Adhesion of endothelial cells and adsorption of serum proteins on gas plasma-treated polytetrafluoroethylene

From in vitro experiments it is known that human endothelial cells show poor adhesion to hydrophobic polymers. The hydrophobicity of vascular prostheses manufactured from Teflon® or Dacron® may be the reason why endothelialization of these grafts does not occur after implantation in humans. We modified films of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®) by nitrogen plasma and oxygen plasma treatments to make the surfaces more hydrophilic. Depending on the plasma exposure time, modified polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces showed water-contact angles of 15–58°, versus 96° for unmodified polytetrafluoroethylene. ESCA measurements revealed incorporation of both nitrogen- and oxygen-containing groups into the polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces, dependent on the plasma composition and exposure time. The thickness of the modified surface layer was ~1 nm. The adhesion of cultured human endothelial cells from 20% human serum-containing culture medium to modified polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces with contact angles of 20–45° led to the formation of a monolayer of cells, which was similar to the one formed on tissue culture polystyrene, the reference surface. This was not the case when endothelial cells were seeded upon unmodified polytetrafluoroethylene. Surface-modified expanded polytetrafluoroethylene prosthesis material (GORE TEX® soft tissue) also showed adhesion of endothelial cells comparable to cell adhesion to the reference surface. The amounts of serum proteins, including fibronectin, adsorbed from serumcontaining medium to modified polytetrafluoroethylene surfaces were larger than those adsorbed to unmodified polytetrafluoroethylene. Moreover, the modified surfaces probably allow the exchange of adsorbed serum proteins with cellular fibronectin

NOTES ON THE GENUS CYLINDROCLADIUM (Fungi: Mucedinaceae)

The genus Cylindrocladivm was erected by Morgan in 1892 for a Mucedinaceous fungus with Penicillium-like branching and long,cylindrical,two-celled conidia.The original diagnosis runs: — Cylindrocladium Morgan. "Hyphae steriles repentes,fertiles erectae,dichoto mice ramosae,septatae, basidia in apice ramorum subterna fusoidea,conidia cylin- dracea, 1-septata." The type and only species,Cylindrocladium scoparium Morgan,was found on dead pods of Gleditschia triacanthos L.In 1900 the same fungus was reported by Ellis and Everhart on dead leaves of Asimina triloba Dun.They considered it a new species of the genus Diplocladhim Bonord.and described it accordingly as Diplocladium cylindrosporum Ell.& Everh.In 1912 Hawley (see Rea and Hawley) erected the genus Candelospora with the following diagnosi

Dimensions of individual religiosity and charity:Cross national effect differences in European countries?

The relation between religiosity and donations to charity has frequently been subject of research. We analyzed effects of dimensions of individual religiosity (Glock and Stark 1966) on people's intention to donate to the poorest countries. We tested for cross-national effect differences in representative samples of seven European countries. Results turned out to be relatively robust across countries. We found that church attendance, dogmatic conviction and a consequential religious attitude affect intentional donations positively. The religiosity of one's network does have an additional effect. Partner's church attendance is positively related to willingness to donate. However, people with mainly friends with the same religious opinions are less willing to donate

The challenges of using polyethylene passive samplers to determine dissolved concentrations of parent and alkylated PAHs under cold and saline conditions

Passive samplers can be useful tools to determine truly dissolved concentrations of organic contaminants in the water. Polyethylene (PE) samplers were validated for measuring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with a focus on alkylated PAHs that can dominate in an oil spill. Equilibrium partition coefficients (KPEw) between water and PE passive samplers were measured for 41 PAHs both at ambient conditions (20 °C, no salt), down to -15 °C and 245 psu present in ice brine. For each additional alkylated carbon, log KPEw increased by an average of 0.40 (± 0.20) log units, close to predictions. The increase per aromatic carbon was only 0.33 (± 0.02) log units. Apparent PE-water distributions of pyrene and deuterated pyrene (performance reference compound) were within 0.1 log unit for all experiments at 20 and 2 °C, but started to diverge by 0.8 log units (-4 °C, 100 psu) and 3.1 log units (-15 °C, 245 psu). The delay in equilibrating PAHs in these experiments was dominated by increases in the water’s viscosity, which in turn affected both the PAHs’ aqueous diffusivity and the thickness of the water boundary layer. In a simulated marine oil spill in the laboratory, PE-based results were within a factor of 2 for the most abundant PAHs compared to conventional sampling results

Promoting deeper learning in pharmacy education using team-based learning

Background. The benefit of deep learning compared with surface learning is the ability to retrieve, apply and integrate previously learnt knowledge rather than simply memorising course content most likely to be evaluated during assessments. Team-based learning (TBL) is an educational strategy that echoes the purpose of deeper learning. Objectives. To identify whether TBL as a teaching strategy increases pharmacy students’ understanding of theoretical work. Method. Fourth-year pharmacy students completed a questionnaire consisting of biographical data (gender, age and ethnicity) and 16 questions on their understanding of course content. A total of 183 students (91.5%) participated after giving informed consent that their data may be included in the study. Results. The results indicated that, due to the implementation of TBL in the course, students perceived that they learnt more and made more effort, experienced increased understanding of content, perceived higher knowledge retention, performed better during assessments in the module where TBL was implemented and felt that course outcomes were achieved more easily. Conclusion. TBL as a teaching strategy could potentially promote deeper learning of course content

Orbital and spin physics in LiNiO2 and NaNiO2

We derive a spin-orbital Hamiltonian for a triangular lattice of e_g orbital degenerate (Ni^{3+}) transition metal ions interacting via 90 degree superexchange involving (O^{2-}) anions, taking into account the on-site Coulomb interactions on both the anions and the transition metal ions. The derived interactions in the spin-orbital model are strongly frustrated, with the strongest orbital interactions selecting different orbitals for pairs of Ni ions along the three different lattice directions. In the orbital ordered phase, favoured in mean field theory, the spin-orbital interaction can play an important role by breaking the U(1) symmetry generated by the much stronger orbital interaction and restoring the threefold symmetry of the lattice. As a result the effective magnetic exchange is non-uniform and includes both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic spin interactions. Since ferromagnetic interactions still dominate, this offers yet insufficient explanation for the absence of magnetic order and the low-temperature behaviour of the magnetic susceptibility of stoichiometric LiNiO_2. The scenario proposed to explain the observed difference in the physical properties of LiNiO_2 and NaNiO_2 includes small covalency of Ni-O-Li-O-Ni bonds inducing weaker interplane superexchange in LiNiO_2, insufficient to stabilize orbital long-range order in the presence of stronger intraplane competition between superexchange and Jahn-Teller coupling.Comment: 33 pages, 12 postscript figures, uses iopams.sty . This article features in New Journal of Physics as part of a Focus Issue on Orbital Physics - all contributions may be freely accessed at (http://stacks.iop.org/1367-2630/6/i=1/a=E05). The published version of this article may be found at http://stacks.iop.org/1367-2630/7/12

Something Old and Something New: Wedding Recombinant Inbred Lines with Traditional Line Cross Analysis Increases Power to Describe Gene Interactions

In this paper we present a novel approach to quantifying genetic architecture that combines recombinant inbred lines (RIL) with line cross analysis (LCA). LCA is a method of quantifying directional genetic effects (i.e. summed effects of all loci) that differentiate two parental lines. Directional genetic effects are thought to be critical components of genetic architecture for the long term response to selection and as a cause of inbreeding depression. LCA typically begins with two inbred parental lines that are crossed to produce several generations such as F1, F2, and backcrosses to each parent. When a RIL population (founded from the same P1 and P2 as was used to found the line cross population) is added to the LCA, the sampling variance of several nonadditive genetic effect estimates is greatly reduced. Specifically, estimates of directional dominance, additive x additive, and dominance x dominance epistatic effects are reduced by 92%, 94%, and 56% respectively. The RIL population can be simultaneously used for QTL identification, thus uncovering the effects of specific loci or genomic regions as elements of genetic architecture. LCA and QTL mapping with RIL provide two qualitatively different measures of genetic architecture with the potential to overcome weaknesses of each approach alone. This approach provides cross-validation of the estimates of additive and additive x additive effects, much smaller confidence intervals on dominance, additive x additive and dominance x dominance estimates, qualitatively different measures of genetic architecture, and the potential when used together to balance the weaknesses of LCA or RIL QTL analyses when used alone

Perinatal or neonatal mortality among women who intend at the onset of labour to give birth at home compared to women of low obstetrical risk who intend to give birth in hospital: A systematic review and meta-analyses

Background: More women are choosing to birth at home in well-resourced countries. Concerns persist that out-of-hospital birth contributes to higher perinatal and neonatal mortality. This systematic review and meta-analyses determines if risk of fetal or neonatal loss differs among low-risk women who begin labour intending to give birth at home compared to low-risk women intending to give birth in hospital. Methods: In April 2018 we searched five databases from 1990 onward and used R to obtain pooled estimates of effect. We stratified by study design, study settings and parity. The primary outcome is any perinatal or neonatal death after the onset of labour. The study protocol is peer-reviewed, published and registered (PROSPERO No.CRD42013004046). Findings: We identified 14 studies eligible for meta-analysis including ~ 500,000 intended home births. Among nulliparous women intending a home birth in settings where midwives attending home birth are well-integrated in health services, the odds ratio (OR) of perinatal or neonatal mortality compared to those intending hospital birth was 1.07 (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.70 to 1.65); and in less integrated settings 3.17 (95% CI, 0.73 to 13.76). Among multiparous women intending a home birth in well-integrated settings, the estimated OR compared to those intending a hospital birth was 1.08 (95% CI, 0.84 to 1.38); and in less integrated settings was 1.58 (95% CI, 0.50 to 5.03). Interpretation: The risk of perinatal or neonatal mortality was not different when birth was intended at home or in hospital. Funding: Partial funding: Association of Ontario Midwives open peer reviewed grant. Research in Context: Evidence before this study Although there is increasing acceptance for intended home birth as a choice for birthing women, controversy about its safety persists. The varying responses of obstetrical societies to intended home birth provide evidence of contrasting views. A Cochrane review of randomised controlled trials addressing this topic included one small trial and noted that in the absence of adequately sized randomised controlled trials on the topic of intended home compared to intended hospital birth, a peer reviewed protocol be published to guide a systematic review and meta-analysis including observational studies. Reviews to date have been limited by design or methodological issues and none has used a protocol published a priori.Added value of this study Individual studies are underpowered to detect small but potentially important differences in rare outcomes. This study uses a published peer-reviewed protocol and is the largest and most comprehensive meta-analysis comparing outcomes of intended home and hospital birth. We take study design, parity and jurisdictional support for home birth into account. Our study provides much needed information to policy makers, care providers and women and families when planning for birth.Implications of all the available evidence Women who are low risk and who intend to give birth at home do not appear to have a different risk of fetal or neonatal loss compared to a population of similarly low risk women intending to give birth in hospital