The Orient tastes strange

Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit versucht zu veranschaulichen, wie nationale und kulturelle Identität durch Essen veranschaulicht wird. Im Theorieteil wird hierfür mit einer Analyse der wichtigsten Grundbegriffe, wie Postkolonialismus, Orientalismus, Nation und Nationalismus, sowie Hybridität der Grundstein gelegt. Danach wird mit einem Überblick über verschiedene Ansätze in der Disziplin „food studies“, sowie einer Erklärung von dem Zusammenhang zwischen Essen und nationaler Identität anhand von einigen Beispielen zum Thema „Nationalgericht“ der Bogen zwischen Theorie und Praxis gespannt. Der analytische Teil der Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Darstellung von Identität durch die Zubereitung und den Konsum von verschiedenen Speisen in vier fiktiven Werken, wobei zwei davon geschriebene Texte sind, und weitere zwei aus Filmen bestehen, welche sich mit dem Thema Essen besonders intensiv auseinandersetzen. Hier wird zunächst Kazuo Ishiguro`s Kurzgeschichte „A Family Supper“ auf japanische Stereotype hin untersucht. Danach folgt eine Analyse von Timothy Mo`s Roman Sour Sweet, in dem es um eine chinesischstämmige Immigrantenfamilie im London der 1960er Jahre geht. Des weiteren wird der Film Eat Drink Man Woman von Ang Lee genauer unter die Lupe genommen, bevor die Arbeit mit Itami Juzo`s Tampopo und einer Zusammenfassung der relevanten Erkenntnisse aus den Textanalysen schliesst. Im Zuge der Arbeit wird gezeigt, dass Konzepte wie „Kultur“, „Nationalität“, „Authentizität“ und „Tradition“ kritisch hinterfragt werden müssen, da sie in keiner Weise stabile Zustände beschreiben, sondern viel eher als Prozesse und imaginäre Konstrukte zu deuten sind. Darüberhinaus werden Stereotypisierungen, welche den Versuch unternehmen, eine essentielle japanische beziehungsweise chinesische Identität darzustellen, entlarvt. Mit anderen Worten wird beschrieben und durch mehrere Beispiele veranschaulicht, dass kulturelle Identität immer von mehreren Faktoren beeinflusst wird, und genauso wie das Konzept der „Nation“ ein moderner Mythos ist. Demnach wird gezeigt, dass „Hybridität“ keine moderne Erscheinung des globalisierten Zeitalters ist, sondern immer bei der Formierung von Identität mitspielt.In this thesis I am trying to analyse how national and cultural identity are expressed through food. In the theoretical part, useful terminology is portrayed and analysed. Among the discussed terms are postcolonialism, orientalism, nation and nationalism, as well as hybridity. After this introduction to the matter, the area of "food studies" is discussed in greater detail, so that the reader can make sense of the signification of food in terms of cultural identity in the practical part of the paper.The analytical chapters are concerned with the connection between identity and the production and consumption of food in four texts. Two of these texts are literary works, whereas the other two are filmic depictions which deal very significantly with food as a marker of identity. Firstly, Kazuo Ishiguro`s short story "A Family Supper" is discussed, which deals with "Japanese" stereotypes. Then, an analysis of Timothy Mo`s novel Sour Sweet deals with a family of Chinese descent in London during the 1960s. Moreover, the various themes of the food film Eat Drink Man Woman, as well as of Juzo Itami`s Tampopo are explored before the paper ends with a conclusion about relevant findings from the analytical sections. In the course of this paper I aim to demonstrate that concepts, such as "culture", "nationality", "authenticity" and "tradition" have to be scrutinised in a critical way, as they by no means denote fixed and stable conditions, but that they should be seen as processes and imaginary constructs. Furthermore, seemingly typical "Japanese" and "Chinese" stereotyes are uncovered. In other words, it is demonstrated through various examples that cultural identity is shaped by various different factors, and it is, just like the concept of the "nation", a modern myth. Hence, this analysis shows that hybridity is not a phenomenon of the current time of globalisation, but rather a key factor in the formation of identity

The effect of sequencing errors on metagenomic gene prediction

BACKGROUND: Gene prediction is an essential step in the annotation of metagenomic sequencing reads. Since most metagenomic reads cannot be assembled into long contigs, specialized statistical gene prediction tools have been developed for short and anonymous DNA fragments, e.g. MetaGeneAnnotator and Orphelia. While conventional gene prediction methods have been subject to a benchmark study on real sequencing reads with typical errors, such a comparison has not been conducted for specialized tools, yet. Their gene prediction accuracy was mostly measured on error free DNA fragments. RESULTS: In this study, Sanger and pyrosequencing reads were simulated on the basis of models that take all types of sequencing errors into account. All metagenomic gene prediction tools showed decreasing accuracy with increasing sequencing error rates. Performance results on an established metagenomic benchmark dataset are also reported. In addition, we demonstrate that ESTScan, a tool for sequencing error compensation in eukaryotic expressed sequence tags, outperforms some metagenomic gene prediction tools on reads with high error rates although it was not designed for the task at hand. CONCLUSION: This study fills an important gap in metagenomic gene prediction research. Specialized methods are evaluated and compared with respect to sequencing error robustness. Results indicate that the integration of error-compensating methods into metagenomic gene prediction tools would be beneficial to improve metagenome annotation quality

A Pronounced Inflammatory Activity Characterizes the Early Fracture Healing Phase in Immunologically Restricted Patients

Immunologically restricted patients such as those with autoimmune diseases or malignancies often suffer from delayed or insufficient fracture healing. In human fracture hematomas and the surrounding bone marrow obtained from immunologically restricted patients, we analyzed the initial inflammatory phase on cellular and humoral level via flow cytometry and multiplex suspension array. Compared with controls, we demonstrated higher numbers of immune cells like monocytes/macrophages, natural killer T (NKT) cells, and activated T helper cells within the fracture hematomas and/or the surrounding bone marrow. Also, several pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin (IL)-6 and Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), chemokines (e.g., Eotaxin and RANTES), pro-angiogenic factors (e.g., IL-8 and Macrophage migration inhibitory factor: MIF), and regulatory cytokines (e.g., IL-10) were found at higher levels within the fracture hematomas and/or the surrounding bone marrow of immunologically restricted patients when compared to controls. We conclude here that the inflammatory activity on cellular and humoral levels at fracture sites of immunologically restricted patients considerably exceeds that of control patients. The initial inflammatory phase profoundly differs between these patient groups and is probably one of the reasons for prolonged or insufficient fracture healing often occurring within immunologically restricted patients. View Full-Tex

Impact of Janus Kinase Inhibition with Tofacitinib on Fundamental Processes of Bone Healing

Both inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anti-inflammatory treatment of RA with glucocorticoids (GCs) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) negatively influence bone metabolism and fracture healing. Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition with tofacitinib has been demonstrated to act as a potent anti-inflammatory therapeutic agent in the treatment of RA, but its impact on the fundamental processes of bone regeneration is currently controversially discussed and at least in part elusive. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the effects of tofacitinib on processes of bone healing focusing on recruitment of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) into the inflammatory microenvironment of the fracture gap, chondrogenesis, osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. We performed our analyses under conditions of reduced oxygen availability in order to mimic the in vivo situation of the fracture gap most optimal. We demonstrate that tofacitinib dose-dependently promotes the recruitment of hMSCs under hypoxia but inhibits recruitment of hMSCs under normoxia. With regard to the chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs, we demonstrate that tofacitinib does not inhibit survival at therapeutically relevant doses of 10-100 nM. Moreover, tofacitinib dose-dependently enhances osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs and reduces osteoclast differentiation and activity. We conclude from our data that tofacitinib may influence bone healing by promotion of hMSC recruitment into the hypoxic microenvironment of the fracture gap but does not interfere with the cartilaginous phase of the soft callus phase of fracture healing process. We assume that tofacitinib may promote bone formation and reduce bone resorption, which could in part explain the positive impact of tofacitinib on bone erosions in RA. Thus, we hypothesize that it will be unnecessary to stop this medication in case of fracture and suggest that positive effects on osteoporosis are likely

The nervous system of Xenacoelomorpha: a genomic perspective

Xenacoelomorpha is, most probably, a monophyletic group that includes three clades: Acoela, Nemertodermatida and Xenoturbellida. The group still has contentious phylogenetic affinities; though most authors place it as the sister group of the remaining bilaterians, some would include it as a fourth phylum within the Deuterostomia. Over the past few years, our group, along with others, has undertaken a systematic study of the microscopic anatomy of these worms; our main aim is to understand the structure and development of the nervous system. This research plan has been aided by the use of molecular/developmental tools, the most important of which has been the sequencing of the complete genomes and transcriptomes of different members of the three clades. The data obtained has been used to analyse the evolutionary history of gene families and to study their expression patterns during development, in both space and time. A major focus of our research is the origin of 'cephalized' (centralized) nervous systems. How complex brains are assembled from simpler neuronal arrays has been a matter of intense debate for at least 100 years. We are now tackling this issue using Xenacoelomorpha models. These represent an ideal system for this work because the members of the three clades have nervous systems with different degrees of cephalization; from the relatively simple sub-epithelial net of Xenoturbella to the compact brain of acoels. How this process of 'progressive' cephalization is reflected in the genomes or transcriptomes of these three groups of animals is the subject of this paper

Associated factors and comorbidities in patients with pyoderma gangrenosum in Germany: a retrospective multicentric analysis in 259 patients

Background: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rarely diagnosed ulcerative neutrophilic dermatosis with unknown origin that has been poorly characterized in clinical studies so far. Consequently there have been significant discussions about its associated factors and comorbidities. The aim of our multicenter study was to analyze current data from patients in dermatologic wound care centers in Germany in order to describe associated factors and comorbidities in patients with PG. Methods: Retrospective clinical investigation of patients with PG from dermatologic wound care centers in Germany. Results: We received data from 259 patients with PG from 20 different dermatologic wound care centers in Germany. Of these 142 (54.8\%) patients were female, 117 (45.2\%) were male; with an age range of 21 to 95 years, and a mean of 58 years. In our patient population we found 45.6\% with anemia, 44.8\% with endocrine diseases, 12.4\% with internal malignancies, 9.3\% with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and 4.3\% with elevated creatinine levels. Moreover 25.5\% of all patients had a diabetes mellitus with some aspects of potential association with the metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: Our study describes one of the world's largest populations with PG. Beside the well-known association with chronic bowel diseases and neoplasms, a potentially relevant new aspect is an association with endocrine diseases, in particular the metabolic syndrome, thyroid dysfunctions and renal disorders. Our findings represent clinically relevant new aspects. This may help to describe the patients' characteristics and help to understand the underlying pathophysiology in these often misdiagnosed patients

The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation

Porträt als Massenphänomen / Le Portrait comme Phénomène de Masse

Hatte sich die Forschung zum antiken Porträt traditionell um die Darstellungen berühmter Personen bemüht, so rückten im letzten Drittel des 20. Jahrhunderts die Bildnisse der Vielen, der historisch Unwichtigen und Unbekannten, ins Interesse der Forschung. Mit ihnen beschäftigen sich die Beiträge dieses Bandes. In vielen Gattungen der antiken Grabplastik waren Darstellungen der Verstorbenen und ihrer Angehörigen üblich, so dass Bildnisköpfe in diesem Bereich seriell gearbeitet und zu einem Massenphänomen wurden. Die Untersuchungen lokaler Gruppen, die hier vorgelegt werden, vermögen ein Spektrum von Unterschieden aufzuzeigen, in denen die jeweiligen Identitäten und Traditionen evident werden. In ihrem lokalen Kontext erweisen sich die Grabmonumente als Ausdruck gemeinsamer und geteilter Werte. Wenn sie in der römischen Kaiserzeit in vielen Teilen der Reiches Vorbildern des Kaiserhauses folgen, so erscheinen sie als Ausdruck der politischen Loyalität und der kulturellen Einheit

Standards Recommendations for the Earth BioGenome Project

Funder: Howard Hughes Medical InstituteFunder: National Science Foundation; Grant(s): DBI:IIBR:CAREER #1943371A global international initiative such as the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) requires both agreement and coordination on standards to ensure that the collective effort generates rapid progress towards its goals. To this end, the EBP initiated five technical standards committees comprising volunteer members from the global genomics scientific community: Sample Collection and Processing, Sequencing and Assembly, Annotation, Analysis, and, IT and Informatics. The current versions of the resulting standards documents are available on the EBP website, with the recognition that opportunities, technologies and challenges may improve or change in the future requiring flexibility for the EBP to meet its goals. Here, we describe some highlights from the proposed standards, and areas where additional challenges will need to be met.NIH, EMBL, NSF, Smithsonian, NMNH, USDA, HHM