Exposure to field vs. storage wheat dust: different consequences on respiratory symptoms and immune response among grain workers.

The aim of this study was to understand the differential acute effects of two distinct wheat-related dusts, such as field or stored wheat dust handling, on workers' health and how those effects evolved at 6 month intervals. Exposure, work-related symptoms, changes in lung function, and blood samples of 81 workers handling wheat and 61 controls were collected during the high exposure season and 6 months after. Specific IgG, IgE, and precipitins against 12 fungi isolated from wheat dust were titrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluorescence immunoassay, and electrosyneresis. The level of fungi was determined in the workers' environment. Levels of exhaled fraction of nitrogen monoxide (F <sub>E</sub> NO) and total IgE were obtained. Exposure response associations were investigated by mixed logistic and linear regression models. The recent exposure to field wheat dust was associated with a higher prevalence for five of six self-reported airway symptoms and with a lower F <sub>E</sub> NO than those in the control population. Exposure to stored wheat dust was only associated with cough. No acute impact of exposure on respiratory function was observed. Exposure to field wheat dust led to workers' sensitization against the three field fungi Aureobasidum, Cryptococcus, and Phoma, although exposure to storage wheat dust was associated with tolerance. The level of Ig remained stable 6 months after exposure. The clinical picture of workers exposed to field or storage wheat dust differed. The systematic characterization of the aerosol microbial profile may help to understand the reasons for those differences

Flavouring food: the contribution of chimpanzee behaviour to the understanding of Neanderthal calculus composition and plant use in Neanderthal diets

In a recent study, Hardy et al. (2012) examined ten samples of dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from El Sidrón in northern Spain (occupation dates between 47300 and 50600 BP). In calculus from a young adult, they discovered the presence of compounds (dihydroazulene, chamazulene and methylherniarin) that occur in yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and camomile (Matriarca chamomilla). In preference to other hypotheses, the authors proposed that these two plants were used for self-medication. In this paper, we do not reject the self-medication hypothesis, but our observations of wild chimpanzees in Uganda, at Sonso in the Budongo Forest Reserve and at Kanyawara and Sebitoli in Kibale National Park (separated by about 150km), as well as ethnological and palaeontological evidence, lead us to propose three other explanations for the presence of these compounds. In addition, data on Neanderthal behaviour suggest that their subsistence and technological strategies were comple

Unplanned transfer to acute care during inpatient geriatric rehabilitation: incidence, risk factors, and associated short-term outcomes

Abstract Background Information is scarce on unplanned transfers from geriatric rehabilitation back to acute care despite their potential impact on patients’ functional recovery. This study aimed 1) to determine the incidence rate and causes of unplanned transfers; 2) to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients with and without unplanned transfer. Methods Consecutive stays (n = 2375) in a tertiary geriatric rehabilitation unit were included. Unplanned transfers to acute care and their causes were analyzed from discharge summaries. Data on patients’ socio-demographics, health, functional, and mental status; length of stay; discharge destination; and death, were extracted from the hospital database. Bi- and multi-variable analyses investigated the association between patients’ characteristics and unplanned transfers. Results One in six (16.7%) rehabilitation stays was interrupted by a transfer, most often secondary to infections (19.3%), cardiac (16.8%), abdominal (12.7%), trauma (12.2%), and neurological problems (9.4%). Older patients (AdjORage≥85: 0.70; 95%CI: 0. 53–0.94, P = .016), and those admitted for gait disorders (AdjOR: 0.73; 95%CI: 0.53–0.99, P = .046) had lower odds of transfer to acute care. In contrast, men (AdjOR: 1.71; 95%CI: 1.29–2.26, P < .001), patients with more severe disease (AdjORCIRS: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.02–1.07, P < .001), functional impairment before (AdjOR: 1.69; 95%CI: 1.05–2.70, P = .029) and at rehabilitation admission (AdjOR: 2.07; 95%CI: 1.56- 2.76, P < .001) had higher odds of transfer. Transferred patients were significantly more likely to die than those without transfer (AdjOR 13.78; 95%CI: 6.46–29.42, P < .001) during their stay, but those surviving had similar functional performance and rate of home discharge at the end of the stay. Conclusion A significant minority of patients experienced an unplanned transfer that potentially interfered with their rehabilitation and was associated with poorer outcomes. Men, patients with more severe disease and functional impairment appear at increased risk. Further studies should investigate whether interventions targeting these patients may prevent unplanned transfers and modify associated adverse outcomes

Do Orangutans Share Early Human Interest in Odd Objects?

International audienc

Sleep characteristics and self-rated health in older persons.

It remains unclear, how much older persons' sleep problems are due to age-related changes in sleep architecture and pattern, or whether they are a consequence of health problems. This work aimed to examine the association between sleep characteristics and self-rated health, taking into account potential confounders. Data about sleep, including sleep efficiency (ratio of sleep duration to the amount of time spent in bed, considered as good if &gt; 85%), as well as health-rated characteristics were self-reported by community-dwelling persons enrolled in the Lausanne cohort 65+ study (n = 2712, age 66-75 years). Participants' subjective health was categorized as good versus poor. The cross-sectional association between good self-rated health and sleep characteristics was examined in bivariate and multivariate analysis. The majority of participants (68.4%) rated their health as good. Compared to the participants with poor-rated health, they more often reported a good sleep efficiency (59.5% vs 45.0%, p &lt; 0.001) and less often reported napping (41.6% vs 54.0%, p &lt; 0.001) as well as using sleep medication (12.7% vs 31.8%, p &lt; 0.001). After adjustment for comorbidity, depressive symptoms and cognitive difficulties, a positive association persisted between good sleep efficiency and good self-rated health (adjOR: 1.35, 95% CI 1.10-1.66). Regular napping remained negatively associated to feel healthy (adjOR: 0.65, 95% CI 0.53-0.79). Sleep efficiency is positively associated with subjective health, whereas napping and use of sleep medication are negatively associated to rating own health as good. These associations need to be further investigated in longitudinal analyses to better understand causality