Advances in experimental medicine and biology最新文献

The measurement of the long wavelengths of the Earth's gravitational resonances with a high-sensitivity accelerometer as these resonances pass through materials of different densities enables the measurement of the relative concentration levels of organic compounds in biological specimens. This method is demonstrated in the microscale measurement of the physiologically important variables in the Chlorophyta phyla. Future analysis includes the measurement of physiological variables in humans.

Maternal substance use during pregnancy exposes the fetus to pharmacologic effects and creates the potential for dependence and withdrawal in the neonatal period. Opioids cross the placenta and the fetal blood-brain barrier, resulting in prenatal opioid exposure (POE). The binding of opioids to developing opioid receptors disrupts neurologic, gastrointestinal, and autonomic regulation, leading to the development of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), previously referred to as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). The impact of exposure varies by opioid type, dose, duration, and maternal metabolism, resulting in a wide spectrum of neonatal symptoms and severity.In response to the rising incidence of NOWS during the heroin epidemic, scoring systems, including the Finnegan scale, were developed to guide diagnosis and treatment. Infants with POE whose Finnegan scores reached a particular threshold were treated with pharmacologic therapy (typically morphine), which required a prolonged taper. A more recently defined approach, the Eat, Sleep, Console method, focuses on functional well-being rather than a numeric score. Current best practice for management emphasizes non-pharmacologic interventions such as caregiver presence, skin-to-skin care, and a low-stimulation environment, and reserves pharmacologic therapy for severe symptoms.While short-term effects of POE are well documented, including prolonged hospitalization and feeding challenges, long-term neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes remain under investigation. Further research is essential to refine screening, optimize management strategies, standardize care, and address social and health disparities affecting families impacted by POE.

There are only few reports in the literature regarding McLeod Syndrome and cardiomyopathy and all of them are referred to adults with neurological symptoms and hyperCKemia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a neurologically asymptomatic 14-year-old male adolescent with hyperCKemia and dilated cardiomyopathy, due to McLeod syndrome. In our patient, the documentation of clinical suspicion of McLeod syndrome was achieved by genetic assessment. Our clinical awareness guided the decision to perform a cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) evaluation although the echocardiogram was normal. The lack of neurological symptoms can be attributed to the young age of the patient, since neurological symptoms usually start from 25 to 60 years of age. However, nothing is known about the age of cardiomyopathy development. Again, there is no evidence from the literature that dilated cardiomyopathy can precede the development of neurological symptoms. There is only one case in the literature presenting the coexistence of dilated cardiomyopathy, due to myocarditis and McLeod syndrome, but in our patient no history of myocarditis was identified and the CMR showed lack of myocardial oedema, indicative of myocarditis.

Given the lack of relevant research, the goal of this paper is to present longitudinal data regarding electroencephalograms (EEGs) and financial capacity for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients in order to examine if there are specific EEG indicators that may reveal financial capacity deficits. A detailed neuropsychological and financial capacity assessment along with EEGs was performed at three time points (baseline, 6-month retest, and 12-month retest). Strong statistically significant correlations were found exclusively for the group of aMCI patients with the lowest financial capacity performance (F1 group) between neuropsychological test performance and EEG recordings. EEGs differentiate aMCI patients into two groups: those with high financial capacity performance and those who fail in financial capacity. For the second group, EEGs measurements can be a promising source of information for predicting those aMCI individuals who need assistance in this complex cognitive domain and in order to prevent financial exploitation.

In this chapter, we review the current literature that focuses on the role of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, a major morphogenic pathway regulating embryonic development, in the pathology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Ethanol exposure disrupts Shh signaling during development across a range of species including in mice, chick, and zebrafish. Ethanol appears to interfere with Shh signaling through multiple mechanisms, both direct and indirect, including reduced Shh ligand production, impaired post-translational processing, and inducing apoptosis in Shh-expressing cells during gastrulation. These disruptions result in a spectrum of developmental defects characteristic of FASD, such as craniofacial abnormalities, brain malformations, and limb deformities. Genetic susceptibility to PAE is linked to mutations in Shh pathway components. Activation of Shh signaling, genetically or pharmacologically, has been effective in mitigating ethanol-induced defects. This chapter also examines the teratogenic effects of cannabinoids (CBs) and ethanol, which synergistically disrupt Shh signaling. CBs directly interact with Smoothened, a key Shh receptor, amplifying developmental defects when combined with ethanol exposure. This chapter details the critical role of Shh signaling in embryogenesis and its vulnerability to environmental teratogens such as ethanol and CBs.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and psychological empowerment with perceived stress of nurses working in psychiatric acute units. The study sample consisted of 153 nurses working in psychiatric acute units, located in Athens. Participants completed: (a) A questionnaire about demographic characteristics, (b) the Perceived Stress Scale, (c) the Psychological empowerment scale, and (d) the Social Support Questionnaire Short Form (SSQ-6). The majority of the participants were females (62.7%), graduates of Technological Education (47%), married (60.78%), permanent employees (81.7%), working in psychiatric units for over than 21 years (34.6%), with an average age of 45 years. Of the total sample, 64.7% considered the night shift as the most aggravating, with the main factors causing the greatest stress being (a) lack of staff, (b) dangerousness, and (c) workload. Women compared to men, and those who had been working for more years in a psychiatric ward compared to younger employees exhibited a statistically significant higher level of subjective stress (p < 0.05). Nurses who considered that night shifts were the most aggravating exhibited more stress, while female nurses exhibited higher levels of psychological empowerment compared to male nurses. Moreover, nurses who were scheduled to work more day shifts exhibited statistically significant high levels of psychological empowerment (p < 0.001), while psychological empowerment was positively correlated with social support (p < 0.001). When nurses perceived greater social support, they were more psychologically empowered. Additionally, married nurses reported high levels of social support (p < 0.01). However, older nurses and nurses who were scheduled to work more night shifts reported statistically significant low social support (p < 0.001). Thus, the implementation of strategies to reduce stress at work, family, and wider social environment is essential for nurses working in psychiatric acute units.

Animals use dietary lipids to sustain their growth and survival. Insects can synthesize fatty acids (FAs) and are autotroph for a number of lipids, but auxotroph for specific lipids classes (e.g. sterols, polyunsaturated FAs). Once ingested, lipids are hydrolysed in the intestinal lumen and taken up into intestinal cells within specific regions of the insect digestive tract. These lipids can be either stored in the intestinal cells or exported through the haemolymph circulation to specific organs. In this chapter, we describe the various lipids provided by insect diets, their extracellular hydrolysis in the gut lumen and their intake and metabolic fate in the intestinal cells. This chapter emphasizes the critical role of the digestive tract and its regionalization in processing dietary lipids prior to their transfer to the requiring tissues.

Disorders of lipid metabolism such as obesity have become some of the most significant diseases of the twenty-first century. Despite these metabolic diseases affecting more than a third of the population in highly industrialized nations, the mechanisms underlying disease development remain poorly understood. Insect models, such as Drosophila melanogaster, offer a means of systematically examining conserved lipid metabolism and its pathology. Over the past several decades, Drosophila melanogaster has been used to greatly expand on our knowledge of metabolic disease, often taking advantage of the extensive genetic tools available to researchers. Additionally, Drosophila melanogaster has served and will continue to serve as a powerful tool for validating the results of genome-wide approaches to the study of diseases. This chapter explores the advancements of insect models in the study of lipid metabolism disorders as well as highlight opportunities for future areas of research.

A large proportion of patients undergoing dialysis treatment have sleep disorders, while their psychosocial adjustment is reduced due to severe changes in patients' daily life imposed by dialysis therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between quality of sleep and psychosocial adjustment in dialysis patients. In this study, 402 patients on dialysis participated. Sleep quality was evaluated via the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Psychosocial adjustment via the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS-SR). The Mann-Whitney test was utilized to compare the PAIS scale between patients with and without insomnia. Multiple linear regression analysis was utilized with the dependent variable, the PAIS scale. Adjusted regression coefficients (β) with standard errors (SE) were computed from the results of the linear regression analyses. Log transformations of the dependent variables were utilized in the multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that having insomnia was significantly associated with greater difficulty in adjustment to vocational environment (p = 0.008), domestic environment (p < 0.001), sexual relationship (p < 0.001), extended family relationships (p < 0.001), social environment (p < 0.001), and psychological distress (p < 0.001). The findings of this study highlight the vital role of sleep quality in dialysis patients' psychosocial adjustment. Administering individualized sleep management programs such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia, sleep hygiene education, and relaxation techniques could help dialysis patients achieve better sleep quality and improve their psychosocial adjustment. Routine screening for sleep disorders should be part of the regular care provided to dialysis patients.

Introduction: Dientamoeba fragilis is a cosmopolitan but overlooked amoeba-like flagellate. It may cause gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those of irritable bowel syndrome. So far, no epidemiological analysis has been conducted in Greece.

Aim: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of D. fragilis infection and its associated factors in the country over the recent decade.

Material and methods: Faecal samples from 1361 Greek patients with possible intestinal parasitosis were tested for parasites including D. fragilis. Laboratory and demographic characteristics of patients with D. fragilis infection were compared to those of patients with Giardia lamblia- and Blastocystis sp.-infection and analysed.

Results: D. fragilis was found in 4.6% of patients with possible enteric parasitosis. It ranked third after Blastocystis sp. (8.4%). It ranked second after G. lamblia (4.9%) among pathogenic intestinal protozoa. D. fragilis-infected women had a high peak at their forties (women's parenting age), while a lesser peak was found in D. fragilis-infected men in their late forties (men's parenting age). D. fragilis was more likely than G. lamblia [PR = 4.70(1.68-13.14)] and Blastocystis sp. [PR = 2.2(1.07-4.90)] to be acquired in rural areas, in which young males (<40 years) were more likely than females to become infected with D. fragilis [MH- PR = 5.76(1.70-19.54)].

Conclusions: D. fragilis was identified at a low rate among Greek patients with possible intestinal parasitosis. Primary care physicians in Greece should be aware of the possibility of D. fragilis infection in people in their parenting age and in young men living in rural areas, when presented with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms that cannot be explained by other enteropathogens and request further laboratory testing.