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The article highlights Olga Kern, a highly accomplished and positive concert pianist known for her artistic intensity and technical prowess. It delves into her passion for music, her commitment to spreading positivity through her performances, and her belief in the healing power of music. The article also touches upon her Russian heritage, musical lineage, and her love for the United States, where she became a citizen and actively promotes peace amidst conflicts.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a mitogen required for β-cell replication during pregnancy. To determine whether HGF/c-Met signaling is required for β-cell regeneration, we characterized mice with pancreatic deletion of the HGF receptor, c-Met (PancMet KO mice), in two models of reduced β-cell mass and regeneration: multiple low-dose streptozotocin (MLDS) and partial pancreatectomy (Ppx). We also analyzed whether HGF administration could accelerate β-cell regeneration in wild-type (WT) mice after Ppxo Mouse islets obtained 7 days post-Ppx displayed significantly increased c-Met, suggesting a potential role for HGF/c-Met in β-cell proliferation in situations of reduced β-cell mass. Indeed, adult PancMet KO mice displayed markedly reduced β-cell replication compared with WT mice 7 days post-Ppx. Similarly, β-cell proliferation was decreased in PancMet KO mice in the MLDS mouse model. The decrease in β-cell proliferation post-Ppx correlated with a striking decrease in D-cyclin levels. Importantly, PancMet KO mice showed significantly diminished β-cell mass, decreased glucose tolerance, and impaired insulin secretion compared with WT mice 28 days post-Ppx. Conversely, HGF administration in WT Ppx mice further accelerated β-cell regeneration. These results indicate that HGF/c-Met signaling is critical for β-cell proliferation in situations of diminished β-cell mass and suggest that activation of this pathway can enhance β-cell regeneration. Diabetes 2014;63:216-223 | DOI: 10.2337/db13-0333, Deficiency of functional β-cells ultimately leads to the development of diabetes. A potential future therapeutic approach to treat diabetes is to induce β-cell regeneration, but this requires deciphering the molecular [...]

OBJECTIVE--PKC-θ activation is a key signaling event for growth factor-induced B-cell replication in vitro. However, the effect of direct PKC-θ activation in the β-cell in vivo is unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of PKC-θ activation in β-cell expansion and function in vivo in mice and the mechanisms associated with these effects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--We characterized glucose homeostasis and β-cell phenotype of transgenic (TG) mice with constitutive activation of PKC-θ in the β-cell. We also analyzed the expression and regulation of signaling pathways, G1/S cell cycle molecules, and β-cell functional markers in TG and wild-type mouse islets. RESULTS--TG mice displayed increased plasma insulin, improved glucose tolerance, and enhanced insulin secretion with concomitant upregulation of islet insulin and glucokinase expression. In addition, TG mice displayed increased β-cell proliferation, size, and mass compared with wild-type littermates. The increase in β-cell proliferation was associated with upregulation of cyclins D1, D2, D3, and A and downregulation of p21. Phosphorylation of D-cyclins, known to initiate their rapid degradation, was reduced in TG mouse islets. Phosphorylation/inactivation of GSK-3β and phosphorylation/activation of mTOR, critical regulators of D-cyclin expression and β-cell proliferation, were enhanced in TG mouse islets, without changes in Akt phosphorylation status. Rapamycin treatment in vivo eliminated the increases in β-cell proliferation, size, and mass; the upregulation of cyclins Ds and A in TG mice; and the improvement in glucose tolerance--identifying mTOR as a novel downstream mediator of PKC-θ-induced β-cell replication and expansion in vivo. CONCLUSIONS--PKC-θ, through mTOR activation, modifies the expression pattern of β-cell cycle molecules leading to increased β-cell replication and mass with a concomitant enhancement in β-cell function. Approaches to enhance PKC-θ activity may be of value as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diabetes. Diabetes 60:2546-2559, 2011, Diabetes appears when β-cell mass is insufficient to maintain normal glucose homeostasis. Therefore, deciphering the molecular mechanisms that induce β-cell expansion can be of great value for therapeutic approaches aimed [...]

The article focuses on several pedagogical tenets for online piano teaching. It mentions that elementary and intermediate students need a clear record of what to practice, how to practice, goals for the coming week, and other learning tasks; and teachers must simplify all steps and processes into mini-tasks that students can complete without confusion and with success to introduce new music effectively to young learners via video conferencing.

The article focuses on learning and how students learn, and mentions the piano lessons that are taught to the students. Topics discussed include parts of body used in playing the piano, ability to learn through experimentation, and a lesson dialogue that demonstrates the letters of the musical alphabet.

The article offers information on piano-focused music curriculum "Music for Young Children" (MYC) designed for age-appropriate activity, group interaction, parental participation and preparation for the Royal Conservatory of Music Certificate Program. It is noted that the program intend to develop comprehensive musicianship at piano through specific pedagogical strategies. it is also evident that the focus of the program is on group learning and parental involvement.

SUMMARY  Pancreatic ß-cell mass adapts to changing insulin demands in the body. One of the most amazing reversible ß-cell adaptations occurs during pregnancy and postpartum conditions. During pregnancy, the increase in maternal insulin resistance is compensated by maternal ß-cell hyperplasia and hyperfunctionality to maintain normal blood glucose. Although the cellular mechanisms involved in maternal ß-cell expansion have been studied in detail in rodents, human studies are very sparse. A summary of these studies in rodents and humans is described below. Since ß-cell mass expands during pregnancy, unraveling the endocrine/paracrine/autocrine molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects can be of great importance for predicting and treating gestational diabetes and for finding new cues that induce ß-cell regeneration in diabetes. In addition to the well known implication of lactogens during maternal ß-cell expansion, additional participants are being discovered such as serotonin and HGF. Transcription factors, such as hepatocyte nuclear factor-4αa and the forkhead box protein-M1, and cell cycle regulators, such as menin, p27 and p18, are important intracellular signals responsible for these effects. In this article, we summarize and discuss novel studies uncovering molecular mechanisms involved in the maternal ß-cell adaptive expansion during pregnancy.

The article discusses the career and accomplishments earned by piano teacher Marvin Blickenstaff. Topics explored include his music education at Oberlin College and Indiana University, his academic career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at Goshen College in Indiana, and the accolades he received such as the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Achievement Award and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP) Lifetime Achievement Award.

The article presents an answer to the question related to recommendation for students want to explore the piano pedals, but they are too small to reach without straining or dangling off the bench.

The article offers information on the Slack communication application software.

The article reviews the music score "Classics With a Touch of Jazz: 27 Beloved Masterpieces," by Lee Evans.

The article reviews the music score "Palette of Touches (Elementary): Piano Exercises and Repertoire that Develop Colorful Tonal Qualities," by Joanne Haroutounian.