Neutrophilic inflammation promotes SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and augments the inflammatory responses in airway epithelial cells.

In response to viral infection, neutrophils release inflammatory mediators as part of the innate immune response, contributing to pathogen clearance through virus internalization and killing. Pre-existing co- morbidities correlating to incidence of severe COVID-19 are associated with chronic airway neutrophilia. Furthermore, examination of COVID-19 explanted lung tissue revealed a series of epithelial pathologies associated with the infiltration and activation of neutrophils, indicating neutrophil activity in response to SARS- CoV-2 infection. To determine the impact of neutrophil-epithelial interactions on the infectivity and inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, we developed a co-culture model of airway neutrophilia. SARS-CoV-2 infection of the airway epithelium alone does not result in a notable pro-inflammatory response from the epithelium. The addition of neutrophils induces the release of proinflammatory cytokines and stimulates a significantly augmented pro-inflammatory response subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection. The resulting inflammatory response is polarized with differential release from the apical and basolateral side of the epithelium. Additionally, the integrity of the epithelial barrier is impaired with notable epithelial damage and infection of basal stem cells. This study reveals a key role for neutrophil-epithelial interactions in determining inflammation and infectivity in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Performance analysis for a K-winners-take-all analog neural network: basic theory.

In a previous work, the authors proposed an analog Hopfield-type neural network that identified the K largest components of a list of real numbers. In this work, we identify computable restrictions on the parameters, in order that the network can repeatedly process lists, one after the other, at a given rate. A complete mathematical analysis gives analytical bounds for the time required in terms of circuit parameters, the length of the lists, and the relative separation of list elements. This allows practical setting of circuit parameters for required clocking times. The emphasis is on high gain functioning of each neuron. Numerical investigations show the accuracy of the theoretical predictions, and study the influence of various parameters on performance.

Another K-winners-take-all analog neural network.

An analog Hopfield type neural network is given, that identifies the K largest components of a list of d of N real numbers. The neurons are identical, with a tanh characteristic, and the weight matrix is symmetric and fully filled. The list to be processed is a summand of the input currents of the neurons, and the network is started from zero. We provide easily computable restrictions on the parameters. The main emphasis here is on the magnitude of the neuronal gain. A complete mathematical analysis is given. The trajectories are shown to eventually have positive components precisely in the positions given by the K largest elements in the input list.

Program outcome and QA: a new approach to evaluation.

Health care providers and managers are familiar with the limitations of current quality assurance (QA) practices, which do little to indicate the overall effectiveness of health care programs. This article discusses a comprehensive method of evaluating program effectiveness, efficiency, cost, client satisfaction, and adherence to standards. The authors present the Brockville Psychiatric Hospital's experience in evaluating a new program with data collected from a multi-faceted QA perspective, and suggest that combining program evaluation with QA could become the standard for future program assessments.

Perceptions of parenthood: similarities and differences between 15-year-old girls and boys.

Similarities and differences between the contributions of both parents, and some reasons for these similarities and differences, are explored through the responses of a cohort of Dunedin teenagers to questions about their expectations of becoming parents, their relevant experience and knowledge, and their future needs for information. It is concluded that both sexes have a commitment to parenting and expectations of sharing the tasks of parenthood, and that they expect the basis of sharing to be expediency as dictated by economic and other factors rather than any inherent superiority of one sex for the tasks.

Program evaluation as a measure of the quality of a new approach to community psychiatric care.

The effectiveness of a new approach to providing psychiatric rehabilitation services in community settings will be assessed using a combination of quality assurance principles and program evaluation techniques. A new Assertive Community Rehabilitation Program (ACRP) is evaluated and compared with existing hospital rehabilitation programs. Measures of service efficiency, admission, discharge and readmission rates, and service costs are made for 100 new referrals, 99 inpatients and 117 outpatients. Follow-up interviews use standardized measures of clients' quality of life, clinical status, client and staff satisfaction, and community resource utilization. After 19 weeks of operation, the ACRP has prevented more admissions, and discharged more inpatients than the comparison programs. Readmission rates have not differed. Results at the end of the one-year project using this program-based quality assurance approach will facilitate managerial decisions about the future of rehabilitation services.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of intramuscular thiazinamium methyl sulfate.

The disposition of the quaternary ammonium compound thiazinamium methyl sulfate is described after intramuscular injection in humans. The plasma concentration-time curves could be resolved into two exponential components, suggesting an open two-compartment model with absorption phase. Absorption was found to be extremely fast. Peak concentrations were always reached within 20 min, but in the majority of cases they were found to be between 6 and 10 min. Occasionally, the first sample (t = 3 min) proved to contain the highest concentration. Apparently the high solubility of the drug in the interstitial fluid is of prime importance for rapid absorption. Injection technique and the injection site seemed to be important for the final profile of the plasma concentration-time curve. Distribution was found to be very fast as well, with a half-life of approximately 20 min, and the apparent volume of distribution for the central compartment was about 40-60 l. Muscle activity and hence increased capillary blood flow during the distribution phase may result in a second peak in the plasma concentration-time curve. The distribution phase is followed by an elimination phase with a much longer half-life (mean value 375 min) and a volume of distribution of approximately 200-400 l. The total body clearance for thiazinamium methyl sulfate was found to be high (mean value about 800 ml/min), suggesting an active excretion process.