Going Public: Writing and Revising the Memoir

The following paper discussed the research and revising process of writing memoir. It began with a literature review that discussed literature about writing, literature about writing memoirs and published memoirs. The literature reviews concluded there are six criteria necessary to make a memoir effective. The six criteria are: length, chronological order, narration, description, theme and overall appeal. The paper then explored the application of criteria to a personal memoir about an abusive relationship, before discussing a survey sent to Olivet alumni that asked objective questions about each criterion. The survey responses are used to help complete a final draft of the memoir, Everything I Want You to Know: Learning We Are Not Alone, which explored the idea that no one is ever truly alone while presenting the story in alternating pieces of current reflection and scenes from the past

L’évaluation du vieillissement vasculaire cérébral par angiographie par résonance magnétique

Bien que le vieillissement cérébral cortical soit un point central en neurosciences, le vieillissement neurovasculaire pourrait offrir une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes causaux du vieillissement en santé et pathologique à des fins de prédiction ou même de prévention. Des altérations de flot sanguin cérébral ont été notées dans la littérature au repos et à la stimulation. Ces changements de flot sanguin cérébral pourraient être potentiellement causés par des diminutions proportionnelles de diamètre luminal, engendrés par différents mécanismes liés au vieillissement, qui pourraient être directement mesurées. Le but de cette étude était de mesurer les diamètres luminaux des grandes artères intracérébrales chez des sujets jeunes et âgés en santé à l’aide d’angiographie par résonance magnétique time-of-flight. À cette fin, des outils de segmentation et d’extraction des diamètres luminaux vasculaires ont été utilisés. Une méthode de recalage à l’espace MNI et de nettoyage automatique a été créée afin de faciliter et standardiser la comparaison des différents segments radiologiques des différentes artères intracérébrales. Des cartes probabilistiques des artères intracérébrales des sujets jeunes et âgés ont également été générées. La présente étude offre une méthodologie pouvant être appliquée à des études subséquentes en vue de comparer les diamètres luminaux vasculaires observés lors du vieillissement pathologique à ceux du vieillissement en santé, ou dans d’autres contextes cliniques afin de possiblement développer des valeurs de références permettant de distinguer un vieillissement normal d’un vieillissement pathologique sur une base d’imagerie

Association between inherited monogenic liver disorders and chronic hepatitis C

Aim: To determine the frequencies of mutations that cause inherited monogenic liver disorders in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: This study included 86 patients with chronic hepatitis C (55 men, 31 women; mean age at diagnosis, 38.36 ± 14.52 years) who had undergone antiviral therapy comprising pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Viral load, biochemical parameter changes, and liver biopsy morphological data were evaluated in all patients. The control group comprised 271 unrelated individuals representing the general population of Latvia for mutation frequency calculations. The most frequent mutations that cause inherited liver disorders [gene (mutation): ATP7B (H1069Q), HFE (C282Y, H63D), UGT1A1 (TA)7, and SERPINA1 (PiZ)] were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), bidirectional PCR allele-specific amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and sequencing. Results: The viral genotype was detected in 80 of the 86 patients. Viral genotypes 1, 2, and 3 were present in 61 (76%), 7 (9%), and 12 (15%) patients, respectively. Among all 86 patients, 50 (58%) reached an early viral response and 70 (81%) reached a sustained viral response. All 16 patients who did not reach a sustained viral response had viral genotype 1. Case-control analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in only the H1069Q mutation between patients and controls (patients, 0.057; controls, 0.012; odds ratio, 5.514; 95%CI: 1.119-29.827, P = 0.022). However, the H1069Q mutation was not associated with antiviral treatment outcomes or biochemical indices. The (TA) 7 mutation of the UGT1A1 gene was associated with decreased ferritin levels (beta regression coefficient = -295.7, P = 0.0087). Conclusion: Genetic mutations that cause inherited liver diseases in patients with hepatitis C should be studied in detail.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Interleukin 28B Gene Polymorphism and Association with Chronic Hepatitis C Therapy Results in Latvia

Introduction. With the standard treatment of chronic hepatitis C, sustained virological response (SVR) can be achieved only in half of all patients. Interleukin-28B appears to be involved in the control of HCV infection, and the genetic polymorphism of the encoding IL-28B gene may determine the efficacy of clearance of HCV. The aim of this paper was to detect IL-28B gene polymorphism in Latvia and to analyze therapy results. This is the first study on IL-28B gene polymorphism in Latvia. Material and Methods. There were 159 chronic viral hepatitis C patients included in the study. In order to detect IL-28B gene polymorphism, we used molecular biology techniques and methods: classical DNA separation, amplification by PCR, and standard sequencing. Genotype was defined as CC, CT, TC, or TT type. 142 patients were treated with the standard of care treatment. Results were analyzed according to IL-28B polymorphism. Results. There were 53 patients (33%) with CC genotype, 84 patients (53%) with CT/TC genotype, and 22 patients (14%) with TT genotype. 34 patients (74%) in CC genotype subgroup achieved SVR versus 50 patients (52%) in non-CC subgroups. In patients with genotype 1, SVR was achieved in 16 patients (84%) in CC subgroup versus 30 patients (47.6%) in non-CC subgroups, P = 0.007. Conclusions. The most common genotype of IL28B in Latvia is CT/TC, with an incidence of 53%. Patients with CC genotype achieved SVR more often than CT or TT subgroups. IL28B gene polymorphism therefore is a strong predictor of treatment result

Limits on Anomalous Couplings from Higgs Boson Production at the Tevatron

We estimate the attainable limits on the coefficients of dimension--6 operators from the analysis of Higgs boson phenomenology, in the framework of a $SU_L(2) \times U_Y(1)$ gauge-invariant effective Lagrangian. Our results, based on the data sample already collected by the collaborations at Fermilab Tevatron, show that the coefficients of Higgs-vector boson couplings can be determined with unprecedented accuracy. Assuming that the coefficients of all ``blind'' operators are of the same magnitude, we are also able to impose more restrictive bounds on the anomalous vector-boson triple couplings than the present limit from double gauge boson production at the Tevatron collider.Comment: 4 Pages, 2 figures, latex file using ReVTeX, Version to Appear in Physical Review Letter

Modeling Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compounds by Molecular Topology

One of the main pharmacological problems today in the treatment of chronic inflammation diseases consists of the fact that anti-inflammatory drugs usually exhibit side effects. The natural products offer a great hope in the identification of bioactive lead compounds and their development into drugs for treating inflammatory diseases. Computer-aided drug design has proved to be a very useful tool for discovering new drugs and, specifically, Molecular Topology has become a good technique for such a goal. A topological-mathematical model, obtained by linear discriminant analysis, has been developed for the search of new anti-inflammatory natural compounds. An external validation obtained with the remaining compounds (those not used in building up the model), has been carried out. Finally, a virtual screening on natural products was performed and 74 compounds showed actual anti-inflammatory activity. From them, 54 had been previously described as anti-inflammatory in the literature. This can be seen as a plus in the model validation and as a reinforcement of the role of Molecular Topology as an efficient tool for the discovery of new anti-inflammatory natural compounds

Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429):Koi herpes virus disease (KHV)

Abstract Koi herpes virus (KHV) disease has been assessed according to the criteria of the Animal Health Law (AHL), in particular criteria of Article 7 on disease profile and impacts, Article 5 on the eligibility of KHV disease to be listed, Article 9 for the categorisation of KHV disease according to disease prevention and control rules as in Annex IV and Article 8 on the list of animal species related to KHV disease. The assessment has been performed following a methodology composed of information collection and compilation, expert judgement on each criterion at individual and, if no consensus was reached before, also at collective level. The output is composed of the categorical answer, and for the questions where no consensus was reached, the different supporting views are reported. Details on the methodology used for this assessment are explained in a separate opinion. According to the assessment performed, it is inconclusive whether KHV disease can be considered eligible to be listed for Union intervention as laid down in Article 5(3) of the AHL because there was no full consensus on the criterion 5 A(v). Consequently, the assessment on compliance of KHV disease with the criteria as in Annex IV of the AHL, for the application of the disease prevention and control rules referred to in Article 9(1) is also inconclusive, as well as which animal species can be considered to be listed for KHV disease according to Article 8(3) of the AHL

Protektive Wirkung von Benetzungsmitteln auf humane Zellkulturen vor Austrocknung

Die Behandlung des trockenen Auges erfolgt hauptsächlich symptomatisch mit Tränenersatzmitteln. Eine Vielzahl an Benetzungsmitteln mit unterschiedlichen Wirk- und Zusatzstoffen zum Ausgleich des Tränenmangels und zum Schutz der Schleimhaut wurde entwickelt. In einem standardisierten Zellkulturmodell wurde die protektive Wirkung verschiedener Präparate untersucht. Als Indikator zur Erfassung vitaler Zellen wurde Alamar blue genutzt. Nach Inkubation der Zellkulturen mit den Benetzungsmitteln wurden vier Austrocknungszeiten unter einem konstanten Luftstrom eingehalten. Anschließend wurde der Redoxindikator appliziert und nach vier Stunden Inkubation wurde die Absorption von Alamar blue mit dem ELISA-Reader bestimmt. Mit zunehmender Austrocknungszeit kam es bei allen Benetzungsmitteln zum Verlust vitaler Zellen in den geprüften Zellkulturen. Das Präparat mit einer Kombination der Wirkstoffe PVA und PVP zeigte einen signifikant besseren Schutzeffekt auf die Zellkulturen. Die mit Benzalkoniumchlorid konservierten Mittel führten zum höchsten Verlust vitaler Zellen. Hier konnten Präparate mit dem Konservierungsmittel Oxyd bessere Ergebnisse erzielen.Artificial tears are most frequently used in the treatment of dry eyes. Many different lubricants with various agents and additives for tear supplementation and mucosa protection have been developed. In a standardized cell culture model we examined the protective effect against desiccation of different brands of ocular lubricants. Alamar blue was used to indicate the quantity of vital cells. Two cell cultures were incubated with ocular lubricants and were dried under a constant air flow for four different time periods. Subsequently, Alamar blue was applied and after 4 hours of incubation we measured the absoption of Alamar blue using the ELISA-Reader. All lubricating agents reduced the quantity of vital cells in the examined cell cultures with increased drying time periods. Eye drops with a combination of the active substances PVA and PVP showed a significantly better protective effect to the cell cultures. The agents conserved with benzalkonium chloride led to the highest loss of vital cells. Whereas eye drops with the biodegradable preservative Oxyd had better results

Going Public: Writing and Revising the Memoir

The following paper discussed the research and revising process of writing memoir. It began with a literature review that discussed literature about writing, literature about writing memoirs and published memoirs. The literature reviews concluded there are six criteria necessary to make a memoir effective. The six criteria are: length, chronological order, narration, description, theme and overall appeal. The paper then explored the application of criteria to a personal memoir about an abusive relationship, before discussing a survey sent to Olivet alumni that asked objective questions about each criterion. The survey responses are used to help complete a final draft of the memoir, Everything I Want You to Know: Learning We Are Not Alone, which explored the idea that no one is ever truly alone while presenting the story in alternating pieces of current reflection and scenes from the past