A scanning electron microscopy study of the interface between ceramics and bone

By use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), together with energy dispersive chemical analysis, a study has been made of the comparison of an in vitro method of assessing interface reactions between bone and ceramic implants with the naturally occurring changes seen in the rat ear model. Interface reactions between bone and two ceramic materials were examined following 4 wk in culture and 4 wk implantation. In both cases a gradual chemical change occurred at the calcium silicate surface during the fibrous growth onto the ceramic material. Gradual mineralization of the connective fibres was found at the interface of the calcium silicate material, whereas, in the case of alumina ceramic a connective fibrous bond had formed with no associated chemical change at the ceramic surface.     

Ability of rosetting or non-rosetting individual control and inflammatory macrophages to kill Escherichia coli X43 intracellularly

An autoradiographic method combined with a rosette technique was used to assess the bactericidal activity of individual control and inflammatory peritoneal macrophages (PM phi) in the presence or absence of expression of Fc receptor for IgG (FcR). There was a lack of FcR reactivity in a certain percentage of both categories of PM phi exposed to E. coli X43, a bacterium which is readily phagocytosed in the presence of specific antibody. Both rosetting and non-rosetting PM phi were capable of phagocytosing E. coli X43, but inflammatory PM phi showed a marked reduction in their capacity to ingest these bacteria compared with control PM phi. Once ingested the E. coli X43 were killed equally well by non-rosetting and rosetting control and inflammatory PM phi.     

Changes in agent variability and time course of disease incidence during a year (as exemplified by dysentery)

The vulnerability of epidemic process during the period of minimum annual incidence of the disease is validated. Biological properties of Shigella sonnei are studied and their variability examined using the index for evaluation of the mean number of variations for a sign. Minimum agent heterogeneity coincides with minimum incidence of disease and maximum heterogeneity with its seasonal rises.     

Quality validation of platelets obtained from the Haemonetics and Trima Accel automated blood-collection systems

BackgroundPlatelet transfusion is required to treat haemo-oncology or trauma patients. Platelet apheresis (PA) performed with apheresis equipment has increased rapidly in recent years. Leucocyte-reduced platelet apheresis (LRPA) can reduce the risk of platelet refractoriness and febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTRs) for transfusion. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate and compare the platelet metabolic and functional responses between PA performed with Haemonetics and LRPA performed with Trima Accel cell separator.MethodsThe qualities of platelets collected through PA and LRPA were evaluated in terms of visual appearance, morphology, platelet-aggregation changes, metabolic activities, and bacterium-screening test during 5-day storage. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-test and generalised estimating equation(GEE) method.ResultsDuring 5-day storage in LRPA, residual leucocytes were all <1.0×10⁶, and the parameters of platelet function were as follows: platelet aggregated to agonists such as adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) and collagen, and the extent of shape change and pO₂ showed no statistically significant difference between PA and LRPA. The hypotonic shock reaction (HSR) on days 0, 1, and 3 were significantly higher in LRPA than in PA (71.78±6.92 vs. 64.10±7.42; P=0.002; 71.53±8.98 vs. 62.96±9.84; P=0.007; 68.05±7.28 vs. 57.76±6.80; P<0.0001, respectively). Values of mean platelet volume (MPV) were statistically larger in PA than in LRPA on days 0, 1, and 3. On day 5, the swirling score was higher in LRPA than in PA. The mean lactate levels had no statistically significant difference between PA and LRPA. Moreover, no growth was observed through bacterium-screening test conducted on 40 samples.ConclusionComparison of LRPA and PA products collected from the Trima Accel and Haemonetics automated blood-collection systems, respectively, revealed that both products possessed good platelet qualities even though additional processes are needed to reduce leucocytes. Furthermore, investigating the outcomes of other apheresis instruments with focus on the safety of donors, products, and recipients is necessary.     

Skin Conductance Responses to Stimulus "Energy" Decreases Following Habituation

Two experiments are reported in which a reduction in tone intensity or duration followed habituation. Experiment I, which employed 120 subjects, assessed the effects of type of stimulus change (intensity or duration) and trial of change (trial 5 or trial 22) on orienting response (OR) recovery. Experiment II employed 131 subjects, and examined the effects of reduction of stimulus intensity on trial 22 or after subjects reached a predetermined habituation criterion. Experiment I demonstrated OR reappearance following the offset of a shortened stimulus. The combined findings of Experiments I and II suggest that the effects of reducing stimulus intensity depend on when the change is made. In Experiment I, reducing stimulus intensity on trial 5 led to a significant decrease in OR magnitude. In Experiment II, increases in OR magnitude were produced by reducing stimulus intensity either after reaching a criterion or after 21 habituation trials. These findings suggest a Sokolovian view of the development of the generalization gradient of habituation. Results also revealed large individual differences in responding to the stimulus change in Experiment II. Multiple regression analyses of these data were therefore conducted, which allowed two further conclusions to be drawn: First, initial electrodermal state can be used to predict responding on the stimulus change trial. Second, with long habituation training (21 trials), the role of the initial state variables diminishes while other variables representing change over the experimental session become more prominent in predicting responding to stimulus change.     

Parvalbumin in rat cerebrum, cerebellum and retina during postnatal development

Radioimmunoassay and immunohistochemical studies were performed on the occurrence and distribution of parvalbumin-like immunoreactivity (PA-LI) in developing rat cerebrum, cerebellum and retina. No PA-LI was detected in the nervous tissues of the newborn animals. In the cerebrum, the PA-LI appeared in non-pyramidal neurons at the 2nd postnatal week and increased linearly until the 8th week. In the cerebellum, a rapid increase in the PA-LI took place at the 2nd week, with an enrichment of the antigen to Purkinje neurons. In the retina, amacrine cells contained PA-LI, the levels of which increased from the 2nd to 4th week. Regulation of intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration may be one of the important factors for the maturation of the central nervous system.     

医疗卫生机构气候韧性和环境可持续评价工具研究进展

目的 气候变化给医疗卫生机构带来诸多不确定性威胁,医疗卫生机构亟需提高自身的气候韧性并采取积极的应对措施,如何系统评价医疗卫生机构应对气候变化的能力成为应对气候变化挑战的工作重点。方法 使用范围综述筛选医疗卫生机构气候韧性和环境可持续评价工具相关文献和最新进展,并对密切相关的文献采用引文检索拓展研究范围。结果 借鉴国际经验已开发出适用于我国的《绿色医院建筑评价标准》,但对于医疗卫生机构气候韧性的指南和要求仍在探索中。国际上已经发展了三套较完整的工具包和指南,并已探索性开展了实地应用,包括加拿大的医疗卫生机构气候变化韧性工具包、美国的可持续和气候韧性医疗卫生机构工具包,以及世界卫生组织的气候韧性和环境可持续性的医疗卫生机构指南。结论 医疗卫生机构气候韧性和环境可持续能力评价工具构建是开展脆弱性评估和干预的基础,应积极借鉴国外相关经验开发适宜我国的评价工具,以增强机构和人员应对气候变化的能力。     

政策反馈理论视域：中国医疗卫生政策钟摆式变迁及其逻辑

新中国成立以来,党和国家不断强化医疗卫生建设,70余年来医疗卫生政策演进呈钟摆式变迁的特征,即从公益导向的福利性医疗卫生政策摆向效率导向的市场化政策,再摆向公益为主兼顾效率的民生导向政策,在公益与效率间发生三次摆动。本文借助政策反馈理论分析医疗卫生政策钟摆式变迁的内在逻辑,发现政策变迁过程中原有政策通过资源效应、解释效应、演化效应和学习效应影响新政策的制定,使得新政策留有原政策的烙印,呈现出摆动式变迁而非剧烈或范式变迁。政策反馈理论为医疗卫生政策制定提供新视角,制定医疗卫生政策需注重原政策的历史影响力,以公共价值引领医疗医保医药政策,从多重政策反馈效应视角出发优化卫生政策的制定。     

A socioecological discourse of care or an economistic discourse: which fits better with transition?

Objective : To analyse a ‘socioecological’ health promotion discourse and its relationship to orthodox ‘economistic’ discourse in Australia. Method : In research on health promotion addressing equity and environmental sustainability, we identified a socioecological discourse, based on an ethic of care for people and ecosystems. Using Foucault's concept of discourse as a regime that produces and legitimises certain kinds of knowledge, and ecofeminist historical analysis, we analysed this discourse and its relationship to economism. Results : The socioecological discourse takes social and ecological wellbeing as primary values, while economism takes production and trade of goods and services, measured by money, as primary. Following British invasion, property‐owning white men in Australia had the right to control and profit from land, trade, and the work of women and subordinate peoples. A knowledge regime using money as a primary measure reflects this history. In contrast, a First Nations’ primary value expressed in the study was ‘look after the land and the children’. Conclusion and implications for public health : Public health often attempts to express value through economism, using monetary measures. However, socioecological discourse, expressed for example through direct measures of social and ecological wellbeing, appears more fit for purpose in promoting a fair and sustainable society.