Lacanian Psychoanalysis and the Logic of the Cut

  Psychoanalysis is a practice of speech between at least two people (which does not mean two subjects as two people can embody more than two subjectivities). The cut is an important driving force of this speech practice

Towards a new method for coating heritage lead

Ethanolic solutions of long-chain carboxylic acids can be applied to lead metal substrates to form a coating of lead carboxylate which provides protection against atmospheric pollutants. In this paper we describe the optimal inhibitor concentration for the coating on lead. Electrochemical impedance data taken before and after immersion in media modelling oak emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) polluted atmospheres show that coating effectiveness decreases after exposure, but the effect is lessened if longer chain carboxylates are used

Racial and Ethnic Variation in Lipoprotein (a) Levels among Asian Indian and Chinese Patients

Background. Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). There are known racial/ethnic differences in Lp(a) levels, and the association of Lp(a) with CVD outcomes has not been examined in Asian Americans in the USA. Objective. We hypothesized that Lp(a) levels would differ in Asian Indians and Chinese Americans when compared to NHW and that the relationship between Lp(a) and CVD outcomes would be different in these Asian racial/ethnic subgroups when compared to NHW. Methods. We studied the outpatient electronic health records of 2022 NHW, 295 Asian Indians, and 151 Chinese adults age ≥18 y in Northern California in whom Lp(a) levels were assessed during routine clinical care from 2001 to 2008, excluding those who had received prescriptions for niacin (14.6%). Nonparametric methods were used to compare median Lp(a) levels. Significance was assessed at the P < .0001 level to account for multiple comparisons. CVD outcomes were defined as ischemic heart disease (IHD) (265 events), stroke (122), or peripheral vascular disease (PVD) (87). We used logistic regression to determine the relationship between Lp(a) and CVD outcomes. Results. Both Asian Indians (36 nmol/L) and NHW (29 nmol/L) had higher median Lp(a) levels than Chinese (22 nmol/L, P ≤ .0001 and P = .0032). When stratified by sex, the differences in median Lp(a) between these groups persisted in the 1761 men (AI v CH: P = .001, NHW v CH: P = .0018) but were not statistically significant in the 1130 women (AI v CH: P = .0402, NHW v CH: P = .0761). Asian Indians (OR = 2.0) and Chinese (OR = 4.8) exhibited a trend towards greater risk of IHD with high Lp(a) levels than NHW (OR = 1.4), but no relationship was statistically significant. Conclusion. Asian Indian and NHW men have higher Lp(a) values than Chinese men, with a trend toward, similar associations in women. High Lp(a) may be more strongly associated with IHD in Asian Indians and Chinese, although we did not have a sufficient number of outcomes to confirm this. Further studies should strive to elucidate the relationship between Lp(a) levels, CVD, and race/ethnicity among Asian subgroups in the USA

Synthesis of Pd/Ru Bimetallic Nanoparticles by Escherichia coli and Potential as a Catalyst for Upgrading 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural Into Liquid Fuel Precursors

Escherichia coli cells support the nucleation and growth of ruthenium and ruthenium-palladium nanoparticles (Bio-Ru and Bio-Pd/Ru NPs). We report a method for the synthesis of these monometallic and bimetallic NPs and their application in the catalytic upgrading of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) to 2,5 dimethylfuran (DMF). Examination using high resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and high angle annular dark field (HAADF) showed Ru NPs located mainly at the cell surface using Ru(III) alone but small intracellular Ru-NPs (size 1–2 nm) were visible only in cells that had been pre-“seeded” with Pd(0) (5 wt%) and loaded with equimolar Ru. Pd(0) NPs were distributed between the cytoplasm and cell surface. Cells bearing 5% Pd/5% Ru showed some co-localization of Pd and Ru but chance associations were not ruled out. Cells loaded to 5 wt% Pd/20 wt% Ru showed evidence of core-shell structures (Ru core, Pd shell). Here, with MTHF as the reaction solvent the commercial Ru/C catalyst had little activity (100% conversion, negligible selectivity to DMF) whereas the 5 wt% Pd/5 wt% Rubio-bimetallic gave 100% conversion and 14% selectivity to DMF from material extracted from hydrolyzates. The results indicate a potential green method for realizing increased energy potential from biomass wastes as well as showing a bio-based pathway to manufacturing a scarcely described bimetallic material.The project was funded by NERC grant NE/L014076/1 to LM (Program: “Resource Recovery from Wastes”). The Science City Photoemission Facility used in this research was funded through the Science Cities Advanced Materials Project 1: “Creating and Characterizing Next Generation of Advanced Materials” with support from AWM and ERDF funds. The microscopy work was conducted at “Centro de Instrumentación Cientifica” at the University of Granada, Spain

Recent insights of obesity-induced gut and adipose tissue dysbiosis in type 2 diabetes

An imbalance in microbial homeostasis, referred to as dysbiosis, is critically associated with the progression of obesity-induced metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes (T2D). Alteration in gut microbial diversity and the abundance of pathogenic bacteria disrupt metabolic homeostasis and potentiate chronic inflammation, due to intestinal leakage or release of a diverse range of microbial metabolites. The obesity-associated shifts in gut microbial diversity worsen the triglyceride and cholesterol level that regulates adipogenesis, lipolysis, and fatty acid oxidation. Moreover, an intricate interaction of the gut-brain axis coupled with the altered microbiome profile and microbiome-derived metabolites disrupt bidirectional communication for instigating insulin resistance. Furthermore, a distinct microbial community within visceral adipose tissue is associated with its dysfunction in obese T2D individuals. The specific bacterial signature was found in the mesenteric adipose tissue of T2D patients. Recently, it has been shown that in Crohn’s disease, the gut-derived bacterium Clostridium innocuum translocated to the mesenteric adipose tissue and modulates its function by inducing M2 macrophage polarization, increasing adipogenesis, and promoting microbial surveillance. Considering these facts, modulation of microbiota in the gut and adipose tissue could serve as one of the contemporary approaches to manage T2D by using prebiotics, probiotics, or faecal microbial transplantation. Altogether, this review consolidates the current knowledge on gut and adipose tissue dysbiosis and its role in the development and progression of obesity-induced T2D. It emphasizes the significance of the gut microbiota and its metabolites as well as the alteration of adipose tissue microbiome profile for promoting adipose tissue dysfunction, and identifying novel therapeutic strategies, providing valuable insights and directions for future research and potential clinical interventions

Dissolution and speciation of arsenic oxides in ionic liquids

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Time-lapse synchrotron X-ray diffraction to monitor conservation coatings for heritage lead in atmospheres polluted with oak-emitted volatile organic compounds

We discuss the effectiveness of a lead tetradecanoate coating on lead to protect against harmful volatile organic compounds emitted from oak. The oak volatile organic compounds were characterized by GCMS and the major constituent was found to be acetic acid. Under the test conditions, the coating decreases the rate of corrosion by up to 75% compared to bare lead. The thickness of corrosion products on the sample was also calculated thus demonstrating the power of the time-lapse synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction technique to deliver a quantitative estimate of the effectiveness of the coating