This article is dedicated to my beloved mother, Zofia Kuzak, Honorary Member of the Polish Neuropsychological Society, and my highest moral authority, to honor her 100th birthday. During the Nazi occu pation, at the age of 23, she was deport ed to Germany and forced into slave labour at a German camp, from which she managed to escape. During this escape she had to sit for three long days high up in a tree, without food and without anything to drink, something made possible by her strong physical condition. After three days, she dared to leave the tree and, in throwing the Nazis pursuing her, she ran away not to the South to her home in Nowy Sącz, but to the North – to Poznań, where she took refuge in the apartment of other relatives, true Polish patriots. She stayed there for the years 1943–1947, keeping the accounts at the large family grocery store. The experiences from this period influenced the formation of her own self and her identity. Her stories about times of tragedy and her ways of dealing with the darkest moments in her life contributed to the fact that I became interested in the subject of the self and identity. I have prepared two monographs and several articles on this topic. This article presents a new approach to integrated self system, associated not only with the physical organism, but also with the social and cultural world. The foundation of this approach to the self is microgenetic theory, especially its account of consciousness, of the transition from self to image, act and object, the epochal nature of this transition, and its relation to introspection, imagination and agency. The affinities of microgenetic theory to many aspects of the thought process should be evident to readers of this journal, but the theory, which was developed from studies of pathological cases, rests on a wealth of clinical detail. In brief, the micro-temporal transition from archaic to recent formations (distributed systems) in the phyletic history of the forebrain constitutes the absolute mental state, with consciousness the relation of self to image and/or object. The reader will be able also to find here the overlapping of states, the continuity of the core over successive states, and subjective time experience. However, the integrated self system is associated not only with the operation of the biological brain and its complex patterns of neural connections, but also with the activity of the social mind/brain, in terms of bonds created within social groups, as well as the cultural mind/brain creating the world of cultural values, including religious ones. I will sum up with a model of self system changing in time (4D), pulsating according to the states of mind (5D) forming different numbers of “bits” of information, as marked on the x axis, and linked to the duration of memories, marked on the y axis. The self system also depends on gravity (6D), and other hyperspace dimensions hitherto unknown in neuroscience.

Integrated self system: a microgenetic approach

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a growing disabling condition affecting around 280 million people worldwide. This complex entity is the result of the interplay between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, and compelling evidence suggests that MDD can be considered a disease that occurs as a consequence of an evolutionary mismatch and unhealthy lifestyle habits. In this context, diet is one of the core pillars of health, influencing multiple biological processes in the brain and the entire body. It seems that there is a bidirectional relationship between MDD and malnutrition, and depressed individuals often lack certain critical nutrients along with an aberrant dietary pattern. Thus, dietary interventions are one of the most promising tools to explore in the field of MDD, as there are a specific group of nutrients (i.e., omega 3, vitamins, polyphenols, and caffeine), foods (fish, nuts, seeds fruits, vegetables, coffee/tea, and fermented products) or dietary supplements (such as S-adenosylmethionine, acetyl carnitine, creatine, amino acids, etc.), which are being currently studied. Likewise, the entire nutritional context and the dietary pattern seem to be another potential area of study, and some strategies such as the Mediterranean diet have demonstrated some relevant benefits in patients with MDD; although, further efforts are still needed. In the present work, we will explore the state-of-the-art diet in the prevention and clinical support of MDD, focusing on the biological properties of its main nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns and their possible implications for these patients.

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Biological Role of Nutrients, Food and Dietary Patterns in the Prevention and Clinical Management of Major Depressive Disorder

In this study, the attenuative effects of the hydro-alcoholic extract from Mitragyna speciosa (MSE) against diabetes-induced anxiety and depression-like behaviors were examined. In addition, UPLC/ESI/TOF-MS analysis was performed to identify the phytochemical nature of MSE. DM was induced using a combination of high fructose/streptozotocin, and the diabetic rats were treated with MSE (50 and 200 mg/kg) for 5 weeks. After treatment, the animals were subjected to a forced swim test, open field test and elevated plus-maze tests. Additionally, proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters were evaluated in the brain tissues of the rats. UPLC/ESI/TOF-MS analysis revealed that MSE is abundantly rich in polyphenolic constituents, notably flavonoid and phenolic glycosides. Behavioral tests and biochemical analyses indicated that diabetic rats showed significantly increased anxiety and depressive-like behavioral deficits, brain oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α). Treatment with MSE (50 and 200 mg/kg) significantly attenuated increased blood glucose level, depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in diabetic rats. Additionally, the antioxidant enzymes activities were markedly increased in MSE-treated animals, while TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 cytokines were notably suppressed. Taken together, these results suggested that MSE has potentials as antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effects and improves the brain oxido-inflammatory status in diabetic rats.

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LC/ESI/TOF-MS Characterization, Anxiolytic and Antidepressant-like Effects of Mitragyna speciosa Korth Extract in Diabetic Rats

Innate immune pre-stimulation can prevent the development of depression-like behaviors in chronically stressed mice; however, whether the same stimulation prevents the development of anxiety-like behaviors in animals remains unclear. We addressed this issue using monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a derivative of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that lacks undesirable properties of LPS but still keeps immune-enhancing activities.The experimental mice were pre-injected intraperitoneally with MPL before stress exposure. Depression was induced through chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Behavioral tests were conducted to identify anxiety-like behaviors. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and biochemical assays were employed to examine the gene and protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory markers.A single MPL injection at the dose of 400 and 800 μg/kg 1 day before stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors, and a single MPL injection (400 μg/kg) five but not 10 days before stress exposure produced similar effect. The preventive effect of MPL on anxiety-like behaviors was also observed in CSDS mice who received a second MPL injection 10 days after the first MPL injection or a 4 × MPL injection 10 days before stress exposure. MPL pre-injection also prevented the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in CSDS mice, and inhibiting the central immune response by minocycline pretreatment abrogated the preventive effect of MPL on CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors and pro-inflammatory cytokine productions in the brain.Pre-stimulation of the innate immune system by MPL can prevent chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors and neuroinflammatory responses in the brain in mice. 

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Innate immune stimulation by monophosphoryl lipid A prevents chronic social defeat stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice

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OBJECTIVES Several epidemiological data indicate that chronic hyperglycemia is associated with behavioral changes such as anxiety and depressive symptoms. Date seeds, one of the most potent products with potential antioxidant activities and possess many benefits against hyperglycemia and its complication. The aim of the current study was to explore the potential effect of date seeds extract on biochemical and behavioral changes (anxiety and depression) in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. METHODS Rats were divided into four groups as follows: normal control, diabetic control, diabetic treated with the lyophilized aqueous extract of the date seed (2,000 mg/kg) (LAE-DS) and diabetics treated with insulin (4 UI/day). Experimental diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg). After 24 days treatment period, anxiety and depressive behaviors were evaluated using four behavioral tests. After sacrifice, blood samples were collected to evaluate lipid parameters. In addition, rat organs (kidney, liver and brain) were dissected out in order to estimate lipid peroxidation levels as oxidative stress marker. RESULTS Oral administration of the lyophilized aqueous extract of date seeds and insulin injection for 30 days significantly decreased blood glucose levels in STZ-diabetic rats and protected them against undesirable changes in lipid parameters, including cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol and atherosclerosis index. Compared to untreated diabetic rat, a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation levels in kidney, liver and brain (Hippocampus and prefrontal cortex) were observed after treatment with insulin or LAE-DS in diabetic rats. Furthermore, insulin and LAE-DS administration prevented anxiety-related behaviors in STZ-diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, it would be possible to combine this extract with insulin and use it as an antioxidant supplement for type 1 diabetic patients.

Effects of date seeds administration on anxiety and depressive symptoms in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: biochemical and behavioral evidences.

Social networks are effective and easy-to-use means of communication in the modern age technology. They remarkably influence the young users’ behavior being so entranced in such a virtual world which would easily develop into addiction. In this study we aim to measure the impact of addiction to Facebook on perception and working memory comparing two groups of young people, and how to protect scouting young people against this attachment or addiction. The study was carried out in the national center of scouting of Morocco at Ibn Tofail University on 53 master students with an average age of 24.45 years and 50 young scout leaders of Hassania Marocain scouting, who have an average age of 24.06. The educational level of these young people is between the 1st year of higher studies and the master degree. Digital test of complex Rey-Osterrieth figure and a Facebook addiction test questionnaire were used. The comparison of the means of attachment to Facebook between the two studied groups using T-test showed significant result (t = -2.510; P = .014 <0.05) with scout leaders demonstrated higher average of attachment to Facebook than that detected by master students. The results showed a statistically significant negative correlation between the hours consumed per day on Facebook and the perception and working memory. The perception of young Scout leaders is better than that of master students. We concluded that attachment to social networks influences working memory and perception, while the Scout method would serve as a new remedy for this scourge.

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The scout method protects the perception and working memory of our young people against the negative influence of social networks

Introduction: The current study aimed to explore the in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and dermatoprotective properties of lemon peel essential oil (EO). Methods: The chemical composition of lemon EOs extracted from the lemon of three cities in Morocco was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The antioxidant property was estimated by two complementary tests: Ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by the inhibition of albumin denaturation and proteinase. Inhibitory properties of α-glucosidase and α-amylase were used to reveal the antidiabetic activity of lemon peel EOs. Dermatoprotective property was evaluated by the tyrosinase inhibition method. Results: In addition to high amounts of polyphenols and flavonoids, GC-MS analysis of lemon peel EOs demonstrated the presence of D-limonene, β–pinene, and γ-terpinene as the main compounds in the three samples studied. Lemon peel EOs exhibited significant antioxidant activities by IC50 values ranging from 40.57 µg/mL to 100.22 µg/mL and 113.63 µg/mL to 180.90 µg/mL obtained by DPPH and FRAP tests, respectively. in vitro inhibition of enzymes involved in inflammatory response revealed that lemon peel EOs presented remarkable inhibitory activities against albumin denaturation (230.48 µg/mL>IC50<341.13 µg/mL) and proteinase (199.70 µg/mL>IC50<307.05 µg/mL). Moreover, lemon peel EOs demonstrated powerful inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase with various IC50 values (1689.06 µg/ mL>IC50>4000 µg/mL and 1021.58 µg/mL>C50<2467.62 µg/mL), respectively. These EOs also revealed significant inhibition of tyrosinase with IC50 values ranging from 248.42 μg/ mL to 378.02 μg/mL. Conclusion: These results revealed that lemon peel EOs might constitute a new product with beneficial biological abilities against the mentioned complications.

Chemical composition of essential oils of Citrus limon peel from three Moroccan regions and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and dermatoprotective properties

The Mediterranean Diet has long been regarded as one of thepromising strategies for the prevention of cognitive impairmentand Alzheimer's disease. Aim: This study aimed to determinethe association between adherence to a MedDiet and the riskof cognitive impairment (CI) among the elderly in Morocco.Due to their complete data, a sample of 172 (56.4% men) from 237 subjects were included in our study. Cognitive functions were assessed by the MMSE test (Mini-Mental State Examina- tion). Adherence to a MedDiet was assessed using a validated questionnaire based on weekly consumption of the seven main MedDiet foods: non-refined cereals, potatoes, fruits (whole or in juice), vegetables (cooked or as salad), legumes, fish, olive oil, and three foods consumed less frequently in a MedDiet: red meats, poultry, and full-fat dairy products. A binary logistic regression was performed, with cognitive function as the dependent variable MedDiet adherence score as well as the aliment consumption frequency associated with CI in the bivariate analysis as an independent variable.The binary logistic regression adjusted for confounding vari- ables revealed that adherence to a MedDiet is not associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment (ORa= 0.928; 95% CI; [0.831-1.037]) (ORa: Adjusted Odd Ratio; 95% CI: 95% of Confidence Interval). However, only Olive Oil consumption was a protective factor against CI (ORa= 0.882; 95% CI; [0.815-0.953]).

The relationship between adherence to a mediterranean diet and cognitive impairmentamong the elderly in morocco

Nowadays, Public health concern on obesity and anemia has become very important disease in the world. Objective: In this study, we aim to examine the relationship between the overweight of diabetic patients from the Oujda-Angad region and their body iron status. Methods: A total of 114 patients aged between 18 and 70 years old. The patients were from the regional referral Center of Oujda-Angad. All patients had type 2 diabetes. They attended the centre between December the 1st, 2016 and May the 30th, 2018 and were diagnosed previously for more than 6 months. The patients were participated in this study after they have provided a written consent. Demographic and biochemical data were collected. Results: The mean ferritin concentration was between 19.14 μg /mL± and 21.32 μg / mL± and the mean Serum iron level was around 105.05μg/dl. Moreover, 34.5% of diabetic patients were overweight according to WHO Standars (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) while around 31% of were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). The correlation coefficient of linear regression was positive for BMI/ Plasma Ferritin and negative for BMI/hemoglobin, and BMI/Serum iron. Furthermore, the CRP concentration was less than 6mg/l for 90% of obese and overweight patients. As conclusion, we can confirm that patients having an iron deficiency are not overweight or obese. Furthermore, overweight and obesity could be a risk factor of iron deficiency in diabetic patients. Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science www.foodandnutritionjournal.org ISSN: 2347-467X, Vol. 08, No. (2) 2020, Pg. 416-423 CONTACT Asmae Hsaini Asmaehsaini9@gmail.com Nutrition, Health and Environment Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences. Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Enviro Research Publishers. This is an Open Access article licensed under a Creative Commons license: Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY). Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CRNFSJ.8.2.07 Article History Received: 9 October 2019 Accepted: 07 May 2020

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Samir Bikri

Papers

Effects of date seeds administration on anxiety and depressive symptoms in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: biochemical and behavioral evidences.

The scout method protects the perception and working memory of our young people against the negative influence of social networks

Chemical composition of essential oils of Citrus limon peel from three Moroccan regions and their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and dermatoprotective properties

The relationship between adherence to a mediterranean diet and cognitive impairmentamong the elderly in morocco

Association between BMI and Iron Status among Diabetic Patients in Oujda-Angad-Morocco