RIDICULE,INSULTS AND ABUSE IN AMMIANUS AND GREGORY OF TOURS

INTRODUCTIONThe mannerisms,appearance and behaviour of the Caesar Julian made him aninviting target for mockery from Constantius’courtiers.It was paft of an effort,soAmmianus maintains,to deny him credit for his success in Gaul.His appearancewas likened to that of a hairy goat,or an ape clad in purple.He was like a molethat would not stop talking.His character,too,was attackd:he was supposedlyfearful,pedantic.unworldly.a Doastful exaggerator of his victories.Such

Furious About Rude Insults

Incensed by biased Western media coverage of the riots in Lhasa,Chinese people have taken to the streets abroad to protest Western media coverage of the Olympic torch disruptions and riots in Tibet has angered ordi- nary Chinese people. Cable News Network(CNN)in the United States has come under particular criticism.Chinese people lambasted CNN for twice referring to the Tibet

Human embryonic stem cells as an in vitro model for studying developmental origins of type 2 diabetes

The developmental origins of health and diseases(DOHaD)is a concept stating that adverse intrauterine environments contribute to the health risks of offspring.Since the theory emerged more than 30 years ago,many epidemiological and animal studies have confirmed that in utero exposure to environmental insults,including hyperglycemia and chemicals,increased the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases(NCDs).These NCDs include metabolic syndrome,type 2 diabetes,and complications such as diabetic cardiomyopathy.Studying the effects of different environmental insults on early embryo development would aid in understanding the underlying mechanisms by which these insults promote NCD development.Embryonic stem cells(ESCs)have also been utilized by researchers to study the DOHaD.ESCs have pluripotent characteristics and can be differentiated into almost every cell lineage;therefore,they are excellent in vitro models for studying early developmental events.More importantly,human ESCs(hESCs)are the best alternative to human embryos for research because of ethical concerns.In this review,we will discuss different maternal conditions associated with DOHaD,focusing on the complications of maternal diabetes.Next,we will review the differentiation protocols developed to generate different cell lineages from hESCs.Additionally,we will review how hESCs are utilized as a model for research into the DOHaD.The effects of environmental insults on hESC differentiation and the possible involvement of epigenetic regulation will be discussed.

Do Backhanded Compliments Always Insult

The backhanded compliment is a special language phenomenon. A backhanded compliment is a compliment on its appearance, but its implication meaning may be an insult. The reason why speakers do not adopt direct insult instead of using this kind of ambiguous expression is that backhanded compliments can serve two main social functions such as: being humor and acting as a face-saving strategy to mute the meaning of insult.

Effects of L-Tetrahydropalmatine on Energy Metabolism,Endothelin-1 and NO during Acute Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion of Rats

To investigate the effects of L-tetrahydropalmatine (L-THP) on ener-gy metabolism, endothelin-1 (ET-1 ) and NO during acute cerebral ischemia-reperfusion of rats, 24 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups, with 6rats in each group: sham-operation group, simple ischemia group, ischemia-reperfusion group and treatment group (L-THP group). Cerebral ATP, lactate,ET-1 and NO levels were measured in all groups. Our results showed that treat-ment with L-THP could increase cerebral ATP levels, but decrease cerebral lac-tate, ET-1 and NO concentrations during ischemia-reperfusion in the treatmentgroup. It is concluded that L-THP could improve cerebral energy metabolism and protect the injured brain tissue, the mechanism of which might be related to suppression of overproduction of ET-1 and NO.

Update on diagnosis and management of sepsis in cirrhosis: Current advances

Sepsis and septic shock are catastrophic disease entities that portend high mortality in patients with cirrhosis.In cirrhosis,hemodynamic perturbations,immune dysregulation,and persistent systemic inflammation with altered gut microbiota in the background of portal hypertension enhance the risk of infections and resistance to antimicrobials.Patients with cirrhosis develop recurrent lifethreatening infections that progress to multiple organ failure.The definition,pathophysiology,and treatment options for sepsis have been ever evolving.In this exhaustive review,we discuss novel advances in the understanding of sepsis,describe current and future biomarkers and scoring systems for sepsis,and delineate newer modalities and adjuvant therapies for the treatment of sepsis from existing literature to extrapolate the same concerning the management of sepsis in cirrhosis.We also provide insights into the role of gut microbiota in initiation and progression of sepsis and finally,propose a treatment algorithm for management of sepsis in patients with cirrhosis.

Interactions of primary insult biomechanics and secondary cascades in spinal cord injury： implications for therapy

The complex and variable nature of traumatic spinal cord inju- ry （SCI） presents a unique challenge for translational research. SCI is not bound by any demographic nor is it limited to specific injury biomechanics.

Comparison of lens oxidative damage induced by vitrectomy and/or hyperoxia in rabbits

AIM： To compare of lens oxidative damage induced by vitrectomy and/or hyperoxia in rabbit.METHODS： Sixteen New Zealand rabbits （2.4-2.5 kg） were randomly divided into two groups （Group A, n=12; Group B, n=4）. In Group A, the right eyes were treated with vitrectomy and systemic hyperoxia （oxygen concentration： 80%-85%, 1 ATA, 4h/d） （Group A-right）, and the left eyes were treated with hyperoxia without vitrectomy surgery （Group A-left）. Four rabbits in group B （eight eyes） were untreated as the controls. Lens transparency was monitored with a slit lamp and recorded before and after vitrectomy. After hyperoxic treatment for 6mo, the eyeballs were removed and the lens cortices （containing the capsules） and nuclei were separated for further morphological and biochemical evaluation.RESULTS： Six months after treatments, there were no significant morphological changes in the lenses in any experimental group when observed with a slit lamp. However, the levels of water-soluble proteins and ascorbate, and the activities of catalase and Na＋-K＋-ATPase were significantly reduced, whereas the levels of malondialdehyde and transforming growth factor β2 （TGF-β2） were significantly elevated, in both the cortices and nuclei of eyes treated with vitrectomy and hyperoxia. The increase in protein-glutathione mixed disulfides and the reduction in water-soluble proteins were more obvious in the lens nuclei. The levels of ascorbate in the vitreous fluid were also reduced after vitrectomy, whereas TGF-β2 increased after vitrectomy and hyperoxia. Systemic hyperoxia exposure increased these effects. CONCLUSION： Removal of the intact vitreous gel with vitrectomy and exposing the lens to increased oxygen from the retina induce lens oxidation and aggregation. Thus, an intact vitreous gel structure may protect the lens from oxidative insult and maintain lens transparency.

Acquired aplastic anemia:Is bystander insult to autologous hematopoiesis driven by immune surveillance against malignant cells?

We previously reported a serendipitous finding from a patient with refractory severe aplastic anemia who had gotten an unexpected hematological response to treatment with gut-cleansing preparations(GCPs).This patient experienced three recurrences over the ensuing one year of intermittent GCP treatments,with each recurrence occurring 7-8 wk from a GCP.After his third recurrence,he was prescribed successive treatment with rifampicin,berberine,and monthly administered GCP for 4 mo,and he developed an erythroid proliferative neoplasma and an overwhelming enteropathy,and eventually died of septic shock.Laboratory investigations had validated the resolution of myelosuppression and the appearance of malignant clonal hematopoiesis.From the treatment process and laboratory investigations,it is reasonably inferred that the engagement of gut inflammation is critically required in sustaining the overall pathophysiology of acquired aplastic anemia probably by creating a chronic inflammatory state.Incorporation of rifampicin,berberine,and monthly GCP into cyclosporine can enhance the immunosuppressive effect.In a subgroup of acquired aplastic anemia patients whose pathogenesis is associated with genotoxic exposure,the suppressed normal hematopoiesis may result from the bystander insult that is mediated by the soluble inflammatory cytokines generated in response to the immunogenic products of damaged hematopoietic cells in the context of chronic inflammatory state and may offer a protective antineoplastic mechanism against malignant proliferation.

Verbal Abuse Russian View

An important part of human communication--verbal abuse--shows signs of specifically national features. So far the Russian language of law is sadly lacking a few terms necessary in legal procedures concerning cases of human rights violation. The ＂Westernization＂ of Russian collectivist mentality makes the solution of the problem still more urgent.

A Face Serum Containing Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Bakuchiol and a Polyherbal and Vitamin Blend Improves Skin Quality

A face serum composed of a combination of biologically active compounds was evaluated for safety and efficacy in vitro, in a repeat insult patch test and in a human clinical efficacy trial. The serum inhibited tyrosinase activity modestly, decreased collagenase activity and exhibited notable free radical scavenging activity in vitro. It is gentle to the skin, as the serum did not irritate the skin or produce symptoms of allergic contact dermatitis in the 55 healthy adults that participated in the repeat insult patch test. In the efficacy trial, daily application of the face serum for 30 days significantly increased skin hydration, with all 35 volunteers experiencing improvement. Substantial improvements in skin elasticity, roughness (fine lines and wrinkles), and brightness also occurred during the trial. Dermatological examination also revealed a trend for reduced comedone count with use of the serum. Self-assessment responses revealed that all volunteers experienced improvements in multiple skin quality parameters and that participant perceptions are consistent with the results of the instrumental analyses. These findings indicated that the measured improvements in skin quality are not only statistically significant but are also clinically relevant as they were great enough for users of the face serum to feel and recognize.