Age-associated chronic inflammation is characterized by unresolved and uncontrolled inflammation with multivariable low-grade, chronic and systemic responses that exacerbate the aging process and age-related chronic diseases. Currently, there are two major hypotheses related to the involvement of chronic inflammation in the aging process: molecular inflammation of aging and inflammaging. However, neither of these hypotheses satisfactorily addresses age-related chronic inflammation, considering the recent advances that have been made in inflammation research. A more comprehensive view of age-related inflammation, that has a scope beyond the conventional view, is therefore required. In this review, we discuss newly emerging data on multi-phase inflammatory networks and proinflammatory pathways as they relate to aging. We describe the age-related upregulation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling, cytokines/chemokines, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammasome, and lipid accumulation. The later sections of this review present our expanded view of age-related senescent inflammation, a process we term “senoinflammation”, that we propose here as a novel concept. As described in the discussion, senoinflammation provides a schema highlighting the important and ever-increasing roles of proinflammatory senescence-associated secretome, inflammasome, ER stress, TLRs, and microRNAs, which support the senoinflammation concept. It is hoped that this new concept of senoinflammation opens wider and deeper avenues for basic inflammation research and provides new insights into the anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies targeting the multiple proinflammatory pathways and mediators and mediators that underlie the pathophysiological aging process.

Commensal and enteroinvasive microbes in the human gut release bacterial flagellin, a specific microbial ligand of Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). However, the pathophysiological role of bacterial flagellin in gastrointestinal inflammation has not been determined. Here we evaluated the role of bacterial flagellin using native human colonic mucosa and the mouse colitis model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). We demonstrate that, in intact human colonic mucosa, the flagellin͞TLR5 response occurs only after exposure to the basolateral, not the apical, surface, implying a basolaterally polarized TLR5 response in human colonic mucosa. In this context, flagellin exposure to injured colonic mucosa due to DSS administration in mice resulted in a TLR5-associated response evaluated by in vivo activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase͞extracellu-lar signal-related kinase 1͞2 (MEK1͞2) and elevated IL-6, TNF-␣, and keratinocyte-derived chemokine production, whereas intact colonic mucosa did not respond to flagellin. Moreover, flagellin exposure to injured mouse colon in vivo, but not to intact colon, also significantly aggravated colonic inflammation, increased mouse mortality, and enhanced histopathological damage in the colonic mucosa. However, the TLR2-specific agonist, peptidoglycan or lipoteichoic acid, did not cause an inflammatory response in intact or DSS-injured mouse colon. Furthermore, intracolonic flagellin administration in mice causes severe apoptosis in colonic epithelium disrupted by DSS administration. These data suggest that intracolonic flagellin via TLR5 engagement is able to elicit inflammatory responses in disrupted colon, whereas the normal colon is not responsive to bacterial flagellin. These results demonstrate that bacterial flagellin plays an important role in the development and progress of colitis.innate immunity ͉ colitis ͉ commensal bacteria

It is imperative to further develop theoretical bases in nursing, which incorporate diversities and complexities in nursing phenomena, and which consider sociopolitical, cultural, and historic contexts of nursing encounters. Situation-specific theories are proposed in this work as a future direction of such theoretical bases in nursing. Philosophical roots and properties of situation-specific theories are discussed, and an integrative approach to developing this type of theories is suggested. Situation-specific theories could be based on the assumptions of post-empiricism, critical social theory and feminism, and or hermeneutics. Six properties of situation-specific theories are presented: (1) low level of abstraction, (2) reflection of specific nursing phenomena, (3) context, (4) connection to research and/or practice, (5) incorporation of diversities, and (6) limits in generalization. The proposed integrative approach to developing situation-specific theories includes (1) a nursing perspective, (2) a linkage among theory, research, and practice, and (3) a conceptual scheme based on internal and external dialogues.

Introduction: The necessity of culturally competent Internet Cancer Support Groups (ICSGs) for ethnic minorities has recently been highlighted in order to increase its attractivity, and usage. The purpose of this study was to determine the preliminary efficacy of a culturally tailored registered nurse (RN) moderated ICSG for Asian American breast cancer survivors (ICSG-AA) in enhancing the women’s breast cancer survivorship experience. Methods: The study included two phases: (a) a usability test and an expert review; and (b) a randomized controlled pilot intervention study. The usability test was conducted among five Asian American breast cancer survivors using a 1-month online forum, and the expert review was conducted among five experts using the Cognitive Walkthrough method. The randomized controlled pilot intervention study (a pre-test and post-test design) was conducted among 65 Asian American breast cancer survivors. The data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive and inferential statistics including the repeated ANOVA. Results: All users and experts positively evaluated the program, and provided their suggestions for the display, educational contents, and user-friendly structure. There were significant positive changes in support care needs and physical and psychological symptoms (p < 0.05) of the control group. There were significant negative changes in the uncertainty level of the intervention group (p < 0.10). Controlling for background and disease factors, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group in physical and psychological symptoms and quality of life (p < 0.10). Discussion: The findings supported the positive effects of ICSGs on support care needs, psychological and physical symptoms, and quality of life.