Fluid flow induced calcium response in bone cell network

In our previous work, bone cell networks with controlled spacing and functional intercellular gap junctions had been successfully established by using microcontact printing and self assembled monolayers technologies [Guo, X. E., E. Takai, X. Jiang, Q. Xu, G. M. Whitesides, J. T. Yardley, C. T. Hung, E. M. Chow, T. Hantschel, and K. D. Costa. Mol. Cell. Biomech. 3:95-107, 2006]. The present study investigated the calcium response and the underlying signaling pathways in patterned bone cell networks exposed to a steady fluid flow. The glass slides with cell networks were separated into eight groups for treatment with specific pharmacological agents that inhibit pathways significant in bone cell calcium signaling. The calcium transients of the network were recorded and quantitatively evaluated with a set of network parameters. The results showed that 18 alpha-GA (gap junction blocker), suramin (ATP inhibitor), and thapsigargin (depleting intracellular calcium stores) significantly reduced the occurrence of multiple calcium peaks, which were visually obvious in the untreated group. The number of responsive peaks also decreased slightly yet significantly when either the COX-2/PGE(2) or the NOS/nitric oxide pathway was disrupted. Different from all other groups, cells treated with 18 alpha-GA maintained a high concentration of intracellular calcium following the first peak. In the absence of calcium in the culture medium, the intracellular calcium concentration decreased slowly with fluid flow without any calcium transients observed. These findings have identified important factors in the flow mediated calcium signaling of bone cells within a patterned network.</p

Excessive Activation of TGFβ by Spinal Instability Causes Vertebral Endplate Sclerosis

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THE REFERENCE GROUP INFLUENCE ON CELL PHONE PURCHASING BEHAVIOR: RESEARCH ON CHINESE YOUTH

The cell phone has experienced a change from a private luxury product into a public necessity product in the late 1990s China. According to consumer behavior theories, individuals would be significantly influenced by their reference groups when making a purchasing decision of a certain commodity such as the cell phone. The reference group influence encompasses three types: informational influence, utilitarian influence, and value-expressive influence. This paper utilizes the empirical research method to investigate the three types of reference group influence on Chinese youth\u27s cell phone purchasing behavior. The research results indicate that reference groups have a significant influence on cell phone purchasing behavior among Chinese youth. This paper also investigates the different degree of influences between genders and between the working and non-working youth. Based on the research conclusions, this paper provides some suggestions for marketers competing in the Chinese cell phone market

Spreading area and shape regulate apoptosis and differentiation of osteoblasts

The in vivo observations have indicated that at the remodeling sites of bone, the spreading area or shape of preosteoblasts is confined by the mineralized matrix. But it remains unknown whether this spreading confinement regulates the differentiation or apoptosis of osteoblasts. In the present study, osteoblast-like cells (MC3T3-E1) were seeded on micropatterned islands with different area and shape. The expression of three osteogenic differentiation markers was measured by immunofluorescence staining and apoptotic cells were detected using a terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling assay kit. The membrane fluorescence staining results showed that the actual spreading area of micropatterned osteoblasts coincided with the designed value. When the area of a micropatterned cell was confined as 314 or 615 mu m(2), which was lower than that of freely spreading osteoblasts, the circular shape promoted the expression of osteogenic differentiation markers and the percentage of apoptotic osteoblasts compared with the branched shape. This shape-regulated differentiation and apoptosis of osteoblasts with confined spreading area were abolished when actin polymerization was inhibited by cytochalasin D. The present study gives an insight into the roles of spreading morphology on osteoblastic differentiation and apoptosis

Emotion regulation moderates the prospective association between ERN and anxiety in early adolescence: An age-specific moderation of cognitive reappraisal but not expressive suppression

The increasing prevalence of anxiety problems during adolescence underscores the importance of a better understanding of the development of anxiety. While past research has highlighted a link between error responsivity, indexed by error-related negativity (ERN), and youth anxiety, the role of emotion regulation in the ERN-anxiety relationship remains unclear. We conducted a two-wave study with 115 healthy nine-12-year-olds, and found that expressive suppression (ES), an important emotion regulatory strategy, moderates the ERN-anxiety association. A larger T1 ERN predicted heightened T2 anxiety symptoms in those with higher ES. Interestingly, the moderating effect of cognitive reappraisal (CR), another important emotion regulatory strategy, on the ERN-anxiety association was age-dependent; in older youths, the association between T1 ERN and T2 symptoms was significant only for those with lower CR. These findings offer novel insights into the differential age-related patterns in the moderating effects of emotion regulation, and inform future emotion intervention studies for youths

The funding of collective redress by entrepreneurial parties: the EU and Dutch context

The development of collective redress in practice depends on the availability of adequate funding. In recentyears third-party funding by entrepreneurial parties has become an important source of financing collectiveactions and settlements. Both at the EU level and in most of the Member States third-party litigation fundingand related forms of entrepreneurial lawyering have generally been viewed with suspicion, though the newRepresentative Actions Directive (RAD) does enable third-party funding under certain conditions. TheNetherlands is perhaps the Member State best known for its collective redress mechanisms, and the role ofthird-party funding has been important for its development. This paper discusses the financing of collectiveredress from a European and Dutch perspective. It assesses in how far EU law, and in particular the RAD,enables the third-party funding and how this has developed in the Netherlands. It concludes that thereluctance in Europe towards third-party funding is still visible, but the RAD and recent developments inthe EU acknowledge its importance. As to the Netherlands, considering some restrictions in the latestlegislative addition enabling collective action damage claims, it remains to be seen what role Dutchcollective redress and developing funding mechanisms will play in Europe and beyond.<br/

The funding of collective redress by entrepreneurial parties: the EU and Dutch context

The development of collective redress in practice depends on the availability of adequate funding. In recentyears third-party funding by entrepreneurial parties has become an important source of financing collectiveactions and settlements. Both at the EU level and in most of the Member States third-party litigation fundingand related forms of entrepreneurial lawyering have generally been viewed with suspicion, though the newRepresentative Actions Directive (RAD) does enable third-party funding under certain conditions. TheNetherlands is perhaps the Member State best known for its collective redress mechanisms, and the role ofthird-party funding has been important for its development. This paper discusses the financing of collectiveredress from a European and Dutch perspective. It assesses in how far EU law, and in particular the RAD,enables the third-party funding and how this has developed in the Netherlands. It concludes that thereluctance in Europe towards third-party funding is still visible, but the RAD and recent developments inthe EU acknowledge its importance. As to the Netherlands, considering some restrictions in the latestlegislative addition enabling collective action damage claims, it remains to be seen what role Dutchcollective redress and developing funding mechanisms will play in Europe and beyond.<br/

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Folkehelse og livsmestring i danningsfaget norsk

Dette masterprosjektet studerer sammenhengen mellom danning og folkehelse og livsmestring i norskfaget. Det tverrfaglige tema kom som et nytt område i Fagfornyelsen. Temaet er en sentral del av skolens dannings- og utdanningsoppdrag, slik som norsk er et sentralt fag for danning (Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2020). Jeg har derfor valgt å undersøke følgende problemstilling: Hvilke muligheter for danning kan man finne gjennom arbeid med folkehelse og livsmestring i norskfaget? Min ambisjon er at denne oppgaven skal ha relevans for planlegging og undervisningspraksis. Studien er et bidrag til lærere og studenter for å få mer innsikt i hvordan folkehelse og livsmestring kan arbeides med i norskfaget og hvilke muligheter for danning som kan ligge i et slikt arbeid. For å undersøke min problemstilling har jeg valgt å se på hvordan danning og det tverrfaglige temaet uttrykkes i læreplanen, og undersøke hvordan man kan forstå det tverrfaglige tema opp mot danningsoppdraget i norsk. Da denne studien er nært knyttet skolens praksis og lærernes undervisning, valgte jeg å gjennomføre kvalitative gruppeintervju med seks norsklærere for å få innsikt i deres erfaringer og refleksjoner knyttet folkehelse og livsmestring. For å klargjøre empirien til drøfting opp mot relevant teori og forskning, strukturerte og systematiserte jeg deltakernes utsagn gjennom koding og kategorisering i lys av oppgavens problemstilling og forskningsspørsmål. Funnene viser at lærerne ved begge skolene opplever at de ikke har arbeidet tilstrekkelig med fagfornyelsen eller det tverrfaglige temaet folkehelse og livsmestring og at mye av dette skyldes Korona-pandemien. Deltakerne løfter også frem at det kan være vanskelig å forholde seg til alt det nye, og at det kan være lettere å følge lærebøker eller planlegge ut ifra kompetansemål. Funnene viser at flere av deltakerne uttrykker usikkerhet rundt hva folkehelse og livsmestring innebærer og hvordan man kan forstå danningsbegrepet. Deltakerne diskuterer mulige arbeidsmetoder i arbeid med folkehelse og livsmestring i norsk og reflekterer over hvilken læring elevene kan finne i dette arbeidet. Det teoretiske rammeverket knyttet danning og implementering, formuleringer i læreplanen og funn fra analysen bygger grunnlaget for tematikkene jeg har utformet til drøfting: Implementering som byggestein for god undervisning, viktigheten av felles forståelse for overordnede mål og danning gjennom folkehelse og livsmestring, som utdypes med undertemaet: språk og tekst som danningsgrunnlag i det tverrfaglige temaet og norskfaget.This master's project studies the connection between education/formation and public health and life skills in the subject Norwegian. The interdisciplinary theme came as a new area in the subject renewal of the curriculum. The theme is a central part of the school's formation and education mission, as Norwegian is a central subject for formation and education (Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2020). I have therefore chosen to investigate the following issue: What opportunities for education/formatin can be found through teachingwork with public health and life skills in the Norwegian subject? My ambition is that this assignment will be relevant for planning and teaching practice. This study is a contribution to teachers and students to gain more insight into how public health and life skills can be worked with in the subject Norwegian and what opportunities for education/formation which may lie in such work. To investigate my issue, I have chosen to look at how education/formation and the interdisciplinary theme are expressed in the curriculum, and examine how one can understand the interdisciplinary theme in relation to the educational/formational assignment in the Norwegian subject. As this study is closely linked to the school's practice and the teachers' classroom-teaching, I have chose to do qualitative group interviews with six Norwegian-subject teachers to gain insight into their experiences and reflections related to public health and life skills. To clarify the empirical data for discussion against relevant theory and research, I structured and systematized the participants' statements through coding and categorization in light of the thesis issue and research questions. The findings show that the teachers at both schools feel that they have not worked sufficiently with the subject renewal or the interdisciplinary theme of public health and life skills and that much of this is due to the Corona-pandemic. The participants also point out that it can be difficult to relate to everything new, and that it can be easier to follow textbooks or plan based on competence goals. The findings show that several of the participants express uncertainty about what public health and life skills entail and how to understand the concept of education/formation. The participants discuss possible working methods in work with public health and life skills in the Norwegian subjec and reflect on what learning the students can find through this work. The theoretical framework related to education/formation and implementation, formulations in the curriculum and findings from the analysis, build the basis for the topics I will discuss: Implementation as a building block for good teaching, the importance of a common understanding of overall goals and education/formation through public health and life skills, which is elaborated with the sub-theme: language and text as a basis for formation/education in the interdisciplinary theme and Norwegian subject