Toward a Possible Reassessment of Causes and Protecting Strategies Underlying the Dynamic of Parental Burnout in Costa Rica / Acerca de una posible reevaluación de las causas y estrategias de protección subyacentes a la dinámica del desgaste parental en Costa Rica

Objective. This study aims to reach an initial understanding of some specific cultural characteristics of parental burnout in Costa Rica. The findings stem from analyzing specific family configurations of parental burnout during parenting. Method. An intentional sample of 146 mothers and 102 fathers (n= 248, mean age 37) was selected. They completed a questionnaire regarding socio-demographics, Parental burnout assessment, Gender roles, Independent-interdependent Self, Involvement in parental function and duties, and the Parental goals and values. Results. there is a low prevalence of parental burnout and an average level of individualism in parenting. Although the study failed to identify high degrees of parental burnout in the Costa Rican sampled parents, which tend to be rather moderate or low in comparison with other countries, there seems to be an initial tendency of some type of family toward increasing burnout as well as noteworthy traits of familial dynamics that might function as mitigating or even protective factors against parental burnout.

Objetivo. Avanzar en la comprensión de las características culturales específicas del agotamiento parental en Costa Rica al analizar configuraciones familiares específicas del agotamiento parental durante la crianza. Método. Se seleccionó una muestra intencional de 146 madres y 102 padres con una media de edad de 37 años. Los participantes completaron un cuestionario que indagó en variables sociodemográficas y las medidas parental burnout assessment, Gender Roles, Independent-interdependent Self, Involvement in parental Function and Duties y Parental Goals and Values. Resultados. Una baja prevalencia de agotamiento parental y un rol importante del individualismo moderado en la crianza. Se concluye que, aunque no se logró detectar un alto grado de agotamiento parental en la muestra de padres y madres, quienes mostraron moderados y bajos niveles de agotamiento en comparación con otros países. Se halló una tendencia inicial hacia un aumento del agotamiento en algunos tipos de familia, además de dinámicas familiares que parecen funcionar como factores atenuantes e incluso protectores contra al agotamiento parental.

Ellagic acid promotes apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial damage / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effect of ellagic acid on human cervical cancer cells and its correlation with endoplasmic reticulum stress ( ERS) - mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Methods Hela cells were treated with ellagic acid, and cell survival rate, apoptosis and expression of ERS mitochondrial apoptosis pathway protein were detected. After pretreatment with ERS inhibitor 4-PBA, the expression of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway protein was detected. Results Ellagic acid showed concentration-dependent and time- dependent killing effect on Hela cells, and could significantly increase the apoptosis of Hela cells. Ellagic acid significantly increased the expression levels of ERS related proteins (GRP78, CHOP, p-PERK, p-IREl) in Hela cells, and significantly increased the expression levels of mitochondrial proapoptotic proteins . Bax and cleaved caspase-3, while significantly decreased the expression level of mitochondrial anti apop- totic protein Bcl-2. Another group of experiments showed that pretreatment with ERS inhibitor 4-PBA could significantly reduce the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and significantly increase the expression level of Bcl-2, which was close to the normal group. Conclusions Ellagic acid can significantly promote the apoptosis of human cervical cancer cells, and its mechanism is related to ERS mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

4-phenylbutyric Acid Regulates Collagen Synthesis and Secretion Induced by High Concentrations of Glucose in Human Gingival Fibroblasts

High glucose leads to physio/pathological alterations in diabetes patients. We investigated collagen production in human gingival cells that were cultured in high concentrations of glucose. Collagen synthesis and secretion were increased when the cells were exposed to high concentrations of glucose. We examined endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response because glucose metabolism is related to ER functional status. An ER stress response including the expression of glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), inositol requiring enzyme alpha (IRE-1alpha) and phosphoreukaryotic initiation factor alpha (p-eIF-2alpha) was activated in the presence of high glucose. Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF-4), a downstream protein of p-eIF-2alpha as well as a transcription factor for collagen, was also phosphorylated and translocalized into the nucleus. The chemical chaperone 4-PBA inhibited the ER stress response and ATF-4 phosphorylation as well as nuclear translocation. Our results suggest that high concentrations of glucose-induced collagen are linked to ER stress and the associated phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of ATF-4.

Effect of l-menthol pretreated nasal cavity on insulin pharmacological bioavailability / 中国药理学通报

AIM: To study the effect l-menthol pretreated nasal cavity on insulin pharmacological bioavailability(PBA). METHODS: To set up diabetic rats model, nasal cavities were pretreated with l-menthol for two hours, insulin was dripped, blood glucose concentrations of different time were determined, and the area over the curve (AOC) and pharmacological bioavailability (PBA) were calculated. RESULTS: After rats nasal cavity was pretreated with different concentrations l-menthol, nasal cavity absorption of insulin markedly increased between 2 h and 3 h, and PBA of insulin nasal cavity absorption increased respectively 5.77, 7.00 and 3.12 times than control group. CONCLUSION: l-Menthol promotes the nasal cavity absorption of insulin.

Cultural Characteristics of Veiled Lady Mushroom, Dictyophora spp

This study was carried out to obtain the basic data for artificial culture of veiled lady mushroom (Dictyophora spp). The optimal conditions for the mycelial growth were 25degrees C and pH 5.0 for all isolates except the optimal temperature of 30degrees C for D. echinovolvata ASI 32002 and Phallus rugulosus . The optimal medium for Dictyophora spp. was PBA (potato bamboo sawdust extract agar) medium. The strain ASI 32002, D. echinovolvata , grew faster than. D. indusiata ASI 32003 and Phallus rugulosus ASI 25007 on the medium. Carbon sources such as glucose, maltose and inuline were favorable for stimulating a mycelial growth of the two strains of ASI 32002 and ASI 32003. Asparagine and glutamine appeared to be favorable to the strain ASI 32002 and ASI 32003, where as alanine, one of nitrogen source also favorable to the strain ASI 32002. The optimum C/N ratio of the two isolates of ASI 32002 and ASI 32003 was about 25 : 1 when 2% glucose as carbon source was mixed with the basal medium. While, in the case of 4% as carbon source, the optimum C/N ratio was about 30 : 1.

Effect of l-menthol pretreated nasal cavity on insulin pharmacological bioavailability / 中国药理学通报

AIM To study the effect l-menthol pretreated nasal cavity on insulin pharmacological bioavailability(PBA). METHODS To set up diabetic rats model,nasal cavities were pretreated with l-menthol for two hours,insulin was dripped, blood glucose concentrations of different time were determined,and the area over the curve (AOC) and pharmacological bioavailability(PBA) were calculated. RESULTS After rats nasal cavity was pretreated with different concentrations l-menthol, nasal cavity absorption of insulin markedly increased between 2 h and 3 h,and PBA of insulin nasal cavity absorption increased respectively 5.77,7.00 and 3.12 times than control group. CONCLUSION l-Menthol promotes the nasal cavity absorption of insulin.