Engaging Disadvantaged Youth in the Creative Process

Public Practice is vital for personal and cultural development and it connects individuals to the larger world. Art enables creative exploration, helps build confidence, and enables children in disadvantaged schools to take part in a positive creative process that subsequently affects their school, community, and ability to take control of their future. As more research is conducted in this field, researchers are finding that art levels the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries, improves student retention and reduces the achievement gap

The Old English Herbal in Cotton Ms. Vitellius C. iii : Studies

Even for experts in the field, early English medicine seems to present difficulties. For the uninitiated, it is a trackless jungle. . . the field of medical and other scientific vernacular manuscripts is still a Yukon territory crying out for exploitation.The MS. designated Vitellius C. iii in the Cotton Collection of the British Museum contains an Old English trans­ lation of a medical complex based upon the Herbarium of the Pseudo-Apuleius. This study is concerned with that herbal complex (f. ll-82v) and with an investigation of the full­ page illustrations in the complex to determine if they can provide any clues toward the solution of some of the vexing problems posed by this MS. No detailed study dealing with the MS., its position in the tradition, and its use has been made in this century. The only published complete edition of the herbal complex appears in Volume I of Leechdoms, Wortcunning and Starcraft of Early England, ed. Thomas O. Cockayne, Rolls Series, Vol. 35 (London, 1864) . This work has recently been re-issued (London, 1961) with a new Introduction by Charles Singer. Problems inhering in the reprint will be discussed below; suffice it to say at this point that Cockayne’s original work and Introduction are still important and will continue to be useful. The first 132 plant chapters of the Herbal were edited again by A. J. G. Hilbelink as Cotton MS Vitellius C III of the Herbarium Apuleii, Academisch Proefschrift (Amsterdam, 1930). Her edi­tion is a collation of the MS. in question with the sister MSS. Bodleian Hatton 76 and B. M. Harley 585; it has the briefest of introductions, but a number of grammatical tables are appended. Recently a number of scholars have undertaken further work with the codex. The Herbal is scheduled for pub­lication in the series Early English Manuscripts in Facsimile, and two dissertation projects dealing with this MS. have been undertaken. The absence of any attempt to synthesize the various approaches to this MS. may be the result of the nature of the classical and medieval herbal. The herbal is a phenomenon with no modern parallels, and modern scholarly disciplines tend to distort our view of it. Historians of medicine and of science, particularly pre-Linnean botany, deal with the herbal tradition and this MS. as evidence of the state of their sciences at a particular time. Art historians are con­ cerned with the tradition and the MS. from the standpoint of the survival of classical art and from the standpoint of the development of plant portrayal from naturalistic to ornamental representation. Paleographers and codicologists assess the textual problems of the many extant MSS. of the Herbarium Apulei in both Latin and the vernacular languages. Students of Old English language and literature find Cotton Vitellius C. iii of particular interest not merely because it is the source of most of our knowledge of the Anglo-Saxon's plant vocabulary, but also because it is witness to the existence of a secular classical tradition in Anglo-Saxon England and be­ cause it tells something about the nature and function of a secular codex in England before the Conquest. Unfortunately, many of these approaches, by their modern frames of reference, impede our understanding of a herbal complex. In this study I intend to draw on these various approaches to Vitellius C. iii in order to assess our current knowledge regarding the codex, the herbal tradition, the position of the OE MSS. in that tradition, and the uses of such a codex. I intend also to deal with details concerning the MS. which have been hitherto overlooked, particularly those concerning the full-page illustrations.--Introduction.Gatch, Milton McC.Includes bibliographical references

Die genetische Variante c.131C>T im humanen SPG4-Gen: Entwicklung eines Detektionsverfahrens und Ermittlung der Prävalenz in Familien mit einer Hereditären Spastischen Paraplegie und in Kontrollindividuen

Die hereditäre spastische Paraplegie ist eine heterogene Gruppe der neurodegenerativen Erkrankungen. Die Hauptgruppe bildet die SPG4-assozierte autosomal dominante Form der HSP. Eine der wenigen Basensubstitutionen, die zu einem Aminosäureaustausch am N´-Terminus des Genprodukts Spastin führen, ist der Nukleotidaustausch c.131C>T (p.44S>L). Im Rahmen der dieser Arbeit wurde ein sicheres und schnelles, RFLP-basiertes Detektionsverfahren entwickelt und etabliert, mit dessen Hilfe ermittelt werden konnte, dass es sich bei dem c.131T-Allel um einen seltenen Polymorphismus handelt (Prävalenz 1,43 %). Durch Stammbaumanalysen konnten weitere Hinweise für einen modifizierenden Effekt des c.131T-Allels auf den Phänotyp einer HSP ermittelt werden. Heterozygote c.131TAllelträger, die eine krankheitsverursachende SPG4-Mutation in trans geerbt haben, sind auch in dieser Arbeit früher und schwerer an einer HSP erkrankt, während heterozygote c.131T-Träger nicht betroffen sind; der Nukleotidaustausch wird unabhängig von einer HSP vererbt

Extracorporeal cytokine adsorption reduces systemic cytokine storm and improves graft function in lung transplantation

OBJECTIVES Ischemia-reperfusion injury often coincides with a cytokine storm, which can result in primary graft dysfunction following lung transplantation. Our previous research has demonstrated allograft improvement by cytokine adsorption during ex vivo lung perfusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of in vivo extracorporeal cytokine adsorption in a large animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pig left lung transplantation was performed following 24 hours of cold ischemic storage. Observation period after transplantation was 24 hours. In the treatment group (n = 6), extracorporeal CytoSorb adsorption was started 30 minutes before reperfusion and continued for 6 hours. A control group (n = 3) did not receive adsorber treatment. RESULTS During adsorption, we consistently noticed a significant decrease in plasma proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-2, trends of less proinflammatory, tumor necrosis factor- α, IL-1α, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor as well as significantly reduced systemic neutrophils. In addition, a significantly lower peak airway pressure was detected during the 6 hours of adsorption. After 24 hours of observation, when evaluating the left lung allograft independently, we observed significantly improved CO2 removal, partial pressure of oxygen/inspired oxygen fraction ratio, and less acidosis in the treatment group. At autopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage results exhibited significantly lower recruitment of cells and less pro-inflammatory IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in the treatment group. Histologically, the treatment group had a strong trend, indicating less neutrophil invasion into the alveolar space. CONCLUSIONS Based on our findings, cytokine adsorption during and after reperfusion is a viable approach to reducing posttransplant inflammation following lung transplantation. CytoSorb may increase the acceptance of extended criteria donor lungs, which are more susceptible to ischemia-reperfusion injury

Effect of β-Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide on Acute Allograft Rejection After Rat Lung Transplantation

UNLABELLED: Acute rejection is still a major limitation for a successful outcome in lung transplantation. Since β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD$^{+}$) has been shown to have various immunomodulatory properties on the innate and adaptive immune system, we evaluate here a potential protective effect of NAD$^{+}$ against acute lung rejection. METHODS: Rat single-lung transplantation was performed in 2 groups (n = 8 per group), using Brown-Norway donors and major histocompatibility complex-mismatched Lewis recipients. Recipients of the NAD$^{+}$ group received 1000 mg/kg NAD$^{+}$ intraperitoneally before transplantation and daily thereafter until euthanasia, whereas the control group received saline solution. At autopsy on day 5, blood samples were analyzed and the lung allograft was assessed by bronchioalveolar lavage, histology, and immunochemistry. RESULTS: The NAD$^{+}$ group maintained an intact compliant lung tissue, a strong trend of lower acute cellular rejection (A3 versus A3-A4) and significantly less lymphocytic bronchiolitis (B0-B2R versus B1R-Bx). In addition, a trend of fewer alveolar CD68$^{+}$ macrophages and significantly fewer interstitial CD163$^{+}$ macrophages was observed. Bronchoalveolar lavage in the NAD$^{+}$ group showed significantly fewer proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-13, TNFα, and a protective IL-6/IL-10-ratio. In blood samples, we observed significantly fewer neutrophils, and proinflammatory GRO/KC in the NAD$^{+}$ group. CONCLUSIONS: NAD$^{+}$ might be a promising substance in prevention of acute allograft rejection in lung transplantation

Recipient Comorbidities for Prediction of Primary Graft Dysfunction, Chronic Allograft Dysfunction and Survival After Lung Transplantation

Since candidates with comorbidities are increasingly referred for lung transplantation, knowledge about comorbidities and their cumulative effect on outcomes is scarce. We retrospectively collected pretransplant comorbidities of all 513 adult recipients transplanted at our center between 1992–2019. Multiple logistic- and Cox regression models, adjusted for donor-, pre- and peri-operative variables, were used to detect independent risk factors for primary graft dysfunction grade-3 at 72 h (PGD3-T72), onset of chronic allograft dysfunction grade-3 (CLAD-3) and survival. An increasing comorbidity burden measured by Charleston-Deyo-Index was a multivariable risk for survival and PGD3-T72, but not for CLAD-3. Among comorbidities, congestive right heart failure or a mean pulmonary artery pressure >25 mmHg were independent risk factors for PGD3-T72 and survival, and a borderline risk for CLAD-3. Left heart failure, chronic atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, moderate liver disease, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux, diabetes with end organ damage, moderate to severe renal disease, osteoporosis, and diverticulosis were also independent risk factors for survival. For PGD3-T72, a BMI>30 kg/m2 was an additional independent risk. Epilepsy and a smoking history of the recipient of >20packyears are additional independent risk factors for CLAD-3. The comorbidity profile should therefore be closely considered for further clinical decision making in candidate selection

Enhanced and tunable optical quantum efficiencies from plasmon bandwidth engineering in bimetallic CoAg nanoparticles

Plasmonic nanoparticles are amongst the most effective ways to resonantly couple optical energy into and out of nanometer sized volumes. However, controlling and/or tuning the transfer of this incident energy to the surrounding near and far field is one of the most interesting challenges in this area. Due to the dielectric properties of metallic silver (Ag), its nanoparticles have amongst the highest radiative quantum efficiencies (η), i.e., the ability to radiatively transfer the incident energy to the surrounding. Here we report the discovery that bimetallic nanoparticles of Ag made with immiscible and plasmonically weak Co metal can show comparable and/or even higher η values. The enhancement is a result of the narrowing of the plasmon bandwidth from these bimetal systems. The phenomenological explanation of this effect based on the dipolar approximation points to the reduction in radiative losses within the Ag nanoparticles when in contact with cobalt. This is also supported by a model of coupling between poor and good conductors based on the surface to volume ratio. This study presents a new type of bandwidth engineering, one based on using bimetalnanostructures, to tune and/or enhance the quality factor and quantum efficiency for near and far-field plasmonic applications

The effects of resistance training on well-being and memory in elderly volunteers

Objective: to determine the short- and long-term effects of resistance training on muscle strength, psychological well-being, control-beliefs, cognitive speed and memory in normally active elderly people. Methods: 46 elderly people (mean age 73.2 years; 18 women and 28 men), were randomly assigned to training and control groups (n = 23 each). Pre- and post-tests were administered 1 week before and 1 week after the 8-week training intervention. The training sessions, performed once a week, consisted of a 10 min warm-up phase and eight resistance exercises on machines. Results: there was a significant increase in maximum dynamic strength in the training group. This training effect was associated with a significant decrease in self-attentiveness, which is known to enhance psychological well-being. No significant changes could be observed in control-beliefs. Modest effects on cognitive functioning occurred with the training procedure: although there were no changes in cognitive speed, significant pre/post-changes could be shown in free recall and recognition in the experimental group. A post-test comparison between the experimental group and control group showed a weak effect for recognition but no significant differences in free recall. Significant long-term effects were found in the training group for muscular strength and memory performance (free recall) 1 year later. Conclusion: an 8-week programme of resistance training lessens anxiety and self-attentiveness and improves muscle strengt