Loneliness and Social Internet Use: Pathways to Reconnection in a Digital World?

With the rise of online social networking, social relationships are increasingly developed and maintained in a digital domain. Drawing conclusions about the impact of the digital world on loneliness is difficult because there are contradictory findings, and cross-sectional studies dominate the literature, making causation difficult to establish. In this review, we present our theoretical model and propose that there is a bidirectional and dynamic relationship between loneliness and social Internet use. When the Internet is used as a way station on the route to enhancing existing relationships and forging new social connections, it is a useful tool for reducing loneliness. But when social technologies are used to escape the social world and withdraw from the “social pain” of interaction, feelings of loneliness are increased. We propose that loneliness is also a determinant of how people interact with the digital world. Lonely people express a preference for using the Internet for social interaction and are more likely to use the Internet in a way that displaces time spent in offline social activities. This suggests that lonely people may need support with their social Internet use so that they employ it in a way that enhances existing friendships and/or to forge new ones

Breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy: predictive markers and relation with outcome

The aim of this study was to provide a better insight into breast cancer response to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy improves outcome in breast cancer patients. The effect of cytotoxic treatment cannot be predicted for individual patients. Therefore, the identification of tumour characteristics associated with tumour response and outcome is of great clinical interest. We studied 97 patients, who received anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Tumour samples were taken prior to and after chemotherapy. We quantified the response to chemotherapy clinically and pathologically and determined histological and molecular tumour characteristics. We assessed changes in the expression of Bcl-2, ER, P53 HER2 and Ki-67. Association with response and outcome was tested for all parameters. The experimental results showed 15 clinical (17%) and three (3%) pathological complete remissions. There were 18 (20%) clinical vs 29 (33%) pathological nonresponders. The expression of most markers was similar before and after chemotherapy. Only Ki-67 was significantly decreased after chemotherapy. Factors correlated with response were: large tumour size, ER negativity, high Ki-67 count and positive P53 status. Tumour response and marker expression did not predict disease-free or overall survival. In conclusion, clinical and pathological response assessments are poorly associated. Proliferation decreases significantly after chemotherapy. ER negativity and a high proliferation index are associated with better response. HER2 status does not predict response, and outcome is not related to tumour response

Downregulation of MHC class I expression by influenza A and B viruses

Manipulation of the MHC-I presentation pathway, and thus limiting MHC-I cell surface expression, is used by many viruses to evade immune recognition. In particular, downregulation of MHC-I molecules at the cell surface can reduce the ability of CD8+ T cells to recognize viral peptides presented by MHC-I molecules and thereby delay viral clearance by CD8+ T cells. To date, MHC-I downregulation by influenza viruses has not been reported. Given that influenza virus infections are a global health concern and that CD8+ T cells play an important role in promoting influenza virus clearance and recovery from influenza disease, we investigated whether influenza A and B viruses (IAV, IBV) downregulated MHC-I as a novel mechanism to evade cellular immunity. Here, we showed that infection of several cell types, including epithelial A549 cells, with a panel of IAV and IBV viruses downregulated the surface MHC-I expression on IAV/IBV-infected cells during the late stages of influenza virus infection in vitro. This observation was consistent across a panel of class I-reduced (C1R) cell lines expressing 14 different HLA-A or -B alleles and a panel of 721.221 cell lines expressing 11 HLA-C alleles. Interestingly, IBV infection caused more pronounced reduction in surface MHC-I expression compared to IAV. Importantly, the two viruses utilized two distinct mechanisms for MHC-I downregulation. Our data demonstrated that while IAV caused a global loss of MHC-I within influenza-infected cells, IBV infection resulted in the preferential loss of MHC-I molecules from the cell surface, consequent of delayed MHC-I trafficking to the cell surface, resulting from retaining MHC-I intracellularly during IBV infection. Overall, our study suggests that influenza viruses across both IAV and IBV subtypes have the potential to downregulate MHC-I surface expression levels. Our findings provide new insights into the host-pathogen interaction of influenza A and B viruses and inform the design of novel vaccine strategies against influenza viruses

Downregulation of MHC Class I Expression by Influenza A and B Viruses

Manipulation of the MHC-I presentation pathway, and thus limiting MHC-I cell surface expression, is used by many viruses to evade immune recognition. In particular, downregulation of MHC-I molecules at the cell surface can reduce the ability of CD8+ T cells to recognize viral peptides presented by MHC-I molecules and thereby delay viral clearance by CD8+ T cells. To date, MHC-I downregulation by influenza viruses has not been reported. Given that influenza virus infections are a global health concern and that CD8+ T cells play an important role in promoting influenza virus clearance and recovery from influenza disease, we investigated whether influenza A and B viruses (IAV, IBV) downregulated MHC-I as a novel mechanism to evade cellular immunity. Here, we showed that infection of several cell types, including epithelial A549 cells, with a panel of IAV and IBV viruses downregulated the surface MHC-I expression on IAV/IBV-infected cells during the late stages of influenza virus infection in vitro. This observation was consistent across a panel of class I-reduced (C1R) cell lines expressing 14 different HLA-A or -B alleles and a panel of 721.221 cell lines expressing 11 HLA-C alleles. Interestingly, IBV infection caused more pronounced reduction in surface MHC-I expression compared to IAV. Importantly, the two viruses utilized two distinct mechanisms for MHC-I downregulation. Our data demonstrated that while IAV caused a global loss of MHC-I within influenza-infected cells, IBV infection resulted in the preferential loss of MHC-I molecules from the cell surface, consequent of delayed MHC-I trafficking to the cell surface, resulting from retaining MHC-I intracellularly during IBV infection. Overall, our study suggests that influenza viruses across both IAV and IBV subtypes have the potential to downregulate MHC-I surface expression levels. Our findings provide new insights into the host-pathogen interaction of influenza A and B viruses and inform the design of novel vaccine strategies against influenza viruses

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

The effects of psychostimulants on oral health and saliva in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A case-control study

Introduction: This study investigated the dental health problems and saliva characteristics of children under psychostimulant therapy for attention‑deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty children aged 7–12 years were divided into three groups. Groups 1–2 comprised children diagnosed with ADHD: those who had not yet started psychostimulant therapy (Group 1) and those already receiving long‑term psychostimulant therapy (Group 2). Group 3 comprised healthy, nonmedicated children. Possible side effects of psychostimulants were investigated at the beginning of study in Group 2 and after 3 months drug use in Group 1. Bruxism and dental erosion prevalence, salivary Streptococcus mutans count, buffering capacity, and stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR) were measured, and salivary α‑amylase, calcium, total protein, and proline‑rich acidic protein (PRAP) levels were quantified in the beginning of the study. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test.Results: The most frequently reported side effects of psychostimulants were decreased appetite, dry mouth, and increased fluid consumption. The prevalence of bruxism and dental erosion was higher in Groups 1 and 2 than in Group 3, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). In Group 2, subjective dry mouth feel was reported by 32.5% of patients and 17.5% had a very low SSFR. Salivary α‑amylase, calcium, total protein, and PRAP levels were lower in Group 2 than the others, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05).Conclusions: ADHD and psychostimulant therapy do not appear to be significantly related to decreasing SSFR or protective saliva components against dental caries. However, a systematic investigation of the long‑term safety of psychostimulants is needed. The most effective method of maintaining dental health of children with ADHD is frequent appointments focusing on oral hygiene practices accompanied by dietary analyses.Keywords: Attention‑deficit hyperactivity disorder, bruxism, dental erosion, drymouth, psychostimulants, saliva biochemical components, salivary flow rat

with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Case-Control Study

Introduction: This study investigated the dental health problems and saliva characteristics of children under psychostimulant therapy for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty children aged 7-12 years were divided into three groups. Groups 1-2 comprised children diagnosed with ADHD: those who had not yet started psychostimulant therapy (Group 1) and those already receiving long-term psychostimulant therapy (Group 2). Group 3 comprised healthy, nonmedicated children. Possible side effects of psychostimulants were investigated at the beginning of study in Group 2 and after 3 months drug use in Group 1. Bruxism and dental erosion prevalence, salivary Streptococcus mutans count, buffering capacity, and stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR) were measured, and salivary a-amylase, calcium, total protein, and proline-rich acidic protein (PRAP) levels were quantified in the beginning of the study. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The most frequently reported side effects of psychostimulants were decreased appetite, dry mouth, and increased fluid consumption. The prevalence of bruxism and dental erosion was higher in Groups 1 and 2 than in Group 3, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). In Group 2, subjective dry mouth feel was reported by 32.5% of patients and 17.5% had a very low SSFR. Salivary a-amylase, calcium, total protein, and PRAP levels were lower in Group 2 than the others, but the differences were not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions: ADHD and psychostimulant therapy do not appear to be significantly related to decreasing SSFR or protective saliva components against dental caries. However, a systematic investigation of the long-term safety of psychostimulants is needed. The most effective method of maintaining dental health of children with ADHD is frequent appointments focusing on oral hygiene practices accompanied by dietary analyses