Exploring stigmatization in digital newspaper coverage of substance use disorder.

Substance use disorder is a global health issue that profoundly affects both individuals and societies. Social stigma acts as a significant barrier to treatment motivation. Mass media plays a substantial role in shaping societal perceptions. This study aims to identify stigmatizing attitudes in news narratives concerning substance use disorder as portrayed in digital newspapers. We examined news articles from the top eight national digital newspapers published during 2022 by using quantitative and retrospective content analysis. Following the review, we collected 1.233 news articles, removed 480 articles which were irrelevant or duplicate, and analyzed the remaining 753 articles using quantitative content analysis methods on SPSS 26.0. The majority of news articles depict substance use disorder in a negative consideration. The analysis revealed that nearly all news sources were news agencies and only 11% of the articles offered potential solutions. Alarmingly, 69.7% of the articles contained stigmatizing content, while 53.1% directly impacted the social lives of individuals with substance use disorder. Furthermore, 44.1% of the articles reinforced a dangerous perception associated with individuals with substance use disorder. To address these issues, we recommend a more empathetic portrayal of substance use disorder, support for help-seeking behavior, and advocacy for effective solutions in news coverage.

Morin provides therapeutic effect by attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, apoptosis, and oxidative DNA damage in testicular toxicity caused by ifosfamide in rats.

Objectives: In the present study, it was evaluated whether morin has a protective effect on testicular toxicity caused by ifosfamide (IFOS), which is used in the treatment of various malignancies. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, 100 or 200 mg/kg morin was given to Sprague Dawley rats for 2 days, and a single dose (500 mg/kg) IFOS was administered on the 2nd day. At the 24th hr of IFOS administration, animals were decapitated and testicular tissues were taken and the status of oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), autophagy, and apoptosis markers were analyzed by biochemical, molecular, and histopathological methods. Results: According to the data obtained, it was determined that IFOS caused oxidative stress in testicular tissues. It was observed that inflammation, ERS, autophagy, apoptosis, and oxidative DNA damage occurred with oxidative stress. Morin treatment suppressed oxidative stress. Morin showed anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TNF-α and IL-1ß protein levels. It also increased the mRNA transcript levels of the ERS marker ATF-6, PERK, IRE1, GRP-78, and CHOP genes, and the apoptosis marker genes Bax, Casp-3, and apaf-1. It up-regulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 gene and the cell survival signal AKT-2 gene. Morin caused a decrease in beclin-1 protein levels and showed an anti-autophagic effect. In addition, morin attenuated oxidative DNA damage and decreased 8-OHdG immune-positive cell numbers. Conclusion: As a result, it was observed that IFOS caused cellular damage by activating various signaling pathways in testicular tissue, while morin exhibited protective properties against this damage.

Facial emotion recognition in adolescent depression: The role of childhood traumas, emotion regulation difficulties, alexithymia and empathy.

Introduction: Facial emotion recognition (FER) is crucial for effective social competency, and problems in this skill are linked depression during adolescence. In this study, we aimed to find the rates of FER accuracy for negative (fearful, sad, angry, disgusted), positive (happy, surprised), and neutral emotions, and the possible predictors of FER skill for most confusing emotions. Subjects and Methods: A total of 67 drug-naive adolescents with depression (11 boys, 56 girls; 11-17 years) were recruited for the study. The facial emotion recognition test, childhood trauma questionnaire and basic empathy, difficulty of emotion regulation, and Toronto alexithymia scales were used. Results: The analysis demonstrated that adolescents have more difficulties in recognizing negative emotions when compared the positive ones. The most confusing emotion is fear (39.8% of fear was recognized as surprise). Boys have lower fear recognition skill than girls and higher childhood emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and difficulty in describing feelings to predict lower fear recognition skill. For sadness recognition skill, emotional neglect, difficulty in describing feelings, and depression severity were the negative predictors. Emotional empathy has a positive effect on disgust recognition skill. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that impairment of FER skill for negative emotions is associated with childhood traumas, emotion regulation difficulties, alexithymia, and empathy symptoms in adolescent depression.

Association Between Single-nucleotide Polymorphisms in Candidate Genes and Success of Pulpal Anesthesia after Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to investigate the possible association between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SCN9A, SCN10A, SCN11A, OPRM1, and COMT genes and the success rate of pulpal anesthesia after inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). METHODS: A total of 70 patients (45 females and 25 males) presenting mandibular molar teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis were included. Saliva samples were collected from the participants before the application of IANB. A standard IANB was performed with 1.8 mL 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine. Endodontic treatment was initiated 15 minutes after injection, and the patients were asked to report their pain level during the procedure on a 170-mm Heft-Parker visual analog scale. If the patient recorded a pain level of lower than 54 on the visual analog scale (no pain or mild pain), the anesthesia was considered successful. The DNA isolation and genotyping were performed, and the association between rs4286289, rs6746030, rs6795970, rs6801957, rs11709492, rs1799971, rs1799973, rs4680, rs6269, rs4633, and rs740603 SNPs and the success rate of anesthesia was investigated. RESULTS: The anesthesia success rate was significantly lower for the GG genotypes (45%) than the GA and AA genotypes (90%) for rs6795970 in the SCN10A gene. Additionally, the A allele for rs6795970 and the T allele for rs6801957 in the SCN10A gene were significantly associated with higher anesthesia success rates. CONCLUSIONS: SNPs in the SCN10A gene affect the success rate of pulpal anesthesia after IANB.

Relationship of Nurses' Professional Values and Attitudes With Their Professional Behaviors.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship of nurses' professional values and attitudes with their professional behaviors. The sample of the study included the nurses ( n = 235) at a hospital in Turkey. The results show that the importance given to professional values was high and that attitude toward the profession was positive; the importance given to professional values and positive attitude toward the profession increased in direct proportion to professional behaviors.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of MR-pro ADM, procalcitonin, and copeptin in sepsis.

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. There is a need for biomarkers that can be used for the diagnosis of sepsis and the early identification of patients at high risk of death. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM), procalcitonin (PCT), and copeptin in sepsis. A total of 28 sepsis, 32 septic shock, and 30 control patients were included in our prospective study. Patients' MR-proADM, PCT, and copeptin levels were recorded. Sequential organ failure assessment scores, length of hospital stay, and 30-day mortality were also recorded. These values were compared between the sepsis, septic shock, and control groups. The mean age of all participants was 64.04 ± 15.83 years. In the study, 37 (61.6%) patients were female and 23 (39.3%) were male. There was no statistically significant difference in gender/age between all patient groups and the control group (for all, p > 0.05). We found a significant difference between the survivors and nonsurvivors in terms of MR-proADM, PCT, and copeptin levels. There was a significant difference between the sepsis and septic shock groups in terms of MR-proADM and PCT. A significant correlation was found between the length of hospital stay and MR-proADM and copeptin. MR-proADM, PCT, and copeptin may be useful in the prognosis of sepsis and to predict the length of stay in hospital and mortality.

Ethyl chloride spray, a local anesthetic in arterial blood gas sampling: A randomized, controlled, double-blinded study.

AIM: Arterial blood gas sampling provides useful information on respiratory parameters and acid-base balance. However, this procedure is painful and uncomfortable for the patient. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the analgesic efficacy of ethyl chloride spray compared to a placebo during radial artery blood gas sampling. METHOD: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted at the emergency department of a tertiary hospital. A total of 202 patients were randomly divided into two groups: ethyl chloride spray (n = 101) and placebo (n = 101). The analgesic efficacy of ethyl chloride spray was compared with the placebo using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: The VAS score was determined to be 4 [interquartile range (IQR): 1.0] for the ethyl chloride spray group and 5 (IQR: 1.0) for the placebo group. The analgesic efficacy of ethyl chloride spray in reducing pain was statistically significantly higher compared to the placebo (p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Ethyl chloride spray has analgesic efficacy in arterial blood gas sampling. Therefore, the use of this spray provides an analgesic effect on patients during arterial blood gas sampling performed in the emergency department.

A Retrospective Evaluation on Demographic, Phenomenological, and Comorbidity Features of Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

ABSTRACT: The impacts of sex, age of onset, phenotype, and comorbidity on clinical features were explored in a large clinical sample with pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (p-OCD) (n = 457), along with concomitant specific features in the framework of different symptom dimensions/phenotypes, by a retrospective cross-sectional evaluation design. The most prevalent phenotype was obsession/checking (almost half), and the clinical features belonging to different phenotypes varied among sexes, age of onset, severity, and comorbidities. The contamination and aggressive obsessions, along with the compulsions such as cleaning and repeating routine activities, were the most prevalent symptoms, which were prevalently accompanied by generalized anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and depression. Females with OCD were likely prone to exhibit comorbid internalizing disorders, whereas males were prone to externalizing. This recent study on a large Turkish clinical sample of p-OCD followed up within 5 years, highlighting separate evidence on subtyping of p-OCD in phenotype and comorbidity frame.

Phospholipid Membrane Formation Templated by Coacervate Droplets.

We report the formation of coacervate-supported phospholipid membranes by hydrating a dried lipid film in the presence of coacervate droplets. Coacervate-supported membranes were characterized by fluorescence imaging, polarization, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of labeled lipids, lipid quenching experiments, and solute uptake experiments. Our findings are consistent with the presence of lipid membranes around the coacervates, with many droplets fully coated by what appear to be continuous lipid bilayers. In contrast to traditional giant lipid vesicles formed by gentle hydration in the absence of coacervates, the coacervate-templated membrane vesicles are more uniform in size, shape, and apparent lamellarity. Due to their fully coacervate model cytoplasm, these simple artificial cells are macromolecularly crowded and can be easily pre-loaded with high concentrations of proteins or nucleic acids. Within the same population, in addition to coacervate droplets having intact lipid membrane coatings, other coacervate droplets are coated with membranes having defects or pores that permit solute entry, and some are coated with multilayered membranes. Membranes surrounding protein-based coacervate droplets provided protection from a protease added to the external solution. The simplicity of producing artificial cells having a coacervate model cytoplasm surrounded by a model membrane is at the same time interesting as a potential mechanism for prebiotic protocell formation and appealing for biotechnology. We anticipate that such structures could serve as a new type of model system for understanding interactions between intracellular phases and cell or organelle membranes, which are implicated in a growing number of processes ranging from neurotransmission to signaling.

Prebiotically-relevant low polyion multivalency can improve functionality of membraneless compartments.

Multivalent polyions can undergo complex coacervation, producing membraneless compartments that accumulate ribozymes and enhance catalysis, and offering a mechanism for functional prebiotic compartmentalization in the origins of life. Here, we evaluate the impact of lower, more prebiotically-relevant, polyion multivalency on the functional performance of coacervates as compartments. Positively and negatively charged homopeptides with 1-100 residues and adenosine mono-, di-, and triphosphate nucleotides are used as model polyions. Polycation/polyanion pairs are tested for coacervation, and resulting membraneless compartments are analyzed for salt resistance, ability to provide a distinct internal microenvironment (apparent local pH, RNA partitioning), and effect on RNA structure formation. We find that coacervates formed by phase separation of the shorter polyions more effectively generated distinct pH microenvironments, accumulated RNA, and preserved duplexes than those formed by longer polyions. Hence, coacervates formed by reduced multivalency polyions are not only viable as functional compartments for prebiotic chemistries, they can outperform higher molecular weight analogues.

Lipid Vesicle-Coated Complex Coacervates.

Compartmentalization by complex coacervation is important across a range of different fields including subcellular and prebiotic organization, biomedicine, food science, and personal care products. Often, lipid self-assemblies such as vesicles are also present intracellularly or in commercial formulations. A systematic understanding of how phospholipid vesicles interact with different complex coacervates could provide insight and improve control over these systems. In this manuscript, anionic phospholipid vesicles were added to a series of different complex coacervate samples in which coacervates were formed by mixing one of five polycations with one of three (poly)anions that varied in chemical structure and length. Vesicles were found to assemble at the coacervate/continuous phase interface and/or form aggregates. We report how factors such as the charge density of polyelectrolytes and the charge ratio of cationic-to-anionic moieties impact the vesicle distribution in coacervate samples. Our findings emphasize the importance of interactions between vesicles and polycations in the dilute supernatant phase for determining whether the vesicles aggregate prior to assembly at the liquid-liquid interface. The uptake of an RNA oligonucleotide (A15) was also investigated to understand the effect of these liposome coatings on diffusion into coacervate droplets. Systems in which uniform vesicle coronas assemble around coacervate droplets without restricting the entry of biomolecules such as RNAs could be of interest as bioreactors.

Physical Principles and Extant Biology Reveal Roles for RNA-Containing Membraneless Compartments in Origins of Life Chemistry.

This Perspective focuses on RNA in biological and nonbiological compartments resulting from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), with an emphasis on origins of life. In extant cells, intracellular liquid condensates, many of which are rich in RNAs and intrinsically disordered proteins, provide spatial regulation of biomolecular interactions that can result in altered gene expression. Given the diversity of biogenic and abiogenic molecules that undergo LLPS, such membraneless compartments may have also played key roles in prebiotic chemistries relevant to the origins of life. The RNA World hypothesis posits that RNA may have served as both a genetic information carrier and a catalyst during the origin of life. Because of its polyanionic backbone, RNA can undergo LLPS by complex coacervation in the presence of polycations. Phase separation could provide a mechanism for concentrating monomers for RNA synthesis and selectively partition longer RNAs with enzymatic functions, thus driving prebiotic evolution. We introduce several types of LLPS that could lead to compartmentalization and discuss potential roles in template-mediated non-enzymatic polymerization of RNA and other related biomolecules, functions of ribozymes and aptamers, and benefits or penalties imparted by liquid demixing. We conclude that tiny liquid droplets may have concentrated precious biomolecules and acted as bioreactors in the RNA World.

Factors associated with problematic internet use among children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association of problematic internet use with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), personal risk factors, and familial factors and compare with a healthy control group and investigate the risk factors. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 34 children aged 12-16 years and their families who applied to Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry with the diagnosis of ADHD. The control group consisted of 36 junior high and high school children aged 12-16 years and their families. The control group was matched with the ADHD group for age and sex. The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Present and LifetimeVersion (K-SADS-PL) version was used according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV criteria for patients with ADHD and the control group. Internet/Computer Use Assessment Questionnaire for Children/Adolescents, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire adolescent form (SDQ), and Online Cognition Scale (OCS) were applied to children. Internet/Computer Use Assessment Questionnaire for Parents and SDQ-parent form and Family Assessment (FAS) were applied to the parents. RESULTS: Weekly internet usage was higher in the ADHD group than the control group. The OCS total scores and subscale scores were significantly higher in the ADHD group. The subscales of SDQ hyperactivity, conduct problems, and peer problems were significantly higher in the ADHD group. FAS-general functions, communication, roles and behavior control subscale scores were higher in the ADHD group. There was no significant difference between groups regarding the internet usage in the daily life, with the availability of a computer and internet at home. In the ADHD group, there was a significant correlation between the OCS scores, weekly internet usage, and psychiatric comorbidities Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. Also, affective responsiveness subscale scores of FAS were significantly correlated with OCS scores in the ADHD group. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was noted that problematic internet use was more frequent in ADHD. During ADHD treatment, problematic internet use may interfere in the treatment goals. Interventions to problematic internet use should consider familial emotional expression studies.

Combining Catalytic Microparticles with Droplets Formed by Phase Coexistence: Adsorption and Activity of Natural Clays at the Aqueous/Aqueous Interface.

Natural clay particles have been hypothesized as catalysts on the early Earth, potentially facilitating the formation of early organic (bio) molecules. Association of clay particles with droplets formed by liquid-liquid phase separation could provide a physical mechanism for compartmentalization of inorganic catalysts in primitive protocells. Here we explore the distribution of natural clay mineral particles in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/dextran (Dx) aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS). We compared the three main types of natural clay: kaolinite, montmorillonite and illite, all of which are aluminosilicates of similar composition and surface charge. The three clay types differ in particle size, crystal structure, and their accumulation at the ATPS interface and ability to stabilize droplets against coalescence. Illite and kaolinite accumulated at the aqueous/aqueous interface, stabilizing droplets against coalescence but not preventing their eventual sedimentation due to the mass of adsorbed particles. The ability of each clay-containing ATPS to catalyze reaction of o-phenylenediamine with peroxide to form 2,3-diaminophenazone was evaluated. We observed modest rate increases for this reaction in the presence of clay-containing ATPS over clay in buffer alone, with illite outperforming the other clays. These findings are encouraging because they support the potential of combining catalytic mineral particles with aqueous microcompartments to form primitive microreactors.

RNA-Based Coacervates as a Model for Membraneless Organelles: Formation, Properties, and Interfacial Liposome Assembly.

Liquid-liquid phase separation is responsible for formation of P granules, nucleoli, and other membraneless subcellular organelles composed of RNA and proteins. Efforts to understand the physical basis of liquid organelle formation have thus far focused on intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) as major components that dictate occurrence and properties. Here, we show that complex coacervates composed of low complexity RNA (polyuridylic acid, polyU) and short polyamines (spermine and spermidine) share many features of IDP-based coacervates. PolyU/polyamine coacervates compartmentalize biomolecules (peptides, oligonucleotides) in a sequence- and length-dependent manner. These solutes retain mobility within the coacervate droplets, as demonstrated by rapid recovery from photobleaching. Coacervation is reversible with changes in solution temperature due to changes in the polyU structure that impact its interactions with polyamines. We further demonstrate that lipid vesicles assemble at the droplet interface without impeding RNA entry/egress. These vesicles remain intact at the interface and can be released upon temperature-induced droplet dissolution.

Selective photosensitization through an AND logic response: optimization of the pH and glutathione response of activatable photosensitizers.

A series of pH and GSH responsive photosensitizers were designed and synthesized. pKa values were optimized by adjusting the inductive contribution of substituents to reach a pH range (6.0-7.4) relevant to the tumour microenvironment. pH-Activatable behaviour and redox mediated release of the quencher from the PS by GSH allow the construction of an AND logic operator for selective photodynamic action in aqueous solutions.

Near-IR absorbing BODIPY derivatives as glutathione-activated photosensitizers for selective photodynamic action.

Enhanced spatiotemporal selectivity in photonic sensitization of dissolved molecular oxygen is an important target for improving the potential and the practical applications of photodynamic therapy. Considering the high intracellular glutathione concentrations within cancer cells, a series of BODIPY-based sensitizers that can generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen only after glutathione-mediated cleavage of the electron-sink module were designed and synthesized. Cell culture studies not only validate our design, but also suggest an additional role for the relatively hydrophobic quencher module in the internalization of the photosensitizer.

Myocardial noncompaction: report of three cases.

Myocardial noncompaction is a rare type of cardiomyopathy which can be an isolated entity or in association with other congenital heart diseases. We present three children with myocardial noncompaction: one male with isolated left ventricular noncompaction, another with right ventricular noncompaction and dysplastic tricuspid valve, and the last with left ventricular noncompaction, ventricular septal defect and coarctation of aorta, to stress especially the different clinical forms of the disorder and the importance of early diagnosis, as it may result in a fatal outcome.

Transient nonketotic hyperglycinemia: two case reports and literature review.

Transient nonketotic hyperglycinemia is characterized by clinical and biochemical findings similar to those seen in classic nonketotic hyperglycinemia. Abnormalities in amino acids are partially or completely resolved in a period ranging from days to months. Almost all patients with the classic form of nonketotic hyperglycinemia survive with severe neurologic sequela, whereas most of the patients with the transient form exhibit normal development. Therefore, distinguishing the transient form of nonketotic hyperglycinemia from classic nonketotic hyperglycinemia is important to predict outcome of the patients. Transient nonketotic hyperglycinemia has been reported in only seven neonates. This article adds two cases to the transient nonketotic hyperglycinemia and reviews the relevant literature. Common clinical features were determined, and presence of miotic pupils was stressed.