1,024 research outputs found
Quality of Life and mortality in the general population:a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: Quality of life (QoL) is multi-dimensional concept of an individual’ general well-being status in
relation to their value, environment, cultural and social context in which they live. This study aimed to
quantitatively synthesise available evidence on the association between QoL and mortality in the general
population.
Methods: An electronic search was conducted using three bibliographic databases, MEDLINE, EMBASE and
PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria were studies that assessed QoL using standardized tools and examined mortality risk in
a non-patient population. Qualitative data synthesis and meta-analyses using a random-effects model were
performed.
Results: Of 4184 articles identified, 47 were eligible for inclusion, involving approximately 1,200,000 participants.
Studies were highly heterogeneous in terms of QoL measures, population characteristics and data analysis. In total,
43 studies (91.5%) reported that better QoL was associated with lower mortality risk. The results of four metaanalyses indicated that higher health-r
Micro-crystalline inclusions analysis by PIXE and RBS
A characteristic feature of the nuclear microprobe using a 3 MeV proton beam
is the long range of particles (around 70 \mu m in light matrices). The PIXE
method, with EDS analysis and using the multilayer approach for treating the
X-ray spectrum allows the chemistry of an intra-crystalline inclusion to be
measured, provided the inclusion roof and thickness at the impact point of the
beam (Z and e, respectively) are known (the depth of the inclusion floor is Z +
e). The parameter Z of an inclusion in a mineral can be measured with a
precision of around 1 \mu m using a motorized microscope. However, this value
may significantly depart from Z if the analyzed inclusion has a complex shape.
The parameter e can hardly be measured optically. By using combined RBS and
PIXE measurements, it is possible to obtain the geometrical information needed
for quantitative elemental analysis. This paper will present measurements on
synthetic samples to investigate the advantages of the technique, and also on
natural solid and fluid inclusions in quartz. The influence of the geometrical
parameters will be discussed with regard to the concentration determination by
PIXE. In particular, accuracy of monazite micro-inclusion dating by coupled
PIXE-RBS will be presented
The WiFeS S7 AGN survey: Current status and recent results on NGC 6300
The Siding Spring Southern Seyfert Spectroscopic Snapshot Survey (S7) is a
targeted survey probing the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of a representative
sample of ~140 nearby (z<0.02) Seyfert galaxies by means of optical integral
field spectroscopy. The survey is based on a homogeneous data set observed
using the Wide Field Spectrograph WiFeS. The data provide a 25x38 arcsec
field-of-view around the galaxy centre at typically ~1.5 arcsec spatial
resolution and cover a wavelength range between ~3400 - 7100 at spectral
resolutions of ~100 km s and ~50 km s in the blue and red parts,
respectively. The survey is primarily designed to study gas excitation and star
formation around AGN, with a special focus on the shape of the AGN ionising
continuum, the interaction between radio jets and the NLR gas, and the nature
of nuclear LINER emission. We provide an overview of the current status of
S7-based results and present new results for NGC 6300.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, Refereed Proceeding of the "The Universe of
Digital Sky Surveys" conference held at the INAF - Observatory of
Capodimonte, Naples, on 25th-28th november 2014, to be published on
Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, edited by Longo, Napolitano,
Marconi, Paolillo, Iodic
The Association of NOV/CCN3 With Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Preliminary Evidence of a Novel Biomarker in OSA
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has a strong association with cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities, although the mechanism driving this association is not well established. NOV/CCN3, a multifunctional extracellular matrix protein, may play a mechanistic and/or prognostic role in these associations. We hypothesized that patients with OSA, which primarily affects obese individuals, will have increased levels of NOV, and that NOV can serve as a biomarker in patients to predict OSA as well as metabolic and cardiac risk. Ten morbidly obese and 10 healthy lean subjects underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG) and clinical evaluation. Blood samples were analyzed for NOV levels, adiponectin and IL-6. OSA was found in nine obese subjects and three lean subjects. NOV levels were significantly higher in the OSA vs. no OSA group (2.1 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.8, p \u3c 0.03). NOV levels were significantly higher in the obese vs. lean group (2.2 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.2-fold change, p \u3c 0.03). Among lean subjects, NOV levels were significantly higher in the OSA vs. no OSA group (2.1 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.4, p \u3c 0.05). NOV and AHI were positively correlated (rho = 0.49, p = 0.033). IL-6 and adiponectin differences in obese vs. lean and OSA vs. no OSA were consistent with an inflammatory phenotype in obese subjects and OSA subjects. NOV is a novel biomarker of the presence and severity of OSA and a potential marker of future cardiovascular and metabolic disease in OSA patients
Stem cell delivery to kidney via minimally invasive ultrasound-guided renal artery injection in mice
Cell-based therapies are promising treatments for various kidney diseases. However, the major hurdle in initiating therapeutic responses is the inefficiency of injection routes to deliver cells to the kidney parenchyma. Systemic injection, such as intravenous injection only delivers a small proportion of cells to the kidney. Whereas direct delivery, such as renal artery injection requires surgical procedures. A minimally invasive renal artery injection was therefore developed to enhance cell delivery to kidney. In this study, luciferase expressing human adipocyte derived stem cells (ADSC) were labelled with gold nanorods (GNR) and injected into the renal artery using ultrasound guidance. The ADSCs were tracked using bioluminescence and photoacoustic imaging serially over 7 days. Imaging confirmed that the majority of signal was within the kidney, indicative of successful injection and that the cells remained viable for 3 days. Histology showed co-localization of GNRs with ADSC staining throughout the kidney with no indication of injury caused by injection. These findings demonstrate that ultrasound-guided renal artery injection is feasible in mice and can successfully deliver a large proportion of cells which are retained within the kidney for 3 days. Therefore, the techniques developed here will be useful for optimising cell therapy in kidney diseases
The muscle proteome reflects changes in mitochondrial function, cellular stress and proteolysis after 14 days of unilateral lower limb immobilization in active young men
Skeletal muscle unloading due to joint immobilization induces muscle atrophy, which has primarily been attributed to reductions in protein synthesis in humans. However, no study has evaluated the skeletal muscle proteome response to limb immobilization using SWATH proteomic methods. This study characterized the shifts in individual muscle protein abundance and corresponding gene sets after 3 and 14 d of unilateral lower limb immobilization in otherwise healthy young men. Eighteen male participants (25.4 ±5.5 y, 81.2 ±11.6 kg) underwent 14 d of unilateral knee-brace immobilization with dietary provision and following four-weeks of training to standardise acute training history. Participant phenotype was characterized before and after 14 days of immobilization, and muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis at baseline (pre-immobilization) and at 3 and 14 d of immobilization for analysis by SWATH-MS and subsequent gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Immobilization reduced vastus group cross sectional area (-9.6 ±4.6%, P <0.0001), immobilized leg lean mass (-3.3 ±3.9%, P = 0.002), unilateral 3-repetition maximum leg press (-15.6 ±9.2%, P <0.0001), and maximal oxygen uptake (-2.9 ±5.2%, P = 0.044). SWATH analyses consistently identified 2281 proteins. Compared to baseline, two and 99 proteins were differentially expressed (FDR <0.05) after 3 and 14 d of immobilization, respectively. After 14 d of immobilization, 322 biological processes were different to baseline (FDR <0.05, P <0.001). Most (77%) biological processes were positively enriched and characterized by cellular stress, targeted proteolysis, and protein-DNA complex modifications. In contrast, mitochondrial organization and energy metabolism were negatively enriched processes. This study is the first to use data independent proteomics and GSEA to show that unilateral lower limb immobilization evokes mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular stress, and proteolysis. Through GSEA and network mapping, we identify 27 hub proteins as potential protein/gene candidates for further exploration
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Antibiotic knowledge, attitudes, and practices: new insights from cross-sectional rural health behaviour surveys in low- and middle-income South-East Asia
Introduction: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are crucial in the global response to
antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but diverse health systems, healthcare practices, and cultural
conceptions of medicine can complicate global education and awareness-raising campaigns. Social
research can help understand LMIC contexts but remains underrepresented in AMR research.
Objective: To (1) describe antibiotic-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the general
population in two LMICs and to (2) assess the role of antibiotic-related knowledge and attitudes on
antibiotic access from different types of healthcare providers.
Design: Observational study: cross-sectional rural health behaviour survey, representative on the
population level.
Setting: General rural population in Chiang Rai (Thailand) and Salavan (Lao PDR), surveyed between
November 2017 and May 2018.
Participants: 2141 adult members (≥18 years) of the general rural population, representing 712,000
villagers.
Outcome measures: Antibiotic-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices across sites and healthcare
access channels.
Findings: Villagers were aware of antibiotics (Chiang Rai: 95.7%; Salavan: 86.4%; p<0.001) and drug
resistance (Chiang Rai: 74.8%; Salavan: 62.5%; p<0.001), but the usage of technical concepts for
antibiotics was dwarfed by local expressions like “anti-inflammatory medicine” in Chiang Rai (87.6%;
95% confidence interval [CI]: 84.9–90.0) and “ampi” in Salavan (75.6%; 95% CI: 71.4–79.4).
Multivariate linear regression suggested that attitudes against over-the-counter antibiotics were linked
to 0.12 additional antibiotic use episodes from public healthcare providers in Chiang Rai (95% CI:
0.01 – 0.23) and 0.53 in Salavan (95% CI: 0.16 – 0.90).
Conclusions: Locally specific conceptions and counter-intuitive practices around antimicrobials can
complicate AMR communication efforts and entail unforeseen consequences. Overcoming
“knowledge deficits” alone will therefore be insufficient for global AMR behaviour change. We call
for an expansion of behavioural AMR strategies towards “AMR-sensitive interventions” that address
context-specific upstream drivers of antimicrobial use (e.g. unemployment insurance) and complement
education and awareness campaigns
Potential of Magnetic Hyperthermia to Stimulate Localized Immune Activation
Magnetic hyperthermia (MH) harnesses the heat-releasing properties of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and has potential to stimulate immune activation in the tumor microenvironment whilst sparing surrounding normal tissues. To assess feasibility of localized MH in vivo, SPIONs are injected intratumorally and their fate tracked by Zirconium-89-positron emission tomography, histological analysis, and electron microscopy. Experiments show that an average of 49% (21-87%, n = 9) of SPIONs are retained within the tumor or immediately surrounding tissue. In situ heating is subsequently generated by exposure to an externally applied alternating magnetic field and monitored by thermal imaging. Tissue response to hyperthermia, measured by immunohistochemical image analysis, reveals specific and localized heat-shock protein expression following treatment. Tumor growth inhibition is also observed. To evaluate the potential effects of MH on the immune landscape, flow cytometry is used to characterize immune cells from excised tumors and draining lymph nodes. Results show an influx of activated cytotoxic T cells, alongside an increase in proliferating regulatory T cells, following treatment. Complementary changes are found in draining lymph nodes. In conclusion, results indicate that biologically reactive MH is achievable in vivo and can generate localized changes consistent with an anti-tumor immune response
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