ancient and middle ages with references found in the Hippocratic doctrine. However, it was only in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, with Charcot's discoveries, that this discussion was established in a structured way, laying the foundations of neuropsychiatry.

From Charcot's descriptions to the current understanding of neuropsychiatric symptoms in multiple sclerosis / Das descrições de Charcot à compreensão atual dos sintomas neuropsiquiátricos na esclerose múltipla

ABSTRACT Neuropsychiatric disorders in multiple sclerosis have been known since the original clinicopathological description by Charcot in the late nineteenth century. Charcot, in the last decades of his life, became involved in the field of neuropsychiatry. This produced a battle between rival schools in the era that still echoes to this day. Charcot's intuition, including the line of thought of Babinski, one of his most famous disciples, was that there was a connection between mood disorders and many of the diseases of the nervous system. Medicine's concern with establishing a relationship between mood disorders and disease stems from the ancient and middle ages with references found in the Hippocratic doctrine. However, it was only in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, with Charcot's discoveries, that this discussion was established in a structured way, laying the foundations of neuropsychiatry.

RESUMO Os distúrbios neuropsiquiátricos na esclerose múltipla são conhecidos desde a descrição clínico-patológica original de Charcot no final do século XIX. Charcot nas últimas décadas de sua vida se envolveu no campo da neuropsiquiatria. Isso produziu uma batalha de escolas rivais na época que ainda ecoa até hoje. A intuição de Charcot, incluindo a linha de pensamento de Babinski, um de seus discípulos mais famosos, foi a teoria correta da conexão entre os transtornos do humor e muitas das doenças do sistema nervoso. A preocupação da Medicina em estabelecer uma relação entre transtornos do humor e doenças vem das idades antiga e média, com referências encontradas na doutrina hipocrática. No entanto, foi apenas na segunda metade do século XIX e início do século XX que, com as descobertas de Charcot essa discussão foi realizada de maneira estruturada, estabelecendo os fundamentos da neuropsiquiatria.

Lepidopteran pests associated with the soybean cultivars phenology / Lepidopteros-praga associados com estágios fenológicos de cultivares de soja

Lepidopteran pests are one of the major constraints to the soybean production potential, whose defoliating caterpillars can occur throughout the crop cycle causing serious damage. Therefore, the objective was to study the population fluctuation of lepidopteran pests and the association of species with the growth stages of soybean cultivars in the Cerrado of Piaui State, Brazil, in order to obtain data to support integrated pest management in the crop. The experiments had as a source of variation thirteen cultivars with fourteen evaluations. The design used was completely randomized in split plots being the cultivars plots and subplots the cultivars phenological stages. The monitoring was conducted by shake-cloth method at random points. Weekly samplings were performed. Generally, species of lepidopteran pests occurred in all soybean phenological stages, especially Chrysodeixis includens and Anticarsia gemmatalis that were present from the beginning to the end of the crop.

Lepidópteros-praga estão entre os principais entraves ao potencial de produção de soja, cujas lagartas desfolhadoras podem ocorrer ao longo do ciclo da cultura, causando sérios danos. Portanto, o objetivo foi estudar a flutuação populacional de lepidópteros-praga e a associação dessas espécies com os estádios de crescimento de cultivares de soja no Cerrado do Estado de Piauí, a fim de obter dados para apoiar o manejo integrado de pragas na cultura. Os experimentos tiveram como fonte de variação treze cultivares com catorze avaliações. O delineamento utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado em parcelas subdivididas, sendo os cultivares as parcelas e as subparcelas os estádios fenológicos dos cultivares. O monitoramento foi realizado por meio do método de pano-de-batida em pontos aleatórios. Foram realizadas amostragens semanais. Em geral, espécies de lepidópteros-praga ocorreram em todos os estádios fenológicos da cultura da soja, especialmente Chrysodeixis includens e Anticarsia gemmatalis que estavam presentes desde o início até o final da cultura.

Toxicidade de extratos de Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) e Bougainvillea buttiana (Nyctaginaceae) para lepidópteros-praga / Toxicity of extracts of Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) and Bougainvillea buttiana (Nyctaginaceae) for lepidoptera-pest

O uso de extratos vegetais apresenta grande eiciência no manejo de pragas, destinados a produções agrícolas de pequeno e médio porte, por controlar uma gama muito grande de artrópodes. O objetivo desta pesquisa consiste em avaliar os efeitos tóxicos dos extratos de Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) e Bougainvillea buttiana (Nyctaginaceae) em Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) e Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Lagartas de H. armigera e S. cosmioides foram mantidas em discos foliares de soja, enquanto S. frugiperda foi mantida em discos foliares de milho, tratados com os extratos aquoso diluídos nas concentrações de: 0, 500, 1.000, 2.500, 4.000, 5.000, 10.000 e 15.000 mg.L-1. Foram mensurados os efeitos letais e subletais dos extratos sobre os insetos. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, a concentração de 500 mg.L-1 do extrato de A. macrocarpa causou o maior percentual de mortalidade (93,33%) em H. armigera. O extrato de B. buttiana causou 86,67% e 60% de mortalidade em H. armigera (1.000 mg.L-1) e S. cosmioides (4.000 mg.L-1), respectivamente. A redução da emergência dos adultos foi o principal efeito subletal constatado em S. cosmioides e S. frugiperda. Considerando os resultados obtidos, destaca-se que os extratos vegetais utilizados apresentam-se como uma alternativa em potencial para o manejo de lepidópteros-praga.

For small and medium agricultural production, vegetal extracts are highly eficient at managing pests because they control a wide range of arthropods. The objective of this research was to evaluate the toxic effects of Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) and Bougainvillea buttiana (Nyctaginaceae) extracts on Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Spodoptera cosmioides (Walker) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Helicoverpa armigera and S. cosmioides caterpillars were maintained on soybean leaf discs, and S. frugiperda was maintained on corn leaf discs, treated with diluted aqueous extracts at concentrations of 0, 500, 1,000, 2,500, 4,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 mg.L-1. The lethal and sublethal effects of the extracts on the insects were measured. According to the results, the concentration of 500 mg.L-1 of the A. macrocarpa extract caused the highest percentage of mortality (93.33%) of H. armigera. The extract of B. buttiana caused 86.67% and 60% mortality of H. armigera (1,000 mg.L-1) and S. cosmioides (4,000 mg.L-1), respectively. The reduction of the emergence of adults was the main sublethal effect found for S. cosmioides and S. frugiperda. Considering the results, the vegetal extracts used in this research are a potential alternative for the management of lepidopteran pests.

Brazilian consensus on guidelines for diagnosis and treatment for restless legs syndrome.

The Consensus on restless legs syndrome is an effort of neurologists from several Brazilian states, which tirelessly reviewed the literature of recent years in search of evidence, both in regard to diagnosis and treatment, according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine.

Brazilian consensus on guidelines for diagnosis and treatment for restless legs syndrome / Consenso Brasileiro para as diretrizes de diagnóstico e tratamento da síndrome das pernas inquietas

The Consensus on restless legs syndrome is an effort of neurologists from several Brazilian states, which tirelessly reviewed the literature of recent years in search of evidence, both in regard to diagnosis and treatment, according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine.

O Consenso em síndrome das pernas inquietas contou com a participação de neurologistas de vários estados brasileiros, os quais incansavelmente revisaram a literatura dos últimos anos em busca de evidências, tanto no que se refere ao diagnóstico como ao tratamento, de acordo com a Classificação do Centro de Oxford para Medicina Baseada em Evidências.

Restless legs syndrome and pain disorders: what's in common?

Between 10 % and 30 % of the population report chronic pain. More than half of these also have sleep complaints. From considering these data, it can be inferred there is a significant overlapping between these conditions. Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED) is characterized by complaints of an "urge to move" frequently associated with dysesthesias. From that perspective, these sensations can also have painful characteristics. By the same token, the presence of comorbid diseases as predicted by a higher prevalence RLS/WED, have many of them with pain as an important complaint. Pain is a multidimensional response involving several levels of expression ranging from somatosensory to emotional. The potential shared mechanisms between RLS/WED and pain may involve sleep deprivation/fragmentation effect, inducing an increase in markers of inflammation and reduction in pain thresholds. These are modulated by several different settings of neurotransmitters with a huge participation of monoaminergic dysfunctional circuits. A thorough comprehension of these mechanisms is of utmost importance for the correct approach and treatment choices.

Sleep Forensics: a critical review of the literature and brief comments on the Brazilian legal situation.

Sleep medicine is a relatively new field among Medical Sciences. Its legal aspects are still obscure, either for lack of knowledge of the biological mechanisms underlying violent behaviour during sleep or the virtual absence of clear legal and uniformly accepted guidelines as to whether to punish or treat those disorders. An updated review of the pertinent literature was performed to determine the most prevalent pathological conditions involving violence and sleep and to identify their most common precipitating factors, attempting to provide some technical support to aid Brazilian medical-experts or assistants in preparing substantial and scientific-based reports in a legal environment.

Sleep Forensics: a critical review of the literature and brief comments on the Brazilian legal situation / Medicina do sono Forense: uma revisao critica da literatura e breves comentarios sobre a situacao brasileira

Sleep medicine is a relatively new field among Medical Sciences. Its legal aspects are still obscure, either for lack of knowledge of the biological mechanisms underlying violent behaviour during sleep or the virtual absence of clear legal and uniformly accepted guidelines as to whether to punish or treat those disorders. An updated review of the pertinent literature was performed to determine the most prevalent pathological conditions involving violence and sleep and to identify their most common precipitating factors, attempting to provide some technical support to aid Brazilian medical-experts or assistants in preparing substantial and scientific-based reports in a legal environment.

A medicina do sono é um campo relativamente novo dentro das Ciências Médicas. Seus aspectos legais encontram-se ainda na obscuridade, seja por falta de conhecimento dos mecanismos biológicos do desenvolvimento dos transtornos de comportamento e da violência praticada em estados alterados de sono, seja por virtual ausência de previsão legal do binômio tratamento/punição. Realizamos revisão atualizada da literatura para determinar as condições patológicas mais prevalentes envolvendo violência e sono, identificar seus fatores precipitantes mais comuns e os critérios médico-legais que podem auxiliar eventuais médicos-peritos ou assistentes na elaboração de pareceres abalizados em âmbito legal.