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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant mental health challenges, particularly for vulnerable populations, including non-binary gender individuals. The COMET international study aimed to investigate specific risk factors for clinical depression or distress during the pandemic, also in these special populations., Methods: Chi-square tests were used for initial screening to select only those variables which would show an initial significance. Risk Ratios (RR) were calculated, and a Multiple Backward Stepwise Linear Regression Analysis (MBSLRA) was followed with those variables given significant results at screening and with the presence of distress or depression or the lack of both of them., Results: The most important risk factors for depression were female (RR = 1.59-5.49) and non-binary gender (RR = 1.56-7.41), unemployment (RR = 1.41-6.57), not working during lockdowns (RR = 1.43-5.79), bad general health (RR = 2.74-9.98), chronic somatic disorder (RR = 1.22-5.57), history of mental disorders (depression RR = 2.31-9.47; suicide attempt RR = 2.33-9.75; psychosis RR = 2.14-10.08; Bipolar disorder RR = 2.75-12.86), smoking status (RR = 1.15-5.31) and substance use (RR = 1.77-8.01). The risk factors for distress or depression that survived MBSLRA were younger age, being widowed, living alone, bad general health, being a carer, chronic somatic disorder, not working during lockdowns, being single, self-reported history of depression, bipolar disorder, self-harm, suicide attempts and of other mental disorders, smoking, alcohol, and substance use., Conclusions: Targeted preventive interventions are crucial to safeguard the mental health of vulnerable groups, emphasizing the importance of diverse samples in future research., Limitations: Online data collection may have resulted in the underrepresentation of certain population groups., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None pertaining to the current paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The prevalence of medical illnesses is high among patients with psychiatric disorders. The current study aimed to investigate multi-comorbidity in patients with psychiatric disorders in comparison to the general population. Secondary aims were to investigate factors associated with metabolic syndrome and treatment appropriateness of mental disorders., Methods: The sample included 54,826 subjects (64.73% females; 34.15% males; 1.11% nonbinary gender) from 40 countries (COMET-G study). The analysis was based on the registration of previous history that could serve as a fair approximation for the lifetime prevalence of various medical conditions., Results: About 24.5% reported a history of somatic and 26.14% of mental disorders. Mental disorders were by far the most prevalent group of medical conditions. Comorbidity of any somatic with any mental disorder was reported by 8.21%. One-third to almost two-thirds of somatic patients were also suffering from a mental disorder depending on the severity and multicomorbidity. Bipolar and psychotic patients and to a lesser extent depressives, manifested an earlier (15-20 years) manifestation of somatic multicomorbidity, severe disability, and probably earlier death. The overwhelming majority of patients with mental disorders were not receiving treatment or were being treated in a way that was not recommended. Antipsychotics and antidepressants were not related to the development of metabolic syndrome., Conclusions: The finding that one-third to almost two-thirds of somatic patients also suffered from a mental disorder strongly suggests that psychiatry is the field with the most trans-specialty and interdisciplinary value and application points to the importance of teaching psychiatry and mental health in medical schools and also to the need for more technocratically oriented training of psychiatric residents.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to search rates of depression and mental health in university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic., Materials and Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study. A protocol gathering sociodemographic variables as well as depression, anxiety and suicidality and conspiracism was assembled, and data were collected anonymously and online from April 2020 through March 2021. The sample included 12,488 subjects from 11 countries, of whom 9,026 were females (72.2%; aged 21.11 ± 2.53), 3,329 males (26.65%; aged 21.61 ± 2.81) and 133 "non-binary gender" (1.06%; aged 21.02 ± 2.98). The analysis included chi-square tests, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analysis and Relative Risk ratios., Results: Dysphoria was present in 15.66% and probable depression in 25.81% of the total study sample. More than half reported increase in anxiety and depression and 6.34% in suicidality, while lifestyle changes were significant. The model developed explained 18.4% of the development of depression. Believing in conspiracy theories manifested a complex effect. Close to 25% was believing that the vaccines include a chip and almost 40% suggested that facemask wearing could be a method of socio-political control. Conspiracism was related to current depression but not to history of mental disorders., Discussion: The current study reports that students are at high risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified specific risk factors. It also suggested a role of believing in conspiracy theories. Further research is important, as it is targeted intervention in students' groups that are vulnerable both concerning mental health and conspiracism., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Fountoulakis, Alias, Bjedov, Fountoulakis, Gonda, Hilbig, Jakovljević, Kulig, Mahale, Manafis, Mohammed, Nadareishvili, Navickas, Patsali, Pavlichenko, Pilaga, Razali, Romanov, Rossitza, Salihu, Sinauridze, Stoyanova, Thosar, Vorobjova, Vrublevska, Rancans, Javed, Theodorakis, Breda and Smirnova.)

Targeted alpha therapies (TAT) are an innovative class of therapies for cancer treatment. The unique mode-of-action of TATs is the induction of deleterious DNA double-strand breaks. Difficult-to-treat cancers, such as gynecologic cancers upregulating the chemoresistance P-glycoprotein (p-gp) and overexpressing the membrane protein mesothelin (MSLN), are promising targets for TATs. Here, based on the previous encouraging findings with monotherapy, we investigated the efficacy of the mesothelin-targeted thorium-227 conjugate (MSLN-TTC) both as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapies and antiangiogenic compounds in ovarian and cervical cancer models expressing p-gp. MSLN-TTC monotherapy showed equal cytotoxicity in vitro in p-gp-positive and -negative cancer cells, while chemotherapeutics dramatically lost activity on p-gp-positive cancer cells. In vivo, MSLN-TTC exhibited dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition with treatment/control ratios of 0.03-0.44 in various xenograft models irrespective of p-gp expression status. Furthermore, MSLN-TTC was more efficacious in p-gp-expressing tumors than chemotherapeutics. In the MSLN-expressing ST206B ovarian cancer patient-derived xenograft model, MSLN-TTC accumulated specifically in the tumor, which combined with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil), docetaxel, bevacizumab, or regorafenib treatment induced additive-to-synergistic antitumor efficacy and substantially increased response rates compared with respective monotherapies. The combination treatments were well tolerated and only transient decreases in white and red blood cells were observed. In summary, we demonstrate that MSLN-TTC treatment shows efficacy in p-gp-expressing models of chemoresistance and has combination potential with chemo- and antiangiogenic therapies., (©2023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Introduction: The current study aimed to investigate the rates of anxiety, clinical depression, and suicidality and their changes in health professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak., Materials and Methods: The data came from the larger COMET-G study. The study sample includes 12,792 health professionals from 40 countries (62.40% women aged 39.76 ± 11.70; 36.81% men aged 35.91 ± 11.00 and 0.78% non-binary gender aged 35.15 ± 13.03). Distress and clinical depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm, respectively., Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses, and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables., Results: Clinical depression was detected in 13.16% with male doctors and 'non-binary genders' having the lowest rates (7.89 and 5.88% respectively) and 'non-binary gender' nurses and administrative staff had the highest (37.50%); distress was present in 15.19%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics, and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (24.64% vs. 9.62%; p < 0.0001). Suicidal tendencies were at least doubled in terms of RASS scores. Approximately one-third of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop clinical depression was associated with a history of Bipolar disorder (RR = 4.23)., Conclusions: The current study reported findings in health care professionals similar in magnitude and quality to those reported earlier in the general population although rates of clinical depression, suicidal tendencies, and adherence to conspiracy theories were much lower. However, the general model of factors interplay seems to be the same and this could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

Background: The aim of the current study was to explore the effect of gender, age at onset, and duration on the long-term course of schizophrenia., Methods: Twenty-nine centers from 25 countries representing all continents participated in the study that included 2358 patients aged 37.21 ± 11.87 years with a DSM-IV or DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia; the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale as well as relevant clinicodemographic data were gathered. Analysis of variance and analysis of covariance were used, and the methodology corrected for the presence of potentially confounding effects., Results: There was a 3-year later age at onset for females ( P  < .001) and lower rates of negative symptoms ( P  < .01) and higher depression/anxiety measures ( P  < .05) at some stages. The age at onset manifested a distribution with a single peak for both genders with a tendency of patients with younger onset having slower advancement through illness stages ( P  = .001). No significant effects were found concerning duration of illness., Discussion: Our results confirmed a later onset and a possibly more benign course and outcome in females. Age at onset manifested a single peak in both genders, and surprisingly, earlier onset was related to a slower progression of the illness. No effect of duration has been detected. These results are partially in accord with the literature, but they also differ as a consequence of the different starting point of our methodology (a novel staging model), which in our opinion precluded the impact of confounding effects. Future research should focus on the therapeutic policy and implications of these results in more representative samples.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic various degrees of lockdown were applied by countries around the world. It is considered that such measures have an adverse effect on mental health but the relationship of measure intensity with the mental health effect has not been thoroughly studied. Here we report data from the larger COMET-G study pertaining to this question., Material and Methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic, data were gathered with an online questionnaire from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Anxiety was measured with the STAI, depression with the CES-D and suicidality with the RASS. Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively., Statistical Analysis: It included the calculation of Relative Risk (RR), Factorial ANOVA and Multiple backwards stepwise linear regression analysis RESULTS: Approximately two-thirds were currently living under significant restrictions due to lockdown. For both males and females the risk to develop clinical depression correlated significantly with each and every level of increasing lockdown degree (RR 1.72 and 1.90 respectively). The combined lockdown and psychiatric history increased RR to 6.88 The overall relationship of lockdown with severity of depression, though significant was small., Conclusions: The current study is the first which reports an almost linear relationship between lockdown degree and effect in mental health. Our findings, support previous suggestions concerning the need for a proactive targeted intervention to protect mental health more specifically in vulnerable groups., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: There are few published empirical data on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, and until now, there is no large international study., Material and Methods: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an online questionnaire gathered data from 55,589 participants from 40 countries (64.85% females aged 35.80 ± 13.61; 34.05% males aged 34.90±13.29 and 1.10% other aged 31.64±13.15). Distress and probable depression were identified with the use of a previously developed cut-off and algorithm respectively., Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were calculated. Chi-square tests, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analyses and Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tested relations among variables., Results: Probable depression was detected in 17.80% and distress in 16.71%. A significant percentage reported a deterioration in mental state, family dynamics and everyday lifestyle. Persons with a history of mental disorders had higher rates of current depression (31.82% vs. 13.07%). At least half of participants were accepting (at least to a moderate degree) a non-bizarre conspiracy. The highest Relative Risk (RR) to develop depression was associated with history of Bipolar disorder and self-harm/attempts (RR = 5.88). Suicidality was not increased in persons without a history of any mental disorder. Based on these results a model was developed., Conclusions: The final model revealed multiple vulnerabilities and an interplay leading from simple anxiety to probable depression and suicidality through distress. This could be of practical utility since many of these factors are modifiable. Future research and interventions should specifically focus on them., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None pertaining to the current paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of the current study was to explore the changing interrelationships among clinical variables through the stages of schizophrenia in order to assemble a comprehensive and meaningful disease model., Methods: Twenty-nine centers from 25 countries participated and included 2358 patients aged 37.21 ± 11.87 years with schizophrenia. Multiple linear regression analysis and visual inspection of plots were performed., Results: The results suggest that with progression stages, there are changing correlations among Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale factors at each stage and each factor correlates with all the others in that particular stage, in which this factor is dominant. This internal structure further supports the validity of an already proposed four stages model, with positive symptoms dominating the first stage, excitement/hostility the second, depression the third, and neurocognitive decline the last stage., Conclusions: The current study investigated the mental organization and functioning in patients with schizophrenia in relation to different stages of illness progression. It revealed two distinct "cores" of schizophrenia, the "Positive" and the "Negative," while neurocognitive decline escalates during the later stages. Future research should focus on the therapeutic implications of such a model. Stopping the progress of the illness could demand to stop the succession of stages. This could be achieved not only by both halting the triggering effect of positive and negative symptoms, but also by stopping the sensitization effect on the neural pathways responsible for the development of hostility, excitement, anxiety, and depression as well as the deleterious effect on neural networks responsible for neurocognition.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different condensed phosphates on the white efflorescence formation on dry fermented sausages with calcium alginate casings. The efflorescence formation is induced by the complexation of the divalent cations magnesium and calcium with lactate on the surface of the product. Phosphates are known to complex divalent cations like magnesium and calcium, which are responsible for the efflorescence formation with lactate. To treat the surface of the raw fermented sausages a mixture of di- and polyphosphates and a polyphosphate were used. The sausages were dipped in 5% solutions of the phosphates. The mixture of di- and polyphosphate showed the best results in reducing the white efflorescence formation, the amount of efflorescences on the surface was 18.12% after 8 weeks of storage. The diffusion of magnesium was significantly reduced by ~40% after 8 weeks of storage compared to the control for both phosphates. However, the crystals formed during storage had a different structure and size compared to the control. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements showed that the divalent calcium ions and the polyphosphates from aggregates caused the crystal formation on the surface, whereas this effect was not seen in combination with magnesium. The surface treatment with the phosphates did not inhibit the white efflorescence formation. However, the extent was reduced but different kind of crystals were formed on the surface during the storage., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the meat industry, hydrocolloids and phosphates are used to improve the quality attributes of meat products. However, latest research results revealed that the usage of exopolysaccharide (EPS)-forming lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are able to produce EPS in situ during processing could be an interesting alternative. The current review aims to give a better understanding of bacterial EPS production in food matrices with a special focus on meat products. This includes an introduction to microbial EPS production (homopolysaccharides as well as heteropolysaccharides) and an overview of parameters affecting EPS formation and yield depending on LAB used. This is followed by a summary of methods to detect and characterize EPS to facilitate a rational selection of starter cultures and fermentation conditions based on desired structure-function relationships in different food matrices. The mechanism of action of in situ generated EPS is then highlighted with an emphasis on different meat products. In the process, this review also highlights food additives currently used in meat production that could in the future be replaced by in situ EPS-forming LAB., (© 2020 The Authors. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

On dry fermented sausages, especially co-extruded with calcium alginate casings, the formation of white crystals on the surface of the product is a common problem. In this study a hurdle system of combinations of different metal complexing chelators (citric acid and polyphosphate) was investigated. The control and the sample produced with 1.1% citric acid in the alginate gel showed strong white efflorescence formation during the storage (∼60% of the surface was covered), whereas the samples with added 0.3% polyphosphate showed no efflorescence formation. The efflorescence-causing substances such as lactate, magnesium, and calcium increased significantly in the samples, which showed the strongest white efflorescence formation. In the control, lactate increased by 45.0%, calcium by 23.9%, and magnesium by 150.8%, whereas in the samples without white efflorescence, the magnesium and lactate content increased only slightly, and the calcium content even decreased during the storage of 8 weeks. The best results were observed on the addition of 0.3% polyphosphates and the citric acid surface treatment directly after the co-extrusion. Moreover, the strong complex formation could be due to the complexation of magnesium and calcium by lactate, whereby they are removed from the diffusion equilibrium leading to an increased diffusion of the efflorescence-causing substances. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: White efflorescence formation on dry fermented sausages is a major problem on dry fermented sausages, which causes food waste and financial loss for the producer. This study investigated different combinations of promising methods and it was possible to inhibit the white efflorescence formation during the storage. The methods are easy to implement during the manufacturing of the products and are therefore quite interesting for the industrial applications., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

The effect of the concentration of calcium in the crosslinking solution during co-extrusion of dry fermented sausages with calcium alginate casing on the white efflorescence was investigated. With the co-extrusion technology, a continuous sausage production is possible and, furthermore, snack products with very small calibers can be produced. Therefore, crosslinking solutions with different concentrations of CaCl 2 (15, 20, 25, and 30%) were used during the production. High concentrations of calcium led to a very rapid and intensive white efflorescence formation; the efflorescences covered ~90% of the surface of the samples produced with 20-30% of CaCl 2 after 8 weeks of storage. However, the batch produced with the lowest amount of CaCl 2 showed a slow efflorescence formation and a significantly decreased area covered by it (~70% after 8 weeks). The differences in the formation were attributed to the excess of calcium on the surface of the sausages (saturated calcium alginate film), therefore leading to rapid complexation of lactate to mostly calcium lactate. Whereas with 15% of CaCl 2 in the solution, only small amounts of calcium are not bound by the alginate film, and the formation of white efflorescence is due to the time-delayed formation with magnesium, which diffuses from the core to the surface., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a reduced pH value (5.1 instead of 5.5 to 5.6) on the properties of highly perishable, spreadable raw fermented sausages (onion mettwurst) with or without the addition of homopolysaccharide (HoPS)-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Hence, sausages with HoPS-producing LAB and a pH value of 5.1 were produced and compared to sausages (pH 5.1) produced with a non-exopolysaccharide (EPS)-forming strain (Lactobacillus sakei TMW 1.2037). Microbial growth and pH values were monitored during processing (24 °C for 48 hr, 10 °C for 24 hr) and storage (14 days at 0 to 2 °C). Furthermore, fat (Weibull-Stoldt) and EPS contents were determined in the final products. Sausages were characterized using texture profile and sensory analysis. The fat contents ranged from 16% to 19% and the determined EPS concentrations ranged from 0.17 to 0.59 g/kg for L. sakei TMW 1.411 and Lactobacillus curvatus TMW 1.1928 and from 0.67 to 1.58 g/kg for L. curvatus TMW 1.51. The strains L. sakei TMW 1.411 and L. curvatus TMW 1.51 reduced the hardness of the samples significantly (P < 0.05) compared to the control samples. Regarding spreadability and mouthfeel, sausages containing an EPS-forming culture were rated slightly better than the control samples and the taste was not negatively influenced. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study clearly demonstrated that it is promising to apply HoPS-producing LAB to maintain the spreadability of pH-reduced (pH 5.1) spreadable raw fermented onion mettwurst, which may prospectively give the opportunity to increase the safety of this highly perishable product., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Food Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Institute of Food Technologists.)

Introduction: A specific clinically relevant staging model for schizophrenia has not yet been developed. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the factor structure of the PANSS and develop such a staging method., Methods: Twenty-nine centers from 25 countries contributed 2358 patients aged 37.21 ± 11.87 years with schizophrenia. Analysis of covariance, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Discriminant Function Analysis, and inspection of resultant plots were performed., Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis returned 5 factors explaining 59% of the variance (positive, negative, excitement/hostility, depression/anxiety, and neurocognition). The staging model included 4 main stages with substages that were predominantly characterized by a single domain of symptoms (stage 1: positive; stages 2a and 2b: excitement/hostility; stage 3a and 3b: depression/anxiety; stage 4a and 4b: neurocognition). There were no differences between sexes. The Discriminant Function Analysis developed an algorithm that correctly classified >85% of patients., Discussion: This study elaborates a 5-factor solution and a clinical staging method for patients with schizophrenia. It is the largest study to address these issues among patients who are more likely to remain affiliated with mental health services for prolonged periods of time., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.)

The meat industry often applies hydrocolloids (not label-free) to improve quality attributes of meat products including reconstructed cooked ham. A new approach to improve product quality could be the usage of in-situ Exopolysaccharide (EPS)- forming lactic acid bacteria (LAB) provided that these strains are able to produce EPS in meat matrices under typical processing conditions (here: cooked ham). Two homopolysaccharide- (L. curvatus TMW 1.624 and L. sakei TMW 1.411; 10 6 CFUmL) and heteropolysaccharide-forming LABs (L. plantarum TMW 1.1478 and TMW 1.25; 10 6 CFUmL) were hence examined for EPS formation in a cooked ham model system consisting of minced pork topside (<2% fat) and 16.67% brine containing either 0.5% sucrose or dextrose. Samples were stored for 48 h at either 2 °C to simulate typical tumbling conditions, or at 15 °C to examine in-situ EPS production under reduced stress conditions. Microbial growth behavior and pH development (48 h) were monitored and EPS qualitatively as well as semi-quantitatively analyzed using both confocal laser scanning microscopy and MATLAB enabling a better comparison of the investigated strains. All LAB were able to tolerate the suboptimal growth conditions in the cooked ham model systems (2 °C, 1.92% nitrite curing salt) and were found to already produce EPS within 10 h of storage at 2° and 15 °C. EPS amounts detected after 24 h of incubation were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those determined after sample preparation. EPS were found to be predominately located at the outer edge of meat proteins. All investigated strains seem to be promising for prospective studies in cooked ham., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction combined with statistical tools (factorial design, response surface methodology and kinetics) were used to evaluate the effects of the experimental conditions of temperature, solid-to-solvent ratio, ethanol concentration and time for the extraction of the total phenolic content from pecan nut shells. The optimal conditions for the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extract (with 20% v/v of ethanol) were 60 and 80 °C; solid to solvent ratio of 30 mL·g -1 (for both) and extraction time of 35 and 25 min, respectively. Using these optimize extraction conditions, 426 and 582 mg GAE·g -1 of phenolic compounds, from the aqueous and hydroalcoholic phases respectively, were obtained. In addition, the analysis of the phenolic compounds using the LC-ESI-MS/MS system allowed the identification of 29 phenolic compounds, 24 of which had not been reported in literature for this raw material yet., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: In Brazil many health disorders are treated with the consumption of different varieties of tea. Shell extracts of pecan nut (Carya illinoinensis), which have significant amounts of phenolic compounds in their composition, are popularly taken as tea to prevent diverse pathologies., Aim of the Study: Phenolic compounds from pecan nut shell extract have been associated with diverse biological effects but the effect on tumor cells has not been reported yet. The aim of the current work was to evaluate the relationship between DNA fragmentation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by pecan nut shell extract and its antitumor activity., Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity, proliferation, cell death and cell cycle were evaluated in MCF-7 cells by MTT, colony assay, differential coloring and flow cytometry assays, respectively. DNA damage effects were evaluated through intercalation into CT-DNA and plasmid DNA cleavage. Tumor growth inhibition, survival time increase, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were assessed in Ehrlich ascites tumor in Balb/C mice., Results: The cytotoxic effect of pecan nut shell extracts, the induction of cell death by apoptosis and also the cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 cells have been demonstrated. The survival time in mice with Ehrlich ascites tumor increased by 67%. DNA damage was observed in the CT-DNA, plasmid DNA and comet assays. The mechanism involved in the antitumor effect of pecan nut shell extracts may be related to the activation of key proteins involved in apoptosis cell death (Bcl-XL, Bax and p53) and on the cell cycle regulation (cyclin A, cyclin B and CDK2)., Conclusions: These results were attributed to the phenolic profile of the extract, which presented compounds such as gallic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, chlorogenic, vanillic, caffeic and ellagic acid, and catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin and epicatechin gallate. The results indicated that pecan nut shell extracts are effective against tumor cells growth and may be considered as an alternative to the treatment of cancer., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lauric arginate (LAE) is a water-soluble cationic surfactant which has antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of foodborne pathogens. Some spice essential oils are effective lipophilic antimicrobials. Combining both antimicrobials may reduce their usage levels and possible negative sensory impacts when applied in complex food matrices. The objective of this study was to combine a nonionic surfactant (Tween 80) with LAE to form stable nanoemulsions with cinnamon bark essential oil (CBO) and to characterize the antimicrobial activity of these nanoemulsions. CBO was homogenized at 1% w/w in the aqueous phase with 3% w/w Tween 80 and 0.05-0.375% w/w LAE, followed by heating at 90°C for 30min to obtain final emulsions. With 0.125% and higher LAE, transparent emulsions with ~100nm in hydrodynamic diameter were observed to be stable during 30-day storage at 21°C. Antimicrobial activities of the nanoemulsion prepared with Tween 80 and 0.375% w/w LAE were studied. The respective minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the nanoemulsion in tryptic soy broth (TSB) were 12, 7, and 8ppm LAE for Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes, while those of free LAE were 11, 6, and 6ppm, respectively. MICs of CBO were 400ppm for the tested bacteria and Tween 80 at 6% w/w did not show inhibitory effect. Growth kinetics of the bacteria in TSB treated with the nanoemulsion or individual components at concentrations corresponding to the MICs of free LAE showed that binding among the LAE and Tween 80 and CBO components resulted in the antibacterial activity of nanoemulsion being lower than same concentrations of free LAE and CBO. Conversely, little difference was observed for the individual antimicrobials and the nanoemulsion in 2% reduced fat milk, and 750ppm LAE and 2000ppm CBO were observed to be the dominant antimicrobial against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The growth of L. monocytogenes in 2% reduced fat milk at 4°C was not observed when treated by the nanoemulsion corresponding to 187.5ppm LAE and 500ppm CBO. Therefore, stable and transparent nanoemulsions of EOs can be prepared with the combination of LAE and Tween 80 without compromising antimicrobial activities., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Resilience is a positive adaptation or the ability to maintain mental health despite experiencing difficulty. Many researchers are linking resilience with many aspects of life, most often with better mental health. Resilience can affect health status and symptoms, but conversely, it can also be affected by health status or symptoms. From the literature it appears that resilience can even be a predictor of psychiatric symptoms. Resilience can predict severity of symptoms, but the question is whether symptoms can also affect resilience over time when previous levels of resilience are controlled for. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship of resilience scores and the expression of distress in the context of treatment over time., Methods: Ninety-five patients diagnosed with affective and anxiety disorders from a clinical sample treated psychotherapeutically with (N=81) or without (N=14) a pharmacological treatment at a psychotherapy day center participated in the study. All the participants were assessed three times: at the beginning of the treatment, after treatment (after 6weeks), and after a follow-up interval of 6months after the end of therapy. The Resilience Scale for Adults and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure were used in the study., Results: All distress indicators were expressed more before the treatment compared to right after the treatment or half a year after the treatment. Distress indicators were more stable from Time 1 to Time 2, while from Time 2 to Time 3 they were less stable. In this study, resilience increased during the treatment and stayed stable after the treatment. Looking at bidirectional relationships between distress indicators and resilience over time, the results of this study suggest that levels of resilience have a prognostic value for the reduction of symptoms over the course of treatment. However, decrease in distress does not predict increase in resilience., Conclusions: Levels of resilience measured by RSA scores seem to have a certain prognostic value for the reduction of symptoms over the course of treatment. Perception of self was the strongest predictor of lower levels of distress over time when distress and perception of self-stability are controlled for. Results suggest that decreased distress indicators are not directly related to increasing resilience over six weeks or over six months. Considering that resilience is rather stable over time and indicators are less stable, it is possible that resilience could be increased by personal or environmental factors, and a decrease in distress is not a contributing factor. In this study distress decreased over time, while resilience characteristics increased for the whole sample. Patients in this study underwent treatment, and decreases in global distress were a result of treatment. An increase in resilience over time supports the effectiveness of treatment. However, there were no significant differences between treatment types while evaluating models. Results suggest that treatments (psychotherapy or psychopharmacological with psychotherapy) were equally effective for the chosen patients., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Resilience, as an ability to withstand or rebound from crisis or adversity, is becoming an increasingly significant concept in health promotion and well-being. Individuals exhibiting resilience use skills or resources flexibly to solve situational demands. The Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA) may be used to assess protective resources, and the aim of the present study was to validate the Lithuanian translation., Methods: The translated RSA was administered to a clinical (n=125) and a non clinical sample (n=499) to examine the discriminant validity of the RSA items with a confirmatory factor analysis, the internal consistency as well as construct validity by correlating it with the Quick Psycho-Affective Symptoms Scan (QPASS)., Results: The internal consistency, the test-retest stability and the factor structure were replicated as adequate, thus indicating good psychometric properties and support of discriminant validity. Females reported more resilience resources for the domains of social competence, family cohesion and social resources compared to men. The RSA subscales correlated negatively with the QPASS scores, and patients reported significantly less resilience resources than non-patients, thus indicating construct validity., Conclusions: Valid psychometric tools for research purposes and routine every-day use are urgently needed in Lithuania, a young nation still under numerous challenges due to social, economic and political transitions. The RSA represents a reliable and valid tool for assessing protective factors. Assessing resilience factors may extend the understanding of factors relevant for mental health problems as well as treatment prognosis beyond the capabilities of mere symptom oriented approaches., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are no standardized tools in Lithuanian feasible for ongoing routine use to measure the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatment. The CORE-OM is a widely used 34-item self-report measure for such purpose., Aims: To explore the reliability, validity and sensitivity of the Lithuanian translation of CORE-OM questionnaire., Methods: A validation study of the CORE-OM was conducted in the psychiatric clinic attached to Vilnius University. A Lithuanian translation of the English original CORE-OM was prepared by a team of translators. Then 39 psychotherapy outpatients and 187 students were asked to complete the Lithuanian version of the CORE-OM; 66 were tested twice to determine test-retest stability. Analysis included both internal and test-retest reliability, acceptability, influence of gender, principal component analysis and criteria for reliable and clinically significant change., Results: Internal and test-retest reliability were good (0.61-0.94), though somewhat lower for the risk domain (α: 0.57-0.79, Spearman's rho 0.25-0.60). Differences between scores of the clinical and non-clinical samples were large and significant (P < 0.001). Some of the Lithuanian criteria for clinically significant change were a bit lower than those of the original UK criteria (e.g. well-being) and others higher (symptoms, functioning, overall score), illustrating the need for local exploration., Conclusions: In spite of small differences in psychometric properties from the original, the Lithuanian version of the CORE-OM was reliable and sensitive in both clinical and non-clinical settings. It has the potential to become a practical, sensitive and reliable tool for psychotherapists in Lithuania.

Subtype-selective estrogens are of increasing importance as tools used to unravel physiological roles of the estrogen receptors, ERalpha and ERbeta, in various species. Although human ERalpha and ERbeta differ by only two amino acids within the binding pockets, we and others recently succeeded in generating subtype-selective agonists. We have proposed that the selectivity of the steroidal compounds 16alpha-lactone-estradiol (16alpha-LE(2), hERalpha selective) and 8beta-vinyl-estradiol (8beta-VE(2), hERbeta selective) is based on the interaction of certain substituents of these compounds with essentially one amino acid in the respective ER binding pockets. For in vitro and ex vivo pharmacological experiments with these compounds we intended to use bovine tissues available from slaughterhouses in larger quantities. Using homology modeling techniques we determined that the amino acid conferring high hERbeta-selectivity to 8beta-VE(2) is not exchanged between human and bovine ERalpha and bovine ERbeta. Thus, we predicted our steroidal hERbeta-selective compound to exhibit only weak agonistic activity at bERbeta and that bovine tissue is therefore not suited for investigation of ERbeta functions. The situation is presumably identical for pig, sheep, and the common marmoset, whereas rats, mice, and rhesus macaques are appropriate animal models to study pharmacological effects of 8beta-VE(2) in vivo. This prediction was confirmed in transactivation studies assessing estradiol (E(2)) and the two subtype-selective ligands on bovine ERbeta and on a series of hERalpha and hERbeta with mutations in their respective ligand-binding pockets. We have shown that the detailed understanding of the interactions of a compound with its target protein enables the identification of relevant species for pharmacological studies.

In this study, perioperative RNs (n = 122) from hospitals throughout the United States were surveyed to explore how and what they initially learned about the different types of technology they use in direct patient care and the consequences of using these technologies. The study revealed that the most frequently identified method participants used to learn technologies (i.e., count procedure, electrosurgical unit [ESU]) was via instruction from other staff members, and RNs were more likely to learn more facts about the count procedure than about the ESU. Although the count procedure was significantly more likely to cause stress to RNs (P = .000), an inaccurate count procedure was no more likely to result in patient harm than incorrect operation of an ESU.

Does having a registered nurse as a peri-anesthesia nurse make a difference to patient outcomes? Although technicians may have the technical expertise, they lack the versatility and educational preparation of a registered nurse to provide holistic care for the patient at the most crucial periods of peri-anesthesia care. This report addresses the accountability and responsibility of the peri-anesthesia nurse in pain management, highlighting the need for a knowledgeable and competent practitioner so that quality patient care is given and a positive patient outcome is achieved.

A random sample of operating room registered nurses (N = 258) working in hospitals throughout Australia was surveyed to compare how and what they initially learned about two types of healthcare technology--the count procedure and the electrosurgical unit (ESU)--and the consequences of their use. The most frequently identified method of initially learning to use both technologies was receiving instruction from a staff member on their unit. A comparison of what registered nurses initially learned about the technologies revealed that nurses were significantly more likely to learn more about the count procedure. The count procedure and ESU caused less than one-third of nurses to experience stress; participants were significantly less likely to have had an inaccurate count procedure result in patient harm (10.1%) than to have used an ESU that caused patient harm (17.4%).

Perioperative nurses in Australia are concerned with a number of significant challenges. First, they are concerned with the international trend of increased use of nonursing personnel within operating theaters. They believe that this may have detrimental effects on patient care. Second, is the issue of maintaining an adequate supply of professionally prepared perioperative nurses. Within this article, initiatives to address these challenges are discussed.