Neuro endocrinology letters最新文献

Objectives: Lung ultrasound reduces the number of chest X-rays after thoracic surgery and thus the radiation. COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated research in lung ultrasound artifacts detection using artificial intelligence. This study evaluates the accuracy of artificial intelligence in A-lines detection in thoracic surgery patients using a novel hybrid solution that combines convolutional neural networks and analytical approach and compares it with a radiology resident and radiology experts' results.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Material and methods: Single-center study evaluates the accuracy of artificial intelligence and a radiology resident in A-line detection on lung ultrasound footages compared with the consensual opinion of two expert radiologists as the reference. After resident's first reading, the artificial intelligence results were presented to the resident and he was asked to revise the results based on artificial intelligence.

Results: 82 consecutive patients underwent 82 ultrasound examinations. 328 ultrasound recordings were evaluated. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of artificial inelligence in A-line detection were 0.866, 0.928, 0.834, 0.741 and 0.958 respectively. The resident's values were 0.558, 0.973, 0.346, 0.432 and 0.962 respectively. The resident's values after correction based on artificial intelligence results were 0.854, 0.991, 0.783, 0.701 and 0.994 respectively.

Conclusion: Artificial intelligence showed high accuracy in A-line detection in thoracic surgery patients and was more accurate compared to a resident. Artificial intelligence could play important role in lung ultrasound artifact detection in thoracic surgery patients and in residents' education.

Background: The swine Sertoli cells (SCs) are more vulnerable to the environmental insults than other species. We observed that zearalenone (ZEA), a prevalent food contaminant, caused SCs oxidative damage and inhibits their proliferation. Therefore, a naturally occurring antioxidant, i.e., the deer blood phospholipids (DBP) has been selected to test its potentially protective effects on SCs.

Methods: Collect fresh samples of swine testicles, isolated, cultured and identified primary swine SCs. The ROS levels in SCs 24 h induced by different concentrations of ZEA were detected, and the oxidative damage model was established. After DBP was added to the SCs 24 h after the damage, the oxidative and antioxidant indexes were detected by ELISA kit. Finally, the protective mechanism of DBP was explained by RNA-seq.

Results: The results showed that DBP effectively protected against the reproductive toxicity induced by ZEA. The protective effects of DBP were mainly mediated by its potent antioxidative capacity. DBP upregulated the activities of the endogenous antioxidant enzymes including CAT and GSH-PX and reduced intracellular ROS level and MDA. In addition, DBP also promoted the SCs proliferation. The transcriptome sequencing combined with DEGs, GO and KEGG analyses suggested that DBP treatment enriched various signaling pathways of potentially biological significance including MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Both pathways also promote the cell proliferation. EdU assay further confirmed the beneficial effects of DBP on SCs proliferation.

Objective: To compare the impact of a commercial "sleep lotion" versus a placebo control lotion on salivary melatonin and sleep quality.

Methods: The presence of melatonin in the lotion was confirmed and quantitated with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In this randomized, controlled, double-blind crossover trial, undergraduate student participants applied lotions on two separate nights and we quantitated melatonin in saliva samples with enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. We also assessed sleep quality with a modified Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Clinicaltrials: gov ID NCT06053385.

Results: Sixty-three participants (age 20.5 ± 1.2 years; 81% female) enrolled in the study and provided at least one saliva sample. The sleep lotion contained 0.24 ± 0.01% melatonin (g/100 g lotion) which dramatically impacted salivary melatonin levels, increasing them up to ~1000 fold compared to the placebo lotion (n = 36 participants with all six timepoints). The lotion improved sleep quality in a subsample of the poor sleepers (n = 18). However, the sleep quality in the overall sample was not significantly different on the active versus placebo lotion nights.

Conclusion: In a small undergraduate student sample, a commercial melatonin-containing lotion improved sleep in those with poor sleep quality. Caution should be taken by consumers using over-the-counter melatonin lotions because the undisclosed dosage can be high and well absorbed by the skin.

Objectives: To create a Czech version of the Labor Coping Scale (LCS) evaluation tool intended for midwives when caring for a woman with labor pain, to evaluate its psychometric properties and to find out the opinion on it in clinical practice.

Materials and methods: Are use a combination of methods. By using repeated back translation, the Czech version of the LCS tool was created. It included an assessment of the tool's content validity index and a questionnaire survey determining the midwives' approach to labor pain (N = 419), supplemented by a focus group method (N = 16 midwives).

Results: A new evaluation tool for the management of labor pain was created - the Pain Coping Scale, which assesses the management of labor pain, not intensity, like previous evaluation scales. It is a tool that maps 5 areas on a scale of 0-10.

Conclusion: As part of her work, a midwife should be able to adequately assess a woman's management of labor pain, using a suitable tool, to reveal the factors that influence the development and experience of labor pain, and then choose an appropriate strategy in the care of a woman with labor pain. A new LCS labor pain assessment tool could help with this in the Czech environment.

Introduction: The relationship between a poorly functioning thyroid gland and erectile dysfunction (hereinafter, "ED") has been demonstrated in many studies. If a man has thyroid problems, it can negatively affect his ability to achieve or maintain an erection. The thyroid gland produces hormones that affect metabolism and overall body function, including blood circulation. If the thyroid gland is not functioning properly, it can lead to blood circulation disorders, which can affect erectile function. There are also symptoms of thyroid disorders that can contribute to ED. Some of these symptoms include fatigue, depression, and anxiety, which can negatively affect a man's psychological side and affect his sexual performance.

Objectives and methods: In our article, we present a series of patients with ED who were treated in our department and found to have some form of thyroid dysfunction.

Results: After treatment for thyroid dysfunction and treatment with 5-phosphodiesterase inhibitors were implemented, erectile function improved in all patients ((Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test; Z = -4.55; p (2-tailed) < 0.001; n = 27) to the level of mild or no ED. Improvement occurred in men with hyper- and hypothyroidism. After one year of treatment, there was no difference between the two groups (t-test; t = 0.75; df = 0.25; p < 0.46).

Conclusion: This study shows that screening for thyroid dysfunction should be performed in all men with ED and that treating thyroid dysfunction may be an effective way to improve erectile function in men with these health problems.

Introduction: The parallel process is a psychosocial phenomenon where the relationship dynamics between the therapist and the client are repeated in the supervisory relationship between the therapist and the supervisor. The concept of the parallel process can be a useful tool for understanding and solving problems in therapy. However, it can induce supervision drift or block the supervision process.

Objective: This article aims to familiarize the reader with parallel processes in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and schema therapy supervision and discuss how to manage this phenomenon in supervision.

Method: This article is a narrative review with illustrations of supervision interviews in which the parallel process unfolds. The text provides an overview of theoretical constructions and empirical studies related to the parallel process. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant resources using the keywords "parallel process," "cognitive behavioural therapy," "schema therapy," "transference," and "countertransference." Case vignettes were collected from trainees, training leaders and supervisors to provide real-life examples of how self-reflection and self-experience can enhance CBT and schema therapy training, practice, and supervision.

This review discusses the topic of synthetic neuroactive steroids. A brief introduction to the mode of action of neuroactive steroids is followed by a short overview of the best-known synthetic neuroactive steroids used in clinical practice and the reasons for their withdrawal from the market. The paper examines various aspects of 6 specific synthetic neuroactive steroids which either have been approved for treatment or are currently in advanced phases of clinical trials, and lists their indications, current experience, and undesirable adverse effects. The authors conclude that the therapeutic potential of neuroactive steroids is still not made full use of. It is to be hoped that this particular class of drugs will find more widespread use also in the management and treatment neurological and psychiatric disorders other than those discussed in this article.

Objectives: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious public health problem with high mortality and morbidity. The current study aims to investigate the effects of rosiglitazone on the microglial distribution and the expression of PPARγ and CD36 in the ICH rat model.

Methods new: Sprague-Dawley male rats (n=116) were randomly divided into four groups: control, ICH, rosiglitazone, and PPARγ antagonist (GW9662). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the brain edema in the ICH rat model. The effect of rosiglitazone on the expression of OX-42, a microglial marker, was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR, and western blot were utilized to assess the role of rosiglitazone in the expression of PPARγ and CD36.

Results: ICH rats exhibited a remarkable brain edema at 72 h. OX-42 expression was significantly increased in brain tissues of ICH rats. Rosiglitazone remarkably promoted the OX-42 expression in ICH rats, whereas GW9662 suppressed OX-42 expression. In addition, immunohistochemistry analysis showed that rosiglitazone markedly enhanced the expression of PPARγ and CD36 in brain tissues around the hematoma in ICH rats, while GW9662 inhibited their expression in ICH rats. Moreover, rosiglitazone significantly promoted the mRNA and protein expression of PPARγ and CD36 in the brain tissues of ICH rats, while GW9662 showed the opposite trend.

Conclusion: Rosiglitazone may improve microglial distribution via promoting the expression of PPARγ and CD36 around the hematoma in the ICH rat model, which may provide effective therapeutic targets for the treatment of ICH.

Background: Obesity has long been regarded as a risk factor for abnormal liver function, although the quantitative relationship between them is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in different gender populations.

Methods: The cross-sectional study included 221,934 people aged over 18 years and under 90 years who underwent physical examinations at Yijishan Hospital in Wuhu City from 2011 to 2016. t-test and Chi-square test were used to compare the differences in demographic characteristics and biochemical indexes between men and women. Linear regression model and smooth curve method were used to investigate the relationship between BMI and GGT.

Results: The smooth curve shows a checkmark association between GGT and BMI. After adjusting for confounders, the cut-off BMI for the whole population was 19.5 kg/m2. When BMI was less than 19.5 kg/m2, GGT levels decreased with increasing BMI, and when BMI was greater than 19.5 kg/m2, GGT levels increased with increasing BMI. After gender stratification, there was a checkmark association between male and female GGT levels and BMI, but the trend of male GGT levels changing with BMI was more obvious than that of females.

Conclusions: Our investigation demonstrated that the GGT level in obese Chinese people is significantly higher than that in non-obese people living in Wuhu City. BMI level can be considered as an early warning index for diseases related to liver function injury in the clinic, although the influence of gender difference should be specifically considered.

When studying the literature on current public health policy challenges, a number of rankings can be found, created from data collected and processed by different methods and from different sources, ordering the challenges by their significance. Inevitably, in global studies, there are errors caused by averaging data across populations that differ significantly in population size and the causes of the decline in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), potentially in combination with years of life lost (YLL) and years of life lived with disability (YLD), that may serve as indicators of the health status of a given population (Lopez 2005). Averaging data from populations that differ significantly in size, the larger population dominates and the main causes of health problems may be the same in both populations, and malnutrition and infectious diseases should be targeted, although in the smaller population cardiovascular disease is the main risk. A study published in 2018 shows that there are significant differences between countries and regions in the causes of the decline in DALYs and the increase in YLL and YLD (Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 2018). Some similarities in the order of factors influencing the above indicators can be found in populations with comparable economic performance. In the so-called developed countries, demographic development, in other words, low birth rates resulting in aging of the population, and a significant increase in psychological disorders, are considered to be the core problem (Walker et al. 2015). Caution is needed in assessing the latter issue; bias may arise because mental health is given more attention in developed countries than in areas where even basic needs such as sufficient food and drinking water are not fully met, or where stressors such as military conflict or terrorism are present. On the other hand, lifestyles, associated with an abundance or surplus of resources and, thanks to generous social systems, the risk of dissolving the line between work and reward and the consequent absence of meaningful activity can pose a risk to the development of mental disorders (Dogra et al. 2022; Kim et al. 2013). Even with a cautious approach to global data, time is another factor that increases the opacity of the public health landscape. Over the last 30 years, there has been a significant rearrangement in the ranking of the most important factors influencing DALYs, YLL, and YLD. The top spot occupied in 1990 by lower respiratory tract infections has been taken by coronary heart disease in 2020, diarrheal diseases by unipolar depression and perinatal conditions, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, by traffic accidents (Anish and Sreelakshmi 2013).