The authors describe transmission of the novel coronavirus from a woman who had been living for several months in Wuhan, China, to her husband, after her return to their home in Taiwan in January ...2020. No secondary case from this couple has been identified.
Peripheral innate immune response may induce sickness behavior through activating microglia, excessive cytokines production, and neuroinflammation. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has anti-inflammatory effect. ...We investigated the effects of Dex on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation and sickness behavior in mice.
BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with Dex (50 ug/kg) or vehicle. One hour later, the mice were injected (i.p.) with Escherichia coli LPS (0.33 mg/kg) or saline (n = 6 in each group). We analyzed the food and water intake, body weight loss, and sucrose preference of the mice for 24h. We also determined microglia activation and cytokines expression in the brains of the mice. In vitro, we determine cytokines expression in LPS-treated BV-2 microglial cells with or without Dex treatment.
In the Dex-pretreated mice, LPS-induced sickness behavior (anorexia, weight loss, and social withdrawal) were attenuated and microglial activation was lower than vehicle control. The mRNA expression of TNF-α, MCP-1, indoleamine 2, 3 dioxygenase (IDO), caspase-3, and iNOS were increased in the brain of LPS-challenged mice, which were reduced by Dex but not vehicle.
Dexmedetomidine diminished LPS-induced neuroinflammation in the mouse brain and modulated the cytokine-associated changes in sickness behavior.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
Abusive supervision has been a prevalent issue in the workplace. This study aims to explore the consequences of abusive supervision on employee affective organizational commitment and general ...health in the hospitality industry and further explores the boundary conditions of employee assistance programs (EAPs).
Design/methodology/approach
The participants of this study were 231 frontline employees from the hospitality industry in Taiwan. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires from two time periods separated by a two-week interval. The data was analyzed using PROCESS macro for SPSS.
Findings
The findings from this study suggested that abusive supervision have negative impacts on both subordinates’ affective organizational commitment and general health. As expected, perceived effectiveness of EAPs moderated the relationship between perceived abusive supervision and affective organizational commitment, whereas the moderating effect of perceived effectiveness of EAPs on the relationship between abusive supervision and employee general health was not significant.
Practical implications
The results of this study showed that EAP practices can mitigate the negative effects of abusive supervision. It is expected to encourage managers in the hospitality industry to minimize or even prevent abusive supervision. Further, the authors suggest organizations implement specific strategies in their EAPs to assist employees in coping with the negative emotions accompanying abusive supervision.
Originality/value
This study offers empirical evidence that illustrates the importance of EAPs and how they may reduce the negative impacts of abusive supervision.
The West Philippine Basin (WPB) has started opening at ~ 58 Ma and ceased spreading at ~ 33 Ma, developing a fast spreading (~ 44 mm/yr half-spreading rate) magmatic episode between 58 and 41 Ma and ...the second amagmatic episode between 41 and 33 Ma. The occurrence of the first stage of spreading is closely related to the Oki-Daito mantle plume and related Benham Rise (BR) and Urdaneta Plateau (UP) activity. To the east of the Luzon-Okinawa Fracture Zone (LOFZ), BR was the most active volcanism from 48 to 41 Ma. The geomagnetic ages on both sides of the LOFZ have been determined; however, their causal relationship and evolution in the WPB remain unclear. In this study, we performed integrated analyses of multichannel seismic data and swath bathymetry data for the area to the west of the LOFZ. To the west of the LOFZ, the Gagua Rise (GR), is identified by a high residual free-air gravity anomaly, volcanic seamount chains and an overlapping spreading center. The GR is located at magnetic isochrons C20/C22 (50 to 44 Ma) and shows a thick oceanic crust of at least 12.7 km. We first propose an oceanic plateau named Great Benham Rise (GBR) which includes GR, UP and BR. We infer that the GR was a portion of the GBR since ~ 49 Ma and was separated from the GBR at ~ 41 Ma by the right-lateral LOFZ motion. Later, the relict GBR magmatism only continued in the area to the east of the LOFZ. Overall, the GBR dominates the spreading history of the WPB.
Background
Frailty is the pre‐eminent exigency of aging. Although frailty‐related impairments are preventable, and multidomain interventions appear more effective than unimodal ones, the optimal ...components remain uncertain.
Methods
We devised multidomain interventions against physical and cognitive decline among prefrail/frail community‐dwelling ≥65‐year‐olds and evaluated these in complementary cluster‐randomized trials of efficacy and participant empowerment. The Efficacy Study compared ~3‐monthly telephone consultations vs. 16, 2 h sessions/year comprising communally partaken physical and cognitive training plus nutrition and disease education; the Empowerment Study compared the standard Efficacy Study multidomain intervention (Sessions 1–10) vs. an enhanced version redesigned to empower and motivate individual participants. Changes from baseline in physical, functional, and cognitive performance were measured after 6 and 12 months in the Efficacy Study and after 6 months in the Empowerment Study, with post‐intervention follow‐up at 9 months. Primary outcomes are as follows: Cardiovascular Health Study frailty score; gait speed; handgrip strength; and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Secondary outcomes are as follows: instrumental activities of daily living; metabolic equivalent of task (MET); depressed mood (Geriatric Depression Scale‐5 ≥2); and malnutrition (Mini‐Nutritional Assessment short‐form ≤11). Intervention effects were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model.
Results
Efficacy Study participants (n = 1082, 40 clusters) were 75.1 ± 6.3 years old, 68.7% women, and 64.7% prefrail/frail; analytic clusters: 19 intervention (410/549 completed) vs. 21 control (375/533 completed). Empowerment Study participants (n = 440, 14 clusters) were 75.9 ± 7.1 years old, 83.6% women, and 56.7% prefrail/frail; analytic clusters: seven intervention (209/230 completed) vs. seven control (189/210 completed). The standard and enhanced multidomain interventions both reduced frailty and significantly improved aspects of physical, functional, and cognitive performance, especially among ≥75‐year‐olds. Standard multidomain intervention decreased depression odds ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32, 0.99 and malnutrition (odds ratio 0.45, 95% CI 0.26, 0.78) by 12 months and improved concentration at Months 6 (0.23, 95% CI 0.04, 0.42) and 12 (0.46, 95% CI 0.22, 0.70). Participant empowerment augmented activity (4.67 MET/h, 95% CI 1.64, 7.69) and gait speed (0.06 m/s, 95% CI 0.00, 0.11) at 6 months, with sustained improvements in delayed recall (0.63, 95% CI 0.20, 1.06) and MoCA performance (1.29, 95% CI 0.54, 2.03), and less prevalent malnutrition (odds ratio 0.39, 95% CI 0.18, 0.84), 3 months after the intervention ceased.
Conclusions
Pragmatic multidomain intervention can diminish physical frailty, malnutrition, and depression and enhance cognitive performance among community‐dwelling elders, especially ≥75‐year‐olds; this might supplement healthy aging policies, probably more effectively if participants are empowered.
Background
The study investigates the prognostic significance of lymph node ratio (LNR) on patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with coexistence of multiple adverse ...pathological features.
Methods
In total, 100 patients with coexistence of perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and extranodal extension of first primary HNSCC treated with radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy were enrolled.
Results
The optimal LNR cut‐off value for predicting overall survival (OS) and cancer specific survival (CSS) was 7%. In Cox model, we observed that LNR ≥7% was a statistically significant unfavorable predictor of OS (HR: 2.689; 95% CI: 1.228–5.889; p = 0.013) and CSS (HR: 3.162; 95% CI: 1.234–8.102; p = 0.016).
Conclusion
For HNSCC patients with coexistence of multiple adverse pathological features, LNR is an independent survival predictor. Novel intensified treatments are needed for the subgroup of patients with a high LNR.
Aims
Sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors (SGLT‐2i) have off‐target effects on haemoconcentration and anti‐inflammation. The impact of SGLT‐2i on the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in ...patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of newly diagnosed VTE in patients with DM using SGLT‐2i in comparison to dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors (DPP‐4i) or glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RA).
Materials and Methods
In this nationwide retrospective cohort study, we used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients with diabetes aged 20 years or older who received SGLT‐2i, DPP‐4i, or GLP‐1RA between 1 May 2016, and 31 December 2020, were included. The risks of VTE in SGLT‐2i users were compared with those of DPP‐4i and GLP‐1RA users. A Cox regression model with stabilised inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) for VTE risk. Additionally, a meta‐analysis of relevant articles published before 23 May 2023, was conducted.
Results
Data from 136,530 SGLT‐2i, 598,280 DPP‐4i, and 5760 GLP‐1RA users were analysed. SGLT‐2i use was associated with a lower risk of VTE than DPP‐4i (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.59–0.84; p < 0·001), but not with GLP‐1RA (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.32–5.94; p = 0.66). Our meta‐analysis further supported these findings (SGLT‐2i vs. DPP‐4i: HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.62–0.82; p < 0·001; SGLT‐2i vs. GLP‐1RA: HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.73–1.15; p = 0.43), suggesting the robustness of our retrospective analysis.
Conclusions
In patients with DM, SGLT‐2i was associated with a lower risk of VTE compared to DPP‐4i, but not GLP‐1RA.
Abstract
Background
We aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperative neutrophil‐to‐albumin ratio (NAR) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).
Methods
A total of 622 patients with ...surgically treated OSCC were enrolled. NAR was defined as the absolute neutrophil count divided by the serum albumin level in peripheral blood before the radical surgery. Cox proportional hazards model were used to discover survival outcome‐associated factors.
Results
The optimal cut‐off of NAR to predict overall survival (OS) was determined to be 0.1. In Cox model, high NAR was identified as an independent negative prognosticator of OS, cancer‐specific survival, and recurrence‐free survival (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.503, 1.958, and 1.727, respectively; all
p
< 0.05). The NAR‐based nomogram accurately predicted OS (concordance index: 0.750).
Conclusion
Our study suggests that preoperative NAR is a convenient and effective prognostic marker for OSCC and NAR‐based nomogram can be a promising prognostic tool in clinical setting.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important factor for memory consolidation and cognitive function. Protein kinase A (PKA) signaling interacts significantly with BDNF-provoked downstream ...signaling. Glucosamine (GLN), a common dietary supplement, has been demonstrated to perform a variety of beneficial physiological functions. In the current study, an in vivo model of 7-week-old C57BL/6 mice receiving daily intraperitoneal injection of GLN (0, 3, 10 and 30 mg/animal) was subjected to the novel object recognition test in order to determine cognitive performance. GLN significantly increased cognitive function. In the hippocampus GLN elevated tissue cAMP concentrations and CREB phosphorylation, and upregulated the expression of BDNF, CREB5 and the BDNF receptor TrkB, but it reduced PDE4B expression. With the in vitro model in the HT22 hippocampal cell line, GLN exposure significantly increased protein and mRNA levels of BDNF and CREB5 and induced cAMP responsive element (CRE) reporter activity; the GLN-mediated BDNF expression and CRE reporter induction were suppressed by PKA inhibitor H89. Our current findings suggest that GLN can exert a cognition-enhancing function and this may act at least in part by upregulating the BDNF levels via a cAMP/PKA/CREB-dependent pathway.
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