bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expressive Microstructure in Music: A Preliminary Perceptual Assessment of Four Composers' "Pulses"
Authors: Repp Bruno H.
Published: September 2012

According to a provocative theory set forth by Manfred Clynes, there are composer-specific cyclic patterns of (unnotated) musical microstructure that, when discovered and realized by a performer, help to give the music its characteristic expressive quality. Clynes, relying mainly on his own judgment as an experienced musician, has derived such personal "pulses" for several famous composers by imposing time and amplitude perturbations on computer-controlled performances of classical music and modifying them until they converged on some optimal expression. To conduct a preliminary test of the general music lover's appreciation of such "pulsed" performances, two sets of piano pieces by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert, one in quadruple and the other in triple meter, were selected for this study. Each piece was synthesized with each composer's pulse and also without any pulse. These different versions were presented in random order to listeners of varying musical sophistication for preference judgments relative to the unpulsed version. There were reliable changes in listeners' pulse preferences across different composers' pieces, which affirms one essential prerequisite of Clynes' theory. Moreover, in several instances the "correct" pulse was preferred most, which suggests not only that these pulse patterns indeed capture composer- specific qualities, but also that listeners without extensive musical experience can appreciate them. In other cases, however, listeners' preferences were not as expected, and possible causes for these deviations are discussed.
Absolute Pitch as an Inability: Identification of Musical Intervals in a Tonal Context
Authors: Miyazaki Ken'ichi
Published: September 2012

Absolute pitch is generally believed to be a remarkable ability, whose possessors can quite accurately identify musical pitch characteristics (pitch classes) of single tones presented in isolation. However, identifying pitch out of context is irrelevant and even meaningless to music. It is unclear how listeners with absolute pitch process musical pitch information in more meaningful musical situations. The present experiment was done to examine how listeners with absolute pitch perform in a relative pitch task. Listeners tried to identify melodic intervals of various sizes (260–540 cents) presented in three different tonal contexts established by a preceding tonal cadence. Listeners without absolute pitch showed equal accuracy and speed in doing the task in the three tonal contexts, as expected from the principle of transposability of musical pitch relations. In contrast, some absolute pitch listeners snowed a marked decline in accuracy and longer response times in the F# major and the out-of-tune E major contexts compared with the C major context. This result suggests that some absolute pitch listeners are relatively poor in identifying pitch relations in tonal contexts and sometimes tend to stick to absolute pitch even in a task that needs relative pitch, resulting in poor performance in perceiving musical pitch relations.
Melodic Anchoring and Tone Duration
Authors: Laden Bernice
Published: September 2012

Bharucha (1984) defined a cognitive principle, melodic anchoring, that outlines the conditions under which tones are perceived as stable points in a melody. He found that temporal order can determine which of two tones is perceived as being more stable. The experiment described in this article extends Bharucha's work by examining melodic anchoring when melody tones are of unequal duration. Listeners (novices and musicians) heard short, tonally ambiguous melodies that were followed by a musical chord. The listener's task was to rate how well the chord seems to fit the melody. A chord by durational pattern interaction was found. The results indicate that although temporal order is a primary factor in melodic anchoring, duration can facilitate or weaken its effect, depending on how the durational pattern aligns with the pitch sequence of the melody.
On the Assignment of Structure in Music Performance
Authors: Palmer Caroline
Published: September 2012

Cues for listeners' assignment of melodic structure are investigated in music performance. Performers' interpretations of musical structure can influence listeners' perceptions, especially when structural relations among musical events are ambiguous. Performances recorded on a computermonitored acoustic piano were compared with each performer's notated interpretations of melody. Small timing changes (20-50 ms) marked performers' melodic intentions; events interpreted as melody (the most important voice) preceded other events in chords (melody lead). The emergence of melody leads was investigated in successive performances of unfamiliar music: melody leads were larger in experts' than in students' performances, but students showed more increase with practice. In additional experiments, performances of the same music with different melodic interpretations displayed the melody lead in different amounts, which subsequently affected listeners' perceptions of melodic intentions. Subtle expressive cues in music performance arise from individual interpretations and can aid listeners in determining musical structure.
Using the Krumhansl and Schmuckler Key-Finding Algorithm to Quantify the Effects of Tonality in the Interpolated-Tone Pitch-Comparison Task
Authors: Frankland B. W. , Cohen Annabel J.
Published: September 2012

We examined two models that quantified the effects of tonality on accuracy and reaction time in an intervening-tone pitch-comparison task. In each of 16 task conditions (standard tone-interpolated sequence-test tone, abbreviated as S-seq-T), the S and T tones, C₄ and/or C#₄, were separated by a three-tone sequence that was a random arrangement of one of the four triads, ${\rm{C}}_{{\rm{4Major}}} ,{\rm{C}}_{{\rm{4Minor}}} ,{\rm{C\# }}_{\rm{4}} _{{\rm{Major}}} $ or ${\rm{C\# }}_{{\rm{4Minor}}} $ . Both models were based on the tonal hierarchy (Krumhansl, 1990a; Krumhansl & Shepard, 1979) and the key-finding algorithm (Krumhansl & Schmuckler, cited in Krumhansl, 1990a); the key- finding algorithm was used to determine the best-fitting key for the first four notes of the condition (i.e., the S-seq combination). Model 1 (S-Tone Stability) determined the stability of the S tone given that key. Model 2 (T-Tone Expectancy) determined the expectancy for the T tone given that key. Over the 16 conditions, for three groups of 12 subjects, differing by level of training, mean proportion correct discrimination ranged from .53 to .95 and increased significantly across levels of musical experience. For the musically trained subjects, both models predicted performance well but neither model was dramatically more effective than the other; the combination of both models did produce an increase in predictability. For untrained subjects, tonality, as assessed by the key-finding algorithm in either model, was not significantly correlated with performance.
Diatonic Connotations of Pitch-Class Sets
Authors: Van Egmond René , Butler David
Published: September 2012

This is a music-theoretical study of the relationship of two-, three-, four-, five-, and six-member subsets of the major (pure minor), harmonic minor, and melodic (ascending) minor reference collections, using pitchclass set analytic techniques. These three collections will be referred to as the diatonic sets. Several new terms are introduced to facilitate the application of pitch-class set theory to descriptions of tonal pitch relations and to retain characteristic intervallic relationships in tonal music typically not found in discussions of atonal pitch-class relations. The description comprises three parts. First, pitch sets are converted to pitchclass sets. Second, the pitch- class sets are categorized by transpositional types. Third, the relations of these transpositional types are described in terms of their key center and modal references to the three diatonic sets. Further, it is suggested that the probability of a specific key interpretation by a listener may depend on the scale-degree functions of the tones.
Disruptive Effects in Chord Priming
Authors: Arao Hiroshi , Gyoba Jiro
Published: September 2012

Chord-priming effects were investigated in a related-prime condition, an unrelated-prime condition, and a control condition in which a noise was presented instead of a prime chord. Ten participants listened to a sequence consisting of a prime (a chord or a noise) and a target chord and then decided whether the target chord was in tune or out of tune. The interonset intervals between the prime and target chords were varied at either 1, 3, or 7 s, whereas the duration of the chords or noises was fixed at 500 ms. Responses were significantly slower with lower accuracy in the unrelated-prime condition than in the control condition, whereas responses were not significantly faster in the related-prime condition than in the control condition. The delay in the unrelated-prime condition was found at interonset intervals of 1 and 3 s, but the delay almost disappeared at the longest interonset interval of 7 s. These results cannot be fully explained by a spreading activation model that assumes a facilitation effect, but rather seem to suggest that disruptive effects occur with regard to the sensitivity to chordal tuning. /// 和音プライミング効果を，関連プライム条件，非関連プライム条件，統制条 件において検討した. 統制条件においては，プライム和音のかわりにノイズ が呈示された. 10名の被験者は，プライム (和音またはノイズ) とターゲッ ト和音を聞き，ターゲット和音のチューニングが正しいか誤っているかを判 断した. プライムとターゲット和音の立ち上がり聞の時間間隔は, 1，3， 7sのいずれかであり，和音とノイズの長さはすべて500msであった. 非関連 プライム条件における反応は, 統制条件における反応よりも有意に遅く，正 答率も低かった. 一方，関連プライム条件における反応は，統制条件におけ る反応よめも有意差がみられるほど速くはなかった. 非関連プライム条件に おける反応の遅れは，時間間隔が1, 3sのときにあらわれたが. 7sのとき にはほとんど消失した. これらの結果は，和音のチューニング感度に妨害効 果が生じていることを示唆しており，促進効果を仮定する活性化拡散モデル では完全には説明できない.
Perceiving Emotion in Melody: Interactive Effects of Pitch and Rhythm
Authors: Schellenberg E. Glenn , Krysciak Ania M. , Campbell R. Jane
Published: September 2012

We examined effects of pitch and rhythm on the perceived emotional content of short melodies. We initially developed exemplars of melodies that were judged consistently to convey a single emotional category: happy, sad, or scary. We subsequently manipulated the pitch and rhythm parameters to derive three altered versions of each exemplar: a pitch-only version (pitch differences intact but all tones of equal duration), a rhythmonly version (durational differences intact but all tones of equal pitch), and a baseline version (all tones of equal duration and pitch). Listeners rated how well each exemplar and altered version conveyed its corresponding emotion. Effects of pitch and rhythm varied across melodies. In all cases, ratings were influenced more by differences in pitch than by differences in rhythm. Whenever rhythm affected ratings, it interacted with pitch.
Analyzing Form and Measuring Perceptual Content in Mozart's Sonata K. 282: A New Theory of Parametric Analogues
Authors: Narmour Eugene
Published: September 2012

Hierarchic analysis in music necessarily separates form from content. However, in active listening, the two are indivisible. To illustrate this, I first analyze in Part 1 the opening movement in Mozart's Sonata K. 282 from the top down, using traditional methods in music theory. Arriving at the manifest level, I then dissect the music from the bottom up, relying on the implication-realization model (Narmour, 1977,1989,1990,1991a, 1992). The contrasting perspectives reveal in great detail some of the movement's richly complex structuring. More generally, they confirm the inextricable feedback between parametric content and the meaning of form, specifically with respect to the contrary functions of closure and nonclosure. Following these analyses, Part 2 forges a synthesis by developing an implicative theory of analogical structures for melody, harmony, duration, and meter. Because, in terms of bottom-up processing, the analytical symbology for tracking structures is commensurable, we can, in all four primary parameters, weight similarity (aa), difference (ab), closure (stability), and nonclosure (implication) with comparable numbers. Further, by adding in some essential stylistic properties from the top down (scale step, diatonic pitch set, tonal cadential closure), we are able to represent the overall rhythmic shape of the first phrase in a single twodimensional graph. Thereby, we recapture from hierarchic analysis the perceptual sense that, in on-line listening, form and content are synthetically one.
The Stemma of the Aquitanian Versaria
Authors: Grier James
Published: September 2012

The repertory of versus that circulated in eleventh- and twelfth-century Aquitaine is preserved in nine versaria, which today form parts of four codices: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fonds latin MSS 1139, 3549 and 3719, and London, British Library, Additional MS 36881. Through a comparison of versions of several pieces that occur in two or more versaria, the historical descent of those pieces to their surviving witnesses is discernible and may be depicted schematically in a stemma codicum. The stemma has two functions. First, readings introduced by individual scribes can be isolated. Some of these readings are errors and thus are eliminated from consideration in the establishment of the text; others, however, are variants and their study can reveal the musical personality of the scribes who introduced them. Second, a group of pieces sharing the same stemma may be identified within the versus repertory. It is proposed here that these pieces were widely circulated as a group in Aquitaine throughout the twelfth century and therefore constitute a central repertory.
New Approaches to the Linear Analysis of Music
Authors: Forte Allen
Published: September 2012

A number of recent studies incorporate linear analysis of non-standard tonal music and non-tonal music. Although the author takes issue with the application of strict Schenkerian paradigms to such music he acknowledges the historical importance of the Schenkerian canon. Invoking new procedures, among them pitch-class set-analytical techniques, the author presents a series of analyses which reveal linear-motivic features held to be essential to the music under consideration over temporal spans of varying length. The study, which includes works by Stravinsky, Wagner, and Scriabin, ends by suggesting three guidelines for subsequent efforts in this new area of analytical research.
Musical Evidence of Compositional Planning in the Renaissance: Josquin's Plus nulz regretz
Authors: Reynolds Christopher
Published: September 2012

While much discussed and analyzed, Josquin's setting of Plus nulz regretz mimics the structural features of the poem in ways which have gone undetected for two reasons: essential stylistic details of the "Chant nouvel" by Jean Lemaire de Belges have not been identified, and Josquin disguised his musical realization of those details. By first examining the text and comparing it to Lemaire's other surviving "Chant nouvel," and then analyzing the motivic organization of the chanson, the article shows that for every poetic gesture Josquin devised a musical counterpart, chief among which is a concentric organization of motives (ABCCBA) to match the rhyme scheme. The hypothesis that Josquin used techniques related to Leon Battista Alberti's methods for determining perspective in art is invoked to explain a striking symmetrical structure of temporal units. This in turn has implications for the way composers throughout the Renaissance planned proportional compositional structures.
Bartók's Octatonic Strategies: A Motivic Approach
Authors: Cohn Richard
Published: September 2012

This study offers an alternative to the diatonic interaction model to explain Bartók's interest in the octatonic collection. The special ability of the octatonic collection to be partitioned into alternative sets of transpositionally related subsets is revealed through an abstract study. The exploitation of this potential through the interaction of the subsets is demonstrated in two compositions from the Mikrokosmos and in the first movement of the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion.
Charles Ives: Some Questions of Veracity
Authors: Solomon Maynard
Published: September 2012

Ives's autobiographical writings raise issues of veracity, including those bearing on his posthumous idealization of his relationship to his father, George Ives, and his crediting of his father with having anticipated many procedures and techniques of twentieth-century modernism. The magnification of his father's influence is intertwined with a denial of other musical influences as well as with an obsessive concern over issues of priority. An examination of Ives's autographs suggests that he retrospectively sought to predate numerous works, both as to their commencement and completion. A revised chronology of Ives's creative evolution would appear to be in order.
Musicology under Hitler: New Sources in Context
Authors: Potter Pamela M.
Published: September 2012

Recognizing musicology's demonstrated potential to contribute to its ideological aims, the Nazi government took immediate steps to centralize music scholarship and, along with the SS, to subsidize relevant research projects. Alfred Rosenberg's ideological watchdog organization recruited musicologists for a variety of tasks, including the plundering of musical treasures in occupied territories and the assessment of the receptivity of occupied populations to Germany's eventual takeover of cultural life. Meanwhile, many scholars contributed to the press with music historical justifications for all of Germany's current military and diplomatic actions. Born in an era preoccupied with the creation of the German nation-state, musicology had embraced a Germanocentric focus, dating back to Forkel, that the Nazi propaganda machine fully exploited. This nationalism also infiltrated American musicology with the arrival of German émigré scholars.
Puccini, Il tabarro, and the Dilemma of Operatic Transposition
Authors: Greenwald Helen M.
Published: September 2012

The presumption that composers transposed sections of their operas solely to facilitate the singer's task has fueled the debate about tonal relationships in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century opera. This essay proposes-via Puccini's one-act opera Il tabarro-that such alterations should be evaluated not only within the context of an individual work, but also as part of the historical continuum of expanding tonal procedures and, especially, within the context of a composer's own aural history, an "untransposed" compositional practice.
Deregulation of Protein Phosphatase 2A and Hyperphosphorylation of τ Protein Following Onset of Diabetes in NOD Mice
Authors: Papon Marie-Amélie , El Khoury Noura B. , Marcouiller François , Julien Carl , Morin Françoise , Bretteville Alexis , Petry Franck R. , Gaudreau Simon , Amrani Abdelaziz , Mathews Paul M. , Hébert Sébastien S. , Planel Emmanuel
Published: September 2012

The histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease (AD) include intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles composed of abnormally hyperphosphorylated τ protein. Insulin dysfunction might influence AD pathology, as population-based and cohort studies have detected higher AD incidence rates in diabetic patients. But how diabetes affects τ pathology is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of insulin dysfunction on τ phosphorylation in a genetic model of spontaneous type 1 diabetes: the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse. Brains of young and adult female NOD mice were examined, but young NOD mice did not display τ hyperphosphorylation. τ phosphorylation at τ-1 and pS422 epitopes was slightly increased in nondiabetic adult NOD mice. At the onset of diabetes, τ was hyperphosphorylated at the τ-1, AT8, CP13, pS262, and pS422. A subpopulation of diabetic NOD mice became hypothermic, and τ hyperphosphorylation further extended to paired helical filament-1 and TG3 epitopes. Furthermore, elevated τ phosphorylation correlated with an inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity. Our data indicate that insulin dysfunction in NOD mice leads to AD-like τ hyperphosphorylation in the brain, with molecular mechanisms likely involving a deregulation of PP2A. This model may be a useful tool to address further mechanistic association between insulin dysfunction and AD pathology.
A Role for Adipose Tissue De Novo Lipogenesis in Glucose Homeostasis During Catch-up Growth
Authors: Marcelino Helena , Veyrat-Durebex Christelle , Summermatter Serge , Sarafian Delphine , Miles-Chan Jennifer , Arsenijevic Denis , Zani Fabio , Montani Jean-Pierre , Seydoux Josiane , Solinas Giovanni , Rohner-Jeanrenaud Françoise , Dulloo Abdul G.
Published: September 2012

Catch-up growth, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, is characterized by hyperinsulinemia and accelerated body fat recovery. Using a rat model of semistarvation-refeeding that exhibits catch-up fat, we previously reported that during refeeding on a low-fat diet, glucose tolerance is normal but insulin-dependent glucose utilization is decreased in skeletal muscle and increased in adipose tissue, where de novo lipogenic capacity is concomitantly enhanced. Here we report that isocaloric refeeding on a high-fat (HF) diet blunts the enhanced in vivo insulin-dependent glucose utilization for de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in adipose tissue. These are shown to be early events of catch-up growth that are independent of hyperphagia and precede the development of overt adipocyte hypertrophy, adipose tissue inflammation, or defective insulin signaling. These results suggest a role for enhanced DNL as a glucose sink in regulating glycemia during catch-up growth, which is blunted by exposure to an HF diet, thereby contributing, together with skeletal muscle insulin resistance, to the development of glucose intolerance. Our findings are presented as an extension of the Randle cycle hypothesis, whereby the suppression of DNL constitutes a mechanism by which dietary lipids antagonize glucose utilization for storage as triglycerides in adipose tissue, thereby impairing glucose homeostasis during catch-up growth.
Loss of TDAG51 Results in Mature-Onset Obesity, Hepatic Steatosis, and Insulin Resistance by Regulating Lipogenesis
Authors: Basseri Sana , Lhoták Šárka , Fullerton Morgan D. , Palanivel Rengasamy , Jiang Hua , Lynn Edward G. , Ford Rebecca J. , Maclean Kenneth N. , Steinberg Gregory R. , Austin Richard C.
Published: September 2012

Regulation of energy metabolism is critical for the prevention of obesity, diabetes, and hepatic steatosis. Here, we report an important role for the pleckstrin homology–related domain family member, T-cell death–associated gene 51 (TDAG51), in the regulation of energy metabolism. TDAG51 expression was examined during adipocyte differentiation. Adipogenic potential of preadipocytes with knockdown or absence of TDAG51 was assessed. Weight gain, insulin sensitivity, metabolic rate, and liver lipid content were also compared between TDAG51-deficient (TDAG51−/−) and wild-type mice. In addition to its relatively high expression in liver, TDAG51 was also present in white adipose tissue (WAT). TDAG51 was downregulated during adipogenesis, and TDAG51−/− preadipocytes exhibited greater lipogenic potential. TDAG51−/− mice fed a chow diet exhibited greater body and WAT mass, had reduced energy expenditure, displayed mature-onset insulin resistance (IR), and were predisposed to hepatic steatosis. TDAG51−/− mice had increased hepatic triglycerides and SREBP-1 target gene expression. Furthermore, TDAG51 expression was inversely correlated with fatty liver in multiple mouse models of hepatic steatosis. Taken together, our findings suggest that TDAG51 is involved in energy homeostasis at least in part by regulating lipogenesis in liver and WAT, and hence, may constitute a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and IR.
Deletion of Skeletal Muscle SOCS3 Prevents Insulin Resistance in Obesity
Authors: Jorgensen Sebastian Beck , O’Neill Hayley M. , Sylow Lykke , Honeyman Jane , Hewitt Kimberly A. , Palanivel Rengasamy , Fullerton Morgan D. , Öberg Lisa , Balendran Anudharan , Galic Sandra , van der Poel Chris , Trounce Ian A. , Lynch Gordon S. , Schertzer Jonathan D. , Steinberg Gregory R.
Published: September 2012

Obesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation that contributes to defects in energy metabolism and insulin resistance. Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 expression is increased in skeletal muscle of obese humans. SOCS3 inhibits leptin signaling in the hypothalamus and insulin signal transduction in adipose tissue and the liver. Skeletal muscle is an important tissue for controlling energy expenditure and whole-body insulin sensitivity; however, the physiological importance of SOCS3 in this tissue has not been examined. Therefore, we generated mice that had SOCS3 specifically deleted in skeletal muscle (SOCS MKO). The SOCS3 MKO mice had normal muscle development, body mass, adiposity, appetite, and energy expenditure compared with wild-type (WT) littermates. Despite similar degrees of obesity when fed a high-fat diet, SOCS3 MKO mice were protected against the development of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance because of enhanced skeletal muscle insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and Akt phosphorylation that resulted in increased skeletal muscle glucose uptake. These data indicate that skeletal muscle SOCS3 does not play a critical role in regulating muscle development or energy expenditure, but it is an important contributing factor for inhibiting insulin sensitivity in obesity. Therapies aimed at inhibiting SOCS3 in skeletal muscle may be effective in reversing obesity-related glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.
Foix-Chavany-Marie syndrome caused by a disconnection between the right pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus and the supplementary motor area
Authors: Martino Juan , de Lucas Enrique Marco , Ibáñez-Plágaro Francisco Javier , Valle-Folgueral José Manuel , Vázquez-Barquero Alfonso
Published: September 2012

Foix-Chavany-Marie syndrome (FCMS) is a rare type of suprabulbar palsy characterized by an automaticvoluntary dissociation of the orofacial musculature. Here, the authors report an original case of FCMS that occurred intraoperatively while resecting the pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus.

This 25-year-old right-handed man with an incidentally diagnosed right frontotemporoinsular tumor underwent surgery using an asleep-awake-asleep technique with direct cortical and subcortical electrical stimulation and a transopercular approach to the insula. While resecting the anterior part of the pars opercularis the patient suffered sudden anarthria and bilateral facial weakness. He was unable to speak or show his teeth on command, but he was able to voluntarily move his upper and lower limbs. This syndrome lasted for 8 days. Postoperative diffusion tensor imaging tractography revealed that connections of the pars opercularis of the right inferior frontal gyrus with the frontal aslant tract (FAT) and arcuate fasciculus (AF) were damaged.

This case supplies evidence for localizing the structural substrate of FCMS. It was possible, for the first time in the literature, to accurately correlate the occurrence of FCMS to the resection of connections between the FAT and AF, and the right pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus. The FAT has been recently described, but it may be an important connection to mediate supplementary motor area control of orofacial movement. The present case also contributes to our knowledge of complication avoidance in operculoinsular surgery. A transopercular approach to insuloopercular gliomas can generate FCMS, especially in cases of previous contralateral lesions. The prognosis is favorable, but the patient should be informed of this particular hazard, and the surgeon should anticipate the surgical strategy in case the syndrome occurs intraoperatively in an awake patient.
The use of inside-outside screws for occipitocervical fusion in pediatric patients
Authors: Sribnick Eric Anthony , Dadashev Vladamir Y. , Brahma Barunashish , Wrubel David M.
Published: September 2012

Object

The authors describe the use of inside-outside occipital screws in 21 children with occipitocervical instability requiring occipitocervical fusion.

Methods

The ages of the patients were from 2 to 15 years, and patients presented with a variety of causes of occipitocervical instability, including congenital disorders, posttraumatic instability, idiopathic degeneration, and postoperative instability. Surgeries frequently included foramen magnum decompression, duraplasty, and laminectomy, but all patients required occipitocervical instrumentation and arthrodesis. Postoperative orthosis included the use of either a cervical collar or halo device. In all but one case, patients were followed postoperatively for at least 12 months.

Results

The mean age of patients was 9.93 years. Inside-outside screws were used in all reported cases. Rib autograft was used in all patients. In addition, demineralized bone matrix was used in 2 cases, and bone morphogenetic protein was used in 2 patients. Two patients required halo placement, and the other 19 were placed in cervical collars. The average time postoperative orthotics were used was 2.82 months. Arthrodesis was determined radiographically and was noted in all patients. No operative complications were noted; however, postoperative complications included 1 wound infection, 2 cases of hardware loosening, and the need for tracheostomy in 2 patients.

Conclusions

Inside-outside screws were found to be a useful component of occipitocervical instrumentation in pediatric patients ranging from 2 to 15 years of age. Arthrodesis was demonstrated in all cases.
Long-term follow-up of surgically treated juvenile patients with moyamoya disease
Authors: Mukawa Maki , Nariai Tadashi , Matsushima Yoshiharu , Tanaka Yoji , Inaji Motoki , Maehara Taketoshi , Aoyagi Masaru , Ohno Kikuo
Published: September 2012

Object

Surgical revascularization is considered an effective treatment for juvenile patients with moyamoya disease (MMD). Yet the long-term outcome in surgically treated patients still needs to be clarified. More than 30 years have passed since the authors' department started intensively treating pediatric patients with MMD using indirect anastomosis techniques. In this study the authors surveyed the current status of these patients.

Methods

Activities of daily living (ADLs) were surveyed and present clinical status was assessed based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Cerebrovascular events subsequent to surgical treatment were also recorded.

Results

Since 1979, 208 patients younger than 19 years of age with MMD were surgically treated and followed up for > 3 years. Data were available on 172 patients (83%), who had been followed up for a mean of 14.3 years (range 3–32 years). Activity of daily living outcomes were as follows: 138 patients (80.2%) had mRS scores of 0–2, 29 (16.9%) a score of 3, 1 (0.6%) a score of 4, 1 (0.6%) a score of 5, and 3 (1.7%) a score of 6. Cerebrovascular events occurred 8 or more years after surgery in 6 patients (3.4%), that is, 6 hemorrhages and 3 infarctions. The cumulative risk of late-onset stroke at 10, 20, and 30 years after surgical intervention was 0.8%, 6.3%, and 10.0%, respectively.

Conclusions

This long-term survey demonstrated that most surgically treated pediatric patients with MMD maintain good ADL outcomes. However, a significant number of new cerebrovascular events occurred more than 10 years after the initial surgery. Additional follow-up will help to identify which events may occur during the adult years of patients treated as children.
Long-Term Survival of Saplings during the Transformation to Continuous Cover
Authors: Kerr Gary , Mackintosh Hamish
Published: September 2012

The Glentress Trial Area is an extensive research area in southern Scotland of 117 ha where a long-term trial of the transformation of even-aged plantations to continuous cover has been in progress since 1952. During the assessment of permanent sample plots in 1990 information on the species and spatial position of saplings (trees taller than 1.3 m with a diameter at breast height of < 7 cm) was recorded. This provided a unique opportunity to investigate the long-term survival of saplings during the transformation process when the Trial Area was reassessed in 2009. The main finding was that 37% of saplings survived the 19-year period and the majority developed into trees (≥7 cm diameter at breast height). There was considerable variation between species, the lowest survival of saplings was European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) (13%) and the highest European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) (55%); however differences between species were not significant. There were, however, significant differences between the six management areas with three with high sapling survival (55% to 61%) but others much lower (27% to 32%). If this result is confirmed by other studies, covering a broader range of sites, management guidance that assumes 90% survival will need to be revised.
Habitat Modeling of Alien Plant Species at Varying Levels of Occupancy
Authors: Lemke Dawn , Brown Jennifer A.
Published: September 2012

Distribution models of invasive plants are very useful tools for conservation management. There are challenges in modeling expanding populations, especially in a dynamic environment, and when data are limited. In this paper, predictive habitat models were assessed for three invasive plant species, at differing levels of occurrence, using two different habitat modeling techniques: logistic regression and maximum entropy. The influence of disturbance, spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and other landscape characteristics is assessed by creating regional level models based on occurrence records from the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis database. Logistic regression and maximum entropy models were assessed independently. Ensemble models were developed to combine the predictions of the two analysis approaches to obtain a more robust prediction estimate. All species had strong models with Area Under the receiver operator Curve (AUC) of >0.75. The species with the highest occurrence, Ligustrum spp., had the greatest agreement between the models (93%). Lolium arundinaceum had the most disagreement between models at 33% and the lowest AUC values. Overall, the strength of integrative modeling in assessing and understanding habitat modeling was demonstrated.
Older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Limitations: Immigration and Other Factors Associated with Institutionalization
Authors: Fuller-Thomson Esme , Chi Monica
Published: September 2012

This study determined the national prevalence and profile of Asian Americans with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) limitations and identified factors associated with institutionalization. Data were obtained from 2006 American Community Survey, which replaced the long-form of the US Census. The data are nationally representative of both institutionalized and community-dwelling older adults. Respondents were Vietnamese (n = 203), Korean (n = 131), Japanese (n = 193), Filipino (n = 309), Asian Indian (n = 169), Chinese (n = 404), Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (n = 54), and non-Hispanic whites (n = 55,040) aged 55 and over who all had ADL limitations. The prevalence of institutionalized among those with ADL limitations varies substantially from 4.7% of Asian Indians to 18.8% of Korean Americans with ADL limitations. Every AAPI group had a lower prevalence of institutionalization than disabled Non-Hispanic whites older adults (23.8%) (p < 0.001). After adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics, Asian Indians, Vietnamese, Japanese, Filipino, and Chinese had significantly lower odds of institutionalization than non-Hispanic whites (OR = 0.29, 0.31, 0.58, 0.51, 0.70, respectively). When the sample was restricted to AAPIs, the odds of institutionalization were higher among those who were older, unmarried, cognitively impaired and those who spoke English at home. This variation suggests that aggregating data across the AAPI groups obscures meaningful differences among these subpopulations and substantial inter-group differences may have important implications in the long-term care setting.
Nucleotide Excision Repair in Cellular Chromatin: Studies with Yeast from Nucleotide to Gene to Genome
Authors: Waters Raymond , Evans Katie , Bennett Mark , Yu Shirong , Reed Simon
Published: September 2012

Here we review our development of, and results with, high resolution studies on global genome nucleotide excision repair (GGNER) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have focused on how GGNER relates to histone acetylation for its functioning and we have identified the histone acetyl tranferase Gcn5 and acetylation at lysines 9/14 of histone H3 as a major factor in enabling efficient repair. We consider results employing primarily MFA2 as a model gene, but also those with URA3 located at subtelomeric sequences. In the latter case we also see a role for acetylation at histone H4. We then go on to outline the development of a high resolution genome-wide approach that enables one to examine correlations between histone modifications and the nucleotide excision repair (NER) of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers throughout entire genomes. This is an approach that will enable rapid advances in understanding the complexities of how compacted chromatin in chromosomes is processed to access DNA damage and then returned to its pre-damaged status to maintain epigenetic codes.
Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers for Passiflora contracta
Authors: Cazé Ana Luíza R. , Kriedt Raquel A. , Beheregaray Luciano B. , Bonatto Sandro L. , Freitas Loreta B.
Published: September 2012

Passiflora contracta Vitta (Passifloraceae) is an endemic species of the Atlantic Rainforest, one of the most species-rich ecoregions in the world, although extremely endangered. We have developed an enriched microsatellite library in order to fine-scale studies of the genetic structure of P. contracta. Twelve pairs of microsatellite primers were designed, and seven loci were successfully amplified and characterized by genotyping two wild populations of P. contracta. All seven loci were polymorphic, with an average number of alleles found being 4.8 and 5 per population. The cross-species transferability was tested using sister species Passiflora ovalis Vell. Ex Roemer. The development of these markers will contribute to the studies of population genetics in P. contracta as well as future studies concerning diversity patterns in the Atlantic Rainforest, and may also help to establish strategies for the conservation of this species.
Development and Characterization of EST-SSR Markers from Scapharca broughtonii and Their Transferability in Scapharca subcrenata and Tegillarca granosa
Authors: Li Meng , Zhu Ling , Zhou Chun-Ya , Lin Lin , Fan Yan-Jun , Zhuang Zhi-Meng
Published: September 2012

Twenty-five novel EST-derived simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were developed in the ark shell Scapharca broughtonii. Polymorphisms of these EST-SSR markers were evaluated in 48 wild individuals collected from Shidao, Shandong Province, China. A total of 202 alleles were detected at 25 loci. The numbers of alleles per locus ranged from 4 to 14, with an average of 8.08. The observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.2917 to 1.000 and from 0.3570 to 0.9002, respectively. After sequential Bonferroni correction for multiple tests, only one locus was found to deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Twenty-five EST-SSR markers showed a high rate of across-species transferability (100%) in Scapharca subcrenata and a low rate of across-genus transferability (20%) in Tegillarca granosa. These EST-SSRs will be helpful for QTL mapping, molecular breeding and investigation of population genetic diversity in ark shell S. broughtonii and other Scapharca species.
Aggregating Behavior of Phenolic Compounds — A Source of False Bioassay Results?
Authors: Pohjala Leena , Tammela Päivi
Published: September 2012

Previous descriptions of quercetin, a widely studied flavonoid, as a frequently reported nonspecific screening hit due to aggregating behavior has raised questions about the reliability of in vitro bioactivity reports of phenolic compounds. Here a systematic study on 117 phenolic compounds is presented, concerning their aggregating tendency and the relevance of this phenomenon to obtaining false bioassay results. Fourteen compounds formed aggregates detectable by dynamic light scattering (DLS) when assayed at 10 µM in Tris-HCl pH 7.5. Flavonoids were more prone to aggregation than other phenolic compounds, and the aggregate formation was highly dependent on the vehicle, ionic strength and pH. The compounds were also assayed against three unrelated enzymes in the presence and absence of Triton X-100, and their bioactivity ratios were collected from PubChem database. By comparing these datasets, quercetin and rhamnetin were confirmed as promiscuous inhibitors. In general, flavonoids exhibited also higher bioactivity ratios in the PubChem database than coumarins or organic acids. To conclude, aggregate formation can be controlled with Triton X-100 and this phenomenon needs to be considered when bioassay data is interpreted, but our data indicates that it does not always lead to unspecific inhibition of biological targets.
Land Cover and Land Use Classification with TWOPAC: towards Automated Processing for Pixel- and Object-Based Image Classification
Authors: Huth Juliane , Kuenzer Claudia , Wehrmann Thilo , Gebhardt Steffen , Tuan Vo Quoc , Dech Stefan
Published: September 2012

We present a novel and innovative automated processing environment for the derivation of land cover (LC) and land use (LU) information. This processing framework named TWOPAC (TWinned Object and Pixel based Automated classification Chain) enables the standardized, independent, user-friendly, and comparable derivation of LC and LU information, with minimized manual classification labor. TWOPAC allows classification of multi-spectral and multi-temporal remote sensing imagery from different sensor types. TWOPAC enables not only pixel-based classification, but also allows classification based on object-based characteristics. Classification is based on a Decision Tree approach (DT) for which the well-known C5.0 code has been implemented, which builds decision trees based on the concept of information entropy. TWOPAC enables automatic generation of the decision tree classifier based on a C5.0-retrieved ascii-file, as well as fully automatic validation of the classification output via sample based accuracy assessment.Envisaging the automated generation of standardized land cover products, as well as area-wide classification of large amounts of data in preferably a short processing time, standardized interfaces for process control, Web Processing Services (WPS), as introduced by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), are utilized. TWOPAC’s functionality to process geospatial raster or vector data via web resources (server, network) enables TWOPAC’s usability independent of any commercial client or desktop software and allows for large scale data processing on servers. Furthermore, the components of TWOPAC were built-up using open source code components and are implemented as a plug-in for Quantum GIS software for easy handling of the classification process from the user’s perspective.
Hybrid 18F-FDG PET/CT of colonic anastomosis
Authors: de Geus-Oei L. F. , Hendriks T. , van Goor H. , Bremers A. J. A. , Oyen W. J. G. , Bleichrodt R. P. , Teeuwen P. H. E.
Published: September 2012

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a known method to diagnose inflammatory processes and thus may be a promising imaging technique to detect anastomotic bowel leak. The aim of this study was to assess postoperative FDG uptake in colorectal anastomosis in patients without suspicion of active infection or anastomotic leakage. Patients, methods: Design of a prospective observational pilot study in order to assess normal FDG uptake in the patient anastomosis after colorectal surgery. Patients that underwent colorectal surgery with primary anastomosis received FDG-PET of the abdomen, 2–6 days postoperatively. Results: 35 patients met the inclusion criteria. Three patients were not scanned for various reasons. Of the remaining 32 patients, one demonstrated an increased uptake of FDG at the site of the anastomosis. In the other 31 patients FDG uptake was negligible (n = 17) or scored as physiological (n = 14). None of the scanned patients developed a clinical relevant anastomotic leakage within the first 30 days after surgery. Conclusion: The present study shows that FDG uptake in colorectal anastomosis remains low within the first six days after surgery in patients without anastomotic leakage. Therefore, FDG-PET might be useful to investigate further as a tool to detect anastomotic leakage in an the early postoperative phase.
Reactions of nitroxides XIII: Synthesis of the Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts bearing a nitroxyl moiety using 4-acryloyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl as a starting compound, and DABCO and quinuclidine as catalysts
Authors: Zakrzewski Jerzy
Published: September 2012

The Morita–Baylis–Hillman adducts bearing a nitroxyl moiety were synthesized from 4-acryloyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl and aliphatic, aryl and heterocyclic aldehydes.
Differential Effects of Tenofovir/Emtricitabine and Abacavir/Lamivudine on Human Leukocyte Recruitment
Authors: De Pablo Carmen , Orden Samuel , Calatayud Sara , Martí-Cabrera Miguel , Esplugues Juan V , Álvarez Ángeles
Published: September 2012

Background

The association of abacavir (ABC) with cardiovascular disease has led to HIV treatment guidelines favouring the combination of tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) over that of ABC/lamivudine (ABC/3TC). We have analysed the effects of plasma-relevant concentrations of TDF, FTC, ABC and 3TC, individually and in clinically employed combinations, on human leukocyte accumulation. The effects of ABC, 3TC, TDF and FTC on the expression of adhesion molecules were also evaluated.

Methods

Interactions between human leukocytes – specifically peripheral blood polymorphonuclear or mono-nuclear cells – and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were evaluated in a flow chamber reproducing in vivo conditions. The expression of adhesion molecules was analysed by flow cytometry.

Results

Concentrations of TDF, FTC or 3TC mimicking those in the plasma of patients did not have any effect on human leukocyte–endothelial cell interactions, while contrasting results were obtained with ABC. This distinct pattern was reproduced when the drugs were administered in combination; namely, ABC/3TC had a significant influence on rolling and adhesion while TDF/FTC did not. However, the effects produced by ABC alone did not differ when it was combined with 3TC, which suggests the former drug was responsible for the effects observed. ABC, 3TC, TDF and FTC did not modify the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules. Conversely, only ABC enhanced the expression of leukocyte CD11b/CD18 in neutrophils and monocytes.

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence that the combination TDF/FTC has a better vascular profile than ABC/3TC.