Comparing efficacy and safety of plasmapheresis versus atorvastatin in pathological progression of atherosclerosis in a rodent model

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of plasmapheresis versus atorvastatin in pathological progression of atherosclerosis in a rodent model.Method: A total of 90 male adult rats of up to 300 g were randomly distributed in three groups (n = 30): group 1 (plasmapheresis up to 1.5 ml daily); group 2 (atorvastatin 0.1 mg/kg per day), and group 3 (hypercholesteremic rats). The following variables were assessed for 24 weeks: plasma and hepatic lipid and anti-oxidant profiles; atherosclerotic abrasions/lesions; coronary atherosclerosis/coronary stenosis score (CSS), composition of atherosclerotic lesions, incidence of xanthoma, arch and thoracic surface involvement including arch and thoracic area occupied by lesion; and thoracic aorta (I/M) ratio.Results: Compared to rats administered with atorvastatin, the rats treated with plasmapheresis had significantly greater improvement in levels of triglycerides (132 vs 124 mg/dl, p < 0.05), total cholesterol (201 vs 189 mg/dl, p < 0.05)), low-density lipoproteins (134 vs 123 mg/dl, p < 0.05)), very-low-density lipoprotein (11 vs 9 mg/dl, p < 0.05)) and high-density lipoprotein (36 vs 39 mg/dl, p < 0.05) levels. Plasmapheresis after 24 weeks of treatment improve CSS in all coronary arteries than atorvastatin (22 vs 24 respectively; p < 0.05. Furthermore, lesioned composition, I/M ratio and xanthoma incidence were significantly lower in plasmapheresis group than in atorvastatin group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Plasmapheresis is a better alternative than atorvastatin in preventing pathological progression of atherosclerosis.

Performance-Motivated Analysis: An Approach to Performance Interpretation

<p>Performance interpretation is one of the most challenging yet most important skill sets for a performer to develop. Performers all use different approaches in developing their interpretations. This exegesis focuses on the idea of Performance-Motivated Analysis as one of these possible approaches to interpreting music. By performing a thorough analysis of the exposition of the first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Waldstein’ Sonata, by drawing upon many analytical sources, and by combining this with an annotative analysis of six performers’ interpretations, this exegesis shows how theory can be used to explain many possible interpretive decisions within the composition. I then use and discuss this knowledge in regards to my own interpretation and subsequent performance of the same composition for my Masters Recital.</p>

Performance-Motivated Analysis: An Approach to Performance Interpretation

<p>Performance interpretation is one of the most challenging yet most important skill sets for a performer to develop. Performers all use different approaches in developing their interpretations. This exegesis focuses on the idea of Performance-Motivated Analysis as one of these possible approaches to interpreting music. By performing a thorough analysis of the exposition of the first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Waldstein’ Sonata, by drawing upon many analytical sources, and by combining this with an annotative analysis of six performers’ interpretations, this exegesis shows how theory can be used to explain many possible interpretive decisions within the composition. I then use and discuss this knowledge in regards to my own interpretation and subsequent performance of the same composition for my Masters Recital.</p>

An Examination of the Chance Elements in Witold Lutosławski's Music, with Particular Attention to Its Function as a Model for Compositional Practice

<p>This thesis studies the use of aleatory techniques in Witold Lutosławski's music and the issues that arise when using aleatoricism, a branch of textural composition that has room for exploration. I focused my study on three of Lutosławski's major works, analysing his approach to aleatoricism, form, and macro- and micro-rhythm. I wrote three works for the portfolio component. My approach to aleatoricism differed in each work. Through studying Lutosławski and my own composition, I came across practical issues in creating the score, issues with performers, and compositional problems. However, once these issues were worked though, aleatoricism is a exciting compositional device that is not yet tired.</p>

An Examination of the Chance Elements in Witold Lutosławski's Music, with Particular Attention to Its Function as a Model for Compositional Practice

<p>This thesis studies the use of aleatory techniques in Witold Lutosławski's music and the issues that arise when using aleatoricism, a branch of textural composition that has room for exploration. I focused my study on three of Lutosławski's major works, analysing his approach to aleatoricism, form, and macro- and micro-rhythm. I wrote three works for the portfolio component. My approach to aleatoricism differed in each work. Through studying Lutosławski and my own composition, I came across practical issues in creating the score, issues with performers, and compositional problems. However, once these issues were worked though, aleatoricism is a exciting compositional device that is not yet tired.</p>

Reconciling the Chicago River for birds and people

The Chicago River’s north branch intersects multiple urban land uses, including residential, industrial, commercial, and recreational. The north branch also supports a diversity of birds exploiting a variety of resources and structures along the river as habitat. From three breeding seasons of point count surveys, I assess the breeding bird communities in four different sections, representing four different restoration or management styles. These four river sections are also very different with regards to the surrounding neighborhood demographics. These data serve as both a baseline for future studies to evaluate restoration projects along the Chicago River, and as a snapshot to compare bird diversity and community composition between these river sections given current conditions. Unsurprisingly, the section of the river with the most extensive and longest established restoration effort had the highest species richness (number of species) of native birds. In terms of aquatic and riparian birds, however, that section was comparable to river sections with much less management in measures of both species richness and species composition. I discuss ways that river restoration efforts can be sensitive to demographic context, to avoid contributing to eco-gentrification and displacement.

Groups' contribution to shaping ethnic residential segregation: a dynamic approach

Some have argued it is possible to infer different groups’ contributions to ethnic residential segregation from their individual neighborhood preferences. From this perspective, natives tend to be more segregation-promoting than non-natives, since they prefer neighborhoods where they are the majority. It remains unclear, however, whether this holds when one evaluates their contributions to segregation within a dynamic perspective. Using register data from Statistics Sweden, I define and model ten different groups’ residential behavior based on their ethnicity and family composition. I thereby simulate the residential mobility of the full population of Stockholm municipality residents from 1998 to 2012. Even though my results at the micro-level are consistent with previous studies, the simulation results show that foreign singles’ mobility patterns are more segregation-promoting than any other groups, since this group shows a greater in-group feedback effect regarding choice of new neighborhoods, an effect that increases their flow from low-to-high segregated neighborhoods progressively. My results suggest that (1) integration initiatives would be more efficient if focused on this particular group and (2) a proper evaluation of micro-behaviors’ implications for macro-patterns of segregation requires a dynamic approach accounting for groups’ heterogeneous behaviors and their main interdependencies on shaping segregation over time.

Characterization of Aluminum Matrix Metal Composite Hybrid Reinforced With SiCw/(Al2O3-Mg) on Thermal Conductivity and Hardness

<p class="Abstract">Characteristics of composite materials that are light, strong, heat resistant, and high hardness are needed in their application. This study aims to obtain a hard material and good heat conductivity, with the innovation of making aluminum matrix composites (AMC) from aluminum powder as a matrix, combined with silicon-carbon whisker (SiCw) and alumina particles (Al₂O₃p), and adding Magnesium through the powder process metallurgy. The method of making composites was carried out by means of powder metallurgy. The research variables composition I, II, and II with Al/(SiCw+Al₂O₃/Mg), were given temperature treatment: 500, 550, and 600^oC. The test results show that there is an increase in the mechanical properties of the composites both from variations in composition and also from variations in treatment temperature because the bond resulting from the addition of Al₂O₃ reinforcement has hard and fine grain properties. The physical and mechanical properties of the test results are in the form of the highest density at composition I, 600^oC (2,699 gr/cm³) while the hardness at composition III is 600^oC (42,438 HV) and heat conductivity at composition III, 600^oC (185,183 Watt/m.^oC). Scanning with SEM showed that the pore size decreased from the treatment temperature of 500^oC to 600^oC due to phase changes and a stronger bond between the matrix and the reinforcement. So that the influence of composition and temperature will affect the thermal conductivity, hardness, and density of the composites.</p>

The Afterlife of the Roman de la rose

Mobility in learned circles was a reality in the Europe of the Middle Ages, and it is only when we consider the reception of well-known works, such as the thirteenth-century Roman de la rose, in the countries where they circulated in the local language that we are able to gain a more complete understanding of their impact on literary and cultural currents even after the authors had passed away. Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun’s conjoined Roman de la rose (1236, 1269-78) is without a doubt one of the foundational works of French medieval literature with over 360 extant manuscripts. Focusing on two non-French adaptations of this work that appeared within a century of the date of its composition, I show that these translations, or more accurately rewritings, enabled its survival and contributed to its sustained popularity in medieval Europe. The adaptations that are the subject of this analysis are Il Fiore, a thirteenth-century translation and adaptation into Italian often attributed to Dante, and the Romaunt of the Rose, commonly attributed to Geoffrey Chaucer. I conclude that through the medieval practice of interpretatio, the authors of the Fiore, and the Romaunt of the Rose adapt the original text to reflect their own contemporary cultural realities.

Odd- and Branched-Chain Fatty Acids in Lamb Meat as Potential Indicators of Fattening Diet Characteristics

There is a growing interest of researchers in meat authentication in terms of geographical and dietary background of animals, and several analytical methods have been proposed for the purpose of investigating this. We hypothesized that the odd- and branched-chain fatty acid (OBCFA) profile in intramuscular fat (IMF) might suffice to distinguish lamb meat entering the food chain supply on the basis of the type of diet fed to lambs during the fattening period. A total of 30 individual OBCFA profiles, quantified by gas chromatography, of IMF of Manchego lambs were used. During the fattening period (42 days), the lambs were fed three diets differing in concentrate composition: (i) Control, concentrate typical of commercial fattening rations, rich in starch and based on cereals and soybean meal; (ii) Camelina, similar to Control but replacing 50% of the soybean meal with camelina meal; and (iii) Fibrous, concentrate rich in neutral detergent fiber (NDF), based on fibrous by-products and not including cereals nor soybean meal. The OBCFA were grouped into three classes (linear odd, iso and anteiso fatty acids) and were then submitted to a linear discriminant analysis, using the feeding treatments as grouping variable and the OBCFA class contents in IMF as quantitative variables. The results suggested that a high NDF to starch ratio of the concentrate, being the lowest for Control (CON) treatment and the highest for Fibrous (FIB) treatment, would be negatively related to the odd/anteiso ratio and positively related to the iso/(anteiso+odd) FA ratio in IMF. Determination of OBCFA profile in lamb meat would be useful to monitor the feeding regime (starch- or NDF-rich) of lambs entering the food chain supply.