Prepoznavanje emocija i osjetljivost na gađenje u funkciji menstrualnog ciklusa

U lutealnoj fazi menstrualnog ciklusa pod utjecajem progesterona dolazi do snižavanja imunoloških odgovora, što olakšava prihvat zametka i očuvanje trudnoće, no istovremeno dovodi do povećane podložnosti zarazama. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je provjeriti dolazi li u lutealnoj fazi do izraženijih profilaktičkih kompenzacijskih ponašanja koje mogu smanjiti vjerojatnost zaraze. Ispitivana ponašanja bila su procjene gadljivosti i opasnosti različitih prizora, neutralnih i onih povezanih sa zarazom i kontaminacijom te brzina i točnost prepoznavanja facijalne ekspresije gađenja i ostalih bazičnih emocija. Ispitan je i doprinos percipirane ranjivosti na zaraze. Analizirani su podaci N=40 sudionica, prikupljeni u dva navrata, tijekom njihove rane folikularne i lutealne faze ciklusa. Hipoteza o postojanju profilaktičkih ponašanja nije potvrđena te nisu pronađene razlike u osjetljivosti na gađenje niti u procjeni opasnosti prizora povezanih sa zarazom i kontaminacijom. Facijalna ekspresija gađenja prepoznavala se jednako brzo i točno u obje faze menstrualnog ciklusa. No, potvrdilo se da se u ranoj folikularnoj fazi ciklusa bazične emocije točnije (iako ne i brže) prepoznaju nego u lutealnoj fazi. Dobiveni nalazi komentirani su u okviru metodoloških ograničenja te rezultata prijašnjih istraživanja

OSAMLJENOST ŽENA RANE I SREDNJE ODRASLE DOBI: ZAŠTITNO ZNAČENJE EMOCIONALNE PODRŠKE PARTNERA, PRIJATELJA I OBITELJI

Osamljenost je univerzalan doživljaj koji se javlja kada očekivanja o socijalnim odnosima i potreba za pripadanjem nisu ispunjeni. Kronična osamljenost ima ozbiljne negativne posljedice za čovjekovo psihofizičko zdravlje. Stoga je važno odrediti kojim se zaštitnim čimbenicima kronična osamljenost može smanjiti ili spriječiti. Jedan od mogućih zaštitnih čimbenika je socijalna podrška. Osobito korisnom pokazuje se jedna od njezinih dimenzija, emocionalna podrška. Zaštitno djelovanje podrške od psihičkih smetnji razlikuje se ovisno o izvoru podrške i dobi pojedinca. Stoga je cilj ovog istraživanja bio ispitati razlike između žena rane i srednje odrasle dobi u emocionalnoj podršci od obitelji, prijatelja/ ica i partnera te osamljenosti, kao i odnos između emocionalne podrške od ovih izvora i osamljenosti. Istraživanje je provedeno online i u njemu je sudjelovalo 340 žena. Podatci su prikupljeni Ljestvicom emocionalne podrške i Ljestvicom osamljenosti UCLA (verzija 3). Pokazalo se da nema razlike između žene rane i srednje odrasle dobi u osamljenosti, kvaliteti emocionalne podrške od obitelji i prijatelja/ica. Žene srednje odrasle dobi emocionalnu podršku od partnera percipiraju manje kvalitetnom od žena rane odrasle dobi. Podrška od obitelji i partnera doprinose nižoj razini osamljenosti nezavisno od podrške od drugih izvora. Rezultati istraživanja doprinose razumijevanju važnosti podrške iz različitih izvora za psihičko funkcioniranje žena

Health care utilization and outcomes in older adults after Traumatic Brain Injury : A CENTER-TBI study

Publisher Copyright: © 2022Introduction: The incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is increasingly common in older adults aged ≥65 years, forming a growing public health problem. However, older adults are underrepresented in TBI research. Therefore, we aimed to provide an overview of health-care utilization, and of six-month outcomes after TBI and their determinants in older adults who sustained a TBI. Methods: We used data from the prospective multi-center Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. In-hospital and post-hospital health care utilization and outcomes were described for patients aged ≥65 years. Ordinal and linear regression analyses were performed to identify determinants of the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and mental health symptoms six-months post-injury. Results: Of 1254 older patients, 45% were admitted to an ICU with a mean length of stay of 9 days. Nearly 30% of the patients received inpatient rehabilitation. In total, 554/1254 older patients completed the six-month follow-up questionnaires. The mortality rate was 9% after mild and 60% after moderate/severe TBI, and full recovery based on GOSE was reported for 44% of patients after mild and 6% after moderate/severe TBI. Higher age and increased injury severity were primarily associated with functional impairment, while pre-injury systemic disease, psychiatric conditions and lower educational level were associated with functional impairment, lower generic and disease-specific HRQoL and mental health symptoms. Conclusion: The rate of impairment and disability following TBI in older adults is substantial, and poorer outcomes across domains are associated with worse preinjury health. Nonetheless, a considerable number of patients fully or partially returns to their preinjury functioning. There should not be pessimism about outcomes in older adults who survive.Peer reviewe

Oksidacijski stres, aktivnost kolinesteraza i primarna oštećenja u jetri, krvi i plazmi Wistar štakora nakon 28-dnevnog izlaganja glifosatu

In this 28 day-study, we evaluated the effects of herbicide glyphosate administered by gavage to Wistar rats at daily doses equivalent to 0.1 of the acceptable operator exposure level (AOEL), 0.5 of the consumer acceptable daily intake (ADI), 1.75 (corresponding to the chronic population-adjusted dose, cPAD), and 10 mg kg-1 body weight (bw) (corresponding to 100 times the AOEL). At the end of each treatment, the body and liver weights were measured and compared with their baseline values. DNA damage in leukocytes and liver tissue was estimated with the alkaline comet assay. Oxidative stress was evaluated using a battery of endpoints to establish lipid peroxidation via thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) level, level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH) level, and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Total cholinesterase activity and the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were also measured. The exposed animals gained less weight than control. Treatment resulted in significantly higher primary DNA damage in the liver cells and leukocytes. Glyphosate exposure significantly lowered TBARS in the liver of the AOEL, ADI, and cPAD groups, and in plasma in the AOEL and cPAD group. AChE was inhibited with all treatments, but the AOEL and ADI groups significantly differed from control. Total ChE and plasma/liver ROS/GSH levels did not significantly differ from control, except for the 35 % decrease in ChE in the AOEL and ADI groups and a significant drop in liver GSH in the cPAD and 100xAOEL groups. AOEL and ADI blood GSH-Px activity dropped significantly, but in the liver it significantly increased in the ADI, cPAD, and 100xAOEL groups vs. control. All these findings show that even exposure to low glyphosate levels can have serious adverse effects and points to a need to change the approach to risk assessment of low-level chronic/sub-chronic glyphosate exposure, where oxidative stress is not necessarily related to the genetic damage and AChE inhibition.U okviru 28-dnevnog pokusa istražili smo učinke herbicida glifosata na modelu odraslih mužjaka Wistar štakora koji su oralno dobivali testirani spoj u subletalnim dnevnim dozama: 0,1 od prihvatljive razine izloženosti operatera (0,1xAOEL), 0,5 od prihvatljivog dnevnog unosa za potrošače (0,5xADI), 1,75 (odgovara kroničnoj populacijskoj prilagođenoj dozi, cPAD) i 10 mg kg-1 tjelesne težine na dan (odgovara 100xAOEL). Tijekom pokusa praćeni su sistemski toksični učinci. Nakon završetka svih tretmana svakoj je pokusnoj životinji izmjerena tjelesna težina i težina jetre te su uspoređene s polazišnim vrijednostima. Alkalnim komet-testom izmjerena je razina primarnih oštećenja DNA u leukocitima i jetrenim stanicama. Primjenom metoda za procjenu oksidacijskog stresa izmjerene su razine lipidne peroksidacije (TBARs), reaktivnih kisikovih vrsta (ROS) i glutationa (GSH) te aktivnost enzima glutation peroksidaze (GSH-Px). Izmjerene su i aktivnosti ukupnih kolinesteraza (ChE), acetilkolinesteraze (AChE) i butirilkolinesteraze (BChE). Izloženi štakori imali su manje priraste težine od kontrolnih. Izloženost glifosatu uzrokovala je značajne poraste razine primarnih oštećenja DNA u jetrenim stanicama te malo manje u leukocitima. U svim izloženim skupinama izmjerene su niže vrijednosti TBARs u odnosu na kontrolu, sa značajno nižim vrijednostima u AOEL, ADI i cPAD skupinama u uzorcima jetre te u AOEL i cPAD skupinama u uzorcima plazme. Aktivnost AChE bila je smanjena u svim tretmanima, s najnižom stopom nakon izlaganja dozi ADI. Aktivnost BChE blago je smanjena nakon izlaganja ADI, a povećana nakon izlaganja dozama cPAD i 100xAOEL. Ukupna aktivnost ChE te razine ROS/GSH u plazmi / jetri nisu se značajno razlikovale od kontrole, osim značajnog smanjenja jetrenog GSH nakon izlaganja dozama cPAD i 100xAOEL te 35-postotnog smanjenja aktivnosti ChE nakon izlaganja dozama AOEL i ADI. Aktivnost GSH-Px u krvi značajno je smanjena u AOEL i ADI tretmanu, a aktivnost GSH-Px u uzorcima jetre značajno je povećana u skupinama ADI, cPAD i 100xAOEL prema kontroli. Dobiveni rezultati pokazuju da čak i izloženost vrlo niskim dozama glifosata može izazvati mjerljive toksične učinke te upućuje na potrebu za promjenom pristupa procjeni rizika zbog kronične/subkronične izloženosti niskim dozama glifosata gdje oksidacijski stres ne mora nužno korelirati s razinom oštećenja DNA i inhibicijom acetilkolinesteraz

DNA Damaging Effects, Oxidative Stress Responses and Cholinesterase Activity in Blood and Brain of Wistar Rats Exposed to Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol

Currently we are faced with an ever-growing use of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) preparations, often used as supportive therapies for various malignancies and neurological disorders. As some of illegally distributed forms of such preparations, like cannabis oils and butane hash oil, might contain over 80% of THC, their consumers can become intoxicated or experience various detrimental effects. This fact motivated us for the assessments of THC toxicity in vivo on a Wistar rat model, at a daily oral dose of 7 mg/kg which is comparable to those found in illicit preparations. The main objective of the present study was to establish the magnitude and dynamics of DNA breakage associated with THC exposure in white blood and brain cells of treated rats using the alkaline comet assay. The extent of oxidative stress after acute 24 h exposure to THC was also determined as well as changes in activities of plasma and brain cholinesterases (ChE) in THC-treated and control rats. The DNA of brain cells was more prone to breakage after THC treatment compared to DNA in white blood cells. Even though DNA damage quantified by the alkaline comet assay is subject to repair, its elevated level detected in the brain cells of THC-treated rats was reason for concern. Since neurons do not proliferate, increased levels of DNA damage present threats to these cells in terms of both viability and genome stability, while inefficient DNA repair might lead to their progressive loss. The present study contributes to existing knowledge with evidence that acute exposure to a high THC dose led to low-level DNA damage in white blood cells and brain cells of rats and induced oxidative stress in brain, but did not disturb ChE activities

Does poor methodological quality of prediction modeling studies translate to poor model performance?: An illustration in traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND: Prediction modeling studies often have methodological limitations, which may compromise model performance in new patients and settings. We aimed to examine the relation between methodological quality of model development studies and their performance at external validation. METHODS: We systematically searched for externally validated multivariable prediction models that predict functional outcome following moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. Risk of bias and applicability of development studies was assessed with the Prediction model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). Each model was rated for its presentation with sufficient detail to be used in practice. Model performance was described in terms of discrimination (AUC), and calibration. Delta AUC (dAUC) was calculated to quantify the percentage change in discrimination between development and validation for all models. Generalized estimation equations (GEE) were used to examine the relation between methodological quality and dAUC while controlling for clustering. RESULTS: We included 54 publications, presenting ten development studies of 18 prediction models, and 52 external validation studies, including 245 unique validations. Two development studies (four models) were found to have low risk of bias (RoB). The other eight publications (14 models) showed high or unclear RoB. The median dAUC was positive in low RoB models (dAUC 8%, [IQR - 4% to 21%]) and negative in high RoB models (dAUC - 18%, [IQR - 43% to 2%]). The GEE showed a larger average negative change in discrimination for high RoB models (- 32% (95% CI: - 48 to - 15) and unclear RoB models (- 13% (95% CI: - 16 to - 10)) compared to that seen in low RoB models. CONCLUSION: Lower methodological quality at model development associates with poorer model performance at external validation. Our findings emphasize the importance of adherence to methodological principles and reporting guidelines in prediction modeling studies

Irinotecan and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Interactions in Rat Liver: A Preliminary Evaluation Using Biochemical and Genotoxicity Markers

There is growing interest regarding the use of herbal preparations based on Cannabis sativa for medicinal purposes, despite the poorly understood interactions of their main constituent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with conventional drugs, especially cytostatics. The objective of this pilot study was to prove whether the concomitant intake of THC impaired liver function in male Wistar rats treated with the anticancer drug irinotecan (IRI), and evaluate the toxic effects associated with this exposure. IRI was administered once intraperitoneally (at 100 mg/kg of the body weight (b.w.)), while THC was administered per os repeatedly for 1, 3, and 7 days (at 7 mg/kg b.w.). Functional liver impairments were studied using biochemical markers of liver function (aspartate aminotransferase—AST, alanine aminotransferase—ALP, alkaline phosphatase—AP, and bilirubin) in rats given a combined treatment, single IRI, single THC, and control groups. Using common oxidative stress biomarkers, along with measurement of primary DNA damage in hepatocytes, the degree of impairments caused at the cellular level was also evaluated. THC caused a time-dependent enhancement of acute toxicity in IRI-treated rats, which was confirmed by body and liver weight reduction. Although single THC affected ALP and AP levels more than single IRI, the levels of liver function markers measured after the administration of a combined treatment mostly did not significantly differ from control. Combined exposure led to increased oxidative stress responses in 3- and 7-day treatments, compared to single IRI. Single IRI caused the highest DNA damage at all timepoints. Continuous 7-day oral exposure to single THC caused an increased mean value of comet tail length compared to its shorter treatments. Concomitant intake of THC slightly affected the levels of IRI genotoxicity at all timepoints, but not in a consistent manner. Further studies are needed to prove our preliminary observations, clarify the underlying mechanisms behind IRI and THC interactions, and unambiguously confirm or reject the assumptions made herein

Does poor methodological quality of prediction modeling studies translate to poor model performance? An illustration in traumatic brain injury

Background Prediction modeling studies often have methodological limitations, which may compromise model performance in new patients and settings. We aimed to examine the relation between methodological quality of model development studies and their performance at external validation. Methods We systematically searched for externally validated multivariable prediction models that predict functional outcome following moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. Risk of bias and applicability of development studies was assessed with the Prediction model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). Each model was rated for its presentation with sufficient detail to be used in practice. Model performance was described in terms of discrimination (AUC), and calibration. Delta AUC (dAUC) was calculated to quantify the percentage change in discrimination between development and validation for all models. Generalized estimation equations (GEE) were used to examine the relation between methodological quality and dAUC while controlling for clustering. Results We included 54 publications, presenting ten development studies of 18 prediction models, and 52 external validation studies, including 245 unique validations. Two development studies (four models) were found to have low risk of bias (RoB). The other eight publications (14 models) showed high or unclear RoB. The median dAUC was positive in low RoB models (dAUC 8%, [IQR − 4% to 21%]) and negative in high RoB models (dAUC − 18%, [IQR − 43% to 2%]). The GEE showed a larger average negative change in discrimination for high RoB models (− 32% (95% CI: − 48 to − 15) and unclear RoB models (− 13% (95% CI: − 16 to − 10)) compared to that seen in low RoB models. Conclusion Lower methodological quality at model development associates with poorer model performance at external validation. Our findings emphasize the importance of adherence to methodological principles and reporting guidelines in prediction modeling studies

Does poor methodological quality of prediction modeling studies translate to poor model performance?:An illustration in traumatic brain injury

BACKGROUND: Prediction modeling studies often have methodological limitations, which may compromise model performance in new patients and settings. We aimed to examine the relation between methodological quality of model development studies and their performance at external validation. METHODS: We systematically searched for externally validated multivariable prediction models that predict functional outcome following moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. Risk of bias and applicability of development studies was assessed with the Prediction model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST). Each model was rated for its presentation with sufficient detail to be used in practice. Model performance was described in terms of discrimination (AUC), and calibration. Delta AUC (dAUC) was calculated to quantify the percentage change in discrimination between development and validation for all models. Generalized estimation equations (GEE) were used to examine the relation between methodological quality and dAUC while controlling for clustering. RESULTS: We included 54 publications, presenting ten development studies of 18 prediction models, and 52 external validation studies, including 245 unique validations. Two development studies (four models) were found to have low risk of bias (RoB). The other eight publications (14 models) showed high or unclear RoB. The median dAUC was positive in low RoB models (dAUC 8%, [IQR − 4% to 21%]) and negative in high RoB models (dAUC − 18%, [IQR − 43% to 2%]). The GEE showed a larger average negative change in discrimination for high RoB models (− 32% (95% CI: − 48 to − 15) and unclear RoB models (− 13% (95% CI: − 16 to − 10)) compared to that seen in low RoB models. CONCLUSION: Lower methodological quality at model development associates with poorer model performance at external validation. Our findings emphasize the importance of adherence to methodological principles and reporting guidelines in prediction modeling studies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41512-022-00122-0