The interaction of Thrombospondins with extracellular matrix proteins

The thrombospondins (TSPs) are a family of five matricellular proteins that appear to function as adapter molecules to guide extracellular matrix synthesis and tissue remodeling in a variety of normal and disease settings. Various TSPs have been shown to bind to fibronectin, laminin, matrilins, collagens and other extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The importance of TSP-1 in this context is underscored by the fact that it is rapidly deposited at the sites of tissue damage by platelets. An association of TSPs with collagens has been known for over 25 years. The observation that the disruption of the TSP-2 gene in mice leads to collagen fibril abnormalities provided important in vivo evidence that these interactions are physiologically important. Recent biochemical studies have shown that TSP-5 promotes collagen fibril assembly and structural studies suggest that TSPs may interact with collagens through a highly conserved potential metal ion dependent adhesion site (MIDAS). These interactions are critical for normal tissue homeostasis, tumor progression and the etiology of skeletal dysplasias

Biomechanical spinal growth modulation and progressive adolescent scoliosis – a test of the 'vicious cycle' pathogenetic hypothesis: Summary of an electronic focus group debate of the IBSE

There is no generally accepted scientific theory for the causes of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). As part of its mission to widen understanding of scoliosis etiology, the International Federated Body on Scoliosis Etiology (IBSE) introduced the electronic focus group (EFG) as a means of increasing debate on knowledge of important topics. This has been designated as an on-line Delphi discussion. The text for this debate was written by Dr Ian A Stokes. It evaluates the hypothesis that in progressive scoliosis vertebral body wedging during adolescent growth results from asymmetric muscular loading in a "vicious cycle" (vicious cycle hypothesis of pathogenesis) by affecting vertebral body growth plates (endplate physes). A frontal plane mathematical simulation tested whether the calculated loading asymmetry created by muscles in a scoliotic spine could explain the observed rate of scoliosis increase by measuring the vertebral growth modulation by altered compression. The model deals only with vertebral (not disc) wedging. It assumes that a pre-existing scoliosis curve initiates the mechanically-modulated alteration of vertebral body growth that in turn causes worsening of the scoliosis, while everything else is anatomically and physiologically 'normal' The results provide quantitative data consistent with the vicious cycle hypothesis. Dr Stokes' biomechanical research engenders controversy. A new speculative concept is proposed of vertebral symphyseal dysplasia with implications for Dr Stokes' research and the etiology of AIS. What is not controversial is the need to test this hypothesis using additional factors in his current model and in three-dimensional quantitative models that incorporate intervertebral discs and simulate thoracic as well as lumbar scoliosis. The growth modulation process in the vertebral body can be viewed as one type of the biologic phenomenon of mechanotransduction. In certain connective tissues this involves the effects of mechanical strain on chondrocytic metabolism a possible target for novel therapeutic intervention

Can mental health diagnoses in administrative data be used for research? A systematic review of the accuracy of routinely collected diagnoses

BACKGROUND: There is increasing availability of data derived from diagnoses made routinely in mental health care, and interest in using these for research. Such data will be subject to both diagnostic (clinical) error and administrative error, and so it is necessary to evaluate its accuracy against a reference-standard. Our aim was to review studies where this had been done to guide the use of other available data. METHODS: We searched PubMed and EMBASE for studies comparing routinely collected mental health diagnosis data to a reference standard. We produced diagnostic category-specific positive predictive values (PPV) and Cohen’s kappa for each study. RESULTS: We found 39 eligible studies. Studies were heterogeneous in design, with a wide range of outcomes. Administrative error was small compared to diagnostic error. PPV was related to base rate of the respective condition, with overall median of 76 %. Kappa results on average showed a moderate agreement between source data and reference standard for most diagnostic categories (median kappa = 0.45–0.55); anxiety disorders and schizoaffective disorder showed poorer agreement. There was no significant benefit in accuracy for diagnoses made in inpatients. CONCLUSIONS: The current evidence partly answered our questions. There was wide variation in the quality of source data, with a risk of publication bias. For some diagnoses, especially psychotic categories, administrative data were generally predictive of true diagnosis. For others, such as anxiety disorders, the data were less satisfactory. We discuss the implications of our findings, and the need for researchers to validate routine diagnostic data. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0963-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Yrittäjänä omistajanvaihdoksen jälkeen:yrityskauppakulttuurin kehittäminen Pohjois-Pohjanmaalle -hankkeen selvitys ostajayrittäjien kokemuksista yrityksen haltuunotosta ja kehittämisestä

Abstract The aim of the Yrityskauppakulttuurin kehittäminen Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla (OVI—Omistajanvaihdos ilolla) project (A77599, 1.4.2021–31.12.2022) is to increase changes of ownership in North Ostrobothnia. The principal implementer of the project is Pohjois-Pohjanmaan Yrittäjät, the University of Oulu’s Kerttu Saalasti Institute is a partial implementer, and the financiers are Council of Oulu Region, municipalities of the region and Europen Regional Development Fund. This report is part of the statement work of the project, which monitors how the buyer gets inside the company and how the company has developed after the change of ownership. In the report, we look at the buyer experiences of entrepreneurship after the change of ownership, and especially how the new entrepreneur got into the company’s operations and how the company has developed after the change of ownership. Three micro-entrepreneurs and one small entrepreneur were interviewed for the survey. Data for analysis using material-based content analysis methods. The transfer of information from the seller to the buyer was central to the takeover of the company. In the takeover phase, the key themes are the transmission of information between the seller and the buyer, psychological burden and social support. The key challenge mentioned was the COVID-19 pandemic, but this study does not directly address that. The entrepreneurs perceived the social and spiritual support of the work community and close circle as resources. Key topics in the development of the company were the starting points for the development of the company, which, based on this report, are the entrepreneurs’ personal goals and the direction in which they want to take the company. The starting point for the development was not growth goals, but rather safety and solvency.Tiivistelmä Yrityskauppakulttuurin kehittäminen Pohjois-Pohjanmaalle (OVI—Omistajanvaihdos ilolla) -hankkeen (A77599, 1.4.2021–31.12.2022) tavoitteena on lisätä omistajanvaihdoksia Pohjois-Pohjanmaalla, parantaa alueen omistajanvaihdostietämystä potentiaalisille ostajille viestinnän ja yleisen yrityskauppakulttuurin kehittämisen myötä. Hankkeen päätoteuttajana on Pohjois-Pohjanmaan Yrittäjät, Oulun yliopiston Kerttu Saalasti Instituutti on osatoteuttaja ja rahoittajana toimivat Pohjois-Pohjanmaan liitto, alueen kunnat ja Euroopan aluekehitysrahasto. Tämä raportti on osa hankkeen selvitystyötä, jossa seurataan, miten ostaja pääsee sisälle yritykseen ja miten yritys on kehittynyt omistajanvaihdoksen jälkeen. Selvityksessä tarkastelemme ostajayrittäjien kokemuksia yrittäjyydestä omistajanvaihdoksen jälkeen ja erityisesti sitä, miten uusi yrittäjä on päässyt sisälle yrityksen toimintaan ja miten yritys on kehittynyt omistajanvaihdoksen jälkeen. Selvitystä varten haastateltiin kolmea mikroyrittäjää ja yhtä pienyrittäjää. Aineisto analysointiin aineistolähtöisen sisällönanalyysin menetelmin. Yrityksen haltuunotossa keskeistä oli tiedon siirtyminen myyjältä ostajalta. Haltuunottovaiheessa keskeisiä teemoja ovat tiedon välittyminen myyjän ja ostajan välillä, psyykkinen kuormitus sekä henkinen ja sosiaalinen tuki. Keskeinen mainittu haaste oli COVID-19 -pandemia, mutta tämä tutkimus ei suoraan käsittele sitä. Voimavaroiksi yrittäjät kokivat työyhteisön ja läheisten sosiaalisen ja henkisen tuen. Yrityksen kehittämisessä keskeisiä aiheita olivat yrityksen kehittämisen lähtökohdat, jotka tämän selvityksen perusteella ovat yrittäjien henkilökohtaiset tavoitteet ja se, mihin suuntaan hän haluaa yritystä viedä. Kehittämisen lähtökohtana ei mainittu kasvutavoitteita, vaan enemmänkin turvallisuus ja vakavaraisuus

Geometric percolation of hard nanorods: The interplay of spontaneous and externally induced uniaxial particle alignment

We present a numerical study on geometric percolation in liquid dispersions of hard slender colloidal particles subject to an external orienting field. In the formulation and liquid-state processing of nanocomposite materials, particle alignment by external fields such as electric, magnetic, or flow fields is practically inevitable and often works against the emergence of large nanoparticle networks. Using continuum percolation theory in conjunction with Onsager theory, we investigate how the interplay between externally induced alignment and the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the uniaxial nematic phase affects cluster formation in nanoparticle dispersions. It is known that particle alignment by means of a density increase or by an external field may result in a breakdown of an already percolating network. As a result, percolation can be limited to a small region of the phase diagram only. Here, we demonstrate that the existence and shape of such a "percolation island" in the phase diagram crucially depends on the connectivity length - a critical distance defining direct connections between neighboring particles. For some values of the connectivity range, we observe unusual re-entrance effects, in which a system-spanning network forms and breaks down multiple times with increasing particle density