Interleukin-11 Drives Early Lung Inflammation during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection in Genetically Susceptible Mice

IL-11 is multifunctional cytokine whose physiological role in the lungs during pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is poorly understood. Here, using in vivo administration of specific antibodies against IL-11, we demonstrate for the first time that blocking IL-11 diminishes histopathology and neutrophilic infiltration of the lung tissue in TB-infected genetically susceptible mice. Antibody treatment decreased the pulmonary levels of IL-11 and other key inflammatory cytokines not belonging to the Th1 axis, and down-regulated IL-11 mRNA expression. This suggests the existence of a positive feedback loop at the transcriptional level, which is further supported by up-regulation of IL-11 mRNA expression in the presence of rIL-11 in in vitro cultures of lung cells. These findings imply a pathogenic role for IL-11 during the early phase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-triggered disease in a genetically susceptible host

Harmonized definition of occupational burnout : A systematic review, semantic analysis, and Delphi consensus in 29 countries

Funding Information: This study was supported by the University of Lausanne and European Cooperation in Science and Technology, Action CA 16216 "Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts” (OMEGA-NET). Publisher Copyright: © 2021, Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health. All rights reserved.Objective A consensual definition of occupational burnout is currently lacking. We aimed to harmonize the definition of occupational burnout as a health outcome in medical research and reach a consensus on this definition within the Network on the Coordination and Harmonisation of European Occupational Cohorts (OMEGA-NET). Methods First, we performed a systematic review in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase (January 1990 to August 2018) and a semantic analysis of the available definitions. We used the definitions of burnout and burnout-related concepts from the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) to formulate a consistent harmonized definition of the concept. Second, we sought to obtain the Delphi consensus on the proposed definition. Results We identified 88 unique definitions of burnout and assigned each of them to 1 of the 11 original definitions. The semantic analysis yielded a first proposal, further reformulated according to SNOMED-CT and the panelists` comments as follows: "In a worker, occupational burnout or occupational physical AND emotional exhaustion state is an exhaustion due to prolonged exposure to work-related problems". A panel of 50 experts (researchers and healthcare professionals with an interest for occupational burnout) reached consensus on this proposal at the second round of the Delphi, with 82% of experts agreeing on it. Conclusion This study resulted in a harmonized definition of occupational burnout approved by experts from 29 countries within OMEGA-NET. Future research should address the reproducibility of the Delphi consensus in a larger panel of experts, representing more countries, and examine the practicability of the definition.Peer reviewe

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Formation of Municipal Self-Government in Medieval Chester

Автор обращается к вопросу об особенностях самоуправления в средневековом Честере, английском городе, занимавшем выгодное географическое и стратегическое положение. Author turns to the question about the features of self-government in Medieval Chester, English city, has a favorable geographical and strategic position

To the Discussion on Academic Philosophy: What, How, and What for

The article discusses how to implement common cultural competencies in the course of teaching philosophy. The authors believe that the optimal content of the course is the history of philosophy, which, when being creatively taught, can become a school of critical thinking and education and give direction to those who are trying to consciously shape their world view and educate their mind. The historical-philosophical approach organically incorporates the problematic one, makes it possible to discuss current issues of the day, based on classical examples of the philosophical culture. Some techniques for the development of cognitive skills that correspond to the strategies of liberal education are considered. The authors draw attention to the benefits of the work of a student with a philosophical text, the need for the development of written and oral speech, organically associated with the development of thinking. In the conditions of increasing bureaucratic regulation of the educational process and limited time, it is important to preserve the space of academic freedom, to build teaching taking into account the individual-personal contact with this or that audience. University philosophy is regarded as a valuable experience in overcoming the limitations of everyday consciousness, it seems to be a source of ideas that provides support in a situation of epistemological uncertainty and value relativism. The article covers both philosophical and theoretical, and applied aspects of the problem of teaching philosophy in higher education institution

Projection of enterprise survival rate in dynamics of regional economic sustainability: case study of Russia and the EU

Discussing the problem of economic sustainability, we are in general deal with life cycles and economic activity. Factors causing dynamics in entrepreneurial ventures, their duration and process rate depend on environmental conditions, including institutional, market, infrastructure, and resource aspects. A cumulative impact of all of these factors appears at a specific level of enterprise survival, which becomes a universal characteristic of sustainable economy. Going from official statistics on business demography and complementary empirical data, in this research, we focus on enterprise survival trends in Russia and the EU. The results obtained for Russia assume that in a number of industries, there is an intensive turnover of companies. Over the past two years, a medium-term trend towards a reducing number of enterprise births and increasing number of enterprise deaths in Russia has had a negative ratio. The average enterprise survival rate within a horizon of one year (2013/2014) was 74% in Russia and 77% in the EU. For a five-year period of 2009/2014, the average enterprise survival rate was less than 55% and 45% respectively. In general, in countries with a low average enterprise survival rate, in the first year, there is a persisting low rating in almost all of the industries, assuming that trends in enterprise sustainability dynamics depend on an overall economic situation instead of specifics in a particular sector. An important conclusion from the research is that the long-term survival rate of Russian companies is clearly higher, while the short-term one is lower than that of companies in the EU

Assessment of Natural Resource Potential of a Territory for Planning of Investment Development and Construction in Suburban Areas

The paper describes the types of assessment and assessment process of the natural environment. A review of judgments about the ecological and geo-ecological assessment of the environment by known academics, environmentalists, physical geographers, geobotanists is made here. In this paper the method of the environmental assessment of natural resource potential within the North-West region of Russia is proposed. Authors divide this method into blocks, which are described in the paper. A produced method for evaluating territory used to calculate the cadastral value of land

Assessment of Natural Resource Potential of a Territory for Planning of Investment Development and Construction in Suburban Areas

The paper describes the types of assessment and assessment process of the natural environment. A review of judgments about the ecological and geo-ecological assessment of the environment by known academics, environmentalists, physical geographers, geobotanists is made here. In this paper the method of the environmental assessment of natural resource potential within the North-West region of Russia is proposed. Authors divide this method into blocks, which are described in the paper. A produced method for evaluating territory used to calculate the cadastral value of land