The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between social support and psychological empowerment with perceived stress of nurses working in psychiatric acute units. The study sample consisted of 153 nurses working in psychiatric acute units, located in Athens. Participants completed: (a) A questionnaire about demographic characteristics, (b) the Perceived Stress Scale, (c) the Psychological empowerment scale, and (d) the Social Support Questionnaire Short Form (SSQ-6). The majority of the participants were females (62.7%), graduates of Technological Education (47%), married (60.78%), permanent employees (81.7%), working in psychiatric units for over than 21years (34.6%), with an average age of 45years. Of the total sample, 64.7% considered the night shift as the most aggravating, with the main factors causing the greatest stress being (a) lack of staff, (b) dangerousness, and (c) workload. Women compared to men, and those who had been working for more years in a psychiatric ward compared to younger employees exhibited a statistically significant higher level of subjective stress (p<0.05). Nurses who considered that night shifts were the most aggravating exhibited more stress, while female nurses exhibited higher levels of psychological empowerment compared to male nurses. Moreover, nurses who were scheduled to work more day shifts exhibited statistically significant high levels of psychological empowerment (p<0.001), while psychological empowerment was positively correlated with social support (p<0.001). When nurses perceived greater social support, they were more psychologically empowered. Additionally, married nurses reported high levels of social support (p<0.01). However, older nurses and nurses who were scheduled to work more night shifts reported statistically significant low social support (p<0.001). Thus, the implementation of strategies to reduce stress at work, family, and wider social environment is essential for nurses working in psychiatric acute units.

This chapter offers an overview of the development of BTP3-Neu5Ac and the functions of sialidase, as revealed through its use. Imaging of sialidase activity in the brain with BTP3-Neu5Ac has demonstrated that high sialidase activity is primarily detected in the white matter. In the hippocampus, a region critical for memory, glutamatergic nerve terminals exhibit particularly high sialidase activity. Based on the sialidase activity atlas, it was found that sialidase plays a crucial role in cognitive function within the hippocampus. Real-time imaging of changes in brain sialidase activity using BTP3-Neu5Ac has shown that sialidase activity at nerve terminals can rapidly increase within seconds in response to neural activity. This rapid fluctuation in sialidase activity contributes to a negative feedback mechanism on excitatory neurotransmission by sialidase. Additionally, studies on the distribution of sialidase activity in the pancreas have shown that the sialidase inhibitor 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid (DANA) promotes insulin secretion. Importantly, DANA does not induce insulin secretion during hypoglycemia, suggesting its potential for diabetes treatment with a lower risk of hypoglycemic side effects. Moreover, research into the distribution of sialidase activity in the skin has revealed that the sialidase isozyme NEU2 promotes elastin production. Thus, information on the distribution of sialidase activity in tissues provides valuable insights into the function of sialidase and supports the development of sialidase-targeted drugs.

In continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW-EPR) imaging, many spectral projections are required to accurately reconstruct four-dimensional (4D) spectral-spatial data, which are used for oxygen mapping in tumors. The ability to obtain fewer spectral projections with less degradation of the resultant image quality is desirable because acquiring many spectral projections leads to a longer time for EPR imaging acquisition. The algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) is one of the most powerful image-reconstruction techniques for 4D spectral-spatial imaging. ART can be applied to incomplete sets of spectral projections. However, data sets of many spectral projections can provide reconstructed images of higher quality. In this study, we aimed to enhance acquisition speed by randomly collecting spectral projections and subsequently synthesizing those that had not been recorded. We applied this strategy to a numerical phantom and a mouse Hs766T xenograft model to confirm the feasibility of our concept. Random acquisition can prevent image degradation in linewidth mapping, which is the foundation for oxygen mapping with CW-EPR.

Drug discovery of membrane proteins, such as ion channels, presents an unprecedented opportunity through recent breakthroughs in the determination of atomic resolution 3D cryo-electron microscopy structures of these proteins. Structure-based drug discovery utilizing in silico methods enables the study of the dynamic connectivity of stable conformations induced by the drug to achieve its effect. With the ever-expanding computational power, simulations of this type reveal protein dynamics in the nano-, micro-, and even millisecond time scales. In the course of hundreds of nanoseconds to a few microseconds, such simulations can capture ion permeation as a result of the gating of ion channel proteins. We call these MD simulations Gating (GMD) as we can see gating and ion permeation during the simulations. Coupled with these technological breakthroughs, our understanding of key common steps regulating the activation of ion channels has matured, allowing us to understand in depth the mechanisms involved in activating an ion channel to perform its function. The insights we have been able to obtain from these GMD simulations have provided an unprecedented understanding of the biological mechanisms of activation of ion channels by PIP2 and other gating molecules involved and have prepared the road for structure-based drug discovery for this important class of membrane proteins. In this review, we summarize some of these discoveries using GMD from our group as well as others in the field.

The knowledge and attitudes of nurses caring for patients with diabetes mellitus should be regularly evaluated using reliable and valid instruments to identify any knowledge gaps and address any negative attitudes, allowing for the implementation of targeted skill development. The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of the Greek translation of the Diabetes Attitudes Scale (DAS-3) questionnaire. A total of 278 conveniently selected undergraduate nursing students participated in the survey and were administered a questionnaire of sociodemographic and clinical data, the Diabetes Knowledge Test tool and the DAS-3. Factor analysis revealed 4 factors explaining 50% of the variability of the DAS-3; the value of strict glucose control (Cronbach's α=0.86), the need for special training (Cronbach's α=0.63), the psychosocial impact of diabetes (Cronbach's α=0.68), and finally the respect for patient autonomy (Cronbach's α=0.65). The overall Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient found for the DAS-3 questionnaire was 0.75 indicating good internal reliability. The values of the Pearson correlation coefficients in test-retest assessment varied for the four factors from 0.71 to 0.90 and reflected a moderate to very strong correlation. The good reliability and validity of the DAS-3 contribute to the evaluation of the attitudes of health professionals towards diabetes, becoming a future motivation for improving educational programs.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is recognized as a leading preventable cause of birth defects, giving rise to a continuum of cognitive, behavioral, and physical impairments collectively referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). While PAE affects multiple developing organ systems, the fetal brain is particularly vulnerable, exhibiting enduring structural and functional abnormalities in response to alcohol exposure. Recent research highlights mitochondrial dysfunction as an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental deficits. Mitochondria are highly susceptible to alcohol-induced damage, and mounting evidence demonstrates mitochondrial impairments across various organ systems following PAE-focusing growing attention on its specific effects within the developing central nervous system. This chapter explores the essential roles of mitochondria throughout key stages of neurodevelopment and evaluates how PAE disrupts mitochondrial function in different organ systems. Special emphasis is placed on the developing brain, with a focus on its three primary cellular populations: neurons, glial cells, and the cerebral vasculature. Current findings indicate that fetal mitochondria are particularly sensitive to alcohol exposure, resulting in altered mitochondrial morphology, increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), elevated oxidative stress, and impaired cellular respiration.Taken together, these data underscore mitochondria as a critical and vulnerable target of PAE-especially in the developing brain-where mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the neurodevelopmental deficits' characteristic of FASD. Advancing our understanding of these mechanisms opens the door to mitochondria-targeted interventions, offering promising therapeutic avenues to protect mitochondrial function and mitigate the long-term consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure.

Functional genomics studies address how genes, gene products, and noncoding sequences dictate phenotypes. Unlike traditional gene-by-gene approaches, functional genomics screens comprehensively interrogate genomes. Continuous advances in nucleic acid manipulation and gene-targeting tools, combined with the availability of complete genomes, the variety of phenotypes that can be screened, and the expanding capacity of omics data analysis, contribute to the lasting success of functional genomics in biological discovery. This chapter focuses on designing, implementing, and analyzing functional genetic screens in model organisms and human cells. It also reviews recent findings with profound impacts on biomedical research. Additionally, current limitations that still compromise the use of functional genomics screens across all model organisms and cells are examined, and future applications are anticipated. Given the extensive work presented in this chapter, there is little doubt that functional genomics screens will continue to be a powerful driving force in understanding how genomes regulate health and disease.

The mitochondrial optical redox imaging (ORI), pioneered by the late Britton Chance and his coworkers starting from the 1950s, is mainly based on the intrinsic fluorescence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and oxidized flavoproteins (Fp) containing flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These two important metabolic coenzymes regulate many intracellular biochemical reactions including glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, and participate in the intricate interplay between metabolism and signaling. The optical redox ratio (ORR) of these two fluorescence signals is an indicator of mitochondrial metabolic and redox status. Chance and his coworkers not only studied redox status in cells and tissues based on the intrinsic fluorescence but also developed the Chance redox scanner in the 1970s-80s, which images the 3D distribution of NADH, Fp, and ORR ex vivo in snap-frozen tissues. The repertoire of ORI has been further strengthened and enriched with the modern technical advancements including state-of-the-art fluorescence, confocal, two-photon, and lifetime imaging microscopy. ORI has been extensively applied to (pre)cancer cells and tissues including clinical biopsies and patient tumor-derived organoids, to develop metabolic biomarkers for (pre)cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response. In this chapter, I illustrate the basic principles, main concepts and progresses, and future directions of ORI in cancer research.

Mental health nursing can be highly rewarding but at the same time overwhelmingly stressful or even traumatizing. Spirituality constitutes a central element of mental health nurses' resilience while personal trauma may be activated during exposure to beneficiaries' trauma. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of sociodemographic and work-related characteristics, spirituality, and history of trauma on compassion fatigue (CF) and compassion satisfaction among psychiatric nurses in Greece. A cross-sectional survey study with a total of 91 mental health nurses selected by convenience sampling and required to complete the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-V), the FACIT-Spiritual Well-Being Scale-12 non-illness scale, and the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ). More than a quarter (25.3%) of participants reported high compassion fatigue risk, while 76% expressed high to moderate potential for compassion satisfaction. Secondary traumatic stress (STS) as expected was found to correlate positively with traumatic life events and negatively with the spirituality dimension of meaning. Spiritual well-being, good physical health, high levels of cooperation, respect for teamwork and positive work climate were positively related to higher levels of compassion satisfaction. The findings of this study shed light on the significant prevalence of compassion fatigue and personal trauma history among nursing staff, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve the mental health of front-line health care nurses. Mental health care organizations must recognize the importance of fostering compassionate work environments that prioritize mental health professionals' spiritual and psychological well-being.

Proteomics is an already established transformative tool for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying plant immunity and pathogen virulence. As crop losses due to plant diseases intensify under climate change, understanding these interactions at the protein level has become essential for sustainable crop improvement. Advances in mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, and quantitative proteomics have expanded the capacity to characterize dynamic changes in host and pathogen proteomes, enabling the identification of defense-related proteins, signaling networks, effector targets, and pathogenicity determinants. This chapter synthesizes recent proteomic insights across major crops as soybean, tomato, rice, grapevine, maize, and wheat, highlighting how proteome profiling has revealed key regulators of pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered and effector-triggered immunity, pathogen infection strategies, and the impact of biocontrol agents and priming compounds. Case studies illustrate how proteomics uncovers cultivar-specific responses, subcellular reprogramming, and protein networks critical for resistance. We further explore how proteomics informs biotechnology, from identifying candidate genes for breeding and genome editing to supporting safety assessments of engineered crops.