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It is commonly held that Paul’s atonement theology evinces the influence of the “Akedah” tradition in Judaism, a historical accretion based on Gen 22 affirming that Isaac was actually sacrificed and was a uniquely efficacious atoning sacrifice for the sin of Israel. One of the Pauline passages commonly supposed to exhibit this influence is Rom 8:32. Yet further examination of the documents espousing the Akedah tradition casts doubt on the plausibility of this supposed influence. It is unlikely that this tradition was formed when Paul was writing. Nevertheless, a preoccupation with the Akedah has dominated exegetical debates about Rom 8:32 and why Paul may allude to Gen 22 when he proclaims God gave up his son for us. Therefore, this curious reference needs a more plausible interpretation. This article aims to supply that by showing that Paul uses Gen 22 to illustrate the means, and the necessity, of atonement.

This chapter looks at Nâzım’s first years in Moscow, between the spring of 1922 and the summer of 1924. Beginning with the arrival of Nâzım and his friends in the Soviet capital and the time they spent at a summer camp outside Moscow, attention then shifts to a discussion of Communist University of the Toilers of the East and the other educational institutions established by the Comintern in the early 1920s. Subsequent sections trace the backgrounds of the other Turkish students whom Nâzım and his friends encountered at the university, and the individuals with whom Nâzım and Vâlâ socialized during their initial months in Moscow. The final section of this chapter discusses Nâzım’s poetry from these years, and in particular his adoption of the Russian Futurist style.

The introduction to this book opens with a personal vignette from the author’s life in Istanbul in the 1990s, then segues into a brief discussion of Nâzım Hikmet’s continued importance as a cultural figure in Turkey. It outlines some of the most significant differences between this biography of Nâzım and previous ones, including the research undertaken for this book in Russia, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Washington, DC. Another important difference relates to context, as this book does not treat Nâzım Hikmet’s life in isolation. Rather, it situates him within the broader story of his generation of late imperial “border-crossers,” i.e., individuals whose lives were significantly impacted by the cross-border experiences of their younger years. The introduction ends with a pledge to “breathe life” back into a literary and historical figure who, while the subject of much biographical attention, has usually been treated in one-dimensional terms.

This chapter discusses Nâzım Hikmet’s family and life between 1902 and 1920 within the larger context of events unfolding during the final years of the Ottoman Empire’s existence. Nâzım grew out of a long history of border-crossers, whose colorful lives and cosmopolitan backgrounds had for years contributed to Nâzım’s elite but downwardly-mobile bloodline. “Macro” sections of this chapter investigate broader political developments relating to the Young Turks, pan-Turkism, and socialism during the first two decades of Nâzım’s life. Discussion then shifts toward Nâzım Hikmet’s changing poetic voice during the course of the Balkan Wars, World War I, and the postwar British occupation of Istanbul.

Chapter 3 recounts Nâzım and Vâlâ’s activities in Ankara and Bolu in the spring and summer of 1921. Its earliest sections focus primarily upon broader developments occurring in the region. These include the efforts of ex-Young Turk officials to resurrect their political careers after the Ottoman Empire’s defeat; the Congress of Peoples of the East that was held in Baku, Azerbaijan; and Mustafa Suphi’s ill-fated return to Anatolia. The chapter then focuses more closely upon Nâzım and Vâlâ’s activities, discussing their experiences in Ankara, the months they spent in Bolu working as teachers for the Ankara government, and their subsequent decision to leave Bolu for Tbilisi, Georgia.

This chapter examines Nâzım’s personal, professional, and literary lives in Istanbul between October 1928 and mid-1934. Upon returning “home” to Istanbul in late 1928, Nâzım was involved in a series of conflicts. In 1929, he broke with the TKP, an organization which had been an important part of his life for eight years. Shortly thereafter, he began working for a journal, Resimli Ay (“Illustrated Monthly”), run by Sabiha and Zekeriya Sertel, with whom Nâzım would develop important life-long friendships. Writing for Resimli Ay, Nâzım mercilessly attacked a number of influential figures in the Turkish literary elite, earning some powerful enemies in the process. The chapter then discusses Nâzım’s courtship and marriage to Piraye, as well as his incarceration in 1933–34. It concludes with a discussion of Nâzım’s poetry and other writings from the early 1930s.

Chapter 6 discusses the period from mid-1924 until late 1928. It begins with Nâzım’s return to Istanbul, where he was supposed to work on behalf of the Turkish Communist Party, which was still a legal organization in Turkey. However, Nâzım’s time in Turkey was beset with difficulties, both personal and political. Nüzhet, whom Nâzım had married when she had visited him in Moscow, broke up with him shortly after his return to Istanbul. More ominously for Nâzım, the Turkish government cracked down on politics in the wake of the Sheikh Sait rebellion of March, 1925, closing all opposition parties. Wanted by Turkish authorities due to his work for the TKP, Nâzım escaped back to Moscow, where he would again reside until the second half of 1928. Nâzım continued to write during these years, with sections of this chapter examining his changing poetic styles in the 1920s. The chapter ends with Nâzım returning once again to Turkey at the end of 1928 in order to undertake ‘clandestine’ work for the now-illegal TKP.

This chapter begins in 1948, with Nâzım’s ten-year anniversary of incarceration, and ends with his escape from Turkey in June 1951. After providing a “macro” account of Turkey’s changed relations with the US and USSR after World War II, this chapter looks at Nâzım’s rekindled connection with his first cousin Münevver Andaç, who in 1948 paid an unexpected visit to him in prison. This development set off a chain of events leading Nâzım to break off his relationship with his wife Piraye. Energized by his new romance with Münevver, Nâzım revived his efforts to gain an early release. On the heels of an international campaign to win his freedom, Nâzım received an amnesty in July 1950. Continued official harassment in Turkey, however, led him to flee the following year. The chapter concludes with Nâzım escaping into an uncertain future in the Eastern Bloc.

Chapter 11 looks at Nâzım’s early months and years in the USSR and Eastern Bloc, up until Stalin’s death in March 1953. It begins with a discussion of the twelve days Nâzım spent in Romania while he awaited a decision from Moscow regarding his future. This chapter then examines Nâzım’s early days in the Soviet capital, looking specifically at his relationship with İsmail Bilen, an old friend dating back to their days at KUTV. Subsequent sections discuss Nâzım’s involvement in the International Youth Festival in East Berlin, his undertaking of a mission to Bulgaria, and the unearthing in Moscow of old party files denouncing Nâzım as a “Trotskyite.” The chapter concludes with a discussion of Nâzım’s new writing in the Soviet Union during the last years of Stalin.

This chapter discusses Nâzım’s life in the Eastern Bloc from the mid-1950s until the end of the decade. Nâzım was doing well materially and emotionally, traveling frequently throughout the Eastern Bloc and elsewhere, and living with his physician/lover Dr. Galina Kolesnikova. During these years, Nâzım was common-law married to one woman, living with another, and falling in love with a third as he pursued Vera Tulyakova, a married mother thirty years his junior. Nâzım’s triple life was protected by the Iron Curtain, which served as both his narrative foil and a practical instrument. This chapter ends with a discussion of Nâzım’s publications in the Eastern Bloc in the second half of the 1950s.

This epilogue examines Nâzım’s legacy and explains what happened to others whose lives were discussed in this book. It goes up to the late 1980s, focusing upon the late-life activities of the last of Nâzım’s friends, lovers, and comrades. Another section discusses the TKP in the aftermath of Nâzım’s death. The final section of the epilogue offers a concluding analysis of Nâzım’s life, his generation, and the transition from the late imperial age to a post-imperial one. The book ends with a return to the original point of contact with Nâzım: on the shores of the Bosphorus, awaiting his brother-in-law Refik to pick him up in the motorboat.

This prologue recounts the morning of June 17, 1951, when Nâzım Hikmet escaped by motorboat from Turkey to the Eastern Bloc. He was forty-nine years old at this time, and was Turkey’s best-known poet. Nâzım Hikmet was also a communist, someone who had spent years of his life behind bars for refusing to renounce his politics. On this particular morning, he was riding away from his former life across the turbulent waters of the Black Sea. Yet the poet-communist’s future was an uncertain one, as he had a checkered political past in Moscow. Had Nâzım Hikmet escaped from a Turkish frying pan, only to jump into a Stalinist fire?

Chapter 2 details the journey that Nâzım and his best friend Vâlâ Nureddin took to Ankara in the early months of 1921. The two had resolved to escape the British occupation of Istanbul so that they could join the resistance movement forming in Ankara under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk). This chapter also introduces Şevket Süreyya (Aydemir), who would become a good friend and traveling companion of Nâzım and Vâlâ during a later stage of their journey. While tracing Nâzım and Vâlâ’s progress across Anatolia, discussion shifts to larger events occurring during these years, including the collapse of the Russian Empire, Ottoman efforts to bring back its POWs from Russia, and the creation, in Baku, of the Turkish Communist Party under the direction of the erstwhile pan-Turkist Mustafa Suphi. The final sections of this chapter return to Nâzım and Vâlâ as they make their way toward Ankara, meeting up with a group of Turkish Spartakists en route. The chapter ends with Nâzım and Vâlâ’s arrival in Mustafa Kemal’s capital in a much different frame of mind from that with which they had departed Istanbul.

Chapter 13 examines the years between 1960 and Nâzım’s death in 1963. It discusses various personal matters, such as the breakdown of Nâzım’s relationships with Dr. Galina and Münevver Andaç, and his 1960 marriage to Vera Tulyakova. Other sections of this chapter look at Nâzım’s involvement in short-wave radio and TKP-related projects in Leipzig, East Germany. In the early 1960s, Münevver Andaç escaped from Turkey with her children, Süleyman Nuri sought revenge, and Nâzım sank into depression and an obsession with death. With respect to both his writing and his everyday life, Nâzım tied up loose ends and prepared for the end.

Chapter 8 discusses events in Turkey and the USSR during the years 1934–38. It begins with an examination of the Soviet–Turkish frontier in the 1930s, the tightening of which coincided with the emergence of increasingly violent regimes in both states. Nâzım was released from prison in 1934, and soon after returned to his pugnacious public persona. In Moscow, meanwhile, İsmail Bilen was consolidating his power over Turkish communists in the USSR during an era of purges. The chapter then turns to a discussion of Nâzım’s writing in the mid-1930s, which marked the last of his last legal publications to appear in Turkey during his lifetime. Comparing Nâzım’s career with that of another Futurist by the name of Ercümend Behzad (Lav), this chapter concludes with an examination of the nature of literary fame in early republican Turkey.

Chapter 9 discusses Nâzım Hikmet’s life between 1938 and 1948. In 1938, Nâzım was arrested on charges of inciting mutiny in the army and navy, trumped up claims which nevertheless resulted in a prison sentence of twenty-eight years and four months. During the early years of this term, Nâzım believed that he would be released soon. As time passed, however, and it became clear that his sentence would not soon be commuted, Nâzım began to focus more upon survival for himself and Piraye, taking on menial jobs as a means of supporting his family. Other sections of this chapter take place in Moscow, and trace İsmail Bilen’s career in the Soviet capital. The chapter concludes with a discussion of Nâzım’s writing during these years, including his initial work on Human Landscapes from My Country, which would later go on to be considered his masterpiece.

Red Star Over the Black Sea tells the story of Nâzım Hikmet and his generation. Nâzım Hikmet (1902–63) is best-known as a poet and communist whose daring flight by motorboat from Turkey to the Eastern Bloc captured international headlines in 1951. Born at the turn of the twentieth century and coming of age in the early 1920s, the women and men of Nâzım Hikmet’s generation were the last of the Ottomans. Children of empire, they had grown up amid an era of porous frontiers. By the time this generation had reached its third decade, however, the doors had already begun to close behind them. Drawing upon previously untapped archival materials and personal papers from Moscow, Istanbul, Amsterdam, and Washington, DC, this book tells the story of Nâzım Hikmet and his generation.

Nâzim Hikmet is perhaps Turkey’s best-known literary figure from the twentieth century, due at least in part to his dramatic life story and flight from Turkey to the Soviet Union in 1951. During th...

Background Accuracy of baseline ACTH for the diagnosis of PPID in horses varies between studies. Objectives To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of ACTH as a biomarker for PPID in adult horses and appraise potential causes of heterogeneity. Study design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods A literature review identified studies reporting diagnostic accuracy data for extraction. Risk of bias was evaluated using QUADAS-2. Two random-effects models, the hierarchical summary receiver operating curve (HSROC) and the bivariate binomial normal model (BBN) were used to pool accuracy measurements. We performed meta-regression using study-level variables. The impact of diagnostic test accuracy on the frequency of false-positive and false-negative results at various pre-test probabilities was calculated using the BBN model's accuracy results. Results Patient selection and index test evaluation demonstrated significant risk of bias. Mean and 95% confidence intervals for sensitivity and specificity for all studies (n=11) based upon the HSROC model were (0.72, 95% CI: 0.62 to 0.82) and (0.88, 95% CI: 0.79 to 0.93) respectively. When studies with a common positivity threshold of 35 pg/ml ACTH were evaluated (n=6), sensitivity and specificity were (0.66, 95% CI:0.54 to 0.77) and (0.87, 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.94). In a hypothetical group of one thousand horses with PPID prevalence of 2%, 20%, and 90%, the frequency of resulting false-positive and false negatives would be (127 and 7), (104 and 68) and (13 and 306), respectively. Factors leading to increased accuracy were case-control design, clinical reference standard, and data-driven choice of ACTH threshold. Main limitations A small number of primary studies (n=11) were available, demonstrating significant biases. Conclusions Less biased studies examining diagnostic accuracy of ACTH are needed. In horses with a high pre-test probability of PPID, ACTH may be a functional "rule-in" test. Baseline ACTH is not recommended for screening purposes or use in horses without clinical signs of PPID.

The transformations of water-stable C60 clusters (nC60) to oxidized C60 derivatives via photoreactions and ground-state reactions have been described as critical processes in understanding the ultimate environmental fate of fullerene-based materials. However, (photo)oxidation of aqueous-based C60 (as water stable, nanoscale aggregates termed nC60) with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and/or hydroxyl radical ( OH), common environmental oxidants, has not been fully explored. To address this, the aqueous physicochemical transformations of C60 (as nC60 aggregates) in the presence of H2O2 and/or OH in both photoexcited-state and ground-state under environmentally relevant conditions are quantitatively described. Results show that nC60 undergoes facile oxidation in the presence of H2O2 under UVA irradiation but not under dark conditions, and the oxidation reaction rates increase with effective OH concentration (via photodecomposition of H2O2), while being inversely related to solution pH. Product characterization via dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, total organic carbon, high-performance liquid chromatography, and octanol-water partition experiments collectively describe resulting C60 derivatives with new covalent oxygen functionality which are also relatively more hydrophilic. For all cases, photoirradiation was observed to significantly enhanced the rates and extent of C60 oxidation.

Many valorization approaches for lignin rely on its organic solvent (organosolv) extraction. However, the severity of the extraction conditions required to obtain high lignin extraction generally results in low-quality lignin for downstream processing. To better understand the secondary reaction pathways and kinetics related to molecular alterations that result from organosolv extraction under extreme conditions, extractions were conducted at temperatures of 150, 180, and 210 °C. Lignin was collected at residence times between 0.25 and 18 h and analyzed by NMR techniques to quantify the concentrations of key chemical moieties that appear or disappear upon reactions of lignin molecules during and after their fractionation from biomass. The kinetics of chemical moiety evolution was modeled as processes in-series. In these models, pseudo first-order kinetics were used to describe the change in concentration of chemical moieties on extracted lignin as a function of residence time.

Photocatalysis provides a route to convert methane into an energy-dense, liquid fuel, such as methanol, using only natural gas, sunlight, water (or oxygen), and the catalyst. In this report, we com...

The appropriate imaging for pediatric patients being evaluated for suspected physical abuse depends on the age of the child, the presence of neurologic signs and symptoms, evidence of thoracic or abdominopelvic injuries, and whether the injuries are discrepant with the clinical history. The clinical presentations reviewed consider these factors and provide evidence-based consensus recommendations by the ACR Appropriateness Criteria ® Expert Panel on Pediatric Imaging.

Gain-of-function mutations of classic transient receptor potential channel 6 (TRPC6) were identified in familial FSGS, and increased expression of wild-type TRPC6 in glomeruli is observed in several human acquired proteinuric diseases. Synaptopodin, an actin binding protein that is important in maintaining podocyte function, is downregulated in various glomerular diseases. Here, we investigated whether synaptopodin maintains podocyte function by regulating podocyte surface expression and activity of TRPC6. We show indirect interaction and nonrandom association of synaptopodin and TRPC6 in podocytes. Knockdown of synaptopodin in cultured mouse podocytes increased the expression of TRPC6 at the plasma membrane, whereas overexpression of synaptopodin decreased it. Mechanistically, synaptopodin–dependent TRPC6 surface expression required functional actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. Overexpression of wild–type or FSGS–inducing mutant TRPC6 in synaptopodin-depleted podocytes enhanced TRPC6–mediated calcium influx and induced apoptosis. In vivo, knockdown of synaptopodin also caused increased podocyte surface expression of TRPC6. Administration of cyclosporin A, which stabilizes synaptopodin, reduced LPS-induced proteinuria significantly in wild-type mice but to a lesser extent in TRPC6 knockout mice. Furthermore, administration of cyclosporin A reversed the LPS-induced increase in podocyte surface expression of TRPC6 in wild-type mice. Our findings suggest that alteration in synaptopodin levels under disease conditions may modify intracellular TRPC6 channel localization and activity, which further contribute to podocyte dysfunction. Reducing TRPC6 surface levels may be a new approach to restoring podocyte function.

Spinal cord injury can lead to severe dysfunction as a result of limited nerve regeneration that is due to an inhibitory environment created at the site of injury. Neural tissue engineering using materials that closely mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) during neural development could enhance neural regeneration. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which are sulfated polysaccharides, have been shown to modulate axonal outgrowth in neural tissue depending upon the position and degree of sulfation. Cellulose sulfate (CelS), which is a GAG mimetic, was evaluated for its use in promoting neurite extension. Aligned fibrous scaffolds containing gelatin blended with 0.25% partially sulfated cellulose sulfate (pCelS), having sulfate predominantly at the 6-carbon position of the glucose monomer unit, and fully sulfated cellulose sulfate (fCelS), which is sulfated at the 2-, 3-, and 6-carbon positions of the glucose monomer unit, were fabricated using the electrospinning method. Comparisons were made with scaffolds containing native GAGs, chondroitin sulfate-A (CS-A) and chondroitin sulfate-C (CS-C), which were obtained from commercial sources. CS-A and CS-C are present in neural tissue ECM. The degree of sulfation and position of sulfate groups was determined using elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman microspectroscopy, and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In vitro studies examined both nerve growth factor (NGF) binding on scaffolds and neurite extension by dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. NGF binding was highest on scaffolds containing pCelS and fCelS. Neurite extension was greatest for scaffolds containing fCelS followed by pCelS, with the lowest outgrowth on the CS-A containing scaffolds, suggesting that the degree and position of sulfation of CelS was permissible for neurite outgrowth. This study demonstrated that cellulose sulfate, as a GAG mimetic, could be used for future neural tissue regeneration application. STATEMENT OF SIGNFICANCE: Scaffolds that closely mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM) during development may be a promising approach to enhance neural regeneration. Here, we reported a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) mimetic derived from cellulose that promotes neurite extension over native GAGs, chondroitin sulfate-A (CS-A) and chondroitin sulfate-C (CS-C), which are present in neural ECM. Depending upon the degree and position of sulfation, the GAG mimetic can impact nerve growth factor binding and permissive neurite outgrowth.

Emergency departments (EDs) have recognized an increasing number of patients presenting with mental health (MH) concerns. This trend imposes greater demands upon EDs already operating at capacity. Many ED providers do not feel they are optimally prepared to provide the necessary MH care. One consideration in response to this dilemma is to use advanced telemedicine technology for psychiatric consultation.We examined a rural- and community-based health system operating 21 EDs, none of which has direct access to psychiatric consultation. Dedicated beds to MH range from zero (in EDs with only 3 beds) to 6 (in an ED with 38 beds).We conducted a needs assessment of this health system. This included a survey of emergency room providers with a 67% response rate and site visits to directly observe patient flow and communication with ED staff. A visioning workshop provided input from ED staff. Data were also obtained, which reflected ED admissions for the year 2015.The data provide a summary of provider concerns, a summary of MH presentations and diagnosis, and age groupings. The data also provide a time when most MH concerns present to the ED.Based upon these results, a proposed model for delivering comprehensive regional emergency telepsychiatry and behavioral health services is proposed.Emergency telepsychiatry services may be a tenable solution for addressing the shortage of psychiatric consultation to EDs in light of increasing demand for MH treatment in the ED.

Background The combination of topotecan and cyclophosphamide is active in relapsed Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT). The feasibility of adding these agents combined with vincristine (vincristine–topotecan–cyclophosphamide [VTc]) to standard five-drug chemotherapy with vincristine–doxorubicin–cyclophosphamide (VDC) and ifosfamide–etoposide (IE) administered in an interval-compressed (2-week instead of 3-week intervals) schedule was investigated. Procedure Newly diagnosed patients with localized ESFT < 31 years, with good performance status and adequate organ function were eligible. Seventeen alternating cycles of chemotherapy with VTc, VDC, and IE were administered at 2-week intervals. Local control (LC) of the primary tumor occurred following six cycles. Primary endpoints were the ability to deliver chemotherapy in an interval-compressed schedule, and the rate of grade 3 or greater nonhematologic toxicity and grade 4 hematologic toxicity, which delayed chemotherapy by ≥2 weeks. Secondary endpoints were event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Results Thirty-five patients with a median age of 11 years were enrolled. The mean time to last dose of chemotherapy prior to LC was 12.6 ± 1.4 weeks and 45.5% of patients received intended chemotherapy without any delay prior to LC. There were no toxic deaths or unexpected toxicities. Five-year EFS was 79.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.8–89.7%) and 5-year OS was 88% (95% CI: 71.4–95.3%). Conclusions The addition of VTc to standard therapy was tolerable with sufficient interval compression compared to historical standard 3-week cycles.

Agnes Kefeli has written a first-rate monograph examining an issue in Russian imperial history that has generally been described in terms of “apostasy.” The “lapsing” of Tatar Christians in the nin...

Background Patients with Ewing sarcoma require local primary tumor control with surgery, radiation, or both. Optimal choice of local control for overall and local disease control remains unclear.

To validate a multicenter protocol that examines lower extremity skeletal muscles of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and MR spectroscopy in terms of reproducibility of these measurements within and across centers.This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the institutional review boards of all participating centers, and informed consent was obtained from each participant or a guardian. Standardized procedures with MR operator training and quality assurance assessments were implemented, and data were acquired at three centers by using different 3-T MR imaging instruments. Measures of maximal cross-sectional area (CSAmax), transverse relaxation time constant (T2), and lipid fraction were compared among centers in two-compartment coaxial phantoms and in two unaffected adult subjects who visited each center. Also, repeat MR measures were acquired twice on separate days in 30 boys with DMD (10 per center) and 10 unaffected boys. Coefficients of variation (CVs) were computed to examine the repeated-measure variabilities within and across centers.CSAmax, T2 from MR imaging and MR spectroscopy, and lipid fraction were consistent across centers in the phantom (CV,3%) and in the adult subjects who traveled to each site (CV, 2%-7%). High day-to-day reproducibility in MR measures was observed in boys with DMD (CSAmax, CV = 3.7% [25th percentile, 1.3%; 75th percentile, 5.1%]; contractile area, CV = 4.2% [25th percentile, 0.8%; 75th percentile, 4.9%]; MR imaging T2, CV = 3.1% [25th percentile, 1.2%; 75th percentile, 4.7%]; MR spectroscopy T2, CV = 3.9% [25th percentile, 1.5%; 75th percentile, 5.1%]; and lipid fraction, CV = 4.7% [25th percentile, 1.0%; 75th percentile, 5.3%]).The MR protocol implemented in this multicenter study achieved highly reproducible measures of lower extremity muscles across centers and from day to day in ambulatory boys with DMD.

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. March 2012. Major: Civil Engineering. Advisor: Professor Joseph F. Labuz. 1 computer file (PDF); iv, 67 pages.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an important mediator of postprandial glycaemia, could potentially be stimulated by delivering small quantities of nutrient to a long length of distal gut. We aimed to determine whether enteric-coated pellets, releasing small amounts of lauric acid throughout the ileum and colon, could reduce glycaemic responses to meals in type 2 diabetes, associated with stimulation of GLP-1.Eligible patients, who had type 2 diabetes controlled by diet or metformin, were each studied on two occasions in a hospital setting. After an overnight fast, patients consumed 5 g active pellets (47% lauric acid by weight) or placebo with breakfast (T = 0 min) and lunch (T = 240 min), in a crossover design with order randomised by the hospital pharmacy and allocation concealed by numbered containers. Patients and investigators making measurements were blinded to the intervention. Blood was sampled frequently for blood glucose (the primary outcome) and hormone assays.Eight patients were randomised (four to receive either intervention first), and all completed the study without adverse effects. Blood glucose was lower after breakfast (T = 0-240 min, area under the curve (AUC) 2,075 ± 368 vs 2,216 ± 163 mmol/l × min) and lunch (T = 240-480 min, AUC 1,916 ± 115 vs 2,088 ± 151 mmol/l × min) (p = 0.02 for each) after active pellets than after placebo. Plasma GLP-1 concentrations were higher after breakfast (p = 0.08) and lunch (p = 0.04) for active pellets. While there were no differences in insulin or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide concentrations, glucagon concentrations were higher after breakfast and lunch (p = 0.002 for each) for active pellets.Delivering small amounts of nutrient to the ileum and colon can stimulate substantial endogenous GLP-1 release and attenuate postprandial glycaemia. This novel approach has therapeutic potential in type 2 diabetes.Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000600842.The study was funded by Meyer Nutriceuticals.

In the final decades of the 19th century, a crisis broke out in the relations between government officials and Muslim communities in the province of Kazan. A cultural borderland located within a centralizing imperial heartland, Kazan represented one of the oldest and most important sites of Muslim--state interaction in the Russian Empire. (1) From the late 1870s onward, however, Muslim--state relations in the region deteriorated sharply in the face of state efforts to assert more direct control over the administration of the region's Muslim populations. Muslim opposition to these initiatives, taking the form of demonstrations and mass petition campaigns, would occur on an almost yearly basis throughout the final three decades of the century. How did Muslims in late imperial Russia view the tsarist state and its institutions? For decades during the Cold War, scholars discussing the relations between the tsarist state and non-Russian communities in the empire emphasized the theme of conflict, stressing the importance of identity and "national resilience" in the face of "Russian" rule. (2) More recently, however, this conflict-oriented view of Muslim--state relations in the empire has come under increasing pressure from scholars, mainly working with tsarist state archival sources, who instead have stressed the importance of state institutions (3) and their engagement by Muslims in the empire. (4) Perhaps the most forceful critique of older conflict-oriented scholarly narratives has come from Robert D. Crews. (5) Crews argues that Muslims "looked to the state" to protect their interests, particularly with respect to matters pertaining to faith. (6) Instead of viewing tsarist officials as enemies, writes Crews, Muslims saw them as "agents of a shari'a to be realized in its entirety," and as allies of Muslims seeking to protect the cause of "true religion." (7) Muslims meanwhile viewed threats to Islam as emanating less from state authorities than from "within the community in the form of neighbors who did not attend communal prayers alongside other villagers or townspeople." In the view of Muslims, Crews writes, "religion" not only found accommodation among tsarist officials but in fact "came to depend upon the institutions of state." (8) This article looks beyond these narratives of rejection and embrace in an investigation of a series of protests taking place within Muslim communities in the Volga region in the late 19th century. (9) I argue that, while Muslims did not reject tsarist institutions to the degree outlined in many older studies, (10) neither did Muslim subjects of Russia commonly view tsarist officials as defenders of the Islamic faith. (11) Indeed, in the second half of the 19th century, Muslim--state relations in the region were becoming increasingly complex, with Muslims looking to strengthen the role of some institutions of state authority while resisting others. Even in Kazan, one of the most administratively integrated regions of the empire, Muslims were becoming increasingly alienated from tsarist authorities in the region, including both civil and spiritual officials. (12) Beginning with a discussion of Islamic spiritual (dukhovnoe) administration in Russia, this article examines a series of protests, petition campaigns, and mass rumors circulating in and around the province of Kazan in the final decades of the 19th century, as well as the response of local officials to these events. I pay special attention to the language of Muslim--state communications, especially with regard to what I describe as the use of "Islamic discourses"--that is, the invocation of terminology drawn from Islamic civilization. (13) How, I ask, did a series of conflicts pertaining mainly to administration come to be articulated--by tsarist officials and Muslim protesters alike---in terms of faith? (14) Islamic Administration in Late Imperial Russia Kazan Muslims, like other non-Russian populations of the empire, were governed through a system of spiritual administration that was religious in form but largely administrative in content. …

Purpose Acceptance and coverage of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the United States has been suboptimal. We implemented a multifaceted provider and staff intervention over a 1-year period to promote HPV vaccination in a regional health care system. Methods The intervention was conducted in nine clinical departments from February 2015 to March 2016; 34 other departments served as controls. The intervention included in-person provider and staff education, quarterly feedback of vaccine coverage, and system-wide changes to patient reminder and recall notifications. Change in first-dose HPV vaccine coverage and series completion were estimated among 11- to 12-year-olds using generalized estimating equations adjusted for age and sex. Results HPV vaccine coverage in the intervention departments increased from 41% to 59%, and the increase was significantly greater than that seen in the control departments (32%–45%, p = .0002). The largest increase occurred in the quarter after completion of the provider and staff education and a patient reminder and recall postcard mailing ( p = .004). Series completion also increased significantly system wide among adolescents aged 11–12 years following mailing of HPV vaccine reminder letters to parents of adolescents aged 12 years rather than 16 years. Conclusions HPV vaccine uptake can be improved through a multifaceted approach that includes provider and staff education and patient reminder/recall. System-level change to optimize reminder and recall notices can have substantial impact on HPV vaccine utilization.

The auxiliary α2δ subunits of voltage-gated calcium channels are extracellular membrane-associated proteins, which are post-translationally cleaved into disulfide-linked polypeptides α2 and δ. We now show, using α2δ constructs containing artificial cleavage sites, that this processing is an essential step permitting voltage-dependent activation of plasma membrane N-type (CaV2.2) calcium channels. Indeed, uncleaved α2δ inhibits native calcium currents in mammalian neurons. By inducing acute cell-surface proteolytic cleavage of α2δ, voltage-dependent activation of channels is promoted, independent from the trafficking role of α2δ. Uncleaved α2δ does not support trafficking of CaV2.2 channel complexes into neuronal processes, and inhibits Ca2+ entry into synaptic boutons, and we can reverse this by controlled intracellular proteolytic cleavage. We propose a model whereby uncleaved α2δ subunits maintain immature calcium channels in an inhibited state. Proteolytic processing of α2δ then permits voltage-dependent activation of the channels, acting as a checkpoint allowing trafficking only of mature calcium channel complexes into neuronal processes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.21143.001

• Monitoring and managing the quality of water for livestock systems is an essential consideration to obtain optimal production, maximize the use of a precious natural resource, and minimize the risk of adverse effects that can limit production. Inorganic constituents in water may be from industry (manufacturing, mining, and agriculture) but are most likely to be of natural origin mainly because of the geology, especially in the case of groundwater. • There is no set formula to determine the risk to livestock of water quality. Many interactive conditions have a bearing on the effects of the constituents on the livestock. These include the physiology of the animal, the type of constituent, the interactions among constituents, and the interactions between livestock and the environment. • The purpose of applying comprehensive guidelines and possible computer models is to minimize the risks of adverse effects on livestock production. A computer software assessment system enables one to include a wider range of data than can be accommodated in a limited set of guidelines, thereby improving the assessment of risk. Monitoring and managing the quality of water for livestock production systems should be applied routinely as part of the logistics management of the livestock enterprise. system were not taken into account. The lack of predictability of the consequences after exposure to inorganic elements present in water was the fi rst reason for developing a more accurate guideline format. The second reason was the diffi culty of the South African state, which subsidizes the provision of water sources, to determine the fi tness-for-use of water and the ensuing moral dilemma. This paper describes the development of a risk assessment procedure on water quality for livestock that was able to take into account the complex physiology of livestock and potential contributing environmental factors.

How does one build a publication record in the early childhood profession with labor-intensive teaching, advising, and service activities vying for ones time and attention? An answer, in part, is through collaboration. Our paper describes advantages, potential challenges, and suggestions for successful collaboration. Throughout, we relate some of our personal experiences with the technique.