Heterotopie i nie-miejsca w „Cześć Tereska!” Roberta Glińskiego i „Lilji 4-ever” Lukasa Moodyssona

The aim of this paper is to analyse non-places and heterotopias in the films “Cześć Tereska!” (Poland, 2001, Robert Gliński) and “Lilja 4-ever” (Sweden, 2002, Lukas Moodysson). Drawing on the theories of French anthropologist Marc Augé and philosopher Michel Foucault, the author demonstrates that the lives of the protagonists revolve around the ghetto-like housing estates of apartment blocks and non-places of hypermodernity. At the same time, despite the surrounding bleakness and fatalism, the heroines manage to find “havens” which perform the functions of heterotopia, in the sense proposed by Michel Foucault. The significance of both places is ambivalent, which is demonstrated in the discussion.The aim of this paper is to analyse non-places and heterotopias in the films “Cześć Tereska!” (Poland, 2001, Robert Gliński) and “Lilja 4-ever” (Sweden, 2002, Lukas Moodysson). Drawing on the theories of French anthropologist Marc Augé and philosopher Michel Foucault, the author demonstrates that the lives of the protagonists revolve around the ghetto-like housing estates of apartment blocks and non-places of hypermodernity. At the same time, despite the surrounding bleakness and fatalism, the heroines manage to find “havens” which perform the functions of heterotopia, in the sense proposed by Michel Foucault. The significance of both places is ambivalent, which is demonstrated in the discussion

Marine n-3 fatty acid consumption in a Norwegian renal transplant cohort:Comparison of a food frequency questionnaire with plasma phospholipid marine n-3 levels

BackgroundHigh levels of plasma marine n-3 fatty acids (n-3FAs) are associated with improved patient and graft survival in renal transplant recipients (RTRs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of a new food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to estimate marine n-3FA consumption in future epidemiological research.MethodsWe developed an FFQ with a simple design of 10 questions to assess intake of marine sources of n-3FAs. RTRs included in the recent ORENTRA trial (n = 132) completed the study FFQ at the baseline visit eight weeks after engraftment and at the end of study visit one year post-transplant. We measured the reference biomarker plasma phospholipid (PL) marine n-3FA levels by gas chromatography at the same time points to evaluate association and degree of agreement between FFQ based marine n-3FA consumption estimates and the biomarker.ResultsThe median plasma PL marine n-3FA level was 6.0 weight percentage (wt)% (interquartile range [IQR] 4.7 to 7.3) at baseline and 6.3 wt% (IQR 4.8 to 7.4) at end of study. Median FFQ based marine n-3FA consumption estimates were 22.8 g/month (IQR 13.0 to 34.0) at baseline and 20.3 g/month (IQR 14.5 to 32.3) at end of study. FFQ based marine n-3FA consumption estimates showed a moderate correlation with plasma PL marine n-3FA levels at baseline (Spearman's correlation coefficient rs = 0.43, pConclusionsMarine n-3FA consumption estimates based on the FFQ showed a moderate correlation with the reference biomarker plasma PL marine n-3FA levels. The FFQ might be useful in epidemiological studies where resources are limited

Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vascular function in patients with chronic kidney disease and healthy subjects:a cross-sectional and comparative study

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic kidney disease have a markedly increased cardiovascular mortality compared with the general population. Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been suggested to possess cardioprotective properties. This cross-sectional and comparative study evaluated correlations between hemodynamic measurements, resistance artery function and fish consumption to the content of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue, a long-term marker of seafood intake. METHODS: Seventeen patients with chronic kidney disease stage 5 + 5d and 27 healthy kidney donors were evaluated with hemodynamic measurements before surgery; from these subjects, 11 patients and 11 healthy subjects had vasodilator properties of subcutaneous resistance arteries examined. The measurements were correlated to adipose tissue n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Information on fish intake was obtained from a dietary questionnaire and compared with adipose tissue n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. RESULTS: Fish intake and the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue did not differ between patients and controls. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in adipose tissue were positively correlated to systemic vascular resistance index; (r = 0.44; p = 0.07 and r = 0.62; p < 0.05, chronic kidney disease and healthy subjects respectively) and negatively correlated to cardiac output index (r = −0.69; p < 0.01 and r = −0.50; p < 0.05, chronic kidney disease and healthy subjects respectively). No correlation was observed between n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in adipose tissue and vasodilator properties in resistance arteries. n-3 PUFA content in adipose tissue increased with increasing self-reported fish intake. CONCLUSIONS: The correlations found, suggest a role for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in hemodynamic properties. However, this is apparently not due to changes in intrinsic properties of the resistance arteries as no correlation was found to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Metabolic changes in summer active and anuric hibernating free-ranging brown bears (ursus arctos)

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) hibernates for 5 to 6 months each winter and during this time ingests no food or water and remains anuric and inactive. Despite these extreme conditions, bears do not develop azotemia and preserve their muscle and bone strength. To date most renal studies have been limited to small numbers of bears, often in captive environments. Sixteen free-ranging bears were darted and had blood drawn both during hibernation in winter and summer. Samples were collected for measurement of creatinine and urea, markers of inflammation, the calcium-phosphate axis, and nutritional parameters including amino acids. In winter the bear serum creatinine increased 2.5 fold despite a 2-fold decrease in urea, indicating a remarkable ability to recycle urea nitrogen during hibernation. During hibernation serum calcium remained constant despite a decrease in serum phosphate and a rise in FGF23 levels. Despite prolonged inactivity and reduced renal function, inflammation does not ensue and bears seem to have enhanced antioxidant defense mechanisms during hibernation. Nutrition parameters showed high fat stores, preserved amino acids and mild hyperglycemia during hibernation. While total, essential, non-essential and branched chain amino acids concentrations do not change during hibernation anorexia, changes in individual amino acids ornithine, citrulline and arginine indicate an active, although reduced urea cycle and nitrogen recycling to proteins. Serum uric acid and serum fructose levels were elevated in summer and changes between seasons were positively correlated. Further studies to understand how bears can prevent the development of uremia despite minimal renal function during hibernation could provide new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of human kidney disease

The effect of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on heart rate variability in renal transplant recipients:a randomized controlled trial

Resting heart rate (rHR) and heart rate variability (HRV) are non-invasive measurements that predict the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation may decrease rHR, increase HRV, and reduce the risk of SCD. To date, no studies have investigated the effect of marine n-3 PUFA on HRV in renal transplant recipients. In a randomized controlled trial, 132 renal transplant recipients were randomized to receive either three 1 g capsules of marine n-3 PUFA, each containing 460 mg/g EPA and 380 mg/g DHA, or control (olive oil) for 44 weeks. HRV was calculated in the time and frequency domains during a conventional cardiovascular reflex test (response to standing, deep breathing, and Valsalva maneuver) and during 2 min of resting in the supine position. There was no significant effect of marine n-3 PUFA supplementation on time-domain HRV compared with controls. rHR decreased 3.1 bpm (± 13.1) for patients receiving marine n-3 PUFA compared to 0.8 (± 11.0) in controls (p = 0.28). In the frequency domain HRV analyses, there was a significant change in response to standing in both high and low frequency measures, 2.9 (p = 0.04, 95% CI (1.1;8)) and 2.7 (p = 0.04, 95% CI (1.1;6.5)), respectively. In conclusion, 44 weeks of supplemental marine n-3 PUFAs in renal transplant recipients significantly improved the cardiac autonomic function, assessed by measuring HRV during conventional cardiovascular reflex tests

Optogenetic control of human neurons in organotypic brain cultures

Optogenetics is one of the most powerful tools in neuroscience, allowing for selective control of specific neuronal populations in the brain of experimental animals, including mammals. We report, for the first time, the application of optogenetic tools to human brain tissue providing a proof-of-concept for the use of optogenetics in neuromodulation of human cortical and hippocampal neurons as a possible tool to explore network mechanisms and develop future therapeutic strategies