Search

This study aimed to create a generic profile of patients with NETs and to establish the prioritization criteria for somatostatin receptors scintigraphy (SRS), within the NETs diagnostic algorithm, being the first study of this kind conducted in Romania. Material and methods: A bi-centric, retro-prospective study comprising 103 patients with NETs, evaluated through 99mTc-TOC SRS, in two nuclear medicine departments from “Sf. Spiridon” County Clinical Emergency Hospital Iasi, Romania and Center of Nuclear Medicine, University Clinical Center of Kragujevac, Serbia. We analyzed the clinical-paraclinical features of included patients, as a starting point for streamlining the selection of patients for SRS. Results and discussion: The total group of patients included 47.57 % men and 52.43 % women, the age varying between 21-83 years. The most frequent primary NETs were represented by pNETs, and GI-NETs and the symptoms were nonspecific for majority of analyzed patients. Both prospective and retrospective analysis showed that SRS was followed by positive results. For prospectively analyzed patients, due to the used customized sheets, it was extremely easy to identify four SRS prioritization criteria. Conclusions: This study could outline the profile of patients with NETs, as the starting point for streamlining patient selection for SRS. The four prioritization criteria proposed by us could guide the diagnostic algorithm.

The purpose of this paper was to point out the difficulties faced by the transgender community when using psychiatric or psychotherapeutic services and their impact at the social, psychological, and health state level. Our approach favours the increase in the information degree of the medical and psychotherapeutic community concerning the topic, by placing the transgender community in the current psychosocial context. In order to collect the necessary data, we applied two questionnaires to the transgender community and to the professional mental health community, respectively; the first comprised 20 questions and the second comprised 11 questions, and the results were interpreted statistically. From among them, it is worth highlighting the important percentage of transgender who do not live in accordance to the desired identity and the existence of discriminating situations in the interaction with the physician or the psychologist. The conclusions of this paper reflect the difficulties and gaps related to the assistance of sexual minorities. We thus propose examples of practices that may allow an increase in medical and social support for the transgender community.

Aim: The need for predictive and prognostic biomarkers in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) brought us to an era where the use of artificial intelligence (AI) models is increasing. We investigated the expression of Claudin-7, a tight junction component, which plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of normal epithelial mucosa, and its potential prognostic role in advanced CRCs, by drawing a parallel between statistical and AI algorithms. Methods: Claudin-7 immunohistochemical expression was evaluated in the tumor core and invasion front of CRCs from 84 patients and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and survival. The results were compared with those obtained by using various AI algorithms. Results: the Kaplan–Meier univariate survival analysis showed a significant correlation between survival and Claudin-7 intensity in the invasive front (p = 0.00), a higher expression being associated with a worse prognosis, while Claudin-7 intensity in the tumor core had no impact on survival. In contrast, AI models could not predict the same outcome on survival. Conclusion: The study showed through statistical means that the immunohistochemical overexpression of Claudin-7 in the tumor invasive front may represent a poor prognostic factor in advanced stages of CRCs, contrary to AI models which could not predict the same outcome, probably because of the small number of patients included in our cohort.

Gastrin-secreting tumors, hypergastrinemia and severe ulcer disease form the trademarks of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES). We report a case of gastrinoma, in a patient who was misdiagnosed for almost five years. The case emphsizes the the special role of functional imaging in the personalized approach to the patient with suggestive symptomatology for NETs. Taking into account that in 80 to 100% of cases of gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) NETs are expressing somatostatin receptors, the functional imaging with radiolabeled somatostatin analogues can be used in order to improve its diagnosis, respectively the treatment of GEP NETs. In the approach to the patient with tremendous digestive symptomatology, physicians from different specialties should evaluate NETs specific markers and then insist on structural-functional complementarity, avoiding the waste of time and high cost of repeated structural investigations. The conclusion of our study is that functional imaging is mandatory in the diagnostic algorithm of gastrinoma.

The paper aims to investigate the cytotoxic effect on tumor cells of irradiated AuNPs in green light and subsequently functionalized with HS-PEG-NH2. The toxicity level of gold conjugates after their functionalization with DOX and TAT peptide was also evaluated. The AuNPs were prepared using the modified Turkevich method and exposed to visible light at a wavelength of 520 nm prior their PEGylation. The optical properties were analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy, the surface modification was investigated using FTIR and XPS spectroscopies and their sizes and morphologies were evaluated by TEM and DLS techniques. DOX and TAT peptide were linked to the surface of PEGylated AuNPs by reacting their amino groups with glycidyloxypropyl of PEGylated DOX or TAT conjugates under mild conditions at room temperature and in the presence of ethanol as catalyst. The conjugates containing DOX or DOX and TAT have been characterized by fluorescence and FTIR techniques. The changes of electrochemical features were observed using cyclic voltammetry, suggesting a better stability of irradiated nanoparticles. By mass spectrometry it was confirmed that the compounds of interest were obtained. The cell viability test showed that irradiated and non-irradiated nanoparticles coated with PEG are not toxic in normal cells. Tumor cell viability analysis showed that the PEGylated nanoparticles modified with DOX and TAT peptide were more effective than pristine DOX, indicating cytotoxicity up to 10% higher than non-irradiated ones.

Schizophrenia is one of the most debilitating psychiatric disorders due to its medical, social, professional and relational disability. With the lack of any progress made in the pharmaceutic treatment of this disorder in the last twenty years, developing adjuvant therapies to help patients live a normal professional and social life comes with great importance. Our study was conducted on 88 participants, which were recruited during an acute episode of schizophrenia at the Socola University Hospital, Iasi, Romania. These patients were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: one group received a social intervention consisting of one year of Behavioral Family Management (BFM), and the other group received the Supportive Family Management (SFM) intervention. The results of our study showed that the social intervention, whether it was behavioral or supportive, dramatically decreased the scores on the BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale). At baseline our patients had mean score of 84.4 (SD=12.3). After 12 months of social intervention the mean scores for BPRS were 38.8 (SD=11.6) for the BFM group and 37.7 (SD=10.5) for the SFM group. The results of our study suggest that a more holistic approach in treating schizophrenia is needed. Working with the families of the patients in various forms of therapy might help not only with the decrease of schizophrenia’s symptoms, but also help patients to interact better with their families, colleagues and friends and therefore increase the quality of life of this at risk population.

There is a progressive trend in the current literature in understanding the central effects of oxytocin, which besides its classical roles in parturition and lactation, seems to exert some facilitatory effects in most of the neuropsychiatric disorders. Thus, it seems that oxytocin is mainly linked to the neuropsychiatric disorders where the social component is more or less affected and it has also strong correlations with the stress-related mechanisms and hypothalamic�pituitary�adrenal (HPA) axis. In addition, the connections between oxytocin and the digestive system were previously suggested, including by some of our preliminary results, in the context of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathology. Also, the relations between depression and stress in the context of cortisol implications are quite well described, although various modifications of cortisol (increased, decreased or non-modified) were described in the major depression pathology. Thus, by using two research cohorts: one with major depression disorder (n = 15) and another one having both diagnosis of major depression disorder and irritable bowel syndrome in the same time (n = 15), we are showing in this report significantly increased levels of cortisol in patients with MDD and IBS, when compared with patients with MDD without IBS, while an opposite pattern was obtained by measuring the plasma level of oxytocin, where the patients with MDD and IBS had a significantly decreased concentration of oxytocin, as compared with those with MDD but without IBS.

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (

Immunotherapy represents a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer, which functions via the reprogramming and activation of antitumor immunity. However, adverse events resulting from immunotherapy that are related to the low specificity of tumor cell-targeting represent a limitation of immunotherapy’s efficacy. The potential of nanotechnologies is represented by the possibilities of immunotherapeutical agents being carried by nanoparticles with various material types, shapes, sizes, coated ligands, associated loading methods, hydrophilicities, elasticities, and biocompatibilities. In this review, the principal types of nanovectors (nanopharmaceutics and bioinspired nanoparticles) are summarized along with the shortcomings in nanoparticle delivery and the main factors that modulate efficacy (the EPR effect, protein coronas, and microbiota). The mechanisms by which nanovectors can target cancer cells, the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and the peripheral immune system are also presented. A possible mathematical model for the cellular communication mechanisms related to exosomes as nanocarriers is proposed.

Although neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are intensively studied, their diagnosis and consequently personalised therapy management is still puzzling due to their tumoral heterogeneity. In their theragnosis algorithm, receptor somatostatin scintigraphy takes the central place, the diagnosis receptor somatostatin analogue (RSA) choice depending on laboratory experience and accessibility. However, in all cases, the results depend decisively on correct radiotracer tumoral uptake quantification, where unfortunately there are still unrevealed clues and lack of standardization. We propose an improved method to quantify the biodistribution of gamma-emitting RSA, using tissular corrected uptake indices. We conducted a bi-centric retrospective study on 101 patients with different types of NETs. Three uptake indices obtained after applying new corrections to areas of interest drawn for the tumour and for three reference organs (liver, spleen and lung) were statistically analysed. For the corrected pathological uptake indices, the results showed a significant decrease in the error of estimating the occurrence of errors and an increase in the diagnostic predictive power for NETs, especially in the case of lung-referring corrected index. In conclusion, these results support the importance of corrected uptake indices use in the analysis of 99mTcRSA biodistribution for a better personalised diagnostic accuracy of NETs patients.

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death worldwide and is correlated with genetic and epigenetic alterations in the colonic epithelium. Genetic changes play a major role in the pathophysiology of colorectal cancer through the development of gene mutations, but recent research has shown an important role for epigenetic alterations. In this review, we try to describe the current knowledge about epigenetic alterations, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, as well as the role of non-coding RNAs as epigenetic regulators and the prognostic and predictive biomarkers in metastatic colorectal disease that can allow increases in the effectiveness of treatments. Additionally, the intestinal microbiota’s composition can be an important biomarker for the response to strategies based on the immunotherapy of CRC. The identification of biomarkers in mCRC can be enhanced by developing artificial intelligence programs. We present the actual models that implement AI technology as a bridge connecting ncRNAs with tumors and conducted some experiments to improve the quality of the model used as well as the speed of the model that provides answers to users. In order to carry out this task, we implemented six algorithms: the naive Bayes classifier, the random forest classifier, the decision tree classifier, gradient boosted trees, logistic regression and SVM.

Although the therapeutic potential of virtual reality has been foreseen since over half a century ago, the lack of graphical processing power made it impossible to apply in medical therapeutic sciences until last decade; nowadays, the hardware required for virtual reality is even 100 times more affordable. A head-mounted display induces immersivity engulfing the subject’s eyesight perception in a stereoscopic manner. The same tool that may aid better self understanding and bonding can also trigger psychopathological mechanisms through which the user becomes alienated from the real world. As virtual reality became even more popular during SARS-COV2 pandemic, users worldwide have spent more time into a virtual world. Depersonalization/derealization syndrome can occur if virtual reality is abused. The greater the person’s involvement in virtual reality, the greater the chance of a lack of bodily self (depersonalization). Controllers that mimic hands could prevent the subject from acknowledging the real world as true – derealization. Virtual reality’s dissociative potential is related to individual psychological traits and prolonged exposure. Children are the most prone to develop behavioral changes. Adults may develop behavioral problems related to virtual reality gaming, gambling, pornography and also social networking through created avatars. Blue light wavelength could harm sleep architecture and circadian rhythm by disrupting melatonin, therefore making virtual reality exposure problematic after sunset. State of the art reveals that using virtual reality in a therapeutic manner, actually facilitates the fight against addictions with cue therapy intended to extinguish conditioned response. The exposure to a substance (nicotine, alcohol, or any other psychoactive recreational abuse potential substances) can trigger craving in a controlled environment, that is malleable in the hands of the therapist. Virtual reality can offer an exposure perspective that is both vivid enough to be a challenge, but also safe enough to ensure patient involvement and to amplify the therapeutic alliance.

The correlations between depression and stress are quite accepted nowadays, as well as the fact that cortisol levels could also represent fundamental risk factors for major depressive disorder. However, when it comes to the modifications of cortisol levels in depression, the results are controversial. Same goes for the cortisol modifications in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a functional digestive disorder characterized by a strong biopsychological component, being highly influenced or exacerbated by stressful stimuli. Thus, in the present report we were interested in seeing if there are any serum cortisol levels variations in patients with depression and irritable bowel syndrome, by looking at cortisol modifications in two different groups of patients: a control group with major depression disorder and another study group composed by major depression disorder + IBS patients. Thus, our data presented here are suggesting that there is a significant increase in cortisol levels in the morning serum of the patients with major depression disorder + IBS, as compared to the group having only depression. The results presented here could have an important relevance in the context of managing the stress-related factors in the pathological entities described above.

Thyroid cancer (TC) represents a worldwide problem, the consistent growth of the incidence increment issues about management of risk factors and curative treatment. Updated statistical data are not complete in the North East region of Romania and need to be improved. Therefore, through this study, we aim to renew the existing data on thyroid cancer. We conducted a retrospective study covering a period of 10 years. Data were collected from a hospital information system (InfoWorld) between 2009 and 2019. Patients’ age groups were stratified in relation with the age at the moment of the Chernobyl event. A database was obtained (Microsoft Excel) and statistical correlations were applied. In the studied period, 1159 patients were diagnosed: 968 females and 191 males, distributed by region, with the highest addressability in Iasi (529), followed by neighboring counties. Age distribution displayed that most of the thyroid cancers were in the range 4060 years old (50.94%), followed by 60–80 years old (32.41%). Most patients were diagnosed with papillary carcinoma 63.10%, then follicular 14.7%, medullary 6.74% and undifferentiated 1.02%. Romania was in the vicinity of the radioactive cloud at Chernobyl fallout, so we must deliberate whether the increased incidence of thyroid cancer in the age group 40–60 years is associated with radiogenicity (iodine 131) given the fact that over has 35 years and the half-life of other radioisotopes like Caesium-137 and Strontium -90 is completed.

Cancer immunotherapy has shifted the paradigm in cancer treatment in recent years. Immune checkpoint blockage (ICB), the active cancer vaccination and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) for T-cell-based adoptive cell transfer represent the main developments, achieving a surprising increased survival in patients included in clinical trials. In spite of these results, the current state-of-the-art immunotherapy has its limitations in efficacy. The existence of an interdisciplinary interface involving current knowledge in biology, immunology, bioengineering and materials science represents important progress in increasing the effectiveness of immunotherapy in cancer. Cutaneous melanoma remains a difficult cancer to treat, in which immunotherapy is a major therapeutic option. In fact, enhancing immunotherapy is possible using sophisticated biomedical nanotechnology platforms of organic or inorganic materials or engineering various immune cells to enhance the immune system. In addition, biological devices have developed, changing the approach to and treatment results in melanoma. In this review, we present different modalities to modulate the immune system, as well as opportunities and challenges in melanoma treatment.

Using Maxwell’s equations for the propagation of the electric component of the bioelectromagnetic field, a statistical interpretation of the classical action is established. In such context, correlations between the distribution function, specific to this statistics, and particular dynamics of biostructures with a non-linear growth can be found.

Background/objective Data regarding the nephrotoxicity of the peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with Yttrium- and Lutetium-radiolabeled somatostatin analogs (RSA) are inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term nephrotoxicity following PRRT usage in patients with all types of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Methods A systematic review of observational studies reporting data about nephrotoxicity after treatment with Yttrium and Lutetium RSA was performed. Data on serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and need for renal replacement therapy were compiled. We included patients with progressive, inoperable symptomatic G1, G2 and G3 different types of NETs. After searching in three electronic databases PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library, from 1 January 1978 to November 2018, data were extracted and summarized using a random-effects model. Results The final analysis included 34 studies, comprising 5386 participants, enrolling patients with G1, G2, G3 NETs and a follow-up from 12 up to 191 months. Compared with renal function before treatment, measured/estimated glomerular filtration rate (m/eGFR) values changed after PRRT, with a mean annual decrease following PRRT between 2 and 4 mL/min/1.73 m suggesting different grades of nephrotoxicity after PRRT. When compared, Y-RSA and the Y-RSA-Lu-RSA combination are associated with a higher m/eGFR decline compared to Lu-RSA alone. Conclusions PRRT can be followed by potentially serious long-term nephrotoxicity, despite kidney protection. The use of the quantified renal function combined with a long follow-up period and personalized dosimetry-based PRRT can reduce nephrotoxicity, in order to use the whole PRRT potential in the management of NETs.

Although the connections between neuropsychiatric and dental disorders attracted the attention of some research groups for more than 50 years now, there is a general opinion in the literature that it remains a clearly understudied and underrated topic, with many unknowns and a multitude of challenges for the specialists working in both these areas of research. In this way, considering the previous experience of our groups in these individual matters which are combined here, we are summarizing in this minireport the current status of knowledge on the connections between neuropsychiatric and dental manifestations, as well as some general ideas on how oxidative stress, pain, music therapy or even irritable bowel syndrome-related manifestations could be relevant in this current context and summarize some current approaches in this matter.

Surface modified fluorescent silica nanoparticle derivatives (Ru@SNPs), namely, glucose (Glu) and glucose-poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether amine (Glu-PEG) coated SNPs were designed and tested for their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice brain. The new obtained nanoparticles were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR-ATR) analysis. The BBB penetration and distribution of tailored SNPs in mice brain were examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), flow cytometer (FACS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The promising results obtained by in vivo experiments, point out that silica nanoparticle derivatives are an efficient permeable delivery vehicle that are able to cross the BBB and reach the brain tissues via specific and non-specific mechanisms. These findings will enrich the knowledge to rationally engineer multifunctional nanoparticles, and bring new insights into BBB permeability. Keywords: Blood-brain barrier, Silica nanoparticles, Glucose, PEG, In vivo, Brain uptake

Lately there are increased evidences that oxytocin may be an important mediator in several psychiatric disorders including depression and anxiety. Oxytocin system seems to be linked with several neurotransmitters important in psychiatric disorder, but also with the hypothalamic�pituitary�adrenal (HPA) axis and is also a key factor in stress regulation mechanisms. Considering the oxytocin receptor pattern of distribution both central and peripherally and the growing data concerning the disbalance of oxytocin in psychiatric disorders we may speculate that oxytocin system may be at the core of psychosomatic disturbances. Also, recent data brought to attention that oxytocin receptor is distributed throughout gastrointestinal tract. Our hypothesis of the present study was that oxytocin system is disbalanced in irritable bowel syndrome considering also the psychological component of this digestive disorder. We preliminary report here a significant decrease of serum oxytocin levels in patients with major depression disorder and irritable bowel syndrome, as compared with those with major depression disorder alone.

Quality assurance and radiation protection are a very important factor in radiotherapy techniques. If in reference dosimetry (performed in primary and secondary standard laboratories) almost exclusively water phantoms are used, in relative dosimetry (in the non-reference conditions of the medical unit) phantoms of tissue-equivalent materials are used. In this paper we present a comparative simulated study for dosimetric behaviors of different tissue-equivalent materials.

Introduction: Oxidative stress is induced by tobacco smoking and is also associated with anxiety and depression, two common psychiatric disorders, frequently associated with tobacco use. Aim: To correlate tobacco use and mixed anxious and depressive disorder (MADD) with oxidative stress markers useful in clinical practice. Methods: A study of Uric acid, Vitamin C and Malondialdehyde, as oxidative stress markers, was conducted in 31 +- smokers versus nonsmokers with MADD. Other useful parameters assessed were serum cholesterol, triglycerides and creatinine. Smoking profile was quantified by number of packs-years (PA) and Fagerstrom nicotine dependence score (FNDS) with exhaled carbon monoxide validation, while MADD was certified by The Hamilton Anxiety/Depression Scale (HAM-A/D.) Results: Malondialdehyde (MDA) serum concentration was significantly increased in 73% of smokers, while Vitamin C was lower in 90% of both smoking and no smoking MADD patients. Lower concentrations of uric acid were described in smokers, suggesting decreased endogenous production. Discriminant analysis of smokers with MADD, considering variables of PA, FNDS, cholesterol and MDA is shown in Fig.1. Conclusions: Smoking amplifies oxidative stress described in psychiatric disorders. Monitoring biomarkers of both tobacco exposure and oxidative stress can improve disease management.

Scientific progresses and new regulatory global context about tobacco use and cessation have created attractive opportunities for young researchers seeking for a PhD in the field. As such, three most relevant ongoing PhD research topics at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa” Iasi were selected for presentation: 1. “Air pollution and tobacco smoke interactions in COPD” (to investigate cumulated effect of tobacco smoking and air pollution on clinical course and treatment benefits in COPD, in the actual upsetting increased local environmental pollution frame). 2. “Smoking and oxidative stress in mixed anxious and depressive disorder”( to reveal interactions between oxidative stress and tobacco smoking in mixed anxious an depressive disorders, to ascertain clinical practice benefits of tobacco exposure biomarkers in use and propose new such markers 1 to improve disease management). 3. “Personalized tobacco treatment" algorithms for smokers at high respiratory risk” (to develop and implement clinical practice personalized algorithms to treat tobacco dependence in smokers at high risk for respiratory disease and to test their feasibility in a real life respiratory disease clinical setting).

The suicidal behavior is regarded as the act by which a person seeks to take his life, being aware of the consequences of his action. In our review, besides describing the main introductory aspects for the concept of suicide, we focus our attention on the main neurophysiological and genetical mechanisms relevant for this extremely difficult to manage and controversial behavior. Moreover, considering the latest interests in the current literature on the relevance of central oxytocin to various superior cognitive behaviors, we will also make a short description on how important effects of oxytocin could be in the context of suicidal behavior.

In this mini-review we were interested in describing the main genetic, biological and mechanistic aspects of the aggressive behaviour in human patients and animal models. It seems that violent behaviour and impulsive traits present a multifactorial substrate, which is determined by genetic and non-genetic factors. Thus, aggressivity is regulated by brain regions such as the amygdala, which controls neural circuits for triggering defensive, aggressive or avoidant behaviour. Moreover, other brain structures such as the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex regions could modulate circuits involved in aggression. Regarding the genetic aspects, we could mention the mutations in the monoamine oxidase or the polymorphisms of the genes involved in the metabolism of serotonin, such as tryptophan hydroxylase. Also, besides the low levels of serotonin metabolites, which seem to be associated with impulsive and aggressive traits, there are good evidences that deficiencies in glutamate transmission, as well as testosterone, vasopressin, hypochloesterolemia or oxytocin modifications could be related to the aggressive behaviour. Regarding oxytocin we present here in the last chapter the controversial results from the current literature regarding the various effects exhibited by oxytocin administration on the aggressive behavior, considering the increased interest in understanding the role of oxytocin on the main neuropsychiatric disorders.

Erdheim-Chester Disease (ECD) is a rare form of non-Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (non-LCH). It is characterized by the excessive production of histiocytes. We present the case of a 63 year-old Caucasian woman with ECD, with a history of breast cancer (diagnosed in 2006) and rectal cancer (diagnosed in 2013). Most probably, the initial ECD manifestation occurred within the next 5 years after mastectomy in the soft tissues adjacent to the scar. Recently it became manifest in a different localization (meta-diaphysis of long bones), while the other possible sites like the lungs, central nervous system and pituitary gland show minimal involvement with no specific clinical manifestation yet. Shortly after the bone manifestations were detected, she developed an invasive rectal adenocarcinoma. The ECD diagnosis was based on bone scintigraphy, radiography and immunohistochemistry examination.

Oxidative stress is increasingly viewed as potentially important in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, although most results regarding this subject are contradictory. We previously demonstrated an increased oxidative stress status in schizophrenic patients, regardless of their treatment. In this paper, we were interested in whether there is a correlation between the specific activities of the most important antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and a lipid peroxidation marker (malondialdehyde) and the scores of PANSS/AIMS scales. A direct significant correlation was observed between oxidative stress markers and the aforementioned scales. Our results provide additional evidence regarding the implications of oxidative stress in patients with schizophrenia.

The Terahertz’s wavelength is located between the microwave and the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because it is non-ionizing and non-invasive, Terahertz (THz)-based detection represents a very attractive tool for repeated assessments, patient monitoring, and follow-up. Cancer acts as the second leading cause of death in many regions, and current predictions estimate a continuous increasing trend. Of all types of tumors, digestive cancers represent an important percentage and their incidence is expected to increase more rapidly than other tumor types due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. Because it can precisely differentiate between different types of molecules, depending on water content, the information obtained through THz-based scanning could have several uses in the management of cancer patients and, more importantly, in the early detection of different solid tumors. The purpose of this manuscript is to offer a comprehensive overview of current data available on THz-based detection for digestive cancers. It summarizes the characteristics of THz waves and their interaction with tissues and subsequently presents available THz-based technologies (THz spectroscopy, THz-tomography, and THZ-endoscope) and their potential for future clinical use. The third part of the review is focused on highlighting current in vitro and in vivo research progress in the field, for identifying specific digestive cancers known as oral, esophageal, gastric, colonic, hepatic, and pancreatic tumors.

Oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) could play an important role in the pathophysiology of major depression (MDD). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the specific activity of the main peripheral antioxidant defences (superoxide dismutase--SOD and glutathione peroxidase--GPX) and the level of malondialdehyde--MDA (a lipid peroxidation maker), in depressed patients, as compared to an age-matched control group. Also, we were interested to see if there are any differences between first episode vs. recurrent depression groups, in terms of oxidative stress markers. Additionally, we want it to investigate the effects of different antidepressant medication (mirtazapine, venlafaxine, tianeptine and escitalopram) on oxidative status of depressed patients. Our results showed an increased oxidative stress status in the serum of patients with MDD, expressed by a significant decrease of both SOD and GPX specific activities and a significant increase of the lipid peroxidation marker MDA, as compared to the control group. When we analyzed the oxidative stress status in depressed patients based on chronicity we observed significant decrease of SOD and GPX specific activities in recurrent depression group, as compared to the first episode group. Moreover, a very significant increase in MDA concentration was observed in recurrent depression patients, as compared to the first episode group. Our work provides additional evidences of increased oxidative stress in MDD, expressed by altered antioxidant enzyme activity and increased levels of lipid peroxidation. Also, it seems that sub-classifying depression into different subtypes, based on chronicity, can predict differences in the levels of some various oxidative stress markers.