3D biomimetic tongue-emulating surfaces for tribological applications

Oral friction on the tongue surface plays a pivotal role in mechanics of food transport, speech, sensing and hedonic responses. The highly specialized biophysical features of human tongue such as micro-papillae-dense topology, optimum wettability and deformability present architectural challenges in designing artificial tongue surfaces, and absence of such biomimetic surface impedes fundamental understanding of tongue-food/ fluid interaction. Herein, we fabricate for the first time, a 3D soft biomimetic surface that replicates the topography and wettability of a real human tongue. The 3D-printed fabrication contains a Poisson point process-based (random) papillae distribution, and is employed to micro-mould soft silicone surfaces with wettability modifications. We demonstrate the unprecedented capability of these surfaces to replicate the theoretically-defined and simulated collision probability of papillae, and to closely resemble the tribological performances of human tongue masks. These de novo biomimetic surfaces pave the way for accurate quantification of mechanical interactions in the soft oral mucosa

Regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell calcification by syndecan-4/FGF-2/PKCα signaling and cross-talk with TGFβ

Aims: Vascular calcification is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) plays an instructive role in osteogenesis and bone development, but its role in vascular calcification was unknown. Therefore, we investigated the involvement of FGF-2 in vascular calcification and determined the mechanism by which it regulates this process. Methods and Results: We demonstrate that FGF-2 expression is increased in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced to deposit a mineralized matrix by incubation with β-glycerophosphate. FGF-2 is also localized to sites of calcification within human atherosclerotic plaques. The expression of syndecan-4, a heparan sulfate proteoglycan which regulates FGF-2 signaling, is also increased in mineralizing VSMCs and co-localizes with FGF-2 in human calcified atherosclerotic plaques. Exogenous FGF-2 inhibits VSMC mineralization, and this inhibition is reduced when syndecan-4 expression is knocked-down using siRNA. Biochemical inhibition of FGFR signaling using a pan FGFR inhibitor (BGJ398) or knocking-down syndecan-4 expression in VSMCs using siRNA increases VSMC mineralization. These increases are prevented by inhibiting transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling with SB431542, suggesting cross-talk between FGF-2 and TGFβ signaling is crucial for the regulation of VSMC mineralization. Syndecan-4 can also regulate FGF-2 signaling directly via protein kinase Cα (PKCα) activation. Biochemical inhibition of PKCα activity using Gö6976, or siRNA-mediated suppression of PKCα expression increases VSMC mineralization; this increase is also prevented with SB431542. Finally, the ability of FGF-2 to inhibit VSMC mineralization is reduced when PKCα expression is knocked-down. Conclusion: This is the first demonstration that syndecan-4 promotes FGF-2 signaling, and in turn, suppresses VSMC mineralization by down-regulating TGFβ signaling. Our discoveries that FGF-2 and syndecan-4 expression is increased in mineralizing VSMCs and that PKCα regulates FGF-2 and TGFβ signaling in VSMCs suggests that the syndecan-4/FGF-2/TGFβ signaling axis could represent a new therapeutic target for vascular calcification

Homophobia and heterosexism: Spanish Physical Education teachers’ perceptions

Physical education is traditionally a heteronormative environment, despite current studies highlighting the existence of positive changes in sport towards sexual diversity. In Spain, physical education teachers’ attitudes towards sexual minorities are an under-researched area. The current study identifies physical education teachers’ perceptions towards homophobia and heterosexism in their lessons, raising questions as to whether societies are hostile or more tolerant in regards to gays and lesbians in sport. This experimental and cross-sectional descriptive research involved 170 Physical Education teachers from mixed schools, using a modified version of the original questionnaire of homophobia and heterosexism perceptions by Morrow and Gill (2003). Results show heterosexist and homophobic behavior is apparent in physical education lessons, with teachers aware of these behaviours. Furthermore, it is highlighted that students use homosexually-themed language as an instrument to discriminate against gays and lesbians. This language use is not common among teachers, although when it is present, it is clearer and more frequent amongst male teachers

Sexualisation's four faces: sexualisation and gender stereotyping in the Bailey Review

This paper explores the considerations of sexualisation and gender stereotyping in the recent UK government report Letting Children be Children. This report, the Bailey Review, claimed to represent the views of parents. However, closer reading reveals that, while the parents who were consulted were concerned about both the sexualisation and the gender stereotyping of products aimed at children, the Bailey Review focuses only on the former and dismisses the latter. ‘Sexualisation’ has four faces in the Bailey Review: it is treated as a process that increases (1) the visibility of sexual content in the public domain, (2) misogyny, (3) the sexuality of children, and (4) the mainstream position of ‘deviant’ sexual behaviours and lifestyles. Through this construction of ‘sexualisation’, gendered relations of power are not only hidden from view but also buttress a narrative in which young women are situated as children, and their sexuality and desire rendered pathological and morally unacceptable as judged by a conservative standard of decency. Comparison of the treatment of sexualisation and gender stereotyping in the review is revealing of the political motivations behind it, and of wider discourse in these areas

A nine country survey of youth in Europe: selected findings and issues

A nine country survey of the life orientations, values and institutional trust of 8948 young people at the upper end of the secondary school age range was set up at the University of Würzburg in the year 2000. Key findings demonstrate that these young people value personal autonomy and are orientated to success in their professional lives and that they especially trust human rights and environmental groups. Religion is associated positively with humanitarianism and in some countries negatively with modernity. These findings provide an indication of the typical life stances of future opinion-formers and illustrate methodological issues thrown up by international research

Environmental, maternal, and reproductive risk factors for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Egypt : a case-control study

BACKGROUND\ud Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer. The exact cause is not known in most cases, but past epidemiological research has suggested a number of potential risk factors. This study evaluated associations between environmental and parental factors and the risk for ALL in Egyptian children to gain insight into risk factors in this developing country.\ud METHODS\ud We conducted a case-control design from May 2009 to February 2012. Cases were recruited from Children's Cancer Hospital, Egypt (CCHE). Healthy controls were randomly selected from the general population to frequency-match the cumulative group of cases by sex, age groups (<1; 1 - 5; >5 - 10; >10 years) and region of residence (Cairo metropolitan region, Nile Delta region (North), and Upper Egypt (South)). Mothers provided answers to an administered questionnaire about their environmental exposures and health history including those of the father. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression with adjustment for covariates.\ud RESULTS\ud Two hundred ninety-nine ALL cases and 351 population-based controls frequency-matched for age group, gender and location were recruited. The risk of ALL was increased with the mother's use of medications for ovulation induction (ORadj = 2.5, 95 % CI =1.2 -5.1) and to a lesser extend with her age (ORadj = 1.8, 95 % CI = 1.1 - 2.8, for mothers ≥ 30 years old). Delivering the child by Cesarean section, was also associated with increased risk (ORadj = 2.01, 95 % CI =1.24-2.81).\ud CONCLUSIONS\ud In Egypt, the risk for childhood ALL appears to be associated with older maternal age, and certain maternal reproductive factors

When Music and Long-Term Memory Interact: Effects of Musical Expertise on Functional and Structural Plasticity in the Hippocampus

The development of musical skills by musicians results in specific structural and functional modifications in the brain. Surprisingly, no functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study has investigated the impact of musical training on brain function during long-term memory retrieval, a faculty particularly important in music. Thus, using fMRI, we examined for the first time this process during a musical familiarity task (i.e., semantic memory for music). Musical expertise induced supplementary activations in the hippocampus, medial frontal gyrus, and superior temporal areas on both sides, suggesting a constant interaction between episodic and semantic memory during this task in musicians. In addition, a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) investigation was performed within these areas and revealed that gray matter density of the hippocampus was higher in musicians than in nonmusicians. Our data indicate that musical expertise critically modifies long-term memory processes and induces structural and functional plasticity in the hippocampus

Empathy among undergraduate medical students: A multi-centre cross-sectional comparison of students beginning and approaching the end of their course

BACKGROUND: Although a core element in patient care the trajectory of empathy during undergraduate medical education remains unclear. Empathy is generally regarded as comprising an affective capacity: the ability to be sensitive to and concerned for, another and a cognitive capacity: the ability to understand and appreciate the other person's perspective. The authors investigated whether final year undergraduate students recorded lower levels of empathy than their first year counterparts, and whether male and female students differed in this respect. METHODS: Between September 2013 and June 2014 an online questionnaire survey was administered to 15 UK, and 2 international medical schools. Participating schools provided both 5-6 year standard courses and 4 year accelerated graduate entry courses. The survey incorporated the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student Version (JSE-S) and Davis's Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), both widely used to measure medical student empathy. Participation was voluntary. Chi squared tests were used to test for differences in biographical characteristics of student groups. Multiple linear regression analyses, in which predictor variables were year of course (first/final); sex; type of course and broad socio-economic group were used to compare empathy scores. RESULTS: Five medical schools (4 in the UK, 1 in New Zealand) achieved average response rates of 55 % (n = 652) among students starting their course and 48 % (n = 487) among final year students. These schools formed the High Response Rate Group. The remaining 12 medical schools recorded lower response rates of 24.0 % and 15.2 % among first and final year students respectively. These schools formed the Lower Response Rate Group. For both male and female students in both groups of schools no significant differences in any empathy scores were found between students starting and approaching the end of their course. Gender was found to significantly predict empathy scores, with females scoring higher than males. CONCLUSIONS: Participant male and female medical students approaching the end of their undergraduate education, did not record lower levels of empathy, compared to those at the beginning of their course. Questions remain concerning the trajectory of empathy after qualification and how best to support it through the pressures of starting out in medical practice