Human myocardial protein pattern reveals cardiac diseases

Proteomic profiles of myocardial tissue in two different etiologies of heart failure were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). Right atrial appendages from 10 patients with hemodynamically significant isolated aortic valve disease and from 10 patients with isolated symptomatic coronary heart disease were collected during elective cardiac surgery. As presented in an earlier study by our group (Baykut et al., 2006), both disease forms showed clearly different pattern distribution characteristics. Interesting enough, the classification patterns could be used for correctly sorting unknown test samples in their correct categories. However, in order to fully exploit and also validate these findings there is a definite need for unambiguous identification of the differences between different etiologies at molecular level. In this study, samples representative for the aortic valve disease and coronary heart disease were prepared, tryptically digested, and analyzed using an FT-ICR MS that allowed collision-induced dissociation (CID) of selected classifier masses. By using the fragment spectra, proteins were identified by database searches. For comparison and further validation, classifier masses were also fragmented and analyzed using HPLC-/Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight/time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) mass spectrometry. Desmin and lumican precursor were examples of proteins found in aortic samples at higher abundances than in coronary samples. Similarly, adenylate kinase isoenzyme was found in coronary samples at a higher abundance. The described methodology could also be feasible in search for specific biomarkers in plasma or serum for diagnostic purposes

The Scientific Method in Locally-Based Monitoring Programs: Lessons Learned from an Analysis of Water Quality Data from the May River

2010 S.C. Water Resources Conferences - Science and Policy Challenges for a Sustainable Futur

Technical change, carbon dioxide reduction and energy consumption in the Swedish pulp and paper industry 1973-2006

This study examines the historical relation between carbon dioxide emission and output growth in the Swedish pulp and paperindustry 1973-2006. We find that the industry achieved an 80 per cent reduction in CO2 emission. Foremost energy substitution but also efficiently improvement contributed to the reduction. Growing prices of fossil fuel due to market price change and taxes and subvention, explains most of the efficiency improvements and substitution. Taxes on energy explain 40 per cent of the total reduction in CO2 intensity. Most of the reduction took place before the implementation of active climate policy in 1991.Sweden; Climate policy; economic growth; carbon dioxide reduction; carbon tax; paper and plant industry

Breaking the Vicious Circle of Poverty

During the last decade microfinance has become the latest trend in the development discourse, celebrated for empowering poor women to work their way out of poverty. Self-Employed Women’s Associations, SEWA, was alongside Grameen Bank one of the pioneers in the microfinance sector and has developed an integrated approach based on the life cycle needs of the members that is assumed to help them break the vicious circle of poverty. The aim of this study is to analyse the material and symbolic outcomes of microfinance. At a theoretical level this study draws on insights from Marxist, feminist and postcolonial scholars, and analyses the ideological construction of ‘the poor’ in the western development discourse. In a field study of SEWA Bank in Ahmedabad I seek to illuminate lived experiences of microfinance in an attempt to capture the complexity of poor women’s daily struggle to make ends meet. The findings of this study raise a serious doubt if microfinance serves as an adequate strategy for poverty alleviation. In terms of development microfinance fit well into the Western development ‘model’ – i.e. promotes market solutions and integration of local markets into national and global markets – and aims to fill the gaps between state and market politics in a globalised economy serving as a survival strategy in the process of economic globalisation. Showing only marginal improvements in terms of poverty reduction and women empowerment I suggest that microfinance should not be dismissed, but has to be understood in a new light. Microfinance, I have argued, is not to be considered as an anti-poverty strategy, but should rather be seen as a pro-poor policy that provides the poor with financial services

An Examination Of Medical Technology Disadoption And Its Relation To Technology Adoption And Physician Organization

Medical technology disadoption, a topic which has not previously been studied in great detail by health economists, is of great importance in a health care system where technology is understood to be a major driver of expenditure growth and the adoption of new technologies is consistently promoted by cultural norms and financial incentives. The disadoption of technologies with sub-optimal efficacy or safety is a key to improving the quality and value of care, and thus there is obvious utility to learning more about factors that influence technology disadoption. This dissertation establishes a novel theoretical framework to characterize the disadoption process along multiple dimensions, and then develops a simple mathematical model to describe physician disadoption behavior. Disadoption is examined empirically by analyzing the use of coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) in 2006-07(following their rapid adoption in 2003-04) using New York and Florida hospital discharge data, national practice organization data, and physician characteristic data. Preceding DES adoption behavior and physician group size are the primary factors studied for association with DES disadoption behavior. Empirical analyses indicate that faster DES adoption may be weakly associated with later DES disadoption, which may be consistent with physician risk aversion or product loyalty playing roles in disadoption decisions. Also, analyses suggest that there may be a week negative relationship between group size and timing of DES disadoption, suggesting that physicians in larger groups may begin the disadoption process later. These empirical results, which are subjected to instrumental variable analysis and extensive robustness checks, generally lack statistical significance, which highlights the current level of uncertainty surrounding disadoption behavior, including the observation that it does not appear to be empirically either similar or related to adoption behavior. Thus, this work both promotes and guides future research on medical disadoption and its determinants