Advances in experimental medicine and biology最新文献

According to the World Health Organization vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 700,000 deaths annually. Vectors are organisms that are able to transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans. Many of these vectors are hematophagous insects, which ingest the pathogen from an infected host during a blood meal, and later transmit it into a new host. Malaria, dengue, African trypanosomiasis, yellow fever, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and many others are examples of diseases transmitted by insects.Both the diet and the infection with pathogens trigger changes in many metabolic pathways, including lipid metabolism, compared to other insects. Blood contains mostly proteins and is very poor in lipids and carbohydrates. Thus, hematophagous insects attempt to efficiently digest and absorb diet lipids and also rely on a large de novo lipid biosynthesis based on utilization of proteins and carbohydrates as carbon source. Blood meal triggers essential physiological processes as molting, excretion, and oogenesis; therefore, lipid metabolism and utilization of lipid storage should be finely synchronized and regulated regarding that, in order to provide the necessary energy source for these events. Also, pathogens have evolved mechanisms to hijack essential lipids from the insect host by interfering in the biosynthesis, catabolism, and transport of lipids, which pose challenges to reproduction, survival, fitness, and other insect traits.In this chapter, we have tried to collect and highlight the current knowledge and recent discoveries on the metabolism of lipids in insect vectors of diseases related to the hematophagous diet and pathogen infection.

Lipidomics, a specialized branch of metabolomics, investigates the diversity and functionality of lipids in biological systems. Lipids serve crucial roles in energy storage, membrane composition, and environmental acclimation in insects, underpinning processes such as development and stress responses. Advances in analytical technologies, such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), have enabled precise identification and quantification of lipid species, providing unprecedented insights into lipid metabolism and dynamics. Key lipid classes, including triacylglycerols and phospholipids, exhibit structural and functional versatility, adapting to environmental pressures through mechanisms like homeoviscous adaptation. These dynamic lipid responses are essential for maintaining cellular and cuticular integrity and functionality under stress. By exploring lipid diversity and adaptations, lipidomics offers valuable perspectives on insect physiology, survival strategies, and evolutionary ecology. This chapter summarizes methods used to study insect lipidomes and highlights comparative lipidomic studies that have advanced our understanding of insect biology.

Introduction: The attitudes of healthcare providers towards people with mental illness have caused significant concern for the research community.

Aim: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the literature on the attitudes of healthcare professionals working in primary care settings towards people with mental illness.

Methodology: A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed database, focusing on cross-sectional articles published between 2017 and 2024. The search used the concepts of 'healthcare professionals', 'primary health care', 'attitudes', 'stigma', and 'mental illness'. Articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were summarized.

Results: A total of 214 studies were identified in the initial search, with 12 studies included in the final review. Eleven of the 12 studies were conducted in Asia, the Middle East, South America, and Africa, and one study in Europe. Negative attitudes towards people with mental illness were a common finding among primary healthcare professionals in these studies. Contributing factors included low educational levels, older age, cultural influences, personal contact with people with mental illness, and insufficient mental health training. Educational and training interventions were recommended in all studies to improve these attitudes.

Conclusions: Healthcare professionals working in primary care often hold negative attitudes towards people with mental illness. The need for further education and training for healthcare professionals should be comprehensively addressed in future research.

Purpose: This study investigates the rates and causes of treatment discontinuation in one of the two public residential inpatient therapeutic programs for alcohol use disorder in Greece. Both programs are managed by the Department for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder at the Psychiatric Hospital of Attica. The program examined in this study lasts 3 months and is followed by a Comprehensive Community Reintegration phase.

Methods: The study analyzed reasons for treatment discontinuation among 402 consecutive admissions to the residential program. Data were collected from the Patient Registry and participants' Medical and Clinical Records.

Results: Of the 402 consecutive admissions, 156 participants (38.8%) discontinued the program during the residential phase. Among these, 37.82% left voluntarily against medical advice, 6.4% left due to physical health issues, and 3.84% left due to a relapse of comorbid psychiatric disorders. The remaining participants were discharged and referred to other care facilities for reasons including forming intimate relationships (13%), verbal abuse (5.12%), unauthorized use of benzodiazepines (11.5%), and testing positive for drugs or alcohol (7.68%).

Conclusions: A significant proportion of participants in the residential inpatient therapeutic program for alcohol use disorder discontinue treatment, with over a half leaving voluntarily despite thorough preadmission preparation. This highlights ongoing clinical challenges, including addressing emerging psychopathological issues within the program's structured environment and enhancing participants' motivation for treatment.

Patients with hemoglobinopathies have both acute and chronic complications of the disease, which negatively affect their quality of life. The assessment of quality of life and mental resilience in these patients is an important tool to document both the degree of their burden and the important role of mental resilience as a tool to improve quality of life. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life of people with hemoglobinopathies in Greece, their mental resilience, and their satisfaction with life. A cross-sectional study involving 96 adult patients with hemoglobinopathies was conducted. The instruments used were the "Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale," the "Life Satisfaction Scale (Satisfaction With Life Scale)," and the "Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF)." According to the results, increased mental resilience and good adaptation to the stress of the disease, fairly high life satisfaction, and a fairly good level of quality of life were recorded. Little difference in quality of life was observed between thalassemia patients and sickle cell anemia patients.

This research examines the effectiveness of combining psychometric tests with computational models for diagnosing neurodegenerative and vascular forms of dementia. The goal is to enhance diagnostic accuracy using tools such as the Hachinski Ischemic Score (HIS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), in conjunction with machine learning technologies. The research framework integrates computational models to better analyze psychometric test data, aiming for early disease detection and more accurate differential diagnosis. The results suggest that this combined approach can reduce misdiagnosis rates and contribute to personalized patient treatment by creating an innovative diagnostic framework based on each patient's unique profile.

Introduction: Pediatric Palliative Care is a field that demands specific knowledge and skills.

Aim: The purpose of the study was to explore the knowledge of pediatric nursing staff concerning palliative care.

Methodology: In this multicenter, cross-sectional descriptive study, we used convenience sampling, consisting of 115 nursing staff who worked in general pediatric, pediatric oncology, pediatric surgery units, and Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units of the three biggest hospitals of Thessaloniki (Greece's second-largest city). The research tools included the demographic and working data of the participants and the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing. The statistical package SPSS 26.0 was used, and the significance level was set at 0.05.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 43.1 ± 10.0 years, the majority (96.5%) were women and 82.6% of them were registered nurses. The total score mean value of correct answers was 7.4 ± 2,6. It was found that the total score of correct answers was associated with the participants' previous training on palliative care (p = 0,033) and the consideration that they applied palliative care in their clinical practice (p = 0.005). On the contrary, no relationship was found between the total score of knowledge and the demographic characteristics of the participants.

Conclusions: The knowledge of the pediatric nursing staff concerning palliative care is inadequate. Training programs concerning palliative care could improve health professional's level of knowledge as well as the quality of the provided care.

This systematic review examines the burgeoning field of investigating mathematical efficiency through electroencephalography (EEG), aiming to elucidate the neural substrates and temporal dynamics underlying efficient mathematical processing. Through comprehensive database searches and rigorous inclusion criteria, a total of 15 EEG studies were identified and synthesized. Findings reveal distinct neural oscillations and event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with various facets of mathematical cognition, including numerical magnitude processing, arithmetic operations, working memory engagement, and problem-solving strategies. Furthermore, the review highlights the impact of individual differences, developmental trajectories, and mathematical expertise on EEG-derived measures of mathematical efficiency. Methodological considerations, encompassing experimental design, data preprocessing, and analytical techniques, are critically evaluated to enhance methodological rigor and reproducibility within the field. By consolidating evidence from diverse studies, this systematic review advances our understanding of the neural mechanisms underpinning mathematical cognition and delineates avenues for future research aimed at optimizing mathematical learning and performance through EEG-based approaches.

Introduction: COVID-19 infection is one of the most important current challenges globally. Data show that COVID-19 infections among health workers are higher than those of the general population. The aim of this study was the translation and the adaption of the questionnaire that was piloted to evaluate the level of health and safety of health professionals in Greece after the outbreak of the pandemic.

Methods: A structured forward-backward translation process was performed. The authors cooperated with a strategic sample of experts. The pilot study was conducted in three public hospitals of Attica, during the period September to December 2021. The selection of the participants was based on random sampling. The research tool that was used was the questionnaire on "Health and safety of health workers in COVID-19". Data were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient, intraclass correlation coefficient, t-test, and ANOVA test.

Results: Cronbach's α was 0.846, showing high internal consistency. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.969, indicating high test-retest reliability. There was a statistically significant gender difference in the scale relevant to health and safety risks and gender. Also, a statistically significant difference was found between the prevention measures and between the hospitals as well.

Conclusions: Comprehension of the Greek version of the original questionnaire was achieved. It seems to be a promising tool with acceptable internal consistency. Further study on a larger sample is required to generalize the results.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex and demanding chronic condition that requires continuous and specialized care. Since children spend many hours at school, consistent and proper monitoring of students with Type 1 DM is essential. Teachers' involvement can be crucial in supporting the effective management of the disease.

Purpose: To investigate the level of teachers' knowledge on diabetes, their attitude towards students with insulin-dependent diabetes, as well as their level of general self-efficacy.

Method: 150 teachers working in public primary schools were provided with (a) a socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, (b) a questionnaire related to knowledge and attitude of a primary school teacher on insulin-dependent diabetes, and (c) a generalized self-efficacy scale.

Results: The average percentage of correct answers on the knowledge questionnaire was 86.00% ±9.01%. The questions with the lowest percentage of correct answers were: "What is the normal range of blood sugar rate when we have not eaten?" (62.70%) and "If you find a child with diabetes mellitus unconscious what should you do immediately?" (52.70%). Almost one in two teachers had a knowledge deficit regarding the management of emergency situations in children with type 1 DM. Younger teachers had a higher percentage of correct answers on the knowledge questionnaire compared to their older colleagues. Teachers (p = 0.014) who at some point had a child with DM in their classroom versus those who did not (p = 0.045) and teachers with the longest experience (p = 0.03). Teachers who had personal difficulties with type 1 or 2 DM showed lower self-efficacy (p = 0.016), teachers who were willing to have and support a child with DM in their classroom (p < 0.001), teachers without a second degree (p = 0.013), and teachers with less positive perceptions of their readiness to manage students with DM (p = 0.001). All teachers in the sample reported that they felt safe with the presence of a school nurse and that the school nurse may be effective in managing student emergencies. The vast majority of participants considered especially important the role of school nurses in integrating children with DM in the classroom (92.7%). In the present study, only 6.7% of teachers had received specific training on DM in children and its treatment. At the same time, 84.4% of the teachers believed that the school nurse could effectively train them in DM management.

Conclusions: Trained school nurses, who are fully responsible for the proper management of children with type 1 DM, could provide training to teachers, enabling them to contribute to more effective disease management.