1,727,194 research outputs found
Literary Stardom and Heavenly Gifts: Haruki Murakami (1949)
Full text linkFrom the volume's introduction: "That contemporary literary celebrity can be a global phenomenon is demonstrated by the example of Haruki Murakami. Globalization of literary production, Gaston Franssen reasons, has had major consequences for this author’s image: for instance, Murakami is frequently attacked in Japan by literary critics on account of the allegedly over-Western style and atmosphere that characterize his work, whereas he is frequently framed in Europe and the United States as an author who presents a penetrating analysis of Japanese culture. Intriguingly, Murakami boasts a broad fan base of loyal readers in both the West and in Japan, who will stand in line at bookstores for hours to buy his latest novel and who gather to share experiences at Murakami festivals. Franssen demonstrates that the author pits diffferent forms of literary authorship against each other in his work, expressing apparent criticism of the commercialization and mediatization of literature.
Introduction: Starring the Author
No full textLiterary celebrity is by now a familiar feat of contemporary literary culture, but it continues to raise complex questions about the history and development of fame, the interplay between the cultural marketplace and the official culture of critics and the canon, and the relation between authorial agency and public appropriation. This introduction addresses these questions by approaching literary celebrity as a merging of two discursive constructions: the celebrity-function and the author-function. By combining insights from celebrity studies, literary history and cultural memory studies, the introduction conceptualizes literary celebrity as a discursive construction with several variables, such as the author’s self-presentation, the circulation of his public identity, changing opinions on literature and writership, and the public afterlife of the author’s image
Proteolytic processing of the primary translation products of cowpea mosaic virus RNAs
Full text linkCowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) is the type member of a group of plant viruses, the comoviruses, with a genome consisting of two single stranded RNA molecules separately encapsidated in icosahedral particles. A characteristic feature of the two genome RNAs is that they are both polyadenylated at their 3'-terminus and supplied with a small protein at their 5'end. The genetic information encoded in the virus RNAs is expressed by translation of each RNA into large-sized proteins referred to as polyproteins because these primary translation products are subsequently cleaved by specific proteolytic cleavages ("proteolytic processing") into a number of smaller-sized proteins, each with a specific function during virus multiplication. The research reported in this thesis deals with the identification of the proteolytic activities involved in this processing and their specificity.We have been able to demonstrate that the larger of the two virus RNAs, which contains the information necessary for virus RNA replication, also encodes two different proteolytic activities. One proteolytic activity is responsible for the cleavage of the overlapping polyproteins produced by the smaller of two virus RNAs and releases the two capsid proteins, encoded by this RNA (Chapter III and V), whereas the other proteolytic activity achieves the processing of the polyprotein produced by the larger RNA (Chapter VII). Besides this functional difference the two proteolytic activities recognise peptide bounds between different specific amino acid pairs (Chapter VI and VIII). The results of our studies have led to a detailed model for the processing of the proteins encoded on the two CM RNAs.The striking analogy between the plant comoviruses and the animal picornaviruses, like poliovirus and foot-and-mouth- disease virus, with regard to genome structure, replication, expression strategy and functional organisation of genes has prompted us to study the homology in amino acid sequences between corresponding proteins of the two groups of virus. It was found that some of the non-structural proteins of CM and the picornaviruses exhibit significant homology in amino acid sequence (Chapter VIII). These results suggest that animal picornaviruses and plant comoviruses have a common ancestor and throw a light on the evolution of RNA viruses
Studies on the use of haloperoxidases in organic synthesis
No full textThe subject of this thesis is the use of haloperoxidases in synthetic organic chemistry. Haloperoxidases are enzymes capable of halogenating a variety of organic compounds. They require hydrogen peroxide and halide ions as cosubstrates. The enzymes operate under mild conditions, compared to conventional halogenating agents, resulting in increased yields and purity of products. This thesis presents some new substrates for a chloroperoxidase from the mold Caldariomyces fumago (CPO) and a bromoperoxidase from the brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum (BPO). The reaction mechanisms of both enzymes and their natural function are discussed. The immobilization of CPO is studied.CPO catalyzes the smooth halogenation of various heterocyclic compounds. Barbituric acid and some of its derivatives give the corresponding 5-chloro or 5,5-dichloro compounds in very high yields (Ch. 2). 5-Monochlorobarbituric acid is obtained in high yield when the CPO-mediated chlorination reaction is combined with an electrochemical process. The 5,5-dichloro compound is reduced to its 5-monochloro analogue at an electrode, which is simultaneously used for the production of the cosubstrate hydrogen peroxide. The system is very efficient, as shown by the high turnover obtained for CPO (10 6-10 7) (Ch.3). Pyrazoles are also good substrates for the enzyme, giving their 4-chloro derivatives in high yields. CPO further converts 2-aminopyridine into 2-amino-3-chloropyridine and 8-hydroxyquinoline into the corresponding 5,7-dibromo compound (Ch. 4). Kinetic studies indicate that there are two possible reaction routes for CPO: I) the organic substrate binds to an oxidized enzyme intermediate and direct transfer of halogen takes place; II) the enzyme produces hypohalous acid as the active halogenating agent. The available data do not as yet permit a definitive choice of reaction mechanism. (Ch. 2).BPO smoothly brominates barbituric acid and some of its derivatives giving the corresponding 5-bromo or 5,5-dibromo compounds in good yields. Kinetic measurements show that BPO produces free hypobromous acid which either brominates the organic halogen acceptor or reacts with hydrogen peroxide giving singlet oxygen (Ch. 5).Relatively apolar substrates like monochlorodimedon and resorcinol are efficiently halogenated by CPO entrapped in reversed micelles. The system is composed of cetyltrimethyl ammonium halide (CTAX, X=Br or Cl), pentanol, octane and a small amount of aqueous buffer containing the enzyme and hydrogen peroxide. The CTAX serves a dual function: i) as a surfactant, it stabilizes the reversed micelle, and ii) as a supplier of the halide substrate. The reaction rates obtained are twice as high as in water (Ch. 6).CPO can be immobilized on various solid supports, but the low stability of the enzyme-support bond and the support itself at the optimal pH of the enzyme is a serious problem. The best way to immobilize CPO seems to be the crosslinking of a mixture of the enzyme and a water-soluble acrylamide- N -acryloxysuccinimide copolymer with an α-ω-diamine. In this way CPO is bound by means of both entrapment and covalent bonds, in 40% yield (Ch.7).Six new halometabolites have been detected by GC/MS analysis of the dichloromethane extract of the culture medium of Caldariomyces fumago. The compounds are chlorinated derivatives of ethanol, propanol-2 and 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol. Their possible biosynthetic routes and the implications for the reaction mechanism of CPO are discussed (Ch.8).In short, the two haloperoxidases studied here are biocatalysts which are potentially useful in synthetic organic methodology, because they perform their halogenation reactions in a very smooth and mild way. However, haloperoxidases with greater specificity in their reactions would certainly be of more advantage to the organic chemist.</p
Phototropism in seedlings of sunflower, Helianthus annuus L.
No full textIn this thesis the phototropic bending of hypocotyls of sunflower seedlings, Helianthus annuus L., is investigated.Chapter 1 gives the reasons for this project. Although phototropism has been studied extensively over the past 100 years, the understanding of the mechanism is far from clear. During this century two main hypotheses were developed, namely the theory of BLAAUW (1915), explaining phototropism as an effect of growth inhibition by light, and the CHOLODNY-WENT theory (1927, 1928), in which the lateral distribution and basipetal transport of the growth-promoting substance, auxin, are involved. Especially the latter received the attention of many investigators, probably because it deals with the first phytohormone discovered. The research on this subject has been mainly concentrated on the properties of auxin and the way in which it influences the pattern of curvature in etiolated coleoptiles. Much experimentation has been done with the exogenous application of diffusate from coleoptile tips or IAA, the auxin, to etiolated monocotyledonous seedlings, without measuring the endogenous levels of this growth substance in the plants themselves. In 1975 BRUINSMA et al., investigating the levels of IAA, in illuminated and shaded halves of phototropically stimulated, green sunflower seedlings, showed that this hormone is equally distributed between both halves. This discovery, and the fact that the evidence for both hypotheses mentioned above is still inconclusive, led to the present investigation.As experimental material sunflower seedlings, Helianthus annuus L., were chosen. Chapter 2 lists the material and methods used for the experiments described in the subsequent Chapters.Chapter 3 describes the influence of other processes on phototropism. It is shown that geotropism acts strongly on the deflected hypocotyl. Only the first hour after the beginning of the phototropic response can be considered to show pure phototropism. Because the delay in the onset of the response, the maximal degree of curvature is determined for each individual seedling during the first 2 hours of phototropic stimulation. The influences of the age of the seedling and length of the hypocotyl were studied as well. Seedlings of 4 to 5 days old and 40 to 60 mm long bend as uniformly as possible, and were used in the experiments described in this thesis. Careful manipulation of the seedlings did not influence the response.Chapter 4 deals with the influence of the other organs of the green seedling on the bending of the hypocotyl. It is concluded that neither the cotyledons and the shoot tip, nor the roots are essential for the response, although a stress effect due to the removal of these organs may cause a delay. The epidermis of the hypocotyl is indirectly involved; the peripheral layers are not necessary for the perception of the unilateral light, but probably control the growth, without which curvature cannot occur.In Chapter 5 the results of treatments with different wavelengths are shown. Unilateral blue light is the main active region, although the response caused by blue light is always slightly less than when caused by unilateral white light. In contrast to seedlings grown in white light, etiolated ones are not phototropically sensitive. Pretreatment of dark-grown seedlings with white or blue light renders them able to curve, and only illumination of the hypocotyl is necessary. The role of the cotyledons, that cannot be removed during this treatment without decreasing the bending, is probably to supply the substrates essential for the growth of the hypocotyl. Pretreatment with darkness of seedlings grown in white light makes them phototropically unresponsive. Again, only the hypocotyl needs this treatment and this indicates that the mechanism for phototropism is located within the hypocotyl. Green seedlings pretreated with red light only show poor curvature, but the growth rate of the seedlings is not related to the bending capacity.Chapter 6 presents the results of the effect of pretreatment with far-red irradiation on the phototropic response. It is shown that far red, more than a treatment in darkness, decreases the curvature in seedlings grown in white light and that the response is a low-energy reaction (L.E.R.). Red light did not affect the lack of bending of etiolated plants, but prolonged red illumination could reverse the effect of far-red irradiance in green seedlings. It is concluded that the perception of the far-red irradiance is located in both the hypocotyl and the cotyledons. Again, no correlation between the growth rate and the curvature of plants pretreated with far red can be detected.The involvement of hormones in the phototropic response is studied in Chapter 7. IAA is not unilaterally distributed in curving parts of the seedlings that were 30 to 45 min phototropically stimulated. No IAA could be detected in diffusates from the seedlings, and this absence is not due to destruction of IAA at the cut surface. However, a growth-inhibiting activity was found in the diffusates, both from hypocotyls and from cotyledons, and this activity was not asymmetrically distributed in bending plants.The role of the growth inhibitor, xanthoxin, was investigated. Experiments are described to show that xanthoxin is not contaminated with ABA after the extraction procedure, and that a bioassay can be properly used for the determination of xanthoxin. In straight hypocotyls xanthoxin is equally distributed, but in curving and curved ones more inhibitor can be extracted from the illuminated side than from the shaded one. From seedlings pretreated with white or blue light, which are phototropically sensitive, a higher amount of xanthoxin can be extracted than from etiolated, phototropically unresponsive, plants. In seedlings pretreated with red light, which show only a poor bending, a variable amount of xanthoxin was detected. The results of experiments in which xanthoxin was exogenously applied to seedlings were inconclusive.Gibberellic acid, GA 3 , applied to the seedlings pretreated with red light 1 hour before the onset of the phototropic experiment, increases the curvature, whereas GA 3 applied to plants grown in white light has no effect. The growth rate of the treated plants does not differ from that of the control group. Seedlings treated daily with various concentrations of the growth retardant CCC show different lengths after four days. Their phototropic curvature, however, is the same, again demonstrating that the extent of curvature is not related to the elongation growth.In the General Discussion (Chapter 8) the CHOLODNY-WENT theory is rejected as an explanation of phototropism in the sunflower seedling. Instead the theory of BLAAUW is modified by ascribing the phototropic reaction to a growth inhibition at the irradiated side, caused by light-induced relative accumulation of xanthoxin at that side. This may account for a curvature independent of the growth rate regulated by auxin and gibberellin
Abnormalities in lipoprotein metabolism: from dysfunctional HDL to abnormal processing of triglyceride rich lipoproteins
No full textRemco Franssen bestudeerde de rol van HDL, van nature gezien als het goede cholesterol, in ontstekingsprocessen en in het reverse cholesterol transport. Het kunstmatige rHDL is in staat de gevolgen van een stijging van het ontstekingseiwit CRP te voorkomen. Een chronische ontsteking als reuma of de ziekte van Crohn is volgens Franssen niet van invloed op de opnamecapaciteit van cholesterol door HDL. Bij families met een erfelijk laag HDL is de cholesteroluitscheiding in de ontlasting verminderd
Sanctions Dataset for Kohl, van den Berg & Franssen (2023), "Going Dutch? Firm Exports and FDI in the Wake of the 2014 EU-Russia Sanctions", Review of International Economics
No full textSanctions dataset for Kohl T, Berg M van der, Franssen L (2023), “Going Dutch? Firm exports and FDI in the wake of the 2014 EU-Russia sanctions”, Review of International Economics, https://doi.org/10.1111/roie.12717
The Dutch human Q fever outbreak: exploratory clinical studies
No full textContains fulltext :
161670.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)Radboud University, 25 november 2016Promotor : Dekhuijzen, P.N.R. Co-promotores : Groot, C.A.R., Nabuurs-Franssen, M.H
Molecular investigation of the Q fever epidemic in the Netherlands. The largest outbreak caused by Coxiella burnetii ever reported
No full textContains fulltext :
112910.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen, 25 september 2013Promotor : Voss, A. Co-promotores : Nabuurs-Franssen, M.H., Klaassen, C.H.W
Le savant et son époque à travers sa correspondance Seeger A. Bonebakker (1923-2005) et quelques notes sur Ḫalīl b. Aybak al-Ṣafadī (696-764/1297-1363)
Full text linkThis article proposes a survey of two great scholars’ in Arabic literature correspondences:
a European of the 20th century, Seeger Adrianus Bonebakker, who is of
special interest for us because he bequeathed all of his great library, personal notes and
correspondence to Università Ca’ Foscari, and a subject of study of the former, Ḫalīl b.
Aybak al-Ṣafadī, great littérateur and scholar of the first century of the Mamluk period.
Letters sent and received are preserved in both cases and are primary sources on their
network, but also on their personal life, personality and methodology
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