Journal of Jazz Studies (JJS)
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Identification of Anti-Inflammatory Compounds Present in Nigella Sativa and Analyzing Their Effects on the Inflammation Pathway Using In Silico Techniques
No full textNigella sativa, also known as black cumin, is an herb native to Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. The chemical constituents found in Nigella sativa seeds have been known to have a wide array of pharmacological actions. Previous studies have primarily focused on identifying the structures of these compounds and their medicinal properties based on physiochemical analysis. There have been few studies that explain how these compounds interact with enzymes found in the human body. Hence, the objective of this study was to identify anti-inflammatory compounds present in Nigella sativa from previous literature and see if these compounds can be used to target the cyclooxygenase-2 inflammatory pathway. We compiled a list of twenty-three chemical compounds present in Nigella sativa and then constructed a comprehensive molecular database of their three-dimensional structures using chemical modeling approaches. We then docked these compounds into two different cyclooxygenase-2 molecules, using in silico techniques, to observe their conformation as well as binding affinity. Furthermore, we analyzed the inter-action patterns of the five most stable compounds to understand their effects on the cyclooxygenase binding pocket. In conclusion, using structural bioinformatics approaches, we have identified novel compounds derived from Nigella sativa that can be used as possible agents to target inflammation
Cystinuria: Genetic Aspects and Novel Pharmacotherapeutics
No full textThis review provides an overview of the genetic aspects of cystinuria, as well as the novel pharmacotherapeutics that could potentially be used to treat the disease. Cystinuria is an inherited disorder characterized by the formation of painful stones in the kidneys, bladder, and other parts of the renal system. Currently, mutations responsible for cystinuria have been identified in two genes (SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 ), and cystinuria patients are categorized based on their genotypes - which versions, or alleles, of these genes they have (mutated or wild-type). Regardless of genotype, however, current treatments for all cystinuria patients have significant limitations. This has led researchers to search for more promising therapeutics. One potential treatment uses cystine analogs—compounds that are structurally similar to cystine, which is the naturally occurring chemical substance from which the stones are formed. These compounds have demonstrated the ability to inhibit stone formation by stunting cystine crystallization – the process by which cystine crystals aggregate to form stones. Gene therapy may also be used to treat cystinuria in the future by replacing mutated copies of SLC3A1 and SLC7A9 with healthy ones. Technological advancements and an improvement of our understanding of how gene therapy functions in the renal system could reveal even more treatment possibilities
Bud Powell Behind the Scenes: Highlights from the Francis Paudras Collection on Bud Powell
No full textThe Francis Paudras collection on Bud Powell contains over twenty hours of footage of the renowned American jazz pianist Bud Powell (1924-1966). This article explores the major highlights from the Francis Paudras collection and outlines how archivists at the Institute are making the films more accessible to researchers
Rilke in Translation: Uncovering the Panther in the English Language
No full textWalter Benjamin’s influential essay, The Task of the Translator, reflects on how translation can be used to create new works of art and literature instead of attempting to create exact replicas of original works. Rather than translating by searching for words in the target language that are most equivalent to words in the original language, Benjamin encourages the practice of translation as a process which lets two languages influence and change one another. Using Benjamin as a guide, I attempt to create an English translation of Rainer Maria Rilke’s German language poem “Der Panther” that distributes the meaning of the original work throughout the entire translation. To do this, I shift my focus away from translating words and phrases in isolation to reflect on how the effects of seemingly small translation choices reverberate through the work as a whole. I will also compare my translation to the historically important translations of “Der Panther” by Stephen Mitchell, Robert Bly, and C. F. MacIntyre, and argue how mine allows for analyses of themes such as stillness, the panther’s mental state, and the panther’s mind-body relation which more closely emulate Rilke’s original work
Socializing at the Shopping Mall: A Review of Literature to Reassess the Social Value of the American Mall
No full textThe shopping mall was not just a monument to consumption, as it is often framed, but also a place where American suburbanites could find community. The American shopping mall was pioneered in the 1950s, partially as a way to fix the social gaps that are present in a suburban environment and rose to its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. During this time, the mall became a place for suburban residents to socialize, as illustrated by the phenomena of “mall rats” and mall walkers. Despite this social significance, the mall was typically only seen as a place to fulfill consumer needs rather than social needs. I will survey the literature surrounding the social legacy of malls in an effort to reframe the legacy of the institution, in light of the benefits provided by hindsight. Shopping malls should be recognized for their ability to facilitate social connections and community during the late 20th century in a space as atomized as the suburbs
Jazz Standard as Archive: Theorizing a Relationship Between Jazz Improvisation and Standard Repertoire
No full textThe jazz standard remains an enduring part of the tradition of jazz performance and pedagogy. Contemporary jazz scholarship has tended to focus on improvisation as a practice and jazz-as-lived-experience and, while the jazz standard repertoire has occasionally been the subject of study the relationship between the standard repertoire and the ‘language’ or style of jazz has not been theorised. In this article I argue that the distinctive style of jazz improvisation is at least in part, determined by the characteristics of its shared repertoire and the statements that have accrued around that repertoire. I borrow Foucault’s conception of the archive to propose a reexamination of the historical progression of ideas that troubles the narrative of the individual creative genius and of jazz as the normative condition of improvisation. In this genealogical context, the jazz standard is positioned as an archive of a particular body of thought, a way of organizing and understanding the transmission, evolution and connection of ideas over time. The intended effect is to provide an alternative perspective on creativity in jazz, and a theorisation of an idea that is already implicit in jazz pedagogy and practice
Differential Gene Expression Analysis and Gene Ontology in Triploid and Diploid Pocillopora Acuta
No full textCorals are marine invertebrates that are facing life-threatening environmental stressors due to climate change. Polyploidy can, in such cases, be an important source of variation and adaptation in corals and other species. Polyploidy is the genomic condition wherein the cells of a normally diploid organism have more than one pair of chromosomes. Pocillopora acuta, also known as the cauliflower coral, is a brooding coral that can also reproduce asexually. It is a stress-sensitive coral, which means it shows clear physiological changes in response to environmental stressors like temperature, salinity, and pH. In this study, about 60% of the stony coral Pocillopora acuta samples collected from Kāneʻohe Bay, Oahu, HI, were triploid. The aim of this study was to identify the differences in gene expression patterns between triploid cluster 1 (T1), triploid cluster 2 (T2), and diploid samples (D) of P. acuta. Pairwise comparisons were carried out between all categories: T1 vs. D, T2 vs. D, and T1 vs. T2. While there were a large number of genes exhibiting similar expression patterns in both triploid clusters, many genes were differentially regulated in T1 when compared to T2. This result provides evidence suggesting that the two triploid lineages originated from separate triploidization events in Kāneʻohe Bay. The differentially expressed genes shared between these two triploid lineages, when compared to the diploid coral lineage, suggests changes in cellular physiology as a result of polyploidization. Functional analysis of the P. acuta genes can provide deeper insight into the specific, differentially regulated molecular functions and biological processes in triploids when compared to diploid P. acuta. Future studies involving comparative functional enrichment analysis with more triploid and diploid samples of P. acuta will provide more insight into events that caused triploidization and the coral’s response to environmental stressors
John Arthur "Jaki" Byard: A Centennial Tribute to an Original Eclectic
No full text2022 marks the centennial of the birth of pianist/composer John Arthur “Jaki” Byard. Byard is highly regarded among his many musician students and serious students of jazz history, but his place in the historical narrative of twentieth century jazz, and the nature of his music, have challenged conventional approaches to assessing them. Attributes are assigned to his playing and methodology that convey a simplistic interpretation of a complex man who expressed a profound and individual notion of the cultural, social, and political nature of his music and jazz. Well known for a comprehensive grasp of jazz history and a virtuosic ability to articulate it musically, his intentions are diluted and obfuscated by misinterpretation of the way he applies humor, eclecticism, and historical reference. This paper will examine Byard’s background as the source of his expansive view, his natural talents as humorist and educator, and how these elements led him to adopt the classical definition of eclecticism to craft a unique voice that was both inclusive and specific.