Background: Rates of return to work (RTW) after an occupational injury vary considerably according to a range of factors. Limited studies have been conducted on the specific correlation between RTW and functional assessments, including activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). This prospective cohort study aims to determine if a relationship exists between ADL/IADL and RTW among injured workers in Taiwan. Methods: We recruited 162 workers who reported work-related injuries from January 2023 to May 2024. The assessment of ADL was evaluated using the Barthel Index, whereas IADL was evaluated using the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale. ADL/IADL were assessed immediately after the injury, at 3 and 6 months postinjury. Logistic regression models were used for the connections between ADL, IADL, and RTW while considering various confounding factors. Results: The mean ADL and IADL improved significantly at both 3 and 6 months postinjury. Logistic regression analysis indicated that IADL scores at 3 and 6 months postinjury were significantly linked to RTW. ADL scores lost significance after adjustment. Age was negatively associated with RTW, whereas sex and labor insurance status showed no significant association. Conclusion Short-term improvements in IADL are linked to successful RTW, rather than ADL for occupationally injured workers. Evaluations of IADL should be incorporated into rehabilitation plans to predict and improve RTW. Thorough rehabilitation approaches that address various aspects of functional abilities may be crucial to support successful RTW. Further studies are required to validate these results.

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Embolism

AIMTo assess whether hepatocyte growth factor recruits bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells into blood circulation to participate in postnatal angiogenesis and endothelium repair.

METHODSThe adenovirus vector encoding HGF gene (Ad-HGF) were intravenous administrated into BALB/c mice, and then serum HGF was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the number of CD34+ cells in peripheral blood was assayed by flow cytometry, and the nucleated cells in peripheral blood were isolated, cultured and the endothelial cell colonies were characterized by staining with antibodies against tie-2, vWF. The carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage model of female mice was established. The peripheral blood nucleated cells of Ad-HGF treated male mice were intravenous administrated into these mice, and 4 weeks later, in situ hybridization for the sry gene was used to identify the implanted cells in the damaged tissues.

RESULTSIntravenous administration of Ad-HGF resulted in significant elevation of serum hepatocyte growth factor level and induced profoundly increase of endothelial progenitor cells in the peripheral blood, which were characterized by their ability to form endothelial cell colonies in culture and expression of CD34, tie-2, and vW factor. HGF-mobilized endothelial progenitors could incorporate into sites of neovascularization in a liver regeneration model.

CONCLUSIONHepatocyte growth factor could markedly recruit bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells into blood circulation.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Stem Cells ; cytology

The proliferation and apoptosis of multiple myeloma (MM) cells were regulated by bone marrow microenvironments in which Notch signal plays important role in mediating cell-cell communication. However, the regulatory effect of Notch signal on the proliferation and apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells remains unclear. In this study, regulatory effect of Notch signal on the apoptosis of MM cells induced by DMS (N, N-dimethylsphingosine) was investigated. RT-PCR was used to identify the expression of Notch receptor and related molecules such as Dll-1, Jagged-1, Deltex-1 in MM cell lines. The intracellular domain of Notch (ICN), active form of Notch, was transferred into MM cells by retrovirus. The apoptosis of MM cells was determined by trypan blue exclusion tests and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The results showed that multiple myeloma cells expressed the Notch-1 and its related molecules. Notch activated multiple myeloma cell lines were obtained. Activation of Notch protected the multiple myeloma cells from the apoptosis induced by DMS,which was determined by cell viability and TUNEL assay. In conclusion, Notch signal suppressed the apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells and would possibly be a novel therapeutic target.
Apoptosis ; Cell Division ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Receptor, Notch1 ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factors ; physiology

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux ; diagnosis ; therapy

Notch signal path plays important roles in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. An extracellular domain of human Delta-like-1 (hDll-1(ext)), one of Notch ligands, was cloned and expressed in CHO cells, and the effect of hDll-1(ext) on expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells was investigated in this study. Total RNA was isolated from human marrow mononuclear cells. hDll-1(ext) was amplified by RT-PCR and cloned to T vector, then the gene was sequenced and subcloned to pcDNA3.1/Myc-His(+)A expression vector. The constructed plasmid was transfected into CHO cells with lipofectin and the expression of secreted hDll-1(ext) in G418-resistant clones was assayed by Western blot. hDll-1(ext) high-expressed clone was cultured to collect supernatant. Fusion protein hDll-1(ext) was purified from the supernatant by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The results showed that expression of Notch-1 receptor was detected in cord blood-derived CD34(+) cells by RT-PCR. Human umbilical blood CD34(+) cells were cultured in serum-free medium containing SCF, IL-3, VEGF, and with or without purified hDll-1(ext) for 4 or 8 days. Effect of hDll-1(ext) on the expansion of progenitor cells was analyzed then by clonogenic assays. The number of CFU-Mix and HPP-CFC generated from the culture system containing hDll-1(ext) was 1.5 times of that from the control. In conclusion, the recombinant hDll-1(ext) promotes the expansion of primitive hematopoietic progenitors.
Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; immunology ; Binding Sites ; genetics ; CHO Cells ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; physiology ; Colony-Forming Units Assay ; Cricetinae ; Endothelial Growth Factors ; pharmacology ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; immunology ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; pharmacology ; physiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-3 ; pharmacology ; Lymphokines ; pharmacology ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; RNA ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptor, Notch1 ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; Recombinant Proteins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stem Cell Factor ; pharmacology ; Transcription Factors ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors