85 research outputs found
Microtubules as a signal hub for axon growth in response to mechanical force
No full textMicrotubules are highly polar structures and are characterized by high anisotropy and stiffness. In neurons, they play a key role in the directional transport of vesicles and organelles. In the neuronal projections called axons, they form parallel bundles, mostly oriented with the plus-end towards the axonal termination. Their physico-chemical properties have recently attracted attention as a potential candidate in sensing, processing and transducing physical signals generated by mechanical forces. Here, we discuss the main evidence supporting the role of microtubules as a signal hub for axon growth in response to a traction force. Applying a tension to the axon appears to stabilize the microtubules, which, in turn, coordinate a modulation of axonal transport, local translation and their cross-talk. We speculate on the possible mechanisms modulating microtubule dynamics under tension, based on evidence collected in neuronal and non-neuronal cell types. However, the fundamental question of the causal relationship between these mechanisms is still elusive because the mechano-sensitive element in this chain has not yet been identified
Author-Agent Conversation
No full textAuthor-agent conversation, April 21st, 2023
Langsam 646, Elliston Poetry Room
Host: Chris Bachelder
Author: Allegra Hyde
Agent: Erin Harris
1.) Welcome (Bachelder)
2.) Introduction of Allegra Hyde (Bachelder)
3.) Introduction of Erin Harris (Bachelder)
4.) Writer and agent’s paths and their intersection (Hyde, Harris)
5.) Writer and agent working relationship (Hyde, Harris)
6.) Publishing short stories versus novels (Hyde, Harris)
7.) Query letter and timing to seek representation (Hyde, Harris)
8.) Audience Q&A (Hyde, Harris)
9.) Where the market is now (Hyde, Harris)
10.) Closing (Bachelder
Where Is Utopia in a Time of Disaster and Catastrophe? A Conversation with Allegra Hyde
No full textIn search of new literary voices that might present an answer to Amitav Ghosh’s 2016 lament on the failure of contemporary literary fiction to find forms that adequately express the multiple challenges of the Anthropocene, I came across a review of Allegra Hyde’s debut novel in the Los Angeles Times. The novel’s title, Eleutheria, was suggestive enough to pique my interest: etymologically, it evokes the concepts of liberty and freedom; geographically, it calls to mind the small island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas that was colonized in the late 1640s by a group of English Puritans known as the Eleutheran Adventurers. Add to this that Willa Marks, the novel’s narrator-protagonist, is a twenty-two-year-old member of Generation Z, the same generation as the students we teach these days, and Eleutheria (2022) becomes a worthy candidate for an American Studies syllabus. What kind of narrative tapestry was the author able to weave out of the materials of history, climate change, and a young generation’s growing frustration with the ecological and political state of the world? I was ready to discuss these and similar questions with a group of students in a seminar on Anglophone Literature in the Anthropocene during the summer semester 2023. Serendipitously, the son of an American colleague and long-time friend studied with Allegra Hyde at Oberlin College, where she is Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. He suggested that she might be willing to discuss her novel with a group of German students. When I issued the invitation to join us digitally for one session, she accepted. I interviewed Hyde, who is also the author of two short story collections – Of This New World (2016) and The Last Catastrophe (2023)– a few days later. The following text is the transcript of that conversation. It has been edited for readability
Lean into the mess: A review of Your Fat Friend (2023) and conversation with director and producer Jeanie Finlay
No full textAllegra Morgado’s review of the film Your Fat Friend brings together her perspective as a fat woman and the power of seeing one’s experiences mirrored on screen. Featuring a conversation with director and producer Jeanie Finlay, Morgado explores the nuanced depiction of author and podcaster Aubrey Gordon’s life in the documentary film, the meaning of it, and the impact the film has for fat folks and non-fat folks alike. Morgado includes excerpts from her conversation with Finlay to invite the reader into a behind-the-scenes look of the making of the film and the joyous messiness of the creative process. 
Creativity Unbound. Rethinking Audiovisual Authorship in the Artificial Intelligence Era
No full textThe advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has reshaped the debate on authorship in audiovisual media, challenging traditional notions of intellectual
property and creative agency. This paper explores the evolution of authorship from early cinematic theories to the rise of collaborative and intertextual media contents, ultimately questioning how AI-generated creative products should be attributed. By analyzing case studies, including AI-generated
films, TV shows and deepfake applications, we assess the implications of AI
as both a creative tool and a co-author. Legal and cultural perspectives are
considered, addressing copyright concerns and the function of AI in media
production. Our study argues that while AI introduces new complexities
in creative ownership, human oversight remains essential in shaping and
interpreting AI-assisted content. Ultimately, building on the ongoing transformation of media creation in the digital age, we claim that AI’s role in
authorship must be examined on a case-by-case basis
Where Is Utopia in a Time of Disaster and Catastrophe?
No full textIn search of new literary voices that might present an answer to Amitav Ghosh’s 2016 lament on the failure of contemporary literary fiction to find forms that adequately express the multiple challenges of the Anthropocene, I came across a review of Allegra Hyde’s debut novel in the Los Angeles Times. The novel’s title, Eleutheria, was suggestive enough to pique my interest: etymologically, it evokes the concepts of liberty and freedom; geographically, it calls to mind the small island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas that was colonized in the late 1640s by a group of English Puritans known as the Eleutheran Adventurers. Add to this that Willa Marks, the novel’s narrator-protagonist, is a twenty-two-year-old member of Generation Z, the same generation as the students we teach these days, and Eleutheria (2022) becomes a worthy candidate for an American Studies syllabus. What kind of narrative tapestry was the author able to weave out of the materials of history, climate change, and a young generation’s growing frustration with the ecological and political state of the world? I was ready to discuss these and similar questions with a group of students in a seminar on Anglophone Literature in the Anthropocene during the summer semester 2023. Serendipitously, the son of an American colleague and long-time friend studied with Allegra Hyde at Oberlin College, where she is Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. He suggested that she might be willing to discuss her novel with a group of German students. When I issued the invitation to join us digitally for one session, she accepted. I interviewed Hyde, who is also the author of two short story collections – Of This New World (2016) and The Last Catastrophe (2023)– a few days later. The following text is the transcript of that conversation. It has been edited for readability
Effects of Zika virus infection on FOXG1 transcription factor in human neural progenitors
No full textThe brain is the most complex and enigmatic organ of our body, its formation and development need extended time and a fine regulation. These aspects make the brain susceptible to many insults that might disrupt the normal development. In particular, the neocortex is structured and organized by a complex mechanism defined “inside out”, during which different cellular types are generated from neural stem cells (NSCs). Many neurological and psychiatric disorders occur because of alterations in these processes for environmental or genetic causes. Among the latter, are the congenital infections of central nervous system, for example pathologies caused by viruses belonging to the TORCH group, neurotropic and teratogenic agents. Following the 2015 outbreak in Brazil, Zika virus (ZIKV) has been added to this group. ZIKV is a viral agent able to cause severe neurodevelopmental impairments, including microcephaly, defined “Congenital Zika Syndrome” (CZS). Among the congenital causes of microcephaly, particularly interesting are the mutations of the transcriptional factor Forkhead box g1 (FOXG1). This protein is required for proper telencephalon and cortical development and many mutations are responsible for the “FOXG1-related disorders”, a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, including microcephaly, intellectual disability, and cerebral malformation.
In this thesis we investigated a possible functional alteration of FOXG1, with subsequent neurodevelopmental dis-regulation, as a consequence of ZIKV infection. Previous studies demonstrated that ZIKV infects mainly NSCs, therefore for our work we chose an in vitro model based on human neural precursors cells derived from induced pluripotent cells (hiPS-NPCs), by using a protocol of neural induction based on “Dual SMAD inhibition”. Generated hiPS-NPCs were infected with ZIKV and analysed by immunofluorescence to observe a possible impact on FOXG1 after infection. Our observations suggest that, while in the control FOXG1 is localized mainly in nucleus, after infection it dislocates to the cytoplasm.
hiPS-NPCs use provided us an alternative model to the study of ZIKV and its effect on neurodevelopment, this has let us to highlight how an exogenous insult can affect function and localization of an endogenous transcriptional factor, fundamental for the cortical development
Structural and functional axonal plasticity following mechanical stimulation
No full textOrgans and cells of our body are constantly subjected to mechanical forces. Neurons experience mechanical stimuli during neurodevelopment, aging, pathologic conditions and in everyday functions such as homeostatic processes and movement. Recent literature highlights microtubules (MTs) as crucial mediators in mechanotransduction. While the effects of transient and acute forces on neurons have been explored, the impact of repetitive mechanical stresses throughout the lifespan remain mostly unknown. Recently, in vitro studies have unveiled that repetitive mechanical motion can damage MTs. How do cells, which are subjected to mechanical stress daily, withstand this stimulation and keep working throughout our long lives? Using a device that applies compressive strains, I simulated the mechanical stress neurons experience daily. My findings show that mechanical stress intensity is key to neuronal fate. I found that low stress (2.5%) activates protective mechanisms, such as increased MT acetylation, preserving axon integrity. Moderate stress (5%) temporarily disrupts MT organization and reduces axon length, but neurons gradually recover structure and function, likely through repair mechanisms. However, high stress (10%) induces irreversible damage and cell death, revealing a critical threshold beyond which repair fails. These findings provide new insights into neuronal resilience and lay the groundwork for identifying how cellular functions can be restored
The \u27Tragic Mulatta\u27 Revisited: Race and Nationalism in Nineteenth-Century Antislavery Fiction
No full textThis very sophisticated book is distinguished by taking the figure of the tragic mulatta seriously as an embodiment of central concerns about race and nation in the antebellum United States. -Michael Bennett, Long Island University, Brooklyn Since its inception, the United States has been intensely preoccupied with interracialism. The concept is embedded everywhere in our social and political fabric, including our sense of national identity. And yet, in both its quantitative and symbolic forms, interracialism remains an extremely elusive phenomenon, causing policy makers and census boards to wrangle over how to delineate it and, on an emblematic level, stirring intense emotions from fear to fascination. In The Tragic Mulatta Revisited, Eve Allegra Raimon focuses on the mixed-race female slave in literature, arguing that this figure became a symbolic vehicle for explorations of race and nation-both of which were in crisis in the mid-nineteenth century. At this time, judicial, statutory, social, and scientific debates about the meaning of racial difference (and intermixture) coincided with disputes over frontier expansion, which were never merely about land acquisition but also literally about the complexion of that frontier. Embodying both northern and southern ideologies, the amalgamated mulatta, the author argues, can be viewed as quintessentially American, a precursor to contemporary motifs of hybrid and mestizo identities. Where others have focused on the gendered and racially abject position of the tragic mulatta, Raimon reconsiders texts by such central antislavery writers as Lydia Maria Child, William Wells Brown, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Harriet Wilson to suggest that the figure is more usefully examined as a way of understanding the volatile and shifting interface of race and national identity in the antebellum period. Eve Allegra Raimon is an associate professor of arts and humanities at the University of Southern Maine, Lewiston-Auburn College.https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/facbooks/1111/thumbnail.jp
Can repetitive mechanical motion cause structural damage to axons?
No full textBiological structures have evolved to very efficiently generate, transmit, and withstand mechanical forces. These biological examples have inspired mechanical engineers for centuries and led to the development of critical insights and concepts. However, progress in mechanical engineering also raises new questions about biological structures. The past decades have seen the increasing study of failure of engineered structures due to repetitive loading, and its origin in processes such as materials fatigue. Repetitive loading is also experienced by some neurons, for example in the peripheral nervous system. This perspective, after briefly introducing the engineering concept of mechanical fatigue, aims to discuss the potential effects based on our knowledge of cellular responses to mechanical stresses. A particular focus of our discussion are the effects of mechanical stress on axons and their cytoskeletal structures. Furthermore, we highlight the difficulty of imaging these structures and the promise of new microscopy techniques. The identification of repair mechanisms and paradigms underlying long-term stability is an exciting and emerging topic in biology as well as a potential source of inspiration for engineers
- …
