Molecular Aspects of Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy in Patients with Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

A systematic review and narrative synthesis of publications was undertaken to analyze the role of component-resolved diagnosis technology in identifying polysensitization for the provision of allergen-specific immunotherapy to patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. A search of publications was carried out in electronic databases in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The search helped to identify 568 publications, 12 of which were included in this review. Overall, 3302 patients were enrolled. The major finding was that component-resolved diagnostics change the choice of relevant allergens for allergen-specific immunotherapy in at least 50% of cases. Sensitization to allergen components differs with age, type of disease, and overall disease duration. Patients who had both bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis were sensitized to a larger number of allergens than patients who had bronchial asthma alone.

Regulation of Ferroptosis by Non-Coding RNAs: Mechanistic Insights

The discovery of ferroptosis has paradigmatically shifted our about different types of cell death. The wealth of information gathered over decades of pioneering research has empowered researchers to develop a better comprehension of the versatile regulators of ferroptosis. In this comprehensive review, we have attempted to put a spotlight on the indispensable involvement of non-coding RNAs in the regulation of ferroptosis. We have analyzed the functional role of microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs in the regulation of ferroptosis and how inhibition of ferroptosis promotes carcinogenesis and metastasis. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The manuscript provides a systematic mechanistic and conceptual comprehension of the recently emerging dynamics of non-coding RNAs and ferroptosis. We also analyze how this interplay shapes the complex process of carcinogenesis and metastasis.

Regulation of Cell Signaling Pathways and Non-Coding RNAs by Baicalein in Different Cancers

Landmark discoveries in molecular oncology have provided a wide-angle overview of the heterogenous and therapeutically challenging nature of cancer. The power of modern ‘omics’ technologies has enabled researchers to deeply and comprehensively characterize molecular mechanisms underlying cellular functions. Interestingly, high-throughput technologies have opened new horizons for the design and scientific fool-proof evaluation of the pharmacological properties of targeted chemical compounds to tactfully control the activities of the oncogenic protein networks. Groundbreaking discoveries have galvanized the expansion of the repertoire of available pharmacopoeia to therapeutically target a myriad of deregulated oncogenic pathways. Natural product research has undergone substantial broadening, and many of the drugs which constitute the backbone of modern pharmaceuticals have been derived from the natural cornucopia. Baicalein has gradually gained attention because of its unique ability to target different oncogenic signal transduction cascades in various cancers. We have partitioned this review into different sub-sections to provide a broader snapshot of the oncogenic pathways regulated by baicalein. In this review, we summarize baicalein-mediated targeting of WNT/β-catenin, AKT/mTOR, JAK/STAT, MAPK, and NOTCH pathways. We also critically analyze how baicalein regulates non-coding RNAs (microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs) in different cancers. Finally, we conceptually interpret baicalein-mediated inhibition of primary and secondary growths in xenografted mice.

Occupational burn-out, fatigue and stress in professional rescuers: a cross-sectional study in Kazakhstan

OBJECTIVES

To find predictors of burn-out in a cohort of rescuers.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Republican Rescue Squad (N=105) and Republican Mudslide Rescue Service under the Ministry of Emergency Situations (N=480) in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, we included 268 (80% men, median age 38 (IQR 22) years) rescuers from both organisations.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

We offered a questionnaire to rescuers, which included Maslach Burnout Inventory, quantifying emotional exhaustion (EX), cynicism (CY) and professional efficacy (PE) along with fatigue, stress and health-related quality of life (HRQL) tools.

RESULTS

Lower scores of HRQL (Physical Component Score (PCS) beta -0.04 (95% CI -0.06 to -0.02); Mental Component Score beta -0.03 (95% CI -0.05 to -0.01)), higher fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score beta 0.03 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.04)) and stress (Perceived Stress Score-10 beta 0.04 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.06)) independently predicted greater EX. Lower PCS (beta -0.03 (95% CI -0.06 to -0.01)) and FSS (beta 0.02 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.03)) could predict more CY burn-out. In addition to stress, higher education (beta 0.86 (95% CI 0.40 to 1.32)) was positively associated with lower burn-out severity in PE domain.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue, stress and HRQL were associated with burn-out in rescuers. Addressing these predictors may help guide further interventions to reduce occupational burn-out.

Effects of air temperature on the number of ambulance calls for asthma during cold season in Nur-Sultan- the second coldest capital in the world

Deleterious effect of cold on overall mortality is well-established. We studied associations between the air temperature and the number f ambulance calls for asthma in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan – the second coldest capital in the world. Daily counts of ambulance calls for asthma in Nur-Sultan for the cold seasons (October-March) 2006–2010 were obtained from the Municipal Ambulance Station. Associations between the number of calls and mean and minimum apparent temperatures (average for lags 0–15) were studied using first-order Poisson auto-regression models controlling for wind speed and effects of month, year, weekends and holidays. Altogether, there were 7373 ambulance calls for asthma during the study period. An inverse association between minimum apparent temperature and the number of calls was observed for the age-group 60 years and older. A decrease of the minimum apparent temperature by 1°C was associated with an increase in the number of calls by 1.7% (95% CI: 0.1%-3.3%) across the whole temperature spectrum. No associations in other age groups were found. Our results suggest an inverse association between the average 15-day lag minimum apparent temperature and the number of ambulance calls during the cold season in Nur-Sultan, but this is limited to the oldest age-group.

Testosterone and occupational burnout in professional male firefighters

Background

Very little is known about the biologic predictors of the occupational burnout in firefighters. The aim of this study was to characterize testosterone profile of active firefighters and quantify its association with three domains of the occupational burnout.

Methods

We enrolled 100 firefighters (median age 28 (interquartile range (IQR) 9.8) years with 5 (IQR 9) years in service) of three fire departments in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Demographics, smoking status, health-related quality of life (HRQL) and burnout scores of Maslach Burnout Inventory were assessed using a questionnaire, while total blood testosterone was measured in venous blood. Logistic regression models were used to quantify the association of blood testosterone with each burnout domain in the adjusted for confounders models.

Results

The median blood testosterone level was 14 (IQR 3.5) nmol/l and was only predicted by age (beta − 0.14, p < 0.01, 79% power). There were no differences in blood testosterone levels between occupational groups (Group 1 (firefighters), 14.6 (IQR 3.4); Group 2 (fire truck drivers), 14.7 (IQR 5.6); Group 3 (shift commanders, division heads, department managers and engineers), 14 (IQR 4.1) nmol/l, Kruskal-Wallis p = 0.32) or departments. Testosterone could not predict EX or CY, but had a negative association with PE score reflecting more burnout (odds ratio 1.18 (95% confidence interval 1.01;1.38)), adjusted for age, mental component of HRQL and education.

Conclusions

Firefighters with higher testosterone may develop burnout in PE earlier, and this should be considered for proper work placement within the rescue system.