Repurposing literacy: the uses of Richard Hoggart for creative education

After 50 years, what are the implications of Uses of Literacy for educational modernisation, in the light of subsequent changes from 'read only' literacy to 'read-write' uses of multimedia? This chapter argues that a broad extension of popular literacy via consumer-created digital content offers not only emancipationist potential in line with Hoggart's own project, but also economic benefits via the dynamics of creative innovation. Multimedia 'popular entertainments' pose a challenge to formal education, but not in the way that Hoggart feared. Instead of producing 'tamed helots,' commercial culture may be outpacing formal schooling in promoting creative digital literacy via entrepreneurial and distributed learning. It may indeed be that those in need of a creative make-over are not teenagers but teachers

Effectiveness of aerobic exercise for adults living with HIV: systematic review and meta-analysis using the Cochrane Collaboration protocol

Background: People with HIV are living longer with the health-related consequences of HIV, multi-morbidity, and aging. Exercise is a key strategy that may improve or sustain health for people living with HIV. Our aim was to examine the safety and effectiveness of aerobic exercise interventions on immunological, virological, cardiorespiratory, strength, weight, body composition, and psychological outcomes in adults living with HIV. Methods: We conducted a systematic review using the Cochrane Collaboration protocol. We searched databases up to April 2013. We included randomized controlled trials comparing aerobic exercise with no exercise or another intervention performed at least three times per week for at least four weeks among adults living with HIV. Two reviewers independently determined study eligibility. Data were extracted from studies that met inclusion criteria using standardized forms. We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias. Outcomes were analyzed as continuous and meta-analyses conducted using random effects models with Review Manager (RevMan) computer software. Results: Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria (n = 936 participants at study completion); the majority of participants were men (73 %) and the majority were taking antiretroviral therapy (19/24 included studies). The exercise intervention included aerobic exercise alone (11 studies) or a combination of aerobic and resistive exercise (13 studies) ranging from 5 to 52 weeks. Fifty-eight meta-analyses were performed. Main results indicated statistically significant improvements in selected outcomes of cardiorespiratory status (maximum oxygen consumption, exercise time), strength (chest press, knee flexion), body composition (lean body mass, percent body fat, leg muscle area), depression symptoms, and quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire) among exercisers compared with non-exercisers. No significant differences in change in CD4 count and viral load were found. Conclusions: Performing aerobic exercise or a combination of aerobic and resistive exercise at least three times per week for at least five weeks is safe and can lead to improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, body composition and quality of life for adults with HIV. Aerobic exercise is safe and beneficial for adults living with HIV who are medically stable

Activity-Dependent Modulation of Synaptic AMPA Receptor Accumulation

AbstractBoth theoretical and experimental work have suggested that central neurons compensate for changes in excitatory synaptic input in order to maintain a relatively constant output. We report here that inhibition of excitatory synaptic transmission in cultured spinal neurons leads to an increase in mEPSC amplitudes, accompanied by an equivalent increase in the accumulation of AMPA receptors at synapses. Conversely, increasing excitatory synaptic activity leads to a decrease in synaptic AMPA receptors and a decline in mEPSC amplitude. The time course of this synaptic remodeling is slow, similar to the metabolic half-life of neuronal AMPA receptors. Moreover, inhibiting excitatory synaptic transmission significantly prolongs the half-life of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1, suggesting that synaptic activity modulates the size of the mEPSC by regulating the turnover of postsynaptic AMPA receptors

Deep-Channel uses deep neural networks to detect single-molecule events from patch-clamp data

Single-molecule research techniques such as patch-clamp electrophysiology deliver unique biological insight by capturing the movement of individual proteins in real time, unobscured by whole-cell ensemble averaging. The critical first step in analysis is event detection, so called “idealisation”, where noisy raw data are turned into discrete records of protein movement. To date there have been practical limitations in patch-clamp data idealisation; high quality idealisation is typically laborious and becomes infeasible and subjective with complex biological data containing many distinct native single-ion channel proteins gating simultaneously. Here, we show a deep learning model based on convolutional neural networks and long short-term memory architecture can automatically idealise complex single molecule activity more accurately and faster than traditional methods. There are no parameters to set; baseline, channel amplitude or numbers of channels for example. We believe this approach could revolutionise the unsupervised automatic detection of single-molecule transition events in the future

Familial Aggregation of Survival and Late Female Reproduction

Abstract not availabl

Long-Term Estrogen Therapy Improves Vascular Function in Male to Female Transsexuals

AbstractObjectives. This study sought to examine the effects of long-term estrogen therapy on vascular function in male to female transsexuals and to compare the findings with those observed in men and premenopausal women.Background. Gender differences in coronary artery disease have largely been attributed to the beneficial effects of estrogen on vascular function and plasma lipids in women. However, the effects of estrogen on the male vasculature have not been widely studied.Methods. We compared the effects of estrogen on vascular function in 14 male to female transsexuals, 14 age-matched men and 15 premenopausal women. Flow-mediated vasodilation and response to nitroglycerin were assessed in the brachial artery using noninvasive ultrasound.Results. Flow-mediated vasodilation was similar in transsexuals and women but greater than that in men ([mean ± SE] 11.5 ± 1.3% and 9.4 ± 1.1% vs. 5.2 ± 1.0% respectively, p < 0.005). Responses to nitroglycerin were also greater in transsexuals and women than in men (21.6 ± 1.7% and 21.0 ± 0.9% vs. 14.5 ± 1.2%, respectively, p = 0.0005). These differences persisted even after adjusting for vessel size. Despite similar total cholesterol levels, transsexuals had high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels similar to those in women and greater than those observed in men (1.76 ± 0.12 and 1.82 ± 0.11 mmol/liter vs. 1.35 ± 0.07 mmol/liter, respectively, p < 0.005). Moreover, triglyceride levels were greater in transsexuals than in men and women, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) particle size was smaller (25.7 ± 0.2 nm vs. 26.2 ± 0.1 and 26.6 ± 0.1 nm, respectively, p = 0.0001). Serum testosterone (an index of estrogen therapy in transsexuals) was markedly suppressed in transsexuals and similar to that in women. Univariate analysis revealed that there was a strong inverse correlation between serum testosterone and flow-mediated vasodilation (rs= −0.48, p < 0.005). Multivariate analysis revealed that the best combination of predictors of flow-mediated vasodilation was serum testosterone, vessel size and LDL-C (R2= 0.3, p < 0.005).Conclusions. Long-term estrogen therapy appears to improve vascular function in male to female transsexuals and occurs despite higher triglyceride levels and the presence of small, dense LDL-C. The beneficial effects of estrogen are not gender specific or solely mediated through endothelium-derived nitric oxide.(J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:1437–44

An investigation of movement dynamics and muscle activity during traditional and accentuated-eccentric squatting.

Accentuated-eccentric loading (AEL) takes advantage of the high force producing potential of eccentric muscle contractions, potentially maximising mechanical tension within the muscle. However, evidence is lacking on how AEL squatting may load the involved musculature, limiting scientifically justified programming recommendations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of concentric and eccentric loads on joint loading and muscle activity of the lower limbs. Resistance trained males performed traditional squatting (20–100% of concentric one-repetition maximum [1RM]) and AEL squatting with eccentric loads (110–150% of 1RM) provided by a novel motorised isotonic resistance machine (Kineo). Kinetics and kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle joints were collected, with electromyography from the gluteus maximus, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius medialis. A secondary cohort underwent a kinematic and electromyography analysis of squatting technique to compare Kineo and back and front barbell squatting. Knee joint peak eccentric moments occurred at 120% 1RM (P = 0.045), with no further increase thereafter. As eccentric load increased, the time course of moment development occurred earlier in the eccentric phase. This resulted in a 37% increase in eccentric knee extensor work from the 80% 1RM trial to the 120% 1RM trial (P<0.001). Neither hip nor ankle joints displayed further change in kinetics as eccentric load increased above 100% 1RM. Electromyographic activity during traditional squatting was ~15–30% lower in all eccentric trials than in concentric trials for all muscles. EMG plateaued between a load of 80–100% 1RM during the eccentric trials and did not increase with AEL. No significant differences in kinematics were found between Kineo and barbell squatting. The knee extensors appear to be preferentially loaded during AEL squatting. The greater work performed during the eccentric phase of the squat as eccentric load increased suggests greater total mechanical tension could be the cause of adaptations from AEL. Our data suggest that AEL should be programmed with a load of 120% of 1RM. Further studies are needed to confirm the longer-term training effects of AEL

Localized Tensional Forces on PECAM-1 Elicit a Global Mechanotransduction Response via the Integrin-RhoA Pathway

SummaryBackgroundMechanical forces regulate cell behavior and function during development, differentiation, and tissue morphogenesis. In the vascular system, forces produced by blood flow are critical determinants not only of morphogenesis and function, but also of pathological states such as atherosclerosis. Endothelial cells (ECs) have numerous mechanotransducers, including platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) at cell-cell junctions and integrins at cell-matrix adhesions. However, the processes by which forces are transduced to biochemical signals and subsequently translated into downstream effects are poorly understood.ResultsHere, we examine mechanochemical signaling in response to direct force application on PECAM-1. We demonstrate that localized tensional forces on PECAM-1 result in, surprisingly, global signaling responses. Specifically, force-dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) downstream of PECAM-1 promotes cell-wide activation of integrins and the small GTPase RhoA. These signaling events facilitate changes in cytoskeletal architecture, including growth of focal adhesions and adaptive cytoskeletal stiffening.ConclusionsTaken together, our work provides the first evidence of a global signaling event in response to a localized mechanical stress. In addition, these data provide a possible mechanism for the differential stiffness of vessels exposed to distinct hemodynamic force patterns in vivo

FIRST J102347.6+003841: The First Radio-Selected Cataclysmic Variable

We have identified the 1.4 GHz radio source FIRST J102347.6+003841 (hereafter FIRST J1023+0038) with a previously unknown 17th-mag Galactic cataclysmic variable (CV). The optical spectrum resembles that of a magnetic (AM Herculis- or DQ Herculis-type) CV. Five nights of optical CCD photometry showed variations on timescales of minutes to hours, along with rapid flickering. A re-examination of the FIRST radio survey data reveals that the radio detection was based on a single 6.6 mJy flare; on two other occasions the source was below the ~1 mJy survey limit. Several other magnetic CVs are known to be variable radio sources, suggesting that FIRST J1023+0038 is a new member of this class (and the first CV to be discovered on the basis of radio emission). However, FIRST J1023+0038 is several optical magnitudes fainter than the other radio-detected magnetic CVs. It remains unclear whether the source simply had a very rare and extraordinarily intense radio flare at the time of the FIRST observation, or is really an unusually radio-luminous CV; thus further observations are urged.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; accepted for December 2002 issue of Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacifi