Increasing Access to Undesignated Asthma Medication in Illinois.

Asthma is common among the pediatric population. Exacerbations of this chronic condition can lead to emergency department visits and hospitalizations, resulting in time away from school. Children spend the majority of their day at school, where they may need access to quick relief medication to treat respiratory distress.

Stability of gut microbiome after COVID-19 vaccination in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals.

Bidirectional interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiota are key contributors to various physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity, and efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Although COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause microbial dysbiosis, it remains understudied whether the inflammatory response associated with vaccination also impacts the microbiota.

An ionic liquid synthesis route for mixed-phase sodium titanate (NaTiO and NaTiO) rods as an anode for sodium-ion batteries.

Sodium ion batteries represent a sustainable alternative to Li-ion technologies. Challenges with material properties remain, however, particularly with regards the performance of anodes. We report a rapid, energy-efficient ionic liquid synthesis method for mixed phase NaTiO and NaTiO rods.

Age-associated B cells predict impaired humoral immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients receiving immune checkpoint blockade.

Age-associated B cells (ABC) accumulate with age and in individuals with different immunological disorders, including cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint blockade and those with inborn errors of immunity. Here, we investigate whether ABCs from different conditions are similar and how they impact the longitudinal level of the COVID-19 vaccine response. Single-cell RNA sequencing indicates that ABCs with distinct aetiologies have common transcriptional profiles and can be categorised according to their expression of immune genes, such as the autoimmune regulator (AIRE).

Investigating the Potential of Electroless Nickel Plating for Fabricating Ultra-Porous Metal-Based Lattice Structures Using PolyHIPE Templates.

The use of polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs) as templates for electroless nickel plating is a promising method for producing ultra-porous metallic lattice structures with consistent wall thickness. These structures have desirable properties such as low density, high specific strength, resilience, and absorbency, making them suitable for various applications including battery electrodes, catalyst supports, and acoustic or vibration damping. This study aimed to optimize and investigate the electroless nickel plating process on polyHIPEs.

Prerace venous blood gases and acid-base values in Standardbred horses: effects of geography, season, prerace furosemide, gender, age, and trainer using big data analytics.

Objective: A retrospective study was conducted to establish the prerace venous acid-base and blood gas values of Standardbred horses at rest using big data analytics.

Samples: Venous blood samples (73,382) were collected during seven racing seasons from 3 regional tracks in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Horses were detained 2 hours prior to race time.

Operation of a TCA cycle subnetwork in the mammalian nucleus.

Nucleic acid and histone modifications critically depend on the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for substrates and cofactors. Although a few TCA cycle enzymes have been reported in the nucleus, the corresponding pathways are considered to operate in mitochondria. Here, we show that a part of the TCA cycle is operational also in the nucleus.

Insulin antibodies are prevalent in adults with type 1 diabetes referred for islet cell transplantation and are modified by islet transplantation and immunosuppression: an Australian experience.

We have analysed insulin antibodies in 149 adults with type 1 diabetes and 2859 people without diabetes. We have determined that insulin antibody levels are higher in adults with, versus without, diabetes and that the levels are falling, and more patients are becoming antibody-negative post islet cell transplantation.

Second-line immunotherapy and functional outcomes in autoimmune encephalitis: A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a neurological disorder caused by autoimmune attack on cerebral proteins. Experts currently recommend staged immunotherapeutic management, with first-line immunotherapy followed by second-line immunotherapy if response to first-line therapy is inadequate. Meta-analysis of the evidence base may provide higher quality evidence to support this recommendation.

The Relationship Between Lipoproteins and Insulin Sensitivity in Youth With Obesity and Abnormal Glucose Tolerance.

Context: Youth with obesity and abnormal glucose tolerance have an increased risk for atherosclerosis but the relative contributions of insulin resistance and hyperglycemia to dyslipidemia and the development of subclinical atherosclerosis are unknown.

Objective: This work aims to determine the association between insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and carotid intimal thickness (cIMT) in adolescents with normal and abnormal glucose tolerance.

Methods: An observational cohort study in 155 youth: 44 obese insulin sensitive (OIS; fasting insulin ≤ 20 µM/mL, body mass index [BMI] ≥ 95th percentile), 35 obese insulin resistant (OIR; fasting insulin > 20 µM/mL, BMI ≥ 95th percentile), 34 obese abnormal glucose tolerant (AGT; BMI ≥ 95th percentile), and 42 Lean (BMI 5th-85th percentile).

Corrigendum: Insulin Action, Glucose Homeostasis and Free Fatty Acid Metabolism: Insights From a Novel Model.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.

Predictive semiology of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures in an epilepsy monitoring unit.

Introduction: The diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) is a common clinical dilemma. We sought to assess the diagnostic value of four ictal signs commonly used in differentiating PNES from epileptic seizures (ES).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive adult video-electroencephalogram (VEM) studies conducted at a single tertiary epilepsy center between May 2009 and August 2016.

Seizure likelihood varies with day-to-day variations in sleep duration in patients with refractory focal epilepsy: A longitudinal electroencephalography investigation.

Background: While the effects of prolonged sleep deprivation (≥24 h) on seizure occurrence has been thoroughly explored, little is known about the effects of day-to-day variations in the duration and quality of sleep on seizure probability. A better understanding of the interaction between sleep and seizures may help to improve seizure management.

Methods: To explore how sleep and epileptic seizures are associated, we analysed continuous intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) recordings collected from 10 patients with refractory focal epilepsy undergoing ordinary life activities between 2010 and 2012 from three clinical centres (Austin Health, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, and St Vincent's Hospital of the Melbourne University Epilepsy Group).

Adapting Protocols or Models for Use in Insulin-Requiring Diabetes and Islet Transplant Recipients.

The authors' perspective is described regarding modifications made in their clinic to glucose challenge protocols and mathematical models in order to estimate insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness in patients living with Insulin-Requiring Diabetes and patients who received Pancreatic Islet Transplants to treat Type I diabetes (T1D) with Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia. The evolutions are described of protocols and models for use in T1D, and Insulin-Requiring Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) that were the basis for studies in the Islet Recipients. In each group, the need for modifications, and how the protocols and models were adapted is discussed.

Modeling Challenge Data to Quantify Endogenous Lactate Production.

With the intention of isolating the susceptibility of modeling methodology to influence our investigation of the infusion data, we used three kinetic approaches to our models: a simple approach, a unit approach, and a novel approach. The simple approach used exclusively built-in modeling features of the software in terms of units of the infusion dilution (mmol/L), as well as in terms of the precision of switching the infusion on and off. The unit approach used the same switching mechanism as the simple approach, but the units were modeled in those of the infusion (e.

Insulin Action, Glucose Homeostasis and Free Fatty Acid Metabolism: Insights From a Novel Model.

Glucose and free fatty acids (FFA) are essential nutrients that are both partly regulated by insulin. Impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance are hallmarks of aberrant glucose disposal, and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In the current study, a novel model of FFA kinetics is proposed to estimate the role insulin action on FFA lipolysis and oxidation allowing estimation of adipose tissue insulin sensitivity ( ).

Interictal spike localization for epilepsy surgery using magnetoencephalography beamforming.

Objective: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) kurtosis beamforming is an automated localization method for focal epilepsy. Visual examination of virtual sensors, which are source activities reconstructed by beamforming, can improve performance but can be time-consuming for neurophysiologists. We propose a framework to automate the method and evaluate its effectiveness against surgical resections and outcomes.

Temporal patterns in the first unprovoked seizure.

Objective: Cyclic phenomena in epilepsy are well recognized. We investigated a multicenter cohort of unprovoked first seizure presentations to determine whether seizures have a preponderance to occur in: a particular time of the day, a particular day of the week, a particular month of the year, day time versus night time, and wakefulness versus sleep.

Methods: We retrospectively studied adults who presented with a first-ever unprovoked seizure to the First Seizure Clinic at two tertiary centers in Australia.

Bayesian-based withdrawal estimates using pharmacokinetic parameters for two capsaicinoid-containing products administered to horses.

Capsaicinoids deter horses from chewing on bandages and are applied topically to provide analgesia to musculoskeletal injuries. They are banned during competition due to their nerve blocking properties. The pharmacokinetics of oral (PO) and direct gastric administration via nasogastric tube (NG), or topical (TOP) administration of two capsaicinoid-containing products were investigated, and the withdrawal times required prior to competition were estimated.

Population insulin sensitivity from sparsely sampled oral glucose tolerance tests.

Objective: This work aimed to estimate population-level insulin sensitivity (S) from 2-hour oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) with less than 7 samples.

Research Design And Methods: The current methodology combines the OGTT mathematical model developed by Dalla Man et al., with nonlinear multilevel (NLML) statistical model to estimate population-level insulin sensitivity (S) from sparsely sampled datasets (3 or 4 samples per subject obtained in 120 min).

Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Free Fatty Acid Metabolism.

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is independently associated with insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, data on whether SDB alters the metabolism of free fatty acids (FFAs) are lacking.

Research Question: The primary objective of the current study was to characterize alterations in FFA metabolism across the spectrum of SDB severity.