Constructing the Military Hero

Today we see an increase in the usage of the term hero. Especially in the media, the term is applied not only to those who do specific heroic deeds but to entire professions, e.g., the military. In this paper, we analyze the media's social construction of military heroes with respect to four individuals, two fictional characters and two real people. We argue that four themes are essential to the construction of the military hero whether for fictional or real people: a biography; strength of purpose; gender; and the reinforcement of national values. Once constructed in the media, the hero often contributes to political ends by reinforcing national values. More specifically, in their construction military heroes reflect and reproduce ideologies that legitimate the state and its military aggressiveness

Quantum-coherent dynamics in photosynthetic charge separation revealed by wavelet analysis

Experimental/theoretical evidence for sustained vibration-assisted electronic (vibronic) coherence in the Photosystem II Reaction Center (PSII RC) indicates that photosynthetic solar-energy conversion might be optimized through the interplay of electronic and vibrational quantum dynamics. This evidence has been obtained by investigating the primary charge separation process in the PSII RC by two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) and Redfield modeling of the experimental data. However, while conventional Fourier transform analysis of the 2DES data allows oscillatory signatures of vibronic coherence to be identified in the frequency domain in the form of static 2D frequency maps, the real-time evolution of the coherences is lost. Here we apply for the first time wavelet analysis to the PSII RC 2DES data to obtain time-resolved 2D frequency maps. These maps allow us to demonstrate that i) coherence between the excitons initiating the two different charge separation pathways is active for more than 500 fs, and ii) coherence between exciton and charge-transfer states, the reactant and product of the charge separation reaction, respectively, is active for at least 1 ps. These findings imply that the PSII RC employs coherence i) to sample competing electron transfer pathways, and ii) to perform directed, ultrafast and efficient electron transfer.Comment: Scientific reports 201

The -765G>C Cyclooxygenase-2 Promoter Polymorphism is associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Low High-density Lipoprotein and Manifest Angina

Background & Aims: Cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyses the rate limiting step of prostaglandin biosynthesis. Despite previous studies, it is still unclear whether COX-2 is beneficial or detrimental to cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to examine the -765G>C (rs20417) PTGS2 promoter gene variant, which encodes COX-2, in relation to markers of cardiovascular risk in a sample of well-characterised subjects with diabetes mellitus. Methods & Results: We observed that the CC genotype was more prevalent in Type 2 diabetes mellitus compared to Type 1 (84.2 vs 15.8%; p≤0.05), and was significantly associated with clinically manifest angina (GG vs GC vs CC: 14.3% vs 15.6% vs 28.0%; p=0.009) and lower HDL-cholesterol levels (GG vs GC vs CC: 1.3mmol/L vs 1.4mmol/L vs 1.2mmol/L; p=0.032). This is in line with previous studies showing that -765G>C genotype variant alters Sp1 binding, resulting in decreased COX-2 activity which is associated with atherosclerosis. Conclusion: We conclude that the CC genotype may contribute to a reduction of prostaglandin E2 mediated insulin secretion, predisposing those individuals to Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Further prospective work is warranted in order to examine the association between COX-2 and cardiovascular risk

Temporal Effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy on Glucose-Insulin Homeostasis and Incretin Hormone Response at 1 and 6 Months

BackgroundBariatric surgery is an effective treatment for morbid obesity and glycaemic dysfunction.ObjectivesThe aim of the work was to examine both the static and dynamic changes of glucose-insulin homeostasis and incretin hormone response following sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in a sample of 55 participants preoperatively and 1 month and 6 months postoperatively. The focus was on a sample of patients with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes (T2D).SettingMorriston Hospital, UK.MethodsProspective study comprising of 55 participants with impaired glucose homeostasis and T2D undergoing SG (mean body mass index [BMI] 50.4 kg/m2, mean glycated haemoglobin [A1C] 7.4%). Serial measurements of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic hormone (GIP) were performed during oral glucose tolerance testing preoperatively and 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Areas under the curve (AUC) were examined at 30, 60, and 120 min.ResultsWe observed significant improvements in measures of obesity, as well as static and dynamic measures of glucose, insulin, C-peptide and HOMA. Furthermore, significant increases in GLP-1 response as early as 6 months postoperatively were also seen.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, no study has examined the detailed dynamic changes in glucose and insulin homeostasis in this number of participants undergoing SG in relation to incretin hormones GIP and GLP-1. This current study supports the role of SG for the treatment of obesity-related glucose dysregulation

Development and characterization of an in vitro system of the human retina using cultured cell lines

Background: Previously developed in vitro cultures of the human retina have been solo or dual cell cultures. We developed a triple-cell culture in vitro model utilizing a membrane system to produce a better representation of a functional and morphological human retina. Methods: Retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMVEC/ACBRI181, Cell systems), retinal pigment epithelium cells (RPE/ARPE-19, ATCC) and Müller glial cells (MIO-M1, UCL) were grown in a triple-culture. Our optimized triple-culture media contained a mix of specific endothelial medium and high glucose Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), where all three layers were viable for up to 5 days. Co-culture effect on morphological changes (cell staining) and gene expression of functional genes (pigment epithelial derived factor (PEDF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) were measured from RNA via real time PCR. Expression of tight junction protein 1 (TJP1) was measured in RNA isolated from ARPE-19s, to assess barrier stability. Results: The triple-culture promotes certain cell functionality through up-regulation of TJP1, increasing PEDF and decreasing VEGF expression highlighting its importance for the assessment of disease mechanisms distinct from a solo culture which would not allow the true effect of the native microenvironment to be elucidated. Conclusion: This model's novelty and reliability allows for the assessment of singular cellular function within the retinal microenvironment and overall assessment of retinal health, whilst eliminating the requirement of animal-based models