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The theory of learned helplessness was presented by Martin Seligman in the late 60s and the early 70s. According to this theory, the previous mental learning had a tremendous impact on future performance. Learned helplessness is a cognitive process that teaches people that staying in such a state leads them to passivity and inactivity, and can keep people stuck in the quagmire of backwardness. Previously, some authors presented articles on the theory of learned helplessness and development, but in this article, the connection between the two and the effect that learned helplessness has on self-concept is discussed. The purpose of this article is to identify the factors that play a role in the lack of development of societies in order to guide them to the path of development by raising developed people. In this research, there is a kind of correlation and causal relationship between two variables: the independent variable - the role of learned helplessness - on the dependent variable - development process. The method of collecting data is in the form of library and documentary studies. The difference between the real self and the ideal self is the beginning of tension and intellectual conflict, and such a process is associated with the thinking that no matter how much effort is made to get out of helplessness, success and progress will not be achieved, and this is exactly the basics that Seligman teaches us in Learned Helplessness.

The influence of a mega-city on the atmospheric boundary layer wind field was examined in the complex-terrain, semi-arid Tehran region using the Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) during a high pollution period. In addition, model sensitivity studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of the urban canopy and urban soil model "SM2-U (3D)" parameterization on the wind field. The topographic flows and urban effects were found to play important roles in modulating the wind field, and the urbanized areas exerted important local effects on the boundary layer meteorology. An emission inventory of heat generation was developed and updated for 2005 in this work. By using a detailed methodology, we calculated spatial and temporal distributions of the anthropogenic heat flux (Qf) for Tehran during 2005. Wintertime Qf is found larger than summertime Qf, which reflects the importance of heating emissions from buildings and traffic during cold and warm periods respectively. Different urban parameterizations were used as a tool to investigate the modifications induced by the presence of an urban area in the area of interest. It is found that, for local meteorological simulations, the drag-force approach (DA) coupled with an urban soil model (SM2-U) is preferable to the roughness approach (RA) coupled with a slab soil model. The comparisons indicated that the most important features of the wind field, in urban areas are well reproduced by the DA-SM2-U configuration with the anthropogenic heat flux being taken into account. This modeling option showed that the suburban part of the city is dominated by topographic flows whereas the center and south of Tehran are more affected by urban heat island (UHI) forcing especially during the night in studied episodes.

Definimos la hipertrofia del músculo masetero como el crecimiento excesivo de la masa muscular de dicho músculo, de presentación subclínica y de etiología multifactorial. Presenta una incidencia entre los 20 a 40 años sin predilección de sexo. Desde que en 1880 Legg la describiera por primera vez, se han intentado múltiples tratamientos, desde los médicos hasta los quirúrgicos, siendo el tratamiento con toxina botulínica el de mayor aceptación en la actualidad. El objetivo del presente artículo es realizar una revisión bibliográfica y proveer una herramienta para el médico que se enfrente a la hipertrofia del músculo masetero, además de presentar un caso clínico unilateral y la técnica empleada para su tratamiento. Como método diagnóstico en el paciente empleamos TAC de cráneo y macizo facial con cortes finos a 1 mm, así como de la región maseterina y aplicamos toxina botulínica de acuerdo a la zona de seguridad propuesta por Nam-Ho Kim y en base a los puntos anatómicos que indica el mismo protocolo, a dosis de 50 U en intervalos de 3 meses. Empleamos también TAC postoperatorio como medio de evaluación del resultado. Los tratamientos médicos con toxina botulínica son variables en sus dosis, aplicaciones y técnicas, así como en los diferentes productos disponibles en el mercado. En nuestro caso, el resultado fue clínicamente satisfactorio, cubriendo en su totalidad las expectativas del paciente. Proponemos que la protocolización del paciente, las dosis adecuadas, el tiempo entre aplicaciones y los sitios anatómicos correctos de inyección, llevan a la corrección de la hipertrofia del músculo masetero.Masseter muscle hypertrophy is an overgrowth of muscle mass with subclinical presentation and multifactorial etiology, with an incidence between 20 to 40 years and without sex predilection. In 1880 Legg describes this pathology for the first time and since then have been reported and attempted to formally multiple treatments, ranging from medical to surgical; medical treatment remains the most current and the most widely accepted is botulinum toxin. The objective of this paper is to review literature and to present a clinical case with unilateral masseteric hypertrophy, as well as the technique used and so provide a tool for the physician faced with masseter muscle hypertrophy. As diagnostic method we used CT of the head and facial mass with thin slices of 1 mm and of the masseteric region in the patient, and after that we performed botulinum toxin treatment according to the safety zone proposed by Nam-Ho Kim, based on anatomical sites indicated in the same protocol, with dose of 50 U at intervals of 3 months and measurement in the postoperative with CT images to evaluate the outcome of the applied treatment. Medical treatment with botulinum toxin are variable in dosage, applications and techniques so as in the products available in the market. In our case, the result was clinically satisfactory, covering the expectations required by the patient. We propose the use of protocols with patients, right dosages, time between applications, injection in correct anatomical sites, leading to the correction of the masseter muscle hypertrophy.

El enoftalmos postraumático se define como la discrepancia entre el volumen orbitario y su contenido; este balance puede verse alterado por múltiples factores, como el secuestro tardío del contenido orbitario por atrapamiento en el sitio de la fractura, herniación del contenido orbitario, necrosis del tejido adiposo orbitario, contracción cicatricial del tejido retrobulbar, pérdida del sistema de suspensión ligamentario del globo ocular y aumento de volumen de la cavidad orbitaria. El presente estudio aborda el problema del enoftalmos postraumático como una deformidad difícil de corregir. Están descritos abordajes cutáneos extensos como el coronal, el subciliar o el intraoral; la técnica descrita por Henry Kawamoto en 1998 describe un procedimiento de menor invasión mediante abordajes de mínima exposición que permiten la refracturación y el alineamiento del cuerpo zigomático, brindando así grandes ventajas sobre las técnicas convencionales. Presentamos el método aplicado en el servicio de Cirugía Reconstructiva del Centro Médico del Instituto de Seguridad Social del Estado de México y Municipios (ISSEMyM) para el manejo de pacientes con enoftalmos como secuela de traumatismos del complejo cigomático-malar; para ello empleamos un método por asistencia con modelos estereolitográficos para la planificación quirúrgica del diseño de osteotomías para corregir la deformidad facial y para determinar las dimensiones del defecto a reparar, así como el tipo y cantidad de materiales aloplásticos o autólogos a emplear. Compartimos la experiencia de los casos tratados en nuestro Servicio entre 2006 y 2010.Post-traumatic enophthalmos is defined as the discrepancy between the orbital volume and its content; this balance can be altered by many factors, such as the entrapment or herniation of the orbital content at the fracture site, orbital adipose tissue necrosis, scar contraction of the retrobulbar tissue, loss of the eyeball suspension system and the increase in orbital volume. This paper deals with the management of post-traumatic enophthalmos as a difficult deformity to treat. Extensive cutaneous approaches have been described, as the coronal, intraoral and subciliar. In 1998 Henry Kawamoto described approaches less invasive allowing minimal exposure, based on the fracturing and re-alignment of the zygomatic body, thus providing great benefits. This method is applied at the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Department of the Instituto de Seguridad Social del Estado de Mexico y Municipios (ISSEMyM) in the management of enophthalmos as a post-traumatic sequelae, with stereolithographic assistance for surgical planning and re-fracturing design of the facial deformity and to determine the size of the defects to repair with autologous or alloplastic materials. We is share our experience with cases treated by our department between 2006 and 2010.

Los objetivos del trabajo fueron conocer la prevalencia de tricomonosis en pacientes embarazadas y evaluar la utilidad de diferentes metodologías para su diagnóstico. Se estudiaron prospectivamente 223 mujeres embarazadas. Trichomonas vaginalis se investigó utilizando distintos exámenes microscópicos, cultivo en medio sólido y medio líquido. Se evaluó la sensibilidad y especificidad de la microscopía considerando a los cultivos en ambos medios como método de referencia. La prevalencia del parásito obtenida por cultivo (medio líquido más medio sólido) fue de 4,5% (10/223) siendo la detección por examen en fresco, coloración de May-Grunwald Giemsa, fresco con solución acética formolada (SAF)/azul de metileno y por cultivo en medio sólido y líquido de 1,3%, 1,8%, 1,8% y 4,5% respectivamente. La sensibilidad del examen en fresco fue 30%, para el May-Grunwald Giemsa y el SAF/azul de metileno fue 40%. Utilizando conjuntamente los tres exámenes microscópicos, la sensibilidad se elevó al 50% y la especificidad fue 100% para todos los exámenes microscópicos. El cultivo en medio líquido detectó el 100% de los casos positivos , mientras que el medio sólido sólo el 50%. Por la baja sensibilidad de la microscopía para T. vaginalis, en embarazadas asintomáticas recomendamos la utilización del cultivo en medio líquido durante el embarazo, para instaurar un tratamiento precoz.The aim of this study was to conduct a survey regarding the prevalence of trichomoniasis in pregnant patients and to evaluate the utility of different diagnostic methods. Two hundred and twenty three vaginal swab specimens from pregnant women were prospectively examined. Trichomonas vaginalis was investigated by various microscopic examinations, solid culture medium and liquid culture medium. The sensitivity and specificity of microscopy were evaluated by considering both culture media as the "gold standards". The prevalence of T. vaginalis obtained by both culture media (liquid plus solid media) was 4.5% (10/223). The prevalence of T. vaginalis obtained by direct smear, May-Grunwald Giemsa staining, sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin (SAF)/Methylene blue staining-fixing technique, solid medium and liquid medium was 1.3%, 1.8%, 1.8% and 4.5%, respectively. The sensitivity of the direct smear was 30 %, but for the May- Grunwald Giemsa staining and the SAF/Methylene blue staining-fixing technique was 40%. Considering the three microscopic examinations altogether, the sensitivity rose to 50% and the specificity was 100% for all of them. The solid medium detected only 50% of the positive cases; the liquid medium detected 100%. Due to the low sensitivity obtained with microscopy in asymptomatic pregnant patients, we recommend the use of the liquid medium during pregnancy, in order to provide an early treatment.

The objective of this article is to report on the relationships between social workers’ sense of coherence, self-efficacy and locus of control on the one hand and burnout on the other hand, and the extent to which these variables can predict their burnout. A survey design was used. The study population consisted of 107 social workers. Four questionnaires were used in the research, namely the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, the Work of Locus of Control Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The results showed that practically significant relationships exist between social workers’ sense of coherence, self-efficacy and locus of control on the one hand and burnout on the other hand. Opsomming Die doelstelling van hierdie artikel is om te rapporteer oor verbande tussen maatskaplike werkers se koherensiesin, selfdoeltreffendheid en lokus van beheer enersyds en uitbranding andersyds, en die mate waarin hierdie veranderlikes hul uitbranding kan voorspel. ’n Opnameontwerp is gebruik. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 107 maatskaplike werkers. Vier vraelyste is gebruik, naamlik die Lewensoriëntasievraelys, die Algemene Selfdoeltreffendheidsvraelys, die Werk-Lokus-van-Beheer-vraelys en die Maslach-Uitbrandingsvraelys. Die resultate van die empiriese ondersoek dui daarop dat daar prakties betekenisvolle verbande bestaan tussen maatskaplike werkers se koherensiesin, selfdoeltreffendheid en lokus van beheer enersyds en hul vlak van uitbranding andersyds.

The unique feature of nuclear accidents with neutron exposure is the induced radioactivity in body tissues. For dosimetry purposes, the most important stable isotopes occurring in human body, which can be activated by neutrons, are 23 Na and 32 S. The respective activation reactions are as follows:23Na(n,γ)24Na and32S(n,p)32P. While sodium occurs in human blood, sulfur is present in human hair. In order to verify the practical feasibility of this dosimetry technique in conditions of our laboratory, samples of human blood and hair were irradiated in a channel of a training reactor VR-1.24Na activity was measured by gamma-ray spectrometry.32P activity in hair was measured by means of a proportional counter. Based on neutron-spectrum calculation, relationships between neutron dose and induced activity were derived for both blood and hair., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Currently, the territorial Radiation Monitoring Network (RMN) of the Czech Republic consists of seven laboratories equipped with gamma spectrometry High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors. From 2007 to 2018, five emergency exercises were carried out to test the sample throughput of these facilities and their staff. The main objective was to identify weaknesses and problem areas in the whole process from the moment of obtaining the samples to logging the results into the central RMN database. The long-term aim of these exercises is to optimize emergency response procedures. The most important factor limiting laboratory capacity is the lack of qualified personnel. The exercises showed that in the current state, these laboratories would be able to operate in 12-hour shifts for 14 days and analyze 1700 samples per day. Emergency exercises have highlighted the fact that this type of exercise should be repeated periodically in order to monitor the performance and analytical capabilities of RMN., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: Some patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) experience persistent postconcussive symptoms, influencing the ability to work. This study assessed associations between mTBI and labour market attachment (up to 5 years postinjury) in patients with different premorbid characteristics., Design and Setting: Danish national cohort study with 5-year register follow-up., Participants: We included hospital admitted patients between 18 and 60 years diagnosed with mTBI (International Classification of Diseases, version 10 diagnosis S06.0) (n=19 732). For each patient, one control was selected matched on age, gender and municipality (n=18 640)., Primary Outcome Measure: Primary outcome was 'not attending ordinary work', and premorbid risk factors were cohabitation status, education, ethnicity, gender, age and comorbidities., Results: The odds of not attending ordinary work increased from 6 months to 5 years. The highest increased odds (approximately twice as high for patients) of not attending ordinary work at 5 years were found in the highest educational group (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.78 to 2.59), for patients of non-Danish origin (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.52 to 2.57), for patients between 30 and 39 years (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.68 to 1.23) and for patients with somatic comorbidities (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.38 to 2.37). Contrary to expectations, we did not find higher odds in patients with psychiatric diagnoses (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.60)., Conclusions: Important premorbid characteristics for lower labour market participation after mTBI were higher education, non-Danish origin, age 30-39 years and having somatic comorbidities. Demographic and health-related variables should be considered when assessing patients with mTBI at risk of long-term sickness absence., Trial Registration Number: NCT03214432; Results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: Sickness absence after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is frequent due to postconcussive symptoms. We examined labour market attachment following mTBI up to 5 years postinjury., Design and Setting: Nationwide cohort study with register follow-up., Participants: Patients between 18 and 60 years with mTBI (International Classification of Diseases, version 10 diagnosis S06.0) were extracted from the Danish National Patient Register (n=19 732). Controls were matched on sex, age and municipality (n=18 640). Patients with spinal cord and column injuries, traumatic brain injury and concussions 5 years preinjury or as secondary diagnosis to the concussion in the inclusion period were excluded., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Data were extracted from the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization. Primary outcome was 'not attending ordinary work' defined as receiving any social transfer payment. Secondary outcomes were health-related benefits, limited attachment to the labour market, permanent lack of attachment to the labour market and death., Results: 5 years after diagnosis, 43% of patients were not attending ordinary work. The odds increased from 6 months (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.36) to 5 years (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.45 to 1.63). The odds of health-related benefits were 32% (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.42) at 6 months and 22% (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.33) at 5 years. Limited attachment to the labour market showed increased odds at 5 years (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.51) and the odds of permanent lack of attachment to the labour market were higher for patients compared with controls (OR 2.59, 95% CI 2.30 to 2.92). Death was more than two times higher at 5 years postinjury (OR 2.62, 95% CI 2.10 to 3.26)., Conclusions: 43% of concussed patients were not attending ordinary work 5 years postinjury and received health and social transfer benefits. We conclude that mTBI has a long-term impact on labour market attachment. Prevention and treatment of persisting postconcussive symptoms should be considered., Trial Registration Number: NCT03214432; Results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Traces of particulate radioactive iodine ( 131 I) were detected in the European atmosphere in January/February 2017. Concentrations of this nuclear fission product were very low, ranging 0.1 to 10 μBq m -3 except at one location in western Russia where they reached up to several mBq m -3 . Detections have been reported continuously over an 8-week period by about 30 monitoring stations. We examine possible emission source apportionments and rank them considering their expected contribution in terms of orders of magnitude from typical routine releases: radiopharmaceutical production units > sewage sludge incinerators > nuclear power plants > spontaneous fission of uranium in soil. Inverse modeling simulations indicate that the widespread detections of 131 I resulted from the combination of multiple source releases. Among them, those from radiopharmaceutical production units remain the most likely. One of them is located in Western Russia and its estimated source term complies with authorized limits. Other existing sources related to 131 I use (medical purposes or sewage sludge incineration) can explain detections on a rather local scale. As an enhancing factor, the prevailing wintertime meteorological situations marked by strong temperature inversions led to poor dispersion conditions that resulted in higher concentrations exceeding usual detection limits in use within the informal Ring of Five (Ro5) monitoring network.

Salt (NaCl) represents a radiation sensitive material with a considerable potential for dosimetry in mixed radiation fields of photons and neutrons. In consequence of a gamma radiation exposure, it exhibits a strong luminescence signal following stimulation with blue light. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique can be used for measurement. Photon dose reconstruction can be done using so-called Single-Aliquot Regenerative-dose protocol. However, a part of OSL signal is caused by NaCl self-irradiation resulting from neutron reactions. This NaCl neutron sensitivity is comparable with neutron sensitivity of TLD-700. Neutron dose can be determined based on neutron activation of NaCl via reaction 23Na(n,γ)24Na. A relation between neutron dose and activity of 24Na can be derived. The total dose is thus determined based on the combination of results of OSL measurements and gamma activity measurements. Practical feasibility of this approach was experimentally verified for salt samples irradiated in a channel of a training reactor., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Therapeutic effects of PSD-95 inhibition have been demonstrated in numerous studies of stroke; however only few studies have assessed the effects of PSD-95 inhibitors in traumatic brain injury (TBI). As the pathophysiology of TBI partially overlaps with that of stroke, PSD-95 inhibition may also be an effective therapeutic strategy in TBI. The objectives of the present study were to assess the effects of a dimeric inhibitor of PSD-95, UCCB01-144, on excitotoxic cell death in vitro and outcome after experimental TBI in rats in vivo. In addition, the pharmacokinetic parameters of UCCB01-144 were investigated in order to assess uptake of the drug into the central nervous system of rats. After a controlled cortical impact rats were randomized to receive a single injection of either saline or two different doses of UCCB01-144 (10 or 20 mg/kg IV) immediately after injury. Spatial learning and memory were assessed in a water maze at 2 weeks post-trauma, and at 4 weeks lesion volumes were estimated. Overall, UCCB01-144 did not protect against NMDA-toxicity in neuronal cultures or experimental TBI in rats. Important factors that should be investigated further in future studies assessing the effects of PSD-95 inhibitors in TBI are discussed.

Pharmacological inhibition of PSD-95 is a promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of stroke, and positive effects of monomeric and dimeric PSD-95 inhibitors have been reported in numerous studies. However, whether therapeutic effects will generalize to other types of acute brain injury such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), which has pathophysiological mechanisms in common with stroke, is currently uncertain. We have previously found a lack of neuroprotective effects of dimeric PSD-95 inhibitors in the controlled cortical impact model of TBI in rats. However, as no single animal model is currently able to mimic the complex and heterogeneous pathophysiology of TBI, it is necessary to assess treatment effects across a range of models. In this preliminary study we investigated the neuroprotective abilities of the dimeric PSD-95 inhibitor UCCB01-144 after fimbria-fornix (FF) transection in rats. UCCB01-144 or saline was injected into the lateral tail vein of rats immediately after sham surgery or FF-transection, and effects on spatial delayed alternation in a T-maze were assessed over a 28-day period. Task acquisition was significantly impaired in FF-transected animals, but there were no significant effects of UCCB01-144 on spatial delayed alternation after FF-transection or sham surgery, although decelerated learning curves were seen after treatment with UCCB01-144 in FF-transected animals. The results of the present study are consistent with previous research showing a lack of neuroprotective effects of PSD-95 inhibition in experimental models of TBI., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Studies have shown that exercise can positively influence cognitive performance after brain injury. This study investigated the effects of different exercise regimens on allocentric place learning after fimbria‑fornix (FF) transection. One hundred and sixteen pre‑shaped rats were subjected either to a mechanical transection of the FF or control sham surgery and divided into following groups: i) no exercise (NE), ii) voluntary exercise in a running wheel (RW), iii) forced swimming exercise administered as interval training of short (3x5 min) duration (FS‑SI), iv) forced swimming exercise administered as interval training of long (3x15 min) duration (FS‑LI), v) forced swimming exercise administered as one session of short (5 min) duration (FS‑SS), and vi) forced swimming exercise administered as one session of long (15 min) duration (FS‑LS). The exercise was initiated 21 days post‑surgery. Subsequently, all animals were administered 28 acquisition sessions in an 8‑arm radial maze. Both sham operated and lesioned animals showed a significant learning response, however, the lesion induced a marked and lasting impairment, which was not alleviated neither by voluntary nor forced (spaced or one‑session only) exercise regimens. Exercise regimens had no effect on the place learning of control sham animals. We conclude that the lesion location as well as factors related to the exercise‑ and cognitive testing protocols can profoundly influence the potential of exercise as a general recovery‑promoting method.

PSD-95 inhibitors have been shown to be neuroprotective in stroke, but have only to a very limited extent been evaluated in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has pathophysiological mechanisms in common with stroke. The aims of the current study were to assess the effects of a novel dimeric inhibitor of PSD-95, UCCB01-147, on histopathology and long-term cognitive outcome after controlled cortical impact (CCI) in rats. As excitotoxic cell death is thought to be a prominent part of the pathophysiology of TBI, we also investigated the neuroprotective effects of UCCB01-147 and related compounds on NMDA-induced cell death in cultured cortical neurons. Anesthetized rats were given a CCI or sham injury, and were randomized to receive an injection of either UCCB01-147 (10 mg/kg), the non-competitive NMDAR-receptor antagonist MK-801 (1 mg/kg) or saline immediately after injury. At 2 and 4 weeks post-trauma, spatial learning and memory were assessed in a water maze, and at 3 months, brains were removed for estimation of lesion volumes. Overall, neither treatment with UCCB01-147 nor MK-801 resulted in significant improvements of cognition and histopathology after CCI. Although MK-801 provided robust neuroprotection against NMDA-induced toxicity in cultured cortical neurons, UCCB01-147 failed to reduce cell death and became neurotoxic at high doses. The data suggest potential differential effects of PSD-95 inhibition in stroke and TBI that should be investigated further in future studies taking important experimental factors such as timing of treatment, dosage, and anesthesia into consideration., (© 2016 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Acquired brain injuries (ABI) have devastating effects for the affected individual as well as society. Many studies have investigated the effect of different monotherapies. However, functional recovery is typically only partial. One possible strategy to promote a greater degree of recovery is to apply monotherapies in combination with one or more treatments., Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to investigate if approaches combining enriched environment (EE), exercise, or task-specific training with other monotherapies, further enhance the degree of recovery after ABI., Method: Scopus, PsychINFO, and PubMed databases were searched in March 2016 with the following search strings: exercise (or) enriched environment (or) environmental enrichment (or) rehabilitation (and) traumatic brain injury (or) ischemia (or) stroke (and) rat (or) rodent. Studies were included if they (1) were in English, (2) used adult animals subjected to brain injury, (3) included EE, and/or exercise, and/or task-specific training as post-injury treatment strategies, (4) included at least one group receiving another monotherapy. Out of 2.168 hits, 29 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria., Results: Despite several trends for enhanced recovery after combined therapies, this systematic review of 29 studies does not indicate that combined therapies confer consistent combined effects on motor, cognitive, or cerebral recovery according to present criteria for combined effect., Conclusion: Combined treatments continue to provide hope for enhanced recovery after ABI, however, the research area is in its infancy. This systematic review does not provide conclusive evidence. This is likely due to sparse knowledge regarding optimal treatment parameters. Combined treatments, however, hold the best promise regarding treatment of the complex changes induced by ABI.

Voluntary exercise has previously been shown to enhance cognitive recovery after acquired brain injury (ABI). The present study evaluated effects of two differentially distributed protocols of delayed, voluntary exercise on cognitive recovery using an allocentric place learning task in an 8-arm radial maze. Fifty-four Wistar rats were subjected to either bilateral transection of the fimbria-fornix (FF) or to sham surgery. Twenty-one days postinjury, the animals started exercising in running wheels either for 14 consecutive days (FF/exercise daily [ExD], sham/ExD) or every other day for 14 days (FF/exercise every second day [ExS], sham/ExS). Additional groups were given no exercise treatment (FF/not exercise [NE], sham/NE). Regardless of how exercise was distributed, we found no cognitively enhancing effects of exercise in the brain injured animals. Design and protocol factors possibly affecting the efficacy of post-ABI exercise are discussed.

Background: Exercise after brain injury holds major therapeutic potentials, but it is still uncertain whether such an intervention should take place during the critical time window of intrinsic repair mechanisms., Objective: To assess the effects of acute or delayed voluntary exercise in running wheels on post-injury allocentric place learning in an 8-arm radial maze., Methods: Forty-eight pre-shaped male rats underwent fimbria-fornix transection (FF) or control surgery (Sham). The animals were divided into six groups: FF group with no access to exercise (FF/NE); FF group starting exercise 1day post-surgery (FF/E+1); FF group starting exercise 8days post-surgery (FF/E+8); FF group starting exercise 21days post-surgery (FF/E+21); Sham group with no access to exercise (Sham/NE), and Sham group starting exercise 1day post-surgery (Sham/E+1). After 7days of exercise 6h/day, all animals underwent 28 place learning acquisition sessions., Results: The FF/E+21 group showed an enhanced acquisition of the task compared to FF/NE. The FF/E+1 and FF/E+8 groups also showed an enhanced task acquisition relative to FF/NE, however with a slower acquisition than the FF/E+21 group., Conclusion: The data underscores the link between exercise and functional recovery after brain injury and emphasizes the importance of optimal timing of this intervention., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To i) evaluate the effect of a restraint procedure (7 days, 2 h/day) on place learning after fimbria-fornix transection (FF), ii) investigate effects of early vs. late administration of restraint, and iii) establish effects of the restraint procedure on expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus., Methods: Fifty rats subjected to FF or sham surgery and divided into groups exposed to restraint immediately (early restraint) or 21 days (late restraint) after surgery were trained to acquire an allocentric place learning task. In parallel, 29 animals were subjected to FF or sham surgery and an identical restraint procedure in order to measure concentrations of BDNF and corticosterone., Results: The performance of the sham operated rats was positively affected by the late restraint. In FF-lesioned animals, the late restraint significantly improved task performance compared to the lesioned group with no restraint, while the early restraint was associated with a negative impact on task acquisition. Biochemical analysis after restraint procedure revealed a lesion-induced upregulation of BDNF in FF animals., Conclusions: The improved task performance of lesioned animals suggests a therapeutic effect of this manipulation, independent of BDNF. This effect is sensitive to the temporal administration of treatment.

Enriched environment (EE) has been shown to have beneficial effects on cognitive recovery after brain injury. Typical EE comprises three components: (i) enlarged living area providing physical activation, (ii) sensory stimulation, and (iii) social stimulation. The present study assessed the specific contribution of the social stimulation. Animals were randomly divided into groups of (1) a typical EE, (2) pure social enrichment (SE), or (3) standard housing (SH) and subjected to either a sham operation or transection of the fimbria-fornix (FF). The effect of these conditions on acquisition of a delayed alternation task in a T-maze was assessed. The sham control groups were not affected by housing conditions. In the lesioned groups, both typical EE and SE improved the task acquisition, compared to SH. A baseline one-hour activity measurement confirmed an equal level of physical activity in the EE and SE groups. After delayed alternation testing, pharmacological challenges (muscarinergic antagonist scopolamine and dopaminergic antagonist SKF-83566) were used to assess cholinergic and dopaminergic contributions to task solution. Scopolamine led to a marked impairment in all groups. SKF-83566 significantly enhanced the performance of the lesioned group subjected to SE. The results demonstrate that housing in a typical as well as atypical EE can enhance cognitive recovery after mechanical injury to the hippocampus. The scopolamine challenge revealed a cholinergic dependency during task performance in all groups, regardless of lesion and housing conditions. The dopaminergic challenge revealed a difference in the neural substrates mediating recovery in the lesioned groups exposed to different types of housing., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Within one experiment and one T-maze, we examined the consequences of (i) bilateral lesions of the anteromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), (ii) bilateral transections of the fimbria-fornix (FF), or (iii) combined lesions of both PFC and FF (COMB) on rats' ability to perform reversal or set-shifting. Postoperatively, the animals were trained to perform a spatial discrimination go-right task. This was followed by (1) a spatial reversal go-left task (reversal learning), or (2) a visual pattern discrimination task (set-shift). Neither single (PFC or FF) lesion nor combined (COMB) lesions affected the animals' ability to acquire the original spatial discrimination task. Regarding the reversal learning, the performance of the PFC and the FF groups was not significantly different from that of the sham operated control animals (Sham). In contrast, animals with combined lesion of both structures were impaired on both error rate and acquisition speed relative to all other groups. Regarding the set-shifting, all lesioned groups were impaired relative to the Sham group both regarding the error rate and the acquisition speed. There was, however, no difference in the degree of impairment between the lesioned groups. We conclude that both the PFC and the hippocampus contributed to the mediation of the reversal learning and set-shifting. During functional recovery of reversal learning, these two structures exhibited a mutual dependency, whilst the functional recovery of set-shifting was mediated by a substrate outside these two structures., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This paper presents the results of atmospheric radioactivity monitoring over the Czech Republic, as obtained by the Radiation Monitoring Network, following the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Maximum values for (131)I were 5.6 mBq m(-3) in aerosol form and 13 mBq m(-3) in gaseous form. The maximum values for (134)Cs and (137)Cs were 0.64 and 0.72 mBq m(-3), respectively. The estimated effective half-time for removing the activity from the atmosphere was 6-7 d and 3.5 d for caesium and iodine, respectively. The gaseous-to-total activity ratios of (131)I ranged between 0.3 and 0.9, with an arithmetic mean value of 0.77. The mean value for the (134)Cs/(137)Cs ratios was close to 1.0. The effective inhalation dose due to the accident for an adult living in the Czech Republic was estimated at <4 × 10(-5) mSv, out of which the proportion of (131)I was 88%., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The objective of the present paper is to review the current status of exercise as a tool to promote cognitive rehabilitation after acquired brain injury (ABI) in animal model-based research. Searches were conducted on the PubMed, Scopus, and psycINFO databases in February 2014. Search strings used were: exercise (and) animal model (or) rodent (or) rat (and) traumatic brain injury (or) cerebral ischemia (or) brain irradiation. Studies were selected if they were (1) in English, (2) used adult animals subjected to acquired brain injury, (3) used exercise as an intervention tool after inflicted injury, (4) used exercise paradigms demanding movement of all extremities, (5) had exercise intervention effects that could be distinguished from other potential intervention effects, and (6) contained at least one measure of cognitive and/or emotional function. Out of 2308 hits, 22 publications fulfilled the criteria. The studies were examined relative to cognitive effects associated with three themes: exercise type (forced or voluntary), timing of exercise (early or late), and dose-related factors (intensity, duration, etc.). The studies indicate that exercise in many cases can promote cognitive recovery after brain injury. However, the optimal parameters to ensure cognitive rehabilitation efficacy still elude us, due to considerable methodological variations between studies.

Following the Fukushima accident, a series of aerosol samples were taken between 24th March and 13th April 2011 by cascade impactors in the Czech Republic to obtain the size distribution of (131)I, (134)Cs, (137)Cs, and (7)Be aerosols. All distributions could be considered monomodal. The arithmetic means of the activity median aerodynamic diameters (AMADs) for artificial radionuclides and for (7)Be were 0.43 and 0.41 μm with GDSs 3.6 and 3.0, respectively. The time course of the AMADs of (134)Cs, (137)Cs and (7)Be in the sampled period showed a slight decrease at a significance level of 0.05, whereas the AMAD pertaining to (131)I increased at a significance level of 0.1. Results obtained after the Fukushima accident were compared with results obtained after the Chernobyl accident. The radionuclides released during the Chernobyl accident for which we determined the AMAD fell into two categories: refractory radionuclides ((140)Ba, (140)La (141)Ce, (144)Ce, (95)Zr and (95)Nb) and volatile radionuclides ((134)Cs, (137)Cs, (103)Ru, (106)Ru, (131)I, and (132)Te). The AMAD of the refractory radionuclides was approximately 3 times higher than the AMAD of the volatile radionuclides; nevertheless, the size distributions for volatile radionuclides having a mean AMAD value of 0.51 μm were very close to the distributions after the Fukushima accident., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)