Michel Foucault : topologies of thought : thinking-otherwise between knowledge, power and self

If something new has appeared in philosophy and that "this work is as beautiful as those it challenges" we shall see that it all takes place in a new dimension, "which we might call a diagonal dimension, a sort of distribution of points, groups or figures that no longer simply act as an abstract framework but actually exist in space". The spaces that constitute this immanent dimension are topological or as Foucault says - "heterotopological". We shall designate these heterotopologies: Knowledge, Power and Self. Although these sites are irreducible to each other they seep into and 'capture' each other through a series of multiple and complex relations in such a way as to suspect, neutralise or invert the set of relations that they happen to designate, mirror or reflect. If within these sites subjects, objects and concepts disappear it is only in order to 'disperse' or 'distribute' them according to their variable functions and make them reappear again, released of their 'self-evidence', in a new space of immanence. Each heterotopology is capable of juxtaposing within itself and outside of itself, or rather across its folded surfaces, several formed spaces that are not isomorphic or even compatible but are heterogeneous and communicate with or 'encounter' each other through a pure transmission of elements

Contemplative Practices: A Strategy to Improve Health and Reduce Disparities.

Health has many dimensions, and intolerance and lack of compassion may contribute to the poor health and disparities in our nation. Tolerance can convey an inherent paradox or dissonance that can be associated with stress. However, tolerance has a dimension of acceptance, an acknowledgement and acceptance of what "is" at the present moment, that can relieve tension associated with differing beliefs and practices. Compassionate consideration of others can be combined with acceptance to create harmony within and across individuals. In this article, we explore how contemplative practices can cultivate tolerance and compassion and contribute to improvements in individual and population health

Ultrastructure of Coronary Arterial Endothelium in Atherosclerotic Swine Suggests Lipid Retro-Endocytosis

During experimental atherosclerosis, arterial endothelial cells show characteristic ultrastructural changes including the appearance of increased numbers of plasmalemmal and cytoplasmic vesicles. These structures have been shown by tracer studies to participate in the transcellular transport of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and β-very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol from the arterial lumen into the abluminal extracellular matrix. Although this probably represents the major lipid transport pathway, other forms of transport may exist. We document the presence of apparent lipid structures averaging approximately 300 nm in diameter at or near the luminal surface of coronary arterial endothelium of atherosclerotic miniature swine. The structures exhibited a particulate nature with subunits of a heterogenous size distribution. The appearance of the endothelial plasmalemma adjacent and subjacent to these structures suggests exocytosis. We hypothesize that this previously unreported morphology may represent an in vivo structural correlate for the lipoprotein retro-endocytosis pathway which has been recently identified using biochemical methods in smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in vitro

A County-Based Northern Bobwhite Habitat Prioritization Model for Kentucky

Planning the management of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) habitat at a statewide-scale is daunting. Native grassland restoration is difficult to manage in Kentucky because . 99% of the Commonwealth’s original grassland area has been lost to agriculture, succession, and development. We created a county prioritization model designed to target areas of grasslands and landowners likely to participate in conservation programs. Our goal was to identify 10% of the state as high priority for bobwhite habitat restoration. We created an east and west model divided by the Appalachian Mountains. The west model was designed to target production-oriented operators farming marginal lands, whereas the east model targeted reclaimed minelands. We used agricultural, landcover, and staff data to build county prioritization models in 2006 and 2011. The models targeted 16.6% and 17.6% of the state in 2006 and 2011, respectively. However, if areas of large, contiguous blocks of forests were excluded, the area total was much closer to 10%. Fifty percent of the high priority counties changed in the west model, and 33% of the counties in the east model changed over 5 years. Implementing a county prioritization model in conjunction with a finer-scale, biological targeted approach could focus conservation efforts with greater potential for success, but the models should be reconstructed at 5- to 10-year intervals to account for changes in conservation delivery potential. A modification of our technique may serve to validate or as an alternative to improve National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative 2.0

Global meta-analysis of soil hydraulic properties on the same soils with differing land use

Global land use change has resulted in more pasture and cropland, largely at the expense of woodlands, over the last 300 years. How this change affects soil hydraulic function with regard to feedbacks to the hydrological cycle is unclear for earth system modelling (ESM). Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) used to predict soil hydraulic conductivity (K) take no account of land use. Here, we synthesize >800 measurements from around the globe from sites that measured near-saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, or infiltration, at the soil surface, on the same soil type at each location, but with differing land use, woodland (W), grassland (G) and cropland (C). We found that texture based PTFs predict K reasonably well for cropland giving unbiased results, but increasingly underestimate K in grassland and woodland. In native woodland and grassland differences in K can usually be accounted for by differences in bulk density. However, heavy grazing K responses can be much lower indicating compaction likely reduces connectivity. We show that the K response ratios (RR) between land uses vary with cropland (C/W = 0.45 [W/C = 2.2]) and grassland (G/W = 0.63 [W/G = 1.6]) having about half the K of woodland.publishedVersionacceptedVersio

Fetal liver blood flow distribution: role in human developmental strategy to prioritize fat deposition versus brain development

Among primates, human neonates have the largest brains but also the highest proportion of body fat. If placental nutrient supply is limited, the fetus faces a dilemma: should resources be allocated to brain growth, or to fat deposition for use as a potential postnatal energy reserve? We hypothesised that resolving this dilemma operates at the level of umbilical blood distribution entering the fetal liver. In 381 uncomplicated pregnancies in third trimester, we measured blood flow perfusing the fetal liver, or bypassing it via the ductus venosus to supply the brain and heart using ultrasound techniques. Across the range of fetal growth and independent of the mother's adiposity and parity, greater liver blood flow was associated with greater offspring fat mass measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, both in the infant at birth (r = 0.43, P<0.001) and at age 4 years (r = 0.16, P = 0.02). In contrast, smaller placentas less able to meet fetal demand for essential nutrients were associated with a brain-sparing flow pattern (r = 0.17, p = 0.02). This flow pattern was also associated with a higher degree of shunting through ductus venosus (P = 0.04). We propose that humans evolved a developmental strategy to prioritize nutrient allocation for prenatal fat deposition when the supply of conditionally essential nutrients requiring hepatic inter-conversion is limited, switching resource allocation to favour the brain if the supply of essential nutrients is limited. Facilitated placental transfer mechanisms for glucose and other nutrients evolved in environments less affluent than those now prevalent in developed populations, and we propose that in circumstances of maternal adiposity and nutrient excess these mechanisms now also lead to prenatal fat deposition. Prenatal developmental influences play important roles in the human propensity to deposit fa

773-4 Long Term Efficacy and Safety of Endovascular Low Dose Irradiation In a Swine Model of Restenosis After Angloplasty

Restenosis after balloon angioplasty is characterized by neointima formation. We have previously shown that ionizing radiation reduce neointima formation two weeks after angioplasty in a swine model of restenosis. To determine the durability of this effect and the long term safety after endovascular irradiation twenty one miniswine coronary arteries underwent overstretch balloon injury with a 3.5mm angioplasty balloon in the LAD, LCX and RCA. High energy 1921ridium source was introduced immediately by random assignment to deliver 700 or 1400 cGy in 14 injured coronary arteries (LAD and CX). Six months later an angiogram was performed, the animals were killed and the coronary arteries were perfusion fixed. Serial sections were stained with H&E, WG, MT then evaluated by histopathologic and morphometric techniques. Intimal area (IA) and area of intimal thickness corrected for the extent of injury (INFL) was measured in the irradiated and control arteries and compared with pigs that underwent the same treatment but were followed for 2 weeks only.ResultsAll treated arteries were patent with normal angiographic appearance. Lumen diameters at baseline and follow-up were similar. There was no difference in fibrosis at the adventitia, media, perivascular space or adjacent segments of myocardium of the irradiated arteries compared with control.Control700 cGy1400 cGyIN/FL 2Weeks0.59±0.230.42±0.15**0.17±0.16****IN/FL 6 Months0.50±0.20.35±0.18*0.31±0.16**IA 6 Months (mm)1.25±0.250.85±0.47***0.62±0.45**P values: control versus treatment group:*P=0.009**P<0.001***P=0.05.****P<0.0001ConclusionsEndovascular low dose irradiation in this model is safe andthe inhibitory effect of localized radiation on neointimal thickening (restenos is like) response to angioplasty is maintained at six months

The end of the beginning? Taking forward local democratic renewal in the post-referendum North East.

This article draws upon the author’s commissioned research on the nature of regional governance following the 2004 Referendum in the North East on elected regional assemblies. The article aimed to both capture these views and to assess how the ‘No vote in the referendum has impacted on subsequent developments in sub-national governance. The article provides both an empirical overview of recent developments and engages with the wider conceptual debates on democratic renewal. The arguments covered in this output are aimed at both academic and practitioner audiences, and have been also disseminated at regional and national conferences

Evaluation of mesofauna communities as soil quality indicators in a national-level monitoring programme

Mesofauna underpin many ecosystem functions in soils. However, mesofauna communities are often overlooked when discussing these functions on large scales. They have been proposed as bioindicators of soil quality and ecosystem health. This study aimed to evaluate differences amongst mesofauna communities, particularly Acari and Collembola, across multiple habitat and soil types, as well as organic matter levels, and their relationships with soil characteristics, on a national-scale. Soil cores were collected from 685 locations as part of a nationwide soil monitoring programme of Wales. Plant community composition, soil type, as well as physical and chemical variables, including pH, total C and N, were measured at these locations. Mesofauna were extracted from soil cores and identified using a Tullgren funnel technique. Acari were sorted to Order; Collembola were sorted according to Super-family. Abundances of mesofauna were consistently lowest in arable sites and highest in lowland woodlands, except for Mesostigmata. Differences between similar habitat types (e.g. Fertile and Infertile grasslands) were not detected using the national-level dataset and differences in mesofauna communities amongst soil types were unclear. Relationships between mesofauna groups and soil organic matter class, however, were much more informative. Oribatid abundances were lowest in mineral soils and correlated with all soil properties except moisture content. Collembola and Mesostigmata abundances were likely negatively influenced by increased moisture levels in upland peat habitats where their abundances were lowest. These groups also had low abundances in heathlands and this was reflected in low diversity values. Together, these findings show that this national-level soil survey can effectively identify differences in mesofauna community structure and correlations with soil properties. Identification of mesofauna at high taxonomic levels in national-level soil monitoring is encouraged to better understand the ecological context of changes in soil properties