'Ik ben zo blij dat ik hier ben' (translation) 'I am so glad that I am here'

This paper is a brief consideration of the nature of my art practice. It seeks to discover the importance of memory to the spatial, emotional and political constructs that inform my understanding of place. Within the broader context of the Australian immigrant experience, history and personal memories are explored by looking into the notion of domestic space as embodied by the house and its relationship to the home. The female role in the family is discussed in terms of the commonly understood stereotypes associated with home in western society. By traversing a range of ideas from philosophical and scientific domains, with a focus on contemporary art, the significance of memory is highlighted as the thread that holds these notions together

insulino-resistenza e disfunzione vascolare

L’insulino-resistenza e le alterazioni metaboliche ed emodinamiche ad essa associate sono indiscusse caratteristiche del diabete tipo 2 (DM2) e delle sue complicanze macrovascolari. Numerosi studi epidemiologici hanno dimostrato che il diabete conferisce un aumentato rischio di coronaropatia e mortalità cardiovascolare. Nell’ambito delle complicanze microvascolari del DM2 già 20 anni fa il Framingham Heart and Eye Study dimostrava che la retinopatia diabetica era la manifestazione di processi microangiopatici e la spia di una disfunzione microvascolare multiorgano. Il dilemma di come l’insulino-resistenza si correli al tipo di danno cardiovascolare è più che attuale. Assumendo che l’insulino-resistenza si associa all’iperglicemia, alla dislipidemia e all’ipertensione arteriosa, non sorprende che essa possa avere un ruolo sicuramente importante nello sviluppo e nella progressione del danno microcircolatorio, ma il legame causale è lungi dall’esser chiarito. Scopo dello studio è stato quello di valutare le correlazioni esistenti nel DM2 fra insulino-resistenza e disfunzione micro- e macrocircolatoria, e di valutare le correlazioni fra i fattori di rischio cardiovascolare classici e non e la retinopatia. Per tale motivo sono stati studiati 28 pazienti con DM2, di cui 14 pazienti con retinopatia diabetica (9M/5F, con età 63±4 anni) e 14 pazienti non affetti da tale complicanza (9M/5F, con età 60±8 anni), ben appaiati per indice di massa corporea (BMI). Dei 14 pazienti con retinopatia diabetica 9 presentavano retinopatia proliferativa/laser trattata e 5 presentavano retinopatia “background”. I metodi utilizzati per lo studio di tutti i pazienti sono stati: clamp euglicemico iperinsulinemico, per la valutazione della sensibilità insulinica, fluorangiografia retinica, per la valutazione del microcircolo retinico, iontoforesi laser Doppler, per la valutazione del microcircolo cutaneo, ecocardiografia bidimensionale-CD, eco-CD dei vasi cerebro-afferenti, valutazione di alcuni parametri di rigidità arteriosa, come indicativi della funzionalità macrovascolare. I risultati ottenuti hanno rilevato che i retinopatici mostrano una più bassa sensibilità all’insulina rispetto ai diabetici non affetti da tale complicanza. Non ci sono sostanziali differenze nei valori di insulinemia a digiuno e nel profilo lipidico, fuorché un più basso valore di colesterolo HDL. I diabetici retinopatici inoltre presentano più elevati livelli glicemia a digiuno, di emoglobina glicata e maggior durata di malattia. I diabetici affetti da retinopatia presentano inoltre valori più alti di alcuni indici infiammatori, quali il fibrinogeno, la velocità di eritrosedimentazione (VES), il numero dei globuli bianchi, e un più basso valore di albumina sierica. Il nostro studio ha dimostrato che il grado di retinopatia è indipendente dall’età, dal sesso e dal BMI mentre è significativamente associato al fibrinogeno, alla VES, alla durata della malattia diabetica, al colesterolo HDL, all’insulino-resistenza. L’insulino-resistenza si correla invece al colesterolo HDL, alla circonferenza addominale, alla glicemia a digiuno e alla presenza di retinopatia. La presenza di retinopatia è associata a precoce disfunzione diastolica e ad alterazioni del microcircolo cutaneo. In conclusione, insulino-resistenza e retinopatia sembrano essere entrambe parte integrante di una malattia diabetica in cattivo controllo glicemico; è si presente insulino-resistenza nei retinopatici, ma maggiore enfasi viene data alla possibilità che tale aspetto faccia parte di una fenomenologia più complessa, comprendente diverse alterazioni che concertano insieme a produrre un più avverso fenotipo cardiovascolare nel soggetto diabetico

The comparative role of demineralized bone matrix placement on the periosteum versus in the muscle with and without bone morphogenetic protein 2

Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) is an allograft material used in orthopedics that promotes endochondral bone formation. While the placement of DBM on either the periosteal surface of a bone or within a skeletal muscle promotes the recruitment of stem cells that can form skeletal tissues through the temporal progression of endochondral bone development, it remains unclear to what degree these processes are different between the two sites. In this study, we utilize a comparative in vivo model of endochondral ossification by implanting the DBM on the periosteum and in the muscle. Within the muscle we further compared the effects of DBM with and without Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), a primary morphogenetic factor involved in the differentiation of skeletal stem cells. The mice were harvested at various time points after DBM implantation in order to analyze the development of the bone. Analysis included X-ray imaging, microCT imaging, and mRNA expression. Plain x-ray and micro-CT imaging analysis showed mineralized bone formation in the implant on the periosteum and in the muscle with BMP-2, but no growth in the muscle when BMP-2 was not added to the DBM. The mechanisms for bone development were further analyzed by qRT-PCR to determine temporal patterns and levels of expression of various stem cell and differentiated skeletal cell associated genes. The stem cell gene expression varied between implant placement locations suggesting different mechanisms for stem cell recruitment. Interesting, while DBM implants in the muscle without BMP did not induce mineralized tissue specific mRNA expression; specific stem cell and early skeletal cell lineage commitment genes were present. These results suggest that while DBM in muscle is capable of recruiting stem cells that higher BMP-2 levels are needed to promote the progression of cartilage to mineralized bone in muscle tissues

Subcellular Localization Dynamics of Thyroid Hormone Receptor and Mediator Complex Subunit 1

Intracellular trafficking of transcription factors is an essential cellular function that has implications in regulating gene expression. For thyroid hormone receptor (TR), nuclear localization is fundamental to its function of mediating gene expression in response to thyroid hormone (T3). Yet, we’ve previously shown that TR contains both nuclear localization signals and nuclear export signals, and shuttles rapidly between the nucleus and cytosol. Mislocalization of TR, and loss of transcriptional control, may lead to negative consequences for growth, development, and metabolism. Here, we explore factors that enhance nuclear retention of TR. Emerging studies suggest that Mediator complex subunit 1 (MED1 or TRAP220), a TR-interacting protein, may modulate nuclear retention of TR. to investigate this possibility, nucleocytoplasmic distribution and mobility of mCherry-tagged TR subtypes, TRα1, TRβ1, and the oncoprotein v-ErbA, were assessed in response to MED1 overexpression in HeLa cells. TRα1, which has a predominantly nuclear distribution at steady state showed no change in distribution pattern or intranuclear mobility when co-transfected with MED1. In contrast, overexpression of MED1 caused increased nuclear localization of TRβ1 and v-ErbA, subtypes with cytosolic populations at steady state, as well as a decrease in intranuclear mobility of TRβ1. Interestingly, in the presence of T3, which is known to induce phosphorylation of MED1, there was a decrease in both nuclear mobility and nuclear retention of TR subtypes. Using TRAP220-/- and TRAP220+/+ mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), TR localization in the absence of MED1 was subsequently analyzed. Compared to TRAP220+/+ cells, TRα1 and TRβ1 showed an increase in cytosolic localization when expressed in TRAP220-/- MEFs. Taken together, our data provide evidence for MED1 promoting the nuclear retention of TRα1, TRβ1, and v-ErbA. Whether increased nuclear retention correlates with increased TR gene transactivation requires further analysis. Collectively, our findings implicate MED1 as a potential target in the pathogenesis of diseases that are linked to TR mislocalization and dysfunction

Progress Towards Synthesis and Characterization of Bay-Annulated Indigo Chromophores

Through acetylation, N,N’-diacetylindigo was synthesized from indigo. N,N’-diacetylindigo and 2-thiopheneacetyl chloride were combined in an attempt to synthesize 7-thiophenyl bayannulated indigo (BAI). After 1H NMR characterization, it was found that the product was not 7-thiophenyl BAI. A previously synthesized sample of 7-phenyl BAI was purified. UV-VIS absorbance, fluorescence, IR, and 1H NMR were used to characterize the compounds

Synthesis and Characterization of Bay-Annulated Indigo Derivatives as Ligands for Photoactive Metal Complexes

Synthesis and Characterization of Bay-Annulated Indigo Derivatives as Ligands for Photoactive Metal Complexes Jacob Mayer1, Denise Femia1 1. La Salle University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Indigo-based chromophores are of interest for organic photovoltaics due to their light absorption properties and tunability. Indigo exhibits a high molar extinction coefficient which allows for a small amount of material to absorb a large amount of energy. Research in organic photovoltaics is important for the development of alternative sources of energy. Unlike traditional silicon photovoltaics, synthetic modifications can be made to indigo to alter its excited state lifetime, absorption, and energy levels. Although indigo has a short-lived excited state due to intramolecular proton transfer, the excited state lifetime can be extended through annulation at the bay position. This disrupts hydrogen bonding which was the cause of the proton transfer. Another effect of this is the shrinking of the HOMO-LUMO gap. This causes the indigo derivative to absorb lower energy photons that make up a large portion of the sun’s radiation spectrum. The result of this is increased efficiency of the organic photovoltaic that is able to compete with traditional silicon photovoltaics. Different derivatives can be synthesized by varying the acid chloride used in the bay annulation reaction. The second bay position is not annulated so that it can be left open to add as a ligand to a metal center. Due to a ligand-to-ligand excited state the molecule is expected to have a long-lived excited state and red-shifted absorption. The absorption spectra and molar extinction coefficients of the different indigo derivatives were tested. Metal complexes were synthesized using first row transition metals such as zinc, copper, and nickel. The derivatives were characterized via NMR, UV-vis and infrared spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry is used to determine the energetic properties of the materials. The results of this work will be presented