The physicochemical properties of aerosols, including hygroscopicity, phase state, pH, and viscosity, influence important processes ranging from virus transmission and pulmonary drug delivery to atmospheric light scattering and chemical reactivity. Despite their importance, measurements of these key properties in aerosols remain experimentally challenging due to small particle sizes and low mass densities in air. Fluorescence probe spectroscopy is one of the only analytical techniques that is capable of experimentally determining these properties in situ in a nondestructive and minimally perturbative manner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic health conditions often affect the lives of family members as well as the patient themselves. The current study aimed to explore the experiences of partners of individuals with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) who received a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant (SPKT) to understand the wider impact of SPKTs. Eight partners of recipients of SPKT were interviewed about their experiences before and after the transplant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A peri-urban outbreak of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) among dairy cattle from May through August 2018 in northern Tanzania was detected through testing samples from prospective livestock abortion surveillance. We sought to identify concurrent human infections, their phylogeny, and epidemiologic characteristics in a cohort of febrile patients enrolled from 2016-2019 at hospitals serving the epizootic area.
Methods: From September 2016 through May 2019, we conducted a prospective cohort study that enrolled febrile patients hospitalized at two hospitals in Moshi, Tanzania.
Maternal infections during pregnancy can increase the risk to offspring of developing a neurodevelopmental disorder. Given the global prevalence and severity of infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the objective of this study was to determine if in utero exposure to severe maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection alters infant neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months and to identify potential biological markers of adverse infant outcomes. Mother-infant dyads exposed to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection (requiring hospitalization) during pregnancy and age and sociodemographic matched control dyads were recruited from Monash Medical Centre, Australia in 2021/22 and prospectively assessed over 12 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aims to compare the levels of intrinsic protein disorder within the human lens and zonule proteomes and investigate the role of aging as a potential influencing factor on disorder levels. A cross-sectional proteomic analysis was employed, utilizing a dataset of 1466 proteins derived from the lens and zonule proteomes previously published by Wang et al. and De Maria et al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConventional type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1s) are critical for innate sensing of cancer, yet they are scarce in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we present a protocol to identify and isolate cDC1 subsets from murine implantable tumors for subsequent transcriptomic profiling using a flow sorting-based strategy. We describe steps for cell culture of mouse tumors, tumoral growth, dissociation and isolation of tumoral cells, extracellular staining, and cell sorting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF200,000-year-old DNA shows our now-extinct cousins mated with Neanderthals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy of genes modern humans gave Neanderthals helps explain their end.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpaceflight and terrestrial spaceflight analogs can alter immune phenotypes. Macrophages are important immune cells that bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems and participate in immunoregulatory processes of homeostasis. Furthermore, macrophages are critically involved in initiating immunity, defending against injury and infection, and are also involved in immune resolution and wound healing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The aim of this study was to assess predictors and outcomes of subperiosteal abscess (SPA) management in adolescents and adults at two tertiary care centers.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study included cases of SPA from January 1 2000 to October 9 2022 at two institutions. Patients 9 years or older were categorized into surgical and nonsurgical cohorts.
This study investigated the effect of hCG or GnRH on structural changes of the corpora lutea (CL) and the regulation of the expression of steroidogenic enzymes involved in P secretion in post-ovulatory (po-CL) and accessory CL (acc-CL). Sixty-four ewes were assigned to three groups receiving: 300 IU of hCG (hCG) or 4 µg Buserelin (GnRH) or 1 mL of saline solution (Control) on Day (d) 4 post artificial insemination (FTAI). Laparoscopic ovarian were performed on d 4, 14 and, 21 post-FTAI to determine the numbers of CL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is a rare condition traditionally associated with high morbidity and mortality. More recent case series report more favorable outcomes, including full functional recovery. A comprehensive assessment of the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of visual and survival outcomes in septic CST is warranted to contemporize current understanding and help guide management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To assess the cost-utility of prophylactic laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) for primary angle closure (PAC) suspects (PACS).
Design: Economic evaluation.
Methods: Our Markov model randomized PACS eyes to LPI or observation for 40 one-year cycles (100,000 iterations per strategy).
Respiratory viruses, such as influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, represent a substantial public health burden and are largely transmitted through respiratory droplets and aerosols. Environmental factors such as relative humidity (RH) and temperature impact virus transmission rates, and a precise mechanistic understanding of the connection between these environmental factors and virus transmission would improve efforts to mitigate respiratory disease transmission. Previous studies on supermicrometer particles observed RH-dependent phase transitions and linked particle phase state to virus viability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFifty years after her discovery, the 3.2-million-year-old fossil still reigns as mother of us all. But she now has rivals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aims to investigate how athlete ethnicity is discussed in the inclusion and exclusion criteria, methodology, findings, and conclusions of research focused on menstrual health in sports science and medicine.
Design: A scoping review of sports-based research conducted on athletes related to (1) menstrual health and ethnicity, (2) how researchers include/exclude participants based on ethnicity and (3) how ethnicity is discussed.
Data Sources: Electronic search of PubMed and ProQuest.
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterised by recurrent inflammatory lesions and skin tunnels in flexural sites such as the axilla. Deroofing of skin tunnels and laser treatment are standard hidradenitis suppurativa interventions in some countries but not yet introduced in the United Kingdom.
Objective: To understand current hidradenitis suppurativa management pathways and what influences treatment choices to inform the design of future randomised controlled trials.