Short-Term Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure and Emergency Hospital Admissions for Asthma in Children: A Case-Crossover Analysis in England.

Background: There is an increasing body of evidence associating short-term ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure with asthma-related hospital admissions in children. However, most studies have relied on temporally resolved exposure information, potentially ignoring the spatial variability of NO2. We aimed to investigate how daily NO2 estimates from a highly resolved spatio-temporal model are associated with the risk of emergency hospital admission for asthma in children in England. Methods: We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study including 111,766 emergency hospital admissions for asthma in children (aged 0-14 years) between 1st January 2011 and 31st December 2015 in England. Daily NO2 levels were predicted at the patients' place of residence using spatio-temporal models by combining land use data and chemical transport model estimates. Conditional logistic regression models were used to obtain the odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) after adjusting for temperature, relative humidity, bank holidays, and influenza rates. The effect modifications by age, sex, season, area-level income deprivation, and region were explored in stratified analyses. Results: For each 10 µg/m³ increase in NO2 exposure, we observed an 8% increase in asthma-related emergency admissions using a five-day moving NO2 average (mean lag 0-4) (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.06-1.10). In the stratified analysis, we found larger effect sizes for male (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07-1.12) and during the cold season (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.08-1.12). The effect estimates varied slightly by age group, area-level income deprivation, and region. Significance: Short-term exposure to NO2 was significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma emergency admissions among children in England. Future guidance and policies need to consider reflecting certain proven modifications, such as using season-specific countermeasures for air pollution control, to protect the at-risk population.

Preventing Bacterial Contamination of Breast Implants Using Infection Mitigation Techniques: An In Vitro Study.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial contamination of implants has been linked to biofilm formation and subsequent infection, capsular contracture, and breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Reducing contamination during implant insertion should therefore reduce biofilm formation disease sequelae. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare levels of contamination between preventative techniques. METHODS: A model to simulate the passage of implants through a skin incision was designed that utilized a sterile textured polyvinyl plastic sheet contaminated with Staphylococcus epidermidis. In the first stage of the polyvinyl contamination model, implants were subject to infection-mitigation techniques and passed through the incision, then placed onto horse blood agar plates and incubated for 24 hours. In the second stage of the study the same contamination was applied to human abdominal wall specimens. A 5 cm incision was made through skin and fat, then implants were passed through and levels of contamination were measured as described. RESULTS: Smooth implants grew a mean of 95 colony-forming units (CFUs; approximately 1 CFU/cm2) and textured implants grew 86 CFUs (also approximately 1 CFU/cm2). CFU counts were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-test which showed no significant difference between implant types (P < .05); independent-sample t-tests showed a significant difference. The dependent-variable techniques were then compared as groups by one-way analysis of variance, which also showed a significant reduction compared with the control group (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This in vitro study has shown the effectiveness of antiseptic rinse and skin/implant barrier techniques for reducing bacterial contamination of breast implants at the time of insertion.

Adenovirus 36 infection and daycare starting age are associated with adiposity in children and adolescents

Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate human adenovirus 36 (Adv36) as an associated factor for adiposity in children and adolescents aged 9-12 years. Methods This was a case-control study comparing overweight (cases) and eutrophic (controls) children and adolescents aged 9-12 years based on their body mass index in relation to human adenovirus 36 serology. Human adenovirus 36-specific neutralizing antibodies were assessed using the serum neutralization assay, and a questionnaire regarding the subjects' personal backgrounds, breastfeed history, age of starting daycare, and eating and exercise habits was also applied. Results A total of 101 (51, eutrophic; 50, overweight) children were included in the study. The Adv36 seropositivity rate was of 15.8%, which increased the chance of being overweight by 3.17 times (p = 0.049). Enrollment in a full-time daycare center before the age of 24 months increased the chance of being overweight by 2.78 times (p = 0.027). Metabolic parameters (total cholesterol and blood glucose) were insignificantly different among children who were seropositive or seronegative for human adenovirus 36. Conclusion This study concluded that excessive weight was positively associated with seropositivity for human adenovirus 36. Early enrollment in a full-time daycare was also an associated factor for obesity. Such data, confirmed in new studies, reinforces the role of human adenovirus 36 in the increase of childhood adiposity.

The Mind's Theorist / La Mente como Constructora de Teorías / O Teórico da Mente

Abstract The highest-order function of the mind is as a theorist. The memory system accumulates information about the outside world. The mind's theorist must sort through the information to formulate a theory about that world. The basic component of the system for theory building is a process called trolling. When the conscious mind is not being bombarded by external stimuli, or during certain stages of sleep, the mind's theorist trolls through memory searching for traces that contain similar information. If several traces are identified, analysis may yield information that was not evident when each was examined individually; reification of this sort can add new information to memory. The trolling process, and its ability to form new memory traces in the absence of external stimulation, is key to understanding many psychological phenomena.

Resumen La función superior de la mente es la de la construcción teórica. El sistema de memoria acumula información acerca del mundo externo y la mente constructora de teorías debe revisar dicha información para formular una teoría sobre el mundo. El componente básico del sistema de construcción teórica es un proceso llamado "trolling", que implica una búsqueda cuidadosa y sistemática. Cuando la mente consciente no está siendo bombardeada por estímulos externos o durante ciertas etapas del sueño, la mente teórica escudriña en la memoria buscando trazas que contengan información similar. Cuando se identifican varias trazas, es posible que el análisis arroje información que no era evidente al examinar cada traza de manera individual. Así, este tipo de reificación puede aportarle nueva información a la memoria. Dada su capacidad de formar nuevas trazas de memoria en ausencia de estímulos externos, el proceso de "trolling" es clave para la comprensión de muchos fenómenos psicológicos.

Resumo A maior função superior do cérebro é a de ser um teórico. O sistema da memória acumula informação sobre o mundo de fora. O teórico da mente deve investigar toda a informação para formular uma teoria sobre esse mundo. O componente básico do sistema para elaborar teorias é um processo chamado "trolling" (pesca de corrico). Quando a mente consciente não está sendo bombardeada por estímulos externos, ou durante certas etapas do sono, o teórico da mente "pesca" pelas memórias, procurando traços que contenham informações parecidas. Se vários traços são identificados, pode-se ter como resultado informação que não era evidente quando cada um foi analisado individualmente; reificação desse tipo pode adicionar nova informação à memória. O processo de "pescar" e sua habilidade para formar novos traços de memória na ausência de estímulos externos é fundamental para entender muitos fenômenos psicológicos.