Revista Jurídica Digital UANDES
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La représentation panique dans le théâtre de Jan Fabre
No full textJan Fabre’s theatre was and still is a controversial one. Pretentious, elitist, too intellectual according to some, it is also seen as populist and demagogic for others. The Flemish artist divides his audience in a radical way. It is this very gap, this “incoherence” in the multiple criticisms this theatre receives that makes us think that while this form of contemporary art is maybe detested it is fore and foremost maybe not always well understood. It is indeed uneasy to apprehend a theatre that deconstructs the process of representation when the audience has been used to discussing representation and representation only. I would like to review these critiques; see how they avoid the real issues at stake, in order to show an actual lack of critical means, a lack of analytical tools, which would allow us to justly critique an innovative theatre. But most of all, I want to propose a different perspective. It is with the use of the philosophy of the French intellectual Clément Rosset, that I wish to introduce a perhaps more suitable approach. This theatre does not represent the real; it tries to be as close as possible to it. The objects on stage start to refer to themselves. In a very similar way, the concept of “représentation panique” developed by Rosset refers to a situation where a “coincidence” happens between the thing and its representation. This will help to overcome the paradox established by Jan Fabre: that of a world free from representations, yet taking place on a theatrical stage
Polymer Pen Lithography-Fabricated DNA Arrays for Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Unamplified Ganoderma Boninense DNA
No full textThere is an increasing demand for lithography methods to enable the fabrication of diagnostic devices for the biomedical and agri-food sectors. In this regard, scanning probe lithography methods have emerged as a possible approach for this purpose, as they are not only convenient, robust and accessible, but also enable the deposition of “soft” materials such as complex organic molecules and biomolecules. In this report, the use of polymer pen lithography for the fabrication of DNA oligonucleotide arrays is described, together with the application of the arrays for the sensitive and selective detection of Ganoderma boninense, a fungal pathogen of the oil palm. When used in a sandwich assay format with DNA-conjugated gold nanoparticles, this system is able to generate a visually observable result in the presence of the target DNA. This assay is able to detect as little as 30 ng of Ganoderma-derived DNA without any pre-amplification and without the need for specialist laboratory equipment or training
Innovative method to measure the extent of the stable phase-space region of proton synchrotrons
No full textThe advent of circular accelerators based on superconducting magnets has revolutionized the field of beam dynamics, with particle motion turning from linear to nonlinear due to unavoidable high-order field errors generated by the ring magnets. Nonlinear dynamics was already well mastered, e.g., in the close field of celestial mechanics as similar problems had been considered and successfully tackled. Hence, several results were available to aid comprehension of the behavior of charged particle beams under the influence of nonlinear forces. Here, we discuss how concepts derived from the theory of dynamical systems, linked with the fundamental Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser theory and Nekhoroshev theorem, can be successfully applied to the analysis of nonlinear motion of charged particles in a circular accelerator. Based on these ideas, an innovative method to measure the extent of the phase-space region within which bounded motion occurs is presented, which has been successfully tested for the first time at the CERN LHC
Proteolytic shedding of the prion protein via activation of metallopeptidase ADAM10 reduces cellular binding and toxicity of amyloid-β oligomers
No full textThe cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a key neuronal receptor for amyloid-β oligomers (AβO), mediating their neurotoxicity, which contributes to the neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Similarly to the amyloid precursor protein (APP), PrPC is proteolytically cleaved from the cell surface by a disintegrin and metalloprotease, ADAM10. We hypothesized that ADAM10-modulated PrPC shedding would alter the cellular binding and cytotoxicity of AβO. Here, we found that in human neuroblastoma cells, activation of ADAM10 with the muscarinic agonist carbachol promotes PrPC shedding and reduces the binding of AβO to the cell surface, which could be blocked with an ADAM10 inhibitor. Conversely, siRNA-mediated ADAM10 knockdown reduced PrPC shedding and increased AβO binding, which was blocked by the PrPC-specific antibody 6D11. The retinoic acid receptor analog acitretin, which up-regulates ADAM10, also promoted PrPC shedding and decreased AβO binding in the neuroblastoma cells and in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cortical neurons. Pretreatment with acitretin abolished activation of Fyn kinase and prevented an increase in reactive oxygen species caused by AβO binding to PrPC. Besides blocking AβO binding and toxicity, acitretin also increased the non-amyloidogenic processing of APP. However, in the iPSC-derived neurons, Aβ and other amyloidogenic processing products did not exhibit a reciprocal decrease upon acitretin treatment. These results indicate that by promoting the shedding of PrPC in human neurons, ADAM10 activation prevents the binding and cytotoxicity of AβO, revealing a potential therapeutic benefit of ADAM10 activation in AD
Capacity Building, Human Resource Development and Bahrainisation: Perceptions of Senior Public Sector Employees in Bahrain
No full textThis paper reports the findings of Phase 2 of the study, initially reported upon in this journal in 2018 (Alaali & Rees, 2018), and in which we explored the association between Capacity Building and HRD. In Phase 2 of the study, we use the case of Bahrain’s nationalization programme (Bahrainisation) to examine the perceptions of senior government employees towards Capacity Building and HRD. A total of 20 senior government officials were interviewed in order to ascertain their views about the links between Capacity Building and HRD and also the factors which they consider to be critical to the outcomes of the nationalization programme. The findings reveal that the interviewees viewed HRD activities to be an integral element of national Capacity Building. These practitioners also identified the important role of lifelong development activities such as education and training in Capacity Building. Further, in findings which complement the conclusions drawn in Phase 1 of the study, it was found that the interviewees emphasized sustainability and national level considerations, such as legislation and occupational standards, as integral features of Capacity Building as opposed to HRD. In contrast to Phase 1, the interview data also drew attention to the importance the interviewees placed on research data to inform Capacity Building initiatives at the national level. These findings are discussed with reference to subjects such as the inter-disciplinary nature of Capacity Building and HRD and also emergent work on evidence-based practice
The lung environment controls alveolar macrophage metabolism and responsiveness in type 2 inflammation
No full textFine control of macrophage activation is needed to prevent inflammatory disease, particularly at barrier sites such as the lungs. However, the dominant mechanisms that regulate the activation of pulmonary macrophages during inflammation are poorly understood. We found that alveolar macrophages (AlvMs) were much less able to respond to the canonical type 2 cytokine IL-4, which underpins allergic disease and parasitic worm infections, than macrophages from lung tissue or the peritoneal cavity. We found that the hyporesponsiveness of AlvMs to IL-4 depended upon the lung environment but was independent of the host microbiota or the lung extracellular matrix components surfactant protein D (SP-D) and mucin 5b (Muc5b). AlvMs showed severely dysregulated metabolism relative to that of cavity macrophages. After removal from the lungs, AlvMs regained responsiveness to IL-4 in a glycolysis-dependent manner. Thus, impaired glycolysis in the pulmonary niche regulates AlvM responsiveness during type 2 inflammation.</p
Providing 'the bigger picture': benefits and feasibility of integrating remote monitoring from smartphones into the electronic health record: Findings from the Remote Monitoring of Rheumatoid Arthritis (REMORA) study
No full textObjectivesTo establish the acceptability and feasibility of collecting daily patient-generated health data (PGHD) using smartphones and integrating PGHD into the electronic health record (EHR), using the example of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MethodsThe Remote Monitoring in RA (REMORA) smartphone app was co-designed with patients, clinicians and researchers using qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus groups, including selection of question sets for symptoms and disease impact. PGHD were integrated into the EHR of one hospital and available in graphical form during consultations. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed with 20 RA patients and two clinicians over three months. A qualitative evaluation included semi-structured interviews with patients and clinicians before and after using the app, and audio-recordings of consultations to explore impact on the consultation. PGHD completeness was summarised descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. ResultsPatients submitted data on a median of 91% days over three months. Qualitative analysis generated three themes: RA as an invisible disease; providing the bigger picture of RA; and enabling person-centred consultations. Themes demonstrated the system helped render patients’ RA more visible by providing the “bigger picture”, identifying real-time changes in disease activity and capturing symptoms that would otherwise have been missed. Graphical summaries during consultations enabled a more person-centred approach whereby patients felt better able to participate in consultations and treatment plans.ConclusionREMORA has uniquely integrated daily PGHD from smartphones into the EHR. It has delivered proof-of-concept that such integrated remote monitoring systems are feasible and can transform consultations for clinician and patient benefit.<br/
A retrospective cohort study of PD-L1 prevalence, molecular associations and clinical outcomes in patients with NSCLC:Results from the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP) Lungscape Project
No full textIntroduction: The PD-L1 biomarker is an important factor in selecting patients with non-small cell lung cancer for immunotherapy. While several reports suggest that PD-L1 positivity is linked to a poor prognosis, others suggest that PD-L1 positive status portends a good prognosis. Methods: PD-L1 positivity prevalence, assessed via immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue microarrays (TMAs), and its association with clinicopathological characteristics, molecular profiles and patient outcome- Relapse-free Survival (RFS), Time-to-Relapse (TTR) and Overall Survival (OS)- is explored in the ETOP Lungscape cohort of stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tumors are considered positive if they have ≥1/5/25/50% neoplastic cell membrane staining. Results: PD-L1 expression was assessed in 2182 NSCLC cases (2008 evaluable, median follow-up 4.8 years, 54.6% still alive), from 15 ETOP centers. Adenocarcinomas represent 50.9% of the cohort (squamous cell: 42.4%). Former smokers are 53.7% (current: 31.6%, never: 10.5%). PD-L1 positivity prevalence is present in more than one third of the Lungscape cohort (1%/5% cut-offs). It doesn't differ between adenocarcinomas and squamous cell histologies, but is more frequently detected in higher stages, never smokers, larger tumors (1/5/25% cut-offs). With ≥1% cut-off it is significantly associated with IHC MET overexpression, expression of PTEN, EGFR and KRAS mutation (only for adenocarcinoma). Results for 5%, 25% and 50% cut-offs were similar, with MET being significantly associated with PD-L1 positivity both for AC (p < 0.001, 5%/25%/50% cut-offs) and SCC (p < 0.001, 5% & 50% cut-offs and p = 0.0017 for 25%). When adjusting for clinicopathological characteristics, a significant prognostic effect was identified in adenocarcinomas (adjusted p-values: 0.024/0.064/0.063 for RFS/TTR/OS 1% cut-off, analogous for 5%/25%, but not for 50%). Similar results obtained for the model including all histologies, but no effect was found for the squamous cell carcinomas. Conclusion: PD-L1 positivity, when adjusted for clinicopathological characteristics, is associated with a better prognosis for non-metastatic adenocarcinoma patients.</p
Coping in parents of children with congenital heart disease:a systematic review and meta-synthesis
No full textObjectives: Congenital heart defects (CHD) can be detected at ultrasound but are sometimes not diagnosed until birth, which can cause stress and heightened emotion within the family. Parents face challenges including dealing with surgical procedures for their child and integrating healthcare management into family life. The aim of this review was to understand parental coping with their child’s CHD.Methods: Six databases were systematically searched to identify qualitative studies relating to parental coping in the context of having a child with CHD and which met inclusion criteria. Studies were subject to quality appraisal using Walsh and Downe’s checklist, and synthesised using Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnographic approach.Results: The synthesis of 22 studies reporting on 704 parents’ accounts showed that parent coping fell within four overarching themes: Emotional Responses, Support Systems, Parental Management and Avoidance. These four themes contained 13 subordinate themes.Conclusions: Parental psychosocial coping varies over time from diagnosis, through surgery to childhood. Common themes were evident, but individuals employed their own styles and strategies based on prior experience, availability of social support, personal characteristics and beliefs. Parents tried to maintain a sense of normality, integrating CHD into their lives without it having a major impact except at times of transition and hospitalisation when they had to call on additional strategies or support to manage this stress. This review offers clear guidance to clinical services on how best to support parents and families
Effect of Low Molecular Weight Acids and Moisture on Space Charge of Oil Impregnated Paper Insulation
No full textIn HVDC converter transformers, the potential DC component in electric stresses imposed on valve windings would unfavorably cause space charge accumulation inside oil-paper insulation. Insulation degradation and aging may have great effects on space charge behaviors in oil-paper insulation. This paper focuses on the effect of the low molecular weight (LMA) and the moisture on space charge phenomenon in oil impregnated-paper insulation. Pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) technique was used in this study to measure space charge behaviors in 400 mu m thick, dry and moist single-layer paper sample impregnated in mineral oil prepared with different amounts of formic acid. The measurements were carried out at 30 { circ } mathrm { C } under a field strength of 20 kV/mm. It was found that LMA greatly strengthens the homo charge accumulation. The combination of LMA and moisture results in even more active space charge accumulations. In dry samples, the existence of LMA causes slower charge decaying rate. However, the introduction of the moisture accelerates the charge dissipation.</p