Lauflumide (NLS-4) Is a New Potent Wake-Promoting Compound

Psychostimulants are used for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in a wide range of sleep disorders as well as in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or cognitive impairment in neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we tested in mice the wake-promoting properties of NLS-4 and its effects on the following sleep as compared with those of modafinil and vehicle. C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with vehicle, NLS-4 (64 mg/kg), or modafinil (150 mg/kg) at light onset. EEG and EMG were recorded continuously for 24 h after injections and vigilance states as well as EEG power densities were analyzed. NLS-4 at 64 mg/kg induced significantly longer wakefulness duration than modafinil at 150 mg/kg. Although no significant sleep rebound was observed after sleep onset for both treatments as compared with their vehicles, modafinil-treated mice showed significantly more NREM sleep when compared to NLS-4. Spectral analysis of the NREM EEG after NLS-4 treatment indicated an increased power density in delta activity (0.75–3.5 Hz) and a decreased power in theta frequency range (6.25–7.25 Hz), while there was no differences after modafinil treatment. Also, time course analysis of the delta activity showed a significant increase only during the first 2 time intervals of sleep after NLS-4 treatment, while delta power was increased during the first 9 time intervals after modafinil. Our results indicate that NLS-4 is a highly potent wake-promoting drug with no sign of hypersomnia rebound. As opposed to modafinil, recovery sleep after NLS-4 treatment is characterized by less NREM amount and delta activity, suggesting a lower need for recovery despite longer drug-induced wakefulness

Research and Science Today Supplement No.1(3)/2012

Research and Science Today Journal is a publication founded in 2011 and it is dedicated to the students of all levels (license, master and doctoral) of faculties in the country and abroad. We want to offer the participants the opportunity to present their scientific works in the following areas: Social Sciences, Economic Sciences, Legal Sciences, Humanities, Education Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Sport. This journal provides students the opportunity to create and / or to improve their abilities to write scientific papers. So each appearance (two appearances per year at which we can add supplements) contains a number of papers written by students, masters and doctoral from the faculties from the country or / and abroad. The journal promotes original studies contributing to the progress of knowledge and it is motivated by the need to address issues of theory and practice in the areas mentioned above. The Journal is a training means of the factors involved in the conceptualization, development, implementation and evaluation , aiming the formation of creative personalities who could be able to adapt through the changing conditions of life. Journal wants to be a forum for debates disciplinaries and interdisciplinaries theoretical topics, to become a research support, to leverage this work at regional, national and international levels. We believe that this gathering will enjoy the support from both parts of the researchers and of the practitioners, and will provide appropriate training sources held professional through the current problems

Exploring the clinical features of narcolepsy type 1 versus narcolepsy type 2 from European Narcolepsy Network database with machine learning

Narcolepsy is a rare life-long disease that exists in two forms, narcolepsy type-1 (NT1) or type-2 (NT2), but only NT1 is accepted as clearly defined entity. Both types of narcolepsies belong to the group of central hypersomnias (CH), a spectrum of poorly defined diseases with excessive daytime sleepiness as a core feature. Due to the considerable overlap of symptoms and the rarity of the diseases, it is difficult to identify distinct phenotypes of CH. Machine learning (ML) can help to identify phenotypes as it learns to recognize clinical features invisible for humans. Here we apply ML to data from the huge European Narcolepsy Network (EU-NN) that contains hundreds of mixed features of narcolepsy making it difficult to analyze with classical statistics. Stochastic gradient boosting, a supervised learning model with built-in feature selection, results in high performances in testing set. While cataplexy features are recognized as the most influential predictors, machine find additional features, e.g. mean rapid-eye-movement sleep latency of multiple sleep latency test contributes to classify NT1 and NT2 as confirmed by classical statistical analysis. Our results suggest ML can identify features of CH on machine scale from complex databases, thus providing 'ideas' and promising candidates for future diagnostic classifications.</p

Research and Science Today Supplement No.1(3)/2012

Research and Science Today Journal is a publication founded in 2011 and it is dedicated to the students of all levels (license, master and doctoral) of faculties in the country and abroad. We want to offer the participants the opportunity to present their scientific works in the following areas: Social Sciences, Economic Sciences, Legal Sciences, Humanities, Education Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Sport. This journal provides students the opportunity to create and / or to improve their abilities to write scientific papers. So each appearance (two appearances per year at which we can add supplements) contains a number of papers written by students, masters and doctoral from the faculties from the country or / and abroad. The journal promotes original studies contributing to the progress of knowledge and it is motivated by the need to address issues of theory and practice in the areas mentioned above. The Journal is a training means of the factors involved in the conceptualization, development, implementation and evaluation , aiming the formation of creative personalities who could be able to adapt through the changing conditions of life. Journal wants to be a forum for debates disciplinaries and interdisciplinaries theoretical topics, to become a research support, to leverage this work at regional, national and international levels. We believe that this gathering will enjoy the support from both parts of the researchers and of the practitioners, and will provide appropriate training sources held professional through the current problems

Ten golden rules for optimal antibiotic use in hospital settings: the WARNING call to action

Antibiotics are recognized widely for their benefits when used appropriately. However, they are often used inappropriately despite the importance of responsible use within good clinical practice. Effective antibiotic treatment is an essential component of universal healthcare, and it is a global responsibility to ensure appropriate use. Currently, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to develop new antibiotics due to scientific, regulatory, and financial barriers, further emphasizing the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. To address this issue, the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery established an international multidisciplinary task force of 295 experts from 115 countries with different backgrounds. The task force developed a position statement called WARNING (Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance National/International Network Group) aimed at raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance and improving antibiotic prescribing practices worldwide. The statement outlined is 10 axioms, or “golden rules,” for the appropriate use of antibiotics that all healthcare workers should consistently adhere in clinical practice

Sleep Quality and Sleep Disturbance Perception in Dual Disorder Patients

Background: Sleep problems are particularly frequent in psychiatric disorders, but their bidirectional intersection is poorly clarified. An especial link between substance use and sleep seems to exist. While dual disorder patients are certainly at higher risk of experiencing sleep problems, very limited research is available today. Methods: Forty-seven dual disorder hospitalized patients were included in this first study. A complete psychiatric evaluation was performed, and sleep habits, patterns and potential disorders were evaluated with specific sleep scales, as well as anxiety. Results: The global prevalence of insomnia symptoms was considerably higher compared with the general population. Different abuse patterns as a function of concurrent psychiatric diagnosis were found, with no significant gender differences. The association between the investigated sleep parameters and any specific substance of abuse was minor. The addict behavior started in more than half of the patients prior to the main psychiatric diagnosis and close to the beginning of sleep problems. Men had a higher prevalence of insomnia symptoms, together with a higher incidence of anxiety. Overall, subjective daytime functioning was not altered as a consequence of poor sleep. Conclusion: Dual disorder patients face significant sleep disturbances, with low sleep quality. The role of sleep in addiction and dual disorders deserves greater research

Tackling Dyslipidemia in Obesity from a Nanotechnology Perspective

Obesity and dyslipidemia are the main features of metabolic syndrome, expressed mainly by adipose tissue dysfunction and connected by similar pathways and pharmacotherapy. Conventional drugs used in these two associated disorders are limited due to poor drug efficiency, non-specificity, and toxic side effects. Therefore, novel solutions for tackling obesity-associated diseases and providing insights into the development of innovative or improved therapies are necessary. Targeted nanotherapy is a revolutionary technology, offering a promising solution for combatting the disadvantages of currently available therapies for treating obesity and dyslipidemia due to its superior features, which include specific cell targeting, the protection of drugs against physiological degradation, and sustained drug release. This review presents a brief assessment of obesity and dyslipidemia, their impacts on human health, current treatment, and limitations, and the role and potential use of nanotechnology coupled with targeted drug delivery and nutraceuticals as emerging therapies. To the best of our knowledge, this paper presents, for the first time in the literature, a comparison between obesity and dyslipidemia nano-formulations based on drugs and/or natural extracts applied in experimental studies

The Impact of Prenatal Vitamin D on Enamel Defects and Tooth Erosion: A Systematic Review

Prenatal Vitamin D has been suggested to be critical for dental health in children, affecting outcomes including the prevalence of enamel defects and tooth erosion. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the potential impact of prenatal Vitamin D levels on these dental health outcomes. A total of seven studies, involving 6978 participants, were included after a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from 2013 to June 2023. The average age of mothers varied across studies, with Vitamin D levels or supplementation practices displaying significant variation among the study populations. The age of children at examination ranged from 3.6 to 6.6 years. The analysis demonstrated a diverse association between Vitamin D levels and dental outcomes, with enamel defects reported in 21.1% to 64% of the children and opacities ranging from 36% to 79.5% across studies. Maternal Vitamin D insufficiency was identified as a significant risk factor for enamel defects in one study (OR: 3.55), whereas high prenatal Vitamin D levels indicated a protective effect against Hypomineralized Second Primary Molars (OR: 0.84) and Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (OR: 0.95) in another. Conversely, low Vitamin D levels increased the risk of enamel hypoplasia (OR: 1.29) and dental decay. The maternal and child demographics varied greatly across the studies, and the assessment and prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency were heterogenous. This review illuminates the potential influence of prenatal Vitamin D on dental health in children, underscoring the importance of adequate Vitamin D levels during pregnancy. However, more robust research is required to establish the optimal Vitamin D intake during pregnancy to ensure healthy dental outcomes in children

Medicinal Plants of the Family Lamiaceae in Pain Therapy: A Review

Recently, numerous side effects of synthetic drugs have lead to using medicinal plants as a reliable source of new therapy. Pain is a global public health problem with a high impact on life quality and a huge economic implication, becoming one of the most important enemies in modern medicine. The medicinal use of plants as analgesic or antinociceptive drugs in traditional therapy is estimated to be about 80% of the world population. The Lamiaceae family, one of the most important herbal families, incorporates a wide variety of plants with biological and medical applications. In this study, the analgesic activity, possible active compounds of Lamiaceae genus, and also the possible mechanism of actions of these plants are presented. The data highlighted in this review paper provide valuable scientific information for the specific implications of Lamiaceae plants in pain modulation that might be used for isolation of potentially active compounds from some of these medicinal plants in future and formulation of commercial therapeutic agents

Terahertz Spectroscopy and Imaging: A Cutting-Edge Method for Diagnosing Digestive Cancers

The Terahertz&#8217;s wavelength is located between the microwave and the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because it is non-ionizing and non-invasive, Terahertz (THz)-based detection represents a very attractive tool for repeated assessments, patient monitoring, and follow-up. Cancer acts as the second leading cause of death in many regions, and current predictions estimate a continuous increasing trend. Of all types of tumors, digestive cancers represent an important percentage and their incidence is expected to increase more rapidly than other tumor types due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. Because it can precisely differentiate between different types of molecules, depending on water content, the information obtained through THz-based scanning could have several uses in the management of cancer patients and, more importantly, in the early detection of different solid tumors. The purpose of this manuscript is to offer a comprehensive overview of current data available on THz-based detection for digestive cancers. It summarizes the characteristics of THz waves and their interaction with tissues and subsequently presents available THz-based technologies (THz spectroscopy, THz-tomography, and THZ-endoscope) and their potential for future clinical use. The third part of the review is focused on highlighting current in vitro and in vivo research progress in the field, for identifying specific digestive cancers known as oral, esophageal, gastric, colonic, hepatic, and pancreatic tumors