Helena Blum (1904-1984) — a Polish art historian in the gender gap

Helena Blum (1904–84) was one of the most influential Polish art historians, working both as a curator at the National Museum in Cracow and as a researcher at the Institute of Art History at the University of Wrocław. In 1922, she began studying art history and archeology at the University in Lviv. Ten years later, Blum received his doctorate from this university. This was the first dissertation on modern art in Poland. In the 1930s she also studied in France. Blum was one of the key figures in Polish art history after the Second World War. Although she never became director of the National Museum in Kraków, as curator she built up the collection of Polish art in that museum, which was very much influenced by her own taste. Her distinctive curatorial strategies and art criticism influenced the so-called canon of Polish art from 1800 to 1970

„Alien city”. Miasto w procesie

The phenomenon of a city has been fascinating for ages not only architects and town planners, but also philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists and artists, who see in their transformation processes the reflection of changes taking place in human conditions. These changes’ dynamics intensifies, when a city functions only in virtual space, not having on its disposal a real architectonic tissue. This is the case of an alien city – a virtual city ‘floating’ in cyberspace of http://alien. mur.at/aliencity/index.php, created by Viennese group ‘alien productions’. As Ewa Rewers remarks: „Its Internet address becomes the doorstep […] There is a perspective of computer monitors, windows, which are the pass to ‘the better word’. Searching for ‘a better word’ in the context of a city has its long tradition, expressed in attempts of designing so called ideal cities. In the background of that tradition an alien city can also be perceived in categories of an ideal city. Made in cyberspace, it is an agglomeration meeting the utopian assumption and placed in the Net as postulates of the metropolis authorities. These desiderata touch the problem of society remodeling on the grounds of new ways of life creations, based on liberalization and abolition of all static axes and boundaries. When the ordered projects of Renaissance ideal cities based on harmony, symmetry and statics, not only in architectonic forms but a social system as well, an alien city is a city-process, characterized by constant changeability, fluctuation and imperceptibility. An alien city consists of images of real cities of the world and futuristic views generated by computer, overlapping one another. Visual aspects are completed by sounds, recorded in streets of various metropolises or created by the means of modern techniques. Therefore, it is a metropolis of a hybrid, multilayer character, being created as a result of accumulation of aspects taken from the reality, but also artificially created. Permanent and fixed topography and history does not exist, because every click on its map in the Internet changes its configuration, reorganizing the streets and public buildings’ location. Similar problem concerns its boundaries, which dislocate and remain elusive. An alien city vibrates perpetually, shakes and bustles with changes, but paradoxically it still remains itself, being a monad, in the meaning suggested by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, and also refers to ‘City in space’ by Friedrich Kiesler from 1925. An alien city functions as a dislocated city and its doorstep is not material but virtual as the Internet address. The Renaissance ideal cities were characterized by symmetry, centralization and situating in a carefully selected area, alien city with its monadic, undefined, decentralized and immaterial character is compatible to the spirit of contemporary times and its fluctuation.Fenomen miasta od wieków fascynuje nie tylko architektów i urbanistów, lecz także filozofów, socjologów, antropologów i artystów, którzy dostrzegają w jego transformacjach odzwierciedlenie zmian zachodzących w ludzkiej kondycji. Dynamika tych przemian nabiera szczególnego napięcia, gdy miasto funkcjonuje jedynie w obszarze wirtualnym, nie dysponując realną tkanką architektoniczną. A tak właśnie dzieje się w przypadku alien city – wirtualnego miasta „unoszącego się” w cyberprzestrzeni pod adresem http://alien.mur.at/aliencity/index.php, wykreowanego przez wiedeńską grupę alien productions. Jak zauważa Ewa Rewers: „Progiem miasta staje się adres jego strony w internecie. […] Pozostaje perspektywa monitorów komputerowych, okien, które nadal stanowią przepustkę do »lepszego świata«”. Poszukiwanie owego „lepszego świata” w kontekście miasta ma swoją długą tradycję, objawiającą się w próbach projektowania tak zwanych miast idealnych. Na tle tradycji także alien city może być postrzegane w kategoriach miasta idealnego. Powstałe w cyberprzestrzeni, jest aglomeracją wychodzącą naprzeciw utopijnym założeniom, zamieszczoną w sieci jako postulaty rządu tej metropolii w cyberprzestrzeni. Dezyderaty te dotykają kwestii przemodelowania społeczeństwa na bazie kreacji nowych sposobów życia, opartych o liberalizację oraz abolicję wszelkich osi statycznych i granic. O ile więc uporządkowane projekty renesansowych miast idealnych opierały się na harmonii, symetrii i statyce – zarówno form architektonicznych, jak i ustroju społecznego, o tyle alien city jest miastem–procesem, cechującym się nieustanną zmiennością, płynnością i nieuchwytnością. Alien city składa się z nałożonych na siebie obrazów rozmaitych rzeczywistych miast świata oraz z futurystycznych widoków, wygenerowanych komputerowo. Aspekty wizualne są uzupełniane przez dźwięki, nagrane na ulicach różnych metropolii lub stworzone przy pomocy nowoczesnych technik. Jest więc metropolią o charakterze hybrydalnym, warstwowym i powstającym w wyniku kumulacji aspektów zaczerpniętych z realnej rzeczywistości, jak i sztucznie wykreowanych. Nie ma raz na zawsze ustalonej topografii i historii, gdyż każde kliknięcie na jego mapę w Internecie zmienia jej konfigurację, przeorganizowując rozkład ulic i instytucji. Podobnie rzecz się ma z jego granicami, które przemieszczają się i pozostają nieuchwytne. Alien city nieustannie wibruje, drga, tętni przemianą, chociaż przekształca się wewnętrznie, paradoksalnie, wciąż pozostaje sobą. Przypomina tym samym monadę, w znaczeniu zaproponowanym przez Gottfrieda Wilhelma Leibniza, a także nawiązuje do Miasta w przestrzeni Friedricha Kieslera z 1925 roku. Alien city funkcjonuje jako miasto zdelokalizowane, a jego próg nie jest materialny, lecz stanowi go adres strony internetowej. O ile więc renesansowe miasta idealne znamionowały symetria i centralizacja oraz usytuowanie w starannie wybranym terenie, o tyle alien city z jego monadycznym, nieuchwytnym, zdecentralizowanym i niematerialnym charakterem zestraja się z duchem współczesności i jej płynnością

Clinical examples of 3D dose distribution reconstruction, based on the actual MLC leaves movement, for dynamic treatment techniques

AbstractAimTo present practical examples of our new algorithm for reconstruction of 3D dose distribution, based on the actual MLC leaf movement.BackgroundDynaLog and RTplan files were used by DDcon software to prepare a new RTplan file for dose distribution reconstruction.Materials and methodsFour different clinically relevant scenarios were used to assess the feasibility of the proposed new approach: (1) Reconstruction of whole treatment sessions for prostate cancer; (2) Reconstruction of IMRT verification treatment plan; (3) Dose reconstruction in breast cancer; (4) Reconstruction of interrupted arc and complementary plan for an interrupted VMAT treatment session of prostate cancer. The applied reconstruction method was validated by comparing reconstructed and measured fluence maps. For all statistical analysis, the U Mann–Whitney test was used.ResultsIn the first two and the fourth cases, there were no statistically significant differences between the planned and reconstructed dose distribution (p=0.910, p=0.975, p=0.893, respectively). In the third case the differences were statistically significant (p=0.015). Treatment plan had to be reconstructed.ConclusionDeveloped dose distribution reconstruction algorithm presents a very useful QA tool. It provides means for 3D dose distribution verification in patient volume and allows to evaluate the influence of actual MLC leaf motion on the dose distribution

Modulation of expression of genes involved in glycosaminoglycan metabolism and lysosome biogenesis by flavonoids

Flavonoids were found previously to modulate efficiency of synthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), compounds which are accumulated in cells of patients suffering from mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs). The aim of this work was to determine effects of different flavonoids (genistein, kaempferol, daidzein) used alone or in combinations, on expression of genes coding for proteins involved in GAG metabolism. Analyses with DNA microarray, followed by real-time qRT-PCR revealed that genistein, kaempferol and combination of these two compounds induced dose- and time-dependent remarkable alterations in transcript profiles of GAG metabolism genes in cultures of wild-type human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa). Interestingly, effects of the mixture of genistein and kaempferol were stronger than those revealed by any of these compounds used alone. Similarly, the most effective reduction in levels of GAG production, in both HDFa and MPS II cells, was observed in the presence of genistein, keampferol and combination of these compounds. Forty five genes were chosen for further verification not only in HDFa, but also inMPS II fibroblasts by using real-time qRT-PCR. Despite effects on GAG metabolism-related genes, we found that genistein, kaempferol and mixture of these compounds significantly stimulated expression of TFEB. Additionally, a decrease inMTOR transcript level was observed at these conditions

Chemerin Effect on the Endometrial Proteome of the Domestic Pig during Implantation Obtained by LC-MS/MS Analysis

Chemerin (CHEM) is a hormone mainly expressed in adipocytes involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis and inflammatory response. CHEM expression has been demonstrated in the structures of the porcine hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, as well as in the uterus, trophoblasts and conceptuses of pigs. In this study, we performed high-throughput proteomic analyses (liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS) to examine the influence of CHEM (400 ng/mL) on differentially regulated proteins (DRPs) in the porcine endometrial tissue explants during implantation (15 to 16 days of gestation). Among all 352 DRPs, 164 were up-regulated and 188 were down-regulated in CHEM-treated group. DRPs were assigned to 47 gene ontology (GO) terms (p-adjusted < 0.05). Validation of four DRPs (IFIT5, TGFβ1, ACO1 and PGRMC1) by Western blot analysis confirmed the veracity and accuracy of the LC-MS/MS method used in the present study. We suggest that CHEM, by modulating various protein expressions, takes part in the endometrial cell proliferation, migration and invasion at the time of implantation. It also regulates the endometrial immune response, sensitivity to P4 and the formation of new blood vessels. Additionally, CHEM appears to be an important factor involved in endothelial cell dysfunction during the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The identification of a large number of DRPs under the influence of CHEM provides a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms of this hormone action during implantation, which is a prerequisite for better control of pig reproduction

HA PEGylated Filler in Association with an Infrared Energy Device for the Treatment of Facial Skin Aging: 150 Day Follow-Up Data Report

Background: The face is the area most exposed to the normal course of skin aging, both intrinsically and extrinsically. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cellular and clinical response of a therapeutic protocol aimed at countering facial skin aging. Materials and methods: Twenty female patients with facial skin laxity and photodamage underwent combined therapy including mesotherapy using non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid with calcium hydroxyapatite and an infrared energy-based device treatment with subsequent implementation of PEG-cross-linked hyaluronic acid soft tissue fillers. To evaluate the benefits, patients underwent histological, immunological, and biomechanical evaluations before the treatment and at 21 and 150 days after the treatment. Results: The histological results at 21 days and 150 days after the procedure showed an increase in the number of fibroblasts and angiogenesis. As for the immunological aspect, it was shown that the treatment has an immunomodulating action, avoiding the activation of CD4 and CD8 cells. Biomechanical data showed that, at 150 days after treatment, the average changes in skin elasticity increased by 72% and the skin hydration increased by 49%. Conclusions: A combination of an infrared energy-based device treatment with both non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid and novel PEG-cross-linked hyaluronic acid leads to numerous positive cutaneous changes after histological, immunological, and biomechanical evaluations

Dolls and puppet figures in narratives – themes and motifs in literature, art, theater, film, media, folklore and popular cultures

Die Onlineversion unterscheidet sich geringfügig gegenüber der Printausgabe. Auf Seite 88 wurde in der Printversion die falsche Übersetzung des Abstracts (Englisch) eingefügt. Dieser Fehler ist hier korrigiert. The online version differs slightly from the print edition. On page 88, the wrong translation of the abstract (English) was inserted in the print version. This error is corrected here.Dieses Themenheft behandelt die Vielfalt und das Potenzial von Puppennarrativen im weitesten Sinn und ihre universellen und/oder kulturspezifischen Formen, Spuren, Traditionen und Folkloren sowie das Spiel der jeweiligen Rezeptionsbezüge. Nachgespürt wird diesen Narrativen in einer Vielzahl von unterschiedlichen literarischen, künstlerischen, filmischen, (pop-)kulturellen und folkloristischen Bereichen sowie in pädagogisch relevanten Feldern. Eine eigens gestaltete kurze Graphic Novel hinterfragt darüber hinaus die Verknüpfung klassischer Puppentheater-Narrative mit zukunftsträchtigen KI-basierten Automatisierungsfantasien.This thematic issue deals with the diversity and potential of doll/puppet narratives in the broadest sense and with their universal and/or culture-specific forms, traces, traditions and folklore as well as with the interplay of the respective reception references. These narratives are traced in a variety of different literary, artistic, cinematic, (pop-)cultural and folkloristic genres as well as in pedagogically relevant fields. In addition, s specially designed short graphic novel questions the linking of classic puppet theater narratives with seminal AI-based automation fantasies

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts. June 4-7, 2019, Szczyrk, Polan