Resveratrol stimulates hydrogen sulfide (H2S) formation to relax murine corpus cavernosum

Introduction: Resveratrol (RVT) found in red wine protects against erectile dysfunction and relaxes penile tissue (corpus cavernosum) via a nitric oxide (NO) independent pathway. However, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a potent vasodilator and neuromodulator generated in corpus cavernosum. Aims: We investigated whether RVT caused the relaxation of mice corpus cavernosum (MCC) through H2S. Methods: H2S formation is measured by methylene blue assay and vascular reactivity experiments have been performed by DMT strip myograph in CD1 MCC strips. Main Outcome Measures: Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) inhibitor Nω-Nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 0.1mM) or H2S inhibitor aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA, 2mM) which inhibits both cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine-gamma-lyase (CSE) enzyme or combination of AOAA with PAG (CSE inhibitor) has been used in the presence/absence of RVT (0.1mM, 30min) to elucidate the role of NO or H2S pathways on the effects of RVT in MCC. Concentration-dependent relaxations to RVT, L-cysteine, sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) and acetylcholine (ACh) were studied. Results: Exposure of murine corpus cavernosum to RVT increased both basal and L-cysteine-stimulated H2S formation. Both of these effects were reversed by AOAA but not by L-NNA. RVT caused concentration-dependent relaxation of MCC and that RVT-induced relaxation was significantly inhibited by AOAA or AOAA+PAG but not by L-NNA. L-cysteine caused concentration-dependent relaxations, which are inhibited by AOAA or AOAA+PAG significantly. Incubation of MCC with RVT significantly increased L-cysteine-induced relaxation, and this effect was inhibited by AOAA+PAG. However, RVT did not alter the effect of exogenous H2S (NaHS) or ACh-induced relaxations. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that RVT-induced relaxation is at least partly dependent on H2S formation and acts independent of eNOS pathway. In phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor (PDE-5i) nonresponder population, combination therapy with RVT may reverse erectile dysfunction via stimulating endogenous H2S formation. Yetik-Anacak G, Dereli MV, Sevin G, Ozzayim O, Erac Y, and Ahmed A. Resveratrol stimulates hydrogen sulfide (H2S) formation to relax murine corpus cavernosum.

Surface microbial consortia from Livarot, a French smear-ripened cheese

The surface microflora (902 isolates) of Livarot cheeses from three dairies was investigated during ripening. Yeasts were mainly identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Geotrichum candidum was the dominating yeast among 10 species. Bacteria were identified using Biotype 100 strips, dereplicated by repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (rep-PCR); 156 representative strains were identified by either BOX-PCR or (GTG) 55-PCR, and when appropriate by 16S rDNA sequencing and SDS-PAGE analysis. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 65% of the isolates and were mainly assigned to the genera Arthrobacter, Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium, and Staphylococcus. New taxa related to the genera Agrococcus and Leucobacter were found. Yeast and Gram-positive bacteria strains deliberately added as smearing agents were sometimes undetected during ripening. Thirty-two percent of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria, which showed a high level of diversity and mainly included members of the genera Alcaligenes, Hafnia, Proteus, Pseudomonas, and Psychrobacter. Whatever the milk used (pasteurized or unpasteurized), similar levels of biodiversity were observed in the three dairies, all of which had efficient cleaning procedures and good manufacturing practices. It appears that some of the Gramnegative bacteria identified should now be regarded as potentially useful in some cheese technologies. The assessment of their positive versus negative role should be objectively examined.

Revaloracion de la comedia de Pedro Munoz Seca: Un teatro menospreciado

The comedies of Pedro Muñoz Seca (1879-1936) received extraordinary public acclaim for over thirty years, yet critics rejected them. Although several experts have recently begun to study his plays in an objective manner, this author has generally either been underrated or omitted from theater histories. This study identifies the merit, contributions and relevance of Muñoz Seca's works so that the unwarranted void that now exists in Spanish theater annals is justly filled. Historical and biographical backgrounds and a brief sketch of the development of comedy in Spain serve to introduce the literary, political and social contexts in which the author develops the subgenre known as "astracán" and introduces the "fresco" character type. ^ This analysis illustrates Muñoz Seca's verbal comic techniques---the use of regional dialects and individuals' speech peculiarities, double entendres, incongruence, periphrasis, and ingenious plays on words. It also explores the author's profound theatrical sense manifested in inter-textual references and self-reflexivity within the content of his plays. In addition, it identifies the scenic creativity he displays through the use of cinematography, the removal of color from stage decor (or the elimination of scenery altogether), and the original application of music to create comic effect. Furthermore, this study comments the satirical tone projected in Muñoz Seca's characters' idiolect and barbarisms as socio-political conditions worsen. Finally, it brings forth the author's use of parody to criticize his society and to deride other theatrical genres in vogue during his time. ^ While the polarization between Muñoz Seca's popular success and the critics' rejection can be explained by esthetic and ideological prejudices, this dissertation ascertains that the true nature of the author's plays has not been properly identified. The "astracán" is a double parody; however, since it caricaturizes a comic subgenre that is already burlesque, its defining parodic features have been consistently misinterpreted as mere exaggerations and defects. What is more, as its critical content is not recognized, its renewing function goes unnoticed. Muñoz Seca's "astracán" illustrates an era of the Spanish comic stage and paves the way for the theater of the absurd. Its merit and relevance must be recognized. ^

Development of surface flaw thresholds for pre-cured fiber reinforced polymer and groove size tolerance for near surface mounted fiber reinforced polymer retrofit systems

Since the introduction of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) for the repair and retrofit of concrete structures in the 1980’s, considerable research has been devoted to the feasibility of their application and predictive modeling of their performance. However, the effects of flaws present in the constitutive components and the practices in substrate preparation and treatment have not yet been thoroughly studied. This research aims at investigating the effect of surface preparation and treatment for the pre-cured FRP systems and the groove size tolerance for near surface mounted (NSM) FRP systems; and to set thresholds for guaranteed system performance. This study was conducted as part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 10-59B to develop construction specifications and process control manual for repair and retrofit of concrete structures using bonded FRP systems. The research included both analytical and experimental components. The experimental program for the pre-cured FRP systems consisted of a total of twenty-four (24) reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams with various surface preparation parameters and surface flaws, including roughness, flatness, voids and cracks (cuts). For the NSM FRP systems, a total of twelve (12) additional RC T-beams were tested with different grooves sizes for FRP bars and strips. The analytical program included developing an elaborate nonlinear finite element model using the general purpose software ANSYS. The bond interface between FRP and concrete was modeled by a series of nonlinear springs. The model was validated against test data from the present study as well as those available from the literature. The model was subsequently used to extend the experimental range of parameters for surface flatness in pre-cured FRP systems and for groove size study in the NSM FRP systems. Test results, confirmed by further analyses, indicated that contrary to the general belief in the industry, the impact of surface roughness on the global performance of pre-cured FRP systems was negligible. The study also verified that threshold limits set for wet lay-up FRP systems can be extended to pre-cured systems. The study showed that larger surface voids and cracks (cuts) can adversely impact both the strength and ductility of pre-cured FRP systems. On the other hand, frequency (or spacing) of surface cracks (cuts) may only affect system ductility rather than its strength. Finally, within the range studied, groove size tolerance of ±1/8 in. does not appear to have an adverse effect on the performance of NSM FRP systems.

Comparison of Common Field/Clinical Measures to Standard Laboratory Measures of Hydration Status

Context: Accurately determining hydration status is a preventative measure for exertional heat illnesses (EHI). Objective: To determine the validity of various field measures of urine specific gravity (Usg) compared to laboratory instruments. Design: Observational research design to compare measures of hydration status: urine reagent strips (URS) and a urine color (Ucol) chart to a refractometer. Setting: We utilized the athletic training room of a Division I-A collegiate American football team. Participants: Trial 1 involved urine samples of 69 veteran football players (age=20.1+1.2yr; body mass=229.7+44.4lb; height=72.2+2.1in). Trial 2 involved samples from 5 football players (age=20.4+0.5yr; body mass=261.4+39.2lb; height=72.3+2.3in). Interventions: We administered the Heat Illness Index Score (HIIS) Risk Assessment, to identify athletes at-risk for EHI (Trial 1). For individuals “at-risk” (Trial 2), we collected urine samples before and after 15 days of pre-season “two-a-day” practices in a hot, humid environment(mean on-field WBGT=28.84+2.36oC). Main Outcome Measures: Urine samples were immediately analyzed for Usg using a refractometer, Diascreen 7® (URS1), Multistix® (URS2), and Chemstrip10® (URS3). Ucol was measured using Ucol chart. We calculated descriptive statistics for all main measures; Pearson correlations to assess relationships between the refractometer, each URS, and Ucol, and transformed Ucol data to Z-scores for comparison to the refractometer. Results: In Trial 1, we found a moderate relationship (r=0.491, p<.01) between URS1 (1.020+0.006μg) and the refractometer (1.026+0.010μg). In Trial 2, we found marked relationships for Ucol (5.6+1.6shades, r=0.619, p<0.01), URS2 (1.019+0.008μg, r=0.712, p<0.01), and URS3 (1.022+0.007μg, r=0.689, p<0.01) compared to the refractometer (1.028+0.008μg). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that URS were inconsistent between manufacturers, suggesting practitioners use the clinical refractometer to accurately determine Usg and monitor hydration status.

Blotto in the Lifeboat

Blotto in the Lifeboat is a book of poems that investigates natural processes and idiosyncrasies of human societies. Ranging from the absurd to the scientific in tone, the poems in Blotto in the Lifeboat situate themselves on the blurry-line between fact and imagination, employing a style that Thomas Lux describes as “imaginative realism.” The middle of three sections is comprised solely of the long poem, “A Compendium of the True and Wondrous,” which collages remarkable facts and anecdotes to highlight the strange realities of the world and the rapidity of change. The first and third sections contain shorter, narrative poems in which the surreal or comic is often employed. The language of the poems in BLOTTO IN THE LIFEBOAT reflects a similar desire to affix the fantastic to the familiar. Metaphors in the tradition of Elizabeth Bishop and Charles Simic rely on wild leaps of imagination to illuminate the real world.

A girl from Ohio

A GIRL FROM OHIO is a dark and comic novel about the plight of an older woman who wants to connect with a special man in post-9/11 New York City. Fortyeight year old Kathy has had boyfriends-but the wrong ones. She wants to find a good man for genuine love and commitment while at the same time doubting such a man exists. As she engages in her search via writing an ad for an Internet dating site, she recollects growing up in Ohio, past transgressions and an array of ill-fated relationships. When her interest with a special man, Jim, develops, Kathy struggles to trust herselfand Jim. After realizing that Jim is the real deal, Kathy softens her hardened exterior and opens herself to the possibility of having true love. In the end, Kathy learns that she has to allow herself to change. She must let love in.

Development of Surface Flaw Thresholds for Pre-Cured Fiber Reinforced Polymer and Groove Size Tolerance for Near Surface Mounted Fiber Reinforced Polymer Retrofit Systems

Since the introduction of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) for the repair and retrofit of concrete structures in the 1980’s, considerable research has been devoted to the feasibility of their application and predictive modeling of their performance. However, the effects of flaws present in the constitutive components and the practices in substrate preparation and treatment have not yet been thoroughly studied. This research aims at investigating the effect of surface preparation and treatment for the pre-cured FRP systems and the groove size tolerance for near surface mounted (NSM) FRP systems; and to set thresholds for guaranteed system performance. The research included both analytical and experimental components. The experimental program for the pre-cured FRP systems consisted of a total of twenty-four (24) reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams with various surface preparation parameters and surface flaws, including roughness, flatness, voids and cracks (cuts). For the NSM FRP systems, a total of twelve (12) additional RC T-beams were tested with different grooves sizes for FRP bars and strips. The analytical program included developing an elaborate nonlinear finite element model using the general purpose software ANSYS. The model was subsequently used to extend the experimental range of parameters for surface flatness in pre-cured FRP systems, and for groove size study in the NSM FRP systems. Test results, confirmed by further analyses, indicated that contrary to the general belief in the industry, the impact of surface roughness on the global performance of pre-cured FRP systems was negligible. The study also verified that threshold limits set for wet lay-up FRP systems can be extended to pre-cured systems. The study showed that larger surface voids and cracks (cuts) can adversely impact both the strength and ductility of pre-cured FRP systems. On the other hand, frequency (or spacing) of surface cracks (cuts) may only affect system ductility rather than its strength. Finally, within the range studied, groove size tolerance of +1/8 in. does not appear to have an adverse effect on the performance of NSM FRP systems.

Washashores

Washashores was a comic novel exploring the secrets and relationships in a fictional Massachusetts seaside town. Rose Waters, who'd come to Nauset after a failed relationship, encountered two women with a tangled and duplicitous history, and a young autistic savant the women had helped to raise. The boy's uncle, Simon Beadle, once the town drunk, had run away from his past for seventeen years until an event occurred which initiated his journey home. Rose and Simon's paths converged, bringing about complications both whimsical and serious, with events reaching a crisis at the town's Tri-centennial celebration. Here, all that had been hidden was revealed through Rose and Simon's collaborative efforts, and the truth led to reconciliation and the promise of romance. Chapters alternated Rose and Simon's points of view, which permitted the reader to follow their misunderstandings and misreadings of the town and each other.

A poética do corpo não-verbal: um olhar para a comicidade em cena

Throughout our history as an actor, director and teacher, we appreciate comedic performances they proposed a dialogue with the public through the body language of the performers whose performances abdicate the use of speech of the actors. This way of representing, in the silence of the stage, caught our attention and sparked our curiosity about the subject, which is directly related to the poetic constructions of the body on the scene. Before initial readings on the subject, we begin to understand that for a long time in human history, especially in the West, understanding body was constructed from various epistemological looks disregarded the body as a unit, an incarnation of the subject in all . This kind of thinking, reflecting the philosophy of modernity, reverberated strongly about the aesthetic issues of art making, here specifically in Theatre. For several centuries the theatrical make up molded from various aesthetic elements, but ignoring the potential of embodiment of the artist, ie the theatrical text, for example, was considered for a long time, as the main element of the scene and gave little emphasis on dramaturgy elaborate body. With the emergence of reflections on the subject, brought especially from the early twentieth century, the perception of the body as a creative element and creator, also began to gain ground. Over time artistic practices began to glimpse the creative possibilities of the body, including rethinking its relationship with the text written with the spoken word. And as part of these new reflections on the body in the creation process, we proposed this research, we have entitled "A poetics of non-verbal body: a look at the comic on the scene." In our research on this subject, also seek to understand how the corporeality of the actor may give us clues to realize / build nonverbal body and comical scene. From this perspective we can analyze how could the construction of a comical and non-verbal dramaturgy from the phenomenology of laughter. And with that look, we want to point out some aspects and procedures, arising from reflections on corporeality and comedy, that constitute, among other possible, non-verbal construction methodology scenic.

O PAPEL DA IDENTIDADE NO ENCONTRO DA CULTURA COM A TECNOLOGIA Um estudo sobre o site Omelete e seus projetos

Identidade, cultura e tecnologia são os temas centrais desta dissertação. Quando esses três elementos se encontram, diversas oportunidades e possibilidades são oferecidas aos indivíduos. O site Omelete, objeto de pesquisa escolhido, é resultado de um projeto elaborado por amigos, fãs de histórias em quadrinhos e games, que não encontravam informações suficientes sobre seus temas favoritos e decidiram criar um blog para compartilhar conteúdos sobre cultura pop e satisfazer suas curiosidades e vontades. Hoje, o que nasceu como blog é considerado o maior veículo online sobre cultura pop do Brasil. O objetivo da dissertação foi verificar as características do objeto e do contexto em que se encontra e quais fatores o colocaram em sua posição atual. Para isso, primeiro fizemos uma revisão de literatura para estabelecer as bases teóricas da dissertação. Depois, categorizamos o conteúdo publicado no site sobre a Comic-Con International: San Diego durante um período determinado e analisamos os dados obtidos. Por último, descrevemos o evento Comic Con Experience, organizado pelo Omelete e pela Chiaroscuro, e averiguamos as informações colhidas desde a revisão de literatura até a experiência pessoal na convenção. A sociedade na qual vivemos permite o surgimento, o desenvolvimento e a manutenção de tribos e culturas variadas. É uma sociedade em que a tecnologia oferece ferramentas para as pessoas poderem se comunicar, compartilhar informações e interagir com internautas com interesses semelhantes, como o consumo dos mesmos produtos culturais. Essas ações são responsáveis pela formação da identidade dos indivíduos e dos grupos a que pertencem. De forma participativa, os grupos constroem conhecimento e fortalecem a inteligência coletiva.

Binary gratings with random heights

We analyze the far-field intensity distribution of binary phase gratings whose strips present certain randomness in their height. A statistical analysis based on the mutual coherence function is done in the plane just after the grating. Then, the mutual coherence function is propagated to the far field and the intensity distribution is obtained. Generally, the intensity of the diffraction orders decreases in comparison to that of the ideal perfect grating. Several important limit cases, such as low- and high-randomness perturbed gratings, are analyzed. In the high-randomness limit, the phase grating is equivalent to an amplitude grating plus a “halo.” Although these structures are not purely periodic, they behave approximately as a diffraction grating.

Luz-personagem: o jogo de manipulação da iluminação cênica em cenas cômicas

This research has as a central point of discussion the relationship between the action and the stage lighting, directed to scenes in which, from the exchange between actor and professional lighting, you can develop comic situations. The particularity of these scenes is the involvement of lighting as presentification feature a character in the scene, made possible by game created with the actor. In order to develop this discussion, the author divides the text into three chapters, the first being a memorial of his artistic career and his creative processes, enabling the reader to situate the paths taken by the author for the study. Then discusses possible relationship between performance and lighting, pointing situations where the two are directly related. Finally, an analysis and comparison of two comic scenes in which the actor play with the lighting suggests a character through presentification lighting on the scene. Leads the discussion to the conclusion, proposing the term light-character to set the lighting feature, suggesting characters in the scene.

Adapting Arthur: The transformations and adaptations of Wirnt von Graffenberg's Wigalois

The stories of King Arthur and his noble knights have fascinated audiences for many centuries and continue to being retold and fashioned to attract modern audiences. Amongst these stories is the tale of Wigalois, the son of the reputable Gawain. This dissertation traces the story of Wigalois across different languages, cultures, and media in order to show how this is a shared German-Yiddish narrative. Furthermore, this dissertations challenges traditional understanding of adaptation within a diachronic and teleological framework by uncovering dialogical and dynamic processes inherent in this narrative tradition. Using the theoretical framework of a combined Adaptation Studies and Medieval Literature Studies’ notions of unstable texts my argumentation focuses on eight specific examples: Wirnt von Grafenberg’s Wigalois (1st half 13th ct.), Italian murals from the fourteenth century, Wigoleis von dem Rade (1483/93), Viduvilt (Yiddish, 16th ct.), Johann Christoph Wagenseil’s Belehrung der Jüdisch-Teutschen Red- und Schreibart (Yiddish and German, 1715), Gabein (Yiddish, 1789), the illustrations by Ludwig Richter (before 1851), and Die phantastischen Abenteuer der Glücksritters Wigalois (Comic, German, 2011).

Expérience précaire du monde et représentation de la poésie dans La fissure de la fiction et Désâmé de Patrice Desbiens

Diverses œuvres de poésie moderne et contemporaine mettent en scène le rapport à l’écriture d’un sujet lyrique. Une telle problématique trouve une incarnation particulièrement intéressante dans l’œuvre de Patrice Desbiens, notamment dans certains de ses textes des années 1990 et 2000, où elle apparaît avec plus d’acuité. Pourtant, sa pratique auto-réflexive a fait l’objet de très peu de recherches. Afin d’éclairer le rapport qu’entretient Patrice Desbiens avec l’écriture et avec la poésie, ce mémoire s’intéresse à deux de ses textes, soit La fissure de la fiction (1997) et Désâmé, (2005) en accordant davantage d’espace au premier, que je considère comme un texte-charnière dans la production poétique de Desbiens. Dans un premier temps, mon travail présente ainsi la précarité qui caractérise le protagoniste de La fissure de la fiction et, sous un autre angle, le sujet lyrique de Désâmé. Dans cette optique, la figure du poète est étudiée dans La fissure de la fiction à la lumière de la reprise ironique du mythe de la malédiction littéraire et du sens que la réactualisation de ce mythe confère au personnage dans ce récit poétique. Dans un second temps, ce mémoire s’attache à montrer que la cohérence et la vraisemblance des univers mis en scène dans La fissure de la fiction et Désâmé sont minées. C’est à l’aune de ces analyses que peut ensuite être envisagé le rôle d’une poésie qui, en dernière instance, comporte malgré tout un caractère consolateur, en dépit ou en raison de l’esthétique du grotesque, tantôt comique, tantôt tragique, dans laquelle elle s’inscrit et que nous tâcherons de mettre en lumière.