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This study explores the use of seat management as a method of overcoming the difficulty of procuring, managing and maintaining information technology. Seat management, also known as desktop outsourcing, involves the acquisition and management of all hardware and software, desktop and network management, operations management, support services and technology refreshment into one concise contract managed by a vendor who specializes in IT. The findings of this functional analysis, focusing on seat management, total cost of ownership and asset management, are reported. These findings show that seat management is not a panacea. But, when used in conjunction with sound management practices it can provide benefits to an organization, http://archive.org/details/afunctionalnalys1094526566, Lieutenant, United States Navy, Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Background/Aims: In response to experimental stroke, a characteristic functional and expressional upregulation of contractile G-protein-coupled receptors has been uncovered in the affected cerebral vasculature; however, the mechanism initiating this phenomenon remains unknown. Methods: Using a model of permanent distal occlusion of rat middle cerebral arteries, we investigated whether there was a regional difference in receptor-mediated contractility of segments located upstream and downstream of the occlusion site. The contractile response to endothelin, angiotensin and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor stimulation was studied by sensitive wire myograph. Results: Only downstream segments exhibited an augmented contractile response to stimulation with each of the three ligands, with the response towards sarafotoxin 6c being especially augmented compared to sham, upstream and contralateral controls. This functional increase did not seem to relate to ischemic tissue damage, inflammatory cell infiltration or the element of reperfusion. Interestingly, immunohistochemistry did not show any difference in the level of immunoreactivity towards endothelin B (ETB) receptors between groups. Conclusion: Single artery occlusion without significant visible infarct resulted in locally increased ETB, angiotensin type 1 and 5-hydroxytryptamine 1B receptor-mediated contractile responses only in segments located downstream of the occlusion site. This suggests lack of wall stress as an initiating trigger leading to regulation of contractile response after cerebral stroke. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Gottorfer Codex and The Green Florilegium contain a total of more than 1,500 pictures of plants. In this article the botanists who recently identified the plants in the two albums take a look at the works as seen through the eyes of a botanist. Based on their knowledge of the plants behind the pictures the authors shed light on a range of different aspects, e.g. the relationship between figures and real plants and the horticultural background of the plants. They also offer botanical explanations for peculiarities such as double and proliferous flowers.

Major construction projects undertaken on university campuses are an ideal opportunity to connect learners in related disciplines to the real thing. How often do universities take that opportunity, make the connection and value add to projects being carried out? Discussion with students and academic staff will consistently generate enthusiasm for creating learning activities and resources related to projects. Some typical disciplines are project management, all fields of engineering, architecture, interior design and information technology. Some other areas that may not at first seem obvious are business, marketing, communication and public relations. The authors will provide a case study based on the new Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Science and Engineering Centre project of how the partnership between QUT and Leighton Contractors, the managing contractor, has delivered excellent learning opportunities through the design and construction phases of the Science and Engineering Centre project.

Both common forms of diabetes have an inflammatory pathogenesis in which immune and metabolic factors converge on interleukin-1ß as a key mediator of insulin resistance and ß-cell failure. In addition to improving insulin resistance and preventing ß-cell inflammatory damage, there is evidence of genetic association between diabetes and histone deacetylases (HDACs); and HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) promote ß-cell development, proliferation, differentiation and function and positively affect late diabetic microvascular complications. Here we review this evidence and propose that there is a strong rationale for preclinical studies and clinical trials with the aim of testing the utility of HDACi as a novel therapy for diabetes.

The aim of this study was to test the hypotheses that 1) skeletal muscles of elderly subjects can adapt to a single endurance exercise bout and 2) endurance trained elderly subjects have higher expression/activity of oxidative and angiogenic proteins in skeletal muscle than untrained elderly people. To investigate this, lifelong endurance trained elderly (ET; n=8) aged 71.3±3.4years and untrained elderly subjects (UT; n=7) aged 71.3±4years, performed a cycling exercise bout at 75% VO(2max) with vastus lateralis muscle biopsies obtained before (Pre), immediately after exercise (0h) and at 2h of recovery. Capillarization was detected histochemically and oxidative enzyme activities were determined on isolated mitochondria. GLUT4, HKII, Cyt c and VEGF protein expression was measured on muscle lysates from Pre-biopsies, phosphorylation of AMPK and P38 on lysates from Pre and 0h biopsies, while PGC-1a, VEGF, HKII and TFAM mRNA content was determined at all time points. ET had ~40% higher PDH, CS, SDH, a-KG-DH and ATP synthase activities and 27% higher capillarization than UT, reflecting increased skeletal muscle oxidative capacity with lifelong endurance exercise training. In addition, acute exercise increased in UT PGC-1a mRNA 11-fold and VEGF mRNA 4-fold at 2h of recovery, and AMPK phosphorylation ~5-fold immediately after exercise, relative to Pre, indicating an ability to adapt metabolically and angiogenically to endurance exercise. However, in ET PGC-1a mRNA only increased 5 fold and AMPK phosphorylation ~2-fold, while VEGF mRNA remained unchanged after the acute exercise bout. P38 increased similarly in ET and UT after exercise. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that lifelong endurance exercise training ensures an improved oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle, and that skeletal muscle of elderly subjects maintains the ability to respond to acute endurance exercise.

Studies have raised concern on the cardiovascular safety of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We studied safety of NSAID therapy in a nationwide cohort of healthy individuals.

Cytokine-induced beta cell toxicity is abrogated by non-selective inhibitors of lysine deacetylases (KDACs). The KDAC family consists of 11 members, namely histone deacetylases HDAC1 to HDAC11, but it is not known which KDAC members play a role in cytokine-mediated beta cell death. The aim of the present study was to examine the KDAC gene expression profile of the beta cell and to investigate whether KDAC expression is regulated by cytokines. In addition, the protective effect of the non-selective KDAC inhibitor ITF2357 and interdependent regulation of four selected KDACs were investigated.