Background -Current guidelines on the management of asthma advocate the use of anti-inflammatory treatment in all but mild disease. They define disease control in terms of clinical criteria such as lung function and symptoms. However, the relationship between the clinical control of the disease and inflammation of the airways is not clear. A cross sectional study was therefore undertaken to investigate the relationship between airways inflammation and measures of clinical control and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in asthmatic patients treated with inhaled steroids. Methods -Twenty six atopic adults (19-45 years) with mild to moderate asthma (baseline forced expiratory volume in one second (FEVy) . 50% predicted, concentration of histamine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) 0-02-7-6 mglml) on regular treatment with inhaled steroids entered the study. Diary card recordings during the two weeks before a methacholine challenge test and bronchoscopic examination were used to determine peak flow variability, symptom scores, and use of P2 agonists. Biopsy specimens were taken by fibreoptic bronchoscopy from the carina of the right lower and middle lobes, and from the main carina. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on cryostat sections with monoclonal antibodies against: eosinophil cationic protein (EG1, EG2), mast cell tryptase (AA1), CD45, CD22, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD25, and CD45RO. The number of positively stained cells in the lamina propria was counted twice by using an interactive display system. Results -There were no differences in cell numbers between the three sites from which biopsy specimens were taken. The PC20 for methacholine was inversely related to the average number of total leucocytes, EG1 +, and EG2 + cells, mast cells, CD8 +, and CD45RO + cells in the lamina propria. These relationships were similar for each of the biopsy sites. Symptom scores, P2 agonist usage, FEV1, and peak flow variability were not related to any of the cell counts.Conclusions -Infiltration ofinflammatory cells in the lamina propria of the airways seems to persist in asthmatic outpatients despite regular treatment with inhaled steroids. The number ofinfiltrating leucocytes such as mast cells, (activated) eosinophils, CD8 +, and CD45RO + cells in bronchial biopsy specimens from these patients appears to be reflected by airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, but not by symptoms or lung function. These findings may have implications for the adjustment of anti-inflammatory treatment of patients with asthma. (Thorax 1996;51:496-502) Keywords: atopic asthma, bronchial responsiveness, inflammatory infiltrate.hyperAsthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways with a characteristic infiltrate of mast cells, lymphocytes, and eosinophils in the bronchial epithelium and lamina propria.'2 The symptoms ofwheezing, chest tightness, difficult breathing, and coughing develop after exposure to bronchoconstrictor stimuli and are associated with variable airways obstruction3 which can be provoked in the laboratory, ther...
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to dramatic shifts in the teaching and learning of psychology. The purpose of this study was to document the impact of those shifts on undergraduate psychology students' motivation and self-regulation of learning during the initial transition to remote instruction. Psychology majors (N = 358) attending a public land-grant university in the southeastern U.S. voluntarily completed a survey at the end of the Spring 2020 semester. Closedand open-ended items assessed students' self-reported behavioral and psychological wellness, motivation, and learning experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. A convergent mixed methods analysis was used in which open-ended questions provided context and experiential nuance to quantitative findings. Students reported increases in sleep, social media use, gaming, and procrastination, but decreases in academic motivation and self-regulation (e.g., focusing, juggling responsibilities). Over 75% reported increases in stress, which they attributed most frequently to motivational and academic challenges. Students reported learning less in most of their classes following the shift. They attributed this to internal factors, including selfregulatory/motivational difficulties, and external factors, such as instructional delivery modality. Although most perceived their instructors as understanding, nearly half reported a decline in instructional quality and communication after the shift to remote instruction. Over one third of students reported feeling less certain about their future educational plans. Implications for the provision of institutional and instructional supports for college students during and beyond the pandemic are discussed.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic shifts in the teaching and learning of psychology. The purpose of this study was to document the impact of those shifts on undergraduate psychology students’ motivation and self-regulation of learning during the initial shift to remote instruction. Psychology majors (N = 358) attending a public land-grant university in the southeastern U.S. voluntarily completed a survey at the end of the Spring 2020 semester. Closed- and open-ended items assessed students’ self-reported behavioral and psychological wellness, motivation, and learning experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. A convergent mixed methods analysis was used in which open-ended questions provided context and experiential nuance to quantitative findings. Students reported increases in sleep, social media use, gaming, and procrastination, but decreases in academic motivation and self-regulation (e.g., focusing, juggling responsibilities). Over 75% reported increases in stress, which they attributed most frequently to motivational and academic challenges. Students reported learning less in most of their classes following the shift. They attributed this to numerous internal (e.g., self-regulatory/motivational difficulties) and external (e.g., online delivery modality, changes to workload, poor communication, insufficient instructional accommodations) factors. Although most perceived their instructors as understanding, nearly half reported a decline in instructional quality and communication after the shift to remote instruction. Over one third of students reported feeling less certain about their future educational plans. Implications for the provision of institutional and instructional supports for college students during and beyond the pandemic are provided.
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