Angiogenic regulatory influence of extracellular matrix deposited by resting state asthmatic and non-asthmatic airway smooth muscle cells is similar

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the tissue microenvironment that regulates the characteristics of stromal and systemic cells to control processes such as inflammation and angiogenesis. Despite ongoing anti-inflammatory treatment, low levels of inflammation exist in the airways in asthma, which alters ECM deposition by airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. The altered ECM causes aberrant behaviour of cells, such as endothelial cells, in the airway tissue. We therefore sought to characterize the composition and angiogenic potential of the ECM deposited by asthmatic and non-asthmatic ASM. After 72 hours under non-stimulated conditions, the ECM deposited by primary human asthmatic ASM cells was equal in total protein, collagen I, III and fibronectin content to that from non-asthmatic ASM cells. Further, the matrices of non-asthmatic and asthmatic ASM cells were equivalent in regulating the growth, activity, attachment and migration of primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Under basal conditions, asthmatic and non-asthmatic ASM cells intrinsically deposit an ECM of equivalent composition and angiogenic potential. Previous findings indicate that dysregulation of the airway ECM is driven even by low levels of inflammatory provocation. This study suggests the need for more effective anti-inflammatory therapies in asthma to maintain the airway ECM and regulate ECM-mediated aberrant angiogenesis.</p

Angiogenic regulatory influence of extracellular matrix deposited by resting state asthmatic and non-asthmatic airway smooth muscle cells is similar

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the tissue microenvironment that regulates the characteristics of stromal and systemic cells to control processes such as inflammation and angiogenesis. Despite ongoing anti‐inflammatory treatment, low levels of inflammation exist in the airways in asthma, which alters ECM deposition by airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. The altered ECM causes aberrant behaviour of cells, such as endothelial cells, in the airway tissue. We therefore sought to characterize the composition and angiogenic potential of the ECM deposited by asthmatic and non‐asthmatic ASM. After 72 hours under non‐stimulated conditions, the ECM deposited by primary human asthmatic ASM cells was equal in total protein, collagen I, III and fibronectin content to that from non‐asthmatic ASM cells. Further, the matrices of non‐asthmatic and asthmatic ASM cells were equivalent in regulating the growth, activity, attachment and migration of primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Under basal conditions, asthmatic and non‐asthmatic ASM cells intrinsically deposit an ECM of equivalent composition and angiogenic potential. Previous findings indicate that dysregulation of the airway ECM is driven even by low levels of inflammatory provocation. This study suggests the need for more effective anti‐inflammatory therapies in asthma to maintain the airway ECM and regulate ECM‐mediated aberrant angiogenesis

Controlling pattern formation and spatio-temporal disorder in nonlinear optics

We present a feedback control method for the stabilization of unstable patterns and for the control of spatio-temporal disorder. The control takes the form of a spatial modulation to the input pump, which is obtained via filtering in Fourier space of the output electric field. The control is powerful, flexible and non-invasive: the feedback vanishes once control is achieved. We demonstrate by means of computer simulation, the effect of the control in two different optical systems

Manipulation and removal of defects in spontaneous optical patterns

Defects play an important role in a number of fields dealing with ordered structures. They are often described in terms of their topology, mutual interaction and their statistical characteristics. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the possibility of an active manipulation and removal of defects. We focus on the spontaneous formation of two-dimensional spatial structures in a nonlinear optical system, a liquid crystal light valve under single optical feedback. With increasing distance from threshold, the spontaneously formed hexagonal pattern becomes disordered and contains several defects. A scheme based on Fourier filtering allows us to remove defects and to restore spatial order. Starting without control, the controlled area is progressively expanded, such that defects are swept out of the active area.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Turbulent Mixing in the Interstellar Medium -- an application for Lagrangian Tracer Particles

We use 3-dimensional numerical simulations of self-gravitating compressible turbulent gas in combination with Lagrangian tracer particles to investigate the mixing process of molecular hydrogen (H2) in interstellar clouds. Tracer particles are used to represent shock-compressed dense gas, which is associated with H2. We deposit tracer particles in regions of density contrast in excess of ten times the mean density. Following their trajectories and using probability distribution functions, we find an upper limit for the mixing timescale of H2, which is of order 0.3 Myr. This is significantly smaller than the lifetime of molecular clouds, which demonstrates the importance of the turbulent mixing of H2 as a preliminary stage to star formation.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, conference proceedings "Turbulent Mixing and Beyond 2007

Parental cultural models and resources for understanding mathematical achievement in culturally diverse school settings

This paper proposes that the theoretical concept of cultural models can offer useful insights into parental involvement in their child’s mathematical achievement and the resources they use to go about gaining information in culturally diverse learning settings. This examination takes place within a cultural-developmental framework and draws on the notion of cultural models to explicate parental understandings of their child’s mathematics achievement and what resources are used to make sense of this. Three parental resources are scrutinized: (a) the teacher, (b) examination test results, and (c) constructions of child development. The interviews with 22 parents revealed some ambiguity around the interpretation of these resources by the parent, which was often the result of incongruent cultural models held between the home and the school. The resources mentioned are often perceived as being unambiguous but show themselves instead to be highly interpretive because of the diversity of cultural models in existence in culturally diverse settings. Parents who are in minority or marginalized positions tend to have difficulties in interpreting cultural models held by school, thereby disempowering them to be parentally involved in the way the school would like

Diagnosis and assessment of dilated cardiomyopathy: a guideline protocol from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Heart failure (HF) is a debilitating and life-threatening condition, with 5-year survival rate lower than breast or prostate cancer. It is the leading cause of hospital admission in over 65s, and these admissions are projected to rise by more than 50% over the next 25 years. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the first-line step in diagnosis in acute and chronic HF and provides immediate information on chamber volumes, ventricular systolic and diastolic function, wall thickness, valve function and the presence of pericardial effusion, while contributing to information on aetiology. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the third most common cause of HF and is the most common cardiomyopathy. It is defined by the presence of left ventricular dilatation and left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the absence of abnormal loading conditions (hypertension and valve disease) or coronary artery disease sufficient to cause global systolic impairment. This document provides a practical approach to diagnosis and assessment of dilated cardiomyopathy that is aimed at the practising sonographer

Methodological approaches to determining the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect

The marine radiocarbon reservoir effect is an offset in 14C age between contemporaneous organisms from the terrestrial environment and organisms that derive their carbon from the marine environment. Quantification of this effect is of crucial importance for correct calibration of the &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C ages of marine-influenced samples to the calendrical timescale. This is fundamental to the construction of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental chronologies when such samples are employed in &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C analysis. Quantitative measurements of temporal variations in regional marine reservoir ages also have the potential to be used as a measure of process changes within Earth surface systems, due to their link with climatic and oceanic changes. The various approaches to quantification of the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect are assessed, focusing particularly on the North Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the global average marine reservoir age of surface waters, R(t), is c. 400 radiocarbon years; however, regional values deviate from this as a function of climate and oceanic circulation systems. These local deviations from R(t) are expressed as +R values. Hence, polar waters exhibit greater reservoir ages (&#948;R = c. +400 to +800 &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C y) than equatorial waters (&#948;R = c. 0 &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C y). Observed temporal variations in &#948;R appear to reflect climatic and oceanographic changes. We assess three approaches to quantification of marine reservoir effects using known age samples (from museum collections), tephra isochrones (present onshore/offshore) and paired marine/terrestrial samples (from the same context in, for example, archaeological sites). The strengths and limitations of these approaches are evaluated using examples from the North Atlantic region. It is proposed that, with a suitable protocol, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements on paired, short-lived, single entity marine and terrestrial samples from archaeological deposits is the most promising approach to constraining changes over at least the last 5 ky BP

A prospective study of consecutive emergency medical admissions to compare a novel automated computer-aided mortality risk score and clinical judgement of patient mortality risk

YesObjectives: To compare the performance of a validated automatic computer-aided risk of mortality (CARM) score versus medical judgement in predicting the risk of in-hospital mortality for patients following emergency medical admission. Design: A prospective study. Setting: Consecutive emergency medical admissions in York hospital. Participants: Elderly medical admissions in one ward were assigned a risk of death at the first post-take ward round by consultant staff over a 2-week period. The consultant medical staff used the same variables to assign a risk of death to the patient as the CARM (age, sex, National Early Warning Score and blood test results) but also had access to the clinical history, examination findings and any immediately available investigations such as ECGs. The performance of the CARM versus consultant medical judgement was compared using the c-statistic and the positive predictive value (PPV). Results: The in-hospital mortality was 31.8% (130/409). For patients with complete blood test results, the c-statistic for CARM was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.69 to 0.81) versus 0.72 (95% CI: 0.66 to 0.78) for medical judgements (p=0.28). For patients with at least one missing blood test result, the c-statistics were similar (medical judgements 0.70 (95% CI: 0.60 to 0.81) vs CARM 0.70 (95% CI: 0.59 to 0.80)). At a 10% mortality risk, the PPV for CARM was higher than medical judgements in patients with complete blood test results, 62.0% (95% CI: 51.2 to 71.9) versus 49.2% (95% CI: 39.8 to 58.5) but not when blood test results were missing, 50.0% (95% CI: 24.7 to 75.3) versus 53.3% (95% CI: 34.3 to 71.7). Conclusions: CARM is comparable with medical judgements in discriminating in-hospital mortality following emergency admission to an elderly care ward. CARM may have a promising role in supporting medical judgements in determining the patient's risk of death in hospital. Further evaluation of CARM in routine practice is required.Supported by the Health Foundation, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Yorkshire and Humberside Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (NIHR YHPSTRC)