Innovations in Technology: Social Media and Mobile Technology in the Care of Adolescents with Asthma

This literature review analyzed technological interventions in the adolescent asthmatic population. A PubMed search was performed with terms of asthma, adolescents, social media, Internet, website, mobile phone, text messaging, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Technology during a 2.5-year period and identified 64 abstracts. Three studies fulfilled the criteria for adolescent intervention using Internet-based sites but did not provide evidence for effectiveness. Two studies focused on mobile technology. One study included text message reminders for controller medication use in asthma patients. Perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and ease of use of text messages were high, but there was no improvement in asthma control. The literature search did not find any studies exploring the use of smartphone applications or social media services. Current studies of technology use in adolescents with asthma do not provide consistent evidence of effectiveness. The positive attitude toward use of social media or mobile technology opens the possibility for future studies to further explore the potential benefits of such interventions.     

Storage at room temperature does not change cisatracurium onset time: a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled study

Objective

Storage of cisatracurium at room temperature seems to have no effect on its degradation in vitro contrary to the recommendations of storage at +4 °C. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of cisatracurium’ s storage temperature on its onset time.

Study design

Prospective, randomized, double-blind trial study.

Patients and methods

Thirty patients were enrolled. The control group consisted of 15 patients receiving cisatracurium (0.15 mg/kg) stored at room temperature and the intervention consisted of 15 patients receiving cisatracurium (0.15 mg/kg) stored at +4 °C. The primary endpoint was to compare cisatracurium onset time depending on the storage temperature.

Results

Cisatracurium onset time was 235 (180–292) seconds in the “room temperature” group vs. 240 (210–292) seconds in the “refrigerated” group. There was no difference between the onset of cisatracurium depending on the temperature of storage (p = 0.51). Subgroups analysis in the “room temperature” group did not show any difference in cisatracurium onset depending on whether it was stored at room temperature for one, two or three weeks. Excellent intubation score was obtained for 100% of the patients.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that cisatracurium's storage at room temperature had no influence on its onset time. It provides an argument for the preservation of cisatracurium at room temperature for a period not exceeding 21 days. Monitoring the onset of curarization may increase the quality score of intubation.     

How do employment conditions and psychosocial workplace exposures impact the mental health of young workers? A systematic review

Purpose

To assess the quality of the research about how employment conditions and psychosocial workplace exposures impact the mental health of young workers, and to summarize the available evidence.

Methods

We undertook a systematic search of three databases using a tiered search strategy. Studies were included if they: (a) assessed employment conditions such as working hours, precarious employment, contract type, insecurity, and flexible work, or psychosocial workplace exposures such as violence, harassment and bullying, social support, job demand and control, effort-reward imbalance, and organizational justice; (b) included a validated mental health measure; and (c) presented results specific to young people aged ≤ 30 years or were stratified by age group to provide an estimate for young people aged ≤ 30 years. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Exposures (ROBINS-E) tool.

Results

Nine studies were included in the review. Four were related to employment conditions, capturing contract type and working hours. Five studies captured concepts relevant to psychosocial workplace exposures including workplace sexual harassment, psychosocial job quality, work stressors, and job control. The quality of the included studies was generally low, with six of the nine at serious risk of bias. Three studies at moderate risk of bias were included in the qualitative synthesis, and results of these showed contemporaneous exposure to sexual harassment and poor psychosocial job quality was associated with poorer mental health outcomes among young workers. Longitudinal evidence showed that exposure to low job control was associated with incident depression diagnosis among young workers.

Conclusions

The findings of this review illustrate that even better studies are at moderate risk of bias. Addressing issues related to confounding, selection of participants, measurement of exposures and outcomes, and missing data will improve the quality of future research in this area and lead to a clearer understanding of how employment conditions and psychosocial workplace exposures impact the mental health of young people. Generating high-quality evidence is particularly critical given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on young people’s employment. In preparing for a post-pandemic world where poor-quality employment conditions and exposure to psychosocial workplace exposures may become more prevalent, rigorous research must exist to inform policy to protect the mental health of young workers.

     

Metabolism of prostaglandin F2 alpha in sheep

The metabolism of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) in ewes was studied after im injection of 9 beta-3H-labeled PGF2 alpha. About 75% of injected radioactivity was excreted in urine within 6 hr, whereas less than 1% was excreted in the milk over 3 days. Most identified urinary metabolites were formed through well known reactions involving oxidation of the hydroxyl group at carbon 15, saturation of double bonds, and oxidation of both carbon chains. However, some metabolites underwent more extensive oxidation of the carbon chain than had been seen before in other species. This might have taken place through catabolic activity of the gastrointestinal microflora followed by reabsorption into the circulation.     

Epileptogenic effect of intracortically applied kainic acid in cats

The effect of two doses (5 micrograms/microliters) of kainic acid (KA) injected intracortically into the posterior lateral gyrus of cats was investigated. KA in a dose of 5 micrograms/microliters provoked cortical epileptogenic focus 8-12 min after its application, developing later into a focal seizure. Administration of 10 micrograms/microliters KA resulted after 15-20 sec in paroxysmal discharges of spikes and sharp-slow waves at the site of the application, which propagated ipsilaterally. Thereafter the paroxysmal activity spread contralaterally, became generalized and developed into an epileptic state. The effect of KA was considered to be a dose-dependent one. N-Aminomethylpiperazine-3, 3-diethyl-2, 4-pyridinedione (DKMP) in a dose of 100 mg/kg injected i.v. on the background of developed epileptic state exerted a rapid inhibitory effect of 60-100 min duration on the paroxysmal activity. employed as a model of secondary generalized focal epilepsy.