Associations of couples' balanced time perspective with maternal prenatal hair cortisol concentration and perceived stress.

OBJECTIVE: The stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy not only has a negative impact on her well-being and physical health but also adversely affects the fetus. Stress is strongly linked with time perspective, defined as the tendency to focus on the past, present, or future. The study aimed to investigate how couples' balanced time perspective was related to maternal prenatal hair cortisol concentration and perceived stress in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. METHOD: The participants were pregnant women and their male partners (84 couples). Women completed online questionnaires: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), the Dark Future Scale (DFS), and the Perceived Stress Scale, while men completed online versions of the ZTPI and the DFS. These questionnaire measurements were conducted in the first and third trimesters. Maternal cortisol levels were measured in hair samples taken during gynecological visits, in the first and third trimesters. RESULTS: The study revealed that the more unbalanced the partner's time perspective, the more unbalanced the pregnant woman's time perspective and, consequently, the higher the stress perceived by the pregnant woman. This effect was present in both the first (B = 1.06, SE =.36, p <.001, 95 % CI [.398, 1.826]) and the third trimesters (B =.98, SE =.36, p <.001, 95 % CI [.327, 1.774]). Moreover, the more unbalanced the partner's time perspective, the more unbalanced the woman's time perspective and, consequently, the lower the hair cortisol concentration in the first trimester (B = -.08, SE =.04, p <.05, 95 % CI [-.171, -.010]). Partner's unbalanced time perspective in the first trimester was also a predictor of stress perceived by the woman in the third trimester (t = 2.38, p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the significance of the partner's time perspective for the pregnant woman's mental health. The partner's unbalanced, negative time perspective in the first trimester may increase the pregnant woman's stress in the third trimester. This effect can be even stronger than that of the woman's time perspective.

Circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions in relation to prenatal stress and depression symptoms.

Circadian rhythm and sleep are related to health, but there is little data on the relationship between the sleep/wake rhythm and mood at different stages of pregnancy. The aim of this prospective, longitudinal study was to investigate the associations of circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions with stress and depression among women in early and late pregnancy. The participants were 26 pregnant women. Objective and subjective estimations of circadian rhythm and sleep were administered, namely actigraphy and the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry in the form of a questionnaire. The Perceived Stress Scale and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were also used. Subjectively perceived circadian rhythm disruptions were positively related to stress. Tendency to maintain a regular rhythm of sleep and activity in early pregnancy and subjectively perceived disruptions of circadian rhythms in late pregnancy were positively associated with prenatal depression in late pregnancy. Sleep fragmentation and long time spent in bed at night in early pregnancy were positively associated with stress and depression in late pregnancy. The results suggest the importance of flexibility and the ability to adapt one's circadian activities to the demands of the situation of pregnancy-related changes in lifestyle. They also indicate the significance of good-quality uninterrupted night sleep in early pregnancy.

Assessment of Directional-Hemispherical Reflectance of Tablets with Cefuroxime during Storage under Elevated Temperature and Ultraviolet Radiation.

Environmental conditions can lead to changes in the physical and chemical structures of drug products. In this study, the stability of cefuroxime tablets stored under adverse conditions was evaluated based on total directional-hemispherical reflectance (THR). The THR value was measured before and after the tablets' exposure to stress factors (temperature of 45 °C and UV radiation). Each measurement was performed three times within seven spectral bands at the beginning of the experiment (day 0), and then on days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. In addition, hyperspectral profiles (400-1030 nm) were analyzed on days 0 and 7. A significant decrease in THR values in all wavelength ranges was observed when day 7 vs. day 0 were compared, especially for spectral bands of 335-380 nm and 1700-2500 nm (Δ = 0.220, p < 0.001 and Δ = 0.171, p < 0.001, respectively). The hyperspectral analysis confirmed a decrease in the reflectance after the end of stress conditions in the visible light range (400-700 nm) compared to tablets before the experiment. This may indicate that more radiation entered the tablets. In conclusion, the THR of cefuroxime tablets decreases during the exposure to heat and UV radiation, which may result from some physicochemical changes that have occurred during storage.

Sleep, circadian activity patterns and postpartum depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of actigraphy studies.

Transition to motherhood is a period full of challenges and demands. In this review, we focused on the associations of sleep and circadian activity patterns during and after pregnancy with postpartum mental health factors. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted (PROSPERO reference 316,505). A search for articles was performed using PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane, DARE, hand search, and citation tracking. The search was meant to identify peer-reviewed, experimental and observational studies reporting on women over 18 years old that assessed sleep and circadian activity patterns during pregnancy or postpartum using actigraphy, and investigated postpartum mental health factors. Nineteen relevant publications were selected. Postpartum total sleep at night was the indicator that was most closely related to the psychological functioning of women after childbirth. The results of the systematic review indicated that postpartum total sleep at night was related to postpartum fatigue, and the results of the meta-analysis suggested that total sleep at night was most strongly linked with postpartum depression. More studies are needed to estimate the associations of sleep-wake rhythm during pregnancy and in the postpartum period with postpartum mental health factors.

The relationship of couples' time perspective to pregnant women's depression symptoms and stress: Preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship of a couple's time perspective to a woman's depression symptoms and stress. METHOD: The participants were 48 pregnant women and 46 male partners of these women. The measurements have been taken during the first and third trimester. Women were examined by gynecologists during gynecological visits. During these visits measurements of gynecological pregnancy evaluation were administered. Then women completed online questionnaires: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory Past Negative scale, the Dark Future Scale, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale at home. Men completed online questionnaires: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory Past Negative scale, and the Dark Future Scale at home. RESULTS: The results showed that women's past negative perspective in the first trimester was related to depression symptoms and stress in the first trimester. In the third trimester, women's future negative perspective was related to depression symptoms. Men's future negative perspective in the first trimester was related to women's stress in the first trimester. Moreover, the results suggest that the level of the woman's future negative perspective significantly increases during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Attitudes towards time of both the pregnant woman and her partner are related to the emotional state of the woman during pregnancy.

Are There Differences in the Homogeneity of the Parts of Tablets Obtained after Subdivision?-A Preliminary Assessment Using an X-ray Microtomography.

Aim: The study aimed to analyze the weight and homogeneity of the parts of tablets containing carbamazepine and tablets with trazodone hydrochloride, obtained after subdivision with a kitchen knife. X-ray microtomography was used for homogeneity analysis. Methods: 30 tablets with carbamazepine and 30 tablets with trazodone hydrochloride were analyzed in terms of weight uniformity after subdivision. Then, seven tablets of each type were analyzed using an X-ray microtomography (Phoenix vǀtomeǀx, General Electric). The absorption of X-rays by an object is proportional to its density. In turn, measurement of the density of the analyzed object in a microtomographic image is the grayscale level. Based on the correlation between the grayscale value and the reference density, from the calibration phantom, we were able to determine the density of any area of the tablet's scan. Results: During the subdivision, the weight loss exceeded 3% for two carbamazepine tablets, while for trazodone tablets, none lost more than 3%, which is the limit recommended by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As to the density of the tablets resulting from the microtomographic analysis, two of the whole tablets containing trazodone hydrochloride had a significantly higher density than the remainder (p < 0.001). Similarly, some differences in density were observed in the analysis of the density of tablets of carbamazepine (p = 0.008). Parts of one of the analyzed tablets with trazodone obtained after subdivision differed in terms of pixel brightness, thus density. On the other hand, the uniform density was observed for parts of the split tablets containing carbamazepine. Conclusions: Parts of the trazodone hydrochloride tablets obtained after subdivision differed in terms of homogeneity and weight. Microtomographic methods may be an interesting and useful method for evaluating the uniformity of compounds in solid dosage forms.

Destiny or control of one's future? Fatalistic time perspective and self-esteem in extraverts and introverts.

A sense of control over time and over what is happening in life is highly significant for psychological functioning. The aim of this experiment was to test the effect of fatalistic time perspective on self-esteem in extraverts and introverts. We conducted an experiment in which fatalistic time perspective was induced in participants (N = 104) high and low in extraversion. The experimental group's task was to put themselves into the situation of the presented character, who exhibited a strongly fatalistic time perspective. The results showed that introverts after the induction of fatalistic time perspective had higher self-esteem than introverts after neutral induction. There was no significant difference in self-esteem between extraverts after the induction of fatalistic time perspective and extraverts after neutral induction. We interpreted the results in the context of the interactive model of fatalism.

Variations in the Rate of Infestations of Dogs with Zoonotic Nematodes and the Contamination of Soil in Different Environments.

Companion animals are an important aspect in human life. However, they may also be considered a source of pathogens. An example of zoonotic parasitoses is toxocarosis or cutaneous larva migrans (CLM). The aim of the study was to detect zoonotic nematodes of dogs living in different areas and the intensity of contamination in parasite polluted environments that are hazardous to human health. The fecal samples were examined using standard flotation and decantation methods as well as McMaster's quantitative technique. The soil samples in urban and rural areas were examined using a modified flotation method as described by Quinn et al. Statistical analyses were performed by IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23. The overall prevalence of parasites in dogs was 38%, 17.02% and 56.60% from urban and rural areas, respectively. The percentage values of nematodes important for human health (Toxocaracanis, Ancylostomatidae, Trichurisvulpis) remained at the same level (16%). The infected dogs were dominated by a single parasite species, the main was T.canis (28.95%). In total, 54.30% of the soil samples were contaminated with parasite eggs. The contamination of urban and rural sandpits was 40% and 60%, respectively. The molecular examinations of soil samples using LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) confirmed the presence of nematode eggs of the species T.canis in all samples previously classified as positive.