The data suggest that the immunologic profile of embolized patients is similar to controls. This supports the safe use of SE in managing the traumatically injured spleen. Larger studies examining the immune function after SE will be needed to make definitive vaccination recommendations.

Currently, there is no global consensus about the essentiality of dietary chromium. To provide evidence to this debate, an examination of blood chromium levels and common chronic health conditions was undertaken. Using a subsample from the 2015–2016 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 2894; 40 years+), chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine blood chromium levels (0.7–28.0 vs. <0.7 µg/L) and their associations with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs; self-report), diabetes mellitus (DM; glycohemoglobin ≥5.7%), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥5), while controlling for socio-demographic (age/sex/income/education/relationship status) and health-related (red blood cell folate/medications/co-morbidities/body mass index (BMI)/substance use) factors. The sample was almost evenly distributed between men and women (n = 1391, 48.1% (men); n = 1503, 51.9% (women)). The prevalence estimates of low blood chromium levels tended to be higher among those with CVDs (47.4–47.6%) and DM (50.0–51.6%). Comparisons between those with low vs. normal blood chromium levels indicate men have increased odds of CVDs (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22–2.85, p < 0.001) and DM (aOR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.32–2.83, p < 0.001) and lower odds of depression (aOR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.22–0.77, p < 0.05). Dietary chromium may be important in the prevention and management of CVDs and DM for men. Continued exploration of chromium’s role in chronic diseases, including differences by biological factors, is needed.

Several extracellular matrix (ECM)-degrading proteinases are hypothesised to play important roles during early mammalian development. In particular, urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) are expressed in peri-implantation mouse, sheep, and pig embryos and are implicated in the implantation process. These proteinases are not expressed in early (pre-blastocyst) mouse, sheep or pig embryos. The aim of this study was to establish the gene expression and proteolytic activity of uPA and MMP-9 in in vitro-produced (IVP) cow embryos. Using RT-PCR, mRNA transcripts for uPA and MMP-9 were detected during the first 7 days of development. To investigate the activity of these proteinases, conditioned media from various stages of development (days 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7) were assayed for uPA activity by chromogenic assay and MMP-9 activity by gelatin zymography. Both uPA and MMP-9 activities were detected in the media samples indicating the production and secretion of these proteinases. This pattern of proteinase expression is novel in comparison to the mouse where uPA and MMP-9 are only expressed from the blastocyst stage onwards. The results of this study suggest that these ECM proteinases have a role prior to implantation in the cow, in contrast to that exhibited by mouse, sheep and pig embryos.

No abstract