Psychological stress in seafarers: a review

Background: Seafaring is a particular profession, in which workers are usually exposed to several stressors that are related to the different duties on board ships. This paper has reviewed the main publications on different factors affecting seafarers with the purpose of identifying specific stress factors related to a particular duty on board. Materials and methods: A literature search was conducted using the online databases PubMed and OvidSP. A survey on health, stress, and fatigue of Australian Seafarers published by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) fulfilling the selection criteria was also examined. This publication provided relevant data obtained from a large sample of seafarers. Results: Our analysis confirmed that seafaring is associated with mental, psychosocial, and physical stressors. The most important factors were separation from family, loneliness on board, fatigue, multi-nationality, limited recreation activity, and sleep deprivation. The AMSA report gave a more detailed analysis on lifestyle and relevant factors inducing psychological distress. Stressors affecting seafarers working in the engine room were different from those involving the deck crew. Sleep quality and duration were reported to be poor mainly in pilots, whereas deck crew tended to be less adherent to physical exercise and healthy lifestyle recommendations. Conclusions: Seafaring is still associated with relevant mental health risks. Information on known stress factors on board should be provided to seafarers to help them in lowering stress perception. Strategies for coping with “inevitable” stress conditions should also be investigated and developed. Strategies to decrease risks of stress should be directed to the different categories of seafarers, and the results of specific interventions should be evaluated

Tele-neuropsychological assessment of Alzheimer’s disease

Background: Because of the new pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the demand for telemedicine and telemonitoring solutions has been exponentially raised. Because of its special advantage to treat patients in an emergency without physical presence at a hospital via video conferencing, telemedicine has been used to overcome distance barriers and to improve access to special domains like neurology. In these pandemic times, telemedicine has been also employed as a support for the diagnosis and treatment of adult-onset dementia disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Objective: In this study, we carried out a systematic literature analysis to clarify if the neuropsychological tests traditionally employed in face-to-face (FTF) contexts are reliable via telemedicine. Methods: A systematic literature search for the past 20 years (2001-2020) was carried out through the medical databases PubMed (Medline) and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). The quality assessment was conducted by adopting the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) and only studies with a NOS ≥ 7 were included in this review. Results: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) results do not differ when tests are administered in the traditional FTF modality or by videoconference, and only negligible minor changes in the scoring system were noticeable. Other neuropsychological tests used to support the diagnosis of AD and dementia such as the Token Test, the Comprehension of Words and Phrases (ACWP), the Controlled Oral Word Association Test showed high reliability between the two modalities considered. No differences in the reliability concerning the living setting or education of the subjects were reported. Conclusions: The MMSE, which is the main screening test for dementia, can be administered via telemedicine with minor adaptation in the scoring system. Telemedicine use for other neuropsychological tests also resulted in general reliability and enough accuracy. Cognitive assessment by videoconference is accepted and appreciated and therefore can be used for dementia diagnosis in case of difficulties to performing FTF assessments. This approach can be useful given a personalized medicine approach for the treatment of adult-onset dementia disorders

Psychological distress in families of victims of maritime piracy — the Italian experience

Background: This work has investigated the psychological status of family members of kidnapped seafarers, 5 months after their release.Aim: The goal of this study was to assess if relatives of victims of maritime piracy showed signs of psychological distress, to diagnose eventual pathologies and to measure their severity.Materials and methods: Twelve family members (8 females and 4 males) of 4 kidnapped seafarers were examined. They were first interviewed by a semi-structured approach and then examined using the self-report questionnaire State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).Results: Five months after the relatives had been released, 42% of the family members of kidnapped seafarers obtained pathological scores in the STAI-Y questionnaire, and 33% showed depression according to the HDRS.Conclusions: Family members of kidnapped seafarers show significant psychopathological symptoms 5 months after relatives have been released. Symptoms may be severe enough to interfere with daily life in about one half of them. Kidnapping is a changing life experience and both victims and relatives require attention and support

Psychological consequences in victims of maritime piracy: the Italian experience

Background and aim: Maritime piracy is a worrying phenomenon. Its recurrence in the last few years iscausing several problems to the safety of maritime routes. In spite of the number of seafarers kidnappedand maintained in captivity, psychological/mental disorders developed in victims of these criminal actshave not been investigated. This study has assessed psychological consequences of kidnapping in a groupof Italian seafarers held in captivity from 7 to 10 months.Materials and methods: Four Italian seafarers were examined at the 5th month after release. An initial, semi-structured interview was followed by 2 structured clinical evaluations for assessing the possible presence of psychopathological disorders. Instruments used were the Cognitive Behavioural Assessment (CBA 2.0) and the Clinician-Administered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Scale (CAPS-DX).Results: All victims showed high scores of state anxiety (56.00 ± 3.36) and social adjustment disorder (12.75 ± 2.21) to CBA 2.0. Moreover, 3 of them revealed traits of anxiety (58.75 ± 8.50) and emotionalinstability (8.25 ± 2.50). Two of them had somatic disorders (63.25 ± 15.94), depression (17.25 ± 4.78) and phobic problems (91.00 ± 7.02). In 3 of 4 victims examined, a PTSD diagnosis was made. Symptomsof recall resulted in higher CAPS-DX (13.00 ± 4.05) scores.Conclusions: Traumatic experiences such as being kept in captivity by pirates could entail relevant psychopathological disorders in victims and their families. Quality care interventions, aimed to develop paradigms for resilience training, represent a priority. An international partnerships and collaboration between institutions, clinicians and seafarer organisations can be useful to evaluate psychological conditions of these workers

Monitoring the Shelf-Life of Minimally Processed Fresh-Cut Apple Slices By Physical–Chemical Analysis and Electronic Nose

Fresh-cut apples, in slices or in cubes, are minimally processed products, which are currently collecting a great interest by fruit marketers for their promising diffusion. Their shelf life, from a microbiological point of view, has been fixed about 2 or 3 weeks under refrigeration. However in a few days they undergo biochemical degradations with production of off-flavors and texture breakdown. In this work, the change of aromatic fingerprint of apple slices packaged in air and in a modified atmosphere (with 100% N2) and stored at 4°C was measured, by using a commercial electronic nose. The obtained data were also compared with sensory evaluation of judge’s panel. Moreover, quality parameters such as total acidity, total soluble solids and firmness were determined at different storage times (0, 4, 8 and 12 days). The data show that the electronic nose is able to discriminate between the two different storage conditions applied: the multivariate analysis, Principal Component Analysis, presents clearly differences among the four sampling times when the apple slices are stored in air and in N2. Our results indicate that the electronic nose can be considered a valid supplementary tool to human sensory panel assessment especially in food quality safety and control and it can be a simple, objective and rapid method to control the food quality during the storage

Sea piracy sequelae: assessment according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5

Abstrac t Background: Our previous studies have investigated the psychological consequences of kidnapping in a group of Italian seafarers assaulted by sea pirates and held in captivity and in their family members by the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-4. These studies have shown that both the victims and the family members showed significant psychological disturbances, corresponding to a chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), in the victims, and a pattern of anxiety and depression in their family members. After publication of these studies, an updated edition of the DSM became available, namely, the DSM-5. The DSM-5 redefines some diagnostic criteria, including those related to the PTSD. This work was focused on the re-evaluation of the results of our previous studies in the light of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Materials and methods: Sixteen Italians including 4 kidnapped seafarers and 12 family members were examined by a semi-structured interview followed by Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-DX) and the Cognitive Behaviour al Assessment (CBA 2.0) for victims and by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) X-1 and X-2 of CBA 2.0 and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) for family members. Data already obtained were reviewed and re-analysed according to the DSM-5 criteria and the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Results: The use of the CAPS-5 did not modify the diagnosis for the victims’ group: 3 of 4 had a PTSD diagnosis performed through the CAPS-5. Seven of 12 family members had PTSD diagnosis performed through the CAPS-5, with negative cognitions and mood symptoms being those obtaining the highest score. Conclusions: Using DSM-5 criteria, the diagnosis of PTSD in the direct victims of piracy was confirmed. The same diagnosis could apply to a group of their family members. Besides anxiety and fear, in fact, we found in 7 out 12 subjects the presence of symptoms included by the DSM-5 in the PTSD spectrum. These symptoms were: avoidance, negative alterations in mood and cognition, blame of self or others. The use of updated diagnostic criteria may enable more correct assessment of the consequences of piracy acts. This may be also useful for establishing proper compensations for the damage suffered by seafarers, depending on the degree of disability resulting from the criminal acts they suffered

Obesity and Age-Related Changes in the Brain of the Zucker Lepr fa/fa Rats

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an association between obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance. A relationship between MetS and vascular dementia was hypothesized. The purpose of this work is to investigate brain microanatomy alterations in obese Zucker rats (OZRs), as a model of MetS, compared to their counterparts lean Zucker rats (LZRs). 12-, 16-, and 20-weeks-old male OZRs and LZRs were studied. General physiological parameters and blood values were measured. Immunochemical and immunohistochemical techniques were applied to analyze the brain alterations. The morphology of nerve cells and axons, astrocytes and microglia were investigated. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) changes occurring in OZRs were assessed as well using aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and glucose transporter protein-1 (GLUT1) as markers. Body weight gain, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia were found in OZRs compared to LZRs. In the frontal cortex and hippocampus, a decrease of neurons was noticeable in the older obese rats in comparison to their age-matched lean counterparts. In OZRs, a reduction of neurofilament immunoreaction and gliosis was observed. The BBB of older OZRs revealed an increased expression of AQP4 likely related to the development of edema. A down-regulation of GLUT1 was found in OZRs of 12 weeks of age, whereas it increased in older OZRs. The behavioral analysis revealed cognitive alterations in 20-week-old OZRs. Based on these results, the OZRs may be useful for understanding the mechanisms through which obesity and related metabolic alterations induce neurodegeneration

Approximating subtree distances between Phylogenies

We give a 5-approximation algorithm to the rooted Subtree-Prune-and-Regraft (rSPR) distance between two phylogenies, which was recently shown to be NP-complete by Bordewich and Semple [5]. This paper presents the first approximation result for this important tree distance. The algorithm follows a standard format for tree distances such as Rodrigues et al. [24] and Hein et al. [13]. The novel ideas are in the analysis. In the analysis, the cost of the algorithm uses a \cascading" scheme that accounts for possible wrong moves. This accounting is missing from previous analysis of tree distance approximation algorithms. Further, we show how all algorithms of this type can be implemented in linear time and give experimental results

Specific features of the intestinal mucosa of obese Zucker rats

Metabolic syndrome is a group of obesity-related metabolic abnormalities that increase an individual’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The obese Zucker rats (OZR) may represent a valuable animal model for studying several aspects of this increasingly prevalent problem in worldwide. In fact, the genetically obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats, due a recessive mutation of the leptin receptor gene (lepr), exhibit hyperphagia and develop hallmark features of metabolic syndrome, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and increased adiposity and oxidative stress. Here, we report the preliminary results from our current studies aimed to investigate different metabolic markers in the OZR intestinal mucosa, compared with their lean counterparts (LZR). Starting from the important role attributed to carbohydrates in regulating the critical equilibrium of the intestinal environment, we applied lectin histochemistry to visualize the glycosylation pattern expressed in the OZR intestinal mucosa. The investigation was mainly focused to identification and in situ characterization of sialylated and fucosylated glycomponents which were directly demonstrated with SNA, MAL II, LTA, and UEA lectin binding. In addition, in order to look for additional and complementary information about sialic acid acetylation degree and sites, PNA and DBA lectin histochemistry was combined with sialidase predigestion, potassium hydroxide deacetylation, and differential periodate oxidation. As a parallel study, the distributional patterns of carbonic anhydrase (CA), the enzyme which is differently expressed in the gastrointestinal tract with several functions, such as regulation of cellular and extracellular acid-base homeostasis, salt absorption and fluid balance, were visualized. The immunohistochemical localization of the CA isoenzymes CAIV, CA IX, CA XII, and CA XIV was performed with the relevant specific antibodies. The complex of the data obtained suggest a marked modulation of the sialoglycoconjugate expression in the OZR intestinal epithelium, when compared with the LZR, to be considered as an interesting topic for further investigations