419 research outputs found
High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein in Osteoarthritic Knee Tissue and Chondrogenic Progenitor Cells: An Ex Vivo and In Vitro Study
No full textObjective In osteoarthritis (OA), a loss of healthy cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) results in cartilage degeneration. Attracting chondrogenic progenitor cells (CPCs) to injury sites and stimulating them toward chondrogenic expression profiles is a regenerative approach in OA therapy. High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is associated with chemoattractant and proinflammatory effects in various pathological processes. Here, we investigate the migratory effects of HMGB1 in knee OA and CPCs for the first time. Design Immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and immunocytochemistry were performed to identify HMGB1 and its receptors, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in OA knee tissue, chondrocytes, and CPCs. In situ hybridization for HMGB1 mRNA was performed in CPCs ex vivo. The chemoattractant effects of HMGB1 on CPCs were analyzed in cell migration assays. Results HMGB1 expression in OA tissue and OA chondrocytes was higher than in healthy specimens and cells. HMGB1, RAGE, and TLR4 were expressed in CPCs and chondrocytes. In situ hybridization revealed HMGB1 mRNA in CPCs after migration into OA knee tissue, and immunohistochemistry confirmed HMGB1 expression at the protein level. Stimulation via HMGB1 significantly increased the migration of CPCs. Conclusions Our results show the chemoattractant role of HMGB1 in knee OA. HMGB1 is released by chondrocytes and has migratory effects on CPCs. These effects might be mediated via RAGE and TLR4. The in vitro and ex vivo results of this study need to be confirmed in vivo.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft https://doi.org/10.13039/50110000165
Christa Wolf und die Verortung von dem Selbst. Eine Analyse der Selbstverwirklichung in Christa Wolfs Roman Nachdenken über Christa T.
No full textChrista Wolf was born in 1929 in a country that shortly thereafter
had to end its existence. The famous German writer then studied, lived,
and wrote in another system, which in turn was dissolved after decades.
Such events have a dramatic effect on the life of an individual. The paper
attempts to identify some features related to writing and identity in Wolf’s
novel Nachdenken über Christa T (Reflections on Christa T.). In her texts, the
author writes about her characters who encounter existential contradictions:
on the one hand, there is a totalitarian system in which human beings have
to survive; on the other hand, there is Wolf’s protagonist who tries to locate
his or her individuality and thus create an ethic of his/her life. Christa
Wolf’s analysis of identity is focused on the attempt to be authentic in a
milieu that gives her few opportunities for development. Wolf’s writing
describes our world. The texts written in the 60s, 70s, and 80s are still full
of relevance today. By reading Christa Wolf, we discover a system full of
violence, where the individual develops strategies for survival. The author
suggests an existential recipe: through critical questioning and through
a meticulous analysis of our own self, we are able to find a solution for
ourselves and for others
Translating the Author-Function: The (Re)Narration of Christa Wolf
No full textNarrative theory continues to offer new perspectives on the intercultural transfer of texts. Embedded in new narratives, the text opens up to new interpretations, resulting in the loss and acquisition of meaning. The writer’s persona or author-function (Foucault 1977) is also renegotiated by cultural transfer, as it is cumulatively and dynamically constructed through readings of an author’s texts and literary or biographical contexts. The translated author-function may differ considerably from the domestic, and may also interact with it as in the case of the East German writer Christa Wolf, whose international author-function has served for contrast (if not conflict) with her reception in the German Democratic Republic and united Germany. This was particularly marked during the 1990s, when revelations about Wolf’s political activity led to censure by the German media and literati. This paper demonstrates how the translation of Wolf’s texts and the construction of her international author-function have renegotiated her position within her domestic literary field
Eco-labels in the fashion industry : Developing a framework for classification
No full textAuthor Christa WeikerstorferMasterarbeit Universität Linz 202
Die Charakterentwicklungen der Protagonistinnen in Christa Wolfs Moskauer Novelle, Der geteilte Himmel und Nachdenken über Christa T.
No full textThis thesis presents an analysis of the character development of the female protagonists in Christa Wolf\u27s Moskauer Novelle, Der geteilte Himmel, and Nachdenken über Christa T. Three levels of development are considered: personal, political, and literary.
The thesis consists of three main chapters in which the levels of development of Vera Brauer, Rita Seidel, and Christa T., the female protagonists of Christa Wolf\u27s early works, are treated. One chapter is devoted to each of the three. To what extent the three protagonists can be reduced to a common denominator, and to what extent they differ from each other, will be discussed in the final chapter.
The levels of development--personal, political, and literary –can be found in all three works. A gradual intensification in development from work to work can also be noticed. The works reflect Christa Wolf\u27s development as an author as well. She changed from a faithful member of her political party into a critical writer. Although all three works contain biographical features, one can especially feel the closeness of the author in Nachdenken über Christa T. She seems to have gone through the same development as her protagonist
Zur Poetik der Erinnerung im literarischen und essayistischen Schaffen Christa Wolfs
No full textAugust (2012) was the last, posthumous edition of the literary work of Christa Wolf. In the context of this prosaic text, in which, as Christa Wolf wrote in the letter form-dedicated to her husband, there were many recollections; there was an attempt to analyze the prosaic memory of Christa Wolf (Nachdenken über Christa T., Kindheitsmuster, August). By defining the poetry of reminiscence of Wolf’s works, the author of the article has focused on Wolf’s essay – Lesen und Schreiben – it was a central piece in Christa Wolf’s work
Zur Poetik der Erinnerung im literarischen und essayistischen Schaffen Christa Wolfs
No full textAugust (2012) was the last, posthumous edition of the literary work of Christa Wolf. In the context of this prosaic text, in which, as Christa Wolf wrote in the letter form-dedicated to her husband, there were many recollections; there was an attempt to analyze the prosaic memory of Christa Wolf (Nachdenken über Christa T., Kindheitsmuster, August). By defining the poetry of reminiscence of Wolf’s works, the author of the article has focused on Wolf’s essay – Lesen und Schreiben – it was a central piece in Christa Wolf’s work
Zur Poetik der Erinnerung im literarischen und essayistischen Schaffen Christa Wolfs
No full textAugust (2012) was the last, posthumous edition of the literary work of Christa Wolf. In the context of this prosaic text, in which, as Christa Wolf wrote in the letter form-dedicated to her husband, there were many recollections; there was an attempt to analyze the prosaic memory of Christa Wolf (Nachdenken über Christa T., Kindheitsmuster, August). By defining the poetry of reminiscence of Wolf’s works, the author of the article has focused on Wolf’s essay – Lesen und Schreiben – it was a central piece in Christa Wolf’s work
The Influence of TGF-β3, EGF, and BGN on SOX9 and RUNX2 Expression in Human Chondrogenic Progenitor Cells
No full textSummary Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic joint disease and leads to the degradation of the extracellular matrix by an imbalance between anabolic and catabolic processes. TGF-β3 (transforming growth factor beta-3) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) influence the osteochondrogenic potential of chondrocytes. In this study, we compared the expression of mediators and receptors in the TGF-β3 and EGF pathways, as well as biglycan (BGN), in healthy and diseased chondrocytes. Furthermore, we used chondrogenic progenitor cells (CPCs) for in vitro stimulation and knockdown experiments to elucidate the effects of TGF-β3 and EGF on the chondrogenic potential. Our results demonstrate that the expression of TGF-beta receptor type-1 (TGFBRI) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is altered in diseased chondrocytes as well as in CPCs. Moreover, TGF-β3 and EGF stimulation influenced the expression levels of BGN, SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 9 (SOX9), and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) in CPCs. Therefore, changes in TGFBRI and EGFR expression likely contribute to the degenerative and regenerative effects seen in late stages of OA.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft https://doi.org/10.13039/50110000165
Laminins and Nidogens in the Pericellular Matrix of Chondrocytes: Their Role in Osteoarthritis and Chondrogenic Differentiation
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the role of laminins and nidogen-2 in osteoarthritis (OA) and their potential to support chondrogenic differentiation. We applied immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, siRNA, quantitative RT-PCR, Western blot, and proteome analysis for the investigation of cartilage tissue and isolated chondrocytes in three-dimensional culture obtained from patients with late-stage knee OA and nidogen-2 knockout mice. We demonstrate that subunits of laminins appear in OA cartilage and that nidogen-2-null mice exhibit typical osteoarthritic features. Chondrogenic progenitor cells (CPCs) produced high levels of laminin-α1, laminin-α5, and nidogen-2 in their pericellular matrix, and laminin-α1 enhanced collagen type II and reduced collagen type I expression by cultured CPCs. Nidogen-2 increased SOX9 gene expression. Knockdown of nidogen-2 reduced SOX9 expression, whereas it up-regulated RUNX2 expression. This study reveals that the influence of the pericellular matrix on CPCs is important for the expression of the major regulator transcription factors, SOX9 and RUNX2. Our novel findings that laminins and nidogen-2 drive CPCs toward chondrogenesis may help in the elucidation of new treatment strategies for cartilage tissue regeneration
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