Changing Relationships through Interactions: Preliminary Accounts of Parent-Child Interactions after Undertaking Individual Parent Training

Purpose: Parent and child interaction training has been increasingly investigated over recent years. However, the mechanisms of change within individual training programmes are not well understood. To explore the factors that can facilitate or inhibit meaningful changes in interactions and ultimately relationships, the current study employed semi-structured interviews to obtain first person accounts from parents who had undertaken an individualised parent-training programme. Method: Three participants provided accounts of the training programme and their perceived impact upon interactions with their children were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: The analysis resulted in three themes, which illustrate how participants adjusted their interactional style with their child to varying degrees through enhanced personal awareness, increased understanding of their child’s emotional and interactional needs, and accepting the reciprocity of interactional accountability. Discussion: Changes in interactional style enabled participants to alter their perceptions of their own behaviours, their child’s behaviours, and how they influenced one another through interactions. Recommendations for future research and therapeutic practice are discussed in the context of the findings and the existing evidence base

Hydrogen peroxide signaling modulates neuronal differentiation via microglial polarization and Wnt/β-catenin pathway

OBJECTIVE: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated within the cell and serve as second messengers in fundamental cellular processes under physiologic conditions. Although the deleterious effects of high-level ROS associated with oxidative stress are well established, it is unclear how the developing brain reacts to redox changes. Our aim is to investigate how redox alteration affects neurogenesis and the mechanism that underlies it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated in vivo microglial polarization and neurogenesis in zebrafish after hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) incubation. To quantify intracellular H2O2 levels in vivo, a transgenic zebrafish line that expresses Hyper and termed Tg(actb2:hyper3)ka8 was used. Then, in vitro studies with N9 microglial cells, 3-dimensional neural stem cell (NSC)-microglia coculture, and conditioned medium experiments are carried out to comprehend the mechanism underlying the changes in neurogenesis upon redox modulation. RESULTS: In zebrafish, exposure to H2O2 altered embryonic neurogenesis, induced M1 polarization in microglia, and triggered the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. N9 microglial cell culture experiments revealed that exposure to H2O2 resulted in M1 polarization in microglial cells, and this polarization was mediated by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Redox modulation of microglia interfered with NSC differentiation in coculture experiments. Neuronal differentiation was significantly higher in NSCs cocultured with H2O2-treated microglia when compared to control microglia. Wnt inhibition prevented the effects of H2O2-treated microglia on NSCs. No significant alterations were observed in conditioned medium experiments. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings point to a robust interplay between microglia and neural progenitors influenced by the redox state. Intracellular H2O2 levels can interfere with neurogenesis by altering the phenotypic state of the microglia via the Wnt/β-catenin system

The results of cytogenetic analysis with regard to intracytoplasmic sperm injection in males, females and fetuses

Objectives: To determine the incidence of chromosome abnormalities among couples for whom intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment was indicated and fetuses conceived through the ICSI procedure. Methods: All cytogenetic results were evaluated retrospectively. Patients undergoing ICSI (n = 508) were classified according to the referring indications as: (1) males with severe infertility ( 87 azoospermia and 34 oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, OAT), (2) prior to ICSI (56 males and 61 females), and (3) following an unsuccessful ICSI procedure ( 132 males and 138 females). Fetuses conceived through ICSI (n = 475) were also classified into 4 groups according to the additional risk factors for chromosome abnormalities: ICSI (n = 185), ICSI + advanced maternal age (AMA, n = 215), ICSI + positive triple test result (TT, n = 50), and ICSI + abnormal ultrasound findings (USG, n = 25). Results: An abnormal karyotype was found in 31.03% of males with azoospermia and 14.71% of males with OAT, in 3.57% of males and 1.64% of females in the group prior to ICSI, and in 5.30 and 5.07%, respectively, in the group following unsuccessful ICSI treatment. Gonosomal aneuploidies were predominant in males with azoospermia and autosomal rearrangements in males with OAT, while low-level sex chromosome mosaicism was found in females. The overall frequency of chromosome abnormalities in fetuses was 4.42% and varied in the different groups from 1.62% in ICSI, 2.79% in ICSI + AMA, 10.0% in ICSI + TT to 28.0% in ICSI + USG. The frequencies of the different types of chromosome abnormalities were as follows: balanced 1.05%, unbalanced 3.37%, familial 0.84%, de novo 3.37%, autosomal 3.58%, gonosomal 0.84%, numerical 1.89%, structural abnormalities 2.53%, and mosaicism 1.26%. Conclusion: Our results indicate that cytogenetic investigations of the ICSI parents and fetuses are essential for the families, genetic counselors and also reproductive centers. In fetal karyotyping, de novo structural chromosome abnormalities and mosaicism should be taken into consideration. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

Caffeine use in preterm neonates: national insights into Turkish NICU practices

Objective: Caffeine is a proven medication used for the prevention and treatment of apnea in premature infants, offering both short- and long-term benefits. International guidelines provide a range of recommendations regarding the preterm population eligible for caffeine prophylaxis, including the timing, dosage, and duration of treatment. Our national guidelines, published prior to the most recent updates of the international guidelines, recommend the use of caffeine citrate starting from the first day after delivery for preterm infants with a gestational age of <28 weeks. For infants up to 32 weeks, if positive pressure ventilation is required, the decision should be made on an individual basis. This study aims to describe the variability in caffeine usage across neonatal intensive care units in our country. Methods: An online survey was sent to neonatologist who are members of the Turkish Neonatology Society to describe the variability in caffeine usage in neonatal intensive care units in our country. Results: We collected responses from 74 units. Prophylactic caffeine usage was observed as; GA <= 27(6/7): 98.6%, GA 28(0/7)-28(6/7): 89.0%, GA 29(0/7)-29(6/7): 75.3%, GA 30(0/7)-31(6/7): 53.4%. 62.2% of units reported administering loading dose within the first two hours. The initial maintenance dose was 5 mg/kg in 64.8% of units, 10 mg/kg in 32.4% of units, and intermediate dose in 5.3% of units. 47.3% of units reported no routine dose adjustment. The postmenstrual age that caffeine treatment was stopped was found to be 34 (min-max; 32-36) weeks for infants without apnea and respiratory support, 36 (min-max; 34-52) weeks for infants without apnea but any respiratory support. The time to discharge after treatment cessation was found as; 1-4 days: 37.8%, 5-7 days: 68.9%. Among the 56 units with multiple responsible physicians, 32.1% reported intra-unit variations. Conclusion: The significant differences in caffeine usage characteristics between and within units highlight the need for clear recommendations provided by standardized guidelines