Orally Administrated Ascorbic Acid Suppresses Neuronal Damage and Modifies Expression of SVCT2 and GLUT1 in the Brain of Diabetic Rats with Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion

Diabetes mellitus is known to exacerbate cerebral ischemic injury. In the present study, we investigated antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects of oral supplementation of ascorbic acid (AA) on cerebral injury caused by middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/Re) in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. We also evaluated the effects of AA on expression of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT2) and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) after MCAO/Re in the brain. The diabetic state markedly aggravated MCAO/Re-induced cerebral damage, as assessed by infarct volume and edema. Pretreatment with AA (100 mg/kg, p.o.) for two weeks significantly suppressed the exacerbation of damage in the brain of diabetic rats. AA also suppressed the production of superoxide radical, activation of caspase-3, and expression of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) in the ischemic penumbra. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that expression of SVCT2 was upregulated primarily in neurons and capillary endothelial cells after MCAO/Re in the nondiabetic cortex, accompanied by an increase in total AA (AA + dehydroascorbic acid) in the tissue, and that these responses were suppressed in the diabetic rats. AA supplementation to the diabetic rats restored these responses to the levels of the nondiabetic rats. Furthermore, AA markedly upregulated the basal expression of GLUT1 in endothelial cells of nondiabetic and diabetic cortex, which did not affect total AA levels in the cortex. These results suggest that daily intake of AA attenuates the exacerbation of cerebral ischemic injury in a diabetic state, which may be attributed to anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects via the improvement of augmented oxidative stress in the brain. AA supplementation may protect endothelial function against the exacerbated ischemic oxidative injury in the diabetic state and improve AA transport through SVCT2 in the cortex.     

Transcultural skills content in a dental curriculum: a comparative study

Background: Australia has the highest proportion of immigrants in the world (24% of the population is overseas‐born, compared to 22% in New Zealand, 19% in Canada and 12% in the USA). In this context, dental students have become increasingly diverse in a milieu where patients are derived from increasingly diverse backgrounds. Aim: The study aims to analyse the degree to which transcultural and communication skills content is currently embedded in the medical, physiotherapy and dental curricula at a major Australian university. Materials and methods: Undergraduate dental, medical and physiotherapy curricula were compared and critically assessed. Researchers considered the amount of transcultural and communication skills content, the number of formal contact hours for each course and the number of teaching staff involved. In addition, 21 interviews were conducted with staff at the three schools, who were involved in the curriculum development process. Results: The medical and physiotherapy curricula had an explicit focus on transcultural and communication skills as a major and continuing element, delivered by teaching staff from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds. In contrast, the dental course showed an under‐representation of transcultural and communication skills content which was taught by a limited number of staff from the School of Dental Science. Conclusions: In marked contrast to medical and physiotherapy curricula, transcultural and communication skills content had a low formal profile in the dental curriculum. A curriculum review process may be a positive step towards the development of a new training curriculum giving higher priority to transcultural and communication skills to support more effective workforce development.     

Together and alone a study of interactions between toddlers and childcare providers during mealtime in Norwegian childcare centres

The study investigated the quality of interactions between childcare providers and toddlers during a lunch in childcare centres. Meals in childcare centres are semi-structured adult-led situations where the children not only eat, but are also provided with opportunities for implicit learning and interactions. Participants were 13 toddlers aged about 18 months in 11 different childcare centres in a Norwegian municipality. Video recordings were analysed for organization and structure, relational climate and childcare provider–child interactions, weighting provider sensitivity, language support and facilitated exploration. Findings indicated good quality regarding the organization of meals and relational climate in about half of the centres. Sensitivity, language support and facilitated exploration showed low quality across the different centres and are a cause for concern. Implications of the findings are discussed.