145 research outputs found
sj-docx-1-chi-10.1177_17423953231209377 - Supplemental material for Insights into the epidemiology and clinical aspects of post-COVID-19 conditions in adult
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-chi-10.1177_17423953231209377 for Insights into the epidemiology and clinical aspects of post-COVID-19 conditions in adult by Dieu Hien T Huynh, Dat T Nguyen, Thu Suong T Nguyen, Bao An H Nguyen, Anh T T Huynh, Vy N N Nguyen, Dat Q Tran, Thi N N Hoang, Huy Dung Tran, Dao Thanh Liem, Giau V Vo and
Minh Nam Nguyen in Chronic Illness</p
Locomotor hyperactivity in 14-3-3Zeta KO mice is associated with dopamine transporter dysfunction
No full textDopamine (DA) neurotransmission requires a complex series of enzymatic reactions that are tightly linked to catecholamine exocytosis and receptor interactions on pre- and postsynaptic neurons. Regulation of dopaminergic signalling is primarily achieved through reuptake of extracellular DA by the DA transporter (DAT) on presynaptic neurons. Aberrant regulation of DA signalling, and in particular hyperactivation, has been proposed as a key insult in the presentation of schizophrenia and related neuropsychiatric disorders. We recently identified 14-3-3ζ as an essential component of neurodevelopment and a central risk factor in the schizophrenia protein interaction network. Our analysis of 14-3-3ζ-deficient mice now shows that baseline hyperactivity of knockout (KO) mice is rescued by the antipsychotic drug clozapine. 14-3-3ζ KO mice displayed enhanced locomotor hyperactivity induced by the DA releaser amphetamine. Consistent with 14-3-3ζ having a role in DA signalling, we found increased levels of DA in the striatum of 14-3-3ζ KO mice. Although 14-3-3ζ is proposed to modulate activity of the rate-limiting DA biosynthesis enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), we were unable to identify any differences in total TH levels, TH localization or TH activation in 14-3-3ζ KO mice. Rather, our analysis identified significantly reduced levels of DAT in the absence of notable differences in RNA or protein levels of DA receptors D1–D5. Providing insight into the mechanisms by which 14-3-3ζ controls DAT stability, we found a physical association between 14-3-3ζ and DAT by co-immunoprecipitation. Taken together, our results identify a novel role for 14-3-3ζ in DA neurotransmission and provide support to the hyperdopaminergic basis of pathologies associated with schizophrenia and related disorders.H Ramshaw, X Xu, EJ Jaehne, P McCarthy, Z Greenberg, E Saleh, B McClure, J Woodcock, S Kabbara, S Wiszniak, Ting-Yi Wang, C Parish, M van den Buuse, BT Baune, A Lopez and Q Schwar
Intra-operative bacterial contamination : control and consequences
No full textEen combinatie van gedragsmaatregelen en een beter luchtinblaassysteem in de operatiekamer leidt tot een afname van het aantal bacteriën bij plaatsing van een knie- of heupprothese. Hierdoor neemt de kans af op infectie van de prothese en op problemen met wondgenezing na de operatie. Dit blijkt uit onderzoek van Bas Knobben, uitgevoerd bij de afdeling Orthopedie en de vakgroep Biomedical Engineering van het Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen. Deze bevindingen kunnen ertoe bijdragen dat gewrichtsprothesen minder vaak infecteren en vervangen moeten worden. Hij promoveert op 26 april 2006 op zijn onderzoek aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
In elke operatiekamer kunnen ondanks strenge hygiënische maatregelen bacteriën voorkomen die een mogelijk risico vormen voor infectie van prothesen en problemen met wondgenezing na de operatie. Tot nu toe was de omvang hiervan onduidelijk. Uit het onderzoek van Knobben blijkt dat bij 36 procent van de plaatsingen van heupprothesen bacteriën aanwezig waren op het instrumentarium en op verwijderde botsnippers bij het inbrengen van de prothesen. Ook bleek er een verband te zijn tussen het vóórkomen van deze bacteriën en het optreden van verstoorde wondgenezing en infectie van de prothesen.
Gedragsmaatregelen
Knobben onderzocht of gedrags- en technische maatregelen, aanvullend op de gebruikelijke hygiënerichtlijnen, de kans op bacteriële besmetting tijdens de operatie verkleinen. Uit zijn onderzoek blijkt dat de combinatie van deze maatregelen in een operatiekamer de kans op aanwezigheid van bacteriën deed afnemen van 34 procent naar 8 procent. Tegelijk nam de kans op infectie van prothesen, verstoorde wondgenezing en wondinfectie beduidend af.
De gedragsmaatregelen die onder andere werden genomen, zijn het beperken van het spreken en het in- en uitlopen van de operatiekamer door het operatiekamerpersoneel, het gecontroleerd bewegen, het juiste gebruik van het neus-/mondkapje en een beter gebruik van het gebied onder de luchtstroom. Een van de technische maatregelen betrof het gebruik van een beter luchtinblaassysteem (laminaire airflow). Hierbij vindt een constante aanvoer van schone lucht plaats boven het operatiegebied en worden bacteriën via verticale luchtstromen afgevoerd.
Kosteneffectief
Met dit onderzoek toont Knobben aan dat gedragsmaatregelen en een beter luchtinblaassysteem in de operatiekamer infecties van prothesen en problemen met wondgenezing kunnen voorkomen. De maatregelen zijn bovendien kosteneffectief: de gemiddelde totale kosten per patiënt met een eerste (primaire) prothese zonder infectie zijn ongeveer € 15.000, zo’n 3,5 keer lager dan die van een patiënt met een geïnfecteerde prothese (ongeveer € 52.000). De resultaten van dit proefschrift hebben ertoe geleid dat het Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen de aanvullende gedrags- en technische maatregelen toepast bij het plaatsen van prothesen.
Verdubbeling
In Nederland zijn in 2004 ongeveer 25.000 heup- en 20.000 knieprothesen geplaatst. De belangrijkste indicatie voor het plaatsen hiervan is gewrichtsslijtage. De verwachting is dat door vergrijzing het aantal mensen dat in aanmerking komt voor deze operaties de komende twintig jaar zal verdubbelen. Bij ongeveer één tot vier procent van de patiënten treedt na plaatsing een bacteriële infectie op.
Improvements to the Calculation of Actual Evaporation from Bare Soil Surfaces
No full textEvaporation of water from a saturated soil surface with ample free water is known as potential evaporation, PE, and the associated physical processes are quite well understood. However, evaporation of water from an unsaturated soil surface is known as actual evaporation, AE, and the associated physical processes are more complex and less understood. The calculation of actual evaporation is important for many geotechnical engineering applications. Soil suction and the corresponding water content at which the AE rate begins to depart from the PE rate during a drying process are re-assessed using a series of laboratory tests (i.e., thin soil section drying tests and soil column drying tests). Laboratory results show that the suction at which the actual rate of evaporation begins to depart from PE rate for soil columns (or thick soil layers) may be different than for thin soil layers. The suction at the “evaporation-rate reduction point”, (ERRP) appears to be approximately 3,000 kPa for thin soil layers, but is between the air-entry value and residual soil suction for thick soil layers or soil columns. The analyses presented in this paper have resulted in the development of a methodology for the estimation of the suction corresponding to the ERRP in soil columns. Equations are also proposed to calculate the coefficient of surface moisture availability, the vapour pressure and “surface resistance” at ground surface. The paper also presents an equation (i.e., new soil-atmosphere moisture flux equation) for predicting the evaporation rate from a soil surface using “surface resistance” to vapour water diffusion from the soil to the atmosphere. The proposed soil-atmosphere model is verified using evaporation rate data collected from various drying tests on thin soil layers and soil columns. Reasonably good agreement was found between the computed and measured rates of evaporation. The findings and recommendations in this paper contribute to an improved understanding of the prediction of AE from unsaturated soil surfaces.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
FoxP3⁺ regulatory T cells attenuate experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.
No full textNecrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) results from severe intestinal inflammation in premature infants. FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) are central to gut homeostasis. While Treg proportions are significantly reduced in the ileums of premature infants with NEC, it is unknown whether they play a critical function in preventing NEC. This study investigated Treg development in newborn rat pups and their role in experimental NEC induction. Utilizing an established rat model of experimental NEC, the ontogeny of T cells and Tregs in newborn pups was characterized by flow cytometry. To investigate the functions of Tregs, newborn pups were given Tregs harvested from adult rats prior to NEC induction to assess clinical improvement and mechanisms of immune regulation. The results revealed that there were few Treg numbers in the terminal ileums of newborn rats and 8-fold reduction after NEC. Adoptive transfer of Tregs significantly improved weight loss, survival from 53% to 88%, and NEC incidence from 87% to 35%. The Tregs modulated the immune response as manifested in reduced CD80 expression on antigen presenting cells and decreased T cell activation within the mesenteric lymph nodes. These findings suggest that while Tregs are present in the intestines, their numbers might be insufficient to dampen the excessive inflammatory state in NEC. Adoptive transfer of Tregs attenuates the severity of NEC by limiting the immune response. Strategies to enhance Tregs have a therapeutic potential in controlling the development of NEC
Modelling water quality for water distribution systems
No full textThis thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Maintaining water quality in distribution systems has become a prominent issue in the study of water networks. This thesis concentrates on disinfectant and particle counts as two important indicators of water quality. The models discussed in this work are based on data collected by the author. The experimental set-up and procedure are described and observations of particle counts, particle counter size distributions, monochloramine as disinfectant, temperature, heterotrophic plate counts and epifluorescence microscopy counts are reported. A model of the response of particle counts to an increase in flow is developed. This model is obtained from specification derived from the data and assumptions, and is validated by its interpretability and its fit to data. A local shear-off density and an initial biofilm shedding profile were introduced and thus a linear model for this part of the water quality dynamics could be obtained. A procedure for the identification of the parameters of the local shear-off function and for the determination of the biofilm shedding profile is presented. This profile can be used to provide information about the status of the distribution system in terms of shear-off from the biofilm on the pipe walls. Monochloramine decay dynamics are investigated. The chlorine meter data is preprocessed with the help of titration data to correct meter drift. The data is then used in calibrating two different possible chlorine models: a model with a single decay coefficient and a model with bulk decay coefficient and wall demand (as used in Epanet). Important difficulties in identifying these parameters that come about because of the structure of the models are highlighted. Identified decay coefficients are compared and tested for flow, inlet chlorine and temperature dependence. The merits and limits of the approach to modelling taken in this work and a possible generalisation are discussed. The water industry perspective and an outlook are provided
Effect of <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> DSM 17938 on survival, CD3<sup>+</sup> T cells and Foxp3<sup>+</sup> T cells in the ileum of rats with NEC.
No full text<p>(a) Survival (%) of different groups of rat pups (dam-fed, NEC, and NEC+17938). (b) Changes of % CD3<sup>+</sup> T cells of lymphocytes in different groups. (c) Immunohistochemical staining of CD3<sup>+</sup> cells in rat pup ileum, 200 × magnification. (d) Number of CD3<sup>+</sup> T cells per 5 villi in IHC. (e) Percentage of CD4<sup>+</sup>Foxp3<sup>+</sup>Tregs in each group on day 4 of NEC. (f) Percentage of double positive CD4<sup>+</sup>CD8<sup>+</sup>Foxp3<sup>+</sup> T cells. The numbers represent percent of T cells (means ± SE). Each dot represents one animal in each group in the figures b, e, and f. Dam-fed: N = 15, NEC: N = 13, NEC+17938: N = 20.</p
Prognostic factors of functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke
No full textTrombolyse is een behandeling waarbij een stolsel in een bloedvat wordt opgelost door het gebruik van anti-bloedstollingsmiddelen. Irene Miedema deed onderzoek naar veiligheidsaspecten van trombolyse.
Door de ontwikkeling van trombolyse is de zorg aan patiënten met een acuut herseninfarct de afgelopen decennia sterk verbeterd. De behandeling is echter alleen voor een selecte groep beschikbaar en is niet zonder risico’s.
Miedema bestudeerde een groep van ruim 700 patiënten. Zij vond dat trombolyse na drie maanden geen verbeterde klinische uitkomst gaf, wanneer deze patiënten voor het herseninfarct een bepaald soort antidepressivum (SSRI), een cholesterolverlagend middel (statine) of urinezuur gebruikten. De promovenda constateert dat dat ook het geval was wanneer de bloedsuikerspiegel bij aanvang van de behandeling te hoog was. Tot slot ontdekte ze dat behandeling met een vitamine K antagonist (een anti-bloedstollingsmiddel) bij patiënten met een normale of licht verhoogde bloedstollingswaarde leidde tot een verhoogd risico op het ontwikkelen van een hersenbloeding.
Omdat trombolyse nog steeds de eerste keus behandeling is, is het voor de veiligheid van patiënten extra van belang dat artsen daarvoor de juiste patiënten selecteren. Deze uitkomsten kunnen daarbij helpen.
In the last decades, the development of revascularisation therapy with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen antigen (tPA) has greatly improved the outcome of acute ischemic stroke patients, but this therapy is only available for a selected group of patients and has safety concerns. In this thesis several possible neuroprotective agents in acute ischemic stroke and some safety aspects of tPA-treatment are discussed. In a cohort of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous tPA no improvement of functional outcome at 3 months after the event was found in patients using selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) or statin. Serum uric acid levels were also unrelated to improvement outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Concerning safety, for all stroke subtypes, hyperglycemia during admission was associated with a poor functional outcome in patients treated with tPA. Using vitamin-K-antagonist in patients with normal or slightly elevated International Normalized Ratio (INR) who are treated with tPA, is associated with the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), but not with the actual functional outcome at 3 months after ischemic stroke. In conclusion, the studies in this thesis do not support a neuroprotective effect of SSRIs, statins and serum uric acid levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Treatment with tPA is still the most effective therapy for acute ischemic stroke and selection of patients to reduce treatment risks is important. Use of vitamin-K-antagonist with elevated INR and admission hyperglycemia are associated with the occurrence of SICH and poor functional outcome respectively.
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