Plos One
-
An execution of cognitive processing interferes with postural sway during quiet standing. It reduces sway variability in young adults, but the mechanism is not clear. To elucidate the mechanisms, we focused on breathing in the present study. ⋯ The results revealed that the breathing rate was faster and the amplitude of breathing movement smaller when subjects performed the cognitive task. A significant positive correlation (r = 0.75, p < 0.01) was found between the change ratio of breathing amplitude and the COP amplitude. The present results suggest that reduced standing postural sway during a cognitive task is related, at least in part, to a decrease in breathing amplitude.
-
Sepsis is characterized by an intense systemic inflammatory response activating a cascade of proinflammatory events resulting in leukocyte dysregulation and host tissue damage. The lung is particularly susceptible to systemic inflammation, leading to acute lung injury. Key to inflammation-induced lung damage is the excessive migration of neutrophils across the vascular endothelium. ⋯ Administration of the PKCδ inhibitor decreased platelet and neutrophil influx, and was lung protective. Thus, PKCδ inhibition modulated platelet activity both locally and systemically, decreased neutrophil influx into the lung, and was lung protective. We demonstrate for the first time that PKCδ plays an important role in platelet activation and platelet-neutrophil interaction during sepsis.
-
Low levels of household access to basic environmental health assets (EHAs)-including technologies such as clean cookstoves and bed nets or infrastructure such as piped water and electricity-in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are known to contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. This low access persists despite decades of promotion of many low-cost, life-saving technologies, and is particularly pronounced among poor households. This study aims to characterize variation in access to EHAs among LMIC households as a function of wealth, as defined by ownership of various assets. ⋯ The findings of this study provide a basis for understanding how EHAs are distributed among poor households in LMICs, elucidate where inequalities in access are particularly pronounced, and point to a need for strategies that better reach the poor, if the global environmental burden of disease is to be reduced.
-
Left ventricle (LV) assist, which refers to the use of a mini-pump or catheter implanted across the aortic valve connected to the pump, can promote myocardial recovery after left ventricle failure. However, conventional LV assist catheters compress the aortic valve, which can induce aortic insufficiency. Here we describe a novel LV assist catheter containing a retractable stent at its distal end that may prevent such insufficiency. ⋯ Inserting the catheter into the left ventricle caused mild to moderate aortic insufficiency. Releasing the stent maintained the catheter in the center of the three valve leaflets, which resolved the aortic insufficiency and, within a few minutes, led to significantly lower left ventricle end diastolic pressure (9.0±3.0 mmHg) than without stent release (17.6±5.0 mmHg, p = 0.012) as well as significantly higher left ventricle dP/dtmax (614±299 mmHg/s) than without stent release (343±245 mmHg/s, p = 0.03). Our results indicate that this novel drainage catheter with retractable stent can effectively prevent aortic insufficiency by maintaining the catheter in the center of the aortic valve leaflets, thereby lowering left ventricular end diastolic pressure and improving systolic function.
-
The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of fractures in infancy, overall and by type of fracture, its association with accidents, metabolic bone disease risk factors, and abuse diagnosis. ⋯ Metabolic bone disease risk factors are strongly associated with fractures of long bone and ribs in early infancy. Fracture cases with abuse diagnosis had a metabolic bone risk factor profile.