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Objective: The present study aimed to assess the functional status of children diagnosed with COVID-19 at the time of hospitalization and the associations with clinical features. Methods: This prospective cohort study was carried out with children diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary hospital. The patients’ functioning was assessed using the pediatric Functional Status Scale (FSS). Results: A total of 62 children with a median age of 3 years old were included in the study, and 70% had some comorbidity prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19. The median length of stay was nine days, during which period five patients died. The FSS assessment of the sample showed that approximately 55% had some functional alteration. The group of patients with the highest FSS scores presented a lengthier hospital stay (p = 0.016), required more oxygen therapy (p < 0.001), mechanical ventilation (p = 0.001), and intensive care unit admissions (p = 0.019), and had more cardiac (p = 0.007), neurological (p = 0.003), and respiratory (p = 0.013) comorbidities. In the multivariate analysis, there was an association between the dependent variable length of stay and the total FSS score (b = 0.349, p = 0.004) and the presence of comorbidities (b = 0.357, p = 0.004). Conclusions: We observed that more than half of the children hospitalized due to COVID-19 had some level of functional change. Greater alterations in functional status were associated with the presence of previous comorbidities, a greater need for ventilatory support, and longer hospital stays. RESUMO Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo foi de avaliar o estado funcional de crianças diagnosticadas com COVID-19 no momento da internação e as associações com suas características clínicas. Métodos: Este estudo de coorte prospectivo foi realizado com crianças diagnosticadas com COVID-19 internadas em um hospital terciário. A funcionalidade dos pacientes foi avaliada por meio da Escala de Estado Funcional (FSS) pediátrica. Resultados: Foram incluídas no estudo 62 crianças com idade mediana de 3 anos, das quais 70% apresentavam alguma comorbidade antes do diagnóstico de COVID-19. O tempo mediano de internação foi de nove dias, período no qual cinco pacientes vieram a óbito. A avaliação da FSS da amostra mostrou que aproximadamente 55% apresentavam alguma alteração funcional. O grupo de pacientes com os maiores escores na FSS teve um maior tempo de internação (p = 0,016), necessitou de mais oxigenoterapia (p < 0,001), ventilação mecânica (p = 0,001) e internações em unidade de terapia intensiva (p = 0,019) e tinha mais comorbidades cardíacas (p = 0,007), neurológicas (p = 0,003) e respiratórias (p = 0,013). Na análise multivariada, observou-se uma associação entre a variável dependente tempo de internação e o escore total da FSS (b = 0,349, p = 0,004) e a presença de comorbidades (b = 0,357, p = 0,004). Conclusões: Verificou-se que mais da metade das crianças internadas devido à COVID-19 apresentaram algum nível de alteração funcional. Maiores alterações no estado funcional foram associadas à presença de comorbidades prévias, maior necessidade de suporte ventilatório e maior tempo de internação.

Background: To quantify the association between effects of interventions on carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) progression and their effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Methods: We systematically collated data from randomized, controlled trials. cIMT was assessed as the mean value at the common-carotid-artery; if unavailable, the maximum value at the common-carotid-artery or other cIMT measures were used. the primary outcome was a combined CVD end point defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization procedures, or fatal CVD. We estimated intervention effects on cIMT progression and incident CVD for each trial, before relating the 2 using a Bayesian meta-regression approach. Results: We analyzed data of 119 randomized, controlled trials involving 100 667 patients (mean age 62 years, 42% female). Over an average follow-up of 3.7 years, 12 038 patients developed the combined CVD end point. Across all interventions, each 10 mu m/y reduction of cIMT progression resulted in a relative risk for CVD of 0.91 (95% Credible Interval, 0.87-0.94), with an additional relative risk for CVD of 0.92 (0.87-0.97) being achieved independent of cIMT progression. Taken together, we estimated that interventions reducing cIMT progression by 10, 20, 30, or 40 mu m/y would yield relative risks of 0.84 (0.75-0.93), 0.76 (0.67-0.85), 0.69 (0.59-0.79), or 0.63 (0.52-0.74), respectively. Results were similar when grouping trials by type of intervention, time of conduct, time to ultrasound follow-up, availability of individual-participant data, primary versus secondary prevention trials, type of cIMT measurement, and proportion of female patients. Conclusions: the extent of intervention effects on cIMT progression predicted the degree of CVD risk reduction. This provides a missing link supporting the usefulness of cIMT progression as a surrogate marker for CVD risk in clinical trials., Austrian Science Fund (FWF)Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [P 32488]; Dr-Johannes-and-Hertha-Tuba Foundation; German Research FoundationGerman Research Foundation (DFG) [DFG Lo 1569/2-1, DFG Lo 1569/2-3]; excellence initiative "Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies" (COMET) of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) "Research Center of Excellence in Vascular Ageing: Tyrol, VAS-Cage" - Bundesministerium fur Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie (B [843536]; Bundesministerium fur Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung (BMWFW); Wirtschaftsagentur Wien; Standortagentur Tirol, This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF; P 32488); the Dr-Johannes-and-Hertha-Tuba Foundation; the German Research Foundation (DFG Lo 1569/2-1 and DFG Lo 1569/2-3); and the excellence initiative "Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies" (COMET) of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) "Research Center of Excellence in Vascular Ageing: Tyrol, VAS-Cage" (K-Project No. 843536), funded by Bundesministerium fur Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie (BMVIT), Bundesministerium fur Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung (BMWFW), Wirtschaftsagentur Wien, and Standortagentur Tirol.

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Nutzung von AMS in Kommunen zu evaluieren. Dazu soll der Ist-Stand des kommunalen Anliegenmanagements dargestellt und bewertet werden. Untersucht werden die Gründe für die Verwendung eines AMS, der Bearbeitungsprozess sowie positive und negative Erfahrungen der Kommunen mit der Verwendung von AMS.

(1) Background: Rapid microglial proliferation contributes to the complex responses of the innate immune system in the brain to various neuroinflammatory stimuli. Here, we investigated the regulatory function of phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) for rapid proliferation of murine microglia induced by LPS and ATP. (2) Methods: PI3Kγ knockout mice (PI3Kγ KO), mice expressing catalytically inactive PI3Kγ (PI3Kγ KD) and wild-type mice were assessed for microglial proliferation using an in vivo wound healing assay. Additionally, primary microglia derived from newborn wild-type, PI3Kγ KO and PI3Kγ KD mice were used to analyze PI3Kγ effects on proliferation and cell viability, senescence and cellular and mitochondrial ROS production, the consequences of ROS production for proliferation and cell viability after LPS or ATP stimulation were studied using genetic and pharmacologic approaches. (3) Results: Mice with a loss of lipid kinase activity showed impaired proliferation of microglia. The prerequisite of induced microglial proliferation and cell viability appeared to be PI3Kγ-mediated induction of ROS production. (4) Conclusions: The lipid kinase activity of PI3Kγ plays a crucial role for microglial proliferation and cell viability after acute inflammatory activation.