Stripping Away Archaic Ideologies: Reversing the Disappearance of the Hawkins Technique

Presented at the 23rd Annual Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research ForumA modern dance technique, the Hawkins technique, was created in 1950 by Erick Hawkins (1909-1994). This dance technique, like many other modern dance techniques, is still being utilized to train contemporary dancers. This paper questions whether the historical modern dance techniques are still relevant and useful in the training of contemporary dancers. The Hawkins technique was created during the Cold War. The values of this time period, such as the ideas about dance, humanity, and culture, affected the creation and ideologies of the Hawkins technique. For this research, I interviewed seven contemporary Hawkins teachers. With the synthesis of historical secondary research and the beliefs of contemporary Hawkins teachers, the relevance of the Hawkins technique emerged. In this paper, I argue that the movement principles and dance philosophies of the Hawkins technique are relevant to the creation of the contemporary dancer. However, there is still archaic ideologies embedded within the technique which need to be removed. This is displayed through Hawkins's ideologies such as universalism and normalcy which directly reflect a worldview from the Cold War. At the same time, the Hawkins technique is an ever-changing study of movement principles, which allows it the ability to evolve and change with new kinesiological, anatomical, and somatic knowledge. While Hawkins has been minimized in the modern dance canon, his influence and impact are significant to understanding the trend towards somatic and anatomical approaches in dance training. His work also showcases the importance of the dissemination of pedagogical philosophies, not just the exercises used in dance technique classes. This paper highlights the importance of examining the transmission of dance teachers' legacies as well as the significance of the study of dance pedagogy.Arts Undergraduate Research ScholarshipArts and Humanities Undergraduate Research GrantAida Cannarsa Snow Endowment (Research Grant)No embargoAcademic Major: Danc

Interactions virus-hôte : implication de la protéine cellulaire Upf1 au niveau de la régulation de l'ARN du VIH-1

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Novel Staufen1 ribonucleoproteins prevent formation of stress granules but favour encapsidation of HIV-1 genomic RNA

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag selects for and mediates genomic RNA (vRNA) encapsidation into progeny virus particles. The host protein, Staufen1 interacts directly with Gag and is found in ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes containing vRNA, which provides evidence that Staufen1 plays a role in vRNA selection and encapsidation. In this work, we show that Staufen1, vRNA and Gag are found in the same RNP complex. These cellular and viral factors also colocalize in cells and constitute novel Staufen1 RNPs (SHRNPs) whose assembly is strictly dependent on HIV-1 expression. SHRNPs are distinct from stress granules and processing bodies, are preferentially formed during oxidative stress and are found to be in equilibrium with translating polysomes. Moreover, SHRNPs are stable, and the association between Staufen1 and vRNA was found to be evident in these and other types of RNPs. We demonstrate that following Staufen1 depletion, apparent supraphysiologic-sized SHRNP foci are formed in the cytoplasm and in which Gag, vRNA and the residual Staufen1 accumulate. The depletion of Staufen1 resulted in reduced Gag levels and deregulated the assembly of newly synthesized virions, which were found to contain several-fold increases in vRNA, Staufen1 and other cellular proteins. This work provides new evidence that Staufen1-containing HIV-1 RNPs preferentially form over other cellular silencing foci and are involved in assembly, localization and encapsidation of vRNA.Fil: Abrahamyan, Levon G.. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Chatel Chaix, Laurent. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Ajamian, Lara. Mc Gill University; Canadá. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Milev, Miroslav P.. Mc Gill University; Canadá. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Monette, Anne. Mc Gill University; Canadá. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Clément, Jean François. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Song, Rujun. Mc Gill University; Canadá. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Lehmann, Martin. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: DesGroseillers, Luc. University Of Montreal; CanadáFil: Laughrea, Michael. Mc Gill University; Canadá. Davis Jewish General Hospital; CanadáFil: Boccaccio, Graciela Lidia. Fundación Instituto Leloir; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquimicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Mouland, Andrew J.. Mc Gill University; Canadá. Davis Jewish General Hospital; Canad

Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection biases the immune response in favor of Th2: the role of Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase

Infants that develop severe bronchiolitis due to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are at increased risk of developing asthma later in life. To begin my studies in vitro, purified RSV stock was needed. My first study established the critical steps in RSV purification to determine a procedure that ensures the removal of potential contaminating pro-inflammatory mediators in viral preparations. Using polyethylene glycol and ultracentrifugation through various sucrose gradient concentrations, we collected samples at all steps of purification to determine the RSV titer, total protein (µg/mL) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (ELISA). We analyzed the efficacy of each step and determined that, regardless of optimal purification methods employed, CCL5, a bioactive chemokine in allergic inflammation, persisted in virus preparations and co-purified with RSV. This conclusion is important for research on RSV or allergic diseases. In the second part of the study, the basis of the association between RSV and the development of allergic inflammation was investigated. The tryptophan catabolizing enzyme indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) induces apoptosis of Th1, but not Th2 cells, which may contribute to immune responses associated with allergy and asthma. I hypothesized that RSV induces IDO in human dendritic cells, which results in a Th2-biased immune profile. Human peripheral blood monocytes from healthy adult donors were isolated, differentiated to dendritic cells (moDC), in vitro, and infected with RSV. RSV induced IDO activity and this effect was inhibited by Palivizumab, UV-inactivation and Ribavarin. Inhibition of endosomal TLR function with chloroquine did not block IDO activity. The signal transduction cascade for RSV-induced IDO activity was initiated by intracellular pattern recognition receptors (i.e., RIG-I related) via NF-κB and p38 MAPK pathways. In a transwell system, co-culture of RSV infected moDC with activated T-cells suppressed t-bet (a Th1-associated factor) but not GATA3 (Th2 regulator) expression. Inhibition of IDO activity with the competitive inhibitor, 1-methyl tryptophan, blocked this effect on t-bet expression. In conclusion, this study showed that RSV induced the expression and bioactivity of IDO in moDC, in a virus replication-dependant fashion. My study suggests that RSV has the capacity to play a role in increasing Th2-type response via IDO

Association of Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Gene Polymorphism (rs1801278) with Alzheimer's Disease

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. AD is also the leading cause of morbidity and mortality due to dementia worldwide. It has been shown that AD is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and brain insulin resistance. Rs1801278 is a polymorphism in insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) gene which changes the amino acid Arg972. This polymorphism has been found to be associated with susceptibility to AD in some populations. Objective: In the present study, our aim was to investigate the association of Arg972 IRS-1 (rs1801278) gene polymorphism and late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) in an Iranian population. Methods: In this case-control study, 150 patients with LOAD and 150 unrelated healthy controls were recruited. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify a DNA segment of 263 base-pair (bp) length containing the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The PCR product was then incubated with MvaI restriction enzyme to undergo enzymatic cleavage. Electrophoresis was thereafter carried out using agarose gel and DNA safe stain. The gel was ultimately visualized under a UV trans-illuminator. Allelic and genotypic frequencies were then compared. Results: A allele (mutant) of the gene was significantly associated with the risk of AD after adjustment for sex and age (p = 0.04, adjusted OR:1.77, 95% CI:1.00-3.11). Only AA genotype (mutant homozygote) was significantly associated with the risk of AD after adjustment for sex and age (p = 0.01, adjusted OR:2.39, 95% CI:1.22-4.66). Conclusion: SNP rs1801278 is significantly associated with the risk of developing AD in the studied Iranian population. </p

Floristic, life form and chorological studies of the Saqalaksar forest, Rasht, Northern Iran

Saqalaksar forest is a relict of Caspian plain forests with an area of 200 ha in northern Iran and an altitude of 60 to 150 m a.s.l. This study was conducted to determine the floristic composition, life form and chorology of all plants of the region. Based on the results, 94 vascular plant species belonging to 80 genera and 46 families were identified in the study area. The most numerous families were Rosaceae (10 species), Fabaceae (8 species), Poaceae (7 species) as well as Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (6 species each). The classification according to the life spectrum showed that geophytes with 28 species (29.79 %) and therophytes with 25 species (26.60 %) had the highest proportion of life forms in the region. Similarly, the results of the chronological studies showed that the largest proportion of the flora consisted of pluri-regional elements (34 species, 36.17 %). As the forests investigated in this study are considered remnants of the Caspian Plain forests, urgent conservation measures are needed to protect these very important, vulnerable and threatened ecosystems

The Relationship Between Bridging Integrator 1 Gene Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. The role of genetic factors in AD development remains non-demonstrated. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between one of the BIN1 gene’s single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP) rs744373 and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD) in an Iranian population in Guilan Province. Materials &amp; Methods: In this case-control study, 110 patients with LOAD and 110 unrelated healthy controls were recruited. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was performed for genotyping the BIN1 gene’s SNP rs744373. Electrophoresis was thereafter conducted using agarose gel and DNA-safe stain, and the gels were visualized under an Ultraviolet (UV) trans-illuminator. The allelic and genotypic frequencies were determined. Results: The frequency of allele T (Wild-type allele) in the control and the LOAD groups was 70.9% (n=159) and 58.6% (n=129), respectively (P=0.007). The frequency of allele C in the LOAD group (41.4%) (n=91) was significantly higher than that of the control group (29.1%) (n=64) (P=0.007). BIN’s homozygous genotype (CC) frequency was significantly higher in the LOAD group than in the control group (P=0.043). Conclusion: The rs744373 SNP of the BIN1 gene is significantly associated with the risk of developing AD in the studied population.</p

Markers of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity in Children with Autism

Objective: Gastrointestinal symptoms are a common feature in children with autism, drawing attention to a potential association with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. However, studies to date regarding the immune response to gluten in autism and its association with celiac disease have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess immune reactivity to gluten in pediatric patients diagnosed with autism according to strict criteria and to evaluate the potential link between autism and celiac disease. Methods: Study participants included children (with or without gastrointestinal symptoms) diagnosed with autism according to both the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised (ADI-R) (n = 37), their unaffected siblings (n = 27), and age-matched healthy controls (n = 76). Serum specimens were tested for antibodies to native gliadin, deamidated gliadin, and transglutaminase 2 (TG2). Affected children were genotyped for celiac disease associated HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 alleles. Results: Children with autism had significantly higher levels of IgG antibody to gliadin compared with unrelated healthy controls (p<0.01). The IgG levels were also higher compared to the unaffected siblings, but did not reach statistical significance. The IgG anti-gliadin antibody response was significantly greater in the autistic children with gastrointestinal symptoms in comparison to those without them (p<0.01). There was no difference in IgA response to gliadin across groups. The levels of celiac disease-specific serologic markers, i.e., antibodies to deamidated gliadin and TG2, did not differ between patients and controls. An association between increased anti-gliadin antibody and presence of HLA-DQ2 and/or -DQ8 was not observed. Conclusions: A subset of children with autism displays increased immune reactivity to gluten, the mechanism of which appears to be distinct from that in celiac disease. The increased anti-gliadin antibody response and its association with GI symptoms points to a potential mechanism involving immunologic and/or intestinal permeability abnormalities in affected children