Plos One
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A frameshift mutation of ubiquitin called ubiquitin(+1) (UBB(+1)) was found in the aging and Alzheimer's disease brains and thought to be associated with neuronal dysfuction and degeneration. Even though ubiquitylation has been known to regulate vital cellular functions mainly through proteasome-dependent degradation of polyubiquitinated substrates, proteolysis-independent roles of ubiquitylation have emerged as key mechanisms in various signaling cascades. In this study, we have investigated the effect of UBB(+1) on proinflammatory signaling such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in human astrocytes. ⋯ Ectopic expression of UBB(+1) suppressed TNF-α- and IL-1β-induced activation of NF-κB and JNK signaling pathway. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that polyubiquitylation of TRAFs and subsequent phosphorylation of TAK1 were significantly inhibited by stable expression of UBB(+1). Collectively, these results suggest that UBB(+1) may affect proinflammatory signaling in the central nervous system via inhibitory mechanisms of ubiquitin-dependent signaling in human astrocytes.
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Measurement of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is an important parameter in the surveillance of intensive care unit patients. Standard values of IAP during pregnancy have not been well defined. The aim of this study was to assess IAP values in pregnant women before and after cesarean delivery. ⋯ In term pregnancies, IAP values are significantly higher before delivery than in the post-partum period, where IAP values remain elevated for at least two hours at the level of postoperative classical abdominal surgery. The knowledge of these physiological changes in IAP values may help prevent organ dysfunction/failure when abdominal compartment syndrome occurs after cesarean delivery.
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The purpose of this study was to determine how pelvic morphology, body posture, and standing balance variables of scoliotic girls differ from those of able-bodied girls, and to classify neuro-biomechanical variables in terms of a lower number of unobserved variables. Twenty-eight scoliotic and twenty-five non-scoliotic able-bodied girls participated in this study. 3D coordinates of ten anatomic body landmarks were used to describe pelvic morphology and trunk posture using a Flock of Birds system. Standing balance was measured using a force plate to identify the center of pressure (COP), and its anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) displacements. ⋯ Approximately 60% of the variation is supported by 4 factors that can be associated with a set of variables; standing balance variables (factor 1), body posture variables (factor 2), and pelvic morphology variables (factors 3 and 4). Pelvic distortion, body posture asymmetry, and standing imbalance are more pronounced in scoliotic girls, when compared to able-bodied girls. These findings may be beneficial when addressing balance and ankle proprioception exercises for the scoliotic population.
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Surgical site infections (SSI) are an important cause of peri-surgical morbidity with risks that vary extensively between patients and surgeries. Quantifying SSI risk would help identify candidates most likely to benefit from interventions to decrease the risk of SSI. ⋯ SSIRS can be calculated using patient and surgery information to estimate individual risk of SSI for a broad range of surgery types.
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Comparative Study
Characteristics of near-death experiences memories as compared to real and imagined events memories.
Since the dawn of time, Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) have intrigued and, nowadays, are still not fully explained. Since reports of NDEs are proposed to be imagined events, and since memories of imagined events have, on average, fewer phenomenological characteristics than real events memories, we here compared phenomenological characteristics of NDEs reports with memories of imagined and real events. We included three groups of coma survivors (8 patients with NDE as defined by the Greyson NDE scale, 6 patients without NDE but with memories of their coma, 7 patients without memories of their coma) and a group of 18 age-matched healthy volunteers. ⋯ Thus, this suggests that they cannot be considered as imagined event memories. On the contrary, their physiological origins could lead them to be really perceived although not lived in the reality. Further work is needed to better understand this phenomenon.