Homing in on the uncanny

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der TV-Serie Twin Peaks (1991-1991), welche von David Lynch geschrieben wurde und bei der er auch teilweise selbst Regie führte. Die Analyse der Serie geht von der Frage aus, welche filmischen Mittel zum Einsatz kommen, um Unheimlichkeit zu erzeugen. Zu diesem Zweck wird der Begriff des Unheimlichen, so wie er im frühen 20. Jahrhundert von Sigmund Freud definiert wurde, herangezogen. Als Methode zur Feststellung der unheimlichen Elemente in der Serie dient die klassische Filmanalyse. Theoretische Abhandlungen, welche Beachtung erfahren, umfassen u.a. die Felder Architektur und bildende Kunst, sowie Soziologie, Philosophie und Gender Studies. Die Diplomarbeit gliedert sich in zwei Teile. Der erste Teil geht von einer genauen Lektüre von Freuds Aufsatz „Das Unheimliche“ aus. Diverse TheoretikerInnen und deren kritische Anmerkungen bezüglich der Abhandlung werden berücksichtigt, um das umfassende Konzept schließlich einzugrenzen. Die Konzentration auf eine etymologisch abgeleitete Auffassung des Unheimlichen, welche sich durch den deutschen Begriff „unheimlich“ (un-Heim-lich, engl. „uncanny“) ergibt, erlaubt dieses in der häuslichen Sphäre anzusiedeln. Die Analyse im zweiten Teil basiert auf eben dieser Konzeption des Unheimlichen, nach welcher es dem Heim entstammt. Nach einem Kurzüberblick über David Lynchs Filme unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der unheimlichen Charakteristika in seinem Oeuvre sollen sieben zentrale Häuser in Twin Peaks untersucht werden, speziell bezüglich ihrer Establishing Shots, der jeweiligen Inszenierung und des Set Designs. Ein Zusammenhang zwischen der Kultur/Natur Dichotomie und dem Unheimlichen sowie dessen Bezug zum Übernatürlichen wird beleuchtet. Des Weiteren werden unheimliche Schlüsselszenen, die in den jeweiligen Wohnstätten angesetzt sind, analysiert. Abschließend wird gezeigt, dass das Unheimliche in Twin Peaks hauptsächlich durch die hohe Anzahl an Kunstgriffen entsteht, d.h. durch Lynchs Wahl formalistischer Inszenierung von Szenen, in denen unheimliche Geheimnisse aufgedeckt werden. Die ursprüngliche These, dass es keine (rein) heimeligen Heimstätten in der Serie gibt, wird untermauert. Des Weiteren zeigt sich, dass diverse filmische Elemente, vor allem Musik, Komposition, Farbwahl und Perspektive so eingesetzt werden, dass die Häuser als Orte etabliert werden, die immer schon unheimliche Elemente beherbergen, wenn auch subtil. Folglich gibt es in Twin Peaks keine graduelle Umkehrung einer ursprünglichen Heimeligkeit in eine Umheimlichkeit.The present paper deals with the TV-series Twin Peaks (1991-1991), which was written and also partly directed by David Lynch. The analysis is based on the question which filmic means are used in order to create the uncanny in the series. For this purpose, the concept of the uncanny as defined by Sigmund Freud at the beginning of the 20th century is going to be considered. Classical film analysis is the method by which the uncanny elements in the series will be detected. Theoretical texts that will be taken into account mainly range from the fields of architecture and the fine arts to sociology, philosophy and gender studies. The thesis consists of two parts. The first chapter is based on a close reading of Freud’s essay “The Uncanny”. Various theorists and their critical positions regarding the treatise will be considered in order to narrow down the broad concept. The focus on an etymologically-derived notion of the uncanny framed around the German term unheimlich (“unhomely”, “uncanny”) will permit its localisation in the domestic sphere. The analysis in the second chapter is based on this conception of das Unheimliche originating from the home. After a brief review of David Lynch’s films with a particular focus on uncanny features in his oeuvre, seven central homes in Twin Peaks shall be examined regarding in particular the establishing shots of the houses, the mise-en-scène of the families’ introductory scenes and the set design. A connection between the culture/nature opposition and the uncanny as well as its relatedness to the appearance of the supernatural in the home will be discussed. In addition, uncanny key scenes set in the respective homes will be analysed. In conclusion, the paper shows that the uncanny in Twin Peaks is mainly achieved by the filmmaker’s heightened artifice, i.e. his choice of formalistic mise-en-scène in scenes revealing uncanny secrets in the homes. The initial assumption that there are no (purely) homely homes in the series is confirmed. It is further shown that various filmic means, especially music, composition, choice of colours and angle, are used in order to establish the homes as places which subtly harbour uncanny elements from the beginning on. Thus, there is no gradual inversion of an original homeliness into the uncanny in Twin Peaks

Anti-idiotypic antibody Ab2/3H6 mimicking gp41: a potential HIV-1 vaccine?

Meeting abstract from 22nd European Society for Animal Cell Technology(ESACT) Meeting on Cell Based Technologies Vienna, Austria. 15-18 May 2011(VLID)90658

Sustav upravljanja generatorom otporan na kvarove za vjetroagregate s promjenljivom brzinom vrtnje i zakretanjem lopatica

Sustav upravljanja otporan na kvarove odnosi se na slog sinkronog generatora i mrežnog izmjenjivača u vjetroagregatu s promjenljivom brzinom vrtnje i zakretanjem lopatica vjetroturbine oko uzdužne osi. Kada se otkriju kvarovi generatora, zakretni moment generatora i / ili magnetski tok ograničavaju se kako bi se spriječilo širenje kvara i omogućio siguran rad u kvarnom stanju uz maksimalno iskorištenje generatora s kvarom

Human amniotic membrane as newly identifed source of amniotic fuid pulmonary surfactant

Pulmonary surfactant (PS) reduces surface tension at the air-liquid interface in the alveolar epithelium of the lung, which is required for breathing and for the pulmonary maturity of the developing foetus. However, the origin of PS had never been thoroughly investigated, although it was assumed to be secreted from the foetal developing lung. Human amniotic membrane (hAM), particularly its epithelial cell layer, composes the amniotic sac enclosing the amniotic fuid. In this study, we therefore aimed to investigate a potential contribution of the cellular components of the hAM to pulmonary surfactant found in amniotic fuid. We identifed that cells within the native membrane contain lamellar bodies and express all four surfactant proteins as well as ABCA3. Lipidomic profling by nanoESI – MS/MS revealed the presence of the essential lipid species as found in PS. Also, the biophysical activity of conditioned cell culture supernatant obtained from hAM was tested with captive bubble surfactometry. hAM supernatant showed the ability to reduce surface tension, similar to human PS obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage. This means that hAM produces the essential PS-associated components and can therefore contribute as second potential source of PS in amniotic fuid aside from the foetal lung

Human-BasedNewApproachMethodologiesin DevelopmentalToxicityTesting:AStepAheadfromtheState oftheArtwithaFeto–PlacentalOrgan-on-ChipPlatform

Download PDFsettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessReview Human-Based New Approach Methodologies in Developmental Toxicity Testing: A Step Ahead from the State of the Art with a Feto–Placental Organ-on-Chip Platform by Michaela Luconi 1,2,†ORCID,Miguel A. Sogorb 3,†ORCID,Udo R. Markert 4ORCID,Emilio Benfenati 5,Tobias May 6,Susanne Wolbank 7ORCID,Alessandra Roncaglioni 5,Astrid Schmidt 4,Marco Straccia 8ORCID andSabrina Tait 9,*ORCID 1 Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy 2 I.N.B.B. (Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi), Viale Medaglie d’Oro 305, 00136 Rome, Italy 3 Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Avenida de la Universidad s/n, 03202 Elche, Spain 4 Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany 5 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156 Milan, Italy 6 InSCREENeX GmbH, Inhoffenstr. 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany 7 Ludwig Boltzmann Institut for Traumatology, The Research Center in Cooperation with AUVA, Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Donaueschingenstrasse 13, 1200 Vienna, Austria 8 FRESCI by Science&Strategy SL, C/Roure Monjo 33, Vacarisses, 08233 Barcelona, Spain 9 Centre for Gender-Specific Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. † These authors contributed equally to this work. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15828; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315828 Submission received: 24 October 2022 / Revised: 20 November 2022 / Accepted: 25 November 2022 / Published: 28 November 2022 (This article belongs to the Section Toxicology and Public Health) Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Review Reports Versions Notes Abstract Developmental toxicity testing urgently requires the implementation of human-relevant new approach methodologies (NAMs) that better recapitulate the peculiar nature of human physiology during pregnancy, especially the placenta and the maternal/fetal interface, which represent a key stage for human lifelong health. Fit-for-purpose NAMs for the placental–fetal interface are desirable to improve the biological knowledge of environmental exposure at the molecular level and to reduce the high cost, time and ethical impact of animal studies. This article reviews the state of the art on the available in vitro (placental, fetal and amniotic cell-based systems) and in silico NAMs of human relevance for developmental toxicity testing purposes; in addition, we considered available Adverse Outcome Pathways related to developmental toxicity. The OECD TG 414 for the identification and assessment of deleterious effects of prenatal exposure to chemicals on developing organisms will be discussed to delineate the regulatory context and to better debate what is missing and needed in the context of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis to significantly improve this sector. Starting from this analysis, the development of a novel human feto–placental organ-on-chip platform will be introduced as an innovative future alternative tool for developmental toxicity testing, considering possible implementation and validation strategies to overcome the limitation of the current animal studies and NAMs available in regulatory toxicology and in the biomedical field

Stromal vascular fraction cells as biologic coating of mesh for hernia repair

11 p.Background. The interest in non-manipulated cells originating from adipose tissue has raised tremendously in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The resulting stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells have been successfully used in numerous clinical applications. The aim of this experimental work is, first to combine a macroporous synthetic mesh with SVF isolated using a mechanical disruption process, and to assess the effect of those cells on the early healing phase of hernia. Methods. Human SVF cells combined with fibrin were used to coat commercial titanized polypropylene meshes. In vitro, viability and growth of the SVF cells were assessed using live/dead staining and scanning electron microscopy. The influence of SVF cells on abdominal wall hernia healing was conducted on immunodeficient rats, with a focus on short-term vascularization and fibrogenesis. Results. Macroporous meshes were easily coated with SVF using a fibrin gel as temporary carrier. The in vitro experiments showed that the whole process including the isolation of human SVF cells and their coating on PP meshes did not impact on the SVF cells? viability and on their capacity to attach and to proliferate. In vivo, the SVF cells were well tolerated by the animals, and coating mesh with SVF resulted in a decrease degree of vascularity compared to control group at day 21. Conclusions. The utilization of SVF-coated mesh influences the level of angiogenesis during the early onset of tissue healing. Further long-term animal experiments are needed to confirm that this effect correlates with a more robust mesh integration compared to non-SVF-coated mesh.European Hernia Society Research GrantTU

A luciferase-based quick potency assay to predict chondrogenic differentiation.

Chondrogenic differentiation of adipose derived stem cells (ASC) is challenging but highly promising for cartilage repair. Large donor variability of chondrogenic differentiation potential raises the risk for transplantation of cells with reduced efficacy and a low chondrogenic potential. Therefore quick potency assays are required in order to control the potency of the isolated cells before cell transplantation. Current in vitro methods to analyze the differentiation potential are time consuming and thus, a novel enhancer and tissue-specific promoter combination was employed for the detection of chondrogenic differentiation of ASC in a novel quick potency bioassay. Human primary ASC were co-transfected with the Metridia luciferase based collagen type II reporter gene pCMVE_ACDCII-MetLuc together with a Renilla control plasmid and analyzed for their chondrogenic potential. On day 3 after chondrogenic induction, the luciferase activity was induced in all tested donors under three dimensional (3D) culture conditions and in a second approach also under 2D culture conditions. With our newly developed quick potency bioassay we can determine chondrogenic potential already after 3 days of chondrogenic induction and under 2D culture conditions. This will enhance the efficiency of testing cell functionality, which should allow in the future to predict the suitability of cells derived from individual patients for cell therapies, in a very short time and at low costs

Methods and criteria for validating the multimodal functions of perinatal derivatives when used in oncological and antimicrobial applications

Perinatal derivatives or PnDs refer to tissues, cells and secretomes from perinatal, or birth-associated tissues. In the past 2 decades PnDs have been highly investigated for their multimodal mechanisms of action that have been exploited in various disease settings, including in different cancers and infections. Indeed, there is growing evidence that PnDs possess anticancer and antimicrobial activities, but an urgent issue that needs to be addressed is the reproducible evaluation of efficacy, both in vitro and in vivo. Herein we present the most commonly used functional assays for the assessment of antitumor and antimicrobial properties of PnDs, and we discuss their advantages and disadvantages in assessing the functionality. This review is part of a quadrinomial series on functional assays for the validation of PnDs spanning biological functions such as immunomodulation, anticancer and antimicrobial, wound healing, and regeneration

General consensus on multimodal functions and validation analysis of perinatal derivatives for regenerative medicine applications.

Perinatal tissues, such as placenta and umbilical cord contain a variety of somatic stem cell types, spanning from the largely used hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to the most recently described broadly multipotent epithelial and stromal cells. As perinatal derivatives (PnD), several of these cell types and related products provide an interesting regenerative potential for a variety of diseases. Within COST SPRINT Action, we continue our review series, revising and summarizing the modalities of action and proposed medical approaches using PnD products: cells, secretome, extracellular vesicles, and decellularized tissues. Focusing on the brain, bone, skeletal muscle, heart, intestinal, liver, and lung pathologies, we discuss the importance of potency testing in validating PnD therapeutics, and critically evaluate the concept of PnD application in the field of tissue regeneration. Hereby we aim to shed light on the actual therapeutic properties of PnD, with an open eye for future clinical application. This review is part of a quadrinomial series on functional/potency assays for validation of PnD, spanning biological functions, such as immunomodulation, anti-microbial/anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, wound healing, angiogenesis, and regeneration