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The Journal of Thoracic and... Mar 2024Primary graft dysfunction is often attributed to ischemia-reperfusion injury, and prevention would be a therapeutic approach to mitigate injury. Mitsugumin 53, a...
OBJECTIVE
Primary graft dysfunction is often attributed to ischemia-reperfusion injury, and prevention would be a therapeutic approach to mitigate injury. Mitsugumin 53, a myokine, is a component of the endogenous cell membrane repair machinery. Previously, exogenous administration of recombinant human (recombinant human mitsugumin 53) protein has been shown to mitigate acute lung injury. In this study, we aimed to quantify a therapeutic benefit of recombinant human mitsugumin 53 to mitigate a transplant-relevant model of ischemia-reperfusion injury.
METHODS
C57BL/6J mice were subjected to 1 hour of ischemia (via left lung hilar clamp), followed by 24 hours of reperfusion. mg53 mice were administered exogenous recombinant human mitsugumin 53 or saline before reperfusion. Tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage, and blood samples were collected at death and used to quantify the extent of lung injury via histology and biochemical assays.
RESULTS
Administration of recombinant human mitsugumin 53 showed a significant decrease in an established biometric profile of lung injury as measured by lactate dehydrogenase and endothelin-1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage and plasma. Biochemical markers of apoptosis and pyroptosis (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α) were also significantly mitigated, overall demonstrating recombinant human mitsugumin 53's ability to decrease the inflammatory response of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Exogenous recombinant human mitsugumin 53 administration showed a trend toward decreasing overall cellular infiltrate and neutrophil response. Fluorescent colocalization imaging revealed recombinant human mitsugumin 53 was effectively delivered to the endothelium.
CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that recombinant human mitsugumin 53 has the potential to prevent or reverse ischemia-reperfusion injury-mediated lung damage. Although additional studies are needed in wild-type mice to demonstrate efficacy, this work serves as proof-of-concept to indicate the potential therapeutic benefit of mitsugumin 53 administration to mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Lung; Reperfusion Injury; Ischemia; Acute Lung Injury
PubMed: 37562677
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2023.08.005 -
Environmental Science & Technology Dec 2023Machinery and equipment, integral as technology-specific capital goods, play a dual role in climate change: it acts as both a mitigator and an exacerbator due to its...
Machinery and equipment, integral as technology-specific capital goods, play a dual role in climate change: it acts as both a mitigator and an exacerbator due to its carbon-intensive life cycle. Despite their importance, current climate mitigation analyses often overlook these items, leaving a gap in comprehensive analyses of their material stock and environmental impacts. To address this, our research integrates input-output analysis (IOA) with dynamic material flow analysis (d-MFA) to assess the carbon and material footprints of machinery. It finds that in 2019, machinery production required 30% of global metal production and 8% of global carbon emissions. Between 2000 and 2019, the metal footprint of the stock of machinery grew twice as fast as the economy. To illustrate the global implications and scale, we spotlight key countries. China's rise in machinery material stock is noteworthy, surpassing the United States in 2008 in total amount and achieving half of the US per capita level by 2019. Our study also contrasts economic depreciation─a value-centric metric─with the tangible lifespan of machinery, revealing how much the physical size of the capital stock exceeds its book values. As physical machinery stocks saturate, new machinery can increasingly be built from metals recycled from retired machinery.
Topics: Carbon Footprint; Technology; Climate Change; Carbon; China
PubMed: 37990406
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06180 -
Anaesthesia Mar 2024All sectors of society must reduce their carbon footprint to mitigate climate change, and the healthcare community is no exception. This narrative review focuses on the... (Review)
Review
All sectors of society must reduce their carbon footprint to mitigate climate change, and the healthcare community is no exception. This narrative review focuses on the environmental concerns associated with the emissions of volatile anaesthetic agents, some of which are potent greenhouse gases. This review provides an understanding of the global warming potential metric, as well as the concepts of atmospheric lifetime and radiative efficiency. The state of knowledge of the environmental impact and possible climate forcing of emitted volatile anaesthetic agents are reviewed. Additionally, the review discusses how climate metrics can guide mitigation strategies to reduce emissions and suggests present and future options for mitigating the climate impact.
Topics: Humans; Carbon Dioxide; Greenhouse Effect; Anesthetics, Inhalation; Global Warming; Climate Change
PubMed: 38206102
DOI: 10.1111/anae.16119 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Jun 2024Strategies to mitigate emissions must consider methane and nitrous oxide together.
Strategies to mitigate emissions must consider methane and nitrous oxide together.
PubMed: 38843330
DOI: 10.1126/science.adi0503 -
Ecancermedicalscience 2023Climate change is impacting the lives of millions around the world and exacerbating existing challenges in healthcare globally. Although Africa contributes only 2%-3% of...
Climate change is impacting the lives of millions around the world and exacerbating existing challenges in healthcare globally. Although Africa contributes only 2%-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it suffers a disproportionate share of the environmental impact. High-income countries dominate the global discourse on climate change, while their continued utilisation of extractive policies exacerbates climate hazards and impacts economies in regions not responsible for the damage. Cancer is on the rise and constitutes a significant public health burden in low- and middle-income countries, yet little is known about the impact of climate change on oncology nursing on the African continent. To address the ways that climate change is exacerbating existing challenges and adding new difficulties for oncology care, it is essential that the expertise of professionals working in settings that are most impacted by the threats of climate change is amplified if climate crisis risks are to be effectively mitigated. Seven African oncology nurses from across sub-Saharan Africa were reflexively interviewed by voice over internet protocol (VOIP) in English to learn about their understanding of climate change and experiences with its impact on nursing care. Using a conceptual framework to map the impact of climate change on health and considering the vulnerability and social capacity of patients with cancer, our findings show how existing challenges to oncology nursing care are exacerbated by climate change on the continent. Food insecurity, national economic dependency on the agricultural sector, economic inequality, social vulnerability and isolation, transportation challenges, and the immunocompromised status of patients with cancer are all key concerns for oncology nurses in this context. We also present the nurses' specific recommendations for governments, hospital authorities, and oncology nurses regarding climate change mitigation, adaptation, and event response strategies. With this work, we aim to lay a foundation for further investigation and action to mitigate the oncoming challenges of climate disaster for oncology nurses across sub-Saharan Africa and the patients and families they care for.
PubMed: 38414956
DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2023.1621 -
JMIR Mental Health Oct 2023Evidence suggests that digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) for common mental health conditions are effective. However, digital interventions, such as... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests that digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) for common mental health conditions are effective. However, digital interventions, such as face-to-face therapies, pose risks to patients. A safe intervention is considered one in which the measured benefits outweigh the identified and mitigated risks.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to review the literature to assess how DMHIs assess safety, what risks are reported, and how they are mitigated in both the research and postmarket phases and building on existing recommendations for assessing, reporting, and mitigating safety in the DMHI and standardizing practice.
METHODS
PsycINFO, Embase, and MEDLINE databases were searched for studies that addressed the safety of DMHIs. The inclusion criteria were any study that addressed the safety of a clinical DMHI, even if not as a main outcome, in an adult population, and in English. As the outcome data were mainly qualitative in nature, a meta-analysis was not possible, and qualitative analysis was used to collate the results. Quantitative results were synthesized in the form of tables and percentages. To illustrate the use of a single common safety metric across studies, we calculated odds ratios and CIs, wherever possible.
RESULTS
Overall, 23 studies were included in this review. Although many of the included studies assessed safety by actively collecting adverse event (AE) data, over one-third (8/23, 35%) did not assess or collect any safety data. The methods and frequency of safety data collection varied widely, and very few studies have performed formal statistical analyses. The main treatment-related reported AE was symptom deterioration. The main method used to mitigate risk was exclusion of high-risk groups. A secondary web-based search found that 6 DMHIs were available for users or patients to use (postmarket phase), all of which used indications and contraindications to mitigate risk, although there was no evidence of ongoing safety review.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this review show the need for a standardized classification of AEs, a standardized method for assessing AEs to statically analyze AE data, and evidence-based practices for mitigating risk in DMHIs, both in the research and postmarket phases. This review produced 7 specific, measurable, and achievable recommendations with the potential to have an immediate impact on the field, which were implemented across ongoing and future research. Improving the quality of DMHI safety data will allow meaningful assessment of the safety of DMHIs and confidence in whether the benefits of a new DMHI outweigh its risks.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42022333181; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=333181.
PubMed: 37812471
DOI: 10.2196/47433 -
Food Science & Nutrition Dec 2023Physical contaminants in food, such as glass, metal, and plastic, can cause significant health risks and economic loss. This study explores these understudied physical... (Review)
Review
Physical contaminants in food, such as glass, metal, and plastic, can cause significant health risks and economic loss. This study explores these understudied physical hazards, aiming to provide comprehensive risk analysis and preventive solutions. Our research identified several key infiltration points in the food supply chain, including raw material sourcing and packaging stages. These hazards can be effectively mitigated by employing advanced technologies like metal detectors and optical sorting machines, along with stringent quality control measures. The findings offer valuable insights for stakeholders in the food industry, emphasizing the need for regulatory compliance and consumer education to ensure food safety.
PubMed: 38107102
DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3727 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Sep 2023Human activities negatively impact the welfare of wild vertebrates in many different contexts globally, and countless individual animals are affected. Growing concern...
Human activities negatively impact the welfare of wild vertebrates in many different contexts globally, and countless individual animals are affected. Growing concern for wild animal welfare, especially in relation to conservation, is evident. While research on wild animal welfare lags behind that focused on captive animals, minimising human-induced harm to wild animals is a key principle. This study examines examples of negative anthropogenic impacts on wild animal welfare, how these may be mitigated and what further research is required, including examples from wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife tourism and wildlife trade. Further, it discusses the relationship between animal welfare and biodiversity conservation, and synergies that may be achieved between these. Ultimately, it is discussed how the welfare of wild animals may be balanced with other priorities to ensure that welfare is afforded due consideration in interactions between people and wildlife.
PubMed: 37760306
DOI: 10.3390/ani13182906 -
Journal of Business Continuity &... Jan 2024Cyber attacks have a significant business impact, with the potential to escalate into crises if poorly managed. A recurring pattern is strategic dilemmas that cannot be...
Cyber attacks have a significant business impact, with the potential to escalate into crises if poorly managed. A recurring pattern is strategic dilemmas that cannot be resolved satisfactorily. Some dilemmas are more pronounced, others less so, and therefore often catch decision-makers unprepared, leaving only bad options for decision-making. Something that all dilemmas have in common is that the associated decisions can have a lasting impact on relationships with stakeholders. This paper introduces four recurring dilemmas; shows the typical considerations; lists options for mitigating these dilemmas; and describes the basic requirements for implementing mitigations. The dilemmas and options, in turn, are rooted in the organisation-specific design of: cyber security incident management and response; IT service continuity and disaster recovery management; business continuity management; and crisis management and communication.
Topics: Disaster Planning; Computer Security; Humans; Risk Management; Commerce
PubMed: 38736163
DOI: No ID Found -
The Hastings Center Report Nov 2023The number of older adults incarcerated in prisons is growing significantly, and there is a great need for legal authority, processes, and resources to mitigate...
The number of older adults incarcerated in prisons is growing significantly, and there is a great need for legal authority, processes, and resources to mitigate individual and social burdens of elder neglect and abuse within these settings. Older adults in prison may be particularly vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or exploitation. They are dependent on the carceral system for basic resources, are at risk for retaliatory actions for reporting mistreatment, and bear disproportionately high health burdens. This essay first considers standards and resources for mitigating elder mistreatment in the community and residential-care settings in contrast to the available resources in prisons. Arguing that a conceptual model of elder abuse tailored to the prison population is needed, the essay proposes a research agenda through which such a model could be developed. The model could then be used in the creation of policy for detecting and mitigating elder mistreatment of incarcerated people. The essay concludes with a call to action to address the rift in legal protections and processes that leave older adults in prison at increased risk of abuse and neglect without a clear pathway for recourse.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Prisons; Elder Abuse; Policy
PubMed: 38131491
DOI: 10.1002/hast.1540