Anthropology in conversation with an Islamic tradition : Emmanuel Levinas and the practice of critique

Funded by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland This research was funded by the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. I would like to thank Arnar Arnason, Alison Brown, Tim Ingold, Jo Vergunst, and the anonymous JRAI readers for their critical feedback, which greatly improved the quality and coherence of this article.Peer reviewedPostprin

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

The effect of scan speed and hatch distance on prior-beta grain size in laser powder bed fused Ti-6Al-4V

Ti-6Al-4V produced by laser powder bed fusion can achieve mechanical properties similar to its wrought counterpart if an appropriate post-process heat treatment is applied. The response of the material to post-process heat treatment depends on the prior-beta grain size in the as-built condition. The current article illustrates that a reduction in hatch distance can cause coarsening of prior-beta grains due to retained heat that reduces the cooling rate. On the other hand, an increase in scan speed refines prior-beta grains. Unfortunately, an increase in scan speed has to be accompanied by a reduction in hatch distance to prevent an increase in porosity and the potential grain refinement is then cancelled out. The use of a faster scan speed in combination with a smaller hatch distance significantly improves roughness of the top surface. EBSD in combination with reconstruction of prior-beta grains is an effective technique to quantify prior-beta grain size. Furthermore, the use of Rosenthal’s equations allows quick calculation of cooling rate that can be used to predict the dependence of prior-beta grain size on process parameters.South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology through the Collaborative Program in Additive Manufacturing.http://link.springer.com/journal/1702020-04-18hj2019Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineerin

Prolongation of segmental pancreatic allografts with cyclosporine in the baboon: A preliminary report

[No abstract available]Articl

Diabetes in pancreatectomized baboons: A model for pancreatic transplantation studies

This study was designed to assess plasma glucose levels (PLG) and insulin release in totally pancreatectomized baboons when challenged with intravenous glucose administration (IVGTT). Ten animals (Papio ursinus) were used and duodenectomy was intentionally avoided. The PLG at death was 18.0 ± mmol/L, and the mean K-value within 3 days after pancreatectomy was 0.4% ± 0.2%, indicating a significant impairment of glucose disappearance from the blood when compared to the control animals (P < 0.01). Plasma insulin levels before and after stimulation with glucose were below the lowest level of insulin assay sensitivity. We conclude that in the primate, as in the dog, surgical pancreatectomy produced a reliable diabetic model, which is uniformly lethal if left untreated.Articl

Endocrine function after hetero- and ortho-topic segmental pancreatic transplantation in primates

This study assessed the early postoperative pancreatic endocrine function after intraperitoneal segmental hetero- and ortho-topic pancreatic allo-transplantation in hemipancreatectomized, nonimmunesuppressed chacma baboons. Hemipancreatectomized animals remained normoglycaemic but rendered significantly reduced K values and insulin release during IVGTT, findings consistent with major pancreatic resection. Segmental hetero- or ortho-topic pancreatic transplantation did not improve reduced K values and hypoinsulinaemia following hemipancreatectomy although orthotopically sited grafts rendered the best glucose tolerance test curves. Glucagon output during IVGTT remained the same in both transplant models. It is concluded that the postoperative hormonal response was similar in both orthotopic and heterotopic transplant recipients, which indicates that drainage of graft venous effluent into the portal circulation has no advantage over systemic insulin drainage as reflected in this 'diabetic' model.Articl

Islet cell function in long-term surviving primates after segmental pancreatic allotransplantation

Islet cell function was studied in pancreatectomized primates with functioning segmental pancreatic allografts more than 100 days after transplantation. Segmental allograft recipients were immunosuppressed with total lymphoid irradiation (TL1) and cyclosporine (SCA). After 100 days, islet function was assessed, at which stage immunosuppression was terminated. Glucose, insulin, glucagon, and C-peptide response was assessed during intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and during arginine and tolbutamide stimulation. In eight normoglycaemic primates in which immunosuppressive treatment had been stopped and with mean graft survival of 145 days, islet stimulation was associated with moderate glucose intolerance, reduced K-values, hypoinsulinaemia, and low C-peptide values. Postmortem findings in all animals intentionally killed revealed severe graft atrophy in the absence of significant rejection. Severe graft atrophy in normoglucaemic primates, together with significantly impaired graft function after segmental pancreatic transplantation compared to normal animals, suggest that transplantation of the whole pancreas may be mandatory if normal or near-normal function is to be achieved.Articl

Effect of cyclosporine and irradiation on experimental pancreatic allografts in the primate

The present study assessed the effectiveness of cyclosporine (CSA) and subtotal marrow irradiation (TL1) alone, and CSA in combination with TL1 in a primate segmental pancreatic allotransplantation model. Continuous administration of CSA 25 mg/kg/day and 50 mg/kg/day resulted in mean graft survival of 21.5 days and 24.5 days, respectively. Administration of fractionated TL1 800 rad (8 Gy) and 1,000 rad (10 Gy) alone resulted in mean graft survival of 13.3 days and 14.5 days, respectively. Of 20 animals that received TL1 1,000 rad (10 Gy) and CSA 25 mg/kg/day orally for 5 days then 10 mg/kg/day intramuscularly indefinitely, 3 had graft survival of > 100 days. Likewise, of a group of 15 animals that received TL1 800 rad (8 Gy) and combined indefinite administration of CSA, 6 had graft survival of > 100 days. Although CSA and TL1 administration alone produced modest pancreatic allograft survival, a combination of IL1 (800 or 1,000 rad) and CSA resulted in highly significant segmental pancreatic allograft survival in the primate.Articl