Eine Karriere im Schatten von Rosalba Carriera. Felicita Sartori / Hoffmann in Venedig und Dresden

Felicita Sartori, nata a Pordenone nel 1714 ca. come figlia del notaio Felice Sartori e di Tommasa Scotti, ricevette la sua prima formazione artistica intorno al 1724 da suo zio, il calcografo Antonio dall'Agata a Gorizia. Tramite lo zio la quattordicenne si trasferisce a Venezia dove entra nella bottega-casa di Rosalba Carriera per perfezionarsi nella miniatura e nella pittura a pastello senoché nelle varie tecniche della grafica. Durante gli anni seguenti Felicita diventa, accanto alle sorelle di Rosalba, la collaboratrice piú stretta della Carriera che in questi anni tocca il colmo della fama artistica, dovuto soprattutto al suo strepitoso successo riscosso durante il soggiorno a Parigi dal 1720 al 1721. I numerosissimi incarichi che le giungono da tutta l'Europa incrementano la produttivitá e lasciano supporre che la bottega abbia contribuito in misura notevole a contentare tali richieste. Negli anni dopo il 1730 l'attività di Felicita oltre le varie attività pittoriche entro la bottega della Carriera si estende alla produzione di incisioni per le pubblicazioni di Gaspare Stampa e di Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet. Incide inoltre le stampe dai disegni di Giovanni Battista Piazetta, pubblicati da Antonio Maria Zanetti. La finora anonima collaboratrice della famosa veneziana esce dall'ombra quando, nel 1741, viene nominata artista di corte da Augusto III, principe elettore di Sassonia e ré di Polonia. Trasferitosi a Dresda, si unisce poche settimane dopo la nomina in matrimonio al consigliere di corte Franz Joseph von Hoffmann, che probabilmente aveva concosciuto nel 1740 nello studio veneziano di Rosalba spesso frequentato dall'elettore e del suo seguito. Felicita continua la su attività a Dresda dove nella Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister si conservano tuttora 15 miniature di sua mano. Grazie alle ricerche dedicate a queste opere è stato possibile di aumentare l'œuvre della Sartori di altre opere tra cui una Betsabea al bagno (coll. priv. München) già nelle collezioni reali sassoni. Sembra che l'artista dopo la morte del marito nel 1749, si sia trasferito con un secondo marito a Bamberg ma altre fonti citano la sua presenza a Dresda nel 1753 dove secondo le notizie fornite da Jean Pierre Mariette muore nel 1760 all'età di soli 46 anni.

The PDZ protein MPP2 interacts with c-Src in epithelial cells

c-Src is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in regulating cell proliferation, cell migration and cell invasion and is tightly controlled by reversible phosphorylation on regulatory sites and through protein-protein interactions. The interaction of c-Src with PDZ proteins was recently identified as novel mechanism to restrict c-Src function. The objective of this study was to identify and characterise PDZ proteins that interact with c-Src to control its activity. By PDZ domain array screen, we identified the interaction of c-Src with the PDZ protein Membrane Protein Palmitoylated 2 (MPP2), a member of the Membrane-Associated Guanylate Kinase (MAGUK) family, to which also the Discs large (Dlg) tumour suppressor protein belongs. The function of MPP2 has not been established and the functional significance of the MPP2 c-Src interaction is not known. We found that in non-transformed breast epithelial MCF-10A cells, endogenous MPP2 associated with the cytoskeleton in filamentous structures, which partially co-localised with microtubules and c-Src. MPP2 and c-Src interacted in cells, where c-Src kinase activity promoted increased interaction of c-Src with MPP2. We furthermore found that MPP2 was able to negatively regulate c-Src kinase activity in cells, suggesting that the functional significance of the MPP2-c-Src interaction is to restrict Src activity. Consequently, the c-Src-dependent disorganisation of the cortical actin cytoskeleton of epithelial cells expressing c-Src was suppressed by MPP2. In conclusion we demonstrate here that MPP2 interacts with c-Src in cells to control c-Src activity and morphological function.

The Storm Surge Event of the Netherlands in 1953

A disastrous storm surge hit the coast of the Netherlands on 31 January and 1 February 1953. We examine the meteorological situation during this event using the Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR) data set. We find a strong pressure gradient between Ireland and northern Germany accompanied by strong north-westerly winds over the North Sea. Storm driven sea level rise combined with spring tide contributed to this extreme event. The state of the atmosphere in 20CR during this extreme event is in good agreement with historical observational data

A multi-center retrospective analysis of treatment effects and quality of life in adult patients with cranial ependymomas

Long term quality of life data of adult patients harboring intracranial ependymomas have not been reported. The role of adjuvant radiation therapy in Grade II ependymomas is unclear and differs from study to study. We therefore sought to retrospectively analyze outcome and quality of life of adult patients that were operated on intracranial ependymomas at four different surgical centers in two countries. All patients were attempted to be contacted via telephone to assess quality of life (QoL) at the time of the telephone interview. The standard EORTC QoL Questionnaire C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the EORTC QLQ-Brain Cancer Module (QLQ-BN20) were used. 64 adult patients with intracranial ependymomas were included in the study. The only factor that was associated with increased survival was age <55 years (p < 0.001). Supratentorial location was correlated with shorter progression free survival than infratentorial location (PFS; p = 0.048). In WHO Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to increased PFS (p = 0.888) or overall survival (p = 0.801). Even for incompletely resected Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to a benefit in PFS (p = 0.911). In a multivariate analysis of QoL, irradiated patients had significantly worse scores in the item "fatigue" (p = 0.037) than non-irradiated patients. Here we present QoL data of adult patients with intracranial ependymomas. Our data show that local radiation therapy may have long-term effects on patients' QoL. Since in the incompletely resected Grade II tumors local irradiation did not lead to a benefit in PFS in this retrospective study, prospective randomized studies are necessary. In addition to age, supratentorial tumor location is associated with a worse prognosis in adult ependymoma patients.

Recent skin self-examination and doctor visits in relation to melanoma risk and tumour depth

BACKGROUND Little is known about the potential benefit of skin self-examination for melanoma prevention and early detection. Objectives: To determine whether skin self-examination is associated with reduced melanoma risk, self-detection of tumours, and reduced risk of deeper melanomas. METHODS We used data from a population-based case-control study (423 cases, 678 controls) to assess recent skin self-examination in relation to self-detection, melanoma risk and tumour depth ( ≤1 mm; > 1 mm). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) for associations of interest. RESULTS Skin self-examination conducted 1-11 times during a recent year was associated with a possible decrease in melanoma risk (OR 0·74; 95% CI 0·54-1·02). Melanoma risk was decreased for those who conducted skin self-examination and saw a doctor (OR 0·52; 95% CI 0·30-0·90). Among cases, those who examined their skin were twice as likely to self-detect the melanoma (OR 2·23; 95% CI 1·47-3·38), but self-detection was not associated with shallower tumours. Tumour depth was reduced for those who conducted skin self-examination 1-11 times during a recent year (OR 0·39; 95% CI 0·18-0·81), but was not influenced by seeing a doctor, or by conducting skin self-examination and seeing a doctor. CONCLUSIONS Risk of a deeper tumour and possibly risk of melanoma were reduced by skin self-examination 1-11 times annually. Melanoma risk was markedly reduced by skin self-examination coupled with a doctor visit. We cannot, however, exclude the possibility that our findings reflect bias or confounding. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the potential benefits of skin self-examination for melanoma prevention and early detection.

Molecular phylogenetic analyses identify Alpine differentiation and dysploid chromosome number changes as major forces for the evolution of the European endemic Phyteuma (Campanulaceae)

Phyteuma is a chromosomally and ecologically diverse vascular plant genus and constitutes an excellent system for studying both the role of chromosomal change for species diversification and the evolution of high-mountain biota. This kind of research is, however, hampered by the lack of a sound phylogenetic framework exacerbated by the notoriously low predictive power of traditional taxonomy with respect to phylogenetic relationships in Campanulaceae. Based on a comprehensive taxon sampling and analyses of nuclear and plastid sequence and AFLP fingerprint data, Phyteuma is confirmed as a monophyletic group sister to the monotypic Physoplexis, which is in line with their peculiar flower morphologies. Within Phyteuma two clades, largely corresponding to previously recognized sections, are consistently found. The traditional circumscription of taxonomic series is largely rejected. Whereas distinctness of the currently recognized species is mostly corroborated, some interspecific relationships remain ambiguous due to incongruences between nuclear and plastid data. Major forces for diversification and evolution of Phyteuma are descending dysploidy (i.e., a decrease in chromosome base number) as well as allopatric and ecological differentiation within the Alps, the genus' center of species diversity. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Die gestempelten Bronze-Gewichte aus Himera

Bei Ausgrabungen in der antiken griechischen Stadt Himera an der Nordküste Siziliens wurden zwei Bronzegewichte gefunden. Beide zeigen eine Beprägung , die dasselbe Prägebild wie die Rückseite zeitgleicher Litraprägungen aus Himera wiedergeben. Im Jahr 2010 erschien im Münzhandel zudem ein zuvor unveröffentlichtes Bronzegewicht, beprägt mit einem Hemilitron-Rückseitenstempel aus Himera. Anhand dieser gestempelten Bronzegewichte können – unter Einbezug weiterer Quellen – die im letzten Viertel des 5. Jhs. v. Chr. in Himera üblichen Gewichtssysteme für Bronze nachgezeichnet werden: Neben einer überregionalen, kanonischen Bronze-Litra, die bereits früher im 5. Jh. v. Chr. von ca. 108 g auf ca. 216 g im Gewicht verdoppelt worden war, scheint ein regionaler Litrafuß zu ca. 50 g etabliert gewesen zu sein. Dieser den frühesten Bronzemünzen von Himera, Selinunt und Akragas zugrundeliegende Litrafuß existierte auch dann noch, als die Münzen bereits in stark reduziertem Gewicht geprägt wurden.