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Journal articles on the topic 'Body modification culture'
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Sarajlic, Eldar. "Children, Culture, and Body Modification." Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 30, no. 2 (2020): 167–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ken.2020.0005.
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Latini, Theresa F. "Body Modification: Adolescence, Popular Culture & Practical Theology." Journal of Youth and Theology 4, no. 2 (January 27, 2005): 69–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/24055093-90000138.
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This article explores the relationship between popular culture and practical theology through an analysis of body modification. The first section describes the practice of body modification in its various forms-from tattoos to extreme piercing and implants to ritual dance and suspension. The second section interprets this practice using both a sociological and a psychological lens, while the third section highlights the theological (spiritual) questions embedded in body mod. Finally, the article encourages Christian educators and youth ministers to address the spiritual needs and questions of adolescents related embodiment in their ministerial practice.
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Nynäs, Peter. "Multiple bodies in the spirituality of the gay porn star McCree: reflections on corporeality and subjectivity." Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis 23 (January 1, 2011): 333–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67393.
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Body modification practices have lately gained growing visibility in contemporary Western cultures. It is more like a trend or fashion ranging from, on the on hand, decorative tattoos and piercing, to branding, implants and surgery on the other. In most forms body modification occurs without any obvious religious, spiritual or ideological marks attached, but some forms involve discourses that explicitly address such aspirations. However, despite the fluidity and diversity of practices, it can be claimed that body modification represents specific or distinct ways of working with the body that differ from other forms of contemporary Western body cultures. Further, it needs be considered as part of the broader body culture. Hence it draws our attention to the role of corporeality in contemporary Western culture. Body modification could be regarded as a reaction to the nature of contemporary society, a way of compensating the lack of corporeal engagement in the world. Its former association with different subcultures might underpin this oppositional position. On the other hand, some scholars regard body-modification as nothing but part of the contemporary free floating carnival of signs, as mere mainstream supermarket signifiers, emptied of meaning and deprived of any external references. In this article emphasis is put on forms of body modification that more explicitly connote religion. One example of body modification is explored from an empirical perspective: the story about the spirituality of the gay porn star Logan McCree. This is a personal narrative about spirituality in which tattooing plays a central role. Still, despite being personal it is also part of McCree’s public image. With the help of both literature and the examples on body modification the place of corporeality in the story of McCree is explored. The aim is to shed some light on corporeality and in particular in relation to subjectivity.
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Klesse, Christian. "Racialising the Politics of Transgression: Body Modification in Queer Culture." Social Semiotics 17, no. 3 (September 2007): 275–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10350330701448561.
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Jerslev, Anne. "The Mediated Body." Nordicom Review 27, no. 2 (November 1, 2006): 133–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0235.
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Abstract Taking Vivian Sobchack’s idea of the digital morph as not only a digital practice but also a metaphor for a culture obsessed with the idea of bodily changes, of reversibility and metamorphoses, the article takes a closer look at the visual construction of the body as a site of transformation, modification, and improvement in both television, film and fashion photography. The article focuses on the two reality programmes /Extreme Makeover/ (ABC) and /The Swan/ (FOX), the American drama-series /Nip/Tuck/ and an extended series of fashion photographs from /Italian Vogue/ July 2005 by American photographer Steven Meisel titled /Makeover Madness/. The article argues that this modifiable body is today’s /natural body /and it concludes that even though the modified body, digital or not, is noticable everywhere in contemporary visual culture it may, primarily, point out what our culture wants to deny.
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Lewis, J. C., I. Hermanns, K. W. Grant, S. Evans, C. Gossen, A. Dekker, and C. J. Kirkpatrick. "Substratum modification by endothelial cells (EC) in culture." Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America 50, no. 1 (August 1992): 656–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0424820100123684.
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Thrombosis resulting from blood interaction with prostheses is a concern following vascular grafting, and efforts have been made to endothelialize grafting materials and thereby reduce thrombogenicity. These efforts have focused upon altering polymer surfaces to enhance endothelial compatibility following surgery; however, using homologous EC attempts are being made to pre-seed grafting materials having defined surface characteristics. Such surfaces might be pre-absorbed with natural polymers as collagens, fibrin(ogen) or fibronectin. Irrespective of the starting character, these surfaces are rapidly altered following contact with tissues and body fluids, and as an extension by the EC themselves. To address this latter question, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were seeded for whole-mouat microscopy onto carbon-stabilized, formvar-coated surfaces to which either collagen Type IV or its CB3 fragment had been adsorbed. Following culture for 3 or 24 hrs the cells were fixed in situ with glutaraldehyde, washed and processed for two-stage multiantigen immunogold microscopy. The first stage was comprised of rabbit anti-human fibronectin and mouse antihuman collagen Type IV. These were followed by second stage probes including goat anti-rabbit IgG (5nM gold), goat anti-mouse IgG (15 nM gold) and goat anti-human IgG (10 nM gold) as a control. HUVEC readily attached to and spread upon collagen IV and the CB3 fragment; the degree of spreading was much more pronounced with CB3 at both 3 and 24 hrs. The primary difference between the culture times was in cell density, with more cells at 24 than 3 hrs (Fig. 1). This difference could be explained by the additional generation time. The interaction of cells with the substratum was complex. This included deposition of proteins on the surface and extension of delicate macromolecular bridges from the cell periphery. Through the use of immunogold microscopy, fibronectin, collagen and immunoglobulin could be detected in all samples, including those plated in the absence of serum. Initially, collagen (IV and CB3) was more dense on the substrate than on the cells, and this was consistent with surface coating prior to cell seeding (Fig. 3). Fibronectin and IgG, on the other hand, were derived either from the medium or secreted from the cells, and each was associated with the cells or the cell edge (Fig. 4,5). Notably, detection of all three peptides was reduced over time, and this may be interpreted as secondary conditioning of the surface by HUVEC secreted products.
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Bridel, William, and Geneviève Rail. "Sport, Sexuality, and the Production of (Resistant) Bodies: De-/Re-Constructing the Meanings of Gay Male Marathon Corporeality." Sociology of Sport Journal 24, no. 2 (June 2007): 127–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ssj.24.2.127.
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Placing the sporting body and Michel Foucault’s technologies of power and of the self at the center of our research inquiry, this article explores the ways in which 12 Canadian gay male marathoners discursively construct their bodies within and beyond the marathon context. Thematic analysis of the research materials (gathered through guided conversations, written stories, and the first author’s research journal) revealed four main themes: self-governed bodily practices, body modification, the marathoning body as resistant to dominant representations of male corporeality in gay culture, and transformative potential. Following Foucault, materials were further submitted to discourse analysis through which we uncovered the appropriation of and resistance to dominant discourses. This analysis suggested the subjects’ discursive constructions as “hybrid” creations located both within, and sometimes in contest to, dominant discourses of physical activity, running, and the male body in gay culture. Our research explores the experiences of gay male athletes through a sociological lens that differs from the present literature, which has largely drawn on hegemony theory. It also adds new insights into distance running as a social phenomenon.
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Nordstedt, Christer, and Bertil B. Fredholm. "A modification of a protein-binding method for rapid quantification of cAMP in cell-culture supernatants and body fluid." Analytical Biochemistry 189, no. 2 (September 1990): 231–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(90)90113-n.
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Xu, You Dong, Jian Qing Xiong, Shi Guang Xu, and Jun Jun Zhang. "Investigation of the Surface Modification on Biomedical Magnesium Alloy." Advanced Materials Research 1095 (March 2015): 295–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.1095.295.
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In this work, the green chemistry conversion coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy surface was made and studied by means of Ce (SO4)2·2(NH4)2SO4·4H2O and MnSO4 as inhibitor, H2O2 as oxidant, NaCl as accelerator, CH3COOH as stabilizer. The coating was evaluated in simulated body fluid (SBF) with pH=7.4 at 37°C by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show the conversion coating resistance, for the untreated or treated alloy, is 0.75 kΩ·cm2 and 3.28 kΩ·cm2 respectively. It indicates the conversion coating treated surface presents better corrosion behaviour in SBF than the original material surface. The morphologies and composition the coating were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) respectively. The result indicates that the Ce-Mn conversion coating was made on magnesium alloy surface. Biocompatibility of conversion coating was investigated by use of cell toxicity. Cell culture has shown that the magnesium alloy has good cytocompatibility.
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Gump, William. "Modern induced skull deformity in adults." Neurosurgical Focus 29, no. 6 (December 2010): E4. http://dx.doi.org/10.3171/2010.10.focus10203.
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The practice of induced skull deformity has long existed in numerous disparate cultures, but for the first time in history it can be applied to adults. While extremely limited in application, some ideas have persisted in the far fringes of modern Western culture with remarkable tenacity. Practitioners of extreme body modification undergo procedures, outside the sphere of traditional medical practice, to make striking, permanent, nontraditional esthetic tissue distortions with the goal of transgressing societal norms. The International Trepanation Advocacy Group represents another example of a fringe cultural movement, whose goal, rather than being purely aesthetic in nature, is to promote elective trepanation as a method for achieving a heightened level of consciousness. Both movements have relatively short and well-defined histories. Despite their tiny numbers of adherents, neurosurgeons may be called on to address relevant patient concerns preprocedurally, or complications postprocedurally, and would benefit from awareness of these peculiar subcultures.
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Suhono, Suhono, and Yeasy Agustina Sari. "Retrofitting Javanese Traditional Games as Indonesia Culture Identity: Providing English Vocabulary." JURNAL IQRA' 2, no. 1 (July 29, 2017): 213. http://dx.doi.org/10.25217/ji.v2i1.123.
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A traditional Javanese game was one of the cultures inherited of hereditary society which has great value to society, specifically to educate the children. Unfortunately, the impact a lot of modern games in modern era from other countries has demolished the position of local games. It seem gave negative impact for children today. They tend to focus on new game (download new game continuously) in Googleplay store without understanding educative value of it’s game. Consequently the children abandon traditional Javanese game and leave educative game. The researcher aimed to retrofit traditional Javanese games to provide English vocabulary for children in order to motivate them in Learning English. To solve the problem the researcher adapted Kemp and Yalden model of instructional program design to retrofitting Javanese traditional game. The result showed that Javanese traditional games: Learning alphabet was the result retrofitted from Sobyong game, Learning days was the result retrofitted from Engklek game, Learning Colors was the result retrofitted from “Jamuran” game, and Learning part of body was the result retrofitted from "Oyak- Oyakan". These modification games could be enjoyedinEnglish vocabulary learning process.
Key words: Retrofitting Javanese Traditional Games, Sobyong, Jamuran, Engklek, Oyak – oyakan, English Vocabulary,
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Vones, Katharina. "Foreign Bodies – The Creation of Symbiotic Jewellery through the Development and Application of Stimulus-Responsive Smart Materials and Microelectromechanical Systems." Advances in Science and Technology 81 (September 2012): 49–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/ast.81.49.
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With the increased prevalence of digital technologies in our everyday lives, the questions posed to the contemporary craft practitioner regarding creation of an emotionally resonant interaction between the digitally enhanced object and its wearer have become progressively more prominent in the applied arts. Through examining the notion that human biology is a part of material culture, where the body can be shaped, customised or altered through surgical intervention and scientific innovation, this extended abstract explores how recent developments in material science and wearable technologies can be viewed as contiguous rather than oppositional to the organic processes of the human body and how to bridge the gap between the craft practitioner and scientific discovery. More immediately however, this research project challenges the perception of smart materials and their application within the field of contemporary jewellery in both an artistic and scientific context through proposing the development of symbiotic stimulus-reactive jewellery organisms. Potential practical applications of these jewellery objects exist in the areas of human–computer interaction, transplant technology, identity management and artificial body modification including prosthetics, where such symbiotic jewellery organisms could be used to develop visually engaging yet multifunctional enhancements of the body.
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Kirillova, Nadezhda V., Alexander I. Spasenkov, and Olga M. Spasenkova. "Comparative evaluation of the antioxidant and prooxidant status during the growth of cultured plant cells of two strains of Polyscias filicifolia and Polyscias filicifolia LX-5." Butlerov Communications 58, no. 6 (June 30, 2019): 78–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.37952/roi-jbc-01/19-58-6-78.
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Сell cultures of plants are widely used as a model, which allows to evaluate adequately the metabolic processes in plants and their responses to various external influences, to study many physiological and biochemical processes in plants. It is known that cells actively proliferating outside the body contain a high level of activity of antioxidant enzymes. During the process of dividing cultured cells in the presence of oxygen, free oxygen radicals are generated, the excess of which is controlled by a reliable antioxidant defense system. Therefore, the assessment of biochemical equilibrium in this system, in our opinion, can be an objective marker indicator of the physiological stability of cells, which is extremely important, both theoretically and practically. In recent years, studies of organogermanium compounds with low toxicity and a wide spectrum of biological activity are one of the promising trends in modern chemistry of organogermanium compounds. In our study, it was shown that the activity of antioxidant enzymes in callus cells increased on average by 11% (SOD), 18.6% (peroxidase) and 26.5% (catalase) after polyscias tissue culture being transferred to a selective medium enriched with germanium by an organic compound. In the process of growth of cells of the initial and selective polyscias strains, the oscillatory nature of the change in the catalytic activity of the three main enzymes of the antioxidant system can be noted. The nature of these changes correlated with changes in the mitotic activity of the cells. The degree of oxidative modification of proteins in cells of both strains of polyscias tissue culture also correlated with the level of their mitotic activity.
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Robertson, Alison, and Theo Wildcroft. "Sacrifices at the altar of self-transformation." Body and Religion 1, no. 1 (July 7, 2017): 88–109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/bar.31763.
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Within both cultural and academic understandings, conceptions of what pain is and the ways it is experienced are complicated by moral and medical pathologisation. Pain is often defined in a tautological fashion, as physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury. Both the experience of pain and responses to that experience are shaped by context and are subject to forces of ideology. On the edges of religious experience there have always been those who explored pain and suffering as a ritual means or end. This paper examines how some people have negotiated the moral context and medicalisation of pain-filled experience, and why: from the physical alchemy of hatha yoga to body modification, BDSM and other complex behaviours often labelled as ‘self-harming’. Using personal accounts of encounters with pain as a guide, we will discuss how physical pain and stress are transformed by context and culture, to either enable or deny personal agency and mind–body integration.
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Krushinovskaya, Ekaterina Georgievna. "Technification of human body as a practice of removing biological restrictions." Человек и культура, no. 4 (April 2020): 65–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.25136/2409-8744.2020.4.32693.
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This article is dedicated to comprehension of the idea of technification of body, as well as practical results and consequences of its implementation. The author examines the emergence of individual dimensionality of body, its relevant perception, as well as goals and meanings of the heightened technoscientific attention toward it. The idea of radical transformation of a human, is acquiring the status of feasible, and the purpose of such transformation consists in elimination of natural principles, and thus, predetermination of a human through gradual technification of body — imposition of high technologies for modification of its external and internal structure. A human is essentially opposed to the natural world, his initial biological “insufficiency” assigns the ability to transcend the givenness, which underlies the establishment and evolution of culture. Such circumstance in a certain way is the cause of instrumental attitude to the body, which is of biological origin. In the process of cultural development, body acquires the status of personal property, which means liberation from its nonhuman determination. In the modern context, the aforementioned trends supported by technological progress and transhumanist expectations, result in the fact that body as a "soma", as a local autopoietic biosystem is being abated. The elimination of the purpose of human body set by nature is interpreted as “self-sovereignty"; however, the abolition of natural determinism implies the emergence of technological determinism.
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Wamberg, Jacob, and Mads Rosendahl Thomsen. "The Posthuman in the Anthropocene: A Look through the Aesthetic Field." European Review 25, no. 1 (October 3, 2016): 150–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1062798716000405.
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The posthuman summons up a complex of both tangible challenges for humanity and a potential shift to a larger, more comprehensive historical perspective on humankind. In this article we will first examine the posthuman in relation to the macro-historical framework of the Anthropocene. Adopting key notions from complexity theory, we argue that the earlier counter-figures of environmental catastrophe (Anthropocene entropy) and corporeal enhancement (transhuman negentropy) should be juxtaposed and blended. Furthermore, we argue for the relevance of a comprehensive aesthetical perspective in a discussion of posthuman challenges. Whereas popular visual culture and many novels illustrate posthuman dilemmas (e.g. the superhero’s oscillation between superhuman and human) in a respect for humanist naturalist norms, avant-garde art performs a posthuman alienation of the earlier negentropic centres of art, a problematization of the human body and mind, that is structurally equivalent to the environmental modification of negentropic rise taking place in the Anthropocene. In a spatial sprawl from immaterial information to material immersion, the autonomous human body and mind, the double apex of organic negentropy, are thus undermined through a dialectics of entropy and order, from abstraction’s indeterminacy to Surrealism’s fragmentation of the body and its interlacing with inorganic things.
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Robbeson, Justine G., Herculina Salome Kruger, and Hattie H. Wright. "Disordered Eating Behavior, Body Image, and Energy Status of Female Student Dancers." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 25, no. 4 (August 2015): 344–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0161.
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Background:Modern culture has stereotyped the female body as one that is continually getting thinner. Internalization of the ‘thin’ ideal is partly attributable to the inner ideal to be successful combined with the external pressure imposed by media and others. Many individuals attempt to achieve these ideals by behavior modification that imposes health risks.Purpose:To investigate disordered eating (DE) behavior and energy status in female student dancers.Methods:Volunteer dancers (n = 26) aged 19.0 (18.0; 21.0) years, matched by controls (n = 26) aged 20.0 (19.0; 21.0) years were recruited. Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) subscales, Three-factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) Cognitive Dietary Restraint (CDR) subscale, and EDI-3 Referral Form behavioral questions assessed DE behavior. Energy status was assessed with a food record and Actiheart monitor.Results:Dancers achieved significantly higher scores than controls in all questionnaires, namely: EDI-3 Drive for Thinness [12.0 (3.0; 19.0) vs. 4.5 (2.0; 9.0), p = .023], EDI-3 Body Dissatisfaction [16.0 (10.0; 25.0) vs. 6.5 (3.0; 14.0), p = .004], and TFEQ-CDR [9.0 (2.0; 15.0) vs. 3.0 (3.0; 7.0), p = .032]; dancers used excessive exercise to lose weight (19.2% vs. 0%, c2 = 5.53, p = .019), and had lower energy availability (24% vs. 8%, p < .05) than controls. The average energy balance (EB) was negative for both groups [dancers: EB = -3896 (-5236; -1222) vs. controls: EB = -2639 (-4744; -789) kJ/day].Conclusions:Female dancers are at risk for DE behavior and many have suboptimal energy status which may be related to their quest to achieve a more desirable appearance; education on healthy weight management practices is needed.
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Nicoll, Rachel, and Michael Henein. "South Asians and their increased cardiovascular risk: A review of risk factors and diet and lifestyle modification." International Cardiovascular Forum Journal 1, no. 2 (April 7, 2015): 74. http://dx.doi.org/10.17987/icfj.v1i2.24.
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South Asians (SAs) have a significantly higher incidence and severity of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD)<br />than Caucasians and can present with atypical ischaemic symptoms. This can present a challenge for health professionals<br />who may not be aware of the lowered thresholds recommended for SA body mass index, waist circumference and age.<br />Although SAs are likely to have all the hallmarks of metabolic syndrome: central obesity, insulin resistance, impaired glucose<br />tolerance, reduced high density lipoprotein, high triglycerides and hypertension, conventional risk factors alone do not fully<br />predict the increased CVD risk among this community. Furthermore, SAs themselves may not be aware of their increased<br />predisposition to disease nor of the dietary and lifestyle modifications which could reduce the risk and severity of their<br />condition. Even where some modification has been attempted, there may be cultural pressure to conform to a traditional<br />diet and the requirements for fasting and feasting. Principally, SAs should avoid large late meals, reduce sugary sweets and<br />drinks, alcohol and foods fried in plant oils which create damaging transfats, while increasing protein and non-fried vegetables<br />to help glycaemic control. Chewing paan, with or without added tobacco, is a particular risk factor for both CVD and cancer,<br />on a par with the dangers of smoking. Although not in the culture, exercise would also be of great benefit.
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Mizutani, Shinsuke, Masafumi Taniwaki, and Tsukasa Okuda. "Biological Analysis of AML1/RUNX1 Arginine-Mutants by Means of Hematopoietic Rescue Experiments of Runx1-deficient Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells,." Blood 118, no. 21 (November 18, 2011): 3382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v118.21.3382.3382.
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Abstract Abstract 3382 Runt-Related Transcription Factor 1 (RUNX1; also called as Acute Myeloid Leukemia 1: AML1) is one of the most frequently mutated genes associated with human acute leukemia, and encodes DNA binding subunit of the Core-Binding Factor (CBF) transcription complex whose activity is essential for the development of definitive hematopoiesis. RUNX1 serves as a transcriptional activator as well as a repressor to its target genes, depending on the cellular context, mediated through its interaction with co-factors. Increasing evidence obtained these days suggests that post-translational modification of RUNX1, including phosphorylation, methylation, or acetylation on its target amino acid residues, is important for proper and fine tuning of this RUNX1-function, likely by altering its association with functional cofactors. However, biological significance of these modifications has not yet been examined in detail. As an initial effort towards systematic comprehension how these modifications influence RUNX1 function, we tried to evaluate RUNX1 methylation in vitro in this study. Arginine residues just douwnstream to the Runt-domain of RUNX1 were recently reported to be methylated to inhibit corepressor-binding thus enhances its trans-activating activity. In order to elucidate the biological effects of this post-translational modification, we manufactured arginine-to-lysine substitutions at the sites within the mouse cDNA. When these arginine-mutants were exogenously expressed in mammalian cell lines, they showed reduced trans-activating activity detected by a dual-luciferase assay on known reporter constructs in comparison to the wild-type Runx1, confirming previous reports. We then introduced the mutant cDNA into Runx1-deficient mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells by means of a knock-in strategy at the disrupted Runx1 gene locus. These ES cell clones were subjected to the in vitro differentiation to hematopoietic lineages. Wild-type ES cells are known to differentiate into hematopoietic cell lineages via embryoid body formation in a semi-solid culture system, whereas ES cells of Runx1-deficient genotype lose the ability to undergo hematopoietic differentiation. This phenomenon is recognized to be an in vitro phenocopy of the Runx1-deficient mice that suffer from embryonic death due to complete block of fetal liver hematopoiesis. Initial study so far showed that the Runx1-deficient ES cell clones restored the ability to develop hematopoietic cells including macrophages in culture when the arginine-mutant cDNA was re-expressed from the knock-in allele, as is the case for the control Runx1-deficient ES cells with the knocked-in wild-type Runx1. These results suggest that this arginine-to-lysine mutation is dispensable, at least, for the in vitro hematopoietic function of wild-type Runx1 although its trans-activating activity is somewhat impaired. We are currently focusing on introducing this mutation into mouse germ line, and the resultant genome-modified mice should show us the biological significance of the methylation-modification to this important molecule in the context of an entire animal. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Weber, Kenneth A., and Xiaohua He. "Chiropractic Students and Research: Assessing the Research Culture at a North American Chiropractic College." Journal of Chiropractic Education 24, no. 1 (April 1, 2010): 35–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.7899/1042-5055-24.1.35.
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Purpose: To continue positive professional growth and boost research endeavors, chiropractic institutions need to develop a research-oriented foundation and produce a larger body of researchers. The purpose of this study was to provide a current analysis of the research culture among students at Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida. This study will gain insight toward the research contributions of the next generation of chiropractors and identify the difficulties toward participation. This will help modify current academic programs to better foster research and ensure a promising, credible future for the chiropractic profession. Methods: Participants were students at Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida enrolled in quarters 1 through 12 during the 2008 summer term. To evaluate the research culture, participants were asked to complete a 33-item web-based survey. Results: A total of 303 students completed the survey. Forty-four percent were female, and the mean age was 26 (SD = 4.2). Ninety-nine percent of respondents agreed that research was necessary for positive growth within the chiropractic profession. A majority of students reported having research experience, and 58% planned to participate in research activities prior to graduation. Technical writing was reported as the most challenging aspect of research, and heavy academic workload was reported as the greatest deterrent to participation. Conclusion: This study expresses possibilities for building a strong research culture at the college. Students were aware of the necessity for research and were openly interested in conducting research. Modification of current academic policies will allow for greater student research opportunities and the development of tomorrow's researchers.
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Ermakov, Aleksei V., Marina S. Konkova, Svetlana V. Kostyuk, Vera L. Izevskaya, Ancha Baranova, and Natalya N. Veiko. "Oxidized Extracellular DNA as a Stress Signal in Human Cells." Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity 2013 (2013): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/649747.
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The term “cell-free DNA” (cfDNA) was recently coined for DNA fragments from plasma/serum, while DNA present inin vitrocell culture media is known as extracellular DNA (ecDNA). Under oxidative stress conditions, the levels of oxidative modification of cellular DNA and the rate of cell death increase. Dying cells release their damaged DNA, thus, contributing oxidized DNA fragments to the pool of cfDNA/ecDNA. Oxidized cell-free DNA could serve as a stress signal that promotes irradiation-induced bystander effect. Evidence points to TLR9 as a possible candidate for oxidized DNA sensor. An exposure to oxidized ecDNA stimulates a synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that evokes an adaptive response that includes transposition of the homologous loci within the nucleus, polymerization and the formation of the stress fibers of the actin, as well as activation of the ribosomal gene expression, and nuclear translocation of NF-E2 related factor-2 (NRF2) that, in turn, mediates induction of phase II detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes. In conclusion, the oxidized DNA is a stress signal released in response to oxidative stress in the cultured cells and, possibly, in the human body; in particular, it might contribute to systemic abscopal effects of localized irradiation treatments.
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Rung, Shengan, Xiwen Zhao, Chenyu Chu, Renli Yang, Yili Qu, and Yi Man. "Application of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) Modified 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxy-succinimide (EDC/NHS) Cross-Linked Collagen Membrane to Promote Macrophage Adhesion." Materials 14, no. 16 (August 18, 2021): 4660. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma14164660.
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The chemically cross-linking 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxy-succinimide (EDC/NHS) collagen membrane endows such natural polymers with promising mechanical properties. Nevertheless, it is inadequate to advance the modulation of foreign body response (FBR) after implantation or guidance of tissue regeneration. In previous research, macrophages have a strong regulatory effect on regeneration, and such enhanced membranes underwent the modification with Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could adjust the recruitment and phenotypes of macrophages. Accordingly, we develop EGCG-EDC/NHS membranes, prepared with physical immersion, while focusing on the surface morphology through SEM, the biological activity of collagen was determined by FTIR, the activity and adhesion of cell culture in vitro, angiogenesis and monocyte/macrophage recruitment after subcutaneous implantation in vivo, are characterized. It could be concluded that it is hopeful EGCG-EDC/NHS collagen membrane can be used in implant dentistry for it not only retains the advantages of the collagen membrane itself, but also improves cell viability, adhesion, vascularization, and immunoregulation tendency.
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Huang, Xiaosong, Siddharth Shah, Ying Wang, Sarah N. Dowey, Zhaohui Ye, and Linzhao Cheng. "Extensive Ex Vivo Expansion of Functional Human Erythroid Precursor Cells From Reprogrammed Post-Natal Blood Mononuclear Cells by Defined Factors." Blood 120, no. 21 (November 16, 2012): 975. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v120.21.975.975.
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Abstract Abstract 975 Every second, a healthy human body produces ∼2 million red blood cells (RBCs), an impossible feat for patients suffering from certain anemias not alleviated by erythropoietin (EPO) therapy. Instead, they rely on blood transfusions. Currently, all blood supplies are from donors, with inherent infection risks and supply uncertainty. Furthermore, some patients (such as those with sickle cell anemia) need frequent transfusion of RBC concentrates from best-matched donors, which are difficult to find. The production of cultured human RBCs in the quantities required for transfusion therapy (about 2 trillion RBCs in one transfusion unit of blood) will have great potential for improving healthcare worldwide. Large-scale production of cultured RBCs from isolated human CD34+ post-natal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) has achieved some success in the past decade. However, many challenges remain, such as determining the best method to enhance the cell number expansion and improve the efficiency of terminal maturation. CD34+ mononuclear cells (MNCs) contain HSPCs that have high proliferative capacity, but are very rare (<1% in PB MNC and <5% in CB MNC) and unable to be expanded substantially by existing culture methods. Although ESC/iPSC can be expanded in culture unlimitedly, their differentiation into mature RBCs remains inefficient. In addition to the approach of inducing erythroid-restricted precursors (erythroblasts) in unfractionated blood MNCs to iPSCs by reprogramming factors and then differentiate back to erythropoietic cells, we also attempted to use the same or similar reprogramming factors to induce expansion (and ideally immortalization) of erythroblasts. We first culture unfractionated CB MNCs in a serum-free culture condition with several cytokines and hormones that have been shown to specifically stimulate the proliferation of immature erythroblasts (pro-basophilic erythroblasts), as we did previously to prime these cells for reprogramming them to iPSCs. While this culture condition can achieve a substantial expansion of primary erythroblasts, their expansion is still limited (about 1 million fold starting from CB MNCs) and not enough for large-scale production of cultured RBCs for repeated transfusion patients. We reasoned that some reprogramming factors that we used to derive iPSCs may be able to induce an unlimited self-renewal capability of cultured erythroblasts in combination with specific culture conditions, without stepping into a pluripotent state. To this end, we have derived several immortalized erythroblast (iE) cell lines from CB MNCs after gene transfer of specific combinations of reprogramming factors. These iE cells can be expanded exponentially in serum-free suspension culture for over 1022 fold in a period of at least 5 months. They resemble pro-basophilic erythroblasts that had a large nucleus and basophilic cytoplasm. The iE cells express immature erythroblast cell surface markers (CD235+CD36+CD45+) and intracellular fetal hemoglobin in either culture flasks or a spin and high-density culture system. The vastly expanded iE cells are karyotypically normal, growth-factor dependent, and non-leukemic. We also developed a co-culture system with stromal cells to induce the terminal maturation and enucleation of iE cells. After switching to the termination culture condition, iE cells gradually stopped growing, decreased cell size and condensed nuclei, after 2 weeks we detected enucleated erythrocytes (CD235+DRAQ5−) at about 10% to 30% of the final maturated iE cells by FACS and fluorescence microscope. Coupled with about 5 to 10 fold expansion of cell number during terminal maturation, we can get approximately the same number of enucleated erythrocytes as the input cell number of iE cells. Since mature and enucleated RBCs are devoid of DNA, the genetic modification or potential genomic alterations in the iE cells are not likely to be a main concern for clinical uses. Our result may ultimately lead to the development of unlimited sources of cultured RBCs for optimally-matched or personalized transfusion medicine. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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Yoshida, Ken-ichi, Masanori Yamaguchi, Tetsuro Morinaga, Maya Ikeuchi, Masaki Kinehara, and Hitoshi Ashida. "Genetic Modification of Bacillus subtilis for Production of d-chiro-Inositol, an Investigational Drug Candidate for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72, no. 2 (February 2006): 1310–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.72.2.1310-1315.2006.
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ABSTRACT d-chiro-Inositol (DCI) is a drug candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome, since it improves the efficiency with which the body uses insulin and also promotes ovulation. Here, we report genetic modification of Bacillus subtilis for production of DCI from myo-inositol (MI). The B. subtilis iolABCDEFGHIJ operon encodes enzymes for the multiple steps of the MI catabolic pathway. In the first and second steps, MI is converted to 2-keto-MI (2KMI) by IolG and then to 3d-(3,5/4)-trihydroxycyclohexane-1,2-dione by IolE. In this study, we identified iolI encoding inosose isomerase, which converts 2KMI to 1-keto-d-chiro-inositol (1KDCI), and found that IolG reduces 1KDCI to DCI. Inactivation of iolE in a mutant constitutively expressing the iol operon blocked the MI catabolic pathway to accumulate 2KMI, which was converted to DCI via the activity of IolI and IolG. The mutant was able to convert at least 6% of input MI in the culture medium to DCI.
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Olsen, David B., Anne B. Eldrup, Linda Bartholomew, Balkrishen Bhat, Michele R. Bosserman, Alessandra Ceccacci, Lawrence F. Colwell, et al. "A 7-Deaza-Adenosine Analog Is a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Hepatitis C Virus Replication with Excellent Pharmacokinetic Properties." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 48, no. 10 (October 2004): 3944–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aac.48.10.3944-3953.2004.
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ABSTRACT Improved treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are needed due to the suboptimal response rates and deleterious side effects associated with current treatment options. The triphosphates of 2′-C-methyl-adenosine and 2′-C-methyl-guanosine were previously shown to be potent inhibitors of the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) that is responsible for the replication of viral RNA in cells. Here we demonstrate that the inclusion of a 7-deaza modification in a series of purine nucleoside triphosphates results in an increase in inhibitory potency against the HCV RdRp and improved pharmacokinetic properties. Notably, incorporation of the 7-deaza modification into 2′-C-methyl-adenosine results in an inhibitor with a 20-fold-increased potency as the 5′-triphosphate in HCV RdRp assays while maintaining the inhibitory potency of the nucleoside in the bicistronic HCV replicon and with reduced cellular toxicity. In contrast, while 7-deaza-2′-C-methyl-GTP also displays enhanced inhibitory potency in enzyme assays, due to poor cellular penetration and/or metabolism, the nucleoside does not inhibit replication of a bicistronic HCV replicon in cell culture. 7-Deaza-2′-C-methyl-adenosine displays promising in vivo pharmacokinetics in three animal species, as well as an acute oral lethal dose in excess of 2,000 mg/kg of body weight in mice. Taken together, these data demonstrate that 7-deaza-2′-C-methyl-adenosine is an attractive candidate for further investigation as a potential treatment for HCV infection.
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Sharma, Dhara, Harish Chandra Goel, and Sonal Chauhan. "Radioprotective potential of Lagenaria siceraria extract against radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 41, no. 12 (December 2016): 1248–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2016-0136.
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The cucurbits (prebiotics) were investigated as novel agents for radio-modification against gastrointestinal injury. The cell-cycle fractions and DNA damage were monitored in HCT-15 cells. A cucurbit extract was added to culture medium 2 h before irradiation (6 Gy) and was substituted by fresh medium at 4 h post-irradiation. The whole extract of the fruits of Lagenaria siceraria, Luffa cylindrica, or Cucurbita pepo extract enhanced G2 fractions (42%, 34%, and 37%, respectively) as compared with control (20%) and irradiated control (31%). With cucurbits, the comet tail length remained shorter (L. siceraria, 28 μm; L. cylindrica, 34.2 μm; C. pepo, 36.75 μm) than irradiated control (41.75 μm). For in vivo studies, L. siceraria extract (2 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally to mice at 2 h before and 4 and 24 h after whole-body irradiation (10 Gy). L. siceraria treatment restored the glutathione contents to 48.8 μmol/gm as compared with control (27.6 μmol/gm) and irradiated control (19.6 μmol/gm). Irradiation reduced the villi height from 379 to 350 μm and width from 54 to 27 μm. L. siceraria administration countered the radiation effects (length, 366 μm; width, 30 μm, respectively) and improved the villi morphology and tight junction integrity. This study reveals the therapeutic potential of cucurbits against radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury.
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Borschmann, Rohan. "Bodies under Siege: Self-mutilation, Nonsuicidal Self-injury, and Body Modification in Culture and Society (3rd edn) By Armando Favazza. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2011. $35 (pb). 352 pp. ISBN: 9780801899669." British Journal of Psychiatry 200, no. 2 (February 2012): 171. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.111.103440.
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Kraushaar, Daniel C., Stephen Dalton, and Lianchun Wang. "Heparan sulfate: a key regulator of embryonic stem cell fate." Biological Chemistry 394, no. 6 (June 1, 2013): 741–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/hsz-2012-0353.
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Abstract Heparan sulfate (HS) belongs to a class of glycosaminoglycans and is a highly sulfated, linear polysaccharide. HS biosynthesis and modification involves numerous enzymes. HS exists as part of glycoproteins named HS proteoglycans, which are expressed abundantly on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. HS interacts with numerous proteins, including growth factors, morphogens, and adhesion molecules, and thereby regulates important developmental processes in invertebrates and vertebrates. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are distinguished by their characteristics of self-renewal and pluripotency. Self-renewal allows ESCs to proliferate indefinitely in their undifferentiated state, whereas pluripotency implies their capacity to differentiate into the three germ layers and ultimately all cell types of the adult body. Both traits are tightly regulated by numerous cell signaling pathways. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of HS in the modulation of ESC functions, specifically their lineage fate. Here, we review the current advances that have been made in understanding the structural changes of HS during ESC differentiation and in deciphering the molecular mechanisms by which HS modulates cell fate. Finally, we discuss the applications of heparinoids and chemical inhibitors of HS biosynthesis for the manipulation of ESC culture and directed differentiation.
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Monda, Marcellino, Giovanni Messina, Ilaria Scognamiglio, Angela Lombardi, Giuseppe A. Martin, Pasquale Sperlongano, Marina Porcelli, Michele Caraglia, and Paola Stiuso. "Short-Term Diet and Moderate Exercise in Young Overweight Men Modulate Cardiocyte and Hepatocarcinoma Survival by Oxidative Stress." Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity 2014 (2014): 1–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/131024.
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The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of diet lifestyle on extending lifespan and reducing liver cancer risk. Young overweight men(n=20), without metabolic syndrome, were placed in a 3-week residential program on a low-fat diet and moderate aerobic exercise. In each subject, pre- and postintervention fasting blood were collected for evaluating levels of serum lipids, and oxidative stress markers. Using subject sera and cardiomyocyte (H9C2) culture systems, we measured heat shock protein 27 and 90 expression, lipid accumulation, and oxidative stress marker levels. After 3-weeks of diet, significant reductions(P<0.05)in body mass index, serum lipids and lipid ratios, and oxidative markers were recorded.In vitro, we observed that the addition of postintervention sera increased H9C2 cell number and reduced HSP27 and 90 expression, mitochondrial superoxide anion, and lipid accumulation with a parallel increase in nitric oxide (NO) production (allP<0.01). At the same time, postintervention sera decreased human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG-2) proliferation, lipid accumulation, oxidative stress, and extracellular-signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) activity. Lifestyle modification in young overweight men, without metabolic syndrome, could ameliorate cardiocyte survival and reduce hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation.
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Homem, Natália C., Tânia D. Tavares, Catarina S. Miranda, Joana C. Antunes, M. Teresa P. Amorim, and Helena P. Felgueiras. "Functionalization of Crosslinked Sodium Alginate/Gelatin Wet-Spun Porous Fibers with Nisin Z for the Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Infections." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 4 (February 16, 2021): 1930. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041930.
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Nisin Z, an amphipathic peptide, with a significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and low toxicity in humans, has been studied for food preservation applications. Thus far, very little research has been done to explore its potential in biomedicine. Here, we report the modification of sodium alginate (SA) and gelatin (GN) blended microfibers, produced via the wet-spinning technique, with Nisin Z, with the purpose of eradicating Staphylococcus aureus-induced infections. Wet-spun SAGN microfibers were successfully produced at a 70/30% v/v of SA (2 wt%)/GN (1 wt%) polymer ratio by extrusion within a calcium chloride (CaCl2) coagulation bath. Modifications to the biodegradable fibers’ chemical stability and structure were then introduced via crosslinking with CaCl2 and glutaraldehyde (SAGNCL). Regardless of the chemical modification employed, all microfibers were labelled as homogeneous both in size (≈246.79 µm) and shape (cylindrical and defect-free). SA-free microfibers, with an increased surface area for peptide immobilization, originated from the action of phosphate buffer saline solution on SAGN fibers, were also produced (GNCL). Their durability in physiological conditions (simulated body fluid) was, however, compromised very early in the experiment (day 1 and 3, with and without Nisin Z, respectively). Only the crosslinked SAGNCL fibers remained intact for the 28 day-testing period. Their thermal resilience in comparison with the unmodified and SA-free fibers was also demonstrated. Nisin Z was functionalized onto the unmodified and chemically altered fibers at an average concentration of 178 µg/mL. Nisin Z did not impact on the fiber’s morphology nor on their chemical/thermal stability. However, the peptide improved the SA fibers (control) structural integrity, guaranteeing its stability for longer, in physiological conditions. Its main effect was detected on the time-kill kinetics of the bacteria S. aureus. SAGNCL and GNCL loaded with Nisin Z were capable of progressively eliminating the bacteria, reaching an inhibition superior to 99% after 24 h of culture. The peptide-modified SA and SAGN were not as effective, losing their antimicrobial action after 6 h of incubation. Bacteria elimination was consistent with the release kinetics of Nisin Z from the fibers. In general, data revealed the increased potential and durable effect of Nisin Z (significantly superior to its free, unloaded form) against S. aureus-induced infections, while loaded onto prospective biomedical wet-spun scaffolds.
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Roberts, Christian K., Dean Won, Sandeep Pruthi, Silvia Kurtovic, Ram K. Sindhu, Nosratola D. Vaziri, and R. James Barnard. "Effect of a short-term diet and exercise intervention on oxidative stress, inflammation, MMP-9, and monocyte chemotactic activity in men with metabolic syndrome factors." Journal of Applied Physiology 100, no. 5 (May 2006): 1657–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.01292.2005.
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The present study was designed to examine the effects of lifestyle modification on key contributing factors to atherogenesis, including oxidative stress, inflammation, chemotaxis, and cell adhesion. Obese men ( n = 31), 15 of whom had metabolic syndrome, were placed on a high-fiber, low-fat diet in a 3-wk residential program where food was provided ad libitum and daily aerobic exercise was performed. In each subject, pre- and postintervention fasting blood was drawn for circulating levels of serum lipids, glucose and insulin (for estimation of insulin sensitivity), oxidative stress-generating enzyme myeloperoxidase and marker 8-isoprostaglandin F2α, the inflammatory protein C-reactive protein, soluble ICAM-1 as an indicator of endothelial activation, sP-selectin as a marker of platelet activation, the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, and total matrix metalloproteinase-9. Using subject sera and human aortic endothelial cell culture systems, we measured VCAM-1 cell surface abundance and monocyte chemotactic protein-1, nitric oxide, superoxide, and hydrogen peroxide production in vitro by fluorometric detection. Also determined in vitro was serum-induced, monocyte adhesion and monocyte chemotactic activity. After 3 wk, significant reductions ( P < 0.05) in body mass index, all serum lipids and lipid ratios, fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, myeloperoxidase, 8-isoprostaglandin F2α, C-reactive protein, soluble ICAM-1, soluble P-selectin, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were noted. In vitro, serum-stimulated cellular VCAM-1 expression, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 production, and fluorometric detection of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production decreased, whereas a concomitant increase in NO production was noted (all P < 0.01). Additionally, both monocyte adhesion ( P < 0.05) and MCA ( P < 0.01) decreased. Nine of 15 were no longer positive for metabolic syndrome postintervention. Intensive lifestyle modification may ameliorate novel coronary artery disease risk factors in men with metabolic syndrome factors before reversal of obesity.
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Yamoah, Megan A., Phung N. Thai, and Xiao-Dong Zhang. "Transgene Delivery to Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Nanoparticles." Pharmaceuticals 14, no. 4 (April 6, 2021): 334. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ph14040334.
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Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and hiPSCs-derived cells have the potential to revolutionize regenerative and precision medicine. Genetically reprograming somatic cells to generate hiPSCs and genetic modification of hiPSCs are considered the key procedures for the study and application of hiPSCs. However, there are significant technical challenges for transgene delivery into somatic cells and hiPSCs since these cells are known to be difficult to transfect. The existing methods, such as viral transduction and chemical transfection, may introduce significant alternations to hiPSC culture which affect the potency, purity, consistency, safety, and functional capacity of hiPSCs. Therefore, generation and genetic modification of hiPSCs through non-viral approaches are necessary and desirable. Nanotechnology has revolutionized fields from astrophysics to biology over the past two decades. Increasingly, nanoparticles have been used in biomedicine as powerful tools for transgene and drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The most successful example is the recent development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines at warp speed to combat the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which brought nanoparticles to the center stage of biomedicine and demonstrated the efficient nanoparticle-mediated transgene delivery into human body. Nanoparticles have the potential to facilitate the transgene delivery into the hiPSCs and offer a simple and robust approach. Nanoparticle-mediated transgene delivery has significant advantages over other methods, such as high efficiency, low cytotoxicity, biodegradability, low cost, directional and distal controllability, efficient in vivo applications, and lack of immune responses. Our recent study using magnetic nanoparticles for transfection of hiPSCs provided an example of the successful applications, supporting the potential roles of nanoparticles in hiPSC biology. This review discusses the principle, applications, and significance of nanoparticles in the transgene delivery to hiPSCs and their successful application in the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Hu, Zongfu, Qing Tong, Jie Chang, Jianhua Yu, Shuguo Li, Huaxin Niu, and Deying Ma. "Gut bacterial communities in the freshwater snail Planorbella trivolvis and their modification by a non-herbivorous diet." PeerJ 9 (February 12, 2021): e10716. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10716.
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The freshwater pulmonate snail Planorbella trivolvis is a common species in various bodies of water but is not native to China. Planorbella trivolvis usually live on diets with high fiber content, such as water grasses, algae and fallen leaves. These snails can attach to the wall of a water tank or to water grass and can be transported overseas to China through the ornamental fish trade. There are few studies investigating the intestinal microbiota of freshwater snails. In this study, using culture-independent molecular analysis, we assessed for the first time the complexity of bacterial communities in the intestines of reared snails. The intestinal microbiota in the snails fed different diets, that is, herbivorous feed (HV) with high cellulose and non-herbivorous feed (NHV) with low cellulose, were analyzed by Illumina sequencing. The results showed that the NHV-based diet significantly increased the body mass, shell diameter and specific growth rate of the snails after 60 days of rearing (P < 0.05). Histological experiments showed that the fat droplets in the epithelium columnar cells of the intestines of the NHV snails increased, and the cilia on these cells fell off. The sequencing results identified 486 and 195 OTUs in HV and NHV, respectively. Lots of bacteria were not reported previously in snails. The intestinal microbiota diversity index (Shannon, Simpson, Ace and Chao) in the NHV snails was significantly lower than that in the HV snails. The gut microbiota in the HV snails were predominantly Proteobacteria (52.97%) and Bacteroidetes (28.75%), while the gut microbiota in NHV snails were predominantly Proteobacteria (95.23%). At the genus level, Cloacibacterium (24.60%), Pseudomonas (4.47%), OM6ON (6.12%), and Rhodobacter (5.79%) were observed to be abundant in HV snails. However, Aeromonas (85.4%) was determined to be predominant in NHV snails. Functional prediction of the gut microbiome in snails by PICRUSt demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups, and the HV snails exhibited higher lignocellulose enzyme activity than did the NHV snails. This study represents a first step in characterizing the gut microbiota of the freshwater snail. Most of these microbes can process plant biomass and digest cellulose and lignocellulose, and the enzymes of these bacteria may have potential biotechnological applications in a variety of industrial processes.
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Chovanec, Jan. "Early Titanic Jokes: A disaster for the theory of disaster jokes?" HUMOR 32, no. 2 (May 27, 2019): 201–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/humor-2018-0090.
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Abstract This paper contributes to our understanding of the inception of disaster humor by refuting the position of ‘technological determinism’ that is central for the theory of disaster jokes. This view, developed by Christie Davies, ties the emergence of this form of humor to the visual presentation of disaster events on television. The paper reports on the discovery of several contemporary instances of pre-television disaster humor on the topic of the sinking of the Titanic from 1912, thereby explicitly challenging the premise that prior to televised coverage, there were no disaster jokes. While the data come from a culture that was cognitively very distant from the disaster (and, thus, more likely to give rise to instantaneous disaster humor creation), the paper suggests that a modification to the original theory is possible, arguing that disaster humor can be interpreted as a reaction to the more general process of mediatization, whether televisual or exclusively verbal, which constructs a shared body of knowledge that people can draw upon as a resource when constructing humor. That is particularly the case with iconic disasters, such as the sinking of the Titanic, which can be seen symbolically as an epic fail of modernity rather than a mere tragic disaster.
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Tresguerres, JA, C. Ariznavarreta, B. Granados, P. Alvarez-Vega, P. Fernandez-Mateos, P. Gil-Loyzaga, and R. Alvarez-Buylla. "Parotid gland tissue is able partially to assume pituitary functions under the influence of hypothalamic factors: in vivo and in vitro studies." Journal of Endocrinology 160, no. 2 (February 1, 1999): 205–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1677/joe.0.1600205.
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To test whether salivary tissue can secrete pituitary hormones, female Sprague-Dawley rats were hypophysectomized (hypox) and the following were transplanted to the sella turcica: parotid gland (group 3, n=33), adrenal gland (group 4, n=30), muscle (group 5, n=24). Group 2 (n=21) had the sella turcica filled with dentist's cement. In addition a group of rats (group 1, n=22) remained intact as controls. All groups were followed for 8 months. Daily vaginal smears showed normal cyclicity in controls and constant dioestrus in all hypox groups. Blood samples, taken once every 30 days before and after LHRH stimulation, showed significantly lower (P<0.001) plasma LH values in all hypox groups compared with controls. In group 3, a gradual and significant increase (P<0.05) was observed in the LH response to LHRH in parallel with a partial recovery of oestrous smears. No LH modification was observed in the other hypox groups. Plasma prolactin (PRL) levels were also very low in all hypox groups and were unaltered throughout the study. At the end of the experiments, half the animals were killed by decapitation and the hypothalamic-pituitary areas carefully dissected, homogenized and analysed for LH and PRL content. The remaining animals were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde to obtain fixing of the whole body tissues. Hypothalamic and transplant areas were carefully dissected, frozen, cut and submitted to immunochemical procedures. LH content in the graft of group 3 animals was markedly (P<0.001) lower than in the control pituitary, but significantly higher (P<0.05) than in the other hypox groups. Immunochemistry showed LH and PRL positive cells in the graft of group 3 animals, whereas neither positive cells, nor LH content were observed in the parotid gland in situ. Experiments were completed with in vitro cultures of parotid glands in the presence or absence (controls) of synthetic hypothalamic hormones or rat hypothalamic extracts. After 1.5 weeks of culture, a significantly higher LH concentration (P<0.05) was observed in the wells treated with synthetic hypothalamic hormones (216+/-46 pg/ml vs 41+/-6 pg/ml in controls). When hypothalamic extracts were used, the LH levels increased more markedly (1834+/-190 pg/ml vs 36+/-6 pg/ml in controls) and those values were maintained during 3 weeks of culture. Immunostaining of these cultures showed a positive LH reaction in the epithelial cells found in the hypothalamic extract-treated wells. Both in vivo and in vitro studies confirm the transdifferentiation of parotid gland tissue to pituitary hormone-producing cells under hypothalamic influence.
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Ayala-Lopez, Nadia, Mahboobe Ghaedi, David Peaper, and Roa Harb. "Performance of the Procalcitonin Test in Diagnosing Pneumonia in Real-World Practice." American Journal of Clinical Pathology 152, Supplement_1 (September 11, 2019): S36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/aqz112.069.
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Abstract Background Procalcitonin (PCT) rises early upon bacterial infection and has a long-half life, making it useful in the diagnosis of infections and antibiotic stewardship. We sought to determine the utility of PCT in diagnosing pneumonia (PNU) in the patient population presenting to our hospital during real-world clinical practice. Methods PCT results from patients in 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were eligible for inclusion if all of following criteria were met: PCT in 2015 and a lower respiratory tract culture, respiratory virus testing, chest x-ray, and white blood cell (WBC) count within 1 day of the PCT. Patients who opted out of research and those with mycobacterial infections and culture-positive infections of body sites other than urine and lower respiratory tract were excluded from further analysis. Results A total of 400 patients remained with 413 eligible PCT results across the ED (109), ICU (134), and inpatient (167) and outpatient (3) areas with a mean (SD) age of 66.2 (18.1). PCT was higher in patients with multiple pathogens reported on their respiratory cultures, direct fluorescence antibody (DFA), or PCR-based tests (mean ± SD = 2.43 ± 0.74 ng/mL; N = 32), than those with no pathogens reported (3.25 ± 1.13 ng/mL; N = 224; P < .05). Patients were grouped for the presence or absence of clinically defined PNU, according to a modification of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) PNU1 criteria incorporating (1) chest x-ray results, (2) altered WBC number/altered mental status/fever, and (3) respiratory/breathing signs. PCT was higher in patients with clinically defined PNU, and the high PCTs were consistent with positive chest x-rays (criterion 1), and positive criterion 2 but not criterion 3. Incorporation of an elevated PCT >0.1 ng/mL into the PNU score slightly improved the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the algorithm’s detection of PNU against the final clinical diagnosis (0.73 without PCT vs 0.76 with PCT). Furthermore, higher PCT was associated with higher 30-day and 1-year mortality. Conclusion PCT results were largely consistent with other markers of PNU such as imaging and CDC criterion 2, which suggests that PCT can be useful in evaluating for the presence of PNU. However, the PCT may not add additional information to assist in decision making above the already commonly ordered tests.
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Blyakher, Maria S., Elena A. Tulskaya, Ivan V. Kapustin, Irina M. Fedorova, Vladimir G. Nesterenko, Anatoly P. Suslov, and Mariya V. Konopleva. "Impact of a cellphone electromagnetic radiation on phagocytic activity of neutrophils in vitro." Hygiene and sanitation 99, no. 9 (October 20, 2020): 925–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.47470/0016-9900-2020-99-9-925-929.
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Introduction. The nature of a cellphone electromagnetic radiation (EMP) influence on the neutrophils in vitro activation was studied. The relevance of studying the impact of mobile communications and their effects on the body’s physiological processes is determined by the global prevalence of such tools and the research data inconsistency in the both domestic and foreign scientific literature. Material and methods. The object of the study was the whole venous blood samples and isolated neutrophils from 36 adult donors (aged from 22 to 65 years) of both genders. The responses of the neutrophils’ phagocytic activity and its registration were carried out in a flat-bottomed plate for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the daily culture of S. aureus ATCC 6538 (strain 209) was used as an inducer of phagocytosis. The intensity of phagocytosis was evaluated by changing the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) spectrophotometric method in our modification. Results. In the course of studies of the EMR impact of a cellphone on phagocytic neutrophils, the following was revealed: when culturing neutrophils without the addition of S. aureus, there was a tendency to increase spontaneous MPO activity (by 69%), i.e. its production in the absence of a stimulating factor and, conversely, a significant decrease in the enzyme activity induced by S. aureus (by 34%, p <0.05), i.e. the phagocytic activity of neutrophils. Conclusion We revealed the biological effect of the cellphone EMR as an increase in the spontaneous activity of MPO and a decrease in the bacterially induced activity of the enzyme may indicate a decline in the phagocytic activity of the main cells of the immune system, therefore, it demonstrates a weakening of the protective properties of the human body against infectious diseases. In previous studies, we have shown the presence of the impact of cellphone EMR on the activation of lymphocytes in vitro. The use of immunological tests can be a promising direction in assessing the impact of the cellphone EMR on the human body.
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Burke, Louise M., Graeme L. Close, Bronwen Lundy, Martin Mooses, James P. Morton, and Adam S. Tenforde. "Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport in Male Athletes: A Commentary on Its Presentation Among Selected Groups of Male Athletes." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 28, no. 4 (July 1, 2018): 364–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0182.
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Low energy availability (LEA) is a key element of the Female Athlete Triad. Causes of LEA include failure to match high exercise energy expenditure (unintentional) or pathological behaviors of disordered eating (compulsive) and overzealous weight control programs (misguided but intentional). Recognition of such scenarios in male athletes contributed to the pronouncement of the more inclusive Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) syndrome. This commentary describes the insights and experience of the current group of authors around the apparently heightened risk of LEA in some populations of male athletes: road cyclists, rowers (lightweight and open weight), athletes in combat sports, distance runners, and jockeys. The frequency, duration, and magnitude of the LEA state appear to vary between populations. Common risk factors include cyclical management of challenging body mass and composition targets (including “making weight”) and the high energy cost of some training programs or events that is not easily matched by energy intake. However, additional factors such as food insecurity and lack of finances may also contribute to impaired nutrition in some populations. Collectively, these insights substantiate the concept of RED-S in male athletes and suggest that a specific understanding of a sport, subpopulation, or culture may identify a complex series of factors that can contribute to LEA and the type and severity of its outcomes. This commentary provides a perspective on the range of risk factors that should be addressed in future surveys of RED-S in athletic populations and targeted for specific investigation and modification.
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Furter, R., P. Kaldis, E. M. Furter-Graves, T. Schnyder, H. M. Eppenberger, and T. Wallimann. "Expression of active octameric chicken cardiac mitochondrial creatine kinase in Escherichia coli." Biochemical Journal 288, no. 3 (December 15, 1992): 771–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bj2880771.
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Sarcomeric mitochondrial creatine kinase (Mib-CK) of chicken was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble enzyme by using an inducible phage-T7 promoter. Up to one third of the protein in E. coli extracts consisted of soluble recombinant Mib-CK in an enzymically active form. Approx. 20 mg of nearly-homogenous Mib-CK was isolated in a two-step isolation procedure starting with 1 litre of isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside-induced E. coli culture, whereas previous attempts to express other CK genes in E. coli have resulted in 20-fold lower yields and inclusion-body formation. Selection of the Mib-CK expression plasmid on media containing kanamycin rather than ampicillin extended the time period of maximal Mib-CK expression. Recombinant Mib-CK displayed an identical N-terminal amino acid sequence, identical Km for phosphocreatine and Vmax. values, the same electrophoretic behaviour and the same immunological cross-reactivity as the native enzyme isolated from chicken heart mitochondria. The recombinant Mib-CK had the same molecular mass as native chicken Mib-CK in m.s. analysis, indicating that post-translational modification of the enzyme in chicken tissue does not occur. As judged by gel-permeation chromatography and electron microscopy, recombinant enzyme formed predominantly octameric oligomers with the same overall structure as the chicken heart enzyme. Furthermore, the enzymes isolated from both sources formed protein crystals of space group P42(1)2, when grown in the absence of ATP, with one Mi-CK octamer per asymmetric unit. The indistinguishable X-ray-diffraction patterns indicate identical structures for the native and recombinant proteins.
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AlZunitan, Mohammed, Alexandre Marra, Michael Edmond, Nick Street, Daniel Diekema, and Jorge Salinas. "Predicting Community-Onset Candidemia in an Academic Medical Center Using Machine Learning." Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 41, S1 (October 2020): s355. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/ice.2020.974.
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Background: Candidemia is a leading cause of bloodstream infections (BSIs), and community-onset candidemia is being recognized as a public health problem. In the era of electronic health records (EHRs), we can use machine learning to detect patterns in patient data that may predict infections. Objective: We aimed to predict community-onset candidemia in patients admitted to the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics (UIHC) using machine-learning algorithms. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data for patients admitted to UIHC during 2015–2018. All adult inpatients who had a requested blood culture were included. Candidemia was defined as a blood culture positive for Candida within 48 hours after admission. Variables of interest were extracted from the EHR: age, sex, body mass index, and month of admission. We also included comorbidities upon admission defined by the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM): cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, chronic pulmonary disease, dementia, rheumatoid disease, peptic ulcer disease, liver disease, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, renal failure, coagulopathy, obesity, weight loss, fluid and electrolyte disorders, anemia, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, psychiatric diseases, malignancy, and HIV/AIDS. We calculated Charlson and Elixhauser scores based on ICD-10-CM codes. We also included prehospitalization conditions (90 days before admission): Candida-positive cultures from sites other than blood, antibiotics/antifungals, hemodialysis, central lines, corticosteroids, surgeries, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Mode and median imputation were used for missing information. Random forests with resampled training sets were used for prediction, and results were evaluated using 10-fold cross validation. Results: In total, 30,528 adult admissions were extracted; 73 admissions had an episode of candidemia (<1%). Median admission age was 61 years, and nearly half of admissions were female patients (44.7%). Mean BMI was 27.67. The most admissions occurred during the months of March, August, and November. The 3 most common ICD-10-CM codes were diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cancer. Median Charlson and Elixhauser scores were 1 and 2, respectively. The model used 103 variables. The 3 most predictive variables were Elixhauser score on admission, and characteristics in the 90 days prior to admission were Candida from sites other than blood, use of a central line, and recent use of antibiotics/antifungals. The model’s area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.72. Conclusions: Preadmission patient characteristics predicted community-onset candidemia. Machine-learning models may help detect patients eligible for screening for candidemia and prompt empiric antifungal therapy in high-risk patients in the first 48 hours of their admission.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None
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HERTZ, CARRIE. "Bodies of Cultures: A World Tour of Body Modification:Bodies of Cultures: A World Tour of Body Modification." Museum Anthropology 29, no. 1 (April 2006): 71–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/mua.2006.29.1.71.
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Bishop, Katelynn. "Body Modification and Trans Men." Body & Society 22, no. 1 (November 12, 2015): 62–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1357034x15612895.
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Tsuji, Keiichiro, Keikichi Hayashibe, Masatoshi Hara, and Tetsuro Matsuzawa. "Visuo-motor development which causes detection of visual depth from motion and density cues 1The article is based on a presentation given by the first author at the Joint Swiss-Japanese Scientific Seminar Human Motion Perception, Eye Movements, and Orientation in Visual Space, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation in cooperation with the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, in Gunten (Switzerland) May 19-21, 1999. The research was supported by a Grant-in-Aids for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan. The experiments were conducted as a joint research project supported by the Institute for Primate Research of Kyoto University." Swiss Journal of Psychology 59, no. 2 (June 2000): 102–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1024//1421-0185.59.2.102.
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This study examines the effectiveness of cues of visual depth and distance in the course of development and how this process depends on visuo-motor development. In the visual pitfall situation, i.e. a modification of Gibson 's visual cliff, eight Japanese monkeys (macaca fuscata) were observed with respect to their depth avoidance and visuo-motor activity. The tests were run once a week from the first until the sixteenth week after birth. Binocular parallax, motion parallax and texture density rates were manipulated to examine their effectiveness as cues. It was shown that for the first two months depth perception depended exclusively on motion parallax, whereas in the third month cues of motion and texture were added. Binocular cues did not have any effect in this age range. Three items of behaviour, i.e. visual regard of depth, head movement, and body movement, were checked and measured to obtain information which could explain the process of development of the cue function. The three items showed different developmental curves. During the first month, visual regard closely concurred with head and body movements, then visual activity suppressed motor behaviour and, after the end of the second month, the two became almost independent of each other. These analyses demonstrated that at a later stage pictorial cues produced an effect additional to the primary motion cues and that the effective cue function was based on the development of visuo-motor activity.
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Kolb, Gaelle, and Thomas M. Kristie. "Association of the Cellular Coactivator HCF-1 with the Golgi Apparatus in Sensory Neurons." Journal of Virology 82, no. 19 (July 30, 2008): 9555–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01174-08.
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ABSTRACT HCF-1 is a cellular transcriptional coactivator that is critical for mediating the regulated expression of the immediate-early genes of the alphaherpesviruses herpes simplex virus type 1 and varicella-zoster virus. HCF-1 functions, at least in part, by modulating the modification of nucleosomes at these viral promoters to reverse cell-mediated repressive marks and promote activating marks. Strikingly, HCF-1 is specifically sequestered in the cytoplasm of sensory neurons where these viruses establish latency and is rapidly relocalized to the nucleus upon stimuli that result in viral reactivation. However, the analysis of HCF-1 in latently infected neurons and the protein's specific subcellular location have not been determined. Therefore, in this study, the localization of HCF-1 in unstimulated and induced latently infected sensory neurons was investigated and was found to be similar to that observed in uninfected mice, with a time course of induced nuclear accumulation that correlated with viral reactivation. Using a primary neuronal cell culture system, HCF-1 was localized to the Golgi apparatus in unstimulated neurons, a unique location for a transcriptional coactivator. Upon disruption of the Golgi body, HCF-1 was rapidly relocalized to the nucleus in contrast to other Golgi apparatus-associated proteins. The location of HCF-1 is distinct from that of CREB3, an endoplasmic reticulum-resident HCF-1 interaction partner that has been proposed to sequester HCF-1. The results support the model that HCF-1 is an important component of the viral latency-reactivation cycle and that it is regulated by association with a component that is distinct from the identified HCF-1 interaction factors.
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Crossley, Nick. "Mapping Reflexive Body Techniques: On Body Modification and Maintenance." Body & Society 11, no. 1 (March 2005): 1–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1357034x05049848.
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Hill, Bradford G., Petra Haberzettl, Yonis Ahmed, Sanjay Srivastava, and Aruni Bhatnagar. "Unsaturated lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes activate autophagy in vascular smooth-muscle cells." Biochemical Journal 410, no. 3 (February 27, 2008): 525–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bj20071063.
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Proteins modified by aldehydes generated from oxidized lipids accumulate in cells during oxidative stress and are commonly detected in diseased or aged tissue. The mechanisms by which cells remove aldehyde-adducted proteins, however, remain unclear. Here, we report that products of lipid peroxidation such as 4-HNE (4-hydroxynonenal) and acrolein activate autophagy in rat aortic smooth-muscle cells in culture. Exposure to 4-HNE led to the modification of several proteins, as detected by anti-protein–4-HNE antibodies or protein-bound radioactivity in [3H]4-HNE-treated cells. The 4-HNE-modified proteins were gradually removed from cells. The removal of 4-HNE-modified proteins was not affected by the oxidized protein hydrolase inhibitor, acetyl leucine chloromethyl ketone, or lactacystin, although it was significantly decreased by PSI (proteasome inhibitor I), the lysosome/proteasome inhibitor MG-132 (carbobenzoxy-L-leucyl-L-leucyl-leucinal), insulin or the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA (3-methyladenine). Pre-incubation of cells with rapamycin accelerated the removal of 4-HNE-modified proteins. Treatment with 4-HNE, nonenal and acrolein, but not nonanal or POVPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oxovaleroyl phosphatidyl choline), caused a robust increase in LC3-II (microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II) formation, which was increased also by rapamycin, but prevented by insulin. Electron micrographs of 4-HNE-treated cells showed extensive vacuolization, pinocytic body formation, crescent-shaped phagophores, and multilamellar vesicles. Treatment with 3-MA and MG-132, but not proteasome-specific inhibitors, induced cell death in 4-HNE-treated cells. Collectively, these results show that lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes stimulate autophagy, which removes aldehyde-modified proteins, and that inhibition of autophagy precipitates cell death in aldehyde-treated cells. Autophagy may be an important mechanism for the survival of arterial smooth-muscle cells under conditions associated with excessive lipid peroxidation.
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Seidelman, Jessica L., Arthur W. Baker, Maojun Ge, Sarah S. Lewis, Sonali D. Advani, Becky Smith, and Deverick J. Anderson. "905. Surgical Site Infections Following Colon Surgery in a Large Network of Community Hospitals." Open Forum Infectious Diseases 7, Supplement_1 (October 1, 2020): S486—S487. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.1093.
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Abstract Background Colon surgeries are commonly performed, and surgical site infections (SSIs) following these procedures are routinely reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). However, the impact of infections present at the time of surgery (PATOS) and emergent surgeries on the epidemiology of colon surgery SSIs has not been well described. Methods We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data on complex (i.e., deep incisional or organ space) SSIs following colon surgery performed at 34 community hospitals in the southeastern United States from January 2015 to June 2019. We excluded SSIs categorized as PATOS. We then stratified colon surgery SSI rates according to age, sex, body mass index (BMI), operation duration, diabetes diagnosis, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status, wound class, emergent procedure, endoscopic procedure, and hospital colon surgery volume. Finally, we explored effect measure modification of emergent surgery and open surgery on hospital volume using log-binomial modeling and tests of homogeneity. Results A total of 722 complex SSIs occurred following 28,642 colon surgeries (prevalence rate [PR], 2.52 per 100 procedures). After PATOS SSIs were excluded, 545 complex SSIs remained (PR 1.90 per 100 procedures). Risk factor analysis revealed that age < 75 years and operation time > 75th percentile (188 minutes) during the 5-year study period) significantly increased risk of SSI (Table 1). The most common pathogens that caused SSIs in this study cohort were Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, and Klebsiella. (Table 2) 105 (19%) SSIs were culture-negative and 378 (69%) of the SSIs were polymicrobial. We defined hospital volume as high (>500 procedures in the 5-year period) based on the median hospital volume in the dataset. No significant effect measure modification occurred between hospital volume and either laparoscopic surgery or emergent surgery (Table 3). Table 1: Characteristics of patients who underwent colon surgery from January 2015 to June 2018 in 34 community hospitals. Table 2: Count and frequency of pathogens that caused complex surgical site infections after colon surgery Table 3: Colon surgery complex surgical site infection rates, stratified by emergent, elective, open, and laparoscopic procedures and hospital colon surgery volume Conclusion In our cohort, we found that one-fourth of colon surgery SSIs were categorized as PATOS, which are no longer publicly reported to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. While most SSI literature describes higher volume hospitals having lower SSI rates, high colon surgery volume was associated with increased SSI rates in our community hospital cohort. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures
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Henley, David, and Nathan Porath. "Body Modification in East Asia: An Introduction." Asian Studies Review 45, no. 2 (April 3, 2021): 189–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2021.1902931.
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Roberts, Derek. "Subcultural boundary maintenance in a virtual community for body modification enthusiasts." International Journal of Cultural Studies 20, no. 4 (February 2, 2016): 361–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1367877916628240.
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While it has been suggested that tattoos and piercings have gone mainstream, there remains a body modification subculture dedicated to more extreme forms of modification than are accepted by the majority of society. I present data from an ethnographic study of the subculture, focusing on various attempts to uphold group boundaries in a virtual community designed for body modification enthusiasts. As the website began to shift away from its subcultural roots, members increasingly criticised the new administration and mainstream body modifiers. Emphasising the social distance between themselves and those with discreetly modified bodies, members of the subculture ultimately abandoned the online community they helped build. This study contributes to the understanding of the significance of virtual spaces to real-world subcultures.
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Robinson, Stephanie A., and Margie E. Lachman. "Perceived Control and Aging: A Mini-Review and Directions for Future Research." Gerontology 63, no. 5 (2017): 435–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000468540.
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This brief review on perceived control and aging is organized according to 3 perspectives of research involving description, explanation, and modification. An extensive body of literature has utilized cross-sectional and correlational methods to describe the sociodemographic variations and outcomes associated with perceived control. This work has focused on differences in perceived control as a function of age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and culture and has identified positive associations with many aging-related outcomes involving health and well-being. With growing evidence regarding the health benefits of perceived control in the context of a declining sense of control with aging, there has been an increased effort to uncover the mechanisms involved, with the hopes of developing methods to maintain and/or promote adaptive control beliefs throughout adulthood. Through longitudinal and experimental work, researchers are beginning to clarify the directionality and elucidate the mechanisms to explain the associations. Recent evidence from longitudinal studies shows that control beliefs have an impact on subsequent changes in health. Yet, the findings suggest that it is not a unidirectional relationship. A conceptual model suggesting an ongoing reciprocal relationship between perceived control and health and well-being is discussed. Research examining the mechanisms that link perceived control to aging-related outcomes can help to inform and to develop effective interventions that are tailored to the individual's specific barriers and goals. We consider new directions for research, including more attention to intraindividual variability and reactivity to daily challenges, such as stress, with the goal of advancing our understanding of how perceived control contributes to aging-related outcomes. More work is needed to develop strategies to enhance control beliefs in later life. Although it will not always be possible to modify control beliefs, researchers can take these beliefs into account when developing interventions. A personalized approach is recommended as a way to tailor interventions that are compatible with individuals' beliefs about control to facilitate adaptive behavior change. Conclusions focus on selected issues and considerations for future research.