A state of transcendence in dance: An autoethnographic analysis

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This thesis maps and analyses a dancer’s journey and as that dancer is myself the research investigates the limits and possibilities of self-observation as a methodology. I have taken a term commonly used in dance – transcendence – and used it as a gateway to explore the invisible experience that is the dancer’s personal process, configuring its key characteristic as a creative tension between restriction and infinite possibility, further explored as the dialogue between embodied technique and the sense of freedom in dance. I explore how my body and experience in dance can be theorised, and what methodological tools are useful in the attempt to better understand the embodied work and invisible inner experience of the dancer. I place myself as the subject of the research and argue for the significance of my lived experience as a cross-cultural journey in the development of my own body’s intelligence. The research addresses specifically a dancer’s body as a site for the interweaving of two different forms of dance, namely Korean dance and Western ballet, and explores the impact of this on the dancer in question. The aesthetic and technical implications of this inter-cultural practice are analysed alongside a study of the culturally inscribed body that in this research draws specifically on a Korean woman's upbringing in Korea. Included with the written thesis are accompanying creative material in the form of a spoken address and films of original choreography danced by the researcher. An appendix is attached for those interested in knowing more of the choreographic process involved in the dance works

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

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

Immunization with Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Protects Rabbits against Hepatitis E-3 Virus Infection

Here, rabbits were immunized with a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine prepared by expressing 239 amino acids of the swine hepatitis E virus (HEV)-3 capsid protein using a baculovirus system. Thirty specific-pathogen-free rabbits were divided into five groups (negative and positive control and 10, 50, and 100 &mu;g VLP-vaccinated). Positive control group rabbits showed viremia and fecal viral shedding, whereas rabbits vaccinated with 10 &mu;g VLP showed transient fecal viral shedding, and rabbits vaccinated with 50 and 100 &mu;g VLP did not show viremia or fecal viral shedding. Serum anti-HEV antibody titers increased in a dose-dependent manner. Anti-HEV antibody titers were significantly higher (p &lt; 0.05) in 100 &mu;g VLP-vaccinated rabbits than in the negative control rabbits at week 4. Anti-HEV antibody titers were significantly higher in 50 and 10 &mu;g VLP-vaccinated rabbits than in the negative control rabbits at weeks 8 and 11, respectively. Serum IFN-&gamma; and IL-12 levels were significantly higher (p &lt; 0.01) in rabbits vaccinated with 50 and 100 &mu;g VLP than in the negative control rabbits at weeks 4 and 6. Liver tissues of 50 and 100 &mu;g VLP-vaccinated rabbits displayed significantly less (p &lt; 0.05) fibrosis than those of the positive control rabbits. The prepared VLP vaccine demonstrated dose-dependent immunogenicity sufficient for inducing anti-HEV antibody production, thus protecting rabbits against swine HEV-3

Whey Proteins-Fortified Milk with Adjusted Casein to Whey Proteins Ratio Improved Muscle Strength and Endurance Exercise Capacity without Lean Mass Accretion in Rats

This study investigated the effects of the casein to whey proteins (CW) ratio in milk on body composition, muscle strength, and endurance exercise capacity in rats. Thirty rats were assigned into five groups, and each treatment was administered for eight weeks: (1) control (isocaloric lactose supplementation), (2) CW8:2 (regular milk), (3) CW6:4, (4) CW5:5, and (5) nitrogen-free (lactose). The milk concentration was converted from a human equivalent dose (400 mL/60 kg body weight/day). All the milk-administered groups showed significantly greater growth performance, including body weight and weight gain compared to the isocaloric lactose control (p p p < 0.05), indicating that the higher whey proteins ratio improved physical performance. We concluded that whey proteins-fortified milk enhances muscle strength and endurance exercise capacity without altering lean mass in rats

Effect of Interface Roughness on Program/Erase Efficiency for 3D Vertical NAND Flash Memory applications

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Numerical computation of spin-transfer torques for antiferromagnetic domain walls

We numerically compute current-induced spin-transfer torques for antiferromagnetic domain walls, based on a linear response theory in a tight-binding model. We find that, unlike for ferromagnetic domain-wall motion, the contribution of adiabatic spin torque to antiferromagnetic domain-wall motion is negligible, consistent with previous theories. As a result, the nonadiabatic spin-transfer torque is a main driving torque for antiferromagnetic domain-wall motion. Moreover, the nonadiabatic spin-transfer torque for narrower antiferromagnetic domain walls increases more rapidly than that for ferromagnetic domain walls, which is attributed to the enhanced spin mistracking process for antiferromagnetic domain walls.11Nsciescopu

Exposure to cigarette smoke disturbs adipokines secretion causing intercellular damage and insulin resistance in high fructose diet induced metabolic disorder mice

A large amount of fructose intake along with smoking is associated with increased incidence of diseases linked to metabolic syndrome. More research is necessary to understand the complex mechanism that ultimately results in metabolic syndrome and the effect, if any, of high fructose dietary intake and smoking on individual health. In this study, we investigated changes in ER-Golgi network and disturbance to secretion of adipokines induced by cigarette smoking (CS) and excess fructose intake and their contribution to the disruption of metabolic homeostasis. We used high fructose-induced metabolic disorder mice model by feeding them with high fructose diet for 8 weeks. For CS exposure experiment, these mice were exposed to CS for 28 days according to OECD guideline 412. Our results clearly showed that the immune system was suppressed and ER stress was induced in mice with exposure to CS and fed with high fructose. Furthermore, their concentrations of adipokines including leptin and adiponectin were aberrant. Such alteration in secretion of adipokines could cause insulin resistance which may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved