The temporal relationship between the neural and vascular actions of kallidin within the nose

The time course of effect of the B2-receptor agonist kallidin (K) on induced changes of nasal airflow, rhinorrhoea, nasal pain, sneezing and nasal microvascular leakage has been examined and compared with its B2 metabolite agonist bradykinin (B) and the B1-agonist [des-arg9]-bradykinin (D). When administered as a single dose K and B induced an immediate sensation of pain, rhinorrhoea, elevations in lavage albumin and protein levels and a sustained increase in nasal airways resistance (NAR) for 5–40 min post-challenge. [des-arg9]-Bradykinin and vehicle placebo (V) were without effect on any of these indices. These studies identify the action of K and B within the nose and differentiate the neural and vascular effects of these kinins in addition to suggesting the potential that nasal blockage and nasal microvascular leakage represent alterations in differing vascular compartments. These findings have implications for the understanding and therapeutic manipulation of rhinitis

Highly porous flame-retardant and sustainable biofoams based on wheat gluten and in situ polymerized silica

Wheat gluten from ethanol production is presented as flame-retardant silica hybrid biofoams for insulation. The porosity of 90% and self-extinguishing nature make them an attractive alternative to petroleum-based foams.</p

The biodiversity hypothesis and allergic disease: world allergy organization position statement

Peer reviewe

Synthesis of tenascin and laminin beta2 chain in human bronchial epithelial cells is enhanced by cysteinyl leukotrienes via CysLT1 receptor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) are key mediators of asthma, but their role in the genesis of airway remodeling is insufficiently understood. Recent evidence suggests that increased expression of tenascin (Tn) and laminin (Ln) β2 chain is indicative of the remodeling activity in asthma, but represents also an example of deposition of extracellular matrix, which affects the airway wall compliance. We tested the hypothesis that CysLTs affect production of Tn and Ln β2 chain by human bronchial epithelial cells and elucidated, which of the CysLT receptors, CysLT₁or CysLT₂, mediate this effect.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cultured BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cells were stimulated with leukotriene D₄(LTD₄) and E₄(LTE₄) and evaluated by immunocytochemistry, Western blotting, flow cytometry, and RT-PCR. CysLT receptors were differentially blocked with use of montelukast or BAY u9773.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>LTD₄and LTE₄significantly augmented the expression of Tn, whereas LTD₄, distinctly from LTE₄, was able to increase also the Ln β2 chain. Although the expression of CysLT₂prevailed over that of CysLT₁, the up-regulation of Tn and Ln β2 chain by CysLTs was completely blocked by the CysLT₁-selective antagonist montelukast with no difference between montelukast and the dual antagonist BAY u9773 for the inhibitory capacity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings suggest that the CysLT-induced up-regulation of Tn and Ln β2 chain, an important epithelium-linked aspect of airway remodeling, is mediated predominantly by the CysLT₁receptor. The results provide a novel aspect to support the use of CysLT₁receptor antagonists in the anti-remodeling treatment of asthma.</p

Chronic Respiratory Aeroallergen Exposure in Mice Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in the Large Airways

Chronic allergic asthma is characterized by Th2-polarized inflammation and leads to airway remodeling and fibrosis but the mechanisms involved are not clear. To determine whether epithelial-mesenchymal transition contributes to airway remodeling in asthma, we induced allergic airway inflammation in mice by intranasal administration of house dust mite (HDM) extract for up to 15 consecutive weeks. We report that respiratory exposure to HDM led to significant airway inflammation and thickening of the smooth muscle layer in the wall of the large airways. Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) levels increased in mouse airways while epithelial cells lost expression of E-cadherin and occludin and gained expression of the mesenchymal proteins vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and pro-collagen I. We also observed increased expression and nuclear translocation of Snail1, a transcriptional repressor of E-cadherin and a potent inducer of EMT, in the airway epithelial cells of HDM-exposed mice. Furthermore, fate-mapping studies revealed migration of airway epithelial cells into the sub-epithelial regions of the airway wall. These results show the contribution of EMT to airway remodeling in chronic asthma-like inflammation and suggest that Th2-polarized airway inflammation can trigger invasion of epithelial cells into the subepithelial regions of the airway wall where they contribute to fibrosis, demonstrating a previously unknown plasticity of the airway epithelium in allergic airway disease

Three-dimensional distortions of the tokamak plasma boundary: boundary displacements in the presence of saturated MHD instabilities

The three-dimensional plasma boundary displacement induced by long-lasting core magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities has been measured in JET, MAST and NSTX. Only saturated instabilities are considered here since transient rapidly growing modes which degrade confinement and act as potential triggers for disruptions bring more fundamental concerns than boundary displacements. The measured displacements are usually small, although in extreme cases in MAST when the rotation braking is strong, a significant global displacement can be observed. The instability most likely to saturate and exist for many energy confinement times whilst distorting the boundary of ITER is the saturated internal kink, or helical core, which can be found in plasmas with a wide region of low magnetic shear such as the hybrid scenario. This mode can lead to non-negligible boundary displacements. Nonetheless, the boundary displacement resultant from core MHD instabilities in ITER is predicted to be less than ±1.5% of the minor radius, well within tolerable limits for heat loads to plasma-facing components

Risk Predictors and Symptom Features of Long COVID Within a Broad Primary Care Patient Population Including Both Tested and Untested Patients

Introduction: Symptoms may persist after the initial phases of COVID-19 infection, a phenomenon termed long COVID. Current knowledge on long COVID has been mostly derived from test-confirmed and hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Data are required on the burden and predictors of long COVID in a broader patient group, which includes both tested and untested COVID-19 patients in primary care. Methods: This is an observational study using data from Platform C19, a quality improvement program-derived research database linking primary care electronic health record data (EHR) with patient-reported questionnaire information. Participating general practices invited consenting patients aged 18– 85 to complete an online questionnaire since 7th August 2020. COVID-19 self-diagnosis, clinician-diagnosis, testing, and the presence and duration of symptoms were assessed via the questionnaire. Patients were considered present with long COVID if they reported symptoms lasting ≥ 4 weeks. EHR and questionnaire data up till 22nd January 2021 were extracted for analysis. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted comparing demographics, clinical characteristics, and presence of symptoms between patients with long COVID and patients with shorter symptom duration. Results: Long COVID was present in 310/3151 (9.8%) patients with self-diagnosed, clinician-diagnosed, or test-confirmed COVID-19. Only 106/310 (34.2%) long COVID patients had test-confirmed COVID-19. Risk predictors of long COVID were age ≥ 40 years (adjusted Odds Ratio [AdjOR]=1.49 [1.05– 2.17]), female sex (adjOR=1.37 [1.02– 1.85]), frailty (adjOR=2.39 [1.29– 4.27]), visit to A&E (adjOR=4.28 [2.31– 7.78]), and hospital admission for COVID-19 symptoms (adjOR=3.22 [1.77– 5.79]). Aches and pain (adjOR=1.70 [1.21– 2.39]), appetite loss (adjOR=3.15 [1.78– 5.92]), confusion and disorientation (adjOR=2.17 [1.57– 2.99]), diarrhea (adjOR=1.4 [1.03– 1.89]), and persistent dry cough (adjOR=2.77 [1.94– 3.98]) were symptom features statistically more common in long COVID. Conclusion: This study reports the factors and symptom features predicting long COVID in a broad primary care population, including both test-confirmed and the previously missed group of COVID-19 patients

Using models of the ocean's mean dynamic topography to identify errors in coastal geodetic levelling

Identifying errors (blunders and systematic errors) in coastal geodetic levelling networks has often been problematic. This is because (1) mean sea level (MSL) at tide gauges cannot be directly compared to height differences from levelling because the geoid/quasigeoid and MSL are not parallel, being separated by the ocean’s mean dynamic topography (MDT) and (2) the lack of redundancy at the edge of the levelling network. This paper sets out a methodology to independently identify blunders and/or systematic errors (over long distances) in geodetic levelling using MDT models to account for the separation between the geoid/quasigeoid and MSL at tide gauges. This method is then tested in a case study using an oceanographic MDT model, MSL observations, GNSS data and a quasigeoid model. The results are significant because the errors found could not be detected by standard levelling misclosure checks alone, with supplementary data from an MDT model, with cross-validation from GNSS-quasigeoid allowing their detection. In addition, it appears that an oceanographic-only MDT is as effective as GNSS and a quasigeoid model for detecting levelling errors, which could be particularly useful for countries with coastal levelling errors in their levelling networks that cannot be identified by conventional levelling closure checks