Plos One
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Although it is well established that sex is a risk factor in acquiring a traumatic brain injury (TBI) among adolescents, it has not been established whether it also moderates the influence of other TBI psychological health correlates. ⋯ TBI differences in outcomes need to be assessed for potential moderating effects of sex and age. Results have important implications for more tailored injury prevention efforts.
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Although increasing staff numbers during shifts when emergency department (ED) crowding is severe can help meet patient demand, it remains unclear how different types of added staff, particularly junior residents, may affect crowding. ⋯ Staffing adjustments aimed at alleviating ED crowding should focus on adding more senior staff during peak-volume shifts.
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Autophagy is the regulated catabolic process for recycling damaged or unnecessary organelles, which plays crucial roles in cell survival during nutrient deficiency, and innate immune defense against pathogenic microorganisms. Autophagy has been also reported to be involved in various conditions including inflammatory diseases. IRGM (human immunity-related GTPase) has an important function in eliminating Mycobacterium tuberculosis from host cells via autophagy. We examined the association between genetic polymorphism and clinical course/outcome in severely septic patients. ⋯ The data suggest that the IRGM(+313), an autophagy-related polymorphic locus, influences outcome in severely septic patients, with the possible involvement of autophagy in sepsis exacerbation.
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Recently, salusin-β has been reported to have pro-atherosclerotic effects, but salusin-α has anti-atherosclerotic effects. Our previous study has shown that salusin-β but not salusin-α promotes vascular inflammation in apoE-deficient mice. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we observed the effect of salusins on inflammatory responses and the MAPK-NF-κB signaling pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). ⋯ Salusin-β was able to promote inflammatory responses in HUVECs via the p38 MAPK-NF-κB and JNK-NF-κB pathways. In contrast, salusin-α failed to show any significant effects on the inflammatory responses in HUVECs. These results provide further insight into the mechanisms behind salusins in vascular inflammation and offer a potential target for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
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Wheezing is one of the most common respiratory symptoms in preschool children under six years old. Currently, no tests are available that predict at early stage who will develop asthma and who will be a transient wheezer. Diagnostic tests of asthma are reliable in adults but the same tests are difficult to use in children, because they are invasive and require active cooperation of the patient. ⋯ The correct prediction rate was equal to 80% in an independent test set. These VOCs are related to oxidative stress caused by inflammation in the lungs and consequently lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, we showed that VOCs in the exhaled breath predict the subsequent development of asthma which might guide early treatment.