Acute hypoxia reduces plasma myostatin independent of hypoxic dose

Background: Muscle atrophy is seen ~ 25 % of patients with cardiopulmonary disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and chronic heart failure. Multiple hypotheses exist for this loss, including inactivity, inflammation, malnutrition and hypoxia. Healthy individuals exposed to chronic hypobaric hypoxia also show wasting, suggesting hypoxia alone is sufficient to induce atrophy. Myostatin regulates muscle mass and may underlie hypoxic-induced atrophy. Our previous work suggests a decrease in plasma myostatin and increase in muscle myostatin following 10 hours of exposure to 12 % O2. Aims: To establish the effect of hypoxic dose on plasma myostatin concentration. Concentration of plasma myostatin following two doses of normobaric hypoxia (10.7 % and 12.3 % O2) in a randomised, single-blinded crossover design (n = 8 lowlanders, n = 1 Sherpa), with plasma collected pre (0 hours), post (2 hours) and 2 hours following (4 hours) exposure. Results: An effect of time was noted, plasma myostatin decreased at 4 hours but not 2 hours relative to 0 hours (p = 0.01; 0 hours = 3.26 [0.408] ng.mL-1, 2 hours = 3.33, [0.426] ng.mL-1, 4 hours = 2.92, [0.342] ng.mL-1). No difference in plasma myostatin response was seen between hypoxic conditions (10.7 % vs. 12.3 % O2). Myostatin reduction in the Sherpa case study was similar to the lowlander cohort. Conclusions: Decreased myostatin peptide expression suggests hypoxia in isolation is sufficient to challenge muscle homeostasis, independent of confounding factors seen in chronic cardiopulmonary disorders, in a manner consistent with our previous work. Decreased myostatin peptide may represent flux towards peripheral muscle, or a reduction to protect muscle mass. Chronic adaption to hypoxia does not appear to protect against this response, however larger cohorts are needed to confirm this. Future work will examine tissue changes in parallel with systemic effects

Revolution and Diavolution: What is the Difference?

Whereas revolution has been often viewed as contrary to organization, it in fact requires the overcoming of a present organization in the promise of achieving another superior organization. The revolutionaries of every age have always harboured a dream of organization. In an attempt to achieve better understanding of the relationship between organization and revolution, the article conducts a theoretical, rather than historical, reflection on the interplay among three concepts: organization, revolution, and diavolution. By exploring the modernist conception of revolution and its religious substratum, the idea is advanced that the relationship can be framed as follows: organization is the katéchon of revolution, whereas revolution is the éschaton of organization. The last part of the article introduces and discusses the concept of diavolution as an attempt to overcome the dichotomy between the subjectivist and the structuralist view both at the theoretical and the practical level. Diavolution is a style of inhabiting organizations that differs from the revolutionary one; a style of resistance that, although much more elusive and difficult to capture, may prove to be at the same time more human

Complications of splintage in congenital dislocation of the hip

The use of abduction splintage in the treatmentof congenital dislocation of the hip hasan important morbidity. Six children whodeveloped complications are presented in thispaper. Sustained splintage of an unreducedhip, overcorrection of the femoral head displacement,avascular necrosis of the femoralhead, full thickness pressure sores, and excessivetibial torsion may occur as a consequenceof treatment. Expert supervision of abductionsplintage, correct case selection, and regularreview are necessary to reduce the incidenceof such complications.<br/