Efficacy of parenteral bronchodilators on ventilatory outcomes in pediatric critical asthma: a national cohort study.

To evaluate the association of parenteral epinephrine and terbutaline use on ventilatory support in children admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with critical asthma in the United States. Data were obtained from the Pediatric Health Information System data base for children ages 2 to 18 years admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of asthma exacerbation from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2023. The primary outcomes included noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and/or invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) use after receipt of terbutaline and/or epinephrine.

Stiffness regulates dendritic cell and macrophage subtype development and increased stiffness induces a tumor-associated macrophage phenotype in cancer co-cultures.

Mechanical properties of tissues including their stiffness change throughout our lives, during both healthy development but also during chronic diseases like cancer. How changes to stiffness, occurring during cancer progression, impact leukocytes is unknown. To address this, myeloid phenotypes resulting from mono- and cancer co-cultures of primary murine and human myeloid cells on 2D and 3D hydrogels with varying stiffnesses were analyzed.

β2-Integrins Regulate Microglial Responses and the Functional Outcome of Hemorrhagic Stroke In Vivo.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disabilities worldwide. In addition to interruption of blood flow, inflammation is widely recognized as an important factor mediating tissue destruction in stroke. Depending on their phenotype, microglia, the main leukocytes in the CNS, are capable of either causing further tissue damage or promoting brain restoration after stroke.

Assessment of well-being using Fitbit technology in college students, faculty and staff completing breathing meditation during COVID-19: A pilot study.

This pilot study aimed to explore the intersection of mindfulness, physical activity, and mental well-being within higher education populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. College students, faculty, and staff ( = 34) from a public university participated in the study during spring, summer, and fall 2021. All participants wore a Fitbit for two weeks and were assigned to a treatment group ( = 17), who completed a daily five-minute breathing meditation during the second week, and a control group ( = 17), who did not complete breathing meditation.

The Authentic Self Is the Self-Enhancing Self: A Self-Enhancement Framework of Authenticity.

Authenticity refers to behaving in a manner that aligns with one's true self. The true self, though, is positive. From a self-enhancement standpoint, people exaggerate their strengths and overlook their shortcomings, forming positively-distorted views of themselves.

Positive-strand RNA viruses-a Keystone Symposia report.

Positive-strand RNA viruses have been the cause of several recent outbreaks and epidemics, including the Zika virus epidemic in 2015, the SARS outbreak in 2003, and the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. On June 18-22, 2022, researchers focusing on positive-strand RNA viruses met for the Keystone Symposium "Positive-Strand RNA Viruses" to share the latest research in molecular and cell biology, virology, immunology, vaccinology, and antiviral drug development. This report presents concise summaries of the scientific discussions at the symposium.

Immunomodulatory Functions of Glycolipids from Pathogens.

The cell envelopes of pathogens comprise a wealth of unique glycolipids, which are important modulators of the host immune responses during infection and in some cases have been used as adjuvants. Despite this abundant basic knowledge, the identities of the host immune receptors for mycobacterial lipids have long been elusive (Ishikawa et al., Trends Immunol 38:66-76, 2017).

Self-referential immune recognition through C-type lectin receptors.

The term "lectin" is derived from the Latin word lego- (aggregate) (Boyd & Shapleigh, 1954). Indeed, lectins' folds can flexibly alter their pocket structures just like Lego blocks, which enables them to grab a wide-variety of substances. Thus, this useful fold is well-conserved among various organisms.

High-flow nasal cannula improves hypoxemia in dogs failing conventional oxygen therapy.

Objective: A prospective clinical trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in dogs with hypoxemia.

Animals: 20 client-owned dogs failing conventional oxygen therapy (COT).

Procedures: Patients admitted to the ICU for treatment of hypoxemic respiratory failure were enrolled in the study.

A Faculty-Led, Community-Building Program That Enhances Student-Faculty Connections within Biology.

Connections between students and faculty on campus may influence students' sense of belonging, and a greater sense of belonging has a positive effect on student success. We developed a low-cost, faculty-led program of community-building events and implemented the program in the biology department at a small liberal-arts institution with the goal of improving students' sense of community. Student responses to surveys indicated that the majority of students felt connected to faculty and students in the department; however, Black or African American students initially felt a lower level of connection to faculty than did white students.

Home alone yet optimistic: social identity management amidst comparative pessimism.

In three studies ( = 553) we found that despite reporting that others enjoy a more active social life than they do, participants believed that they possessed more social traits than their peers (Study 1), that their level of social activity exceeds the necessary standards for living a satisfying social life (Study 2), and that their social lives would improve significantly in the future (Study 3). Additionally, people were not comparatively pessimistic about the number of close friends they have (Studies 1 and 3), and their pessimism about their social engagement was associated with lowered perceived importance of the social activities in question (Study 3). Taken together, these findings suggest that people's outlook on their social lives is not as grim as others have suggested, but rather, self-enhancing beliefs reside comfortably alongside individuals' acknowledgments of their social deficits.

β2-Integrins - Regulatory and Executive Bridges in the Signaling Network Controlling Leukocyte Trafficking and Migration.

Leukocyte trafficking is an essential process of immunity, occurring as leukocytes travel within the bloodstream and as leukocyte migration within tissues. While it is now established that leukocytes can utilize the mesenchymal migration mode or amoeboid migration mode, differences in the migratory behavior of leukocyte subclasses and how these are realized on a molecular level in each subclass is not fully understood. To outline these differences, first migration modes and their dependence on parameters of the extracellular environments will be explained, as well as the intracellular molecular machinery that powers migration in general.

Economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurship and small businesses.

The existential threat to small businesses, based on their crucial role in the economy, is behind the plethora of scholarly studies in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining the 15 contributions of the special issue on the "Economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurship and small businesses," the paper comprises four parts: a systematic review of the literature on the effect on entrepreneurship and small businesses; a discussion of four literature strands based on this review; an overview of the contributions in this special issue; and some ideas for post-pandemic economic research.

Characterization of mouse Bmp5 regulatory injury element in zebrafish wound models.

Many key signaling molecules used to build tissues during embryonic development are re-activated at injury sites to stimulate tissue regeneration and repair. Bone morphogenetic proteins provide a classic example, but the mechanisms that lead to reactivation of BMPs following injury are still unknown. Previous studies have mapped a large "injury response element" (IRE) in the mouse Bmp5 gene that drives gene expression following bone fractures and other types of injury.

β2-Integrin Adhesion Regulates Dendritic Cell Epigenetic and Transcriptional Landscapes to Restrict Dendritic Cell Maturation and Tumor Rejection.

Dendritic cells (DC), the classic antigen-presenting cells of the immune system, switch from an adhesive, phagocytic phenotype in tissues, to a mature, nonadhesive phenotype that enables migration to lymph nodes to activate T cells and initiate antitumor responses. Monocyte-derived DCs are used in cancer immunotherapy, but their clinical efficacy is limited. Here, we show that cultured bone marrow-derived DCs (BM-DC) expressing dysfunctional β2-integrin adhesion receptors displayed enhanced tumor rejection capabilities in B16.

SNAP: Supportive noninvasive ventilation for acute chest syndrome prevention in children with sickle cell disease.

Background: Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Preventing hypoxemia by optimizing lung aeration during sleep remains a challenge.

Objectives: To explore safety, feasibility, and tolerability of noninvasive, bi-level positive airway pressure ventilation (BiPAP) as preventative, supportive care for hospitalized, medically stable children with SCD on a general pediatric inpatient unit.

Parent-Child Mindfulness-Based Training: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

Stress in young children can interfere with academic achievement. To help address stress and aid in developing beneficial lifelong coping skills, educational systems are more widely incorporating programs that teach social and emotional regulation, such as mindfulness-based programs. The effects of these programs may be strengthened through parental support in the home environment.

Reproducibility and accuracy of microscale thermophoresis in the NanoTemper Monolith: a multi laboratory benchmark study.

Microscale thermophoresis (MST), and the closely related Temperature Related Intensity Change (TRIC), are synonyms for a recently developed measurement technique in the field of biophysics to quantify biomolecular interactions, using the (capillary-based) NanoTemper Monolith and (multiwell plate-based) Dianthus instruments. Although this technique has been extensively used within the scientific community due to its low sample consumption, ease of use, and ubiquitous applicability, MST/TRIC has not enjoyed the unambiguous acceptance from biophysicists afforded to other biophysical techniques like isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) or surface plasmon resonance (SPR). This might be attributed to several facts, e.

Effective treatment of the wastewater from ceramic industry using ceramic membranes.

Emissions of organic compounds, heavy metals and chemicals used in the ceramic industry cause significant organic and inorganic pollution of water. The effluent must be treated before it is discharged into a water body. International and EU laws control the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wastewater.

Molecular Mechanisms of Leukocyte Migration and Its Potential Targeting-Lessons Learned From MKL1/SRF-Related Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases.

Megakaryoblastic leukemia 1 (MKL1) deficiency is one of the most recently discovered primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) caused by cytoskeletal abnormalities. These immunological "actinopathies" primarily affect hematopoietic cells, resulting in defects in both the innate immune system (phagocyte defects) and adaptive immune system (T-cell and B-cell defects). MKL1 is a transcriptional coactivator that operates together with serum response factor (SRF) to regulate gene transcription.

Updated S2K guidelines on the management of pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus initiated by the european academy of dermatology and venereology (EADV).

Background: Pemphigus encompasses a group of life-threatening autoimmune bullous diseases characterized by blisters and erosions of the mucous membranes and skin. Before the era of immunosuppressive treatment, pemphigus was almost always fatal. Due to its rarity, only few randomized controlled therapeutic trials are available.

Local Intracerebral Immunomodulation Using Interleukin-Expressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Glioblastoma.

Purpose: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show an inherent brain tumor tropism that can be exploited for targeted delivery of therapeutic genes to invasive glioma. We assessed whether a motile MSC-based local immunomodulation is able to overcome the immunosuppressive glioblastoma microenvironment and to induce an antitumor immune response.

Experimental Design: We genetically modified MSCs to coexpress high levels of IL12 and IL7 (MSC, Apceth-301).