Achieving and maintaining symptom control is a primary goal of asthma management. Although factors associated with the likelihood of achieving symptom control have been studied, there are unanswered ...questions on the stability of symptom control, that is, the tendency of individuals to remain at a given symptom control level over time.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of symptom control using a longitudinal cohort of mild-moderate asthmatics.
Participants reported symptom control using the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria at 5 assessments during the 1-year follow-up period. We described variability in the stability of symptom control between individuals, and used a random-effects logistic regression model to evaluate the impact of a suite of factors on the stability of symptom control.
A total of 429 individuals (67% female, mean age 51.6) contributed 2141 study visits. Individuals varied from completely stable in symptom control (18% remained at the same control level in all 5 visits) to completely unstable (12% changed the control level between all subsequent visits). Only 4% of between-individual variation in the stability of symptom control was explained by the included exposures, and a secondary analysis indicated that the history of symptom control stability was the best predictor of current stability.
The tendency to remain at a given control level varies significantly among patients with asthma. Only a small fraction of this variability is explained by observable characteristics. In the absence of predictors, a previous history of symptom control stability is the best indicator of future stability and should be considered when monitoring symptom control.
Cortistatin (CST), an endogenous bioactive polypeptide, has been acknowledged for its protective effect against several cardiovascular diseases, but its relationship with hypertension remains ...unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate changes in plasma CST in hypertensive patients and further analyze correlations with blood pressure, metabolic parameters and left ventricular structure and function.
In this hospital-based study, basic information and plasma samples for evaluating clinically relevant indicators such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), fasting blood glucose (FGB), serum creatinine (Scr) and CST were collected from 81 essential hypertension patients and 75 normotensive subjects. Plasma CST levels were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Compared with normotensive subjects, plasma CST was significantly lower in hypertensive patients. Plasma CST levels in hypertensive patients without blood pressure control was significantly lower than those of hypertensive patients with blood pressure control. Plasma CST levels were significantly negatively correlated with SBP and serum creatinine (Scr) in the overall population. Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the OR of CST for hypertension was 0.64 using the unadjusted model, and there was still statistical significance using the four-adjusted model.
The circulating concentration of CST was significantly lower in hypertensive patients and was higher after blood pressure control, suggesting that CST may be a new endogenous protective target for hypertension.
•The circulating CST was significantly decreased in hypertensive patients and increased after blood pressure controlled.•CST may be a new endogenous protective target for hypertension.•CST is an indicator for hypertension risk stratification, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Detecting the emitted vapors from overheated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cables has proven to be an effective way to monitor early electrical fires. In this work, the vapors generated from both ...conventional and phthalate-free PVC cables were first examined. 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) was found to be ubiquitously present and can serve as a universal signature gas for the overheated cables. Sea urchin-like ZnO was then prepared via a template-free hydrothermal route for sensing 2-EH. A facile immersion-calcination method was adopted to further modify ZnO, and different CuO/ZnO and Cr2O3/ZnO composites were obtained. The surface modification led to significant improvement in the response of the ZnO sensors to 2-EH. Cable fire simulation tests were also conducted to evaluate the response of optimized gas sensors to overheated conventional and phthalate-free cables in comparison with a typical smoke detector.
•Released gases of various overheated cables were systematically examined.•2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) is confirmed as a universal signature gas.•Sea urchin-like CuO/ZnO and Cr2O3/ZnO composites were synthesized for sensing 2-EH.•Large-scale tests were conducted to simulate actual cable overheating scenes.
Tie luo
(affixed hanging) was an expressive form of traditional Chinese calligraphy or paintings, and popular in the imperial palaces for interior decorations in Qing Dynasty (1644–1911 C.E.). A ...piece of calligraphic
tie luo
, written by an eminent calligrapher Gu Gao (1763–1832 C.E.), was restored recently in the Palace Museum, Beijing, China. The paper with pigment coating specially made for this calligraphic piece was named as
fenjian
. This article presented results from materials identification prior to the restoration. Multianalysis with scientific approaches revealed how
tie luo
was manufactured. It could be concluded that the investigated
tie luo
used a paper made from bast fibers of mulberry trees. And the decorative ground layer for the piece was also studied, which indicated that a type of organic red pigments were used for the masterpiece. White lead was considered as the main pigment, mixed with a red dye extracted from sappanwood. Meanwhile, animal glue, drying oils and beeswax were confirmed as the organic binding media. In dye analysis, protosappanin B and brazilin as well as brazilein were identified, which implied that sappanwood was used for the organic manufacture of pigments. In addition, both Nowik type A and C were found in the research, which were characteristic of sappanwood for identification.
Physical exercise can significantly impact our bodies, affecting our functional capacity, structure establishment, and molecular makeup. The magnitude of these changes depends on the specific ...exercise protocols used. For instance, low-to-moderate-intensity exercise can activate important molecular targets in the short term, such as BDNF-mediated signaling, while high-intensity exercise can maintain these signaling molecules in the active state for a longer term. This makes it challenging to recommend specific exercises for obtaining BDNF-induced benefits. Additionally, exercise-induced molecular signaling targets can have positive and negative effects, with some exercises blunting these targets and others activating them. For example, increasing BDNF concentration through exercise can be beneficial for brain health, but it may also have a negative impact on conditions such as bipolar disorder. Therefore, a deeper understanding of a specific exercise-mediated mechanistic approach is required. This review will delve into how the sprint exercise-mediated activation of BDNF could help maintain brain health and explore potential molecular interventions.
The asymmetrical rotating ( dq -) frame control leads to frequency coupling dynamics, which tends to bring in harmonic instability. In this article, based on the established complex signal impedance ...model, the influence of the grid impedance and the frequency coupling on system stability is analyzed. For the phase-locked loop (PLL) mainly affects the q -axis dynamics, it is proposed that the q -axis feedforward and the d -axis compensation control methods to decrease the asymmetric influence caused by the PLL. Similarly, for the dc-link voltage controller mainly affects the d -axis current reference, this article proposes a d -axis feedforward and q -axis compensation method to improve the asymmetry dynamics introduced by the dc-link voltage controller. When the proposed methods are adopted, the components introduced by the PLL and the dc-link voltage controller in the coupling terms are eliminated, thereby achieving the purpose of suppressing the frequency coupling phenomenon and improving the system stability. The theoretical analysis and the experimental results show that the proposed methods are effective.
Diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction (DACD) is a complication of diabetes mellitus that leads to an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. However, the molecular mechanism ...underlying DACD has not been elucidated, and a promising therapy for this disease remains to be established. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a significant antioxidative and anti-inflammatory gasotransmitter, has emerged as a neuroprotective agent. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of H2S on DACD in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. We applied the Morris water maze to evaluate spatial learning and memory abilities. We used Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining to investigate the expression of the Nrf-2/HO-1 axis and the NLRP3 inflammasome. After NaHS (H2S donor) administration, diabetic rats exhibited improved spatial learning and memory retrieval abilities in the Morris water maze. In STZ-induced diabetic rats, the protein expression levels of the Nrf-2/HO-1 axis, the NLRP3 inflammasome and subsequent inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampal region were elevated compared to those in control rats. Exogenous H2S triggered Nrf-2/HO-1 antioxidant activity and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression. These findings suggested that exogenous H2S has neuroprotective effects by modulating the Nrf-2/HO-1 axis and the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, which were found to be associated with DACD. H2S treatment may be a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing the progression of tissue damage caused by DACD.
Objective
To determine the magnitude of risk from all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to the general population through a meta‐analysis ...of observational studies.
Methods
We searched the Medline and Embase databases from their inception to October 2011. Observational studies that met the following criteria were assessed: 1) a prespecified SLE definition; 2) overall and/or cause‐specific deaths, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), infections, malignancy, and renal disease; and 3) reported standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). We calculated weighted–pooled summary estimates of SMRs (meta‐SMRs) for all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality using the random‐effects model and tested for heterogeneity using the I2 statistic by using Stata/IC statistical software.
Results
We identified 12 studies comprising 27,123 patients with SLE (4,993 observed deaths) that met the inclusion criteria. Overall, there was a 3‐fold increased risk of death in patients with SLE (meta‐SMR 2.98, 95% CI 2.32–3.83) when compared with the general population. The risks of death due to CVD (meta‐SMR 2.72, 95% CI 1.83–4.04), infection (meta‐SMR 4.98, 95% CI 3.92–6.32), and renal disease (SMR 7.90, 95% CI 5.50–11.00) were significantly increased. Mortality due to malignancy was the only cause‐specific entity not increased in SLE (meta‐SMR 1.19, 95% CI 0.89–1.59).
Conclusion
The published data indicated a 3‐fold increase in all‐cause mortality in patients with SLE compared to the general population. Additionally, all cause‐specific mortality rates were increased except for malignancy, with renal disease having the highest mortality risk.
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