Nyau masquerade performance : shifting the imperial gaze

Nyau Masquerades have been studied by missionaries, anthropologists and religious specialists, but have seldom been documented by theatre and performance specialists. This dissertation argues for the acceptance of Ny au performance as a contemporary world theatre form rooted in tradition. Charting the uneasy relationship between the Nyau and those who have sought to record their performances, the author delineates a vivid dramaturgy of this art form. In doing so, the boundaries of what define theatre as it has traditionally been understood in dominant discourses are made more fluid. Nyau performances have been affected by Colonial processes in varied ways. They were banned by the former government of Northern Rhodesia and severely censored by Catholic Mission teachings in the former Nyasaland. Other forms of vilification have been more subtle. Information about performance in Africa has often been collected and arranged in ways which limit the understanding of these genres. Images of Africa which cluster around the notion of the 'Primitive Other' have enabled a representation of Ny au masking as a superstitious and outdated practice with no relevance for contemporary Africa. This work calls for a new examination of the Nyau, through the lens of local discourse as well as contemporary global understandings of performance. Chapter One examines the issue of primitivism and the ways in which Africa has historically been posited as the exotic Other to Europe. Chapter Two examines the Nyau ih terms of specific dramaturgical elements, adjusting previous misconceptions surrounding the theatr~ forms of Chewa and Nyanja people. Chapter Three is devoted to a discussion of space in ritual theatre and Nyau performance, while Chapter Four explores masking and questions of transformation and liminality. In conclusion, it is seen that the use of the mask is a metaphor for the suspension of rigid boundaries separating subject/object, self/other, ritual/theatre, a suspension which needs to take place before an enriched understanding of performance in Africa can be reached

Structure and biochemical analysis of the heparin-induced E1 dimer of the amyloid precursor protein

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is the key player in Alzheimer’s disease pathology, yet APP and its analogues are also essential for neuronal development and cell homeostasis in mammals. We have determined the crystal structure of the entire N-terminal APP-E1 domain consisting of the growth factor like and the copper binding domains at 2.7-Å resolution and show that E1 functions as a rigid functional entity. The two subdomains interact tightly in a pH-dependent manner via an evolutionarily conserved interface area. Two E1 entities dimerize upon their interaction with heparin, requiring 8–12 sugar rings to form the heparin-bridged APP-E1 dimer in an endothermic and pH-dependent process that is characterized by a low micromolar dissociation constant. Limited proteolysis confirms that the heparin-bridged E1 dimers obtained in solution correspond to a dimer contact in our crystal, enabling us to model this heparin-[APP-E1]2 complex. Correspondingly, the APP-based signal transduction, cell–cell- and/or cell–ECM interaction should depend on dimerization induced by heparin, as well as on pH, arguing that APP could fulfill different functions depending on its (sub)cellular localization

Engineered disulfides improve mechanical properties of recombinant spider silk

Nature's high-performance polymer, spider silk, is composed of specific proteins, spidroins, which form solid fibers. So far, fibers made from recombinant spidroins have failed in replicating the extraordinary mechanical properties of the native material. A recombinant miniature spidroin consisting of four poly-Ala/Gly-rich tandem repeats and a nonrepetitive C-terminal domain (4RepCT) can be isolated in physiological buffers and undergoes self assembly into macrofibers. Herein, we have made a first attempt to improve the mechanical properties of 4RepCT fibers by selective introduction of AA → CC mutations and by letting the fibers form under physiologically relevant redox conditions. Introduction of AA → CC mutations in the first poly-Ala block in the miniature spidroin increases the stiffness and tensile strength without changes in ability to form fibers, or in fiber morphology. These improved mechanical properties correlate with degree of disulfide formation. AA → CC mutations in the forth poly-Ala block, however, lead to premature aggregation of the protein, possibly due to disulfide bonding with a conserved Cys in the C-terminal domain. Replacement of this Cys with a Ser, lowers thermal stability but does not interfere with dimerization, fiber morphology or tensile strength. These results show that mutagenesis of 4RepCT can reveal spidroin structure-activity relationships and generate recombinant fibers with improved mechanical properties

Using Subjectivity and Emotion to Reconsider Participatory Natural Resource Management

This article examines what attention to subjectivity and emotion can bring to understandings of participatory resource governance. This focus highlights limitations of common participatory governance approaches, as well as possible ways forward. Attention to these dynamics makes it clear that for participatory governance interventions to be equitable and sustainable they must attend simultaneously to structural and institutional dynamics, as well as an individuals’ experience of participation. Moving forward, we offer some suggestions of new tools and approaches (e.g. emotion work, participatory performance, and spatial tools) that emerge from explicit consideration of emotional and subjective dimensions of participatory resource governance.Science, Faculty ofResources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute forReviewedFacultyGraduat