Madrid: Literary Fiction and the Imaginary Urban Destination

This study selects novels from French and Spanish language traditions, which may not be available to English-speakers, in order to determine if specific aspects throw light on our understanding of Madrid as a destination. Marc Lambron's L'Impromptu de Madrid and Antonio Munoz Molina’s Mysteries of Madrid are taken as proof of the influence the narrative can exert on social daily life and consumption. Narrative foregrounds the fictions which are at stake in imagining the city as destination and also provides a vehicle for presenting the much broader social forces that converge in the author at the time of imagining and writing

Molecular dynamics symulation of hydrogen diffusion in palladium

In the present work, the diffusion of hydrogen atoms in the crystal lattice of palladium was investigated using the molecular dynamics. The diffusion coefficients, activation energies and preexponential factors were determined for structures with different hydrogen concentration. It is determined that the diffusion coefficients decrease and the activation energy of diffusion grows with increasing concentrations of hydrogen

Albuminuria is associated with too few glomeruli and too much testosterone

Normally, the glomerular filtration barrier almost completely excludes circulating albumin from entering the urine. Genetic variation and both pre- and postnatal environmental factors may affect albuminuria in humans. Here we determine whether glomerular gene expression in mouse strains with naturally occurring variations in albuminuria would allow identification of proteins deregulated in relatively 'leaky' glomeruli. Albuminuria increased in female B6 to male B6 to female FVB/N to male FVB/N mice, whereas the number of glomeruli/kidney was the exact opposite. Testosterone administration led to increased albuminuria in female B6 but not female FVB/N mice. A common set of 39 genes, many expressed in podocytes, were significantly differentially expressed in each of the four comparisons: male versus female B6 mice, male versus female FVB/N mice, male FVB/N versus male B6 mice, and female FVB/N versus female B6 mice. The transcripts encoded proteins involved in oxidation/reduction reactions, ion transport, and enzymes involved in detoxification. These proteins may represent novel biomarkers and even therapeutic targets for early kidney and cardiovascular disease

Tourist risk perceptions and revisit intention: A critical review of literature

Tourists’ perceptions of risk with travel destination are one of the key determinants of their decision-making in revisiting a destination. Despite the importance of the subject in tourism literature, a few attempts have been made to focus on the effects of tourist risk perceptions on revisit intentions. Moreover, a theoretical foundation is still lacking in current literature highlighting the relationship of the effect of tourist risk perceptions through satisfaction and attitude towards revisiting with tourist revisit intention. Taking this into account as research gap, this paper provides a critical review of the effect of tourist risk perceptions in tourism research, presenting a descriptive background, identifying the progress, develop an integrated conceptual framework, review of their theoretical propositions and methodological issues and suggesting new areas and approaches for future research. The study concludes that the area is dominated by both the quantitative and the qualitative research, and a lack of appropriate theoretical foundation is a major problem to understand the common risk dimensions and their effect on tourist revisit intention. Therefore, the integration of satisfaction and attitude towards revisit with the relationship between tourist risk perceptions and revisit intention in a single framework seems rational to provide an insight for new research approach

Genome assembly and gene expression in the American black bear provides new insights into the renal response to hibernation.

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is rising worldwide and 10-15% of the global population currently suffers from CKD and its complications. Given the increasing prevalence of CKD there is an urgent need to find novel treatment options. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) copes with months of lowered kidney function and metabolism during hibernation without the devastating effects on metabolism and other consequences observed in humans. In a biomimetic approach to better understand kidney adaptations and physiology in hibernating black bears, we established a high-quality genome assembly. Subsequent RNA-Seq analysis of kidneys comparing gene expression profiles in black bears entering (late fall) and emerging (early spring) from hibernation identified 169 protein-coding genes that were differentially expressed. Of these, 101 genes were downregulated and 68 genes were upregulated after hibernation. Fold changes ranged from 1.8-fold downregulation (RTN4RL2) to 2.4-fold upregulation (CISH). Most notable was the upregulation of cytokine suppression genes (SOCS2, CISH, and SERPINC1) and the lack of increased expression of cytokines and genes involved in inflammation. The identification of these differences in gene expression in the black bear kidney may provide new insights in the prevention and treatment of CKD

Stitching together Multiple Data Dimensions Reveals Interacting Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Networks That Modulate Cell Regulation

DNA variation can be used as a systematic source of perturbation in segregating populations as a way to infer regulatory networks via the integration of large-scale, high-dimensional molecular profiling data

Serotype Distribution and Invasive Potential of Group B Streptococcus Isolates Causing Disease in Infants and Colonizing Maternal-Newborn Dyads

Serotype-specific polysaccharide based group B streptococcus (GBS) vaccines are being developed. An understanding of the serotype epidemiology associated with maternal colonization and invasive disease in infants is necessary to determine the potential coverage of serotype-specific GBS vaccines.Colonizing GBS isolates were identified by vaginal swabbing of mothers during active labor and from skin of their newborns post-delivery. Invasive GBS isolates from infants were identified through laboratory-based surveillance. GBS serotyping was done by latex agglutination. Serologically non-typeable isolates were typed by a serotype-specific PCR method. The invasive potential of GBS serotypes associated with sepsis within seven days of birth was evaluated in association to maternal colonizing serotypes.GBS was identified in 289 (52.4%) newborns born to 551 women with GBS-vaginal colonization and from 113 (5.6%) newborns born to 2,010 mothers in whom GBS was not cultured from vaginal swabs. The serotype distribution among vaginal-colonizing isolates was as follows: III (37.3%), Ia (30.1%), and II (11.3%), V (10.2%), Ib (6.7%) and IV (3.7%). There were no significant differences in serotype distribution between vaginal and newborn colonizing isolates (P = 0.77). Serotype distribution of invasive GBS isolates were significantly different to that of colonizing isolates (P<0.0001). Serotype III was the most common invasive serotype in newborns less than 7 days (57.7%) and in infants 7 to 90 days of age (84.3%; P<0.001). Relative to serotype III, other serotypes showed reduced invasive potential: Ia (0.49; 95%CI 0.31-0.77), II (0.30; 95%CI 0.13-0.67) and V (0.38; 95%CI 0.17-0.83).In South Africa, an anti-GBS vaccine including serotypes Ia, Ib and III has the potential of preventing 74.1%, 85.4% and 98.2% of GBS associated with maternal vaginal-colonization, invasive disease in neonates less than 7 days and invasive disease in infants between 7-90 days of age, respectively

Association of Coding Variants in Hydroxysteroid 17-beta Dehydrogenase 14 (HSD17B14) with Reduced Progression to End Stage Kidney Disease in Type 1 Diabetes

Background Rare variants ingenecodingregions likely have agreater impactondisease-relatedphenotypes than common variants through disruption of their encoded protein. We searched for rare variants associated with onset of ESKD in individuals with type 1 diabetes at advanced kidney disease stage. Methods Gene-basedexome array analyses of15,449genes infivelarge incidence cohortsof individualswith type 1diabetes andproteinuriawere analyzedfor survival time toESKD, testing the top gene in a sixth cohort (n52372/1115 events all cohorts) and replicating in two retrospective case-control studies (n51072 cases, 752 controls). Deep resequencing of the top associated gene in five cohorts confirmed the findings. We performed immunohistochemistry and gene expression experiments in human control and diseased cells, and in mouse ischemia reperfusion and aristolochic acid nephropathy models. Results Protein coding variants in the hydroxysteroid 17- b dehydrogenase 14 gene (HSD17B14), predicted to affect protein structure, had a net protective effect against development of ESKD at exome-wide significance (n54196; P value53.331027). The HSD17B14 gene and encoded enzyme were robustly expressed in healthy human kidney, maximally in proximal tubular cells. Paradoxically, gene and protein expression were attenuated in human diabetic proximal tubules and in mouse kidney injury models. Expressed HSD17B14 gene and protein levels remained low without recovery after 21 days in a murine ischemic reperfusion injury model. Decreased gene expression was found in other CKD-associated renal pathologies. Conclusions HSD17B14 gene ismechanistically involved in diabetic kidney disease. The encoded sex steroid enzyme is a druggable target, potentially opening a new avenue for therapeutic development.Peer reviewe

Perspectives on care and communication involving incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, relatives and professionals: a systematic literature review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our aim was to obtain a clearer picture of the relevant care experiences and care perceptions of incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, their relatives and professional care providers, as well as of communication and decision-making patterns at the end of life. The ultimate objective is to improve palliative care for Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands, by taking account of socio-cultural factors in the guidelines for palliative care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature review was undertaken. The data sources were seventeen national and international literature databases, four Dutch journals dedicated to palliative care and 37 websites of relevant national and international organizations. All the references found were checked to see whether they met the structured inclusion criteria. Inclusion was limited to publications dealing with primary empirical research on the relationship between socio-cultural factors and the health or care situation of Turkish or Moroccan patients with an oncological or incurable disease. The selection was made by first reading the titles and abstracts and subsequently the full texts. The process of deciding which studies to include was carried out by two reviewers independently. A generic appraisal instrument was applied to assess the methodological quality.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-seven studies were found that reported findings for the countries of origin (mainly Turkey) and the immigrant host countries (mainly the Netherlands). The central themes were experiences and perceptions of family care, professional care, end-of-life care and communication. Family care is considered a duty, even when such care becomes a severe burden for the main female family caregiver in particular. Professional hospital care is preferred by many of the patients and relatives because they are looking for a cure and security. End-of-life care is strongly influenced by the continuing hope for recovery. Relatives are often quite influential in end-of-life decisions, such as the decision to withdraw or withhold treatments. The diagnosis, prognosis and end-of-life decisions are seldom discussed with the patient, and communication about pain and mental problems is often limited. Language barriers and the dominance of the family may exacerbate communication problems.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This review confirms the view that family members of patients with a Turkish or Moroccan background have a central role in care, communication and decision making at the end of life. This, in combination with their continuing hope for the patient’s recovery may inhibit open communication between patients, relatives and professionals as partners in palliative care. This implies that organizations and professionals involved in palliative care should take patients’ socio-cultural characteristics into account and incorporate cultural sensitivity into care standards and care practices<it>.</it></p