Occupational rehabilitation in the construction industry of Victoria

A survey of construction companies' secondary disability management practices was undertaken in the state of Victoria, Australia. The results indicate that formal rehabilitation and return‐to‐work programmes and practices are not adopted in many companies. Smaller construction firms were less likely to have adopted formal programmes or practices than medium‐to‐large firms. In particular, construction companies reported difficulties in the provision of suitable alternate or light duties for workers returning to work following an injury. Most companies regarded disability management practices to have increased operating costs while yielding little or no benefit in terms of reducing lost workdays. Strategies to overcome some of these impediments to rehabilitation and return‐to‐work in construction are recommended.     

Analyses of systems theory for construction accident prevention with specific reference to OSHA accident reports

To enhance workplace safety in the construction industry it is important to understand interrelationships among safety risk factors associated with construction accidents. This study incorporates the systems theory into Heinrich's domino theory to explore the interrelationships of risks and break the chain of accident causation. Through both empirical and statistical analyses of 9358 accidents which occurred in the U.S. construction industry between 2002 and 2011, the study investigates relationships between accidents and injury elements (e.g., injury type, part of body, injury severity) and the nature of construction injuries by accident type. The study then discusses relationships between accidents and risks, including worker behavior, injury source, and environmental condition, and identifies key risk factors and risk combinations causing accidents. The research outcomes will assist safety managers to prioritize risks according to the likelihood of accident occurrence and injury characteristics, and pay more attention to balancing significant risk relationships to prevent accidents and achieve safer working environments.     

MicroRNA-378 Alleviates Cerebral Ischemic Injury by Negatively Regulating Apoptosis Executioner Caspase-3

miRNAs have been linked to many human diseases, including ischemic stroke, and are being pursued as clinical diagnostics and therapeutic targets. Among the aberrantly expressed miRNAs in our previous report using large-scale microarray screening, the downregulation of miR-378 in the peri-infarct region of middle cerebral artery occluded (MCAO) mice can be reversed by hypoxic preconditioning (HPC). In this study, the role of miR-378 in the ischemic injury was further explored. We found that miR-378 levels significantly decreased in N2A cells following oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) treatment. Overexpression of miR-378 significantly enhanced cell viability, decreased TUNEL-positive cells and the immunoreactivity of cleaved-caspase-3. Conversely, downregulation of miR-378 aggravated OGD-induced apoptosis and ischemic injury. By using bioinformatic algorithms, we discovered that miR-378 may directly bind to the predicted 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of Caspase-3 gene. The protein level of caspase-3 increased significantly upon OGD treatment, and can be downregulated by pri-miR-378 transfection. The luciferase reporter assay confirmed the binding of miR-378 to the 3′-UTR of Caspase-3 mRNA and repressed its translation. In addition, miR-378 agomir decreased cleaved-caspase-3 ratio, reduced infarct volume and neural cell death induced by MCAO. Furthermore, caspase-3 knockdown could reverse anti-miR-378 mediated neuronal injury. Taken together, our data demonstrated that miR-378 attenuated ischemic injury by negatively regulating the apoptosis executioner, caspase-3, providing a potential therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.     

Resveratrol Attenuates Acute Inflammatory Injury in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats via Inhibition of TLR4 Pathway

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been proven to play a critical role in neuroinflammation and to represent an important therapeutic target following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Resveratrol (RSV), a natural occurring polyphenolic compound, has a powerful anti-inflammatory property. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of RSV in protecting against early brain injury (EBI) after SAH remain obscure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of RSV on the TLR4-related inflammatory signaling pathway and EBI in rats after SAH. A prechiasmatic cistern SAH model was used in our experiment. The expressions of TLR4, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were evaluated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The expressions of Iba-1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines in brain cortex were determined by Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neural apoptosis, brain edema, and neurological function were further evaluated to investigate the development of EBI. We found that post-SAH treatment with RSV could markedly inhibit the expressions of TLR4, HMGB1, MyD88, and NF-κB. Meanwhile, RSV significantly reduced microglia activation, as well as inflammatory cytokines leading to the amelioration of neural apoptosis, brain edema, and neurological behavior impairment at 24 h after SAH. However, RSV treatment failed to alleviate brain edema and neurological deficits at 72 h after SAH. These results indicated that RSV treatment could alleviate EBI after SAH, at least in part, via inhibition of TLR4-mediated inflammatory signaling pathway.     

SNI小鼠中调控ROS对疼痛和脊髓Pink1蛋白的影响及机制研究

目的:观察C57/BL6小鼠坐骨神经分支选择性损伤（spared nerve injury,SNI）后降低氧化应激反应对机械痛和脊髓中Pink1的表达影响,并探讨神经性疼痛中氧化应激对Pink1的可能的作用机制。方法:取60只小鼠,随机分为对照组（Control）、假手术组（Sham）、手术组（SNI）、SNI+Saline、SNI+苯亚甲基叔丁基氮氧化物（phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone,PBN）5组。Control组不作任何处理,Sham组切开皮肤,分离出坐骨神经三支分支后缝合皮肤;SNI组游离并保留腓肠神经分支,结扎并切断胫神经;分别于14 d之后进行机械痛阈值检测。测定行为学后SNI组分别注射生理盐水（0.9%NaCl）和PBN。进行行为学测定,并分别检测氧化应激（GSH、SOD）水平;Western blot法检测腰段脊髓蛋白水平Pink1的表达变化。结果:SNI组与Control和Sham组相比,机械痛阈值显著降低,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.001）;SNI组腰段脊髓ROS水平升高（P<0.05）,注射PBN后ROS水平降低（P<0.001）;SNI小鼠中Pink1在蛋白水平表达增多（P<0.001）,降低ROS后脊髓中Pink1在蛋白水平表达降低（P<0.01）。结论:神经病理痛中降低线粒体内ROS水平则会改善小鼠神经性疼痛,靶向减少ROS的产生和改善Pink1有助于神经病理痛的治疗。     

汽车半主动乘员约束防护系统设计与动力学建模仿真

设计了一种汽车的半主动乘员约束防护系统,该系统能根据反应时间余量来判断车辆发生碰撞的可能性,不同的可能性对应不同的危险等级,当危险能避免时则发出警报提醒驾驶员主动避免,不能避免时提前启动乘员约束保护装置。通过仿真分析软件MADYMO建立了汽车正面碰撞模型,并经试验验证了其正确性。对所设计的安全带预紧装置与座椅坐垫倾角调整装置进行仿真,然后与传统的被动执行机构仿真结果进行对比。结果表明：半主动乘员防护系统可提前实现安全带预紧和座椅坐垫倾角的调整,相比传统的被动防护系统中碰撞后火药预紧与座椅坐垫倾角不变,乘员的头部、髋部伤害略有减小,颈部弯矩峰值、胸部加速度、胸部压缩量分别减小了20.6%、14.6%、15.6%。所设计的半主动约束防护系统能有效减轻乘员的损伤。     

基于16S rDNA测序研究白酒对大鼠肠道菌群的影响

为探究浓香型白酒对SD大鼠肠道微生态的影响,通过连续8周灌胃适当剂量乙醇,建立SD大鼠慢性酒精性肝损伤模型,同时,灌胃相同剂量的白酒,考察白酒和乙醇对SD大鼠血脂、肝脏指标的影响及造成的肠道菌群变化。结果显示,连续8周灌胃乙醇造成SD大鼠一定程度的酒精性肝损伤,而白酒组的肝损伤程度显著低于乙醇组。多样性分析表明乙醇组SD大鼠肠道菌群丰富度和多样性降低,而白酒的摄入可以回调这种现象。菌群结构分析表明乙醇干预和白酒干预之间存在显著差异,其中白酒干预组物种组成与对照组更加接近。差异性分析筛选出白酒组和乙醇组的3个潜在差异微生物标志物,分别为g＿Eubacterium＿rumminantium＿group、g＿U29-B03和g＿unclassified＿f＿Oscillospiraceae。该研究结果表明白酒可能通过调节肠道微生态来减轻乙醇诱导的轻度肝损伤。     

Citrus Naringenin Increases Neuron Survival in Optic Nerve Crush Injury Model by Inhibiting JNK-JUN Pathway

Traumatic nerve injury activates cell stress pathways, resulting in neuronal death and loss of vital neural functions. To date, there are no available neuroprotectants for the treatment of traumatic neural injuries. Here, we studied three important flavanones of citrus components, in vitro and in vivo, to reveal their roles in inhibiting the JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase)-JUN pathway and their neuroprotective effects in the optic nerve crush injury model, a kind of traumatic nerve injury in the central nervous system. Results showed that both neural injury in vivo and cell stress in vitro activated the JNK-JUN pathway and increased JUN phosphorylation. We also demonstrated that naringenin treatment completely inhibited stress-induced JUN phosphorylation in cultured cells, whereas nobiletin and hesperidin only partially inhibited JUN phosphorylation. Neuroprotection studies in optic nerve crush injury mouse models revealed that naringenin treatment increased the survival of retinal ganglion cells after traumatic optic nerve injury, while the other two components had no neuroprotective effect. The neuroprotection effect of naringenin was due to the inhibition of JUN phosphorylation in crush-injured retinal ganglion cells. Therefore, the citrus component naringenin provides neuroprotection through the inhibition of the JNK-JUN pathway by inhibiting JUN phosphorylation, indicating the potential application of citrus chemical components in the clinical therapy of traumatic optic nerve injuries.     

Inhibition of Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Reduces Neuroimmune Cascade and Promotes Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

Microglia/astrocyte and B cell neuroimmune responses are major contributors to the neurological deficits after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) activation mechanistically links these neuroimmune mechanisms. Our objective is to use Ibrutinib, an FDA-approved BTK inhibitor, to inhibit the neuroimmune cascade thereby improving locomotor recovery after SCI. Rat models of contusive SCI, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining imaging, flow cytometry analysis, histological staining, and behavioral assessment were used to evaluate BTK activity, neuroimmune cascades, and functional outcomes. Both BTK expression and phosphorylation were increased at the lesion site at 2, 7, 14, and 28 days after SCI. Ibrutinib treatment (6 mg/kg/day, IP, starting 3 h post-injury for 7 or 14 days) reduced BTK activation and total BTK levels, attenuated the injury-induced elevations in Iba1, GFAP, CD138, and IgG at 7 or 14 days post-injury without reduction in CD45RA B cells, improved locomotor function (BBB scores), and resulted in a significant reduction in lesion volume and significant improvement in tissue-sparing 11 weeks post-injury. These results indicate that Ibrutinib exhibits neuroprotective effects by blocking excessive neuroimmune responses through BTK-mediated microglia/astroglial activation and B cell/antibody response in rat models of SCI. These data identify BTK as a potential therapeutic target for SCI.     

强激光辐照下生物组织的瞬态温度场研究

研究生物组织在强激光作用下的瞬态温度分布,探讨强激光作用下生物组织的热传输规律,采用数值方法中的有限差分法求解热传导方程,得出了生物组织纵切面上温度的时空分布图、生物组织轴向温度按指数规律降低及径向上温度按偶次方幂函数规律变化,根据纵切面上温度时空分布图估算出热损伤深度,当激光功率密度分别为175W／cm^2和298W／cm^2时,热损伤深度分别为0．28mm和0．24mm,其值与相关实验值较好地符合。