Is the region "dead"? I argue that for all its ambiguity, complexity, negotiability, fluidity, and socially-constructedness, the region is not dead and neither should it be. If for no other reason, this is true because so many non-geographers continue to firmly believe in and practice the heresy of the region. Perhaps equally importantly, can it really be argued that no important geographic phenomena occur at the meso-scale? There are certainly many quite real geographic phenomena that exist at scales that cannot be described as either global or local-and for which we have no better word than "regional." The region is a cognitive expression of geographic coherence; and all things put together can and do fall apart through continuous processes of social, environmental, political and economic change. In the end, the declaration of the "death" of the region is not really a choice that geographers will make. The world will go on thinking and acting in regional ways. The question is not whether the region is dead-it is not. And the question is not even whether the region is problematic-it is. The question instead is whether geographers will take the lead in understanding and educating about the region in all its problematic complexity, a task, I argue, we are well suited to

RESUMO Enquanto a ecologia política avançou, sua coerência como campo de estudo e suas contribuições intelectuais centrais permanecem tema de debates por vezes controversos. Uma das questões recorrentes e não resolvidas tem sido a seguinte: ‘Onde está a ecologia na ecologia política?’. Na verdade, a controvérsia surgiu sobre se, de fato, o campo havia se tornado ‘política sem ecologia’ (BASSETT e ZIMMERER, 2004: 103). Este breve artigo examina essa questão e argumenta que, apesar das afirmações dos críticos, há uma grande quantidade de pesquisas na ecologia política que se ocupa da ecologia biofísica como uma preocupação central.

This case report describes a solitary fibrous tumour presenting as a pedunculated mass arising from an almost completely atretic right middle lobe of lung. The intraoperative findings and pathologic diagnostic criteria used are described. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a solitary fibrous tumour associated with partial lung atresia.

The purpose of this large-animal study was to assess the safety and effects of negative pressure therapy (NPT) when used as temporary abdominal closure in the immediate post-decompression period after abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS).

O envolvimento limitado da ecologia política com a pesquisa social e ambiental mais ampla, com o discurso e com os conteúdos da política pode refletir, em parte, a fraqueza geral do envolvimento público por parte da disciplina da geografia como um todo (MURPHY, 2005). No entanto, como um campo de estudos que emergiu em grande medida das críticas aos conteúdos das políticas e deve uma grande parte de sua genealogia intelectual aos campos de estudos aplicados, tais como os estudos sobre riscos (WATTS; PEET, 2004, p. 8), a ambivalência em relação aos conteúdos da política entre muitos ecologistas políticos parece-nos intrigante. Como podemos entender esta aparente ambivalência? Como podemos explicar esta indiferença ou hostilidade em relação à ecologia política por parte de alguns formuladores de políticas? Estas são questões que este artigo examina. É possível que o leitor fique desapontado com o fato de este artigo não fornecer respostas concretas; mas, depois de 20 anos de uma relação incerta e às vezes tensa entre a ecologia política e os conteúdos das políticas, estas questões merecem uma discussão mais aprofundada.

A long-held tenet of cell therapies has been that a biologically relevant dose of cells must be delivered to the site of injury and at least transiently engraft It naturally follows that strategies to optimize these endpoints would be pursued as a translational goal Optimization of progenitor cell efficacy requires delivery of the implanted progenitor cells to the site of neurological injury without significant effect on cell viability and function An ideal delivery vehicle would provide high levels of cellular engraftment without affecting viability Delivery vehicles include intravenous infusion, intra-arterial infusion, direct implantation (with or without synthetic scaffolds), and intrathecal infusion In addition, preliminary investigation into novel forms of delivery such as cellular manipulation to improve engraftment and the seeding of extruded biocompatible polymer nanofiber scaffolds is under way We will discuss the potential benefits and untoward effects associated with each method of delivery Also, emerging data suggest that the tenet of local delivery/engraftment to achieve a positive biological effect is cell type-specific and not necessary in all circumstances

While political ecology has thrived, its coherence as a field of study and its central intellectual contribu tions remain the subject of sometimes contentious debate. One of the recurrent, and unresolved, questions has been “Where is the ecology in political ecology?”. Indeed, controversy has emerged about whether, in fact, the field has become “politics without ecology” (BASSETT; ZIMMERER, 2004, p. 103). This brief review examines this question and argues that, despite the claims of critics, there is a great deal of research in political ecology that engages biophysical ecology as a central concern.

In Malawi, the distress and unease caused by rising numbers of deaths and chronic illness due to HIV infection have led people to search for explanations. Here, we describe two particular “turns to culture.” Zomba villagers over two decades have come to link AIDS with kanyera, an indigenous illness syndrome. In contrast, the public media, government, and donors blame “promiscuity” and “cultural practices” for HIV infection. The resulting stigmatization causes people to avoid naming AIDS, and both turns to culture tend to link blame and stigma to women.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Several studies suggest that various types of cellular therapies enhance recovery after stroke in animal models. IA-based delivery of cells to the brain is under investigation for stroke, but it is unknown whether cells are injured as a result of being injected through a catheter or exposed to iodinated contrast medium or solutions containing heparin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed the effect of catheterization with the Excelsior SL-10 catheter or exposure to heparin or iodine contrast on human bone marrow MNCs. Viability and cell injury were assessed by trypan blue exclusion, caspase-3 activity, and lipid peroxidation. Cellular function of MNCs was assessed by their production and release of VEGF, IL-10, and IGF-1. RESULTS: Flow rates of 10 million cells from 0.5 to 2 mL/min did not alter MNC viability; however, 5 mL/min of MNCs did reduce viability by 19%. Iodine and low-dose heparin exposure did not affect cell viability; however, high-dose heparin was cytotoxic. Catheter delivery at 2 mL/min did not affect levels of VEGF, IL-10, or IGF-1. CONCLUSIONS: MNCs do not appear to be damaged by heparin, iodine contrast, and the Excelsior SL-10 catheter at flow rates up to 2 mL/min. However, higher flow rates did reduce viability, and high-dose heparin did cause cell death.

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a major burden on healthcare worldwide. In the United States, TBI accounts for 435000 Emergency Department visits, 37000 hospital admissions, and approximately 2500 deaths each year. While aggressive early rehabilitation has shown some functional improvement, the acute care of TBI with focus on controlling intracranial pressure while maintaining adequate cerebral perfusion has not shown the ability to reverse neuronal injury on either a cellular or subcellular level. Preliminary investigation into the use of cell therapeutics has shown promise for the treatment of TBI in animal models. While progenitor cells may potentially act via altering the intracerebral milieu (modulation of inflammatory response and trophic factor secretion), the exact mechanism remains controversial. In addition, traditional delivery vehicles (intravenous, intra-arterial, intrathecal injections, and direct implantation) have shown significant barriers to translation coupled with inconsistent results. Therefore, investigation into novel delivery vehicles such as nanofiber scaffolds and hydrogels could enhance transplant cell viability, engraftment, and efficacy. Overall, a large amount of preclinical work remains to clearly define optimal progenitor cell type, dosage, and delivery vehicle. The optimal therapeutic benefit may be seen using a combination of therapies (controlled hypothermia, hypertonic therapy, and/or cellular therapeutics) to attack the complex pathophysiology of TBI at multiple points.

Introduction: The intravenous injection of autologous mononuclear cells could bypass the significant first pass pulmonary effect leading to increased potential for neuroprotection. In addition, previous research has shown that the hippocampus is important in long term memory and spatial navigation. We hypothesize that mononuclear cells offer neuroprotection via an interaction with the hippocampus and that increased hippocampal tissue loss would mitigate the potential therapeutic benefit of intravenous mononuclear cell infusion. Materials and Methods: Two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats received controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury (moderate and severe groups). Autologous mononuclear stem cells were injected via the jugular vein 72 hours after injury. Cognitive testing was completed using the Morris Water Maze (MWM). Injury cavity volumetric analysis and Nissl stain were completed to compare injury severity and cortical/hippocampal tissue loss. Results: Animals in the moderate injury group showed cognitive improvement compared to controls as determined by the latency to the hidden platform on days 6 (27.3 vs. 47.5 seconds), 7 (22.0 vs. 33.7 seconds), and 9 (17.3 vs. 31.3 seconds) of training. The severe injury group failed to show cognitive improvement. A significant increase in cortical/hippocampal tissue loss was observed in the severe injury group (13.6 vs. 6.0 mm3). Conclusion: The benefit observed from injection of autologous mononuclear stem cells is dependent upon injury severity. The lack of functional recovery of the severely injured group may be due to the increased loss in cortical/hippocampal tissue indicating a potential interaction between the injected cells and hippocampus.

BACKGROUND:We have published extensively regarding the effects of edema on intestinal contractile function. However, we have found the need to expand our model to mice to take advantage of the much larger arsenal of research support, especially in terms of transgenic mouse availability and development. To that end, we have developed and validated a hydrostatic intestinal edema model in mice. METHODS:Male C57 Black 6 mice were subjected to a combination of high volume crystalloid resuscitation and mesenteric venous hypertension in an effort to induce hydrostatic intestinal edema. Wet to dry ratios, myeloperoxidase activity, mucosal injury scoring, STAT-3 nuclear activation, phosphorylated STAT-3 levels, NF-κB nuclear activation, myosin light chain phosphorylation, intestinal contractile activity, and intestinal transit were measured to evaluate the effects of the model. KEY RESULTS:High volume crystalloid resuscitation and mesenteric venous hypertension resulted in the development of significant intestinal edema without an increase in myeloperoxidase activity or mucosal injury. Edema development was associated with increases in STAT-3 and NF-κB nuclear activation as well as phosphorylated STAT-3. There was a decrease in myosin light chain phosphorylation, basal and maximally stimulated intestinal contractile activity, and intestinal transit. CONCLUSION & INFERENCES:Hydrostatic edema in mice results in activation of a signal transduction profile that culminates in intestinal contractile dysfunction. This novel model allows for advanced studies into the pathogenesis of hydrostatic edema induced intestinal contractile dysfunction.

Introduction: Translocation of fluid into the peritoneal cavity contributes, in part, to the development of ACS (abdominal compartment syndrome). The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of exposure of peritoneal fluid from an animal model of ACS on the pro-inflammatory status of naïve PMNs (polymorphonuclear leukocytes) as measured by oxidative burst and adhesion molecule expression. Methods: ACS was induced in 6 female Yorkshire swine, utilizing a hemorrhagic shock/resuscitation and mesenteric venous pressure elevation model. Peritoneal fluid was collected at the time of decompression from ACS. Naïve human PMN's were primed and/or activated with PAF (phosphatidylcholine), fMLP (n-formyl-met-leu-phe), peritoneal fluid alone, PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate), PAF plus fMLP, peritoneal fluid plus fMLP, and peritoneal fluid plus PMA. Flow cytometry was used to quantify PMN superoxide anion production and PMN surface adhesion marker expression of integrins (CD11b, CD18) and selectins (CD62L).