Self-reported neurostimulant use among university students in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

University students frequently resort to psychostimulants to enhance their physical and mental performance and manage academic pressures. However, these substances can lead to dependence and other undesired symptoms, and little empirical data are available for relevant stakeholders, raising significant concerns in health care. Therefore, this study aims to characterize neurostimulant use among university students in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Lower and higher volumes of physical exercise build up brain reserves against memory deficits triggered by a head injury in mice.

Decreasing neurotrophic support and impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics are key mechanisms for long-term neurodegeneration and cognitive decline after traumatic brain injury (TBI). We hypothesize that preconditioning with lower and higher volumes of physical exercise upregulates the CREB-BDNF axis and bioenergetic capability, which might serve as neural reserves against cognitive impairment after severe TBI. Using a running wheel mounted in the home cage, mice were engaged in lower (LV, 48 h free access, and 48 h locked) and higher (HV, daily free access) exercise volumes for thirty days.

Biological rhythms disruption mediates the association between mother's diagnosis of bipolar disorder and offspring's emotional/behavioral problems.

Objective: The current study assesses whether the association between diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder (BD) in mothers and emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) in their offspring is mediated by a disruption in the offspring's biological rhythms.

Methods: A probabilistic sample of 492 public school children (ages 7-8, 48 % female) were assessed for biological rhythms disruption and EBP using the Biological Rhythms Interview for Assessment in Neuropsychiatry for Kids and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, respectively. Mothers' mental health (BD = 64) was evaluated using a standardized clinical interview.

Flavonoid Derivatives as New Potent Inhibitors of Cysteine Proteases: An Important Step toward the Design of New Compounds for the Treatment of Leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease, affecting more than 350 million people globally. However, there is currently no vaccine available against human leishmaniasis, and current treatment is hampered by high cost, side-effects, and painful administration routes. It has become a United Nations goal to end leishmaniasis epidemics by 2030, and multitarget drug strategy emerges as a promising alternative.

Increased ATP Release and Higher Impact of Adenosine A Receptors on Corticostriatal Plasticity in a Rat Model of Presymptomatic Parkinson's Disease.

Extracellular ATP can be a danger signal, but its role in striatal circuits afflicted in Parkinson's disease (PD) is unclear and was now investigated. ATP was particularly released at high stimulation intensities from purified striatal nerve terminals of mice, which were endowed with different ATP-P2 receptors (P2R), although P2R antagonists did not alter corticostriatal transmission or plasticity. Instead, ATP was extracellularly catabolized into adenosine through CD73 to activate adenosine A receptors (AR) modulating corticostriatal long-term potentiation (LTP) in mice.

Locoregional relapse after sparing mastectomies and immediate reconstruction in women with breast cancer.

Introduction: In recent years, cultural changes in today's society and improved risk assessment have increased the indication for mastectomies in women with breast cancer. Various studies have confirmed the oncological safety of sparing mastectomies and immediate reconstruction. The objective of this study is to analyze the incidence of locoregional relapses of this procedure and its impact on reconstruction and overall survival.

Cerebrospinal fluid purinomics as a biomarker approach to predict outcome after severe traumatic brain injury.

Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with high rates of mortality and long-term disability linked to neurochemical abnormalities. Although purine derivatives play important roles in TBI pathogenesis in preclinical models, little is known about potential changes in purine levels and their implications in human TBI. We assessed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of purines in severe TBI patients as potential biomarkers that predict mortality and long-term dysfunction.

l-Hypaphorine and d-hypaphorine: Specific antiacetylcholinesterase activity in rat brain tissue.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChEis) inhibitors are used to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). l-Hypaphorine (l-HYP) is a natural indole alkaloid that has been shown to have effects on the central nervous system (CNS). The goal of this research was to synthesize l-HYP and d-HYP and test their anticholinesterasic properties in rat brain regions.

A closer look at the epidemiology of schizophrenia and common mental disorders in Brazil.

Unlabelled: Schizophrenia and common mental disorders are noteworthy social and economic concern worldwide. Epidemiologic studies on the impact of specific mental disorders in emerging countries are scarce.

Objectives: We aimed to characterize the demographic, social, and economic burden of schizophrenia and common mental disorders patients in the health system in Brazil.

S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase as predictors of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in aged dogs: a case-control study.

Objective: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) may be related to brain injury. S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) have been investigated as potential biochemical markers of neural cell injury in animals and humans. This study aimed to investigate the association between POCD, brain injury and serum concentrations of S100B and NSE after periodontal surgery in aged dogs.

Probucol Protects Neuronal Cells Against Peroxide-Induced Damage and Directly Activates Glutathione Peroxidase-1.

Experimental evidence has shown that probucol, a hypocholesterolemic agent, is also able to increase glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the mechanism(s) involved in this event. In this study, in vitro experiments with purified GPx1 from bovine erythrocytes and cultured SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, as well as in silico studies with GPx1, were performed in order to elucidate mechanisms mediating the stimulatory effect of probucol on GPx activity and to investigate the relevance of this event in terms of susceptibility against peroxide-induced cytotoxicity.

Neuroinflammation and glial cell activation in mental disorders.

Mental disorders (MDs) are highly prevalent and potentially debilitating complex disorders which causes remain elusive. Looking into deeper aspects of etiology or pathophysiology underlying these diseases would be highly beneficial, as the scarce knowledge in mechanistic and molecular pathways certainly represents an important limitation. Association between MDs and inflammation/neuroinflammation has been widely discussed and accepted by many, as high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were reported in patients with several MDs, such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD) and major depression disorder (MDD), among others.

Complications and Mortality Rates Following Surgical Management of Extradural Spine Tumors in New York State.

Study Design: Database analysis.

Objective: To evaluate complications and mortality in patients undergoing surgical management of extradural spinal tumors in New York State.

Summary Of Background Data: Metastatic spine surgery has a high rate of complications but most studies are limited to single institutions.

Intradialytic exercise with blood flow restriction: Something to add to hemodialysis adequacy? Findings from a crossover study.

Introduction: Hemodialysis (HD) increases the lifespan of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. However, HD is only partially effective in replacing renal function. The aim of this study is to compare HD adequacy between sessions with intradialytic exercise with or without blood flow restriction (BFR) with sessions without exercise.

Intradialytic exercise with blood flow restriction is more effective than conventional exercise in improving walking endurance in hemodialysis patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aims to compare the effect of intradialytic aerobic exercise with blood flow restriction, without blood flow restriction (conventional) and no exercise (control) on muscle strength and walking endurance among chronic kidney disease patients.

Design: Open label and parallel group randomized controlled trial.

Subjects: Adult patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis.

Job satisfaction and work overload among mental health nurses in the south of Brazil.

This study assessed job satisfaction and work overload among doctors, nurses, psychologists, and nursing technicians working in community mental health services and conducted a comparison between nurses and other healthcare professionals. Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 61 healthcare professionals working in psychosocial care centers in a municipality located in the South Region of Brazil. Data was collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, work impact assessment scale (Impacto - Br), and mental health professional satisfaction scale (Satis - Br).

Enhanced ATP release and CD73-mediated adenosine formation sustain adenosine A receptor over-activation in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Background And Purpose: Parkinson's disease (PD) involves an initial loss of striatal dopamine terminals evolving into degeneration of dopamine neurons in substantia nigra (SN), which can be modelled by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) administration. Adenosine A receptor blockade attenuates PD features in animal models, but the source of the adenosine causing A receptor over-activation is unknown. As ATP is a stress signal, we have tested if extracellular catabolism of adenine nucleotides into adenosine (through ecto-5'-nucleotidase or CD73) leads to A receptor over-activation in PD.