Variations on a Rococo Theme by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: On the Semantics of Thematic Material and Composition

Одно из самых популярных у исполнителей и слушателей произведений П. И. Чайковского — Вариации на тему рококо ор. 33 для виолончели с оркестром — казалось бы, хорошо освещено в литературе, однако до сих пор пьеса остается довольно загадочной с точки зрения ее содержания. В статье делается попытка интерпретировать некоторые особенности тематизма и формы Вариаций. Отправной точкой для рассуждений стали известные слова Чайковского, обращенные к В. Фитценхагену: «Знаешь ли ты, что такое рококо? Это легкая безмятежная радостность». Обретение радости, открытие мира, где нет забот и горестей, — важная жизненная и творческая альтернатива в период работы композитора над Четвертой симфонией, в преддверии тяжелейшего кризиса 1877 года. В качестве ключевых семантических составляющих рассматриваются три сферы: русская народная песня, образ и наследие Моцарта, «галантный век» в творчестве французских композиторов периода Обновления (в первую очередь К. Сен-Санса). С Вариаций на тему рококо в творчестве Чайковского начинается линия как инструментальных, так и театральных произведений, в которых «воскрешается» французский XVIII век; можно говорить о поворотном значении данного сочинения для формирования важной составляющей стиля композитора. One of the most popular works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky — Variations on a Rococo theme op. 33 for cello and orchestra — seems well covered in literature, but so far the piece has remained quite mysterious in terms of its content. The article attempts to interpret some features of thematic material and forms of Variations. The starting point for the discussion are the well-known words of Tchaikovsky, addressed to Wilhelm Fitzenhagen: “Do you know what rococo is? It’s a serene feeling of joy”. Finding joy, discovering a world where there are no worries and sorrows, was an important, life and creative, alternative during the composer’s work on the Fourth Symphony, on the eve of the most difficult crisis of 1877. In this study, three spheres are considered as the most important components: the Russian folk song; the image and heritage of Mozart; and finally, the siècle galant in the music of French composers of the Renewal period, primarily Camille Saint-Saëns. With Variations on a Rococo theme, Tchaikovsky starts a series of both instrumental and theatrical compositions where the French XVIII century is “resurrected”. This piece is therefore considered as crucial for formation of an important component of the composer’s style.

Injury-Induced Innate Immune Response During Segment Regeneration of the Earthworm, Eisenia andrei

Regeneration of body parts and their interaction with the immune response is a poorly understood aspect of earthworm biology. Consequently, we aimed to study the mechanisms of innate immunity during regeneration in Eisenia andrei earthworms. In the course of anterior and posterior regeneration, we documented the kinetical aspects of segment restoration by histochemistry. Cell proliferation peaked at two weeks and remitted by four weeks in regenerating earthworms. Apoptotic cells were present throughout the cell renewal period. Distinct immune cell (e.g., coelomocyte) subsets were accumulated in the newly-formed blastema in the close proximity of the apoptotic area. Regenerating earthworms have decreased pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) (e.g., TLR, except for scavenger receptor) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) (e.g., lysenin) mRNA patterns compared to intact earthworms. In contrast, at the protein level, mirroring regulation of lysenins became evident. Experimental coelomocyte depletion caused significantly impaired cell divisions and blastema formation during anterior and posterior regeneration. These obtained novel data allow us to gain insight into the intricate interactions of regeneration and invertebrate innate immunity.

Drosophila macrophage self-renewal is regulated by transient expression of PDGF- and VEGF-related factor 2

Macrophages are an ancient animal blood cell lineage critical for tissue homeostasis and defence against pathogens. Until recently, their numbers were thought to be sustained solely by specialised hematopoietic organs. It is now clear that many macrophages are instead replenished by self-renewal, yet the signals that regulate this remain poorly understood. In Drosophila melanogaster, macrophages (known as plasmatocytes) undergo a phase of rapid population expansion via self-renewal, making Drosophila an attractive model for revealing the signals and regulatory mechanisms involved. However, no central self-renewal pathway has been identified in Drosophila. Here, we investigated the PDGF-/VEGF-receptor pathway as a candidate for playing this role. Analysis of larvae deficient for each of the three PDGF-/VEGF-receptor ligands Pvf1-3 revealed Pvf2 as a major driver of macrophage self-renewal in Drosophila. We further found that only a small proportion of blood cells express Pvf2, and knockdown experiments implicate these cells as a major source of Pvf2 in self-renewal. Lineage tracing studies support the idea that Pvf2 expression in blood cells occurs transiently throughout the macrophage self-renewal period, and in response to an as yet unidentified cue. These data define the regulation of Pvf2 expression in blood cells as a central mechanism by which macrophage self-renewal is controlled. Given the strong parallels that exist between Drosophila and vertebrate macrophage systems, it is likely that similar mechanisms are at play across animal phyla.

Driver License Renewal Laws and Older Adults’ Daily Driving, United States, 2003–2017

Objectives Around the world, aging populations pose significant concerns regarding their community mobility and transportation safety. Most previous studies in the United States have focused on the associations between driver license renewal laws and crash outcomes among older adults (65 years and older). Few studies have evaluated the impact of driver license renewal laws on older adults’ community mobility. This study aimed to identify the associations between driver license renewal laws and older males’ and females’ daily driving likelihood and duration. Method The 2003–2017 American Time Use Survey data were merged with driver license renewal legislation using ages 55–64 to control for effects of non-licensure factors (e.g., gasoline price). Weighted Poisson and linear regression models were used to estimate the associations of various driver licensure provisions with older males’ and females’ daily driving likelihood and duration. Results A shorter in-person renewal period and the presence of mandatory reporting laws for physicians were associated with a lower daily driving likelihood and shorter driving duration among females aged 75 years or older. The presence of mandatory reporting laws was also associated with reduced daily driving likelihood and duration for males aged 65–74 years. Discussion Policymakers should be aware that males and females may respond differently to older driver licensure laws, which may require distinct interventions to preserve their mobility. Future studies should consider the gender disparities when examining the association between driver licensure policies and older adults’ transportation safety and mobility.

Analysis on the Enterprises’ Innovation Quality Based on the Patent Value: A Comparison between Public and Private Enterprises in China

To investigate Chinese enterprises’ innovation quality and examine how it is determined by the enterprise ownership, this paper uses about 73.8 thousand invention patents applied by Chinese enterprises during 1985–2011 in estimating patent return based on the renewal period. We take patent return to be the measurement of innovation quality, and make a comparison between public and private enterprises. We find that the innovation quality of public enterprises is improved after restructuring, but is still lower than that of private enterprises. We may find the causes of the innovation quality differences from the allocation efficiency of R&D resources. Monopolized enterprises own higher innovation quality by monopolizing industry resources, which leads to a low R&D resources allocation efficiency. In comparison, the R&D resources allocation efficiency of public enterprises in the competitive industry is higher than that in monopolized enterprises. R&D resources allocation efficiency is generally inversely proportional to the public owned level, and proportional to the market competition level. This study generates an important policy implication, that is, the social R&D resources allocation efficiency of China would be improved by disposing part of R&D resources monopolized by public research institutes and public enterprises to private enterprises.

Television in the Tay-Nung Language in Vietnam

Broadcasting and television are two popular types of media, with more audience than other types of media in Viet Nam today. Tay-Nung is a common language of two ethnic groups with the largest population of ethnic minorities in Viet Nam. Research on broadcasting and television in the Tay-Nung language is importance research, involving both journalism and the science of language. On the basis of surveys on the state of broadcasting in Tay-Nung language and the attitude, needs and aspirations of the Tay and Nung ethnicity on this activity, this article aims to describe and evaluate the current status of broadcasting in the Tay-Nung language, thereby proposing ways and means to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of broadcasting in Tay- Nung language. The main methods used in this study are a scientific observation method, a sociological survey method (interviews, discussions, investigation by questionnaires), method of description (analytical, statistical, classification, systematization) and a comparison method. Research data is collected from relevant documents and from the use of sociological survey methods. The subject of the article is the broadcast in Tay-Nung language activities in Viet Nam at present. This subject is considered in the following aspects; the places, the levels of broadcasting and television; the choice and use of language / dialect; attitude, needs and aspirations of the recipients, and some ways and solutions to be implemented. Research results of the project will help the Ministry of Information and Communication, in radio and television, to develop specific suggestions on the choice of type and level of communication. At the same time, the Viet Nam has also suggested the development of policies related to communication in ethnic minority languages. Raising the effectiveness of broadcasting in the Tay-Nung language will contribute to the preservation of language and culture; will improve quality of life for the Tay and Nung ethnicity and will contribute to sustainable development of nations in the renewal period. The work will inform work by the State, the Ministry of Information and Communication, should the State and the Ministry of Information and Communications pay attention to this timely guidance. Results will contribute to studies on communication in ethnic minority languages in Viet Nam or on communication in Tày Nùng in Southeast Asia.