The impact of environmental infections (parasites) on MS activity

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 1162-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Correale ◽  
Mauricio F Farez
Keyword(s):  
Disease Onset ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Developed World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Specific Parasite ◽  
Parasite Exposure

MS incidence has significantly increased during the second half of the 20th century, generating considerable interest in analyzing the basis for this rise in the developed world. Particular emphasis is being placed on the role infections might play in exacerbating or preventing disease onset. Epidemiological data suggest that improvement in sanitation conditions and reduced exposure to infection might explain, at least in part, these changes. The hygiene hypothesis is not new and is currently used to explain the increasing incidence of allergies and other autoimmune diseases. Because helminths are powerful modulators of host immunity, some authors hypothesize that reduced parasite exposure due to improved hygiene conditions may favor MS development. We discuss epidemiological, experimental, clinical and molecular data supporting the protective role of helminthes against MS. Better understanding of host–parasite interactions caused by specific parasite molecules with immunomodulatory effects will help combat allergies and autoimmune disease without the price of untoward infection as a side-effect.

UNDERSTANDING THE GREY ENTREPRENEUR

2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. 147-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAULL WEBER ◽  
MICHAEL SCHAPER
Keyword(s):  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Individual Enterprise ◽  
Management Experience ◽  
Productive Ageing ◽  
Developed World ◽  
The Impact

Demographic trends in the developed world indicate that older entrepreneurs will play an increasingly important part of economic activity as populations age, yet this cohort has been largely ignored in entrepreneurship research. This paper provides an overview of current research about the so-called "grey entrepreneur" (also known as senior, older, third age or elderly entrepreneurs), drawing on research from a number of nations. The extant literature indicates that a majority of older entrepreneurs are male, although the number of older female entrepreneurs is increasing; they are also less likely to possess formal educational qualifications than younger entrepreneurs. Some of the advantages that such entrepreneurs possess include greater levels of technical, industrial and management experience; superior personal networks; and a stronger financial asset base. Some of the disadvantages or potential barriers faced by older entrepreneurs can include lower levels of health, energy and productivity; ageism; and the value that his or her society places on active ("productive") ageing. Numerous issues still remain to be investigated in this field of research. These include the differences between younger and older entrepreneurs; their motives and success criteria; the impact of financial, knowledge and other resources on venturing behaviour; the role of government policies in fostering or hampering individual enterprise; and the significance of cultural differences amongst older entrepreneurs. Research in this field is currently also hampered by a multiplicity of terms and definitions, a lack of age-related data about different entrepreneurial cohorts, and the problems inherent in operationalising the concept of the "grey entrepreneur."

Comparative Analysis of Autoxidation of Haemoglobin

2001 ◽  
Vol 204 (11) ◽  
pp. 2029-2033
Author(s):  
Frank B. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Oxidation Rate ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Yellowfin Tuna ◽  
Histidine Residue ◽  
River Lamprey ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Lower Temperature ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARY Autoxidation of oxyhaemoglobin (oxyHb) to methaemoglobin was measured at different temperatures in haemoglobin solutions from Atlantic hagfish, river lamprey, common carp, yellowfin tuna and pig. The aims were to evaluate the impact of the absent distal histidine in hagfish haemoglobin, the importance of oxyHb being either monomeric (hagfish and lamprey) or tetrameric (carp, tuna and pig) and to gain information on the temperature-sensitivity of autoxidation. The rate of autoxidation was lower in hagfish than in carp, yellowfin tuna and lamprey haemoglobins at any given temperature. Substitution of the distal histidine residue (His E7) with glutamine in hagfish haemoglobin was therefore not associated with an accelerated autoxidation, as might be expected on the basis of the normal protective role of His E7. Glutamine may have similar qualities to histidine and be involved in the low susceptibility to autoxidation. The low oxidation rate of hagfish haemoglobin, together with an oxidation rate of lamprey haemoglobin that did not differ from that of carp and yellowfin tuna haemoglobins, also revealed that autoxidation was not accelerated in the monomeric oxyhaemoglobins. Pig haemoglobin was oxidised more slowly than fish haemoglobins, demonstrating that fish haemoglobins are more sensitive to autoxidation than mammalian haemoglobins. The rate of autoxidation of hagfish haemoglobin was, however, only significantly greater than that of pig haemoglobin at high temperatures. Autoxidation was accelerated by rising temperature in all haemoglobins. Arrhenius plots of carp and yellowfin tuna haemoglobin revealed a break at 25°C, reflecting a lower temperature-sensitivity between 5 and 25°C than between 25 and 40°C.

scholarly journals Autophagy plays a protective role during Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced apoptosis via ROS–MAPK pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 580-591
Author(s):  
Lu Han ◽  
Qinmei Ma ◽  
Jialin Yu ◽  
Zhaoqian Gong ◽  
Chenjie Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Raw264.7 Cells ◽  
Cellular Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Induced Apoptosis ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
The Impact

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection can induce alveolar macrophage apoptosis and autophagy, which play a vital role in eliminating pathogens. These two processes are usually not independent. Recently, autophagy has been found to interact with apoptosis during pathogen infections. Nevertheless, the role of autophagy in P. aeruginosa-infected cell apoptosis is unclear. In this study, we explored the impact of P. aeruginosa infection on autophagy and apoptosis in RAW264.7 cells. The autophagy activator rapamycin was used to stimulate autophagy and explore the role of autophagy on apoptosis in P. aeruginosa-infected RAW264.7 cells. The results indicated that P. aeruginosa infection induced autophagy and apoptosis in RAW264.7 cells, and that rapamycin could suppress P. aeruginosa-induced apoptosis by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. In addition, rapamycin scavenged the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and diminished p-JNK, p-ERK1/2 and p-p38 expression of MAPK pathways in RAW264.7 cells infected with P. aeruginosa. In conclusion, the promotion of autophagy decreased P. aeruginosa-induced ROS accumulation and further attenuated the apoptosis of RAW264.7 cells through MAPK pathway. These results provide novel insights into host–pathogen interactions and highlight a potential role of autophagy in eliminating P. aeruginosa.

scholarly journals The Role of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Community-Acquired Pneumonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (04) ◽  
pp. 455-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Feldman ◽  
Ronald Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Streptococcus Pneumoniae ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Invasive Infection ◽  
Geographic Variations ◽  
The Impact

AbstractWith the notable exceptions of the United States and Canada in particular, the global burden of disease in adults due to invasive infection with the dangerous respiratory, bacterial pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) remains. This situation prevails despite the major successes of inclusion of polysaccharide conjugate vaccines (PCVs) in many national childhood immunization programs and associated herd protection in adults, as well as the availability of effective antimicrobial agents. Accurate assessment of the geographic variations in the prevalence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has, however, been somewhat impeded by the limitations imposed on the acquisition of reliable epidemiological data due to reliance on often insensitive, laboratory-based, pathogen identification procedures. This, in turn, may result in underestimation of the true burden of IPD and represents a primary focus of this review. Other priority topics include the role of PCVs in the changing epidemiology of IPD in adults worldwide, smoking as a risk factor not only in respect of increasing susceptibility for development of IPD, but also in promoting pneumococcal antibiotic resistance. The theme of pneumococcal antibiotic resistance has been expanded to include mechanisms of resistance to commonly used classes of antibiotics, specifically β-lactams, macrolides and fluoroquinolones, and, perhaps somewhat contentiously, the impact of resistance on treatment outcome. Finally, but no less importantly, the role of persistent antigenemia as a driver of a chronic, subclinical, systemic proinflammatory/procoagulant phenotype that may underpin the long-term sequelae and premature mortality of those adults who have recovered from an episode of IPD, is considered.

scholarly journals The Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lockdown on Athletes’ Subjective Vitality: The Protective Role of Resilience and Autonomous Goal Motives

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Martínez-González ◽  
Francisco L. Atienza ◽  
Inés Tomás ◽  
Joan L. Duda ◽  
Isabel Balaguer
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Subjective Vitality ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
Mediational Role ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

The lockdown resulting from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a huge impact on peoples’ health. In sport specifically, athletes have had to deal with frustration of their objectives and changes in their usual training routines. The challenging and disruptive situation could hold implications for their well-being. This study examined the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on changes in athletes’ reported eudaimonic well-being (subjective vitality) and goal motives (autonomous and controlled) over time (i.e., pre-lockdown and during lockdown). The relationship of resilience to changes in subjective vitality was also determined, and changes in athletes’ goal motives were examined as potential mediators. Participants were 127 Spanish university athletes aged between 18 and 34 years (M = 21.14; SD = 2.77). Approximately 4 months before the start of the lockdown in Spain (T1), athletes responded to a questionnaire assessing their resilience, goal motives, and subjective vitality. Around 6 months later into the lockdown period (T2), athletes’ goal motives and subjective vitality were assessed again. Growth modeling using hierarchical linear models revealed a significant decrease of autonomous goal motives and subjective vitality during the lockdown, but athletes did not show change over time in controlled goal motives. Path analysis, adjusting T2 measures for their corresponding T1 measures, showed that resilience significantly predicted changes in athletes’ autonomous goal motives, which then accounted for changes in subjective vitality. The indirect effect was significant. Resilience did not predict changes in athletes’ controlled goal motives. However, changes in controlled goal motives negatively predicted changes in subjective vitality during lockdown. The findings suggest negative impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown on athletes’ goal motives and eudaimonic well-being. Results also support the hypothesized mediational role of autonomous goal motives in the relationship between resilience and subjective vitality during the lockdown. As such, findings confirm the relevance of resilience to a key feature of athletes’ eudaimonic well-being and the importance of enhancing their autonomous goal striving.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON EMPLOYEE TURNOVER IN THE ORGANIZATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-271
Author(s):  
Irena Ashtalkoska ◽  
Savo Ashtalkoski ◽  
Rozeta Nikolovska Belanek
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Important Practical Application ◽  
Developed World ◽  
The Impact

The development of human resources that finds an important practical application in enterprises from the developed world, account facts which refer to the conclusion that satisfaction of employee can greatly contribute to increasing productivity in enterprises and in states from whole world.Today, businesses are facing major challenges, resulting from rapid changes in technology, organizations and the overall business environment. These challenges include a number of aspects, such as economic, legal and regulatory issues, environmental and ethical dilemmas. That is exactly what imposes the need for effective leadership to lead the organization forward. Leadership is an influence on the behavior of others, so the leader directs employees towards the pursuit of goals. Here you can see the role of the leader, which is his help and support in dealing with the employee turnover in the organization.The purpose of this paper is not only highlighting the importance of the problem, but offering more adequate ways to manage employee turnover and developing the capacity of organizations for their long-term development.

scholarly journals Infection-induced miR-126 suppresses tsc1- and cxcl12a-dependent permissive macrophages during mycobacterial infection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Wright ◽  
Kumudika de Silva ◽  
Karren M. Plain ◽  
Auriol C. Purdie ◽  
Warwick J. Britton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Mycobacterial Infection ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Zebrafish Embryos ◽  
Zebrafish Model ◽  
Effector Pathways ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mtor Signalling

AbstractRegulation of host microRNA (miRNA) expression is a contested node that controls the host immune response to mycobacterial infection. The host must overcome concerted subversive efforts of pathogenic mycobacteria to launch and maintain a protective immune response. Here we examine the role of miR-126 in the zebrafish model of Mycobacterium marinum infection and identify a protective role for this infection-induced miRNA through multiple effector pathways. Specifically, we analyse the impact of the miR-126 knockdown-induced tsc1a and cxcl12a/ccl2/ccr2 signalling axes during early host-M. marinum interactions. We find a strong detrimental effect of tsc1a upregulation that renders zebrafish embryos susceptible to higher bacterial burden and increased cell death despite dramatically higher recruitment of macrophages to the site of infection. We demonstrate that infection-induced miR-126 suppresses tsc1 and cxcl12a expression thus improving macrophage function early in infection, partially through activation of mTOR signalling and strongly through preventing the recruitment of Ccr2+ permissive macrophages, resulting in the recruitment of protective tnfa-expressing macrophages. Together our results demonstrate an important role for infection-induced miR-126 in shaping an effective immune response to M. marinum infection in zebrafish embryos.

A Possible Role for the Antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin in Protecting against Age-Related Increases in Lens Density

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 166-166
Author(s):  
B R Hammond ◽  
J E Náñez
Keyword(s):  
Light Exposure ◽  
Latency Period ◽  
Crystalline Lens ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Relationship Of

Epidemiological data have identified a number of factors that influence risk of developing age-related cataract (ARC). For instance, factors that promote (eg smoking and light exposure) and factors that protect (eg antioxidants) against oxidative stress to the crystalline lens appear to increase and decrease risk of ARC, respectively. Although biochemical studies consistently support a protective role for antioxidants, the epidemiological data are inconsistent. Since ARC is a condition with a protracted latency period, it is possible that the inconsistencies present in the epidemiological literature may be due to the focus on cataractous patients. We focused on the lens health of individuals prior to cataract. Lens health was determined by measuring the optical density (OD) of the lens with a psychophysical technique. OD characterises many of the biochemical changes of the lens and is part of many systems used to classify ARC. Variance in lens OD, stratified by age, was examined for its relationship to variables thought to be important to the etiology of ARC. We report results for the relationship of lens OD to the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin (L and Z). For older individuals (>48 years) we noted a significant inverse relationship between dietary intake of L and Z and lens OD ( n=39, r=−0.34, p<0.015). This was not the case for younger individuals (24 – 36 years). This relationship is increased when L and Z are measured directly in the retina is a psychophysical technique. For older individuals, retinal L and Z (ie macular pigment) are inversely related to lens OD ( n=51, r=-0.47, p<0.001). These data are consistent with a role of L and Z in protecting against age-related increases in the OD of the crystalline lens.

FGF21 prevents low protein diet-induced renal inflammation in aged mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Fang ◽  
Sujoy Ghosh ◽  
Landon Sims ◽  
Kirsten P. Stone ◽  
Cristal M Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Renal Damage ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Kidney Weight ◽  
Albumin Creatinine Ratio ◽  
Low Protein ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Protein Diets

Low protein diets extend lifespan through a comprehensive improvement in metabolic health across multiple tissues and organs. Many of these metabolic responses to protein restriction are secondary to transcriptional activation and release of FGF21 from the liver. However, the effects of a low protein (LP) diet on the kidney in the context of aging has not been examined. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to investigate the impact of chronic consumption of a LP diet on the kidney in aging mice lacking FGF21. Wild type (WT, C57BL/6J) and FGF21 KO mice were fed a normal protein (NP, 20% casein) or a LP (5% casein) diet ad libitum from 3 to19 months of age. The LP diet led to a decrease in kidney weight and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio in both WT and FGF21 KO mice. Although the LP diet produced only mild fibrosis and infiltration of leukocytes in WT kidneys, the effects were significantly exacerbated by the absence of FGF21. Accordingly, transcriptomic analysis showed that inflammation-related pathways were significantly enriched and upregulated in response to LP diet in FGF21 KO but not WT mice. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the LP diet negatively affected the kidney during aging, but in the absence of FGF21, the LP diet-induced renal damage and inflammation were significantly worse, indicating a protective role of FGF21 in the kidney.

Trauma symptoms contribute to daily experiential avoidance: Does partner support mitigate risk?

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 322-341
Author(s):  
Molly R. Franz ◽  
Rebecca L. Brock ◽  
David DiLillo
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Partner Support ◽  
Trauma Symptoms ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Trauma Symptom ◽  
Latent Trajectory ◽  
Latent Trajectory Modeling ◽  
The Impact

Objective: The present study examined the protective role of partner support in reducing daily experiential avoidance (EA) associated with trauma symptoms in a sample of 154 couples during pregnancy. Background: Although psychological distress during pregnancy may hinder the developing bond between parents and infants after birth, high quality intimate partner support has the potential to enhance psychological wellbeing during pregnancy, particularly in the context of trauma. Specifically, partner support might mitigate the impact of trauma symptoms on maladaptive coping strategies such as EA by enabling individuals to safely encounter their distress. Method: Participants completed a semi-structured clinical interview of support and a PTSD symptom inventory, followed by home surveys of EA over 14 days. We examined growth trajectories of EA over 14 days using latent trajectory modeling within a dyadic framework. Results: Trauma symptom severity was associated with higher levels of EA across the 2 weeks; however, among women, the impact of trauma symptoms on EA was no longer significant when support from a partner was above average quality or higher. Findings also revealed partner effects; to the extent that women reported higher levels of trauma symptoms, their partners had higher levels of EA. Conclusion: Findings highlight the protective role of high quality support from intimate partners and suggest that trauma-related interventions targeting partner support processes, especially those implemented during pregnancy, might enhance recovery and prevent further distress and dysfunction among pregnant women experiencing trauma symptoms.

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