Positive and Negative Congruency Effects in Masked Priming: A Neuro-computational Model Based on Representation Strength and Attention

Positive priming effects have been found with a short time between the prime and the target, while negative priming effects (i.e., a congruent prime causes longer RTs) have been found with a long time between the prime and the target. In the current study, positive and negative priming effects were found using stimuli that have strong and weak representations, respectively, without changing the time between prime and target. A model was developed that fits our results. The model also fits a wide range of previous results in this area. In contrast to other approaches our model depends on attentional neuro-modulation not motor self-inhibition

Effectiveness of Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression and HbA1C in Diabetics type II

Behavioral activation is the principal non-pharmacologic method for the management of depression, but its usefulness for depressed patients with diabetes remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of behavioral activation therapy (BA) for depression in patients with diabetes. Patients with type 2 diabetes and major depression (n = 29) were randomized to 16 sessions of behavioral activation (n = 15) and control group (n = 14). All patients participated in a diabetes education program to control for the effects of supportive attention and the possible influence of enhanced diabetes control on mood. The main outcome was depression, measured with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) assessed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 4 months, and the glycemic control was measured by using hemoglobin A1C levels, Outcomes were assessed immediately after treatment and 4 months after treatment.  The percentage of patients achieving remission of depression (Beck Depression Inventory score < 9) was greater in the BA group than in the control group: post-treatment 75% of patients in the BA group (9 of 12) compared with 14.2% of controls (2 of 14) achieved remission (difference, 60.8 percentage points (P < 0.01); at follow-up 66.6% of patients in the BA group (8 of 12) compared with 15.3% of controls(2 of 13) achieved remission (P = 0.03). Post-treatment HbA1C levels were not different in the two groups, but follow-up mean HbA1C levels were significantly better in the BA group than in the control group (9.5% compared with 10.9%; P = 0.03). The combination of Behavioral activation and supportive diabetes education is an effective non-pharmacologic treatment for major depression in patients with type 2 diabetes. It can successfully be disseminated into routine practice settings in Iran and it may also be associated with improved glycemic control

Effectiveness of Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression and HbA1C in Diabetics type II

Behavioral activation is the principal non-pharmacologic method for the management of depression, but its usefulness for depressed patients with diabetes remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of behavioral activation therapy (BA) for depression in patients with diabetes. Patients with type 2 diabetes and major depression (n = 29) were randomized to 16 sessions of behavioral activation (n = 15) and control group (n = 14). All patients participated in a diabetes education program to control for the effects of supportive attention and the possible influence of enhanced diabetes control on mood. The main outcome was depression, measured with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) assessed at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 4 months, and the glycemic control was measured by using hemoglobin A1C levels, Outcomes were assessed immediately after treatment and 4 months after treatment.  The percentage of patients achieving remission of depression (Beck Depression Inventory score < 9) was greater in the BA group than in the control group: post-treatment 75% of patients in the BA group (9 of 12) compared with 14.2% of controls (2 of 14) achieved remission (difference, 60.8 percentage points (P < 0.01); at follow-up 66.6% of patients in the BA group (8 of 12) compared with 15.3% of controls(2 of 13) achieved remission (P = 0.03). Post-treatment HbA1C levels were not different in the two groups, but follow-up mean HbA1C levels were significantly better in the BA group than in the control group (9.5% compared with 10.9%; P = 0.03). The combination of Behavioral activation and supportive diabetes education is an effective non-pharmacologic treatment for major depression in patients with type 2 diabetes. It can successfully be disseminated into routine practice settings in Iran and it may also be associated with improved glycemic control

Effectiveness of group cognitive: behavioral therapy on reducing depression

The present research was done with the aim of determining the effectiveness of group Cognitive - Behavioral therapy on reducing depression and its subscales (emotional symptoms, cognitive symptoms and physical symptoms) among the wives of the martyrs in the city of Tehran. First, 200 wives of the martyrs were randomly selected from among the wives of the martyrs who had referred to the counseling center of the Foundation of Martyrs and the questionnaire of depression was administered on them. The subjects whose level of depression was higher than the average level were determined and from among them 60 people were randomly chosen and later they were divided into two equal groups and from these two groups, by drawing one group was selected as the experimental and the other was selected as the control group. In the pretest stage, the questionnaire was administered on the subjects and the experimental group was placed under training, i.e. group cognitive-behavioral therapy, while the control group received no such therapy. In the posttest stage, the questionnaire of depression was carried out on both groups and one month later, the follow up stage was administered. Findings revealed that training group cognitive-behavioral therapy was effective on decreasing depression on the wives of the martyrs in Tehran. Findings also indicated depression among the experimental group and in the follow up stage they enjoyed necessary constancy. It is concluded that the group cognitive-behavioral therapy has considerably diminished depression among the wives

Correlation of MT levels in livers and gills with heavy metals in wild tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) from the Klang River, Malaysia

Metallothionein (MT) concentrations in gill and liver tissues of Oreochromis mossambicus were determined to assess biological response of fish to levels of some metals. Metal concentrations in gill and liver tissues of O. mossambicus ranged from 0.6 to 2.6 for Cd, 16 to 52 for Zn, 0.5 to 17 for Cu and 2 to 67 for T–Hg (all in μg/g wet weight, except for T–Hg in ng/g wet weight). Accumulation of Cd, Zn, Cu and Hg (μg/g wet weight) in the liver and gills of O. mossambicus were in the order of liver > gills. The concentrations of Cd, Zn, Cu and Hg in fish tissues were correlated with MT content. The increases in MT levels from the reference area Puchong Tengah compared to the polluted area Kampung Seri Kenangan were 3.4- and 3.8-fold for gills and livers, respectively. The results indicate that MT concentrations were tissue-specific, with the highest levels in the liver. Therefore, the liver can act as a tissue indicator in O. mossambicus in the study area

Nano-Bio-Interactions on Intracellular Plasmonics and Mechanobiology of Human Cells

Cancer is a complex disease that originates from various mutations in cells, influencing cellular growth and proliferation. During cancer progression, the biophysical properties of cells, as well as their responses to surrounding mechanical stimuli, are altered. These alterations impact their interactions and communications with their microenvironment and enhance the motility of cancer cells, allowing them to detach from the primary tumor and invade other healthy tissues/organs. Progress in nanotechnology and nanoscience has resulted in the nano-bio-interaction field in which the interaction between nanoparticles and cells are studied to develop innovative nanomedicines to optimize and revolutionize classical methods for cancer treatment and management. While nanomedicines could directly and selectively target cancer cells and deliver anti-cancer reagents to cancer cells, their presence into cells (even without drugs) could cause significant changes in the mechanobiological properties of cells. Although many studies showed that nano-bio-interaction could induce cytoskeletal changes in cancer cells, it is not yet clearly known or understood how these changes could potentially influence cancer progression. This dissertation focused on how cell-nanoparticle interactions and the resulting mechanobiological change in cancer cells would influence their cellular functions. Here, we utilized three different types of gold particles with different physicochemical properties to study their interactions with both healthy and cancer cells. In the first step of this research, we employed various nanotechnology and microscopic techniques including fluorescent imaging, SEM, Raman spectroscopy, dark-field imaging and hyperspectral imaging to study the behavior of gold nanoparticles in cells in terms of cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, internalization level, and subcellular localization. The findings revealed that all types of particles, sphere-shaped, star-shaped, and Swarna Bhasma, are non-toxic to the cells even with increasing doses and exposure times. Raman enhancement results highlighted the importance of nano-morphology in mediating changes in the affinity of gold nanoparticles to different chemical structures in cells, which is essential for developing nanomedicines. The hyperspectral technique was then utilized to detect particles in different regions of cells with measuring the intracellular plasmonic responses of nanoparticles. It was found that the regional-dependent plasmonic shifts of gold nanoparticles could be used to estimate the subcellular localization of nanoparticles. Nanospheres showed higher accumulation in cells, and they exhibited a greater plasmonic shift with more sensitivity to their neighboring medium compared to Swarna Bhasma and nanostars. This dissertation then used Atomic Force Microscopy for mechanobiological measurements and to study their alterations upon incubation with gold nanoparticles. Imaging techniques confirmed morphological and cytoskeletal changes in cancer cells after uptake of gold nanoparticles. Migration assays revealed that nanospheres cause stronger changes than nanostars in the dynamic capability of cancer cells, by significantly slowing down their migration. In support of this, biomechanical measurements showed that internalized gold nanospheres reduce the elasticity of cancer cells by 66% more compared to nanostars. The same trend was also observed in the adhesion levels of treated cells. We observed that nanospheres are mainly distributed in regions where force is generated and translocated for cell migration, and their distribution reasons why their impacts are stronger than nanostars. Furthermore, our simulations showed that the bulk stiffness of cells has contradictory effects on cell deformation and overcoming forces at the cell-substrate interfaces required for cell migration. To approximate the migratory capability of cells, we defined a stiffness-dependent energy term, migratory index, to uniquely capture the effects of both phenomena. Our modeling revealed that there is an optimal stiffness value/range associated with maximal migration, and when bulk stiffness deviates from the optimal range, the rate of migration is predicted to decrease. Our experimental results showed that nanospheres could change the bulk stiffness of cancer cells outside of the optimal range for efficient migration, and we hypothesize that this could suppress their metastatic potential of cancer cells

A Bibliometric Analysis of Health Cloud Scientific\u27s Productions

Introduction: Cloud computing is an innovative paradigm meeting the user\u27s demand for accessing a shared source comprising adjustable computational sources, such as servers and applied programs. An increase in the costs of information technology, emerging problems with updating software and hardware, and expanded storage volume, make it possible to utilize cloud-based health information cases. Organizations have focused on cloud platform-based services as a new opportunity to develop the software industry for healthcare. The aim of the research is to conduct a bibliometric study of the scientific productions on health cloud . Methodology: The present study, applied in nature, was conducted using a bibliometric and scientometric method. It was conducted in 2018 using PubMed and key portmanteaus over the period 2009-2018. Subjected to the application of input and output standards, 491 research papers were selected for analysis. Findings: The findings revealed that the production of health cloud-focused papers over a decade, excluding those in 2017, had an upward trend. The US, India, and China were the most productive in this respect. Having presented 5 papers on cloud computing, Costa, Lee, Malamateniou, Stoicu-Tivadar, Vassilacopoulos, writers, were most productive. The greatest co-occurrence was that of the words Internet, electronic health records, computer security, information storage and retrieval, algorithms, confidentiality, female, male, delivery of health care, computer communication networks, medical informatics, mobile applications, data mining, and health information exchang. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate the leading status of the USA in health cloud publications. In view of the recognition received for using cloud computing, the trend of the papers in the base was upward in nature. On analysis of the co-occurrence of words, the largest cluster was that of cloud computing with 6 items focused on: The Internet of Things (IoT), Electronic health record, healthcare, and e-health in one cluster, indicating the continuity of the issues

Formation of the Causal Pattern of the Return of Addiction Based on the Components of Perceived Child-rearing Practices, Coping styles and Hidden Propensities in the Recovered Without Return and Reborn

Background: Drug dependence is one of the most important public health problems in societies. The purpose of the research was to develop a model for the return of addiction based on the components of perceived parenting practices, coping styles and hidden propensities in recovered without return and recovered returns.Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this study consisted of all recovered clinics and drug addiction treatment centers in Gilan province (North of Iran) in the 2016-17. After passing the treatment period from the discharge center and obtaining a treatment period certificate, the health card they received at least one year of recovery when they performed this research. The sample group, which consisted of 300 patients aged 18 to 35 years with substance abuse history, were selected through available sampling method in two groups. In this research, in addition to obtaining personal information and obtaining a return status report, 5 tools were used as follows: perceived parenting skills questionnaire, coping skills scale, Adlerian basic scale for interpersonal success of adult version, opinion questionnaire Tempting, and perceived stress questionnaires. Data analyzed with LISREL software.Results: The path and probabilistic relationships between the phenomena were studied. Based on matrix analysis, variance, covariance and correlation matrix, we investigated the possible relationships between the phenomena studied paid. The path analysis was used to determine the model. There was a positive and significant relationship between perceived parenting style, lifestyle, coping styles, tempting beliefs and general stress with returning to addiction.Conclusion: To return of addiction we proposed use of perceived parenting style, lifestyle, coping styles, tempting beliefs and general stress

Investigating the Facilitating Factors of Drug Use Based on Personality and Ethnic Characteristics of Guilan Province

Abstract Background: Identifying ethnic and personality facilitation factors in drug use help to better diagnose and treat addiction identifying facilitation factors. It provides timely counseling, and psychological services can be partially preventable for addicts. This study aimed to investigate factors facilitating drug use based on ethnic and personality characteristics of Guilan province using the Cloninger personality system. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of four subcultures of Guilak, Talesh (Turk), Kord and others called Fars. The sampling method in this study was a mixed-method; the sample size was at least 200 people. The present study used data in the field section of Cloninger's personality and character questionnaire to determine personality components and their relationship. They were used with current norms. This study used in-depth interviews, observation and review of documents (questionnaires) and conventional oral literature on drug use. Results: This study showed that between ethnic facilitation factors (drug and drug counseling, folk beliefs in oral literature, and beliefs about rituals and companionship) and personality traits (nature and character), except the avoidance factor at the significant level of 0.01, there was a significant and positive relationship. Variables of personality traits/"nature and character" and components of perseverance, novelty, reward-dependence, self-direction, cooperation can predict common beliefs in the propensity to medication and therapy. The personality facilitator variable of "nature and character" and all its components, except for themselves, was able to predict the popular beliefs existing in oral literature. The personality facilitator variable of "nature and character" and the components of novelty, reward-dependence, and cooperation could predict common beliefs about rituals and companionship. Conclusion: Research showed a significant relationship between ethnicity and propensity for drug and drug counseling, popular beliefs in oral literature, and celebration and celebration beliefs