11 research outputs found
A qualitative study of healthcare professionals' experiences of providing maternity care for Muslim women in the UK.
BACKGROUND: A growing Muslim population in the UK suggests the need for healthcare professionals (HCPs) to gain a better understanding of how the Islamic faith influences health related perceptions and healthcare seeking behaviour. Although some researchers have explored the experiences of Muslim women as recipients of healthcare, little attention has been paid to the challenges HCPs face as service providers on a day-to-day basis whilst caring for Muslim women. The aim of this study was to investigate HPCs lived experiences of providing maternity care for Muslim women. METHOD: Data was collected through twelve semi-structured one-to-one qualitative interviews with HCPs in a large National Health Service (NHS) maternity unit located in the North West of England. Interview participants included Community and specialist clinic (e.g. clinic for non-English speakers), Midwives in a variety of specialist roles (7), Gynaecology Nurses (2), Breastfeeding Support Workers (2) and a Sonographer (1). The audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: The majority of participants expressed an understanding of some religious values and practices related to Muslim women, such as fasting the month of Ramadhan and that pregnant and breastfeeding women are exempt from this. However, HCPs articulated the challenges they faced when dealing with certain religious values and practices, and how they tried to respond to Muslim women's specific needs. Emerging themes included: 1) HCPs perceptions about Muslim women; 2) HCPs understanding and awareness of religious practices; 3) HCPs approaches in addressing and supporting Muslim women's religious needs; 4) Importance of training in providing culturally and religiously appropriate woman-centred care. CONCLUSION: Through this study we gained insight into the day-to-day experiences of HCPs providing care provision for Muslim women. HCPs showed an understanding of the importance of religious and cultural practices in addressing the needs of Muslim women as part of their role as maternity care providers. However, they also identified a need to develop training programmes that focus on cultural and religious practices and their impact on women's health care needs. This will help support HCPs in overcoming the challenges faced when dealing with needs of women from different backgrounds
Guidelines on experimental methods to assess mitochondrial dysfunction in cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases are a spectrum of chronic, debilitating disorders characterised by the progressive degeneration and death of neurons. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in most neurodegenerative diseases, but in many instances it is unclear whether such dysfunction is a cause or an effect of the underlying pathology, and whether it represents a viable therapeutic target. It is therefore imperative to utilise and optimise cellular models and experimental techniques appropriate to determine the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to neurodegenerative disease phenotypes. In this consensus article, we collate details on and discuss pitfalls of existing experimental approaches to assess mitochondrial function in in vitro cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases, including specific protocols for the measurement of oxygen consumption rate in primary neuron cultures, and single-neuron, time-lapse fluorescence imaging of the mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial NAD(P)H. As part of the Cellular Bioenergetics of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CeBioND) consortium ( www.cebiond.org ), we are performing cross-disease analyses to identify common and distinct molecular mechanisms involved in mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction in cellular models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. Here we provide detailed guidelines and protocols as standardised across the five collaborating laboratories of the CeBioND consortium, with additional contributions from other experts in the field
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Integrated analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic alterations in mouse models of ALS/FTD identify early metabolic adaptions with similarities to mitochondrial dysfunction disorders
Objective: Sporadic and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disease that results in loss of motor neurons and, in some patients, associates with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Apart from the accumulation of proteinaceous deposits, emerging literature indicates that aberrant mitochondrial bioenergetics may contribute to the onset and progression of ALS/FTD. Here we sought to investigate the pathophysiological signatures of mitochondrial dysfunction associated with ALS/FTD.
Methods: By means of label-free mass spectrometry (MS) and mRNA sequencing (mRNA-seq), we report pre-symptomatic changes in the cortices of TDP-43 and FUS mutant mouse models. Using tissues from transgenic mouse models of mitochondrial diseases as a reference, we performed comparative analyses and extracted unique and common mitochondrial signatures that revealed neuroprotective compensatory mechanisms in response to early damage.
Results: In this regard, upregulation of both Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long-Chain Family Member 3 (ACSL3) and mitochondrial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase 2 (YARS2) were the most representative change in pre-symptomatic ALS/FTD tissues, suggesting that fatty acid beta-oxidation and mitochondrial protein translation are mechanisms of adaptation in response to ALS/FTD pathology.
Conclusions: Together, our unbiased integrative analyses unveil novel molecular components that may influence mitochondrial homeostasis in the earliest phase of ALS
Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Biosensors to Explore AMPK Signaling and Energy Metabolism
International audienceMaintenance of energy homeostasis is a basic requirement for cell survival. Different mechanisms have evolved to cope with spatial and temporal mismatch between energy-providing and -consuming processes. Among these, signaling by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is one of the key players, regulated by and itself regulating cellular adenylate levels. Further understanding its complex cellular function requires deeper insight into its activation patterns in space and time at a single cell level. This may become possible with an increasing number of genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors, mostly based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer, which have been engineered to monitor metabolic parameters and kinase activities. Here, we review basic principles of biosensor design and function and the advantages and limitations of their use and provide an overview on existing FRET biosensors to monitor AMPK activation, ATP concentration, and ATP/ADP ratios, together with other key metabolites and parameters of energy metabolism