Circulating fibrocytes are increased in patients with asthma with CAO and can be transformed by TGF-beta(1) to myofibroblasts. Fibrocytes may contribute to airway obstruction in asthma.

No abstract

When starting a new job, newcomers strive to learn the tasks and expectations of their work, decipher the unwritten rules or norms of the culture, and achieve membership in the organization. The literature on the socialization of newcomers in organizations typically links success to the ability of the newcomer to learn to fit in. Yet recent empirical studies identified coworkers and managers as sharing the responsibility for successful socialization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the orientation and socialization processes (also known as onboarding) from the broader perspective of social capital. The concept of social capital generally describes the value and resources of social relations and network ties afforded to members of social networks or groups. Through a set of in-depth interviews with newly hired engineers in a large manufacturing organization, newcomers reported how they learned about and integrated into the social networks that made up their workplace. Overall, it was the quality of the relationships newcomers formed with coworkers and managers that was the primary driver of socialization outcomes.

To achieve ultralow-emission (ULE) standards, wet electrostatic precipitators (WESP) installed downstream from wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) have been widely used in Chinese coal-fired power plants (CFPPs). We conducted a comprehensive field test study at four 300 MW level ULE CFPPs, to explore the impact of wet clean processing (WFGD and WESP) on emission characteristics of three size fractions of particulate matter (PM: PM 2.5 , PM 10−2.5 , and PM >10 ) and their ionic compositions. All these CFPPs are installed with limestone-based/magnesium-based WFGD and followed by WESP as the end control device. Our results indicate that particle size distribution, mass concentration of PM, and ionic compositions in flue gas change significantly after passing WFGD and WESP. PM mass concentrations through WFGD are significantly affected by the relative strength between desulfur slurry scouring and flue gas carrying effects. Concentrations of ions in PM increase greatly after passing WFGD; especially, SO 4 2− in PM 2.5 , PM 10−2.5 , and PM >10 increase on average by about 1.4, 3.9, and 8.3 times, respectively. However, WESP before the stack can effectively reduce final PM emissions and their major ionic compositions. Furthermore, emission factors (kg/(t of coal)) of PM for different combinations of air pollution control devices are presented and discussed.

This investigation suggested that EVLI was an independent predictor for in-hospital survival in medical ICU patients with severe sepsis. Measurement of EVLI may be used for risk stratification among those patients.

Nowadays, sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) has received considerable attention because of strict government requirements and increased pressure from the public. In the SSCM, selecting suitable suppliers plays a significant role in improving the overall sustainability performance of a company. Therefore, this article aims to develop a modified VIKOR (in Serbian: VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) technique for sustainable supplier evaluation and selection, that uses ordered weighted distance operators in the aggregation of picture fuzzy information. Concretely, we first propose the picture fuzzy-ordered weighted standardized distance (PFOWSD) operator and the picture fuzzy Euclidean-ordered weighted standardized distance (PFEOWSD) operator, and extended them by using the hybrid average operator. Then, we develop a sustainable supplier selection approach by combining the picture fuzzy distance operators and the VIKOR method. The new approach can manipulate attitudinal character of the classical VIKOR method, so that a decision maker can take decisions according to his or her preference. Further, by using the PFOWSD operator, one can parametrize the VIKOR method from the maximum to the minimum result. Thus, the information obtained using the new sustainable supplier selection approach is much more complete. Finally, a practical case example in the beef supply chain is given to explain the proposed picture fuzzy-ordered weighted distance (PFOWD)-VIKOR model, and the results are compared with current relevant representative approaches to verify its feasibility and superiority.

IntroductionAcute kidney injury (AKI) following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is associated with unfavorable prognosis. Endothelial activation and injury were found to play a critical role in the development of both AKI and AMI. This pilot study aimed to determine whether the plasma markers of endothelial injury and activation could serve as independent predictors for AKI in patients with AMI.MethodsThis prospective study was conducted from March 2010 to July 2012 and enrolled consecutive 132 patients with AMI receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Plasma levels of thrombomodulin (TM), von Willebrand factor (vWF), angiopoietin (Ang)-1, Ang-2, Tie-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured on day 1 of AMI. AKI was defined as elevation of serum creatinine of more than 0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours.ResultsIn total, 13 out of 132 (9.8%) patients with AMI developed AKI within 48 hours. Compared with patients without AKI, patients with AKI had increased plasma levels of Ang-2 (6338.28 ± 5862.77 versus 2412.03 ± 1256.58 pg/mL, P = 0.033) and sTM (7.6 ± 2.26 versus 5.34 ± 2.0 ng/mL, P < 0.001), and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (46.5 ± 20.2 versus 92.5 ± 25.5 mL/min/1.73 m2, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the areas under the receiver operating curves demonstrated that plasma thrombomodulin (TM) and Ang-2 levels on day 1 of AMI had modest discriminative powers for predicting AKI development following AMI (0.796, P <0.001; 0.833, P <0.001; respectively).ConclusionsEndothelial activation, quantified by plasma levels of TM and Ang-2 may play an important role in development of AKI in patients with AMI.

ObjectivesAspiration of the lower airways due to foreign body is rare in adults. This study aimed to determine the outcome of patients who received flexible bronchoscopy with different modalities for foreign body removal in the lower airways.Patients and MethodsBetween January 2003 and January 2014, 94 patients diagnosed with foreign body in the lower airways underwent flexible bronchoscopy with different modalities, which included forceps, loop, basket, knife, electromagnet, and cryotherapy. The clinical presentation, foreign body location and characteristics, and applications of flexible bronchoscopy were analyzed.ResultsForty (43%) patients had acute aspiration, which developed within one week of foreign body entry and 54 (57%) had chronic aspiration. The most common foreign bodies were teeth or bone. More patients with chronic aspiration than those with acute aspiration were referred from the out-patient clinic (48% vs. 28%), but more patients with acute aspiration were referred from the emergency room (35% vs. 6%) and intensive care unit (18% vs. 2%). Flexible bronchoscopy with different modalities was used to remove the foreign bodies (85/94, 90%). Electromagnet or cryotherapy was used in nine patients to eliminate the surrounding granulation tissue before foreign body removal. In the nine patients with failed flexible bronchoscopy, eight underwent rigid bronchoscopy instead and one had right lower lung lobectomy for lung abscess.ConclusionsFlexible bronchoscopy with multiple modalities is effective for diagnosing and removing foreign bodies in the lower respiratory airways in adults, with a high success rate (90%) and no difference between acute and chronic aspirations.