Untersuchung über die Biodynamik des Klavieranschlags

Zusammenfassung Die Abhandlung ist der experimentellen Untersuchung des rhythmischen Oktaven-Klavieranschlags, die von den Autoren in den Jahren 1927/28 mittels der kymozyklographischen Methode an hervorragenden Pianistenvirtuosen durchgeführt wurde, gewidmet. Der Untersuchung wurden monotone Aufeinanderfolgerungen der Oktaven unterworfen: 1. in cresc.-dimin. und 2. in acceler.-rallent.Nach den erhaltenen Photoaufzeichnungen wurden studiert: 1. die Bewegungen der rechten Armteile (Ober-, Unterarm, Hand), 2. Änderungen der Gelenkwinkel, 3. die Momente der Resultanten der Muskelspannungen im Schulter-, dem Ellenbogen- und Handgelenk. Die Untersuchung hat die Möglichkeit gegeben, eine typische Form des Verlaufs des rhythmischen Oktavenanschlags festzustellen und seine genaue Beschreibung zu geben.Die Versuche der Änderung der Anschlagskraft haben gezeigt, daß die Bewegungsdynamik sich in Abhängigkeit von der Anschlagskraft nur quantitativ, bei konstanter Konstruktion, verändert.Die Versuche der Tempoänderung haben gezeigt, daß die Anschlagskonstruktion abhängig vom Tempo sich wesentlich verändert. Bei langsamen Tempos besteht die Bewegung aus isolierten Impulsen, bei mittleren entspricht sie den Schwingungen des zusammengesetzten Pendels, bei den schnellsten Tempos geht sie in erzwungene elastische Schwingungen vom Typus des einfachen Pendels bei elastisch-passivem Handgelenk über.Die Versuche haben festgestellt, daß bei allen Bewegungen der studierten Art in den Tempos über 3 Anschläge in der Sekunde das Fallen der Hand infolge ihres Gewichtes (Gewichtsanschlag) nicht stattfindet und aus rein mechanischen Gründen nicht stattfinden kann. In den langsamsten Tempos kommt es manchmal vor, jedoch bedeutend seltener, als man es theoretisch erwarten könnte.Die Abhandlung stellt eine erste Arbeit von der Serie, die von der Klaviersektion des St. Inst. f. Musikwissenschaft durchgeführt wird, vor, und die dem Studium des Klavieranschlags: 1. bei komplizierten Rhythmen, 2. bei Anfängern und fortgeschrittenen Lehrlingen und 3. hinsichtlich des Vergleichs der Klavierspieler verschiedener Schulen und Individualitäten gewidmet ist.     

Influence of a high-fat diet on gut microbiota, intestinal permeability and metabolic endotoxaemia

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may play an important role in chronic diseases through the activation of inflammatory responses. The type of diet consumed is of major concern for the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Evidence from animal and human studies has shown that LPS can diffuse from the gut to the circulatory system in response to the intake of high amounts of fat. The method by which LPS move into the circulatory system is either through direct diffusion due to intestinal paracellular permeability or through absorption by enterocytes during chylomicron secretion. Considering the impact of metabolic diseases on public health and the association between these diseases and the levels of LPS in the circulatory system, this review will mainly discuss the current knowledge about high-fat diets and subclinical inflammation. It will also describe the new evidence that correlates gut microbiota, intestinal permeability and alkaline phosphatase activity with increased blood LPS levels and the biological effects of this increase, such as insulin resistance. Although the majority of the studies published so far have assessed the effects of dietary fat, additional studies are necessary to deepen the understanding of how the amount, the quality and the structure of the fat may affect endotoxaemia. The potential of food combinations to reduce the negative effects of fat intake should also be considered in future studies. In these studies, the effects of flavonoids, prebiotics and probiotics on endotoxaemia should be investigated. Thus, it is essential to identify dietetic strategies capable of minimising endotoxaemia and its postprandial inflammatory effects.     

Autoimmune Effect of Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is continuing to spread around the world and drastically affect our daily life. New strains appear, and the severity of the course of the disease itself seems to be decreasing, but even people who have been ill on an outpatient basis suffer post-COVID consequences. Partly, it is associated with the autoimmune reactions, so debates about the development of new vaccines and the need for vaccination/revaccination continue. In this study we performed an analysis of the antibody response of patients with COVID-19 to linear and conformational epitopes of viral proteins using ELISA, chip array and western blot with analysis of correlations between antibody titer, disease severity, and complications. We have shown that the presence of IgG antibodies to the nucleoprotein can deteriorate the course of the disease, induce multiple direct COVID-19 symptoms, and contribute to long-term post-covid symptoms. We analyzed the cross reactivity of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 with own human proteins and showed that antibodies to the nucleocapsid protein can bind to human proteins. In accordance with the possibility of HLA presentation, the main possible targets of the autoantibodies were identified. People with HLA alleles A01:01; A26:01; B39:01; B15:01 are most susceptible to the development of autoimmune processes after COVID-19.     

Two novel loci,COBL and SLC10A2, for Alzheimer's disease in African Americans

Introduction

African Americans' (AAs) late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) genetic risk profile is incompletely understood. Including clinical covariates in genetic analyses using informed conditioning might improve study power.

Bioceramics Based on β-Calcium Pyrophosphate

Ceramic samples based on β-calcium pyrophosphate β-Ca₂P₂O₇ were prepared from powders of γ-calcium pyrophosphate γ-Ca₂P₂O₇ with preset molar ratios Ca/P = 1, 0.975 and 0.95 using firing at 900, 1000, and 1100 °C. Calcium lactate pentahydrate Ca(C₃H₅O₃)₂⋅5H₂O and monocalcium phosphate monohydrate Ca(H₂PO₄)₂⋅H₂O were treated in an aqua medium in mechanical activation conditions to prepare powder mixtures with preset molar ratios Ca/P containing calcium hydrophosphates with Ca/P = 1 (precursors of calcium pyrophosphate Ca₂P₂O₇). These powder mixtures containing calcium hydrophosphates with Ca/P = 1 and non-reacted starting salts were heat-treated at 600 °C after drying and disaggregation in acetone. Phase composition of all powder mixtures after heat treatment at 600 °C was presented by γ-calcium pyrophosphate γ-Ca₂P₂O₇ according to the XRD data. The addition of more excess of monocalcium phosphate monohydrate Ca(H₂PO₄)₂·H₂O (with appropriate molar ratio of Ca/P = 1) to the mixture of starting components resulted in lower dimensions of γ-calcium pyrophosphate (γ-Ca₂P₂O₇) individual particles. The grain size of ceramics increased both with the growth in firing temperature and with decreasing molar ratio Ca/P of powder mixtures. Calcium polyphosphate (t _melt = 984 °C), formed from monocalcium phosphate monohydrate Ca(H₂PO₄)₂⋅H₂O, acted similar to a liquid phase sintering additive. It was confirmed by tests in vitro that prepared ceramic materials with preset molar ratios Ca/P = 1, 0.975, and 0.95 and phase composition presented by β-calcium pyrophosphate β-Ca₂P₂O₇ were biocompatible and could maintain bone cells proliferation.     

A simple and highly effective method for the stable transduction of uncultured porcine hepatocytes using lentiviral vector

Gene therapy is an attractive approach for the treatment of a wide spectrum of liver diseases. Lentiviral vectors allow the stable integration of transgenes into the genome of nondividing differentiated cells including hepatocytes and could provide long-lasting expression of a therapeutic gene. To develop such approaches, preclinical studies in large animal models such as pigs are necessary to evaluate the feasibility and safety of stable lentiviral integration and long-term vector expression. In addition, effective lentivector-mediated gene transfer onto porcine hepatocytes could advance in cell-based therapies for acute liver failure. To investigate this issue, porcine hepatocytes were transduced in suspension immediately after their isolation in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution containing vitamin E. Up to 80% of hepatocytes stably expressed a GFP transgene after a single exposure to lentiviral vector coding for GFP under the control of either liver-specific or ubiquitous promoters. Moreover, porcine hepatocytes cryopreserved in UW solution containing fetal bovine serum, dimethyl sulfoxide, and vitamin E remained highly transducible with lentiviral vector after thawing. When thawed, transduced in suspension, and immediately transplanted into the spleen of immunodeficient mice, ex vivo lentivirally transgene marked xenogeneic hepatocytes were detected in murine liver. We demonstrated that porcine hepatocytes are highly susceptible to lentiviral vector and describe an easy methodology to efficiently, rapidly, and stably introduce transgenes into uncultured porcine hepatocytes.     

Coordination of hypothalamic and pituitary T3 production regulates TSH expression

Type II deiodinase (D2) activates thyroid hormone by converting thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine (T3). This allows plasma T4 to signal a negative feedback loop that inhibits production of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the pituitary. To determine the relative contributions of these D2 pathways in the feedback loop, we developed 2 mouse strains with pituitary- and astrocyte-specific D2 knockdown (pit-D2 KO and astro-D2 KO mice, respectively). The pit-D2 KO mice had normal serum T3 and were systemically euthyroid, but exhibited an approximately 3-fold elevation in serum TSH levels and a 40% reduction in biological activity. This was the result of elevated serum T4 that increased D2-mediated T3 production in the MBH, thus decreasing Trh mRNA. That tanycytes, not astrocytes, are the cells within the MBH that mediate T4-to-T3 conversion was defined by studies using the astro-D2 KO mice. Despite near-complete loss of brain D2, tanycyte D2 was preserved in astro-D2 KO mice at levels that were sufficient to maintain both the T4-dependent negative feedback loop and thyroid economy. Taken together, these data demonstrated that the hypothalamic-thyroid axis is wired to maintain normal plasma T3 levels, which is achieved through coordination of T4-to-T3 conversion between thyrotrophs and tanycytes.