MicroRNA Expression Analysis: Clinical Advantage of Propranolol Reveals Key MicroRNAs in Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: As playing important roles in gene regulation, microRNAs (miRNAs) are believed as indispensable involvers in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI) that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Working on a hypothesis that modulation of only some key members in the miRNA superfamily could benefit ischemic heart, we proposed a microarray based network biology approach to identify them with the recognized clinical effect of propranolol as a prompt. METHODS: A long-term MI model of rat was established in this study. The microarray technology was applied to determine the global miRNA expression change intervened by propranolol. Multiple network analyses were sequentially applied to evaluate the regulatory capacity, efficiency and emphasis of the miRNAs which dysexpression in MI were significantly reversed by propranolol. RESULTS: Microarray data analysis indicated that long-term propranolol administration caused 18 of the 31 dysregulated miRNAs in MI undergoing reversed expression, implying that intentional modulation of miRNA expression might show favorable effects for ischemic heart. Our network analysis identified that, among these miRNAs, the prime players in MI were miR-1, miR-29b and miR-98. Further finding revealed that miR-1 focused on regulation of myocyte growth, yet miR-29b and miR-98 stressed on fibrosis and inflammation, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study illustrates how a combination of microarray technology and functional protein network analysis can be used to identify disease-related key miRNAs

Charakteristika der staatlichen Einbindung von Eliten und Bevölkerung in Ideokratien

"This paper shows that ideocracies, especially communist ideocracies, have a specific pattern of cooptation and incorporation of elites and ordinary citizens, which is different from all other political regime types. Ideocracies dominate society through and through by a net of measures that make the citizens materially dependent on the state, from which the individual citizen cannot escape. The strong concentration of the distribution of goods and positions in the hands of the ideocratic state goes hand in glove with the great power to repress non - co - opted people. However, there are trade - offs in the ideocratic pattern of cooptation. The tendency of ideocracies to infantilize its citizens, may provoke reluctance even among otherwise politically indifferent citizens. Nevertheless, despite the trade - offs, the specific pattern of cooptation and incorporation of citizens and elites might help to explain why communist ideocracies were very durable in comparison to other types of political regimes." (author's abstract

Sozialraum Hochhaus

About living in high-rises built during the construction boom years, the potency of social marginalization and the resilience of neighborhoods.Die Großwohnbauten, die während des Baubooms der 1960er- und 1970er-Jahre die schweizerische Siedlungslandschaft grundlegend veränderten, sind im Laufe der Jahre zunehmend in Verruf geraten. Doch wie gestalten sich – jenseits der weit verbreiteten Klischees – die Lebenswirklichkeiten in diesem Baubestand? Eveline Althaus richtet den Blick auf die Nachbarschaften von Hochhaussiedlungen in der Schweiz. Anhand von Hausbiografien untersucht sie die sozialräumlichen Dynamiken und beleuchtet, wie Vielfalt und Differenz im Wohnumfeld erfahren und (re-)produziert werden. Dadurch eröffnet sie neue Perspektiven auf den Umgang mit diesem gebauten Erbe und Formen des Zusammenlebens in heterogener werdenden Settings