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"Kelly, Catriona"
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Socialist Churches
In Russia, legislation on the separation of church and state in early 1918 marginalized religious faith and raised pressing questions about what was to be done with church buildings. While associated with suspect beliefs, they were also regarded as structures with potential practical uses, and some were considered works of art. This engaging study draws on religious anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and history to explore the fate of these \"socialist churches,\" showing how attitudes and practices related to them were shaped both by laws on the preservation of monuments and anti-religious measures. Advocates of preservation, while sincere in their desire to save the buildings, were indifferent, if not hostile, to their religious purpose. Believers, on the other hand, regarded preservation laws as irritants, except when they provided leverage for use of the buildings by church communities. The situation was eased by the growing rapprochement of the Orthodox Church and Soviet state organizations after 1943, but not fully resolved until the Soviet Union fell apart. Based on abundant archival documentation, Catriona Kelly's powerful narrative portrays the human tragedies and compromises, but also the remarkable achievements, of those who fought to preserve these important buildings over the course of seven decades of state atheism. Socialist Churches will appeal to specialists, students, and general readers interested in church history, the history of architecture, and Russian art, history, and cultural studies.
eBook
Soviet and post-Soviet identities
\"Since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, questions of identity have dominated the culture not only of Russia, but of all the countries of the former Soviet bloc. This timely collection examines the ways in which cultural activities such as fiction, TV, cinema, architecture and exhibitions have addressed these questions and also describes other cultural flashpoints, from attitudes to language to the use of passports. It discusses definitions of political and cultural nationalism, as well as the myths, institutions and practices that moulded and expressed national identity. From post-Soviet recollections of food shortages to the attempts by officials to control popular religion, it analyses a variety of unexpected and compelling topics to offer fresh insights about this key area of world culture. Illustrated with numerous photographs, it presents the results of recent research in an accessible and lively way\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
The role of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in lung health: A systematic review (2024)
Type 2 diabetes is associated with mild airways restriction, yet obstructive lung conditions are prevalent in people with diabetes. Obesity is a confounding factor and has been reported to be both protective and to enhance risk of lung disease independent of hyperglycaemia. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate how Type 2 diabetes and obesity affect lung function measurements in people with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
Ovid MEDLINE and Embase databases were methodically searched for studies published between 2011-2024. Ninety-three studies were included, with 35,891 participants. Included studies had data on Type 2 diabetes and/or obesity and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and/or forced vital capacity (FVC). All studies were assessed for quality (Newcastle-Ottawa scale) or risk of bias (Cochrane methodology). Data was extracted as combined means and standard deviation, and significance tested by Kruskal-Wallis. Multiple linear regression was conducted to account for the impact of age, BMI, Type 2 diabetes and geographical region.
Those with Type 2 diabetes without a lung disease had mild airway restriction. However, outcomes for those with asthma and COPD in the presence of Type 2 diabetes were largely comparable to those who had either condition in the absence of Type 2 diabetes. A Type 2 diabetes diagnosis and being in the geographical region of Asia were significantly associated with decreased FEV1 and FVC, but obesity was not. The study is limited by the large number of cross-sectional studies using single time points from which conclusions on causality cannot be drawn.
Type 2 diabetes is independently associated with airways restriction suggesting that monitoring of lung function following a diabetes diagnosis may be warranted.
Journal Article
Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Downregulate the Functional Expression of TRPV4 Channels in Retinal Microvascular Endothelium
Retinal endothelial cell dysfunction is believed to play a key role in the etiology and pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Numerous studies have shown that TRPV4 channels are critically involved in maintaining normal endothelial cell function. In the current paper, we demonstrate that TRPV4 is functionally expressed in the endothelium of the retinal microcirculation and that both channel expression and activity is downregulated by hyperglycaemia. Quantitative PCR and immunostaining demonstrated molecular expression of TRPV4 in cultured bovine retinal microvascular endothelial cells (RMECs). Functional TRPV4 activity was assessed in cultured RMECs from endothelial Ca2+-responses recorded using fura-2 microfluorimetry and electrophysiological recordings of membrane currents. The TRPV4 agonist 4α-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4-αPDD) increased [Ca2+]i in RMECs and this response was largely abolished using siRNA targeted against TRPV4. These Ca2+-signals were completely inhibited by removal of extracellular Ca2+, confirming their dependence on influx of extracellular Ca2+. The 4-αPDD Ca2+-response recorded in the presence of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), which depletes the intracellular stores preventing any signal amplification through store release, was used as a measure of Ca2+-influx across the cell membrane. This response was blocked by HC067047, a TRPV4 antagonist. Under voltage clamp conditions, the TRPV4 agonist GSK1016790A stimulated a membrane current, which was again inhibited by HC067047. Following incubation with 25 mM D-glucose TRPV4 expression was reduced in comparison with RMECs cultured under control conditions, as were 4αPDD-induced Ca2+-responses in the presence of CPA and ion currents evoked by GSK1016790A. Molecular expression of TRPV4 in the retinal vascular endothelium of 3 months' streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was also reduced in comparison with that in age-matched controls. We conclude that hyperglycaemia and diabetes reduce the molecular and functional expression of TRPV4 channels in retinal microvascular endothelial cells. These changes may contribute to diabetes induced endothelial dysfunction and retinopathy.
Journal Article
The Interdependency and Co-Regulation of the Vitamin D and Cholesterol Metabolism
Vitamin D and cholesterol metabolism overlap significantly in the pathways that contribute to their biosynthesis. However, our understanding of their independent and co-regulation is limited. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally and atherosclerosis, the pathology associated with elevated cholesterol, is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. It is therefore important to understand vitamin D metabolism as a contributory factor. From the literature, we compile evidence of how these systems interact, relating the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved to the results from observational studies. We also present the first systems biology pathway map of the joint cholesterol and vitamin D metabolisms made available using the Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) Markup Language (SBGNML). It is shown that the relationship between vitamin D supplementation, total cholesterol, and LDL-C status, and between latitude, vitamin D, and cholesterol status are consistent with our knowledge of molecular mechanisms. We also highlight the results that cannot be explained with our current knowledge of molecular mechanisms: (i) vitamin D supplementation mitigates the side-effects of statin therapy; (ii) statin therapy does not impact upon vitamin D status; and critically (iii) vitamin D supplementation does not improve cardiovascular outcomes, despite improving cardiovascular risk factors. For (iii), we present a hypothesis, based on observations in the literature, that describes how vitamin D regulates the balance between cellular and plasma cholesterol. Answering these questions will create significant opportunities for advancement in our understanding of cardiovascular health.
Journal Article
Socialist Churches: Heritage Preservation and “Cultic Buildings” in Leningrad, 1924-1940
The demolition of churches is a notorious episode in Soviet political history, normally discussed in the context of the history of church-state relations. Yet which prerevolutionary buildings were meant to fit into a “model socialist city” such as Leningrad and how this was to happen was also a planning issue. Soviet planners (unlike members of the militant atheist movement) drew a distinction between buildings and their (current or possible) functions. The monument protection agencies were often successful in arguing that buildings of “historic and artistic importance” should be preserved, even in the face of considerable pressure from other city departments (for example, the suggestion that Smol'nyi Cathedral be demolished for the bricks). However, they gave preference to churches that lacked an “odiously ecclesiastical appearance,” were ruthless about sacrificing churches that they deemed to be of secondary significance, and readily agreed to secular uses for “cultic buildings.” As Catriona Kelly shows in this article, most of the local intelligentsia considered these planning decisions to be appropriate; it was not until the postwar decades, and more particularly the Brezhnev era, that attitudes to “cultic buildings” began to change.
Journal Article
Cystic Fibrosis–Related Diabetes: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Challenges
Cystic fibrosis–related diabetes (CFRD) is among the most common extrapulmonary co-morbidity associated with cystic fibrosis (CF), affecting an estimated 50% of adults with the condition. Cystic fibrosis is prevalent in 1 in every 2500 Caucasian live births and is caused by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Mutated CFTR leads to dehydrated epithelial surfaces and a build-up of mucus in a variety of tissues including the lungs and pancreas. The leading cause of mortality in CF is repeated respiratory bacterial infections, which prompts a decline in lung function. Co-morbid diabetes promotes bacterial colonisation of the airways and exacerbates the deterioration in respiratory health. Cystic fibrosis–related diabetes is associated with a 6-fold higher mortality rate compared with those with CF alone. The management of CFRD adds a further burden for the patient and creates new therapeutic challenges for the clinical team. Several proposed hypotheses on how CFRD develops have emerged, including exocrine-driven fibrosis and destruction of the entire pancreas and contrasting theories on the direct or indirect impact of CFTR mutation on islet function. The current review outlines recent data on the impact of CFTR on endocrine pancreatic function and discusses the use of conventional diabetic therapies and new CFTR-correcting drugs on the treatment of CFRD.
Journal Article
‘Scientific Reconstruction’ or ‘New Oldbuild’? The Dilemmas of Restoration in Post-Soviet St. Petersburg
This article addresses the history of attitudes to reconstruction among professional restorers and interested public in Russia. It argues that, in the second half of the twentieth century, an ingrained tendency to disparage reconstruction went alongside an extensive history of highly interventionist projects that, for example, aimed to return a building to its supposed appearance at the so-called ‘optimal date’ (sometimes, but not always, the date when it was completed by the original architect). During the post-war years, this process acquired an ideological overlay because of its association with the drive to put right war damage, and particularly that caused by the invading German forces. ‘Liberation’ of buildings from ‘laters layers’ was accepted policy. This ‘moderated historicism’ was in notable contrast to the treatment of war-damaged historic buildings in some other European countries, for instance Britain (e.g. Coventry Cathedral), though the extensive replanning of entire urban areas in order to reduce density and clear away slums was found in the Soviet Union as well. Remodelling continued to be the professional standard until at least the 1970s, but by the early 1980s, with increasing impact of the Charter of Venice on Soviet practice, it was no longer automatically accepted as best practice. The conflicts continued into the postSoviet period too, with the word ‘reconstruction’ applied both to pastiche newbuild (attacked by some for its flimsiness in historical terms) and to carefully-researched work by professional restorers. The article concludes with material on some particularly controversial recent rekonstruktsii, such as the House of Leningrad Trade department store and the Eliseev Delicatessen.
Journal Article
