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Introduction People living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) experience stigmatisation and there are not many specific psychosocial interventions dedicated to help them coping with this issue, reducing its impact on their lives. Objectives This study aimed to a) investigate the stigmatisation level among people with dementia and MCI in Poland, Italy and the United Kingdom and b) assess the role of the Meeting Centre Support Programme (MCSP) in decreasing stigmatisation. Methods We investigated outcomes for 114 people with dementia and MCI living in Italy, Poland and the UK who participated 6 months in MCSP or usual care (UC) using a pre/post-test control group study design. Level of stigmatisation was assessed with the Stigma Impact Scale: neurological impairment (SIS). Results Stigmatisation level (SIS) among participants varied from 2 to 65 (median=33.5; Q1=27; Q3=41) with people from the UK experiencing a statistically significantly higher level of stigmatisation than people in Italy and Poland. In Italy, stigmatisation was lower (p=0.02) in the MCSP group following the intervention. In Poland, the social isolation level did not significantly change in MCSP, but increased (p=0.05) in UC. In the UK, the social rejection level raised (p=0.03) in MCSP. Overall, the combined data of the three countries did not show statistically significant differences in SIS between MCSP and UC. Conclusions Stigmatisation among people with dementia and MCI is complex and seems culturally dependent. There is a great opportunity in psychosocial interventions to reduce the burden of stigma among people with dementia which requires further investigation. Disclosure No significant relationships.

El sector norte del partido de Azul (centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires) corresponde predominantemente a un' paisaje de llanura aluvial ocupado por pastizales naturales sobre los que se desarrolla la cría vacuna como actividad productiva. Con el propósito de estudiar las relaciones vegetación-ambiente en dicho paisaje, se describieron la fisiografía y las comunidades vegetales a lo largo de una transección transversal a las geoformas dominantes. En base a un relevamiento topográfico, fotointerpretación y análisis de cartas topográficas y de suelos se identificaron seis ambientes fisiográficos. En cada uno de ellos se relevó la vegetación, utilizando el método fitosociológico, quedando definidos 19 grupos florísticos y 6 comunidades. La participación relativa de las comunidades dentro de cada ambiente estuvo condicionada por las geoformas predominantes y las características del microrrelieve.

Abstract Background The MEETINGDEM study aims to implement and evaluate an innovative, inclusive, approach to supporting community dwelling people with mild to moderate dementia and their family carers, called the Meeting Centers Support Program (MCSP), in three countries in the European Union (EU): Italy, Poland and United Kingdom. Demonstrated benefits of this person-centered approach, developed in The Netherlands, include high user satisfaction, reduced behavioral and mood problems, delayed admission to residential care, lower levels of caregiving-related stress, higher carer competence, and improved collaboration between care and welfare organizations. Methods The project will be carried out over a 36 month period. Project partners in the three countries will utilize, and adapt, strategies and tools developed in the Netherlands. In Phase One (month 1-18) activities will focus on establishing an initiative group of relevant organizations and user representatives in each country, exploring pathways to care and potential facilitators and barriers to implementing the program, and developing country specific implementation plans and materials. In Phase Two (month 19‑36) training will be provided to organizations and staff, after which the meeting centers will be established and evaluated for impact on behavior, mood and quality of life of people with dementia and carers, cost-effectiveness, changes in service use, user satisfaction and implementation process. Discussion An overall evaluation will draw together findings from the three countries to develop recommendations for successful implementation of MCSP across the EU. If the Meeting Centers approach can be widely implemented, this could lead to major improvements in dementia care across Europe and beyond. Trial registration The trial was retrospectively registered in May 2016: trial number: NTR5936 .

Since a relationship between atrial natriuretic peptide and oxytocin was recently demonstrated in the heart (Gutkowska et al., 1997), the aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship between the two peptides is present also in the rat hypothalamus. For this purpose, we measured ANPontogeny in the rat hypothalamus immunohistochemically and compared it with oxytocin-ontogeny which we previously studied. The results showed that the ANP-peptide and mRNA-ANP start at the 18th day of the fetal life. Our earlier data for oxytocin in the rat hypothalamus showed that only mRNA-oxytocin appeared the 18th day of foetal life (Farina Lipari et al., 2001); thus, at the 18th day of foetal life, mRNA-ANP, ANP-peptide and mRNA-oxytocin are present.We conclude that in the hypothalamus, differently from that in the heart, ANP might play a role on the synthesis of the oxytocin since ANP and its mRNA appear earlier than oxytocin.

A 3D barotropic finite difference model was adapted to reproduce the dynamics of the Ría de Vigo estuary, in the north-west corner of Spain. The model has been applied with astronomical tide and observed wind forcing data. The results are compared to data obtained by an AANDERAA DCM 12 acoustic Doppler current meter at one point of the Ría.

Studies concerning the development of the magnocellular system are scarce and discordant in literature. We carried out an immunohistochemical study on supraotic and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei using antivasopressin and antioxytocin antibodies in developing rats between the 15th day of intrauterine life and the 6th day of postnatal life. In addition, we performed RT-PCR experiments to establish the stage at which these hormones appear and neurosecretory activity commences. The results showed that supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei appear, respectively, on the 16th and the 18th day of intrauterine life and both immediately synthetize vasopressin neurohormone. By contrast, synthesis of oxytocin takes place from the 2nd day after birth. Probably, these nuclei synthetize oxytocin in conjunction with the decline of placental maternal oxytocin.

In this work, we showed the presence of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in human prostate and compared its localisation in normal and hyperplastic conditions. ANF was localised in epithelial and stromal cells, being increased in hyperplasia, mainly in the stromal component. Moreover, we compared ANF and oxytocin positivity in the same glands, focusing on the possible relationship between the paracrine effects of these two hormones.