Antiseizure medication (ASM) is the primary treatment for epilepsy. In clinical practice, methods to assess ASM efficacy (predict seizure freedom or seizure reduction), during any phase of the drug ...treatment lifecycle, are limited. This scoping review identifies and appraises prognostic electroencephalographic (EEG) biomarkers and prognostic models that use EEG features, which are associated with seizure outcomes following ASM initiation, dose adjustment, or withdrawal. We also aim to summarize the population and context in which these biomarkers and models were identified and described, to understand how they could be used in clinical practice. Between January 2021 and October 2022, four databases, references, and citations were systematically searched for ASM studies investigating changes to interictal EEG or prognostic models using EEG features and seizure outcomes. Study bias was appraised using modified Quality in Prognosis Studies criteria. Results were synthesized into a qualitative review. Of 875 studies identified, 93 were included. Biomarkers identified were classed as qualitative (visually identified by wave morphology) or quantitative. Qualitative biomarkers include identifying hypsarrhythmia, centrotemporal spikes, interictal epileptiform discharges (IED), classifying the EEG as normal/abnormal/epileptiform, and photoparoxysmal response. Quantitative biomarkers were statistics applied to IED, high‐frequency activity, frequency band power, current source density estimates, pairwise statistical interdependence between EEG channels, and measures of complexity. Prognostic models using EEG features were Cox proportional hazards models and machine learning models. There is promise that some quantitative EEG biomarkers could be used to assess ASM efficacy, but further research is required. There is insufficient evidence to conclude any specific biomarker can be used for a particular population or context to prognosticate ASM efficacy. We identified a potential battery of prognostic EEG biomarkers, which could be combined with prognostic models to assess ASM efficacy. However, many confounders need to be addressed for translation into clinical practice.
Ketone bodies are increasingly understood to have regulatory effects on immune cell function, with β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) exerting a predominantly anti-inflammatory response. Dietary strategies to ...increase endogenous ketone body availability such as the ketogenic diet (KD) have recently been shown to alleviate inflammation of the respiratory tract. However, the role of BHB has not been addressed. Here, we observe that BHB suppresses group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2)-mediated airway inflammation. Central to this are mast cells, which support ILC2 proliferation through interleukin-2 (IL-2). Suppression of the mast cell/IL-2 axis by BHB attenuates ILC2 proliferation and the ensuing type 2 cytokine response and immunopathology. Mechanistically, BHB directly inhibits mast cell function in part through GPR109A activation. Similar effects are achieved with either the KD or 1,3-butanediol. Our data reveal the protective role of BHB in ILC2-driven airway inflammation, which underscores the potential therapeutic value of ketone body supplementation for the management of asthma.
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•BHB attenuates ILC2-mediated type 2 allergic airway inflammation•BHB indirectly suppresses ILC2s by inhibiting mast-cell-derived IL-2•Inhibition of IL-2 limits ILC2 proliferation and CD25 expression but not function•BHB inhibits IL-2 production by mast cells in part through GPR109A activation
Thio et al. demonstrate the suppressive role of BHB in ILC2-driven type 2 airway inflammation through inhibition of IL-2 production by mast cells. Mechanistically, BHB limits mast cell function through activation of GPR109A signaling. This study underscores the therapeutic potential of ketone body supplementation for the management of allergic asthma.
Intergenerational study tourism (IST) is a conceptual model designed to promote cross-cultural, intergenerational (IG) encounters through travel and learning. IST is an area of IG practice that would ...benefit from further research. In response to this identified need, this paper documents a pilot effort to develop a model that includes the design of a cross-cultural, intergenerational activity and examines its perceived benefits, reflection and discussion. Participants in this pilot project represented different generations from local and international communities. To facilitate participant engagement, ice-breaking games and mission-oriented interventions were employed.
Intergenerational study tourism (IST) is a conceptual model designed to promote cross-cultural, intergenerational (IG) encounters through travel and learning. IST is an area of IG practice that would ...benefit from further research. In response to this identified need, this paper documents a pilot effort to develop a model that includes the design of a cross-cultural, intergenerational activity and examines its perceived benefits, reflection and discussion. Participants in this pilot project represented different generations from local and international communities. To facilitate participant engagement, ice-breaking games and mission-oriented interventions were employed.
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•Novel approach allows to record cranial epidural EEG wirelessly in free-moving pigs.•Belly rubbing resulted in lower EEG total power but a shift to higher frequencies.•Belly rubbing ...in pigs offers a model of positive welfare state induced by touch.
The neurobiological response to gentle touch remains poorly understood, especially in the context of human-animal interaction. A novel approach allowed recording the pig electroencephalogram (EEG) cranially epidurally and wirelessly during positive interactions with a human. Stroking of the pig’s abdomen (‘belly rubbing’), applied opportunistically, elicited a distinct behavioral response characterized by lateral recumbency, limb stretching, frequent short-lasting grunts and eye closure. Pigs varied in their responsiveness to belly rubbing but all pigs showed it. Their EEG was compared to EEG during human presence and other positive interactions except belly rubbing; isolation; and in the home pen as a baseline. Total EEG power (‘Ptot’) was lower during belly rubbing, whereas the median frequency (‘F50’, 5.3 ± 0.9 Hz vs. 3.8 ± 0.9 Hz for other contexts) and the 95% spectral edge frequency (‘F95’, 45.2 ± 3.2 Hz vs. 40.0 ± 3.2 Hz for other contexts) were higher during belly rubbing compared to other contexts. Lower EEG total power combined with a shift in spectral power distribution toward higher frequencies were linked to behavioral changes indicative of a positive welfare state during belly rubbing. The effects of belly rubbing on animal psychobiology and well-being warrant further research as a model of positive welfare state induced by touch.
Glycolipids with TLR4 agonistic properties can serve either as therapeutic agents or as vaccine adjuvants by stimulating the development of proinflammatory responses. Translating them to the clinical ...setting is hampered by synthetic difficulties, the lack of stability in biological media, and/or a suboptimal profile of balanced immune mediator secretion. Here, we show that replacement of the sugar fragment by an sp
-iminosugar moiety in a prototypic TLR4 agonist,
, yields iminoglycolipid analogues that retain or improve their biological activity in vitro and in vivo and can be accessed through scalable protocols with total stereoselectivity. Their adjuvant potential is manifested in their ability to induce the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, prime the maturation of dendritic cells, and promote the proliferation of CD8
T cells, pertaining to a Th1-biased profile. Additionally, their therapeutic potential for the treatment of asthma, a Th2-dominated inflammatory pathology, has been confirmed in an ovalbumin-induced airway hyperreactivity mouse model.
Glycolipids with TLR4 agonistic properties can serve either as therapeutic agents or as vaccine adjuvants by stimulating the development of proinflammatory responses. Translating them to the clinical ...setting is hampered by synthetic difficulties, the lack of stability in biological media, and/or a suboptimal profile of balanced immune mediator secretion. Here, we show that replacement of the sugar fragment by an sp2-iminosugar moiety in a prototypic TLR4 agonist, CCL-34, yields iminoglycolipid analogues that retain or improve their biological activity in vitro and in vivo and can be accessed through scalable protocols with total stereoselectivity. Their adjuvant potential is manifested in their ability to induce the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, prime the maturation of dendritic cells, and promote the proliferation of CD8+ T cells, pertaining to a Th1-biased profile. Additionally, their therapeutic potential for the treatment of asthma, a Th2-dominated inflammatory pathology, has been confirmed in an ovalbumin-induced airway hyperreactivity mouse model.
Intergenerational Health Review (IHR) postulates that reminiscence of personal history is a reconciling process beneficial to individuals since it helps to find meaning in life and gain a better ...sense of well-being. This paper presents a college course project, within which students documented reminiscence stories in older adults' lives based on an event of recovery from illness. Evaluation of findings indicated that the pilot IHR project benefited students and older participants. Future studies should investigate how a college project like IHR can work on promoting the goal of intrinsic motivation rather than just focusing on grades.
Abstract Federal, state, and institutional data collection practices and analyses involving Asian Americans as a single, aggregated group obscure critical health disparities among the vast diversity ...of Asian American subpopulations. Using from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) Underlying Causes of Death database, we conducted a cross-sectional study using data on disaggregated Asian American subgroups (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, other Asians) between 2018 and 2021. We examine deaths from 22 cancer types and in situ, benign neoplasms, identified using ICD-10 codes C00-C97 and D00-D48. Overall, our study comprised 327,311 Asian American decedents, with a mean age of death at 70.57 years (SD=2.79), wherein females accounted for approximately half of the sample ( n =36,596/73,207; 49.99%). Notably, compared to the aggregated Asian American reference group, we found higher proportions of deaths from total cancers among Chinese (25.99% vs. 22.37% ref), Korean (25.29% vs. 22.37% ref), and Vietnamese (24.98% vs. 22.37% ref) subgroups. In contrast, total cancer deaths were less prevalent among Asian Indians (17.49% vs. 22.37% ref), Japanese (18.90% vs. 22.37% ref), and other Asians (20.37% vs. 22.37% ref). We identified further disparities by cancer type, sex, and age. Disaggregated data collection and analyses are imperative to understanding differences in cancer mortality among Asian American subgroups, illustrating at-risk populations with greater granularity. Future studies should aim to describe the association between these trends and social, demographic, and environmental risk factors.
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