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The neurotrophic growth factor brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a crucial role in various neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and depression. BDNF has been proposed as a potential biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring therapy. Understanding the factors influencing BDNF levels and whether they follow a circadian rhythm is essential for interpreting fluctuations in BDNF measurements. We aimed to investigate the circadian rhythm of BDNF by collecting multiple peripheral venous blood samples from young, healthy male participants at 12 different time points over 24 h. In addition, vital parameters, cortisol and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1) were measured to explore potential regulatory mechanisms, interfering variables and their correlations with BDNF concentration. The findings revealed that plasma BDNF did not exhibit any significant fluctuations over 24 h, suggesting the absence of a circadian rhythm. However, serum BDNF levels decreased during sleep. Furthermore, serum BDNF showed a positive correlation with heart rate but a negative correlation with IGF1. No significant correlation was observed between cortisol and BDNF or IGF1. Although plasma BDNF suggests steady‐state conditions, the decline of serum BDNF during the nocturnal period could be attributed to physical inactivity and associated with reduced haemodynamic blood flow (heart rate reduction during sleep). The type of sample collection (peripheral venous cannula vs. blood sampling using a butterfly system) does not significantly affect the measured BDNF levels. The sample collection during the day did not significantly affect BDNF analysis, emphasizing the importance of considering activity levels rather than timing when designing standardized protocols for BDNF assessments. What is the central question of this study?How does the circadian rhythm potentially influence peripheral brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, and what has to be taken into consideration when interpretating BDNF levels in serum or plasma as potential biomarkers in neurodegenerative or psychiatric diseases?What is the main finding and its importance?Although plasma BDNF levels remain relatively stable over 24 h, serum BDNF exhibits a significant nocturnal decline, potentially linked to physical inactivity during sleep. Understanding this rhythm and the factors influencing BDNF levels is crucial for accurate interpretation of BDNF measurements, emphasizing the need to consider activity levels in standardized protocols for BDNF assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis induces neuroinflammation, BBB disruption, cerebral hypoxia, neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death causing sepsis‐associated encephalopathy (SAE). These pathological consequences lead to short‐ and long‐term neurobehavioural deficits. Till now there is no specific treatment that directly improves SAE and its associated behavioural impairments. In this review, we discuss the underlying mechanisms of sepsis‐induced brain injury with a focus on the latest progress regarding neuroprotective effects of SIRT1 (silent mating type information regulation‐2 homologue‐1). SIRT1 is an NAD+‐dependent class III protein deacetylase. It is able to modulate multiple downstream signals (including NF‐κB, HMGB, AMPK, PGC1α and FoxO), which are involved in the development of SAE by its deacetylation activity. There are multiple recent studies showing the neuroprotective effects of SIRT1 in neuroinflammation related diseases. The proposed neuroprotective action of SIRT1 is meant to bring a promising therapeutic strategy for managing SAE and ameliorating its related behavioural deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance support teams are increasingly comprised of sub-disciplines, bringing varied expertise to support an athlete or team in achieving the desired result. With more voices in the room, however, there is a need to investigate how these individuals can effectively work together collaboratively. Accordingly, the present study reviewed empirical articles that have examined interdisciplinary practice in performance sport. In total, 22 articles met the full inclusion criteria. We discuss the four key themes that emerged from the literature linked to these contexts: namely, Theoretical frameworks, Facilitative leadership and culture, Organisational and logistical structure and processes, and Personal and interpersonal qualities. To deepen the understanding in this intricate field, conducting future research such as longitudinal studies that follow team working practices over time and delve into the lived experiences of teams, as well as the perspectives of various stakeholders, would be beneficial. The terminology used to describe team working in elite sports is often ambiguous and interchangeable. To provide clarity, the following concise framing is proposed: multidisciplinary refers to a combination of several disciplines and methods; interdisciplinary denotes the connection between, among, and reciprocal collaboration; and transdisciplinary refers to going beyond, through, and across. For elite sports teams to reflect on their working practices, the following key areas should be considered: theoretical framework (programme philosophy), facilitative leadership and culture, organisational and logistical structures and processes, and personal and interpersonal qualities of the team. As the terminology around team working in elite sports remains ambiguous, future research should strive to uncover the lived experiences and practices of these teams. With scarce literature on the practice of interdisciplinarity within this field, other industries' models could provide a stepping stone for investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: First‐year students encounter substantial stress when they enter university. Their mental health often depends upon how well they cope with the stress of university life. Salivary components are well known to reflect the stress status of the students; however, the relationship between salivary components and coping styles remains unknown. Methods: In this study, 54 healthy first‐year students voluntarily completed a questionnaire that addressed three different coping styles: problem‐focused, emotion‐focused, and escape‐focused. We simultaneously collected salivary samples from students in the classroom and measured concentrations of salivary cortisol and α‐amylase by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays over 4 months. Results: We examined the relationship between coping style and salivary cortisol concentrations and found that the mean salivary cortisol concentrations were significantly lower in students who had a higher Likert‐type score for the problem‐focused coping style than in students who had a lower score. The difference in the mean cortisol concentrations between the two groups increased over time. However, we observed no apparent correlation between α‐amylase concentrations and Likert scores of the three coping styles. Conclusion: These results suggest that salivary cortisol concentrations might reflect the stress‐coping status, particularly involving the problem‐focused coping style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Lithium is considered a first-line therapy for both the acute phase and the maintenance of bipolar disorder. Many studies highlighted its neuroprotective and neuroplastic capacity suggesting a potential usefulness in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the undeniable efficacy, lithium clearly presents several adverse effects including neurotoxicity, also known as lithium encephalopathy, regarding both neurological, psychiatric, and cognitive side effects. In this case, adverse reactions are not always related to its serum levels, possibly appearing within the therapeutic range. Case Presentation. We analyzed the case of a bipolar patient who has been uncontinuosly treated with lithium salts since the onset of the psychopathological picture. Over the years, the average values of lithemia always remained around 0.60-0.70 mEq/L, but in 2019, the patient begun to manifest distal tremors and in the mandibular district accompanied, in the following months, by psychomotor slowdown, generalized tremors, reduced alertness, spatiotemporal disorientation, and aphasia. While alterations referable to neurodegenerative diseases were excluded, EEG maintained rhythm alteration 1 year after the probable intoxication. Discussion. This case confirms the central role of EEG for lithium neurotoxicity, while its dosages are in therapeutic range, being plasma levels are not always indicative of liquoral and neuronal lithium's levels. We highlight the importance of an early diagnosis of lithium encephalopathy proposing EEG as an indispensable tool for assessing lithium neurotoxicity both in acute and chronic intoxication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students are a special group of society, having received university education and being at the forefront of new ideas and technologies in society. The basic psychological characteristics common to modern college students and the unique role psychological characteristics of ordinary students are the two major group factors. The basic psychological factors include cognition, personality, and social adaptive behavior. Hierarchical analysis (AHP) is a scientific method for assessing and identifying problems, correlating quantitative treatment of problems with qualitative analysis, and is well suited for semistructured or unstructured decision-making problems. This paper preliminarily studies the structure of College Students' psychological quality under the background of localization and the construction method of College Students' psychological quality evaluation model based on analytic hierarchy process. It is proposed to introduce the hierarchical analysis method into the behavioral assessment model of college students' psychological disorders as the entry point. A model was built to help college ideological and political educators determine whether college students have psychological disorders and disorders provide important insights. The results showed that the split-half reliability of this constructed method was 0.782, and the retest reliability was 0. The standard deviation of the coefficients among all the test subjects was 0.842, indicating that there is a positive correlation between the coefficients. The standard deviation of the coefficients between all test subjects was 0.842, indicating good confidence. Therefore, the model can objectively assess the psychological state of college students and realize the quantitative safety psychological assessment of college students, which is useful for reference in the implementation of teaching decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of colorants in historic plastics is a methodological and analytical challenge. Although deformulation is performed by the plastics industry, in the case of historical objects, sampling is often impossible, and in situ protocols are needed. The accurate identification of colorants provides insights into historical plastic formulations, supports planning of conservation studies, and critical data for objects that already exhibit color change (e.g. fading). Indeed, colorants may degrade following exposure to light, and color changes have been reported for plastic objects. The analysis of colorants remains a challenge, and microsampling is usually required. Successful identification of red pigments from thirty historical plastics is reported following a new in situ analytical protocol based on Raman microscopy. Information about other pigments, fillers and plastic polymers are reported. Fading has been observed in the historical plastic objects containing Pigment Red 53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As a complex, polygenic trait, brain size has likely been influenced by a range of direct and indirect selection pressures for both cognitive and non‐cognitive functions and capabilities. It has been hypothesized that hominin brain expansion was, in part, a correlated response to selection acting on aerobic capacity (Raichlen & Polk, 2013). According to this hypothesis, selection for aerobic capacity increased the activity of various signaling molecules, including those involved in brain growth. One key molecule is brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that regulates neuronal development, survival, and plasticity in mammals. This review updates, partially tests, and expands Raichlen and Polk's (2013) hypothesis by evaluating evidence for BDNF as a mediator of brain size. Discussion: We contend that selection for endurance capabilities in a hot climate favored changes to muscle composition, mitochondrial dynamics and increased energy budget through pathways involving regulation of PGC‐1α and MEF2 genes, both of which promote BDNF activity. In addition, the evolution of hairlessness and the skin's thermoregulatory response provide other molecular pathways that promote both BDNF activity and neurotransmitter synthesis. We discuss how these pathways contributed to the evolution of brain size and function in human evolution and propose avenues for future research. Our results support Raichlen and Polk's contention that selection for non‐cognitive functions has direct mechanistic linkages to the evolution of brain size in hominins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings about parents' experiences of caring for young people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) moving into adulthood. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 38 parents of young people (15–21 years) with ASCs. Data were analysed thematically. In the perceived absence of service support, parents' acted as ‘care‐coordinators’ and ‘life‐supporters’ for their child as they moved into adulthood. These roles came with little choice, emotional demands and personal restrictions. Being supported was important for parents, but preferences differed regarding what this should look like. Implications for policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF) serves as a vital regulator of neuronal proliferation and survival, and has been shown to regulate energy homeostasis, glucose metabolism and body weight maintenance. Elevated concentrations of plasma BDNF have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Acute aerobic exercise transiently increases circulating BDNF, potentially correcting obesity-related metabolic impairment. The present study aimed to compare acute aerobic exercise elicited BDNF responses in obese and normal-weight subjects. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate whether acute exercise-induced plasma BDNF elevations would be associated with improved indices of insulin resistance, as well as substrate utilization [carbohydrate oxidation ( CHOoxi) and fat oxidation ( FAToxi)]. Twenty-two healthy, untrained subjects [11 obese (four men and seven women; age = 22.91 ± 4.44 years; body mass index = 35.72 ± 4.17 kg/m2) and 11 normal-weight (five men and six women; age = 23.27 ± 2.24 years; body mass index = 21.89 ± 1.63 kg/m2)] performed 30 min of continuous submaximal aerobic exercise at 75% maximal oxygen consumption. Our analyses showed that the BDNF response to acute aerobic exercise was similar in obese and normal-weight subjects across time (time: P = 0.015; group: P = not significant) and was not associated with indices of IR. Although no differences in the rates of CHOoxi and FAToxi were found between both groups, total relative energy expenditure was significantly lower in obese subjects compared to normal-weight subjects (3.53 ± 0.25 versus 5.59 ± 0.85; P < 0.001). These findings suggest that acute exercise-elicited BDNF elevation may not be sufficient to modulate indices of IR or the utilization of either carbohydrates or fats in obese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine perceptual influences on dancers' health care−seeking decisions and whether dancers' beliefs correlate with actual use of provider services when they are injured. Secondary aims were to understand how dancers may select physicians and what they consider to be the most important features of the medical consultation. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: University and conservatory dance departments. Participants: Forty American collegiate dancers. Assessment of Risk Factors: Before the start of the dance semester, all participants completed a retrospective survey that included baseline demographic data, dance experience, a dance-related injury (DRI) inventory, previous health care exposures, and perceptions regarding health care treatment providers. Data regarding new DRIs and health care exposures were then prospectively collected every 2 weeks for 6 months. Main Outcome Measurements: A DRI was defined as any neuromusculoskeletal condition sustained as the result of dancing activity that caused a dancer to stop or modify his or her dancing for more than 3 consecutive days. Results: Dancers perceived dance teachers to be first-line treatment providers (47.5%), followed by physical therapists (PTs; 30%). Physicians were ranked third (12.5%) and only marginally higher than a dance colleague (10%). The dancers expressed a strong preference for nonsurgical rather than surgical physicians (87.5% versus 5.0%), and among physicians, the majority of dancers preferred subspecialists (60%), namely nonsurgical sports medicine doctors and physiatrists. During the 6-month prospective data-collection period, 25 dancers (69.4%) sustained 55 unique injuries, with 22 dancers (88%) and 34 injuries (61.8%) undergoing evaluation. Only 17.7% of injuries were evaluated by a physician. Dancers showed greater incongruity between their preinjury perceptions and postinjury use of physicians than they did with PTs (P = .0002). Conclusions: Although dancers did not perceive physicians to be first-line treatment providers for DRIs, these perceptions about physicians were poorly correlated with use. Instead, injured dancers' health care−seeking behaviors were more likely related to relatively decreased barriers to other nonphysician providers, as well as pre-existing referral pathways to PTs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Depression is increasingly present in the population, and its pathophysiology and treatment have been investigated with several animal models, including olfactory bulbectomy ( Obx). Fish oil ( FO) supplementation during the prenatal and postnatal periods decreases depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors. The present study evaluated the effect of FO supplementation on Obx-induced depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment. Female rats received supplementation with FO during habituation, mating, gestation, and lactation, and their pups were subjected to Obx in adulthood; after the recovery period, the adult offspring were subjected to behavioral tests, and the hippocampal levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF), serotonin (5- HT) and the metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic (5- HIAA) were determined. Obx led to increased anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors, and impairment in the object location task. All behavioral changes were reversed by FO supplementation. Obx caused reductions in the levels of hippocampal BDNF and 5- HT, whereas FO supplementation restored these levels to normal values. In control rats, FO increased the hippocampal level of 5- HT and reduced that of 5- HIAA, indicating low 5- HT metabolism in this brain region. The present results indicate that FO supplementation during critical periods of brain development attenuated anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors and cognitive dysfunction induced by Obx. These results may be explained by increased levels of hippocampal BDNF and 5- HT, two major regulators of neuronal survival and long-term plasticity in this brain structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthorhombic InVO4 was prepared by solid-state reaction method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The frequency-dependent dielectric and conductivity properties were studied from 300 to 973 K by impedance spectroscopy. A significantly enhanced conductivity was observed at higher temperature whereas almost no conduction was observed below 723 K. Appreciable grain boundary conductivity was observed at higher temperature. The activation energies for grain and grain boundary conductivities are 0.87 and 1.28 eV, respectively. The relative permittivity of ~35 was observed in a wider range of frequencies and temperatures. The frequency dispersion dielectric studies indicated thermally activated hopping conduction process. The high temperature structural studies revealed no significant change in structural parameters except a gradual increasing trend in the unit cell parameters and amplitude of isotropic thermal parameters with increasing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis, and BDNF plasma and serum levels have been associated with depression, Alzheimer's disease, and other psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. In a relatively large community sample, drawn from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), we examine whether BDNF plasma concentration is associated with the Val66Met functional polymorphism of the BDNF gene ( n = 335) and with depression-related personality traits assessed with the NEO-PI-R ( n = 391). Plasma concentration of BDNF was not associated with the Val66Met variant in either men or women. However, in men, but not in women, BDNF plasma level was associated with personality traits linked to depression. Contrary to the notion that low BDNF is associated with negative outcomes, we found lower plasma levels in men who score lower on depression and vulnerability to stress (two facets of Neuroticism) and higher on Conscientiousness and Extraversion. These findings challenge the prevailing hypothesis that lower peripheral levels of BDNF are a marker of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The career development literature published in 2008 is summarized and presented thematically: (a) professional issues, (b) career assessment, (c) career development, (d) career theory and concepts, (e) career interventions, (f) advances in technology, (g) employment, (h) international perspectives, and (i) research design and methodology. Traditional and emerging theories and practices are robust and vibrant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the conference paper "Uterine arteries doppler in the early second trimester for the prediction of fetal birth weight," by A. Antsaklis and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the research paper "Uterine Artery Doppler in a Risk Population: What's Its Role in the Prediction of Severe Pregnancy Complications?" by I. Cameroni and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the research paper "Integrated Doppler and BPS in Severe IUGR Fetus Predict Neonatal Outcome," by E. Cosmi and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the conference paper "Embryo vascularization by three-dimensional power Doppler at 7 to 10 weeks of pregnancy: Preliminary results," by J. Bortoletti Filho and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the conference paper "Small for gestational age fetuses: Does presence of preeclampsia affect neonatal outcome?," by I. Crippa and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the conference paper "Nomogram of fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity in a brazilian population - pilot study," by L. M. M. Nardozza and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Childhood cardiovascular compromise may be assessed in utero and soon after birth in IUGR fetuses," by E. Cosmi and colleagues, is presented.

An abstract of the research paper "Independent and Combined Contribution of Cardiovascular Doppler Parameters to Short-Term Prediction of Mortality in Severe IUGR," by F. Crispi and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the research paper "Is it Possible to Predict Placenta Accreta by Uterine Artery Doppler Velocimetry in Placenta Previa" by D.W. Kwak and colleagues is presented.