Material Deprivation Affects High Sexual Risk Behavior among Young People in Urban Slums,South Africa

Young people in urban slums adopt HIV risk behaviors influenced by their neighborhood factors. Three critical factors in urban slums of Southern and Eastern Africa—the region most affected by the HIV epidemic in the world—are unmet needs of housing, food, and health care, which are associated with HIV sexual risks. Yet, there has been limited attention on how the combination of unmet needs of housing, food, and health care—i.e., material deprivation—relates to sexual risk behavior among young people in urban slums. Cross-sectional data were extracted from the LoveLife survey in South African four provinces—KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng, to examine the association between material deprivation and sexual risk behavior among young people aged 18–23 years (263 males, 267 females) in urban slums. Adjusted logistic regression models showed that material deprivation was significantly associated with increased odds of high sexual risk taking for young men (adjusted OR = 1.20; 95 % CI = 1.10, 5.58) and young women (adjusted OR = 1.43; 95 % CI = 1.35, 3.28). Financial difficulty—a proxy for other deprivations—was the most salient influence on young women’s high sexual risk taking (adjusted OR = 2.11; 95 % CI = 1.66, 2.70). Localized behavioral HIV prevention interventions should target young people in deprived households.     

Burnt sugarcane harvesting is associated with rhinitis symptoms and inflammatory markers

IntroductionBurnt sugarcane harvesting requires intense physical exertion in an environment of high temperature and exposure to particulate matter.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of burnt sugarcane harvesting on rhinitis symptoms and inflammatory markers in sugarcane workers.MethodsA total of 32 male sugarcane workers were evaluated with questionnaire for rhinitis symptoms, and for inflammatory markers on peripheral blood and nasal lavage, in the non-harvesting, and 3 and 6 months into the sugarcane harvesting period. Weather data and particulate matter fine concentrations were measured in the same day.ResultsThe particulate matter concentrations in sugarcane harvesting were 27 (23–33 μg/m³), 112 (96–122 μg/m³), and 63 (17–263 μg/m³); 24 h temperatures were 32.6 (25.4–37.4 °C), 32.3 (26.7–36.7 °C) and 29.7 (24.1–34.0 °C) and relative humidities were 45.4 (35.0–59.7%), 47.9 (39.1–63.0%), and 59.9 (34.7–63.2%) in the non-harvesting period, three and 6 months of the harvesting period. The age was 37.4 ± 10.9 years. The prevalence of rhinitis symptoms was significantly higher at 3 months of the harvesting period (53.4%), compared to non-harvesting period (26.7%; p = 0.039) and at 6 months into the harvesting period (20%; p = 0.006). Concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in nasal lavage increased after 3 months of the harvesting period compared to the non-harvesting period (p = 0.012). The presence of rhinitis symptoms, after 3 months of the harvesting period, was directly associated with blood eosinophils and inversely associated with neutrophils.ConclusionsAfter 3 months of work in burnt sugarcane harvesting the prevalence of rhinitis symptoms and IL-6 in nasal lavage increased. Furthermore, eosinophil counts were directly associated with the rhinitis symptoms in the period of higher concentration of particulate matter.     

A review of the effects of the cell environment physicochemical nanoarchitecture on stem cell commitment

Physicochemical features of a cell nanoenvironment exert important influence on stem cell behavior and include the influence of matrix elasticity and topography on differentiation processes. The presence of growth factors such as TGF-β and BMPs on these matrices provides chemical cues and thus plays vital role in directing eventual stem cell fate. Engineering of functional biomimetic scaffolds that present programmed spatio-temporal physical and chemical signals to stem cells holds great promise in stem cell therapy. Progress in this field requires tacit understanding of the mechanistic aspects of cell-environment nanointeractions, so that they can be manipulated and exploited for the design of sophisticated next generation biomaterials. In this review, we report and discuss the evolution of these processes and pathways in the context of matrix adhesion as they might relate to stemness and stem cell differentiation. Super-resolution microscopy and single-molecule methods for in vitro nano-manipulation are helping to identify and characterize the molecules and mechanics of structural transitions within stem cells and matrices. All these advances facilitate research toward understanding of stem cell niche and consequently to developing new class of biomaterials helping the “used biomaterials” for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.     

甘油标准物质的研制

目的 研制浓度适宜、便于保存和使用的甘油水溶液标准物质.方法 参照一级标准物质技术规范(JJG 1006-1994)及有关技术文件,制备适当浓度的甘油水溶液,HPLC法进行均匀性和稳定性检验,滴定法测定该溶液的甘油含量.结果 (1)甘油溶液均匀性检验:3次测量结果的x-±s分别为1.297 5±0.014 3、1.302 0±0.008 9、1.313 7±0.007 8,经方差分析,差异无统计学意义(F=11.462,P=0.166),说明甘油溶液分装均匀.(2)4℃保存至少稳定4年,定值为0.103 6 g/g,不确定度为0.000 4 g/g.结论 研制的甘油标准物质符合国家一级标准技术要求.已于2006年5月被国家质量监督检验检疫总局批准为国家一级标准物质(GBW 09149).     

从经方的配伍应用探讨细辛宣营之功

[目的]阐发细辛宣营功效在经方配伍中的体现。[方法]追思传承,运用文献分析的方法,搜集整理《神农本草经》和《名医别录》等中医药经典对细辛的阐述,通过分析张仲景在《伤寒论》及《金匮要略》中运用细辛的情况,选用以当归四逆汤为代表的经典方剂,从经方的配伍应用中探讨细辛宣营的特点。[结果]在以历代医家对细辛的认知基础上,仲景在经方的配伍应用中对细辛宣营之功的运用分为四方面:第一,细辛可宣营而散寒解表,如当归四逆汤;第二,细辛可宣营而温化水饮,如苓甘五味姜辛汤;第三,细辛可宣营而通阳行痹,如三黄汤;第四,细辛可宣营而和血安胎,如白术散。[结论]细辛在经方的配伍应用中宣营之功体现为四方面,即散寒解表、温化水饮、通阳行痹、和血安胎,虽为辛热之品,只要合理搭配,即可宣营且不伤阴。     

A fully digital approach to fabricating a CAD-CAM ceramic crown to fit an existing removable partial denture

The use of a fully digital approach to fabricate an anatomic contour crown to fit an existing removable prosthesis allows the dentist and the dental laboratory technician to work efficiently in a digital environment. This report presents a series of patient treatments involving the fabrication of an anatomic contour monolithic zirconia crown to retrofit an existing removable partial denture. A complete digital workflow comprises an intraoral digital scan and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology.