Family Quality of Life in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

In latest years the concept of quality of life (QoL) has been acknowledged as an important outcome in psychiatric pathology fields. Most researchers consider that social indicators and the perception of personal wellbeing also, should be considered when measuring the quality of life. Our purpose was to investigate the QoLof the families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to determine whether in this population, the potential mediators (irrational cognitions, negative automatic thoughts, coping strategies) relate significantly with the emotional distress reported. We also aimed to assess the parents’ irrational cognitions and negative automatic thoughts as mediators in the relationship between the overall assessment of family QoLand their emotional distress. We found significant correlations between the emotional distress reported by the parents and their automatic negative thoughts, irrational cognitions, and different coping strategies. The relationship between the overall assessment of family QoLand the parents’ emotional distress was partially explained by their negative automatic thoughts and irrational cognitions. In this view, the specialised services should include also interventions for the parents of children with developmental disorders (ASD, ADHD) in order to improve their overall assessment of familyQoL

The Relationship between Emotional Distress and Cognitive Coping Strategies in Adolescents with Conduct Disorder (CD)

Conduct disorder (CD) is a matter of societal concern because of the significant burden for the patient, family and immediate environment and the strong associations with school failure, disrupted peer and family relationships, excessive risk-taking and addictive behaviors. The economic costs of aggressive and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents are huge. The mechanisms that lead individuals to adopt such behaviors have been defined and approached from various perspectives. Our purpose was to assess the emotional distress, irrational beliefs, emotion regulation strategies and callousness, uncaring, unemotional traits in a sample of adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorder and to investigate the relationship between them. The adolescents with conduct disorder had a low level of emotional distress and negative dysfunctional emotions. Girls reported a higher level of emotional distress than boys and significantly lower positive emotions. We found significant correlations between the emotional distress reported by the adolescents and their irrational cognitions. The suppression and reassessment strategies did not register values above those of the general population. No significant relation was found between emotional distress and the emotional regulation strategies reappraisal and suppression. The use of suppression related significantly with callousness, uncaring, and unemotional traits. The reappraisal coping strategy related significantly only with uncaring trait, the relation being negative. Research findings from different areas correlated with pathology may improve current therapies (i.e., including emotion regulation training in individualized intervention protocol) or help to develop new ones

Prevalence and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders Comorbidities in a Clinical Romanian Sample of Children and Adolescents with Psychiatric Disorders

The prevalence of anxiety disorders is known to be increasing among children and adolescents and often co-exist with another psychiatric disorder. There is some evidence that anxiety disorders in nonwestern countries have the same comorbidity patterns as in other world regions and may have similar predictors including age and gender. However, more evidence from different countries is needed. The major goal of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety disorders in a clinical setting and to describe the comorbidity patterns and predictors. We conducted a retrospective study on the admitted patients in the Clinic of Pediatric Psychiatry from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, between January 2017 and December 2017. A clinical sample of 2471 patients aged between 3 and 18 years with psychiatric disorders, assessed and/or treated in the clinic, was included into the study. About 9.88% patients (N = 244) of the clinical sample were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder as a primary diagnosis. About 79.5% of the selected sample had a comorbid disorder and 34.4% had an anxiety or mood comorbidity. Preference in treatment was nonpharmachological and, according to the degree of severity, SSRI medication. Our results underline the significant prevalence of anxiety disorders and the high rate of comorbidities

The Effect of Some Polyphenols on Minced Pork during Refrigeration Compared with Ascorbic Acid

Quality of meat and meat products by two oxidative processes is affected. The two processes are lipid peroxidation and myoglobin oxidation. To delay oxidative processes, in meat and meat products are added compounds with antioxidant activity.The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of (±)-catechin, quercetin, and gallic acid, on oxidative processes in minced pork, comparatively with ascorbic acid in the same concentration. The ability of antioxidants to reduce DPPH• and to chelate Fe (II) were determinated. Minced pork samples separately with the chemicals were treated. The treated samples with antioxidants were preserved for seven days at refrigeration temperature. Myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, metmyoglobin concentrations, peroxide value, conjugated dienes and trienes levels and TBARS value were determined. Polyphenols have showed important hydrogen radical donator and iron chelator activity, higher as ascorbic acid activities. All antioxidants were effective in myoglobin oxidation and lipid peroxidation inhibition on minced pork, but the three polyphenols ((±)-catechin, quercetin, and gallic acid) protected better myoglobin than ascorbic acid as showed the results

Statistical Study: Vaccination Against HPV Among Dental Students in Romania

Vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus continues to remain a highly complex public health issue, as there are many countries or regions that show increasing reluctance. Romania is among the countries that do not provide HPV vaccine in the national vaccination scheme, but offers the opportunity to young girls between 11 and 18 years of age to benefit from free vaccination. It is the responsibility of health professionals in all health sectors to inform themselves correctly, but also to instruct patients in a prophylactic approach against infection with both HPV and other types of microorganisms. Accurate information and a thorough knowledge of the prophylactic means are achieved from the years of study.Our study focuses on the following aspects: the degree of vaccination among dental students, the willingness of students to get vaccinated if they have not done it so far, the degree of information about Human Papilloma Virus infection, including ways of transmission and methods of diagnosing the infection, the perception of students on how this topic has been promoted, the sources of information they access in order to obtain information about Human Papilloma Virus.</p

Psychosocial Integration of Foreign Students Within the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Craiova

Intercultural education in the Romanian space is an insufficiently addressed topic. Against the background of the significant increase in foreign students who choose to study at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Craiova, as well as the implementation of study programs in English which in turn have attracted many students from both European and non-EU countries we decided to develop a study aimed at the socio-cultural integration capacity of students at the Faculty of Dental Medicine in Craiova with a teaching program in English. The general objectives of the study aim at the following aspects: the degree of social integration of students; degree of satisfaction of educational needs; the effectiveness of the feedback system; problems encountered throughout the years of study: conflicts, discrimination phenomena, etc.the quality of courses and internships compared to their countries of origin. The target group of the study is represented by the students of Dental Medicine from Craiova, within the teaching program in English, study years I-III. The students who participated in this study come from both EU and non-EU member states. The total number of students enrolled in this study program is 93, and in our study a total of 71 respondents gave their informed consent to complete the distributed questionnaire.</p

Caveolae protect endothelial cells from membrane rupture during increased cardiac output.

Caveolae are strikingly abundant in endothelial cells, yet the physiological functions of caveolae in endothelium and other tissues remain incompletely understood. Previous studies suggest a mechanoprotective role, but whether this is relevant under the mechanical forces experienced by endothelial cells in vivo is unclear. In this study we have sought to determine whether endothelial caveolae disassemble under increased hemodynamic forces, and whether caveolae help prevent acute rupture of the plasma membrane under these conditions. Experiments in cultured cells established biochemical assays for disassembly of caveolar protein complexes, and assays for acute loss of plasma membrane integrity. In vivo, we demonstrate that caveolae in endothelial cells of the lung and cardiac muscle disassemble in response to acute increases in cardiac output. Electron microscopy and two-photon imaging reveal that the plasma membrane of microvascular endothelial cells in caveolin 1(-/-) mice is much more susceptible to acute rupture when cardiac output is increased. These data imply that mechanoprotection through disassembly of caveolae is important for endothelial function in vivo

A plea for a unified and compatible national security terminology

Security terminology is a contentious and unclear topic in Romania. By analyzing the public speeches of politicians or national strategy texts, we often notice the presence of confusion regarding the correct use of the terms: security, defence, and safety. This confusion gives rise to both theoretical and practical problems, manifested in misunderstandings at the institutional level regarding their respective roles, society’s misconceptions about the functions of certain organizations, and the failure to harness thecollaborative potential between society and the military sector. The appropriate solution to address these issues is the cultivation of a security culture that fosters a grasp of fundamental concepts in this field. To achieve this objective, it is considered essential to have adequate knowledge and usage of the main concepts related to security terminology. This will bring order and enhance understanding of the processes involved in achieving security, defence, and safety.<br/

Comparative Analysis of the Adoption of the Euro. Case Study: Slovenia and Slovakia.

The Maastricht Treaty states certain criterias that have to be achieved in order for a EU Member State to qualify in undergoing the 3rd stage of UEM, the introduction of the euro. Slovenia followed a plan based-cooperation between government and national bank, with a clear strategy, adopted the euro on January 1, 2007. Slovakia instead, even though it followed a well defined managed to adopt the euro two years later in 2009.Economic and monetary union, convergence criteria, fiscal developments

Cognitive Coping Strategies and Emotional Distress in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mothers’ emotional distress,when having a child with diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), isdifferent depending on depending on the thinking pattern (rational orirrational) and cognitive coping strategies used. The aim of this study was to assess irrational beliefs, negativeautomatic thoughts, emotional distress, cognitive coping strategies and therelation between them, in mothers of children with ASD. Datawere collected from 65 mothers having a child with diagnosis of ASD. Several psychologicalinstruments were used to assess the irrational beliefs (ABSs), automatic negativethoughts (ATQ), emotional distress (PAD) and cognitive coping strategies(CERQ). Mothers reported high levels of emotional distress, automatic negative thoughtsand irrational beliefs. The cognitive coping strategies that correlated positivelyand statistically significant with emotional distress were self-blame,catastrophizing and rumination. Self-blame and catastrophizing strategies correlatedpositively and statistically significant with the irrational beliefs. Theresults also suggest that the use of maladaptive coping strategies correlateswith a higher levels of irrational beliefs and emotional distress