Subjctive assessment of the quality of life of patients with rheumatological diseases

Background: Nowadays, rheumatic diseases are increasingly recognized as chronic diseases that lead to disability, reduced quality of life and dependence on others. They are caused by pain, stiffness and reduced mobility in the joints. Early treatment and rehabilitation can improve quality of life, prolong functional abilities and independence.Objectives: Assessment of functioning and quality of life in patients with rheumatologic diseases.Material and methods: The study group consisted of 200 patients diagnosed with rheumatological disease. The research method was the diagnostic survey method. As a technique, the survey technique was used, and the tool for collecting data from patients was a questionnaire, consisting of two parts: a questionnaire and a standardized quality of life questionnaire SF-36.Results: By far the greatest in the study group of patients were limitations in the performance of roles due to physical health (score at the average level of 96.8%) and also limitations due to emotional problems (score at the average level of 72.0%) classified as high. The severity of the study patients' limitations in physical functioning (50.6%), severity of pain (56.0%), assessment of general health (53.0%) and vitality (53.5%) were rated at medium level. The study patients' limitations in social functioning (34.8%) and mental health (46.2%) were relatively low.Conclusions: The quality of life of patients with rheumatologic diseases is rated at an average level, the physical dimension was rated worse by older people and better by people with higher education

Adults' spatial scaling from memory: Comparing the visual and haptic domain

The current study compared adults' spatial scaling from memory in the visual and haptic domain. Adults (N = 32, ages 19-27 years) were presented with a spatial-scaling task in a visual condition as well as a haptic condition (in which participants were blindfolded throughout the experimental session). In both conditions, they were presented with an embossed graphic including a target (i.e., a map). Then, they were asked to encode this map and to place a disc at the same spot on an empty referent space from memory. Maps had three different sizes whereas the referent space had a constant size, resulting in three different scaling factors (1:1, 1:2, 1:4). Participants' response times and absolute errors were measured. Order of perceptual condition was counterbalanced across participants. Analyses indicated that response times and absolute errors increased linearly with higher scaling factors in the visual as well as the haptic perceptual condition. In analogy to mental imagery research, these results suggest the usage of mental transformation strategies for spatial scaling

Melatonin promotes seed germination under salinity and enhances the biosynthesis of steviol glycosides in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves

Melatonin (MEL) can act as a plant growth regulator and biostimulator in stressful situations. Using MEL in seed pretreatment also affects the future growth of plants. Therefore, this research investigated the effects of MEL on seed germination and seedling growth under NaCl in in vitro conditions. The additional effects of MEL on the accumulation of steviol glycosides (SGs) and on the expression of appropriate genes were also studied. Five μM of MEL was the best concentration for seed germination, while 20 μM exerted a positive impact on the biomass of stevia plantlets. NaCl significantly decreased seed germination, but MEL alleviated this effect when seeds were germinated in 50 mM of NaCl. Under salinity, the values of almost all morphological traits decreased as MEL concentration increased. The highest amounts of stevioside and rebaudioside A (Reb A) were observed as a result of treating seeds with 5 and 20 μM of MEL, respectively. When adding NaCl, positive impacts of MEL on the accumulation of both SGs were also observed. Expression analyses of the genes involved in SGs biosynthesis was explored in seeds and leaves, and the transcripts of key enzymes occurred in both the tissues. However, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis showed that all tested genes were upregulated in younger leaves, contrary to older ones. Also in younger, rather than older, leaves SG gene expression varied according to MEL concentration. This study, therefore, presents the promising potential of MEL for improving stevia seed germination under salinity conditions and for enhancing the production of SGs in stevia plants

Pursuing the Complete OFF State in Photoswitchable Catalysis

Practically, all photoswitchable catalysts exhibit residual activity in the OFF state. Herein, we present a ruthenium initiator with a built-in photoswitch whose metathetical performance is completely shut off by light. The system is made of Hoveyda−Grubbs second-generation complexes appended, along with background ligands, to a gold nanoparticle surface via azobenzene linkers. Under dark or visible light - the precatalysts, in the presence of an olefin, undergo initiation, diffuse from the surface into bulk solution, and commence metathesis reaction. When the conditions are changed to ultraviolet, the isomerization of the azo switches takes place, burying the precatalysts within the bulky organic monolayer, thus preventing their initiation and thereby halting the reaction. Despite the irreversibility of the process, this work opens up opportunities for the remote deactivation of catalysts without their chemical decomposition and control of more complex tasks such as chemical selectivity

Zinc Deficiency and Depression

Zinc deficiency has multiple effects, including neurological and somatic symptoms. Zinc deficiency can lead to depression, increased anxiety, irritability, emotional instability, and induced deficits in social behavior. Clinical studies have shown that low levels of zinc intake contributes to the symptoms of depression and patients suffering from depression have a lower serum zinc level. Also the animal studies have shown an important role of dietary zinc deficiency in the induction of depressive‐like symptoms. Moreover, both preclinical and clinical studies have indicated the potential benefits of zinc supplementation as an adjunct to conventional antidepressant drugs or as a stand‐alone intervention. This chapter focuses on the role of the zinc deficiency in the pathogenesis of depression, changes in animal behavior induced by dietary zinc restriction, the role of zinc supplementation in the treatment of depression, and the possible mechanisms involved in these relationships. Both clinical and preclinical studies related to these findings will be discussed

Patterns of bilingual language use and response inhibition : a test of the adaptive control hypothesis

Given prior studies that provided inconsistent results, there is an ongoing debate on the issue of whether bilingualism benefits cognitive control. We tested the Adaptive Control Hypothesis, according to which only the intense use of different languages in the same situation without mixing them in single utterances (called dual-language context) confers a bilingual advantage in response inhibition. In a large-scale correlational study, we attempted to circumvent several pitfalls of previous research on the bilingual advantage by testing a relatively large sample of participants and employing a more reliable and valid measurement of constructs (i.e., latent variable approach accompanied by Bayesian estimation). Our results do not support the Adaptive Control Hypothesis' prediction: the intensity of the dual-language context experience was unrelated to the efficiency of response inhibition in bilinguals. The results suggest that the Adaptive Control Hypothesis is not likely to account for the inconsistent results regarding the bilingual advantage hypothesis, at least in the case of the response-inhibition mechanism. At the same time, the study points to the problem of measuring the response-inhibition construct at the behavioral level. No evidence for a robust response-inhibition construct adds to the growing skepticism on this issue in the literature

The effect of antioxidants on photoreactivity and phototoxic potential of RPE melanolipofuscin granules from human donors of different age

One of the most prominent age-related changes of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the accumulation of melanolipofuscin granules, which could contribute to oxidative stress in the retina. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of melanolipofuscin granules from younger and older donors to photogenerate reactive oxygen species, and to examine if natural antioxidants could modify the phototoxic potential of this age pigment. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry, EPR-spin trapping, and time-resolved detection of near-infrared phosphorescence were employed for measuring photogeneration of superoxide anion and singlet oxygen by melanolipofuscin isolated from younger and older human donors. Phototoxicity mediated by internalized melanolipofuscin granules with and without supplementation with zeaxanthin and α-tocopherol was analyzed in ARPE-19 cells by determining cell survival, oxidation of cellular proteins, organization of the cell cytoskeleton, and the cell specific phagocytic activity. Supplementation with antioxidants reduced aerobic photoreactivity and phototoxicity of melanolipofuscin granules. The effect was particularly noticeable for melanolipofuscin mediated inhibition of the cell phagocytic activity. Antioxidants decreased the extent of melanolipofuscin-dependent oxidation of cellular proteins and disruption of the cell cytoskeleton. Although melanolipofuscin might be involved in chronic phototoxicity of the aging RPE, natural antioxidants could partially ameliorate these harmful effects

Antidepressant-like activity of magnesium in the olfactory bulbectomy model is associated with the AMPA/BDNF pathway

Rationale. Numerous studies suggest agents that act on glutamatergic transmission as potential antidepressants. Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that magnesium, an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor blocker, may be useful in the treatment of depression. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of magnesium on behavior; protein levels of GluN2A, GluN2B [N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunits], GluA1 [α-amino-3-hydroxy-5 methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) subunit], phospho-Ser-831-GluA1 (P-S831), phospho-Ser-845-GluA1 (P-S845), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of GluN2A and GluN2B in different brain areas in the olfactory bulbectomy (OB) model of depression in rats. Methods. Magnesium was administered once daily for 14 days at three doses (10, 15, and 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) to sham and OB rats. Following treatment, open field and passive avoidance tests were performed in the sham and OB rats. After 24 h, the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and the amygdala of rats treated with the most active dose (15 mg/kg) were harvested, and the protein and mRNA levels were determined. Results. Chronic administration of magnesium (15 and 20 mg/kg) reduced the number of trials required to learn passive avoidance and reduced the OB-induced hyperactivity. OB increased the P-S845 level in the hippocampus, which was reduced by magnesium treatment. Magnesium significantly increased the levels of BDNF, GluN2B, P-S831, and P-S845 protein (and mRNA) primarily in the PFC and the hippocampus in OB rats. Conclusion. For the first time, the present results demonstrate the antidepressant-like activity of magnesium in the OB animal model of depression and indicate the potential involvement of the AMPA/BDNF pathway in this activity

Antioxidant-loaded mesoporous silica : an evaluation of the physicochemical properties

The dangerous effects of oxidative stress can be alleviated by antioxidants—substances with the ability to prevent damage caused by reactive oxygen species. The adsorption of antioxidants onto nanocarriers is a well-known method that might protect them against rough environ-mental conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the adsorption and desorption of gallic acid (GA), protocatechuic acid (PCA), chlorogenic acid (CGA), and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) using commercially available mesoporous silica materials (MSMs), both parent (i.e., SBA-15 and MCM-41) and surface functionalized (i.e., SBA-NH2 and SBA-SH). The MSMs loaded with active compounds were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermoporometry (TPM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-CAD) was used to evaluate the performance of the adsorption and desorption processes. The antioxidant potential was investigated using the Folin–Ciocalteu (FC) spectrophotometric method. Among the studied MSMs, the highest adsorption of GA was observed for amine-modified SBA-15 mesoporous silica. The adsorption capacity of SBA-NH2 increased in the order of PCA, 4-HBA < GA < CGA. Different desorption effectiveness levels of the adsorbed compounds were observed with the antioxidant capacity preserved for all investigated compounds