Biomarkers in Renal Vasculitis

The use of biomarkers in glomerular diseases has been subject of investigation during the last decades, as it can provide worthwhile evidence in diagnosis, but also, it can guide treatment and give information about prognosis and response. Renal biopsy is still the compulsory technique to establish diagnosis, and also to offer information about the severity of renal damage. However, as an invasive method, it cannot be regularly performed during follow up, so the need to find and establish measurement of molecules, easily collected, which are associated with disease pathogenesis and predict renal function outcome seems very attractive to nephrologists. The renal complications of systemic vasculitis are very important for the outcome of the disease, and several substances and molecules, such as inflammatory cells, autoantibodies, cytokines, chemokines and growth factors are produced and may serve as biomarkers to provide useful information for diagnosis, follow up of the disease

Το Παράδοξο της Άπειρης Ταυτότητας στον Νάνο Βαλαωρίτη

All rights reserved © 2017, Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand. Reproduced with permission of the publisher.Please note: This article is in Greek. The Paradox of Infinite Identity in Nanos Valaoritis: The subject of Nanos Valaoritis’ writing is investigated through the theses of Whitehead and Deleuze on the construction of an infinite identity with binary direction, future and historic, passive and active, causal and effective. The paradox of this identity is that language itself exceeds the limits and restores them in an endless balancing of a limitless becoming, resulting in the loss (reversal) of the name. The personal uncertainty is an objective structure of the “pure Event”, to the extent that it is moving in two directions simultaneously, thus fragmenting the subject to capture the “New”. The event, along with the extension, the intension and the appearance of eternal objects, creates the conception of the New, which includes the form, the subjective aim (transitivity), and satisfaction (production of New, playable models, “counter-effectuation”), thus explaining the process of the unconscious, the humorous and “deterritorialised” in Valaoritis’ writing

Entrepreneurial sons, patriarchy and the Colonels' experiment in Thessaly, rural Greece

Existing studies within the field of institutional entrepreneurship explore how entrepreneurs influence change in economic institutions. This paper turns the attention of scholarly inquiry on the antecedents of deinstitutionalization and more specifically, the influence of entrepreneurship in shaping social institutions such as patriarchy. The paper draws from the findings of ethnographic work in two Greek lowland village communities during the military Dictatorship (1967–1974). Paradoxically this era associated with the spread of mechanization, cheap credit, revaluation of labour and clear means-ends relations, signalled entrepreneurial sons’ individuated dissent and activism who were now able to question the Patriarch’s authority, recognize opportunities and act as unintentional agents of deinstitutionalization. A ‘different’ model of institutional change is presented here, where politics intersects with entrepreneurs, in changing social institutions. This model discusses the external drivers of institutional atrophy and how handling dissensus (and its varieties over historical time) is instrumental in enabling institutional entrepreneurship

A Subset of Latency-Reversing Agents Expose HIV-Infected Resting CD4⁺ T-Cells to Recognition by Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes

Resting CD4⁺ T-cells harboring inducible HIV proviruses are a critical reservoir in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated subjects. These cells express little to no viral protein, and thus neither die by viral cytopathic effects, nor are efficiently cleared by immune effectors. Elimination of this reservoir is theoretically possible by combining latency-reversing agents (LRAs) with immune effectors, such as CD8⁺ T-cells. However, the relative efficacy of different LRAs in sensitizing latently-infected cells for recognition by HIV-specific CD8⁺ T-cells has not been determined. To address this, we developed an assay that utilizes HIV-specific CD8⁺ T-cell clones as biosensors for HIV antigen expression. By testing multiple CD8⁺ T-cell clones against a primary cell model of HIV latency, we identified several single agents that primed latently-infected cells for CD8⁺ T-cell recognition, including IL-2, IL-15, two IL-15 superagonists (IL-15SA and ALT-803), prostratin, and the TLR-2 ligand Pam₃CSK₄. In contrast, we did not observe CD8⁺ T-cell recognition of target cells following treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors or with hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA). In further experiments we demonstrate that a clinically achievable concentration of the IL-15 superagonist ‘ALT-803’, an agent presently in clinical trials for solid and hematological tumors, primes the natural ex vivo reservoir for CD8⁺ T-cell recognition. Thus, our results establish a novel experimental approach for comparative evaluation of LRAs, and highlight ALT-803 as an LRA with the potential to synergize with CD8⁺ T-cells in HIV eradication strategies.United States. National Institutes of Health (AI111860

Between modernism and the avant-garde Literary experimentation in the early 1960s in Greece (the case of the literary magazine Pali [1964-1967])

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN036478 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

AD-HOC versus delayed percutaneous coronary angioplasty after a high loading dose of clopidogrel

Aim: Εvidence that the strategy of delaying percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after clopidogrel loading is beneficial remains inconclusive. We compared the delayed for 2 hours PCI with the ad-hoc PCI, after loading with 900 mg of clopidogrel, in clopidogrel-naive patients with stable or unstable angina who had already underwent coronary angiography and were subjected to PCI. Methods: In a prospective randomized study 199 patients underwent either ad-hoc PCI (group A, n=103) or delayed PCI ( pretreatment group, group B, n=96). Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), myoglobin which are biomarkers of myocardial injury, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a marker of inflammatory status and soluble P-selectin (sPS), a marker of platelets activation were measured baseline, just before PCI, 6-8 hours after PCI and 24 hours later. Combined primary end point was the composite of cardiovascular death, periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and urgent revascularization within 30 days after PCI. Periprocedural MI was defined as any clinical apparent MI and/or the increase of cTnI >3 times above the upper limit of normal (ULN). Secondary endpoints were considered any periprocedural increase of CK-MB above x3 ULN, any periprocedural increase of myocardial injury biomarkers above ULN, TIMI flow <3 after PCI, any major bleeding (TIMI criteria), thrombocytopenia with platelet count <70,000/mL and any elevation of hs-CRP and sPS.Results: The combined primary end point occurred in 12.6% of ad-hoc PCI group versus 15.6% of pretreatment group patients (p=0.34). There were 2 deaths in group A, which occurred within 24 hours post-PCI and no death in the delayed PCI group (p=0.49). Among the components of the combined primary end point, periprocedural MI was the most frequently encountered event (12.6% versus 14.6%, p=0.42). Stroke occurred in one patient of the pretreatment group, and in no patient of the ad-hoc PCI group. Urgent revascularization was performed in one patient of group B and in no patient of group A. High sensitivity CRP increased in both groups after PCI (p<0.0001) without difference between groups (p=0.5). Baseline sPS levels did not differ between the 2 groups (p=0.5) and there was no significant change of sPS over time. Major bleeding occurred in 2.9% ad-hoc PCI group versus 3.1% pretreatment group patients (p=0.9). There was also no difference in any other secondary end point between the two groups.Conclusion: In clopidogrel-naive patients with stable or unstable angina, a strategy of delaying PCI for 2 hours after high-dose clopidogrel loading of 900 mg does not seem to confer any benefit compared to ad-hoc PCI.Σκοπός: Τα επιστημονικά δεδομένα για το κλινικό όφελος που μπορεί να έχει η στρατηγική καθυστέρησης της αγγειοπλαστικής των στεφανιαίων αρτηριών μετά τη χορήγηση δόσης φόρτισης κλοπιδογρέλης παραμένουν ασαφή. Συγκρίναμε σε ασθενείς με σταθερή ή ασταθή στηθάγχη, οι οποίοι δεν λάμβαναν προηγουμένως κλοπιδογρέλη, την αγγειοπλαστική που πραγματοποιείται με καθυστέρηση 2 ωρών, μετά τη στεφανιογραφία και τη χορήγηση δόσης φόρτισης κλοπιδογρέλης 900 mg, με την αγγειοπλαστική που πραγματοποιείται αμέσως μετά τον καθετηριασμό και τη λήψη των 900 mg κλοπιδογρέλης. Μέθοδοι: Στα πλαίσια τυχαιοποιημένης προοπτικής μελέτης, 199 ασθενείς υποβλήθηκαν είτε σε άμεση αγγειοπλαστική (ομάδα Α, n=103), είτε σε καθυστερημένη επέμβαση (ομάδα Β ή ομάδα προθεραπείας, n=96). Μετρήθηκαν οι βασικές τιμές, οι τιμές αμέσως πριν την αγγειοπλαστική, στις 6-8 ώρες και στις 24 ώρες μετά την επέμβαση, της καρδιακής τροπονίνης Ι (cTnI) , της κινάσης της κρεατίνης MB (CK-MB) και της μυοσφαιρίνης, οι οποίες είναι δείκτες μυοκαρδιακής νέκρωσης, καθώς και οι τιμές της υψηλής ευαισθησίας C αντιδρώσας πρωτεΐνης (hs-CRP) και της διαλυτής P-σελεκτίνης (sPS), οι οποίες είναι δείκτες φλεγμονώδους αντίδρασης και ενεργοποίησης των αιμοπεταλίων αντίστοιχα. Το σύνθετο κύριο καταληκτικό σημείο της μελέτης ήταν ο συνδυασμός καρδιαγγειακού θανάτου, περιεπεμβατικού εμφράγματος του μυοκαρδίου (ΕΜ), αγγειακού εγκεφαλικού επεισοδίου (ΑΕΕ) και επείγουσας επαναγγείωσης, εντός 30 ημερών από την αγγειοπλαστική. Ως περιεπεμβατικό ΕΜ ορίσθηκε το κλινικώς προφανές έμφραγμα και/ή η τριπλάσια της ανώτερης φυσιολογικής τιμής (ΑΦΤ) τουλάχιστον αύξηση της cTnI. Ως δευτερεύοντα καταληκτικά σημεία θεωρήθηκαν οποιαδήποτε περιεπεμβατική αύξηση της CK-MB μεγαλύτερη του τριπλασίου της ΑΦΤ, οποιαδήποτε περιεπεμβατική αύξηση των δεικτών μυοκαρδιακής νέκρωσης μεγαλύτερη της ΑΦΤ, η μη βέλτιστη ροή στο αγγείο μετά την επέμβαση (ροή κατά TIMI <3), οποιαδήποτε μείζων αιμορραγία κατά ΤΙΜΙ, η θρομβοκυττοπενία με αριθμό αιμοπεταλίων <70.000/ml και οποιαδήποτε αύξηση της hs-CRP και της sPS. Αποτελέσματα : Το σύνθετο κύριο καταληκτικό σημείο συνέβη στο 12,6% της ομάδας άμεσης αγγειοπλαστικής έναντι του 15,6% των ασθενών της ομάδας της προθεραπείας (p=0,34). Δύο ασθενείς της ομάδας Α απεβίωσαν εντός 24ώρου από την επέμβαση, ενώ ουδείς απεβίωσε στην ομάδα της καθυστερημένης αγγειοπλαστικής (p=0,49). Το συχνότερο μεμονωμένο κύριο καταληκτικό σημείο ήταν το περιεπεμβατικό έμφραγμα (12,6% έναντι 14,6%, p=0,42). ΑΕΕ συνέβη σε έναν ασθενή της ομάδας της προθεραπείας και σε κανέναν της ομάδας της άμεσης αγγειοπλαστικής. Επείγουσα επαναγγείωση χρειάσθηκε ένας ασθενής της ομάδας Β και κανείς της ομάδας Α . Η hs-CRP αυξήθηκε μετά την αγγειοπλαστική και στις δύο ομάδες (p<0,0001), χωρίς να υπάρχει διαφορά στις τιμές της μεταξύ των δύο ομάδων (p=0,5). Οι αρχικές τιμές της sPS δεν διέφεραν μεταξύ των δύο ομάδων (p=0,5), και επίσης δεν υπήρχε μεταβολή στις τιμές της sPS μετά την αγγειοπλαστική. Μείζων αιμορραγία καταγράφηκε στο 2,9% των ασθενών της ομάδας της άμεσης αγγειοπλαστικής και στο 3,1% των ασθενών της ομάδας της προθεραπείας (p=0,9). Kαμία στατιστικά σημαντική διαφορά δεν υπήρξε επίσης στα υπόλοιπα δευτερεύοντα καταληκτικά σημεία μεταξύ των δύο ομάδων.Συμπέρασμα: Σε ασθενείς με σταθερή ή ασταθή στηθάγχη, οι οποίοι δεν λάμβαναν προηγουμένως κλοπιδογρέλη και υποβλήθηκαν σε αγγειοπλαστική των στεφανιαίων αρτηριών, η στρατηγική καθυστέρησης της αγγειοπλαστικής για 2 ώρες μετά τη χορήγηση υψηλής δόσης φόρτισης κλοπιδογρέλης 900 mg, δεν φαίνεται να προσφέρει επιπλέον κλινικό όφελος, συγκριτικά με την άμεση αγγειοπλαστική

Measuring the Contribution of Leaves to the Structural Complexity of Urban Tree Crowns with Terrestrial Laser Scanning

Trees have a fractal-like branching architecture that determines their structural complexity. We used terrestrial laser scanning technology to study the role of foliage in the structural complexity of urban trees. Forty-five trees of three deciduous species, Gleditsia triacanthos, Quercus macrocarpa, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, were sampled on the Michigan State University campus. We studied their structural complexity by calculating the box-dimension (Db) metric from point clouds generated for the trees using terrestrial laser scanning, during the leaf-on and -off conditions. Furthermore, we artificially defoliated the leaf-on point clouds by applying an algorithm that separates the foliage from the woody material of the trees, and then recalculated the Db metric. The Db of the leaf-on tree point clouds was significantly greater than the Db of the leaf-off point clouds across all species. Additionally, the leaf removal algorithm introduced bias to the estimation of the leaf-removed Db of the G. triacanthos and M. glyptostroboides trees. The index capturing the contribution of leaves to the structural complexity of the study trees (the ratio of the Db of the leaf-on point clouds divided by the Db of the leaf-off point clouds minus one), was negatively correlated with branch surface area and different metrics of the length of paths through the branch network of the trees, indicating that the contribution of leaves decreases as branch network complexity increases. Underestimation of the Db of the G. triacanthos trees, after the artificial leaf removal, was related to maximum branch order. These results enhance our understanding of tree structural complexity by disentangling the contribution of leaves from that of the woody structures. The study also highlighted important methodological considerations for studying tree structure, with and without leaves, from laser-derived point clouds