1,196 research outputs found
Behavioral experiments in health economics
The state-of-the-art literature at the interface between experimental and behavioral economics and health economics is reviewed by identifying and discussing ten areas of potential debate about behavioral experiments in health. By doing so, the different streams and areas of applications of the growing field of behavioral experiments in health are reviewed, by discussing which significant questions remain to be discussed, and by highlighting the rationale and the scope for the further development of behavioral experiments in health in the years to come
The Expression of Periostin in Dental Pulp Cells
Abstract
Introduction: The proper regulation of the dentin-pulp complex is intimately related
through crucial cell-matrix interactions and important bioactive proteins. The proteins
modulating these interactions are highly expressed during development and implicated in
tissue repair and regeneration. Within this context, periostin is essential for ECM
stability, collagen fibrillogenesis, and tissue healing. Periostin is regulated by TGF-β1 in
response to biomechanical challenges in the PDL. In the scope of the dental pulp,
periostin expression is reported during development and active dentinogenesis, but has
yet to be evaluated in dental pulp cells specifically. We hypothesize that periostin is
expressed by DPCs in response to TGF-β1 and biomechanical stimulation, which has
implications in dental pulp tissue healing and regeneration. Aims: 1) To determine if
periostin is expressed by DPCs and to analyze the effect in response to TGF-β1 2) To
analyze the influence of biomechanical stimulation on the expression of periostin in
DPCs, 3) To analyze the influence of periostin on the expression of collagen in DPCs.
Methods: Human dental pulp stem cells (DPSC), human dental pulp fibroblasts (DPF),
and murine odontoblast-like cells (MDPC-23) were treated with different concentrations
of TGF-β1 or different regimens of biomechanical stimulation to evaluate periostin
expression. Cells were also treated with periostin to evaluate the effect on collagen.
Western blot and ELISA were used to evaluate protein expression. RNA analysis was
performed by qRT-PCR and a Total Collagen Assay was utilized to evaluate collagen.
Statistical analysis was performed by Student T-test and ANOVA with Fisher’s LSD test.
Results: Each cell line expressed periostin protein and mRNA. TGF-β1 supplementation
resulted in significant changes of periostin expression. Biomechanical stimulation acts to
induce changes in periostin expression. No statistically significant differences were found
in total collagen expression. Conclusions: Expression of periostin was identified in each
of the dental pulp cell lines, which can be regulated by TGF-β1. DPSC are the most
responsive cells to stimulation. Continued research and evaluation is needed to determine the potential therapeutic ability of periostin within the dental pulp.Master of ScienceEndodontics, School of DentistryUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/107978/1/The Expression of Periostin in Dental Pulp Cells - Robert Wiesen (2).pd
Knowledge and Beliefs Associated with Environmental Health Literacy: A Case Study Focused on Toxic Metals Contamination of Well Water
Environmental health literacy (EHL) is developing as a framework that can inform educational interventions designed to facilitate individual and collective action to protect health, yet EHL measurement poses several challenges. While some studies have measured environmental health knowledge resulting from interventions, few have incorporated skills and self-efficacy. In this study, a process-focused EHL instrument was developed, using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) health literacy instrument as a model and tailoring it for the context of private well contamination with toxic metals. Forty-seven (47) participants, including undergraduate students and residents of communities with contaminated well water, piloted a prototype EHL instrument alongside NVS. Results suggested a moderate degree of correlation between NVS and the EHL prototype, and significant differences in scores were observed between students and residents. Responses to a self-efficacy survey, tailored for drinking water contaminated with arsenic, revealed significant differences between students and residents on items related to cost and distance. In response to open-ended questions, participants identified a range of potential environmental contaminants in drinking water and deemed varied information sources as reliable. This study highlights differences in knowledge and self-efficacy among students and residents and raises questions about the adequacy of EHL assessments that mimic formal education approaches
Impact of the JET ITER-like wall on H-mode plasma fueling
JET ITER-like wall (ILW) experiments show that the edge density evolution is strongly
linked with the poloidal distribution of the ionization source. The fueling profile in the
JET-ILW is more delocalized as compared to JET-C (JET with carbon-based plasma-facing
components PFCs). Compared to JET-C the H-mode pedestal fueling cycle is dynamically
influenced by a combination of plasma–wall interaction features, in particular: (1) edgelocalized modes (ELMs) induced energetic particles are kinetically reflected on W divertor
PFCs leading to distributed refueling away from the divertor depending on the divertor
plasma configuration, (2) delayed molecular re-emission and outgassing of particles being
trapped in W PFCs (bulk-W at the high field side and W-coated CFCs at the low field side)
with different fuel content and (3) outgassing from Be co-deposits located on top of the highfield side baffle region shortly after the ELM. In view of the results of a set of well diagnosed
series of JET-ILW type-I ELMy H-mode discharges with good statistics, the aforementioned
effects are discussed in view of H-mode pedestal fueling capacity. The ongoing modelling
activities with the focus on coupled core-edge plasma simulations and plasma–wall
interaction are described and discussed also in view of possible code improvements required.EURATOM 63305
Beryllium global erosion and deposition at JET-ILW simulated with ERO2.0
The recently developed Monte-Carlo code ERO2.0 is applied to the modelling of limited and diverted discharges at JET with the ITER-like wall (ILW). The global beryllium (Be) erosion and deposition is simulated and compared to experimental results from passive spectroscopy. For the limiter configuration, it is demonstrated that Be self-sputtering is an important contributor (at least 35%) to the Be erosion. Taking this contribution into account, the ERO2.0 modelling confirms previous evidence that high deuterium (D) surface concentrations of up to similar to 50% atomic fraction provide a reasonable estimate of Be erosion in plasma-wetted areas. For the divertor configuration, it is shown that drifts can have a high impact on the scrape-off layer plasma flows, which in turn affect global Be transport by entrainment and lead to increased migration into the inner divertor. The modelling of the effective erosion yield for different operational phases (ohmic, L- and H-mode) agrees with experimental values within a factor of two, and confirms that the effective erosion yield decreases with increasing heating power and confinement.EURATOM 63305
The formation of physician altruism
We study how patient-regarding altruism is formed by medical education. We elicit and structurally estimate altruistic preferences using experimental data from a large sample of medical students ( = 733) in Germany at different progress stages in their studies. The estimates reveal substantial heterogeneity in altruistic preferences of medical students. Patient-regarding altruism is highest for freshmen, significantly declines for students in the course of medical studies, and tends to increase again for last year students, who assist in clinical practice. Also, patient-regarding altruism is higher for females and positively associated to general altruism. Altruistic medical students have gained prior practical experience in healthcare, have lower income expectations, and are more likely to choose surgery and pediatrics as their preferred specialty
Defect-induced condensation and central peak at elastic phase transitions
Static and dynamical properties of elastic phase transitions under the
influence of short--range defects, which locally increase the transition
temperature, are investigated. Our approach is based on a Ginzburg--Landau
theory for three--dimensional crystals with one--, two-- or three--dimensional
soft sectors, respectively. Systems with a finite concentration of
quenched, randomly placed defects display a phase transition at a temperature
, which can be considerably above the transition temperature
of the pure system. The phonon correlation function is calculated in
single--site approximation. For a dynamical central peak
appears; upon approaching , its height diverges and its width
vanishes. Using an appropriate self--consistent method, we calculate the
spatially inhomogeneous order parameter, the free energy and the specific heat,
as well as the dynamical correlation function in the ordered phase. The
dynamical central peak disappears again as the temperatur is lowered below
. The inhomogeneous order parameter causes a static central
peak in the scattering cross section, with a finite width depending on the
orientation of the external wave vector relative to the soft sector.
The jump in the specific heat at the transition temperatur of the pure system
is smeared out by the influence of the defects, leading to a distinct maximum
instead. In addition, there emerges a tiny discontinuity of the specific heat
at . We also discuss the range of validity of the mean--field
approach, and provide a more realistic estimate for the transition temperature.Comment: 11 pages, 11 ps-figures, to appear in PR
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