Associations between Self-Reported Daily Affect Ratings and Sleep Duration during the First Two Weeks of Antidepressant Therapy

ABSTRACT

Background: In the context of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of augmenting fluoxetine treatment in young adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) using a modified repeated partial sleep deprivation protocol contrasting 2 weeks of restricted time in bed (i.e., 6 h TIB) to no time in bed restriction (i.e., 8 h TIB) the study examines whether sleep duration and the timing of repeated partial sleep deprivation predicts patient-reported affect ratings.

Participants: Participants included 58 young adults with DSM-IV-diagnosed MDD.

Methods: Daily ratings of affect and sleep were collected during the first 2 weeks of initiating fluoxetine treatment, yielding 630 person-days. Actigraphy monitoring was employed to assess compliance with time in bed condition.

Results: Negative affect ratings and positivity ratios in the morning were more improved among participants assigned to the 6 h TIB condition compared to the 8 h TIB group. Participants whose bedtime was delayed by 2-h nightly demonstrated the most significant improvement in negative affect and positivity ratio during the first 2 weeks of fluoxetine therapy. Moreover, the trajectory of morning negative affect ratings in the first 2 weeks was predictive of remission after 4 weeks of fluoxetine therapy.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that monitoring changes in daily affect may be a valuable marker of early treatment response in young adults with MDD.     

SARS-CoV-2-Seroprävalenz bei Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland – ein Überblick

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - SARS-CoV-2-Antikörperstudien ergänzen und erweitern die Erkenntnisse aus der Meldestatistik laborbestätigter...     

Genotoxicity testing of the furylethylene derivative 1-(5-bromofur-2-yl)-2-bromo-2-nitroethene in cultured human lymphocytes.

The genotoxic potential of the compound 1-(5-bromofur-2-yl)-2-bromo-2-nitroethene (G-1) was evaluated in peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured in vitro, at concentrations ranging from 1 to 20 microg/ml. Micronuclei (MN) and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) were scored as biomarkers of genotoxic effects. To detect the role of metabolic enzymes on the genotoxicity of this furylethylenic derivative, cultures for MN and SCE demonstrations were treated for 3 h with and without the S9 microsomal fraction as well as for 48 h without S9. Under the conditions of the study, the test agent did not induce significant increases in the frequency of micronucleated cells, irrespective of the presence/absence of the metabolic fraction. Nevertheless, a slight/moderate increase in the SCE frequency was observed in those cultures treated without the S9 mix. In addition, cytotoxic/cytostatic effects of the G-1 compound were observed mainly in cultures without S9 fraction, as indicated by the reduction of cell proliferation measured by the cytokinesis block proliferation index (CBPI) and the proliferative rate index (PRI).     

Evaluation of Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma (ALMA): A Pilot Promotora Intervention Focused on Stress and Coping Among Immigrant Latinas

Recent immigrant Latinas are at increased risk of poor mental health due to stressors associated with adapting to life in the United States. This study evaluated Amigas Latinas Motivando el Alma, a promotora intervention to reduce stress and promote health and coping among recent immigrant Latinas. Using a pre- and post-test design, we evaluated mental health outcomes, specifically, in promotoras. Promotoras’ knowledge levels related to role of promotora and stress management increased, depressive symptoms and stress levels decreased, and coping responses and perceived social support increased as well. Results suggest that promotora programs may be an effective way to improve mental health in recent immigrant Latinas.     

Potential applications of violacein: a microbial pigment

Violacein is a versatile pigment from a bacterium Chromobacterium violaceum that exhibits several biological activities and, at present, has gained increasing importance in industrial markets, such as in medicine, cosmetics, and textiles. In this mini-review, we aimed to describe violacein production and to explore its various biological properties in a pharmacological context, including its antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumoral, and antiparasitic activities. In addition, its use in the fields of cosmetics, textiles, food, toys, and insecticides has emerged as unusual potential areas of application to be discussed here.     

Irs2 Inactivation Suppresses Tumor Progression in Pten+/− Mice

Mutations in the phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN)/phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-α (PI3K) signaling pathway are frequently found in human cancer. In addition, Pten^+/− mice develop tumors in multiple organs because of the activation of the PI3K signaling cascade. Because activation of PI3K signaling leads to feedback inhibition of insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS2) expression, an upstream activator of PI3K, we therefore anticipated that IRS2 expression would be low in tumors that lack PTEN. Surprisingly, however, an elevation of IRS2 was often detected in tumor samples in which PTEN levels were compromised. To determine the potential contribution of Irs2 to tumor progression, Pten^+/− mice were crossed with Irs2^+/− mice. Deletion of Irs2 did not affect the initiation of neoplasia found in Pten^+/− mice but suppressed cancer cell growth, proliferation, and invasion through the basement membrane. Deletion of Irs2 also attenuated the expression of Myc in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in Pten^+/− mice. In addition, the expression levels of IRS2 and MYC were highly correlated in human prostate cancer, and IRS2 could stimulate MYC expression in cultured cells. Our findings provide evidence that the PI3K-activating adaptor Irs2 contributes to tumor progression in Pten^+/− mice by stimulating both Myc and DNA synthesis.