Морфологические изменения в нижнеальвеолярном нерве на экспериментальной модели его травмы разной степени тяжести

У роботі на 40 лабораторних щурах досліджено закономірності та патоморфологічні зміни у нижньоальвеолярному нерві й параневральных тканинах у різний термін після операції, що викликані різним ступенем дії травмуючого фактору.During the experiments on 40 laboratory rodents we have studied the regularities and pathomorphological changes in lower dental nerve and paraneural tissues induced by disturbing factor of varying influence intensity observed at different postoperative periods

Genomics knowledge and attitudes among European public health professionals. Results of a cross-sectional survey

Background The international public health (PH) community is debating the opportunity to incorporate genomic technologies into PH practice. A survey was conducted to assess attitudes of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) members towards their role in the implementation of public health genomics (PHG), and their knowledge and attitudes towards genetic testing and the delivery of genetic services. Methods EUPHA members were invited via monthly newsletter and e-mail to take part in an online survey from February 2017 to January 2018. A descriptive analysis of knowledge and attitudes was conducted, along with a univariate and multivariate analysis of their determinants. Results Five hundred and two people completed the questionnaire, 17.9% were involved in PHG activities. Only 28.9% correctly identified all medical conditions for which there is (or not) evidence for implementing genetic testing; over 60% thought that investing in genomics may divert economic resources from social and environmental determinants of health. The majority agreed that PH professionals may play different roles in incorporating genomics into their activities. Better knowledge was associated with positive attitudes towards the use of genetic testing and the delivery of genetic services in PH (OR = 1.48; 95% CI 1.01–2.18). Conclusions Our study revealed quite positive attitudes, but also a need to increase awareness on genomics among European PH professionals. Those directly involved in PHG activities tend to have a more positive attitude and better knowledge; however, gaps are also evident in this group, suggesting the need to harmonize practice and encourage greater exchange of knowledge among professionals

The effect of natural fracture heterogeneity on hydraulic fracture performance and seismic response in shale and coal formations

Two 0.3 m × 0.3 m × 0.3 m cubic blocks of shale and coal were used for hydraulic fracturing experiments under true tri-axial stress conditions. The shale block used was highly homogeneous and without visible fractures, while the coal block contained a host of natural fractures. The mechanical and hydraulic properties of both rocks were characterized through multi-stage triaxial tests, Brazilian disk tests, and porosity and permeability measurements. A true tri-axial rock testing machine equipped with loading, pump and acoustic systems was used in the experiment. The acoustic system uses 48 transducers with active sources to repetitively generate and receive ultrasonic P/S wave pulses to reveal fracture initiation and growth. Before the experiment, initial seismic response of both blocks was recorded under hydrostatic stress conditions to characterize anisotropy and heterogeneity of the blocks as reference. Silicon oil was injected centrally into both blocks to create a hydrofracture under deviatoric stress conditions and the load, displacement, pump pressure and volume, and seismic response during the injection process were recorded. Results from two blocks are being compared in terms of hydrofracture geometry and seismic features

Ion-species in pore fluids with opposite effects on limestone fracturing

At ten percent of sedimentary rocks, limestones are common geo-energy reservoirs. Being highly soluble, limestones are prone to fluid-assisted deformation and their mechanical behaviour likely susceptible to fluid chemistry. In this study, we saturated limestone samples with 0.4 M MgSO4 or 0.4 M Na2SO4 CaCO3-saturated solutions (naturally present in many reservoirs) or a reference CaCO3-saturated solution for 1, 50 or 200 days prior to mechanical testing. Triaxial deformation tests were then performed at 7, 30, and 70 MPa of confining pressure room temperature, under drained conditions. Our results show that exposure to one different cation impacts the strength of this rock (up to of dry rock strength) and its failure dynamics, associated with different microstructural damage distribution. A 200 day exposure to MgSO4 promotes strengthening whilst similar exposure to Na2SO4 leads to weakening. We posit that these strength changes may be related to changes in surface charges on the mineral surfaces. More data on fluid–rock interaction will be key to fully understand fracture propagation in natural carbonate formations

Gender and Social Inequalities in Awareness of Coronary Artery Disease in European Countries

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the single leading cause of death in Europe and the most common form of cardiovascular disease. Little is known about awareness in the European population. A cross-sectional telephone survey of 2609 individuals from six European countries was conducted to gather information on perceptions of CAD, risk factors, preventive measures, knowledge of heart attack symptoms and ability to seek emergency medical care. Level of awareness was compared according to gender, age, socioeconomic status (SES) and educational level. Women were approximately five times less likely than men to consider heart disease as a main health issue or leading cause of death (OR = 0.224, 95% CI: 0.178-0.280, OR = 0.196, 95% CI: 0.171-0.226). Additionally, women were significantly less likely to have ever had a cardiovascular screening test (OR = 0.515, 95% CI: 0.459-0.578). Only 16.3% of men and 15.3% of women were able to spontaneously identify the main symptoms of a heart attack. Almost half of the sample failed to state that they would call emergency services in case of a cardiac event. Significant differences according to age, SES and education were found for many indicators amongst both men and women. Development of a European strategy targeting improved awareness of CAD and reduced gender and social inequalities within the European population is warranted

Causes and characteristics of medical student referrals to a professional behaviour board

Objectives: To describe the nature of unprofessional behaviour displayed by medical students, as well as the characteristics of students referred to the professional behaviour board. Methods: A descriptive mixed methods approach was taken, in which qualitative data on unprofessional behaviour, as well as quantitative data on the demographics of referred students were collected during the study period between June 1, 2009 and January 1, 2014. In order to compare the referred students with the total student population, data on gender, nationality and phase in the curriculum of the total student population, collected from the student administration desk, were also used. Results: In the study period, a total of 107 referrals were reported, concerning 93 different students (3% of the total student population). Sixty-five of the 107 referrals (61%) concerned male students. Thirty referrals (28%) concerned non-Dutch students. Most referrals (71%) occurred during clinical rotations. The referrals were equally distributed over three professional behaviour domains: dealing with oneself, dealing with others, and dealing with tasks/work. 'Withdrawn behaviour' was reported 17 times, 'insufficient Dutch language proficiency' 14 times, 'impertinent emails' 9 times and 'placing privacy-sensitive photos on the internet' 3 times. Conclusions: Although only a minority of students are referred to a professional behaviour board, this study shows that student characteristics such as gender and nationality may correlate to a higher incidence of unprofessional behaviour. Further explanatory and exploratory research is needed to unravel this relationship, and to study the influence of curriculum reforms on these relationships, respectively

First steps towards deriving rock magnetic and paleomagnetic data from subsets of magnetic grains in lavas using Micromagnetic Tomography

Our understanding of the behavior of the geomagnetic field arises from magnetic signals stored in geological materials, e.g. lavas. Almost all experiments to determine the past state of the Earth's magnetic field use bulk samples (typically 1 - 10 cc) and measure their magnetic moment after series of laboratory treatments. Lavas, however, consist of mixtures of different iron-oxide grains that vary in size, shape, and chemistry. Some of these grains are good recorders of the Earth's magnetic field; others are not. Only a small amount of adverse behaved magnetic grains in a sample already hampers all classical experiments to obtain paleointensities; success rates as low as 10-20% are common, i.e. for 80-90% of all lavas vital information on paleointensities is lost before it can be uncovered.Recently, we showed that it is possible to determine the magnetization of individual grains inside a synthetic sample using a new technique: Micromagnetic Tomography. The individual magnetizations of grains are determined by inverting scanning magnetometry data from the surface on the sample onto the known locations, sizes and shapes of the magnetic grains that are obtained from a microCT scan of the sample. The synthetic sample used for our proof-of-concept, however, was optimized for success: the dispersion of magnetic markers was low, and the magnetite grains had a well-defined grain size range. Furthermore, the scanning SQUID microscope used requires the sample to be at 4 K, below the Verweij transition of the magnetite grains.Here we present the first Micromagnetic Tomography results from natural samples. We used two magnetic scanning techniques that operate at room temperature, a Magnetic Tunneling Junction set-up and a Quantum Diamond Magnetometer, to acquire the magnetic surface scans from a Hawaiian lava and calculated magnetic moments of individual grains present. We show that it is possible to acquire rock magnetic information as function of grain size from these natural samples and reveal the first results of interpreting a paleomagnetic direction from selected subsets of grains in our samples. These are the first steps towards deriving rock magnetic and paleomagnetic information from subsets of known good recorders inside lava samples, a technique that will re

Mesenchymal stromal cells prevent progression of liver fibrosis in a novel zebrafish embryo model

Cellular mechanisms in basic and clinical gastroenterology and hepatolog

Contribution of CD3(+)CD8(-) and CD3(+)CD8(+) T Cells to TNF-alpha Overexpression in Crohn Disease-Associated Perianal Fistulas and Induction of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in HT-29 Cells

Background Fistulas represent a frequent and severe complication in patients with Crohn disease (CD). Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor-beta, and interleukin (IL)-13 are known to trigger epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), promoting fistula formation. Here, we investigated the role of T-lymphocytes (T cells) in fistula pathogenesis. Methods CD3(+)CD8(-), CD3(+)CD8(+), or CD45(+)CD3(-) cells from healthy volunteers, patients with CD, and patients with CD with perianal fistula were co-cultured with HT-29 cells. The EMT, cytokine production, and mRNA expression were analyzed. Perianal CD fistula specimens were immunohistochemically stained for cytokines and their receptors. The effect of cytokines on EMT induction was investigated using an EMT spheroid model. Results Patients with CD with fistula revealed more CD3(+)CD8(-) and less CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells in blood than healthy control patients and patients with CD without fistula. In perianal fistula specimens, CD4(+) cells-and to a lesser extent CD8(+) cells-were highly present around fistula tracts. When co-cultured with HT-29 cells, both cell subsets promoted EMT-related gene expression and TNF-alpha production in a time-dependent manner. The CD3(+)CD8(-) T cells from patients with CD with fistula also produced higher amounts of IL-13 than cells from healthy control patients or patients with CD without a fistula. We found that IL-22 and IL-22R(alpha 1) were highly expressed in perianal CD fistula specimens and that IL-22 cotreatment potentiated TNF-alpha-induced EMT in HT-29 spheroids. Conclusions Our data indicate that both CD3(+)CD8(-) and CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of perianal CD fistulas by the secretion of TNF-alpha. Our data support clinical evidence indicating that anti-TNF-alpha therapy is effective in fistula treatment and identify IL-13 and IL-22 as possible novel therapeutic targets for fistula therapy.Cellular mechanisms in basic and clinical gastroenterology and hepatolog

Auditory presentation and synchronization in Adobe Flash and HTML5/JavaScript Web experiments

Substantial recent research has examined the accuracy of presentation durations and response time measurements for visually presented stimuli in Web-based experiments, with a general conclusion that accuracy is acceptable for most kinds of experiments. However, many areas of behavioral research use auditory stimuli instead of, or in addition to, visual stimuli. Much less is known about auditory accuracy using standard Web-based testing procedures. We used a millisecond-accurate Black Box Toolkit to measure the actual durations of auditory stimuli and the synchronization of auditory and visual presentation onsets. We examined the distribution of timings for 100 presentations of auditory and visual stimuli across two computers with difference specs, three commonly used browsers, and code written in either Adobe Flash or JavaScript. We also examined different coding options for attempting to synchronize the auditory and visual onsets. Overall, we found that auditory durations were very consistent, but that the lags between visual and auditory onsets varied substantially across browsers and computer systems