A New Source for Schubert’s Hebrew Psalm 92 (D. 953)

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-81
Author(s):  
David Rees ◽  
Alon Schab

In the summer of 1828, Franz Schubert composed his one and only piece in Hebrew: an excerpt of Psalm 92, set for four-part choir and Solo Baritone. The main sources available until now for this composition, a manuscript in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (A-Wgm Sammlung Witteczek-Spaun Bd. 31) and a printed version in Salomon Sulzer’s compendium of Viennese synagogal music, Schir Zion (Song of Zion), date to 1834/35 and 1839/40, respectively. A newly discovered manuscript, dating from 1832, represents an early stage in the compilation of Schir Zion and contains the earliest known source of Schubert’s piece. New variant readings with regard to pitch, ornamentation and text underlay suggest that Schubert’s lost autograph may not be the immediate parent of the best sources known until now. With its title in Hebrew calligraphy, moreover, this manuscript was clearly intended for Jewish use; it thus challenges the authority of Schir Zion with regard to the underlay of the Hebrew text. The manuscript demonstrates a starting point in the adaptation by later editors, including Salomon Sulzer’s son Joseph, of Schubert’s Hebrew composition from the living, essentially oral performance tradition of an expert cantor to the formal written requirements of publication for a far-flung audience.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2559
Author(s):  
Antonia Diaz-Ganete ◽  
Aranzazu Quiroga-de-Castro ◽  
Rosa M. Mateos ◽  
Francisco Medina ◽  
Carmen Segundo ◽  
...  

Basic research on types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus require early stage studies using beta cells or cell lines, ideally of human origin and with preserved insulin secretion in response to glucose. The 1.1E7 cells are a hybrid cell line resulting from the electrofusion of dispersed human islets and PANC-1 cells, capable of secreting insulin in response to glucose, but their survival and function under toxic conditions remains untested. This characterization is the purpose of the present study. We treated these cells with a cytokine mix, high glucose, palmitate, and the latter two combined. Under these conditions, we measured cell viability and apoptosis (MTT, Caspase Glo and TUNEL assays, as well as caspase-8 and -9 levels by Western blotting), endoplasmic reticulum stress markers (EIF2AK3, HSPA4, EIF2a, and HSPA5) by real-time PCR, and insulin secretion with a glucose challenge. All of these stimuli (i) induce apoptosis and ER stress markers expression, (ii) reduce mRNA amounts of 2–5 components of genes involved in the insulin secretory pathway, and (iii) abrogate the insulin release capability of 1.1E7 cells in response to glucose. The most pronounced effects were observed with cytokines and with palmitate and high glucose combined. This characterization may well serve as the starting point for those choosing this cell line for future basic research on certain aspects of diabetes.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1558
Author(s):  
Zhan Qiu Mao ◽  
Mizuki Fukuta ◽  
Jean Claude Balingit ◽  
Thi Thanh Ngan Nguyen ◽  
Co Thach Nguyen ◽  
...  

The RT-qPCR method remains the gold standard and first-line diagnostic method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and flaviviruses, especially in the early stage of viral infection. Rapid and accurate viral detection is a starting point in the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic and flavivirus outbreaks. However, the shortage of diagnostic reagents and supplies, especially in resource-limited countries that experience co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 and flaviviruses, are limitations that may result in lesser availability of RT-qPCR-based diagnostic tests. In this study, the utility of RNA-free extraction methods was assessed for the direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 and DENV-2 in heat-inactivated or chemical-inactivated samples. The findings demonstrate that direct real-time RT-qPCR is a feasible option in comparison to conventional real-time RT-qPCR based on viral genome extraction-based methods. The utility of heat-inactivation and direct real-time RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2, DENV-2 viral RNA detection was demonstrated by using clinical samples of SARS-CoV-2 and DENV-2 and spiked cell culture samples of SARS-CoV-2 and DENV-2. This study provides a simple alternative workflow for flavivirus and SARS-CoV-2 detection that includes heat inactivation and viral RNA extraction-free protocols, with aims to reduce the risk of exposure during processing of SARS-CoV-2 biological specimens and to overcome the supply-chain bottleneck, particularly in resource limited settings with flavivirus co-circulation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 282 (7) ◽  
pp. 4354-4363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Sarto-Jackson ◽  
Roman Furtmueller ◽  
Margot Ernst ◽  
Sigismund Huck ◽  
Werner Sieghart

γ-Aminobutyric acid, type A (GABAA) receptor α1 subunits containing a cysteine mutation at a position in the channel mouth (H109C) surprisingly formed a spontaneous cross-link with each other in receptors composed of α1H109C, β3, and γ2 subunits. Cross-linking of two α1H109C subunits did not significantly change the affinity of [3H]muscimol or [3H]Ro15-1788 binding in α1H109Cβ3γ2 receptors, but GABA displayed a reduced potency for activating chloride currents. On reduction of the disulfide bond, however, GABA activation as well as diazepam modulation was similar in mutated and wild-type receptors, suggesting that these receptors exhibited the same subunit stoichiometry and arrangement. Disulfide bonds could not be reoxidized by copper phenanthroline after having been reduced in completely assembled receptors, suggesting that cross-linking can only occur at an early stage of assembly. The cross-link of α1H109C subunits and the subsequent transport of the resulting homodimers to the cell surface caused a reduction of the intracellular pool of α1H109C subunits and a reduced formation of completely assembled receptors. The formation of α1H109C homodimers as well as of correctly assembled GABAA receptors containing cross-linked α1H109C subunits could indicate that homodimerization of α1 subunits via contacts located in the channel mouth might be one starting point of GABAA receptor assembly. Alternatively the assembly mechanism might have started with the formation of heterodimers followed by a cross-link of mutated α1 subunits at the heterotrimeric stage. The formation of cross-linked α1H109C homodimers would then have occurred independently in a separate pathway.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj K Bandaru ◽  
Petter Ranefall ◽  
Anastasia Emmanouilidou ◽  
Tiffany Klingström ◽  
Lingjie Tao ◽  
...  

Objectives: Published results show that overfeeding zebrafish larvae on a high-cholesterol diet (HCD) can result in hypercholesterolemia and sub-endothelial lipid deposition in macrophages and other cell types. However, results are so far based on small samples, and the atherogenic response has been heterogeneous. We aim to use zebrafish larvae for large-scale, CRISPR-Cas9-based genetic screens, using results from genome wide association studies for coronary heart disease as a starting point. Firstly however, we need to ensure the model system is appropriate and robust. Therefore, we examined the effect of a high-energy diet (HED) and HCD on vascular lipid deposition in a larger number of larvae (n=241). Methods: Starting at 5 days post fertilization (dpf), ~30 larvae/tank were fed 2x/day on: 1) 5 mg control diet (CD; n=33); 2) 15 mg control diet (HED; n=90); or 3) 15 mg control diet enriched with 4% cholesterol (HCD; n=94). At 14-17 dpf, larvae were soaked in monodansylpentane cadaverase - a lipid staining dye - for 45 min, before imaging the dorsal aorta and caudal vein with a Leica SP5 confocal microscope. We used a custom written script in Cell Profiler to quantify the surface area of lipid deposits in the vasculature. Results: Manual annotation of vascular lipid deposition in 30 images (10 randomly selected images per dietary condition) allowed us to calculate the sensitivity (36%) and specificity (71%) of the Cell Profiler script. Subsequent analyses showed that HED (p=0.004) and HCD (p=0.001) fed larvae have significantly more vascular lipid deposition than CD fed larvae after adjusting for age, batch and vessel length. There was no difference in vascular lipid deposition between HED and HCD fed larvae (p=0.11). Discussion and conclusion: Our results confirm that zebrafish larvae represent a promising model system for early-stage atherosclerosis. In addition, they show that enriching the diet with cholesterol is not required to prompt atherogenesis. Future directions: In the next few months, we will examine if overfeeding also triggers vascular infiltration by macrophages, neutrophils and oxidized LDL cholesterol, and if atherogenesis can be prevented or reduced by treating larvae with statins and/or ezetimibe, using our new, automated imaging setup.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Smolarczyk ◽  
Katarzyna Stapor ◽  
Irena Roterman-Konieczna

AbstractThree-dimensional protein structure prediction is an important task in science at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and informatics, and it is crucial for determining the protein function. In the two-stage protein folding model, based on an early- and late-stage intermediates, we propose to use state-of-the-art secondary structure prediction servers for backbone dihedral angles prediction and devise an early-stage structure. Early-stage structures are used as a starting point for protein folding simulations, and any errors in this stage affect the final predictions. We have shown that modern secondary structure prediction servers could increase the accuracy of early-stage predictions compared to previously reported models.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Teem ◽  
Aggrey Ambali ◽  
Barbara Glover ◽  
Jeremy Ouedraogo ◽  
Diran Makinde ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Gene drive mosquitoes have been proposed as a possible means to reduce the transmission of malaria in Africa. Because this technology has no prior use-history at this time, environmental risk assessments for gene drive mosquitoes will benefit from problem formulation—an organized and ordered process to identify protection goals and potential pathways to harm to the environment, or animal or human health. Recognizing this need, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), with support from African and international partners, organized four regional consultative workshops in Africa to initiate this process. Methods The workshops were attended by a diverse set of participants and stakeholders, including scientists, ethicists, health professionals, government regulators in the fields of environment health and biosafety as well government policymakers, who met for 4 days to deliberate on protection goals and pathways relevant to the use of gene drive mosquitoes for malaria control. The goal of the workshops was not to produce a comprehensive and detailed environmental risk assessment of gene drive mosquitoes, but rather to introduce problem formulation as a tool to the stakeholder community, and to serve as a starting point for conducting systematic environmental risk assessments in the future, identifying protection goals related to gene drive mosquitoes that are particular to African stakeholders. Results Participants in the workshops frequently identified human health and biodiversity as being relevant broad protection goals. Results of the deliberations provide insight into the concerns of African participants at an early stage in the development of gene drive organism/products that should be instructive to developers using this technology. Conclusions In general, the African participants of the consultations had a precautionary perspective with regard to environmental risk assessment of gene drive technology. As gene drive technology develops, protection goals will become further refined and candidate products will be further defined. These workshops represent only the beginning of a continuing process that will ultimately inform environmental risk assessment for gene drive mosquitoes to control malaria in Africa.


Author(s):  
Shang Gao ◽  
John Krogstie

In this paper, a case study is used to evaluate the business process characterizing modeling (BPCM) language. The BPCM-framework is meant to guide both business stakeholders and model developers during model-based development. The focus of the approach is the use of BPCM as a starting point for capturing process knowledge when planning and developing information system support. Based on information within the BPCM models, goal models and process models can be developed and used for further development of the BPCM model. The approach in this paper is evaluated using a case study related to the arrangement of a conference series. Through the case study, the authors have confirmed the potential usability and usefulness of BPCM for early stage knowledge capture, getting input for further improvement of the approach.


2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 659-688
Author(s):  
Cosimo Magazzino ◽  
Francesco Felici ◽  
Vanja Bozic

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information content of the variables that can help detecting external and internal imbalances in an early stage. The starting point is the Scoreboard, where nine indicators are chosen in order to increase macroeconomic surveillance of all member states. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides an overview of the variables that could be informative for imbalances by focusing on EU-27 countries over the period 1960-2010. The number of chosen variables is 28, and they are aggregated in six macro-areas. Therefore, once an imbalance is observed in any of those areas, it is possible to detect in a simple way which specific variable is determining such outcome. Findings – In general, this approach provides reliable signal to the policy-makers about the indicators that can drive imbalances within the area, shedding light on the relationship among the variables included in the analysis, too. Research limitations/implications – In fact, the empirical results underline some well-known critical issue for several countries, and is largely in line with results obtained in a variety of EC and OECD studies. Originality/value – The main added value of the approach adopted in this paper is the introduction of more variables than those initially proposed by the European Commission in the construction of the Scoreboard. This provides more information about the macroeconomic situation in each country, preserving, however, the simplicity of the analysis as the variables are aggregated by homogeneous areas.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1009-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Glaser ◽  
Sonia Ben Slimane ◽  
Claire Auplat ◽  
Régis Coeurderoy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to build a holistic theoretical framework of enabling factors contributing to the development of enterprise in nanotechnology-related industries, in a French context. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review methodology was adopted. The review used three gauges to identify enabling factors contributing to the development of enterprise in nanotechnology-related industries in a French context: first, it analysed the literature related to the development of nanotechnologies in a perspective of sustainability in a multidisciplinary stance (“Green view”). Second, it took a disciplinary stance by exploring academic journals in the field of entrepreneurship (“Entrepreneurship view”). Third, it studied the perspective of France (“French view”). Findings The main finding is that in spite of different approaches and sometimes seemingly conflicting stances, the three views converge on three enabling factors: the importance of knowledge sharing across boundaries, access to university scientists and facilities, and government intervention. However, each view also has its particularities: the “Green view” emphasizes the need for civil society inclusion, the “Entrepreneurship view” underlines the importance of early stage capital and entrepreneurial behaviour and the “French view” concentrates on the role of clusters. Research limitations/implications The paper provides a theoretical framework and a starting point for further work on entrepreneurial nanotechnology facilitation. Its findings constitute a benchmark which may be tested in empirical cases. The focus on the French context may be seen as a limitation but also as a source of interesting comparative work focussing on other national or regional contexts. Practical implications The paper shows that public policy is an important element in the nascent field of enterprise development for nano-based materials. It outlines how different contexts create different barriers to entrepreneurship, and it proposes recommendations to overcome some of these barriers. Originality/value In this paper, findings result from an exploration of the nanotechnology literature that focusses solely on nanotechnology data sets and not on mixed data sets. The use of three different gauges leads to the construction of a holistic theoretical framework that includes enabling factors as well as the types of barriers that entrepreneurs have to overcome to succeed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 680 ◽  
pp. 477-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEONG JIN KIM ◽  
MYOUNG-WOON MOON ◽  
KWANG-RYEOL LEE ◽  
DAE-YOUNG LEE ◽  
YOUNG SOO CHANG ◽  
...  

When a drop is deposited on a superhydrophilic micropillar array, the upper part of the drop (referred to as the bulk) collapses while the bottom part penetrates into the gaps of the array, forming a fringe film. Here we quantify the early stage dynamics of this process using a combination of experiment and theory. We show that the circular front of the fringe film spreads like t1/2, t being time, when coupled to the bulk flow. However, the film is found to advance like t1/3 through faceted zippering in the absence of the bulk. We then show that the spreading of the bulk and the entire drop footprint follows a power law (t1/4) that is different from Washburn's law. This work can be a starting point to completely understand the spreading of liquids on superhydrophilic surfaces and opens questions specific to superwetting behaviour including the criteria to determine whether the fringe film will expand through lateral zipping or advance radially outwards.


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