Black Star Research Articles

Taking a chance on love: scenes, scripts, and affects in Four Saints in Three Acts and Jazz-Cabaret songs and performances of the 1930s

ABSTRACT Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson’s opera Four Saints in Three Acts (1934) famously combined avant-garde aesthetic practices and elements of popular culture. While commentators routinely note the recurrence of folk- and hymn-tune harmonies and cadences in Thomson’s otherwise resolutely ‘modernist’ music, they have accorded virtually no attention to the jazz-cabaret song, a form of popular music that emerged and established itself artistically and commercially during the same decade that Four Saints in Three Acts was produced and performed. This article examines a dynamic point of intersection between Stein and Thomson’s avant-garde opera and the jazz-cabaret song-form of the 1930s in some of the performances of Black cabaret star Jimmie Daniels as they were experienced by Thomson and other gay-male habitués of Harlem and Paris cabarets. One of Daniels’s signature tunes, the 1932 Harold Arlen-Ted Koehler song, ‘I’ve Got the World on a String’, is analysed in relation to Freud’s account of the fort-da ‘game’ and more generally in relation to Silvan Tomkins’s script theory.

Power and Play

Power and Play

The interstellar medium distribution, gas kinematics, and system dynamics of the far-infrared luminous quasar SDSS J2310+1855 atz= 6.0

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) sub-kiloparsec- to kiloparsec-scale resolution observations of the [C II], CO (9–8), and OH+(11–01) lines along with their dust continuum emission toward the far-infrared (FIR) luminous quasar SDSS J231038.88+185519.7 atz = 6.0031, to study the interstellar medium distribution, the gas kinematics, and the quasar-host system dynamics. We decompose the intensity maps of the [C II] and CO (9–8) lines and the dust continuum with two-dimensional elliptical Sérsic models. The [C II] brightness follows a flat distribution with a Sérsic index of 0.59. The CO (9–8) line and the dust continuum can be fit with an unresolved nuclear component and an extended Sérsic component with a Sérsic index of ∼1, which may correspond to the emission from an active galactic nucleus dusty molecular torus and a quasar host galaxy, respectively. The different [C II] spatial distribution may be due to the effect of the high dust opacity, which increases the FIR background radiation on the [C II] line, especially in the galaxy center, significantly suppressing the [C II] emission profile. The dust temperature drops with distance from the center. The effective radius of the dust continuum is smaller than that of the line emission and the dust mass surface density, but is consistent with that of the star formation rate surface density. This may indicate that the dust emission is a less robust tracer of the dust and gas distribution but is a decent tracer of the obscured star formation activity. The OH+(11–01) line shows a P-Cygni profile with an absorption at ∼–400 km s−1, which may indicate an outflow with a neutral gas mass of (6.2 ± 1.2)×108 M⊙along the line of sight. We employed a three-dimensional tilted ring model to fit the [C II] and CO (9–8) data cubes. The two lines are both rotation dominated and trace identical disk geometries and gas motions. This suggest that the [C II] and CO (9–8) gas are coplanar and corotating in this quasar host galaxy. The consistent circular velocities measured with [C II] and CO (9–8) lines indicate that these two lines trace a similar gravitational potential. We decompose the circular rotation curve measured from the kinematic model fit to the [C II] line into four matter components (black hole, stars, gas, and dark matter). The quasar-starburst system is dominated by baryonic matter inside the central few kiloparsecs. We constrain the black hole mass to be 2.97+0.51-0.77 × 109M⊙; this is the first time that the dynamical mass of a black hole has been measured atz ∼ 6. This mass is consistent with that determined using the scaling relations from quasar emission lines. A massive stellar component (on the order of 109 M⊙) may have already existed when the Universe was only ∼0.93 Gyr old. The relations between the black hole mass and the baryonic mass of this quasar indicate that the central supermassive black hole may have formed before its host galaxy.

The Correlation Between Black Hole Accretion and Star Formation Rate Based on IllustrisTNG100-1

Observational results suggest the co-evolution relationship between the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies. However, the definitive conclusion of the correlation between the star formation rate (SFR) and central black hole accretion rate (BHAR) remains unclear. In this paper, the correlation between the BHAR and SFR is investigated in terms of cosmological simulation IllustrisTNG100-1. In simulation, BHs are divided into 2 types (quasar state and kinetic state) based on their accretion speed and the feedback mechanisms between the two are different. The strong positive correlation between BHAR and SFR for quasar state BHs and low-mass kinetic state BHs is revealed. However, for high mass kinetic-state BHs, the SFR manifestation a BHAR and BH mass-independent randomly distribution. According to the analysis, this phenomenon is attributed to the environmentally insensitive, self-regulate accretion rate for high mass BHs at late time. The properties of these BHs are described, which offers a guideline for high mass AGNs observation and theorical investigations on their accretion and feedback.

Does the Lockstep Growth between Black Holes and Bulges Create Their Mass Relation?

Recent studies have revealed a strong relation between the sample-averaged black hole (BH) accretion rate (BHAR) and star formation rate (SFR) among bulge-dominated galaxies—i.e., “lockstep” BH–bulge growth—in the distant universe. This relation might be closely connected to the BH–bulge mass correlation observed in the local universe. To further understand BH–bulge coevolution, we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) CO(2–1) or CO(3–2) observations of seven star-forming bulge-dominated galaxies at z = 0.5–2.5. Using the ALMA data, we detect significant (>3σ) CO emission from four objects. For our sample of seven galaxies, we measure (or constrain with upper limits) their CO line fluxes and estimate their molecular gas masses (M gas). We also estimate their stellar masses (M star) and SFRs, by modeling their spectral energy distributions. Using these physical properties, we derive the gas depletion timescales (τ dep ≡ M gas/SFR) and compare them with the bulge/BH growth timescales (τ grow ≡ M star/SFR ∼ M BH/BHAR). Our sample generally has τ dep shorter than τ grow by a median factor of ≳4, indicating that the cold gas will be depleted before significant bulge/BH growth takes place. This result suggests that BH–bulge lockstep growth is mainly responsible for maintaining the mass relation, not creating it. We note that our sample is small and limited to z < 2.5; JWST and ALMA will be able to probe to higher redshifts in the near future.

S2125 Short Time Recurrence of Retroperitoneal Desmoid Tumor in Patient With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Introduction: A Desmoid Tumor (DT) is a locally invasive, non-metastatic mesenchymal stem cell tumor that typically manifests as a soft tissue mass occurring in muscles, fasciae and aponeuroses. We present a case of a patient with recurrence of a retroperitoneal DT shortly after resection. Case Description/Methods: A 34-year-old male presented with abdominal pain found to have a large (11 × 14.4 * 14 cm) intrabdominal mass. IR transcatheter biopsy of the mass confirmed DT. He underwent bidirectional endoscopy and found to have more than hundred adenomatous colon polyps. Genetic testing confirmed APC mutation. Patient was diagnosed with DT associate with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). He underwent radical resection of mesenteric mass and small bowel (20 cm of terminal ileum), omentectomy as well as total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis. There was no evidence of lymphoid involvement. About 3 months later, he was re-admitted for increased abdominal girth with abdominal pain. MRI scans demonstrated a new, extensive, lobulated soft tissue mass occupying the entire abdominal cavity measuring 23.4 × 12.5 × 24.2 cm. Biopsy of the mass confirmed recurrent DT. Given the large size and proximity to the superior mesenteric artery, the mass was deemed to be unresectable. Patient was initially started on palliative systemic treatment with liposomal Doxorubicin. Due to lack of response, he was then switched to weekly methotrexate and Vinblastine (Figure). Discussion: DTs are rare neoplasms, making up only 0.03% of all neoplasms and 3% of soft tissue tumors. They typically include the abdominal wall, extremities, and mesentery. Although the etiology of DTs is not well known, there are several risk factors that are associated with their occurrence. Genetic syndromes such as FAP and Gardner syndrome have a well-known association with DTs. Other associations include antecedent trauma to the site of the lesion, pregnancy, and female sex. Numerous studies have been done assessing the efficacy of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in managing DTs. However, none have shown conclusive benefit. The recurrence rate, particularly following surgical management, has been found to be as high as 77%. Given the lack of definitive management and high recurrence rates, treatment options should likely include combination of both surgical intervention and systemic treatment after discussing options and adverse effects of treatment with the patient.Figure 1.: A, Contrast enhanced CT axial through the lower abdomen demonstrating recurrence of large mass now occupying the majority of the abdominal cavity (black star); B, Spindle cell lesion, with fascicular and loose storiform growth patterns (H&E, 40×) prior to resection; C, Recurrent tumor with pathology demonstrating spindle cell lesion with more edema and/or myxoid stroma.

Optimization of the management and pruning concept of cherry plantations by improving the relationship between growth and f

This article describes the research carried out to develop a strategy for the management and pruning of current cherry plantations. The vigour of the variety-rootstock association, crown shape, planting distance, the age of trees and the pruning system have been studied. The studies regarding the establishment of culture systems for the cherry species were carried out in 6 stationary experiments, located on ordinary chernozem, in the southern and central fruit-growing areas of the Republic of Moldova. The growth and fruiting of the Valerii Cikalov, Record, Ferrovia, Kordia, Regina, Stella, Skeena, Bigarreau Burlat, Lapins, Early Star, Samba and Black Star varieties, grafted on rootstocks of the Cerasus mahaleb L., MaxMa 14 and Gisela-6 in different combinations and at different planting distances, have been investigated. High vigor trees are used on non-irrigated soils in association with self-fertile varieties and optimal planting distances that ensure high yields. Cherry trees, grafted on rootstocks of medium-low vigor (Gisela 6) and moderate (MaxMa 14) are used on fertile soils and well-irrigated, provide medium-sized trees, managed entirely from the ground level, early harvests, average yield, reducing costs for harvesting fruits by increasing labor productivity. The investigated cultivar-portaltoi associations are suitable for the pedoclimatic conditions favorable for cultivation in the respective area. The variety-portaltoi associations will have to be selected according to the direct objective, the culture system and the applied technology.

Localised cutaneous Amyloidosis Revealed by Immunohistochemistry: an Interesting Diagnostic Tool

A 85-year-old woman had a lightly pruritic firm plaque on the forearm for 28 years. She had no major medical trouble and she didn’t receive any medical treatment before visiting dermatology’s department. Biopsy specimen from the lesion revealed an amorphous a cellular eosinophilic deposits (black star) in the papillary dermis (Figure 1 A and B). The overlying epidermis was of normal thickness without hyperkeratosis (Figure 1 A and B). The deposits were negative for Congo red staining (Figure 1C), without typical green birefrengence on polarizing microscopy (Figure 1D). On immunohistochemistry, they stained diffusely positive with pan cytokeratin AE1/AE3

Effect of Regulated Deficit Irrigation on Agronomic Parameters of Three Plum Cultivars (Prunus salicina L.) under Semi-Arid Climate Conditions.

Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies may greatly contribute to save irrigation water, especially in low water availability conditions. The effects of RDI on the growth process, photosynthesis, fruit yield, and some quality traits were assessed for two years on three plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) cultivars (‘Black Diamond’, ‘Black Gold’ and ‘Black Star’) grown in Midwest Tunisia. The experiment was conducted during two successive seasons (2011–2012). Two water regimes were applied per cultivar during the phase of fruit growth until fruit ripening. Stressed trees receive 50% of the amount of irrigation compared to controls (CI). Several eco-physiological parameters and some pomological criteria were measured, based on the climatic condition (ETo, ETc, and VDP). Results showed that the three cultivars had an aptitude for tolerance for moderate stress with varying degrees of response time to drought stress. Globally, a slight decrease in the gas exchange rate (AN and gs) and the water status (RWC, Ψmin, and Ψos) was registered. Tree yields, size and weight show a slight decrease under water stress. Nevertheless, there was an improvement in the total soluble solid content (SSC) and firmness in same cultivars. Our results proved that the Black Star cultivar was the most tolerant to deficit irrigation, in reason that it maintains a good water status and a high photosynthetic activity.

Review: Rock Star / Movie Star: Power and Performance in Cinematic Rock Stardom, by Landon Palmer

Review: <i>Rock Star / Movie Star: Power and Performance in Cinematic Rock Stardom</i>, by Landon Palmer

Exiles, Expatriates, and Malcolm X: Debating the Racial Politics of Liberation in the Black Star of Africa

AbstractOn 10 May 1964, on his return trip to the United States from Mecca, Malcolm X landed in Accra for a weeklong visit to the capital of the ‘Black Star of Africa’. This high-profile visit, which took place only nine months before Malcolm X's assassination, has assumed an important place in biographical accounts of his life, as key to understanding his religious and political transformation or ‘conversion’. Yet we know surprisingly little about how Malcolm X's visit resonated locally, what kinds of meanings it generated, especially in the new nation's capital. Based on newspaper accounts, private paper collections, and written and oral reminiscences, this article explores Malcolm X's visit as a significant moment for accessing the conflicting interpretations of race and liberation politics that converged, cohered, and collided in Ghana during the first decade of independence.

Pre-injection technique to identify neural elements in the costoclavicular space for brachial plexus block: Where and what to inject?

Sir, We read with interest the captioned letter “Use of a pre-injection technique to identify neural elements in the costoclavicular space for brachial plexus block for upper limb orthopaedic surgery”.[1] We appreciate the authors’ idea of a pre-injection technique to identify the neural elements in the costoclavicular space (CCS), but have few suggestions. The authors have chosen the supraclavicular fossa as their pre-injection site and administered 3 ml of local anaesthetic (LA) with the assumption that it would reach the CCS. However, one should keep in mind that even a small LA volume of 5 ml at the supraclavicular fossa may be associated with hemidiaphragmatic paralysis (HDP).[2] Therefore, we rather recommend a hydro-dissection technique using 0.9% saline at the CCS. In this method, as the needle passes the subclavius muscle and approaches the brachial plexus sheath (paraneural sheath),[3] small aliquots of 1-2 ml of 0.9% saline will be injected [Figure 1a] to appreciate if the injection is intramuscular or just outside the epimysium of the subclavius muscle/paraneural sheath. Once confirmed, the block needle is gently advanced into the paraneural sheath between the lateral and posterior cords [Figure 1b] and a second injection of saline will now separate the tightly clustered cords. This helps to delineate the neural components.Figure 1: (a) Schematic diagram demonstrating hydro-dissection technique with needle tip just outside the subclavius muscle and the brachial plexus sheath at the costoclavicular space (CCS); (b) Schematic diagram demonstrating block needle inside the brachial plexus sheath at the gap/fissure between the lateral and posterior cord of the brachial plexus sheath at the CCS. AA: Axillary artery (1st part); AV: Axillary vein; LC: Lateral cord; MC: Medial cord; PC: Posterior cord; Blue coloured arrows demonstrating the brachial plexus or paraneural sheath around the cords of the brachial plexus at the CCS. Black star (*) demonstrating the gap/fissure between the lateral and posterior cord of the brachial plexus after the saline hydro-dissection techniqueThis hydro-dissection technique is simple, effective, carries no additional risks for HDP and does not require two separate injections. Hence, we recommend it over the pre-injection technique described by the authors at the supraclavicular fossa for identifying the neural elements in the CCS. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Gret1 retrotransposon and VvmybA1 gene sequences in somatic mutants of new table grape varieties ‘Brasil’ and –Black Star’ (Vitis vinifera L.).

Somatic mutations in grapes are relatively frequent and associated with diversity in grape skin color and berry morphology. Mutations that occur on a side branch of the ‘Benitaka’ cultivar with rosy-red berry skin color generated the ‘Brasil’ cultivar, and mutations that occurred on a side branch of ‘Brasil’ generated the ‘Black Star’ cultivar, both showing a black color in the berry skin. Therefore, genetic characterization of the Gret1 retrotransposon and the VvmybA1 gene in ‘Italia’, ‘Rubi’, ‘Benitaka’, ‘Brasil’, and ‘Black Star’ was started to find whether the altered coloration of berries in ‘Brasil’ and ‘Black Star’ is a product of different mutation patterns in the investigated sequences. Six primer combinations were used for the amplification of different sequences of the Gret1 retrotransposon and VvmybA1 gene of the five cultivars. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the Gret1 retrotransposon and the VvmybA1 gene and sequencing of the amplified products using six primer combinations showed no different alleles or different nucleotide sequences in ‘Brasil’ and ‘Black Star’. The sequencing of the VvmybA1 gene in the present study showed that the mutations that occurred in the cultivar ‘Italia’ for generating the ‘Benitaka’ cultivar persisted in the ‘Brasil’ and ‘Black Star’ cultivars.

Black holes in f(T,B) gravity: exact and perturbed solutions

Spherically symmetric solutions of theories of gravity built one fundamental class of solutions to describe compact objects like black holes and stars. Moreover, they serve as starting point for the search of more realistic axially symmetric solutions which are capable to describe rotating compact objects. Theories of gravity that do not possess spherically symmetric solutions which meet all observational constraints are easily falsified. In this article, we discuss classes of exact and perturbative spherically symmetric solutions in f(T,B)-gravity. The perturbative solutions add to the ones which have already been found in the literature, while the exact solutions are presented here for the first time. Moreover, we present general methods and strategies, like generalized Bianchi identities, to find spherically solutions in modified teleparallel theories of gravity.

On Virtuality and the Diasporic Imagination

This report covers the 10th edition of BlackStar Film Festival (BSFF), which took place virtually and in person over a week in early August 2021. The independent festival features work by Black, Brown and Indigenous makers, and aims to reach a wide audience whose identities and experiences are reflected in the films. Johnson considers the multifaceted symbolism of the Black Star as it is realized in the curatorial and institutional vision of the festival, and considers the affordances (and limitations) of virtuality toward greater distribution of, and access to, independent films in the places they represent. An extensive review of the shorts program includes reporting on category winners Lizard (Akinola Davies Jr), Dear Philadelphia (Renee Maria Osubu) and Elena (Michèle Stephenson). This is the first review of BSFF for Film Quarterly.

Black hole feeding and star formation in NGC 1808

We report on Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of CO(3−2) emission in the Seyfert2/starburst galaxy NGC 1808, at a spatial resolution of 4 pc. Our aim is to investigate the morphology and dynamics of the gas inside the central 0.5 kpc and to probe the nuclear feeding and feedback phenomena. We discovered a nuclear spiral of radius 1″ = 45 pc. Within it, we found a decoupled circumnuclear disk or molecular torus of a radius of 0.13″ = 6 pc. The HCN(4−3) and HCO+(4−3) and CS(7−6) dense gas line tracers were simultaneously mapped and detected in the nuclear spiral and they present the same misalignment in the molecular torus. At the nucleus, the HCN/HCO+and HCN/CS ratios indicate the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The molecular gas shows regular rotation, within a radius of 400 pc, except for the misaligned disk inside the nuclear spiral arms. The computations of the torques exerted on the gas by the barred stellar potential reveal that the gas within a radius of 100 pc is feeding the nucleus on a timescale of five rotations or on an average timescale of ∼60 Myr. Some non-circular motions are observed towards the center, corresponding to the nuclear spiral arms. We cannot rule out that small extra kinematic perturbations could be interpreted as a weak outflow attributed to AGN feedback. The molecular outflow detected at ≥250 pc in the NE direction is likely due to supernovae feedback and it is connected to the kpc-scale superwind.

Destabilization of Black Holes and Stars by Generalized Proca Fields.

We demonstrate that black holes and stars in general relativity can be destabilized by perturbations of nonminimally coupled vector fields. Focusing on static and spherically symmetric backgrounds, our analysis shows that black holes with sufficiently small mass and stars with sufficiently high densities are subject to ghost- or gradient-type instabilities. This holds for a large class of Einstein-Proca theories with nonminimal couplings, including generalized Proca models that have sparked attention for their potential role in cosmology and astrophysics. The stability criteria translate into bounds of relevance for low-scale theories of dark energy and for ultralight dark matter scenarios.

Modeling the outcome of supernova explosions in binary population synthesis using the stellar compactness

Following the collapse of their cores, some of the massive binary stars that populate our Universe are expected to form merging binaries composed of black holes and neutron stars. Gravitational-wave observations of the resulting compact binaries can reveal precious details on the inner workings of the supernova mechanism and the subsequent formation of compact objects. Within the framework of the population-synthesis code mobse, we present the implementation of a new supernova model that relies on the compactness of the collapsing star. The model has two free parameters, namely the compactness threshold that separates the formation of black holes and that of neutron stars, and the fraction of the envelope that falls back onto the newly formed black holes. We compare this model extensively against other prescriptions that are commonly used in binary population synthesis. We find that the cleanest signatures of the role of the pre-supernova stellar compactness are (1) the relative formation rates of the different kinds of compact binaries, which mainly depend on the compactness threshold parameter, and (2) the location of the upper edge of the mass gap between the lightest black holes and the heaviest neutron stars, which mainly depends on the fallback fraction.

From Nkrumah’s Black Star to the African Diaspora: Ghanaian Intellectual Activists and the Development of Black Studies in the Americas

After Kwame Nkrumah’s overthrow in 1966, a group of Ghanaian intellectuals brought their specific version of Pan-Africanism into the United States at precisely the moment when Black studies programs were being formed. Consequently, they shaped the trajectory of the field and linked it to a specifically African intellectual project. These Ghanaian intellectuals sought to inject an Africa-centered sense of what political education and political mobilization meant into the framework of Black studies. At the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Brown University, they worked to make Europe’s ongoing economic exploitation of Africa, the persistence of white supremacist regimes in southern Africa, and the US government’s support of these oppressive forces key parts of the otherwise US-centric curricula of Black studies programs. The role that Ghanaian intellectuals played in the United States helps us illuminate the unexplored intellectual impact of African scholars in the 1970s and 1980s outside of Africa on Black internationalism.

Enduring Dimensions of Indigenous Foodways in the Southern Alta California Mountain Hinterlands

ABSTRACT Colonization dramatically impacted native ecosystems and Indigenous foodways in the Alta California coastal regions, but its impact in colonial hinterland landscapes remains poorly understood. This study contributes information on the indirect effects of colonial ecological transformations on hinterland Indigenous foodways by examining archaeofauna from the California Historical Landmark Black Star Canyon Puhú village (CHL#217; CA-ORA-132/317) in the Santa Ana Mountains of Orange County, California. In 1832 CE, the Indigenous residents of Puhú were allegedly subsisting off stolen livestock and were massacred in retaliation by colonists. Zooarchaeological analyses of the village revealed a continuation of montane endemic hunting traditions whereas livestock had a minimal, if not non-existent, impact on the community's foodways. We suggest that the outcome of postcolonial ecological change on food availability was variable in proximal hinterland areas, and for the Puhú village, potentially enhanced access to certain native faunal resources, which enabled a different mode of cultural persistence.