Blood and urinary cytokine balance and renal outcomes at orthopaedic surgery.

Background: In patients undergoing orthopaedic trauma surgery, acute kidney injury (AKI) can develop post-operatively and is a major cause of increased mortality and hospital stay time. Development of AKI is associated with three main processes: inflammation, ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and hypoperfusion. In this study, we investigated whether ratios of urine and blood anti-inflammatory biomarkers and biomarkers of hypoperfusion, IRI and inflammation are elevated in patients who develop post-trauma orthopaedic surgery acute kidney injury (PTOS-AKI).

The Importance of Diagnostics in the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections in the United Kingdom.

Current diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the UK initially relies on self-reported patient symptoms with no point-of-care test robust enough to accurately identify the causative pathogen and inform on antibiotic susceptibility. In serious UTI cases, standard urine culture is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis and involves direct isolation, culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing of pathogens. These methods are not suitable in initial UTI diagnosis and treatment because of the time taken to conduct these analyses (≥3 days).

Breaking Strong Alkynyl-Phenyl Bonds: Poly(-phenylene ethynylene)s under Mechanical Stress.

Stronger chemical bonds withstand higher mechanical forces; thus, the rupture of single bonds is preferred over the rupture of double or triple bonds or aromatic rings. We investigated bond scission in poly(dialkyl--phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs), a fully conjugated polymer. In a scale-bridging approach using electron-paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography of cryomilled samples, in combination with density functional theory calculations and coarse-grained simulations, we conclude that mechanical force cleaves the sp-sp bond of PPEs (bond dissociation energy as high as 600 kJ mol).

Longitudinal changes in coping strategies across midlife and older adulthood: findings from the midlife in the United States study.

Objectives: Most studies examining age differences in coping across adulthood come from cross-sectional studies and focus on the broader categories of problem- and emotion-focused coping. We aimed to establish a factor structure for coping items used in a national, longitudinal study of aging (MIDUS) and examine age patterns in coping strategies over 10 years.

Method: We performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and factorial invariance testing.

Resilience and Hassles Trajectories Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: Despite higher physical vulnerability to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), older adults reported less psychological stress than younger and midlife adults during the pandemic. However, little is known about age differences in stress within later life, and most COVID-19 studies have been cross-sectional. We examined weekly hassles exposure and severity trajectories and whether these trajectories differed by age, resilience factors (higher trait resilience and education), and vulnerability factors (identifying as a woman, being a person of color, and having chronic health conditions).