Attachment, parentification and relational trauma and the status of identity in the period of emerging adulthood

Nowadays, it is young adults, not adolescents, who face the challenge of determining their own identity. This process, compared to previous generations, takes place in qualitatively different conditions. Moreover, the current attributes of an adult have become obsolete. For this reason, making the vision of oneself reality may be associated with various difficulties. The root of the failure to clarify identity is to be found in the original bond with the guardian and in all experiences that disrupt attachment. Among these types of experiences, relational trauma and parentification are worth mentioning. Relational trauma can be said to be when a child experiences repeated neglect in the context of a close relationship. A similar phenomenon is parentification.The aim of the research is to check 1) whether there are significant differences between the identified identity statuses and 2) whether the variables (attachment style, experience of parentification and relational trauma) differentiate the identity status in the period of emergingadulthood. Three identity statuses are distinguished: Identity of anxiety type (N = 23), identity of diffuse type (N = 30) and identity of type achieved (N = 43). Each type differs in terms of both the experiences and the severity of the identity dimensions.Nowadays, it is young adults, not adolescents, who face the challenge of determining their own identity. This process, compared to previous generations, takes place in qualitatively different conditions. Moreover, the current attributes of an adult have become obsolete. For this reason, making the vision of oneself reality may be associated with various difficulties. The root of the failure to clarify identity is to be found in the original bond with the guardian and in all experiences that disrupt attachment. Among these types of experiences, relational trauma and parentification are worth mentioning. Relational trauma can be said to be when a child experiences repeated neglect in the context of a close relationship. A similar phenomenon is parentification.The aim of the research is to check 1) whether there are significant differences between the identified identity statuses and 2) whether the variables (attachment style, experience of parentification and relational trauma) differentiate the identity status in the period of emergingadulthood. Three identity statuses are distinguished: Identity of anxiety type (N = 23), identity of diffuse type (N = 30) and identity of type achieved (N = 43). Each type differs in terms of both the experiences and the severity of the identity dimensions

Spiking neural networks for real-time pedestrian street-crossing detection using dynamic vision sensors in simulated adverse weather conditions

This study explores the integration of Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) with Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVSs) to enhance pedestrian street-crossing detection in adverse weather conditions—a critical challenge for autonomous vehicle systems. Utilizing the high temporal resolution and low latency of DVSs, which excel in dynamic, low-light, and high-contrast environments, this research evaluates the effectiveness of SNNs compared to traditional Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). The experimental setup involved a custom dataset from the CARLA simulator, designed to mimic real-world variability, including rain, fog, and varying lighting conditions. Additionally, the JAAD dataset was adopted to allow for evaluations using real-world data. The SNN models were optimized using Temporally Effective Batch Normalization (TEBN) and benchmarked against well-established deep learning models, concerning their accuracy, computational efficiency, and energy efficiency in complex weather conditions. This study also conducted a comprehensive analysis of energy consumption, highlighting the significant reduction in energy usage achieved by SNNs when processing DVS data. The results indicate that SNNs, when integrated with DVSs, not only reduce computational overhead but also dramatically lower energy consumption, making them a highly efficient choice for real-time applications in autonomous vehicles (AVs)

Infertility - causes, diagnosis, preventive measures and methods of treatment

The problem of infertility affects approximately 20% of married couples, and the number of people affected by this problem is still increasing[5,6]. Developed countries are characterized by the prevalence of primary infertility, while in developing countries there is a high rate of secondary infertility[8,9]. The most common cause of marital infertility is obstruction of the fallopian tubes, which occurs in 30-35% of women and requires surgical intervention. However, both sexes are dominated by immunological and hormonal disorders (25%-30% of cases)[3,4]. The basic examination in which male fertility is determined is the semen analysis, while in women, many tests should be performed in order to make a diagnosis: anamnesis, gynecological examination, ultrasound performed repeatedly during the menstrual cycle (ovulation assessment), hormonal and immunological tests, post-coital tests, bacteriological cultures, hysterosalpingography or laparoscopy [20]. In vitro fertilization is the most effective of all methods of infertility treatment. In vitro fertilization can be performed using the classical method by adding prepared sperm to the egg cells or by microinjection of the sperm into the egg cell[21]

The role of diet and supplementation in the prevention and treatment of autism spectrum disorders

The role of diet and supplementation in the prevention and treatment of autism spectrum disorders There is evidence indicating the positive effects of dietary intervention in the prevention and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. There are studies linking maternal vitamin D deficiency with ASD in offspring. Children and adolescents on the autism spectrum are also supposed to have significantly lower concentrations of vitamin D than healthy children and adolescents. This indicates the role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of ASD(5). Diets most commonly used in the therapy of autism spectrum disorders are: dairy-free and gluten-free, specific carbohydrate diet, low phenol, low oxalate and ketogenic diet(4). The most popular of them are dairy-free and gluten-free. However, studies conducted by Dr. James Adams attribute the highest effectiveness to a diet of specific carbohydrates(7). After applying the ketogenic diet, improvements in concentration, learning ability and social behavior were observed(1,26). However, it should be remembered that the scientific literature contains a small number of reliably conducted studies confirming the effectiveness of individual diets and supplementation in the prevention and treatment of ASD. Therefore, the positive impact of dietary intervention is still referred to as "potential". In addition, the use of certain diets may be associated with side effects, such as vomiting and hypoglycemia in the case of a ketogenic diet (1,28) and underweight in the case of elimination diets(16). Therefore, the introduction of dietary changes for therapeutic purposes should be carried out under the constant supervision of doctors and dieticians

Delirium post-stroke: short- and long-term effect on depression, anxiety, apathy and aggression (research study - part of PROPOLIS study)

Background: Stroke patients are particularly vulnerable to delirium episodes, but very little is known about its subsequent adverse mental health outcomes. The author’s objective was to explore the association between in-hospital delirium and depression, anxiety, anger and apathy after stroke. Methods: A total of 750 consecutive patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack, were screened for delirium during hospitalization. Patients underwent mental health evaluation in hospital, 3 and 12 months post-stroke; depression, apathy, anxiety and anger were the outcomes measured at all evaluation check points. Results: Delirium was an independent risk factor for depression (OR = 2.28, 95%CI 1.15–4.51, p = 0.017) and aggression (OR = 3.39, 95%CI 1.48–7.73, p = 0.004) at the hospital, for anxiety 3 months post-stroke (OR = 2.83, 95%CI 1.25–6.39, p = 0.012), and for apathy at the hospital (OR = 4.82, 95%CI 2.25–10.47, p < 0.001), after 3 (OR = 3.84, 95%CI 1.31–11.21, p = 0.014) and 12 months (OR = 4.95, 95%CI 1.68–14.54, p = 0.004) post stroke. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm, that mental health problems are very frequent complications of stroke. Delirium in the acute phase of stroke influences mental health of patients. This effect is especially significant in the first months post-stroke and vanishes with time, which suggests that in-hospital delirium might not be a damaging occurrence in most measures of mental health problems from a long-term perspective

Co-occurrence of depression and chronic diseases

INTRODUCTION Depression is a common and serious mood disorder mainly manifested by sadness, anhedonia, lack of hope and interest in activities once enjoyed. According to WHO depression is a leading cause of disability and inability to work worldwide. Chronic disease is every condition lasting more than 1 year and requiring medical attention. The aim of this article is to show challenges of depression and chronic diseases coexistence. DISCUSSION Depression might be a factor causing difficulties in diagnosing chronic diseases as patients are less likely to cooperate. On the other it might lead to worse compliance and higher risk of chronic diseases’ development. Studies show depression coexisting with chronic illnesses is a valid problem for public health and aggravates the course and effects of treatment of those conditions. Treating an underlying disease is as important as treating depression itself as it might lead to reduction in symptoms of depression. Moreover doctors should choose drugs having regard to depression as well as lingering conditions. SUMMARY Depression still seems to be diminished and ignored in patients with chronic illnesses even though it is proved to have a destructive influence on the health of patients. It is of high importance to raise an awareness of doctors on that subject and its scale.  There are plenty of treatment methods for depression in case of chronic diseases co-occurence which gives hope for improving a quality of life of patients and achieving better effects of therapy of an underlying disease

Using simulation to calibrate real data acquisition in veterinary medicine

This paper explores the innovative use of simulation environments to enhance data acquisition and diagnostics in veterinary medicine, focusing specifically on gait analysis in dogs. The study harnesses the power of Blender and the Blenderproc library to generate synthetic datasets that reflect diverse anatomical, environmental, and behavioral conditions. The generated data, represented in graph form and standardized for optimal analysis, is utilized to train machine learning algorithms for identifying normal and abnormal gaits. Two distinct datasets with varying degrees of camera angle granularity are created to further investigate the influence of camera perspective on model accuracy. Preliminary results suggest that this simulation-based approach holds promise for advancing veterinary diagnostics by enabling more precise data acquisition and more effective machine learning models. By integrating synthetic and real-world patient data, the study lays a robust foundation for improving overall effectiveness and efficiency in veterinary medicine