62 research outputs found

    Comparison of a pediatric practice-based therapy and an interdisciplinary ambulatory treatment in social pediatric centers for migraine in children: a nation-wide randomized-controlled trial in Germany: \textquotedblmoma - modules on migraine activity\textquotedbl

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    BACKGROUND Migraine is common in childhood, peaks in adolescents and persists into adulthood in at least 40% of patients. There is need for early interventions to improve the burden of disease and, if possible, reduce chronification. The aim of the project is to compare two types of ambulatory treatment strategies regarding their effect on headache days and quality of life in 6 to 11 year old children with migraine: 1) the routine care in pediatricians' practices (intervention group A) and 2) a structured interdisciplinary multimodal intervention administered at social pediatric centers (intervention group B). METHODS The study is a nation-wide cluster-randomized study. Based on the postal codes the regions are randomly assigned to the two intervention-strategies. Children with migraine are recruited in the pediatric practices, as common outpatient-care in the German health-care system. Parents rate headache frequency, intensity and acute medication intake at a daily basis via a digital smartphone application specifically designed for the study. Migraine-related disability and quality of life are assessed every 3 months. Study duration is 9 months for every participant: 3 months of baseline at the pediatric practice (both groups); 3 months of intervention at the pediatric practice (intervention group A) or at the social pediatric center (intervention group B), respectively; 3 months of follow-up at the pediatric practice (both groups). DISCUSSION Results of the planned comparison of routine care in pediatric practices and interdisciplinary social pediatric centers will be relevant for treatment of children with migraine, both for the individual and for the health care system. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was approved by the ethics committee at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (number 18-804) and was retrospectively registered on 27 April 2021 in the WHO approved German Clinical Trials Register (number DRKS00016698 )

    Migraine and the development of additional psychiatric and pain disorders in the transition from adolescence to adulthood

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    Introduction: The transition from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to adulthood are vulnerable phases in life. In these phases, late or insufficient treatment of diseases may lead to chronification and favor development of additional disorders. In adolescents, migraine often has a highly negative impact on school performance and everyday life. The hypothesis of the present study was that adolescents with migraine have a higher risk for developing additional disorders such as psychiatric disorders or other pain syndromes in the course of the disease. Materials and methods: In this study, we analyzed health insurance data of 56,597 German adolescents at the age of 15 years in the year 2006. By using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10), we determined a group with migraine diagnosis in the year 2006 and a control group without any headache diagnosis in 2006. We then compared both groups regarding the development of additional disorders (based on the ICD 10) during the following 10 years (2007 to 2016). Results: Adolescents with migraine had a 2.1 fold higher risk than persons without migraine diagnosis to develop an additional affective or mood disorder, a 1.8 fold higher risk to obtain neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders, a 1.8 fold higher risk to subsequently suffer from behavioral syndromes, a 1.6 higher risk to get back pain and a 1.5 fold higher risk for irritable bowel syndrome during the next 10 years. Conclusion: Adolescents with migraine are at risk for developing additional disorders later. Considering and addressing the patient’s risks and potential medical and psychosocial problems might improve the long-term outcome significantly

    Deletion of Complement Factor H–Related Genes CFHR1 and CFHR3 Is Associated with Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

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    Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is associated with defective complement regulation. Disease-associated mutations have been described in the genes encoding the complement regulators complement factor H, membrane cofactor protein, factor B, and factor I. In this study, we show in two independent cohorts of aHUS patients that deletion of two closely related genes, complement factor H–related 1 (CFHR1) and complement factor H–related 3 (CFHR3), increases the risk of aHUS. Amplification analysis and sequencing of genomic DNA of three affected individuals revealed a chromosomal deletion of ∼84 kb in the RCA gene cluster, resulting in loss of the genes coding for CFHR1 and CFHR3, but leaving the genomic structure of factor H intact. The CFHR1 and CFHR3 genes are flanked by long homologous repeats with long interspersed nuclear elements (retrotransposons) and we suggest that nonallelic homologous recombination between these repeats results in the loss of the two genes. Impaired protection of erythrocytes from complement activation is observed in the serum of aHUS patients deficient in CFHR1 and CFHR3, thus suggesting a regulatory role for CFHR1 and CFHR3 in complement activation. The identification of CFHR1/CFHR3 deficiency in aHUS patients may lead to the design of new diagnostic approaches, such as enhanced testing for these genes

    Совершенствование системы делопроизводства угольной компании

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    В процессе исследования проводилось изучение содержания понятий "делопроизводство" и "документационное обеспечение управления"; исследование нормативно – правовой базы современного делопроизводства, принципов его организации; изучение цели, задач, функций и назначения службы делопроизводства; анализировалась система делопроизводства ООО "Угольная компания "Заречная"; были выработаны рекомендации по совершенствованию системы документационного обеспечения управления. Результаты исследования и выработанные рекомендации были внедрены в практику работы ООО "Угольная компания "Заречная".In the course of the research, the content of the notions of "office work" and "document management provision" was studied; research of the legal base of modern office work, principles of its organization; the study of the purpose, tasks, functions and appointment of the office work; the system of record keeping of LLC "Coal Company "Zarechnaya" was analyzed; Recommendations were developed to improve the system of document management support. The results of the study and the recommendations developed were introduced into the practice of the LLC "Coal Company "Zarechnaya "

    Borrelia valaisiana resist complement-mediated killing independently of the recruitment of immune regulators and inactivation of complement components

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    Spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi sensu lato complex differ in their resistance to complement-mediated killing, particularly in regard to human serum. In the present study, we elucidate the serum and complement susceptibility of B. valaisiana, a genospecies with the potential to cause Lyme disease in Europe as well as in Asia. Among the investigated isolates, growth of ZWU3 Ny3 was not affected while growth of VS116 and Bv9 was strongly inhibited in the presence of 50% human serum. Analyzing complement activation, complement components C3, C4 and C6 were deposited on the surface of isolates VS116 and Bv9, and similarly the membrane attack complex was formed on their surface. In contrast, no surface-deposited components and no aberrations in cell morphology were detected for serum-resistant ZWU3 Ny3. While further investigating the protective role of bound complement regulators in mediating complement resistance, we discovered that none of the B. valaisiana isolates analyzed bound complement regulators Factor H, Factor H-like protein 1, C4b binding protein or C1 esterase inhibitor. In addition, B. valaisiana also lacked intrinsic proteolytic activity to degrade complement components C3, C3b, C4, C4b, and C5. Taken together, these findings suggest that certain B. valaisiana isolates differ in their capability to resist complement-mediating killing by human serum. The molecular mechanism utilized by B. valaisiana to inhibit bacteriolysis appears not to involve binding of the key host complement regulators of the alternative, classical, and lectin pathways as already known for serum-resistant Lyme disease or relapsing fever borreliae

    Identification of ICF categories relevant for nursing in the situation of acute and early post-acute rehabilitation

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The recovery of patients after an acute episode of illness or injury depends both on adequate medical treatment and on the early identification of needs for rehabilitation care. The process of early beginning rehabilitation requires efficient communication both between health professionals and the patient in order to effectively address all rehabilitation goals. The currently used nursing taxonomies, however, are not intended for interdisciplinary use and thus may not contribute to efficient rehabilitation management and an optimal patient outcome. The ICF might be the missing link in this communication process. The objective of this study was to identify the categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories relevant for nursing care in the situation of acute and early post-acute rehabilitation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>First, in a consensus process, "Leistungserfassung in der Pflege" (LEP) nursing interventions relevant for the situation of acute and early post-acute rehabilitation were selected. Second, in an integrated two-step linking process, two nursing experts derived goals of LEP nursing interventions from their practical knowledge and selected corresponding ICF categories most relevant for patients in acute and post-acute rehabilitation (ICF Core Sets).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eighty-seven percent of ICF Core Set categories could be linked to goals of at least one nursing intervention variable of LEP. The ICF categories most frequently linked with LEP nursing interventions were respiration functions, experience of self and time functions and focusing attention. Thirteen percent of ICF Core Set categories could not be linked with LEP nursing interventions. The LEP nursing interventions which were linked with the highest number of different ICF-categories of all were "therapeutic intervention", "patient-nurse communication/information giving" and "mobilising".</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ICF Core Sets for the acute hospital and early post-acute rehabilitation facilities are highly relevant for rehabilitation nursing. Linking nursing interventions with ICF Core Set categories is a feasible way to analyse nursing. Using the ICF Core Sets to describe goals of nursing interventions both facilitates inter-professional communication and respects patient's needs. The ICF may thus be a useful framework to set nursing intervention goals.</p

    TMPRSS2-mediated SARS-CoV-2 uptake boosts innate immune activation, enhances cytopathology, and drives convergent virus evolution.

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    The accessory protease transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) enhances severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uptake into ACE2-expressing cells, although how increased entry impacts downstream viral and host processes remains unclear. To investigate this in more detail, we performed infection assays in engineered cells promoting ACE2-mediated entry with and without TMPRSS2 coexpression. Electron microscopy and inhibitor experiments indicated TMPRSS2-mediated cell entry was associated with increased virion internalization into endosomes, and partially dependent upon clathrin-mediated endocytosis. TMPRSS2 increased panvariant uptake efficiency and enhanced early rates of virus replication, transcription, and secretion, with variant-specific profiles observed. On the host side, transcriptional profiling confirmed the magnitude of infection-induced antiviral and proinflammatory responses were linked to uptake efficiency, with TMPRSS2-assisted entry boosting early antiviral responses. In addition, TMPRSS2-enhanced infections increased rates of cytopathology, apoptosis, and necrosis and modulated virus secretion kinetics in a variant-specific manner. On the virus side, convergent signatures of cell-uptake-dependent innate immune induction were recorded in viral genomes, manifesting as switches in dominant coupled Nsp3 residues whose frequencies were correlated to the magnitude of the cellular response to infection. Experimentally, we demonstrated that selected Nsp3 mutations conferred enhanced interferon antagonism. More broadly, we show that TMPRSS2 orthologues from evolutionarily diverse mammals facilitate panvariant enhancement of cell uptake. In summary, our study uncovers previously unreported associations, linking cell entry efficiency to innate immune activation kinetics, cell death rates, virus secretion dynamics, and convergent selection of viral mutations. These data expand our understanding of TMPRSS2's role in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle and confirm its broader significance in zoonotic reservoirs and animal models

    Complement Factor H-Related Proteins CFHR2 and CFHR5 Represent Novel Ligands for the Infection-Associated CRASP Proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi

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    Background: One virulence property of Borrelia burgdorferi is its resistance to innate immunity, in particular to complement-mediated killing. Serum-resistant B. burgdorferi express up to five distinct complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins (CRASP) which interact with complement regulator factor H (CFH) and factor H-like protein 1 (FHL1) or factor H-related protein 1 (CFHR1). In the present study we elucidate the role of the infection-associated CRASP-3 and CRASP-5 protein to serve as ligands for additional complement regulatory proteins as well as for complement resistance of B. burgdorferi. Methodology/Principal Findings: To elucidate whether CRASP-5 and CRASP-3 interact with various human proteins, both borrelial proteins were immobilized on magnetic beads. Following incubation with human serum, bound proteins were eluted and separated by Glycine-SDS-PAGE. In addition to CFH and CFHR1, complement regulators CFHR2 and CFHR5 were identified as novel ligands for both borrelial proteins by employing MALDI-TOF. To further assess the contributions of CRASP-3 and CRASP-5 to complement resistance, a serum-sensitive B. garinii strain G1 which lacks all CFH-binding proteins was used as a valuable model for functional analyses. Both CRASPs expressed on the B. garinii outer surface bound CFH as well as CFHR1 and CFHR2 in ELISA. In contrast, live B. garinii bound CFHR1, CFHR2, and CFHR5 and only miniscute amounts of CFH as demonstrated by serum adsorption assays and FACS analyses. Further functional analysis revealed that upon NHS incubation, CRASP-3 or CRASP-5 expressing borreliae were killed by complement. Conclusions/Significance: In the absence of CFH and the presence of CFHR1, CFHR2 and CFHR5, assembly and integration of the membrane attack complex was not efficiently inhibited indicating that CFH in co-operation with CFHR1, CFHR2 and CFHR5 supports complement evasion of B. burgdorferi

    The RESET project: constructing a European tephra lattice for refined synchronisation of environmental and archaeological events during the last c. 100 ka

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    This paper introduces the aims and scope of the RESET project (. RESponse of humans to abrupt Environmental Transitions), a programme of research funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (UK) between 2008 and 2013; it also provides the context and rationale for papers included in a special volume of Quaternary Science Reviews that report some of the project's findings. RESET examined the chronological and correlation methods employed to establish causal links between the timing of abrupt environmental transitions (AETs) on the one hand, and of human dispersal and development on the other, with a focus on the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic periods. The period of interest is the Last Glacial cycle and the early Holocene (c. 100-8 ka), during which time a number of pronounced AETs occurred. A long-running topic of debate is the degree to which human history in Europe and the Mediterranean region during the Palaeolithic was shaped by these AETs, but this has proved difficult to assess because of poor dating control. In an attempt to move the science forward, RESET examined the potential that tephra isochrons, and in particular non-visible ash layers (cryptotephras), might offer for synchronising palaeo-records with a greater degree of finesse. New tephrostratigraphical data generated by the project augment previously-established tephra frameworks for the region, and underpin a more evolved tephra 'lattice' that links palaeo-records between Greenland, the European mainland, sub-marine sequences in the Mediterranean and North Africa. The paper also outlines the significance of other contributions to this special volume: collectively, these illustrate how the lattice was constructed, how it links with cognate tephra research in Europe and elsewhere, and how the evidence of tephra isochrons is beginning to challenge long-held views about the impacts of environmental change on humans during the Palaeolithic. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.RESET was funded through Consortium Grants awarded by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK, to a collaborating team drawn from four institutions: Royal Holloway University of London (grant reference NE/E015905/1), the Natural History Museum, London (NE/E015913/1), Oxford University (NE/E015670/1) and the University of Southampton, including the National Oceanography Centre (NE/01531X/1). The authors also wish to record their deep gratitude to four members of the scientific community who formed a consultative advisory panel during the lifetime of the RESET project: Professor Barbara Wohlfarth (Stockholm University), Professor Jørgen Peder Steffensen (Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen), Dr. Martin Street (Romisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Neuwied) and Professor Clive Oppenheimer (Cambridge University). They provided excellent advice at key stages of the work, which we greatly valued. We also thank Jenny Kynaston (Geography Department, Royal Holloway) for construction of several of the figures in this paper, and Debbie Barrett (Elsevier) and Colin Murray Wallace (Editor-in-Chief, QSR) for their considerable assistance in the production of this special volume.Peer Reviewe
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