A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of Electroconvulsive Therapy on Anxiety Symptoms in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). There are limited data on the improvement of anxiety symptoms in patients receiving ECT for TRD.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the extent to which anxiety symptom severity improves, relative to improvements in depressive symptoms, in TRD patients receiving an acute course of ECT.

Electroconvulsive therapy for the acute management of severe agitation in dementia (ECT-AD): A modified study protocol.

Objective: This study began as a single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for severe treatment-refractory agitation in advanced dementia. The aims are to assess agitation reduction using the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), evaluate tolerability and safety outcomes, and explore the long-term stability of agitation reduction and global functioning. Due to challenges encountered during implementation, including recruitment obstacles and operational difficulties, the study design was modified to an open-label format and other protocol amendments were implemented.

Strain-specific features of Pleurotus ostreatus growth in vitro and some of its biological activities.

Background: The production of Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium as a promising object for use in food and other industries is hampered by a lack of information about the strain-specificity of this fungus mycelium growth and its acquisition of various biological activities. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate mycelial growth of different P. ostreatus strains on varies solid and liquid media as well as to evaluate strains antagonistic, antibacterial, antiradical scavenging activities, and total phenolic content.

Kynurenines increase MRS metabolites in basal ganglia and decrease resting-state connectivity in frontostriatal reward circuitry in depression.

Inflammation is associated with the development of anhedonia in major depression (MD), but the pathway by which inflammatory molecules gain access to the brain and lead to anhedonia is not clear. Molecules of the kynurenine pathway (KP), which is activated by inflammation, readily influx into the brain and generate end products that alter brain chemistry, disrupt circuit functioning, and result in the expression of inflammatory behaviors such as anhedonia. We examined the impact of plasma and CSF KP metabolites on brain chemistry and neural function using multimodal neuroimaging in 49 depressed subjects.

RNAi-Based Biocontrol of Wheat Nematodes Using Natural Poly-Component Biostimulants.

With the growing global demands on sustainable food production, one of the biggest challenges to agriculture is associated with crop losses due to parasitic nematodes. While chemical pesticides have been quite successful in crop protection and mitigation of damage from parasites, their potential harm to humans and environment, as well as the emergence of nematode resistance, have necessitated the development of viable alternatives to chemical pesticides. One of the most promising and targeted approaches to biocontrol of parasitic nematodes in crops is that of RNA interference (RNAi).