Propolis modulates vitronectin, laminin, and heparan sulfate/heparin expression during experimental burn healing

Objective

This study was aimed at assessing the dynamics of vitronectin (VN), laminin (LN), and heparan sulfate/heparin (HS/HP) content changes during experimental burn healing.

Methods

VN, LN, and HS/HP were isolated and purified from normal and injured skin of domestic pigs, on the 3rd, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 21st days following thermal damage. The wounds were treated with apitherapeutic agent (propolis), silver sulfadiazine (SSD), physiological salt solution, and propolis vehicle. VN and LN were quantified using an immunoenzymatic assay and HS/HP was estimated by densitometric analysis.

Results

Propolis treatment stimulated significant increases in VN, LN, and HS/HP contents during the initial phase of study, followed by a reduction in the estimated extracellular matrix molecules. Similar patterns, although less extreme, were observed after treatment with SSD.

Conclusions

The beneficial effects of propolis on experimental wounds make it a potential apitherapeutic agent in topical burn management.     

Effects of Nature (Greenspace) on Cognitive Functioning in School Children and Adolescents: a Systematic Review

Educational Psychology Review - There is growing interest in understanding the extent to which natural environments can influence learning particularly in school contexts. Nature has the potential...     

Klansman on the Court: Justice Hugo Black's 1937 Radio Address to the Nation

Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black, known for being a liberal First Amendment absolutist and a courageous defender of individual freedom, is considered one of the best justices ever to serve on the nation's high court. This essay examines the events surrounding Justice Black's controversial nomination to the Supreme Court, focusing on his nationally broadcast radio address on October 1, 1937, to answer charges that the then Alabama Senator was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Utilizing archival research from both the Franklin Roosevelt and Hugo Black papers, the analysis focuses on how Black's rhetorical philosophy and his adaptation to multiple audiences resulted in a remarkable "minimalist" address that, despite first impressions, ultimately contributed to his success in pacifying the situation.     

Attributions of deception as a function of reward value: A test of two explanations

Nonverbal expectancy violations theory and a cognitive heuristics approach were used to generate predictions regarding attributions of deception directed toward a message source. The appearance of a message source was manipulated to be either higher or lower in attractiveness while engaging in stereotypically deceptive or truthful behavior. A heuristic approach would suggest a main effect for attractiveness on deceptiveness attributions while a nonverbal expectancy violations approach would predict an interaction between the attraction and deception manipulations. An apparent main effect suggested that the more socially attractive message source was perceived to be less deceptive. However, the effect was driven by an interaction that showed the discrepancy in deception attributions between levels of attractiveness was highest in the deceptive behavior condition, as predicted by nonverbal expectancy violations.     

The impact of physical growth and relative age effect on assessment in physical education

Physical education (PE) is perhaps the school subject most likely to produce relative age effects (RAE). Like in sports, physical maturity gives students an advantage in PE, which might well be mistaken for superior ability. The aim of the present study is to investigate the extent to which physical growth, measured as height, and RAE reflect the assessment in Norwegian PE. Furthermore, we wanted to examine whether there is any gender differences in the assessment in PE as a function of physical growth and RAE. The participants (n?=?2978) were pupils in the last three years of secondary school (13–16 years old). A custom-made questionnaire was designed to collect the necessary data. The correlations between height and mark in PE for boys in 8th, 9th, and 10th grades are respectively r?=?0.14, r?=?0.32, and r?=?0.29. For girls, the correlations are r?=?0.11, r?=?0.33, and r?=?0.21. All correlations are significant (p?<?.05). The number of pupils achieving top marks was 114 in the first half of the year, whereas it was 65 in the second half of the year. The present study showed that physical growth has an impact on the pupils’ PE attainment. The physical growth is of course also mediated by the pupils’ age. RAEs were found in PE attainments also in the Norwegian school system for both genders, despite all the intentions expressed in the PE curriculum.     

Values Attributed to Marriage by Persons with Physical Disabilities

Within the so‐called normal society one can observe again and again symptoms of reluctance to being closely associated with people with physical disabilities. The general opinion is that this group of people is characterised by specific psychological and physical functioning and they are thought to have distinct needs and expectations as regards family life. To verify and confirm the above, comparative research was undertaken to find out how young able‐bodied, blind and persons using wheelchairs evaluate marriage. The subject of the research was the importance ascribed to the hierarchy of values related to marriage and family, and the types of needs satisfied through these institutions of social life. The participants were asked to evaluate such phenomena as love, sexual life and parenthood as well as expressing their attitude and opinion on conjugal infidelity. The results obtained do not indicate any significant differences in attitudes and views presented between the groups under consideration. All valued marriage and family life very highly and had similar expectations, however, not all will be able to fulfil their needs and aspirations in these areas. It will be quite complicated, especially so for those who are disabled. All possible failures are caused by, first of all, negative attitudes of the society towards erotic activities of people with disabilities.     

A Newspaper/Periodical Digitization Project in Mongolia: Creating a Digital Archive of Rare Mongolian Publications

The periodical collection at the Press Institute of Mongolia includes rare newspapers documenting political and economic changes in Mongolia in the 1990s. This article describes a two-year digitization project undertaken to preserve endangered Mongolian newspapers and periodicals in the collection and to expand access to them via the Internet. Newspaper digitization poses many challenges due to large format, complex page layout, and poor-quality print. These difficulties are compounded in the development of international digital libraries that use non-Latin characters. Greenstone, an open-source digital library software suite, offers multilingual support and was used to create a digital archive of these rare Mongolian publications.     

The power,and dilemma,of honesty: action learning for social entrepreneurs

This is an account of one particular set meeting during a year long programme for social entrepreneurs. It triggered a number of questions and insights for me about the amazing value of honesty, and its power. It released a great deal of energy, ownership and ‘control’. I realized how important it was to highlight, discuss and reflect on this, one of the fundamental values of action learning, with set members. However, it also posed dilemmas for them when returning to the ‘real’ world.     

Acute and chronic effects of foam rolling vs eccentric exercise on ROM and force output of the plantar flexors

Foam rolling and eccentric exercise interventions have been demonstrated to improve range of motion (ROM). However, these two modalities have not been directly compared. Twenty-three academy soccer players (age: 18 ± 1; height: 1.74 ± 0.08 m; body mass: 69.3 ± 7.5 kg) were randomly allocated to either a foam rolling (FR) or eccentric exercise intervention designed to improve dorsiflexion ROM. Participants performed the intervention daily for a duration of four weeks. Measurements of dorsiflexion ROM, isometric plantar flexion torque and drop jump reactive strength index were taken at baseline (pre-intervention) and at three subsequent time-points (30-min post, 24-hours post and 4-weeks post). A significant time x group interaction effect was observed for dorsiflexion (P = 0.036), but not for torque or reactive strength index. For dorsiflexion, there was a significant increase in both acute (30-min; P < 0.001) and chronic (4-week; P < 0.001) ROM for the eccentric group, whilst FR exhibited only an acute improvement (P < 0.001). Eccentric training would appear a more efficacious modality than foam rolling for improving dorsiflexion ROM in elite academy soccer players.