259 research outputs found
Smoke and 'Miros', Design and Magic
Magic is the essence of creativity; of action that operates outside the boundaries of plans, programs and exact- techniques. Following the launch of ‘Design and Magic’ (DTG, London), four of the contributing authors
expand the idea that designers are failed magicians and magicians are failed designers. Magic in all its various guises is seen to present an infinite realm of possibilities for design, not least its link with a readymade meta- reality. The power of transformation that drives the creative practitioner is not dissimilar to the power of the alchemist in creating precious substances. Their rituals and tools might be different, but the effect is the same. Faced with the apparent contradictions of functionalist technology and magical product narratives, the paper seeks to demonstrate that design can re-engage with the emotional and poetic. It asks whether practitioners should pursue the notion of design as deception, fuelling a gluttony of material desire, or should they look to a higher order, where magic provides a holistic view, at least 180 degrees of which is not accounted for right now
14N and 15N coupling constants of the oxidized primary donor P-860 of bacterial photosynthesis obtained by electron spin echo envelope modulation spectroscopy
An electron spin echo modulation frequency analysis of P+-860 is performed in 14N chromatophores of Rhodospirillum rubrum, and in 15N substituted reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides 2.4.1. For the 14N material two sets of nuclear quadrupole parameters are obtained. From the frequencies found for 15N reaction centers the perpendicular, parallel and isotropic hyperfine previous termcouplingnext term constants of three of the four bacteriochlorophyll nitrogen nuclei are inferred
CCR2 and coronary artery disease: a woscops substudy
Background
Several lines of evidence support a role for CCL2 (monocyte chemotactic protein-1) and its receptor CCR2 in the development of atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to determine the association of the CCR2 Val64Ile polymorphism with the development of coronary artery disease in the WOSCOPS study sample set.
Findings
A total of 443 cases and 1003 controls from the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS) were genotyped for the Val64Ile polymorphism in the CCR2 gene. Genotype frequencies were compared between cases and controls. The CCR2 Val64Ile polymorphism was found not to be associated with coronary events in this study population (odds ratio 1.15, 95% CI 0.82-1.61, p = 0.41).
Conclusions
This case-control study does not support an association of the CCR2 Val64Ile polymorphism with coronary artery disease in the WOSCOPS sample set and does not confirm a possible protective role for CCR2 Val64Ile in the development of coronary artery disease
Quantitative phosphoproteomics to unravel the cellular response to chemical stressors with different modes of action
Damage to cellular macromolecules and organelles by chemical exposure evokes activation of various stress response pathways. To what extent different chemical stressors activate common and stressor-specific pathways is largely unknown. Here, we used quantitative phosphoproteomics to compare the signaling events induced by four stressors with different modes of action: the DNA damaging agent: cisplatin (CDDP), the topoisomerase II inhibitor: etoposide (ETO), the pro-oxidant: diethyl maleate (DEM) and the immunosuppressant: cyclosporine A (CsA) administered at an equitoxic dose to mouse embryonic stem cells. We observed major differences between the stressors in the number and identity of responsive phosphosites and the amplitude of phosphorylation. Kinase motif and pathway analyses indicated that the DNA damage response (DDR) activation by CDDP occurs predominantly through the replication-stress-related Atr kinase, whereas ETO triggers the DDR through Atr as well as the DNA double-strand-break-associated Atm kinase. CsA shares with ETO activation of CK2 kinase. Congruent with their known modes of action, CsA-mediated signaling is related to down-regulation of pathways that control hematopoietic differentiation and immunity, whereas oxidative stress is the most prominent initiator of DEM-modulated stress signaling. This study shows that even at equitoxic doses, different stressors induce distinctive and complex phosphorylation signaling cascades.Toxicolog
Intragraft interleukin 2 mRNA expression during acute cellular rejection and left ventricular total wall thickness after heart transplantation
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether diastolic graft function is influenced by
intragraft interleukin 2 (IL-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in
rejecting cardiac allografts. DESIGN: 16 recipients of cardiac allografts
were monitored during the first three months after transplantation. The
presence of IL-2 mRNA in endomyocardial biopsies (n = 123) was measured by
reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. To determine heart
function, concurrent M mode and two dimensional Doppler echocardiograms
were analysed. RESULTS: Histological signs of acute rejection
(International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT)
rejection grade > 2) were strongly associated with IL-2 mRNA expression
(IL-2 mRNA was present in 12 of 20 endomyocardial biopsies (60%) with
acute rejection and in 24 of 103 endomyocardial biopsies (23%) without
acute rejection, p = 0.002). No significant relation was found between
either histology or IL-2 mRNA expression alone and the studied
echocardiographic parameters. However, stratification of the
echocardiographic data into those of patients with and those without acute
rejection showed that during acute rejection IL-2 mR
Structural identification and biological activity of 7-methyl-10,11-ethylenedioxy-20(S)-camptothecin, a photodegradant of lurtotecan
An additional chromatographic peak was observed in plasma samples of
patients receiving NX 211, a liposomal formulation of the topoisomerase I
inhibitor lurtotecan. We have isolated and purified this product by
sequential solid-phase extractions, and we report its structure and
cytotoxicity relative to lurtotecan and related agents. Nuclear magnetic
resonance data indicate that cleavage of the piperazino moiety occurred at
the N-C bond of the B-ring, yielding
7-methyl-10,11-ethylenedioxy-20(S)-camptothecin (MEC). Tests of the growth
inhibition potential of MEC in seven human tumor cell lines showed that
the compound was approximately 2-18-fold more cytotoxic than lurtotecan,
topotecan, and 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-20(S)-camptothecin (SN-38).
Subsequently, we found that MEC was the product of rapid photolysis of
lurtotecan, with the rate of degradation inversely proportional to NX 211
concentrations, and greatly depends on light intensity. Furthermore, MEC
concentrations were found to increase significantly in plasma samples
exposed to laboratory light but not in blood. MEC was not produced from NX
211 in the presence of human liver microsomes, suggesting that it is not a
product of cytochrome P-450 metabolism. Using a validated analytical
method, trace levels of MEC were quantitated in blood samples of two
patients. These observations confirm that the precautions for protection
from light currently specified for preparation and administration of NX
211 dose solutions are critical. Procedures to minimize formation of MEC,
by the use of amber vials for NX 211 and by preparation of dilutions
immediately before clinical use in a fashion completely protected from
light, are now being routinely implemented
Persistence of clones of coagulase-negative staphylococci among premature neonates in neonatal intensive care units: two-center study of bacterial genotyping and patient risk factors
From 1 January 1995 until 1 January 1996, we studied the molecular
epidemiology of blood isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS)
in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) of the Sophia Children's
Hospital (SCH; Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and the Wilhelmina Children's
Hospital (WCH; Utrecht, The Netherlands). The main goal of the present
study was to detect putatively endemic clones of CoNS persisting in these
NICUs. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to detect the possible
presence of endemic clones of clinical significance. In addition, clinical
data of patients in the SCH were analyzed retrospectively to identify risk
factors for the acquisition of positive blood cultures. In both centers,
endemic CoNS clones were persistently present. Thirty-three percent of the
bacterial isolates derived from blood cultures in the SCH belonged to a
single genotype. In the WCH, 45% of all bacterial strains belonged to a
single clone. These clones were clearly different from each other, which
implies that site specificity is involved. Interestingly, we observe that
the clonal type in the SCH differed significantly from the incidentally
occurring strains with respect to both the average pH and partial CO2
pressure of the patient's blood at the time of bacterial culture. We found
that the use of intravascular catheters, low gestational age, and a long
hospital stay were important risk factors for the development of a
putative CoNS infection. When the antibiotic susceptibility of the
bacterial isolates was assessed, a clear correlation between the nature of
the antibiotics most frequently used as a first line of defense versus the
resistance profile was observed. We conclude that the intensive use of
antibiotics in an NICU setting with highly susceptible patients causes
selection of multiresistant clones of CoNS which subsequently become
endemic
Targeted social care for highly vulnerable pregnant women: Protocol of the Mothers of Rotterdam cohort study
Introduction: Social vulnerability is known to be related to ill health. When a pregnant woman is socially vulnerable, the ill health does not only affect herself, but also the health and development of her (unborn) child. To optimise care for highly vulnerable pregnant women, in Rotterdam, a holistic programme was developed in close collaboration between the university hospital, the local government and a non-profit organisation. This programme aims to organise social and medical care from pregnancy until the second birthday of the child, while targeting adult and child issues simultaneously. In 2014, a pilot in the municipality of Rotterdam demonstrated the significance of this holistic approach for highly vulnerable pregnant women. In the Mothers of Rotterdam' study, we aim to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness of the holistic approach, referred to as targeted social care.
Methods and analysis: The Mothers of Rotterdam study is a pragmatic prospective cohort study planning to include 1200 highly vulnerable pregnant women for the comparison between targeted social care and care as usual. Effectiveness will be compared on the following outcomes: (1) child development (does the child show adaptive development at year 1?) and (2) maternal mental health (is maternal distress reduced at the end of the social care programme?). Propensity scores will be used to correct for baseline differences between both social care programmes.
Ethics and dissemination: The prospective cohort study was approved by the Erasmus Medical Centre Ethics Committee (ref. no. MEC-2016-012) and the first results of the study are expected to be available in the second half of 2019 through publication in peer-reviewed international journals.
Trial registration number NTR6271; Pre-results
5 years of experience implementing a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus search and destroy policy at the largest university medical center in the Netherlands
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a rigorous search and destroy policy for controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection or colonization. DESIGN: Hospital-based observational follow-up study. SETTING: Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, a 1,200-bed tertiary care center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. METHODS: Outbreak control was accomplished by the use of active surveillance cultures for persons at risk, by the preemptive isolation of patients at risk, and by the strict isolation of known MRSA carriers and the eradication of MRSA carriage. For unexpected cases of MRSA colonization or infection, patients placed in strict isolation or contact isolation and healthcare workers (HCWs) were screened. We collected data from 2000-2004. RESULTS: During the 5-year study period, 51,907 MRSA screening culture
Serendipitous discovery of radio flaring behaviour from a nearby M dwarf with MeerKAT
We report on the detection of MKT J174641.0321404, a new radio transient
found in untargeted searches of wide-field MeerKAT radio images centred on the
black hole X-ray binary H1743322. MKT J174641.0321404 is highly variable
at 1.3 GHz and was detected three times during 11 observations of the field in
late 2018, reaching a maximum flux density of 590 60 Jy. We
associate this radio transient with a high proper motion, M dwarf star
SCR~17463214 12 pc away from the Sun. Multiwavelength observations of this M
dwarf indicate flaring activity across the electromagnetic spectrum, consistent
with emission expected from dMe stars, and providing upper limits on quiescent
brightness in both the radio and X-ray regimes. \textit{TESS} photometry
reveals a rotational period for SCR~17463214 of days,
which at its estimated radius makes the star a rapid rotator, comparable to
other low mass systems. Dedicated spectroscopic follow up confirms the star as
a mid-late spectral M dwarf with clear magnetic activity indicated by strong
H emission. This transient's serendipitous discovery by MeerKAT, along
with multiwavelength characterisation, make it a prime demonstration of both
the capabilities of the current generation of radio interferometers and the
value of simultaneous observations by optical facilities such as MeerLICHT. Our
results build upon the literature of of M dwarfs' flaring behaviour,
particularly relevant to the habitability of their planetary systems.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS, 11 pages, 9 figure
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