The Influence of Sociodemographic Heterogeneity on the Perceptions of COVID-19: A Countrywide Survey Study in the USA.

Sociodemographic factors such as age, race, education, family income, and sex have been reported to influence COVID-related perceptions, reflected by knowledge, stress, and preventive behavior. We conducted a US-based survey to estimate the difference in COVID-related perceptions among diverse sociodemographic groups and the influence of sociodemographic heterogeneity on COVID-related perceptions. The survey enquired about sociodemographic parameters and relevant information to measure knowledge, stress, and preventive behavior.

Diagnostic value of spirometry vs impulse oscillometry: A comparative study in children with sickle cell disease.

Background: Spirometry is conventionally used to diagnose airway diseases in children with sickle cell disease (C-SCD). However, spirometry is difficult for younger children to perform, is effort dependent, and it provides limited information on respiratory mechanics. Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is an effort-independent pulmonary function test (PFT), which measures total airway resistance (R5Hz) and reactance (AX).

The association of nocturnal hypoxia and an echocardiographic measure of pulmonary hypertension in children with sickle cell disease.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is multifactorial in origin and may develop early in children with sickle cell disease (C-SCD). Potential etiologies are hemolysis-induced endothelial dysfunction, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and chronic hypoxia. Nocturnal hypoxia (NH) in C-SCD is known to be a sequela of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Directional secretomes reflect polarity-specific functions in an in vitro model of human bronchial epithelium.

The polarity of the conducting airway epithelium is responsible for its directional secretion. This is an essential characteristic of lung integrity and function that dictates interactions between the external environment (apical) and subepithelial structures (basolateral). Defining the directional secretomes in the in vitro human bronchial epithelial (HBE) differentiated model could bring valuable insights into lung biology and pulmonary diseases.

The human secretome atlas initiative: implications in health and disease conditions.

Proteomic analysis of human body fluids is highly challenging, therefore many researchers are redirecting efforts toward secretome profiling. The goal is to define potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the secretome that can be traced back in accessible human body fluids. However, currently there is a lack of secretome profiles of normal human primary cells making it difficult to assess the biological meaning of current findings.

Aggregation of human wild-type and H27A-prolactin in cells and in solution: roles of Zn(2+), Cu(2+), and pH.

Aggregation of hormones is an important step in the formation of secretory granules that results in concentration of hormones. In transfected AtT20 cells, but not COS cells, Lubrol-insoluble aggregates of human prolactin (PRL) accumulated within 30 min after synthesis. Aggregation in AtT20 cells was reduced by incubation with 30 microM chloroquine, which neutralizes intracellular compartments, and was slowed by incubation with diethyldithiocarbamate, which chelates Cu(2+) and Zn(2+).