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The aim of the activity is first-hand presentation of the impact of International class, a 10 months program for social change leaders, by those who took part in it. Besides the personal stories that come from Amsterdam, Novi Sad, San Francisco, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, the workshop will introduce participants to the Zone of Proximal Development and why we need groups for developmental learning. Although this last is often implied, especially to those who work in education where most of the learning activities are organized in groups, The Zone of Proximal Development (concept developed by psychologist Lev Vygotsky) is used here to explore group life and show how group activities influence the continuous creating of the group. The International Class is a 10-month immersion in creative and cultural approaches to human development, learning, and social change that offers participants the opportunity to create a global support network, to engage the philosophical, political and psychological issues they encounter.

This paper describes Graphical User Interface application for vehicle control panel. The application has three dimensional approach to graphics, and uses Android operative system. The application provides better overview of essential information for a driver. The appearance and content of displayed information can be customized with high focus on safety.

International audience; Biomaterials capable of controlling the release of multiple growth factors (GFs) could potentially promote the integration of co-transplanted neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and stimulate the plasticity and regenerability of the lesioned spinal cord. As a first step towards the employment of such a vehicle for cell therapy, this study examined the capability of an alginate-sulphate/alginate scaffold, able to capture and rigorously control the release of GFs, to promote the expansion and lineage differentiation of NPCs in vitro. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (bFGF) were affinity-bound to alginate-sulphate (200 ng/scaffold) and the bioconjugates were mixed with partially calcium-crosslinked alginate. NPCs isolated from 18 day-old rat embryo brains and seeded into the scaffold during preparation were found to proliferate and differentiate within the vehicle. A continuous release of both bFGF and EGF was noted for a period of 21 days. The concentrations of released GFs were sufficient to promote extensive NPC proliferation at initial cultivation times; the number of neurospheres in the scaffold was twice the number found in the 2D cultures supplemented with 20 ng/ml each factor every 3 days. Between days 10-14, when the GF concentrations had substantially declined, extensive cell migration from the neurospheres as well as lineage differentiation were noted in the scaffold; immunocytochemical analyses confirmed the presence of neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.The scaffold has a potential to serve as cell delivery vehicle, with proven capability to promote cell retention and expansion, while enabling NPC lineage differentiation in situ.

In order to better understand how tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha may contribute to the local regulation of uterine cell death, cultures of mouse uterine epithelial WEG-1 cells were exposed to TNF-alpha and observed at different time intervals. Earliest decrease in cell viability was observed after 31 h of exposure to 50 ng/ml mouse TNF-alpha and was associated with the expression of several markers of apoptosis. Treatment with human TNF-alpha or addition of a neutralizing antibody against TNF-alpha receptor protein 80 to mouse TNF-alpha resulted in attenuated induction of apoptosis, suggesting that coengagement of the two TNF-alpha receptor types is required for maximal impact. Ceramide analogs failed to replicate the effect of TNF-alpha and the stress-activated protein kinase signaling pathway was not activated by the cytokine. Treatment with mouse TNF-alpha resulted in an increase in nuclear factor (NF)kappaB activity that receded after 24 h. The impact of human TNF-alpha on NFkappaB activation was more moderate. Addition of either one of three different inhibitors of NFkappaB (SN50, PDTC, and A771726) to mouse TNF-alpha sensitized WEG-1 cells to the toxicity of the cytokine. Our data suggest that WEG-1 cells initiate their response to TNF-alpha with an increase in NFkappaB activation that may have transiently biased these cells toward cell death resistance.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common finding in everyday clinical practice. However, despite simple diagnostics, clinicians remain interested in it due to its undetermined prevalence, various etiology, clinical features and echocardiographic findings. Etiology and prevalence MVP exists as a primary condition and is commonly associated with tissue diseases of familial origin. It is more common in people with asthenic constitution and congenital thoracic abnormalities. Secondary etiology occurs in rheumatic processes on mitral valve, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease. The prevalence varies between 0.33-17%. Diagnosis and complications Clinical manifestations are different and in most patients asymptomatic. The diagnosis is established by anamnesis, physical examination, M-mode and 2-dimensional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, left ventriculography and direct histopathologic investigation of mitral apparatus. Although MVP is a benign condition, there are certain complications such as infective endocarditis, severe mitral regurgitation, heart failure, cerebral and coronary embolism events arrhythmias and sudden death. Complications mostly occur in patients with heart murmurs and mitral insufficiency in contrast to patients with cusps.

Bakgrund: Att skada sig själv är ingen ny företeelse utan tvärtom ett gammalt fenomen. I Sverige är det svårt att uppskatta antalet personer som skadar sig eftersom det finns få studier gjorda och för att det finns ett stort mörkertal som aldrig uppmärksammas. Att skära sig i huden är förmodligen det vanligaste sättet att skada sig på och orsakerna till självskadebeteendet varierar. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva omvårdnad av patienter med självskadebeteende. Metod: Studien är baserad på 10 vetenskapliga artiklar. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras ur två olika perspektiv, omvårdnad ur patientperspektiv och omvårdnad ur personalperspektiv. Patienterna ville bli behandlade med värdighet, och att någon fanns till hands upplevdes betydelsefullt. Personalen försökte se människan bakom skadan och menade att grunden till en god omvårdnad byggde på empati där förförståelsen skulle läggas åt sidan. Diskussion: Det mest betydelsefulla var att se patienten som en människa och inte bara som en person med problem. Om personalen var empatisk uppnåddes tillit och förtroende., Background: Self-harm is not a new problem, it´s rather an old phenomenon. In Sweden, it is difficult to estimate the number of people who harm themselves. There are few studies done and there is a large dark figure that is difficult to estimate. To cut the skin is probably the most common way to inflict self-harm and the causes varies. Purpose: The purpose of the literature study was to describe nursing care of patients with self-injury behaviour. Method: The study is based on 10 scientific articles. Result: The result is presented from two perspectives; nursing care from the patient perspective and from the nursing staff perspective. Patients wishes to be treated with dignity, and that someone being available was important. The staff tried to see the person behind the injury, and the caring was based on empathy, where the understanding of the behaviour should be set aside. Discussion: The most important objective was to see the patient as a person and not just as a person with problems. If the staff were empathetic, trust and confidence was achieved.

Components of plant essential oils have been reported to have health benefit properties, including antioxidative, anti-tumour, antimicrobial, anti-stress, and immunomodulative activities. We examined the anti-inflammatory effects of thymoquinone, the active ingredient in the volatile oil of Nigella sativa seeds, and borneol, the active component of Salvia officinalis essential oil, on TNBS-induced colitis in mice. Thymoquinone was added to the commercial diet at a concentration of 0.05 % and borneol at two concentrations (0.09% and 0.18%) and fed to ICR mice 5 days before induction of TNBS colitis. Seven days after TNBS administration the mice were killed and macroscopic and histological scores were evaluated. Cytokine mRNA expression in colonic tissue was assessed using quantitative realtime RT-PCR. We did not detect any significant changes in macroscopic and histological scores between experimental and control groups, but we observed a significant decrease in proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1beta and IL-6) mRNA expression in colon tissue in the 0.09% and 0.18% borneol-treated groups of mice in comparison to the control group. Surprisingly, we were not able to confirm anti-inflammatory effects of thymoquinone in TNBS colitis. In conclusion, our data show that borneol is able to significantly suppress proinflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in colonic inflammation, although no significant morphological changes are visible.

Accumulating evidence indicates the role of endogenous catecholamines in mammalian embryogenesis. We searched public databases containing nucleotide sequences derived from mouse preimplantation cDNA libraries and found a partial sequence homology between a cDNA clone from mouse blastocysts and the mouse beta 2-adrenergic receptor sequence. No significant sequence homology was found for other mouse adrenergic and dopamine receptors. Using RT-PCR, we showed that beta 2-adrenoceptor is transcribed not only at blastocyst stage but also at earlier stages of preimplantation development as well as in oocytes. Moreover, we demonstrated that transcripts encoding both isoforms of the beta 3-adrenoceptor (beta 3a- and beta 3b-) are expressed in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos as well. We did not detect the beta 1-adrenoceptor transcript either in oocytes or in preimplantation embryos. Using an antibody against the mouse beta 2-adrenergic receptor, we showed that the receptor protein is expressed in oocytes and preimplantation embryos; in blastocysts, the immufluorescence labeling was stronger in the inner cell mass than in throphectodermal cells. The cell number of the in vitro cultured mouse preimplantation embryos exposed to isoproterenol (a potent beta adrenoceptor agonist) was lower than in control embryos, suggesting that activation of beta adrenergic receptors by appropriate agonist concentration can influence cell proliferation in mouse pre-implantation embryos. Thus, our results indicate that beta adrenergic receptors are expressed in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos and that ligands for the receptors can affect the mouse embryo even in the very early stages of development.

Mouse pheochromocytoma cells (MPCs) provide an excellent model system for investigating the effects of hypoxia on catecholamine enzyme genes and on transcription factors mediating stress responses. RT-PCR detects rapid, transient increases in PNMT mRNA in hypoxic MPC 712 cells. Additionally, elevation of mRNAs encoding transcription factors hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) alpha subunit and Egr-1 are evident within 60 min incubation in anoxia. Therefore, hypoxia elicits rapid transcriptional responses in numerous genes expressed by chromaffin cells.

In order to better understand how tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha may contribute to the local regulation of uterine cell death, cultures of mouse uterine epithelial WEG-1 cells were exposed to TNF-alpha and observed at different time intervals. Earliest decrease in cell viability was observed after 31 h of exposure to 50 ng/ml mouse TNF-alpha and was associated with the expression of several markers of apoptosis. Treatment with human TNF-alpha or addition of a neutralizing antibody against TNF-alpha receptor protein 80 to mouse TNF-alpha resulted in attenuated induction of apoptosis, suggesting that coengagement of the two TNF-alpha receptor types is required for maximal impact. Ceramide analogs failed to replicate the effect of TNF-alpha and the stress-activated protein kinase signaling pathway was not activated by the cytokine. Treatment with mouse TNF-alpha resulted in an increase in nuclear factor (NF)kappaB activity that receded after 24 h. The impact of human TNF-alpha on NFkappaB activation was more moderate. Addition of either one of three different inhibitors of NFkappaB (SN50, PDTC, and A771726) to mouse TNF-alpha sensitized WEG-1 cells to the toxicity of the cytokine. Our data suggest that WEG-1 cells initiate their response to TNF-alpha with an increase in NFkappaB activation that may have transiently biased these cells toward cell death resistance.

To investigate the significance of impaired insulin secretion on preimplantation embryo development, outbred ICR female mice received a single injection of streptozotocin 130 mg (low) and 160 mg (subdiabetic) kg(-1), 14-17 days before fertilization. Preimplantation embryos were collected on day 3 of pregnancy, four to eight-cell embryos were cultured in vitro 48 h (day 5) and their cell number was estimated. After spontaneous ovulation, the significantly different distribution pattern in comparison with the controls was detected only in preimplantation embryos isolated from subdiabetic (160 mg x kg(-1) streptozotocin) mice. Furthermore, the incidence of degenerated embryos was significantly increased after 48 h in vitro cultivation. The analysis of cell number distribution in embryos after cultivation in vitro indicated a significant delay in cell proliferation in both experimental groups (130 and 160 mg x kg(-1) streptozotocin) in comparison with control mice. After superovulation, the only significant difference was found in the distribution pattern of embryos isolated on day 3 of pregnancy from subdiabetic (160 mg x kg(-1) streptozotocin) mice. No significant differences were found after embryo cultivation in vitro. It could be concluded that, in outbred ICR mice, lower streptozotocin treatment (130 mg x kg(-1)) influenced only cell distribution of in vitro cultured embryos after spontaneous ovulation. In ICR mice, marked changes in preimplantation embryo development were detected only after subdiabetic (160 mg x kg(-1)) streptozotocin treatment. During in vitro cultivation delayed effects of impaired insulin secretion resulted in an increase of embryo degeneration at the time after the third mitotic cleavage. Our results indicate that the effects of impaired maternal insulin secretion on preimplantation embryo development in mice are marked and consistent after spontaneous ovulation. Superovulation apparently disguises subtle changes in preimplantation embryo development after low and subdiabetic streptozotocin treatment.