THE UNCONVENTIONAL BALLET BODY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

The Unconventional Ballet Body in the 21st Century represents the written portion of my thesis project in support of my dance choreography Bodily Intelligence, both requirements of the M.F.A. in Dance at the University of Maryland, College Park. Bodily Intelligence premiered on November 17th, 2022, at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Dance Theatre. This research explores the impact of unconventionality of ballet in the 21st century and reveals how the search for the ideal body aesthetics has made it exclusive and disconnected from the current times. This paper highlights the influence of dance icons whose atypical aesthetics pushed the art form’s boundaries and contributed to its advancement towards a more inclusive world. It also examines the importance of racial diversity, inclusion, and gender non-conformism within the dance world and explores the impact of the corps de ballet in the current era. Moreover, the research describes how my choreographic influences and professional ballet experience feed into the creative process. It shines a light on my desire to work with a racially diverse cast with various dance training and highlights how their collaborative effort can redefine the future of ballet in the twenty-first century

An efficient method to find potentially universal population genetic markers, applied to metazoans

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the impressive growth of sequence databases, the limited availability of nuclear markers that are sufficiently polymorphic for population genetics and phylogeography and applicable across various phyla restricts many potential studies, particularly in non-model organisms. Numerous introns have invariant positions among kingdoms, providing a potential source for such markers. Unfortunately, most of the few known EPIC (Exon Primed Intron Crossing) loci are restricted to vertebrates or belong to multigenic families.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to develop markers with broad applicability, we designed a bioinformatic approach aimed at avoiding multigenic families while identifying intron positions conserved across metazoan phyla. We developed a program facilitating the identification of EPIC loci which allowed slight variation in intron position. From the <it>Homolens </it>databases we selected 29 gene families which contained 52 promising introns for which we designed 93 primer pairs. PCR tests were performed on several ascidians, echinoderms, bivalves and cnidarians. On average, 24 different introns per genus were amplified in bilaterians. Remarkably, five of the introns successfully amplified in all of the metazoan genera tested (a dozen genera, including cnidarians). The influence of several factors on amplification success was investigated. Success rate was not related to the phylogenetic relatedness of a taxon to the groups that most influenced primer design, showing that these EPIC markers are extremely conserved in animals.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our new method now makes it possible to (i) rapidly isolate a set of EPIC markers for any phylum, even outside the animal kingdom, and thus, (ii) compare genetic diversity at potentially homologous polymorphic loci between divergent taxa.</p

Molecular Phylogeny Restores the Supra-Generic Subdivision of Homoscleromorph Sponges (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha)

Homoscleromorpha is the fourth major sponge lineage, recently recognized to be distinct from the Demospongiae. It contains <100 described species of exclusively marine sponges that have been traditionally subdivided into 7 genera based on morphological characters. Because some of the morphological features of the homoscleromorphs are shared with eumetazoans and are absent in other sponges, the phylogenetic position of the group has been investigated in several recent studies. However, the phylogenetic relationships within the group remain unexplored by modern methods.Here we describe the first molecular phylogeny of Homoscleromorpha based on nuclear (18S and 28S rDNA) and complete mitochondrial DNA sequence data that focuses on inter-generic relationships. Our results revealed two robust clades within this group, one containing the spiculate species (genera Plakina, Plakortis, Plakinastrella and Corticium) and the other containing aspiculate species (genera Oscarella and Pseudocorticium), thus rejecting a close relationship between Pseudocorticium and Corticium. Among the spiculate species, we found affinities between the Plakortis and Plakinastrella genera, and between the Plakina and Corticium. The validity of these clades is furthermore supported by specific morphological characters, notably the type of spicules. Furthermore, the monophyly of the Corticium genus is supported while the monophyly of Plakina is not.As the result of our study we propose to restore the pre-1995 subdivision of Homoscleromorpha into two families: Plakinidae Schulze, 1880 for spiculate species and Oscarellidae Lendenfeld, 1887 for aspiculate species that had been rejected after the description of the genus Pseudocorticium. We also note that the two families of homoscleromorphs exhibit evolutionary stable, but have drastically distinct mitochondrial genome organizations that differ in gene content and gene order

Case Reports1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGFβ Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections are not uncommon causes of sudden death in young adults. Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant, connective tissue disease characterized by aggressive arterial aneurysms, resulting from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor genes TGFBR1 and TGFBR2. Mean age at death is 26.1 years, most often due to aortic dissection. We report an unusually late presentation of LDS, diagnosed following elective surgery in a female with a long history of joint hypermobility. Methods: A 51-year-old Caucasian lady complained of chest pain and headache following a dural leak from spinal anaesthesia for an elective ankle arthroscopy. CT scan and echocardiography demonstrated a dilated aortic root and significant aortic regurgitation. MRA demonstrated aortic tortuosity, an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and aneurysms in the left renal and right internal mammary arteries. She underwent aortic root repair and aortic valve replacement. She had a background of long-standing joint pains secondary to hypermobility, easy bruising, unusual fracture susceptibility and mild bronchiectasis. She had one healthy child age 32, after which she suffered a uterine prolapse. Examination revealed mild Marfanoid features. Uvula, skin and ophthalmological examination was normal. Results: Fibrillin-1 testing for Marfan syndrome (MFS) was negative. Detection of a c.1270G > C (p.Gly424Arg) TGFBR2 mutation confirmed the diagnosis of LDS. Losartan was started for vascular protection. Conclusions: LDS is a severe inherited vasculopathy that usually presents in childhood. It is characterized by aortic root dilatation and ascending aneurysms. There is a higher risk of aortic dissection compared with MFS. Clinical features overlap with MFS and Ehlers Danlos syndrome Type IV, but differentiating dysmorphogenic features include ocular hypertelorism, bifid uvula and cleft palate. Echocardiography and MRA or CT scanning from head to pelvis is recommended to establish the extent of vascular involvement. Management involves early surgical intervention, including early valve-sparing aortic root replacement, genetic counselling and close monitoring in pregnancy. Despite being caused by loss of function mutations in either TGFβ receptor, paradoxical activation of TGFβ signalling is seen, suggesting that TGFβ antagonism may confer disease modifying effects similar to those observed in MFS. TGFβ antagonism can be achieved with angiotensin antagonists, such as Losartan, which is able to delay aortic aneurysm development in preclinical models and in patients with MFS. Our case emphasizes the importance of timely recognition of vasculopathy syndromes in patients with hypermobility and the need for early surgical intervention. It also highlights their heterogeneity and the potential for late presentation. Disclosures: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes

The Homoscleromorph Sponge, Oscarella lobularis

International audienc

Preliminary DNA-based diet assessment of a gutless carnivore, the sponge Asbestopluma hypogea

International audienceDeep-sea and underwater cave habitats are oligotrophic environments representing strong selective pressures for marine organisms. One family of sponges, Cladorhizidae, consists of very peculiar sponge species that have successfully colonised the deepest oceans as well as caves. They are not filter-feeders as every other Porifera but have evolved to become gutless carnivores. Assessing the diet of such organisms lacking a regular gut appears challenging using classic trophic ecological methods but is rather promising using molecular approaches. We here assessed the in situ diet of the carnivorous sponge Asbestopluma hypogea Vacelet & Boury-Esnault, 1995 by targeting the remaining prey DNA. Using 18S rDNA primers that do not amplify the sponge predator, we were able to amplify prey DNA over a large taxonomic range. DNA belonging to e.g. copepods, polychaetes, nematodes, brittle stars and mysids was detected. Some of these organisms were indeed visually identified as effective prey for the carnivorous sponge A. hypogea and these findings are in accordance with its opportunistic mode of feeding. When combined with stable isotope approach and morphological identification of captured prey, this method can be very useful to understand some of the diet of cladorhizid sponges. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Does Hybridization Increase Evolutionary Rate? Data from the 28S-rDNA D8 Domain in Echinoderms

The divergent domain D8 of the large ribosomal RNA is very variable and extended in vertebrates compared to other eukaryotes. We provide data from 31 species of echinoderms and present the first comparative analysis of the D8 in nonvertebrate deuterostomes. In addition, we obtained 16S mitochondrial DNA sequences for the sea urchin taxa and analyzed single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) of D8 in several populations within the species complex Echinocardium cordatum. A common secondary structure supported by compensatory substitutions and indels is inferred for echinoderms. Variation mostly arises at the tip of the longest stem (D8a), and the most variable taxa also display the longest and most stable D8. The most stable variants are the only ones displaying bulges in the terminal part of the stem, suggesting that selection, rather than maximizing stability of the D8 secondary structure, maintains it in a given range. Striking variation in D8 evolutionary rates was evidenced among sea urchins, by comparison with both 16S mitochondrial DNA and paleontological data. In Echinocardium cordatum and Strongylocentrotus pallidus and S. droebachiensis, belonging to very distant genera, the increase in D8 evolutionary rate is extreme. Their highly stable D8 secondary structures rule out the possibility of pseudogenes. Thes

Corrosion product transfer in French PWRs during shutdown

International audiencePhysicochemical conditions significantly vary during cold shutdown in French PWRs: power and temperature decrease, chemical conditions are modified (pH decrease and change from reducing to oxidizing conditions). These changes involve corrosion product releases in the primary water (dissolving and crud bursts) which can be seen by a considerable corrosion product increase, from 2 to 3 orders of magnitude, in the activity concentrations (about a hundred GBq/t of 58 Co, about one GBq/t of 60 Co…) and in the chemical species quantity (several kilograms of nickel, several hundred grams of chromium…). The 58 Co peak activities which are lower than the French PWR average are generally due to delayed or incomplete oxygenations or unscheduled shutdowns with oxygenation during operating cycles. An unscheduled shutdown with oxygenation in the last six months of an operating cycle must reduce the 58 Co activity peak during refueling shutdown, more especially as the unscheduled shutdown occurs near the end of the cycle. Thus, when the shutdown happens in the three months prior to the end of the cycle, it is very likely that the 58 Co peak during the refueling shutdown will be two times lower than the expected peak. The large quantity of corrosion products released during shutdown mainly come from the dissolution of the incore deposits due to primary system oxygenation, in particular the dissolution of nickel metal or nickel oxide, leading to the dissolution of the 58 Co derived from the nickel sites in the crud. Thus, the total 58 Co activity released during oxygenation is equal to, or even higher than, the out-of-core total surface activity. Therefore, the cold shutdown procedure must prevent the transfer of this considerable activity from the in-core to the out-ofcore surfaces. Deposited activity measurements carried out in French PWR primary circuits have never shown any visible contamination reduction during cold shutdown. On the contrary, recontamination can occur because of a temperature plateau or an oxygenation at a temperature over 80°C. That is the reason why: • Primary circuit oxygenation at 80°C, • Rapid temperature decrease and • Improvements on primary fluid purification, during cold shutdowns, have, up to this day, been the main points in the EDF strategy to reach the required dosimetric goals (ALARA), all the while optimizing unit outage schedules (availability). This paper thus proposes a description of corrosion product behaviour during French PWR shutdowns in order to optimise cold shutdown procedures