Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions May Attenuate Acute Exacerbations of Asthma: Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan.

Background: Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were widely used during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however their impact on acute asthma exacerbations (AEs) is not well studied.

Methods: We had retrospectively collected patients with asthma AEs between 2019 and 2020 and retrieved data from the Chang Gung Research Database, including clinical manifestations, medications, pulmonary function, clinic and emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

Results: A total of 39,108 adult patients with asthma were enrolled, of whom 1502 were eligible for analysis.

Frequent Alcohol Use of Adolescents in Low-Income Families: Application of the Multiple Disadvantage Model.

Background: This study investigated relationships between low-income adolescent drinkers' frequent alcohol use and five factors: social disorganization, social structural, social integration, mental health, and access to healthcare.

Objective: A sample of 1,256 low-income adolescent drinkers and caregivers were extracted from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study.

Results: Logistic regression yielded results showing adolescent drinkers' weekly drinking to be associated positively with Hispanic adolescents, drinking peers, adolescents' depression/anxiety, and caregiver's daily drinking.

The Benefits of Hearing Aids for Adults: A Systematic Umbrella Review.

Objectives: This umbrella review aims to summarize the major benefits of hearing aid usage in adults by synthesizing findings from published review articles.

Design: A comprehensive search of databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, was conducted. The search was limited to English-language review articles published between 1990 and 2023, focusing on hearing aid outcomes in at least 5 adults (aged ≥18 years).

Engineered antigen-specific T regulatory cells suppress autoreactivity to the anti-glomerular basement membrane disease antigen.

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease is accompanied by insufficient antigen-specific T regulatory cells (Tregs) and clonally expanded antigen-specific T conventional cells (Tconvs). In particular, this applied to the immunodominant T cell auto- epitope of type IV collagen, α3(IV)NC1135-145 , presented by HLA-DR15. Here, we investigated whether Tregs engineered to express GBM-T cell receptors (TCR) specific for α3(IV)NC1135- 145 better suppress autoimmunity.