bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Melodic Anchoring
Authors: Bharucha Jamshed J.
Published: September 2012

Unstable tones in a tonal context demand resolution to stable pitch neighbors. The stable tones serve to anchor unstable tones in their pitch neighborhood. Two constraints characterize this process of melodic anchoring: the anchor and the anchored tones are close in pitch (proximity), and the anchor always follows the anchored tone (asymmetry). Given these two constraints, anchors function like cognitive reference points, and melodic anchoring can be thought of as a special case of a more general cognitive phenomenon. This paper represents an attempt to understand the cognitive mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The pervasiveness of these constraints is demonstrated by analyzing the use of nonchord tones in the exposition of Mozart's Piano Sonata in Eb Major, K. 282. Nonchord tones were almost always followed by a chord tone at an interval of two semitones or less, and no such stricture held for how these tones were approached or for how chord tones were followed or approached. The proposed model postulates that an unstable tone attracts auditory attention to its pitch neighborhood. The focus of frequency-selective auditory attention accounts for the pitch proximity constraint. The most active representational units in that neighborhood—typically the most stable tones—then drive the expectation. This process is inherently asymmetric. The expectation underlying melodic anchoring is modeled as a vector, called the tonal force vector. The strength of the tonal force vector in each direction is proportional to the activation of the nearest anchor in that direction and inversely proportional to the distance to that anchor. The overall directional expectation, modeled as the sum of all possible expectation vectors, including the tonal force vector, is called the yearning vector.
Effects of Melodic Accents on Perception of Intensity
Authors: Tekman Hasan Gürkan
Published: September 2012

Melodically accented tones are perceived as having higher intensity. Subjects judged whether or not all of the tones in a sequence were of equal intensity. Melodic accents were created by pitch skips, and the intensity of the tones that followed the skips was manipulated. Introduction of the melodic accents reduced detection of lower intensity tones more than it reduced the detection of higher intensity tones. This effect did not change as a result of regular or irregular timing of the tones whose intensity was manipulated. Contrary to results from an earlier experiment in which listeners tried to detect variations in timing, placement of the melodic accents at regular intervals did not lead to poorer detection than did irregular placement of the melodic accents. It is concluded that perception of the gaps that separate rhythmic groups may have a different nature different from the perception of elements within groups.
On Maya Silviculture
Authors: Gómez-Pompa Arturo
Published: September 2012

La presencia de selvas altas dominadas por árboles útiles en la zona Maya se utiliza como punto de partida para reconstruir un sistema de silvicultura hipotético de los antiguos may as. Este sistema posiblemente se utilizó para construir y manejar distintos tipos de ecosistemas. La reconstrucción está basada un una serie de técnicas agrícolas y silvícolas que utilizan los may as actuates en distintas zonas del área Maya. La silvicultura antigua Maya cuestiona seriamente las tendencias actuales del uso del suelo y los recursos bióticos de las zonas tropicales, y sugiere un nuevo enfoque para la conservación y el desarrollo de estas zonas, que puede mejorar notablemente el manejo de los recursos de las selvas en algunas regiones tropicales para beneficio de sus habitantes.
Manufacturing Firms in Mexico's Financial Crisis: Determinants of Severity and Response
Authors: Fairchild Loretta G. , Sosin Kim
Published: September 2012

Una muestra al nivel empresarial indica que la severidad de y la reacción a la crísis externa de México por parte de las empresas manufactureras fueron influidas por lo siguiente: el tener empresas hermanas, o extranjeras o domésticas; el nivel de exportación; la substitutión de lo importado; la deuda externa y el nivel histórico de competencia directa.
From Paris to St. Andrews: The Origins of W1
Authors: Everist Mark
Published: September 2012

Recent research has suggested that W1 may have been copied in St. Andrews in the 1240s. Very little attempt has been made to understand why or how the virtuoso polyphony associated with the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris came to be cultivated so far from home. The article argues for a redating of the manuscript in the 1230s and therefore rejects the suggestion that the interest in polyphonic music was generated by Bishop David Bernham (in office from 1239-1253) and points to his predecessor, Guillaume Mauvoisin (1202-1238) as the agency by which Parisian music was transmitted from Paris to St. Andrews. Mauvoisin's career is reconstructed with particular attention to his contacts with France and his exposure to the music of the so-called Notre-Dame school. It is concluded that a member of Mauvoisin's familia, perhaps Mauvoisin himself, provided the driving force for the promotion of Parisian polyphony at St. Andrews as a result of the discovery of that repertory during travels in France in the first quarter of the thirteenth century.
A Theoretical Work of Late Seventeenth-Century Muscovy: Nikolai Diletskii's Grammatika and the Earliest Circle of Fifths
Authors: Jensen Claudia R.
Published: September 2012

The earliest circles of fifths appear in a Russian-language treatise on composition, Nikolai Diletskii's Grammatika (Grammar), written in the late 1670s. This article discusses the origins of Diletskii's treatise and its long-standing influence in Russia, where it circulated for one hundred years, the theoretical content of the work, and the complex relationships among the three surviving variants (from Smolensk 1677, from Moscow 1679, and from Moscow in versions from 1679 and 1681). Diletskii's circles of fifths, although certainly unknown to contemporary theorists, fit into a Western theoretical tradition centering on practical instruction using keyboard instruments.
The Origin and Early History of Proportion Signs
Authors: Berger Anna Maria Busse
Published: September 2012

In the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries rhythmic proportions were indicated through coloration, Italian note shapes, mensuration signs, and fractions. Even though Johannes de Muris had introduced in 1321 a division of the breve into from two to nine equal parts, theorists and composers used only those proportions which could be indicated by a combination of various mensuration signs with the assumption of breve equivalence: 3:2 shown by ○:⊂ or ⪽:⊂; 4:3 by ⊃:○ or ⊃:⪽; 9:4 by ⊙:⊂; 9:8 by ⊙:⊄; 2:1 by ⊂:⊄; 8:3 by ⊄:⪽. Other proportions were not used because musicians lacked adequate signs to indicate them. The invention of the fraction to show rhythmic proportions presented, therefore, a true innovation because it permitted the indication of proportions not naturally inherent in the mensural system. However, fractions were used until the late fifteenth century as if they were mensuration signs, that is, they were not cumulative and they determined the mensuration of the following section. It was not until the late fifteenth century that Johannes Tinctoris and Franchinus Gaffurius emancipated proportions from mensuration signs and used fractions in an arithmetically correct way.
Mendelssohn and His Reformation Symphony
Authors: Silber Judith
Published: September 2012

This study of the Reformation Symphony seeks to unravel the mystery surrounding its composition and first performance. It considers the occasion for which the symphony was written, examining the possible reasons why it was not performed on that occasion, traces Mendelssohn's attempts to arrange a performance elsewhere, and notes the circumstances of its premiere. From this emerges a new sense of Mendelssohn's enthusiasm for the symphony from the time he wrote it though its first performance (1830-32), and of its importance in his musical life during these years.
Music and Class Structure in Antebellum Boston
Authors: Broyles Michael
Published: September 2012

The division of American musical culture into a cultivated and vernacular tradition may be traced in large measure to developments in antebellum Boston. It was there that American writers first argued fervently for the association of Platonic idealism with secular instrumental music, and some of these same individuals established the symphony orchestra as the musical medium most capable of realizing their ideals. Musical developments in antebellum Boston were affected by the class structure, which was closely related to religious preference. The upper class, mostly Unitarian, did not participate significantly in music until the late 1830s. The middle class, mostly congregational, favored religious, amateur performing ensembles. The socioeconomic elite began to support music in the 1830s. Led by Samuel A. Eliot, three-time Mayor of Boston, they wrested control of the Boston Academy of Music from the Congregational evangelicals and made it the premier secular musical institution of the city. The Academy featured the first successful symphony orchestra in Boston and one of the first in the country. Ironically, however, Eliot's motivations, which were articulated in several important articles, harked back to early federal Republican concepts of creating a homogeneous society through a commonly shared culture. They contrasted sharply with the more insular goals of the nineteenth-century socioeconomic elite, who wished to use music as a means of distancing themselves from other segments of society. Eliot's vision ultimately was not realized, but his efforts did much to establish the symphony orchestra in American society as well as the notion of high musical culture itself. As such Eliot is an major, although hitherto ignored, figure in American musical history.
Schubert, Platen, and the Myth of Narcissus
Authors: Muxfeldt Kristina
Published: September 2012

When Franz Schubert's friend Franz von Bruchmann returned to Vienna in 1821 from his studies in Erlangen, he brought with him August von Platen's Ghaselen just off the press. Soon after, Schubert set two Platen texts. A reviewer for the Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung singled out "Die Liebe hat gelogen" as particularly incomprehensible, in part because he found Schubert's radical harmony to be unmotivated by the text. The daring harmonic language of the second Platen song has struck even recent critics as excessive, yet none have addressed the textual motivation for Schubert's extreme expression. Both poems concern ill-fated homosexual love, "Du liebst mich nicht" most explicitly, if obliquely: the poem is a veiled reflection on the myth of Narcissus, a myth Platen frequently drew on as a symbol for his own homosexuality.
Economic Circumstances of the Beethoven Household in Bonn
Authors: Solomon Maynard
Published: September 2012

A review of contemporary documents suggests that, contrary to wide-spread assertions in the earlier biographical literature, Beethoven did not spend his entire childhood and youth in highly straitened circumstances, let alone in what Alexander Wheelock Thayer and others called "great poverty." His grandfather, as court Kapellmeister and wine dealer, had a substantial income. And Beethoven's father, Johann, earned amounts from his activities as a court musician and teacher normally sufficient to support a family in a modest way. Upon the Kapellmeister's death, on 24 December 1773, Johann became sole heir to a sizable estate, consisting of a legacy in cash, household possessions, accounts receivable, and outstanding loans, advances, and mortgages. In the course of time the inheritance was largely but not entirely dissipated, and, despite the addition of income from Beethoven's own activities as court musician, composer, and virtuoso keyboard performer, the family lived in precarious but not debt-ridden circumstances.
Negotiating Cultural Allies: American Music in Darmstadt, 1946-1956
Authors: Beal Amy C.
Published: September 2012

In the context of postwar and Cold War cultural politics, the Darmstädter Ferienkurse für Neue Musik set the stage for Germany's ambivalent reception of American music in the decades following World War II. This article weighs the catalytic role of American music in Darmstadt between 1946 and 1956; traces the relationships among U. S. cultural officers, German patrons, and representatives of American music in Darmstadt; and describes events in Darmstadt that led to a growing interest in American experimental music in West Germany. An English translation of Wolfgang Edward Rebner's 1954 Ferienkurse lecture "American Experimental Music" is included as an appendix.
Wagner, Deafness, and the Reception of Beethoven's Late Style
Authors: Knittel K. M.
Published: September 2012

The belief that Beethoven's "late" or "third-period" works represent the pinnacle of his achievement is at odds with the earliest critical views of these pieces. In the decades just following the composer's death, critics could not separate the perceived musical problems of the late style from Beethoven's physical ailments. While the common explanation for the elevation of these last pieces to their current position of privilege has been a musical one-the works were written before their time, demanding considerable study before they were fully understood and appreciated-I propose that it was a new understanding of Beethoven's biography that led to their veneration. Richard Wagner, in his 1870 Beethoven essay, radically reinterpreted the influence of deafness, claiming that it was in fact the source of Beethoven's creativity and genius. This paper explores Wagner's romanticization of Beethoven's deafness and speculates as to why such a paradoxical position may have appealed not just to Wagner, but to the critics who followed him.
The Early Life and Career of the "Black Patti": The Odyssey of an African American Singer in the Late Nineteenth Century
Authors: Graziano John
Published: September 2012

The early career of the African American singer Matilda Sissieretta Jones (1868-1933), known as the "Black Patti," was unique in nineteenth-century America. Reviewers gave high praise to her singing, and she attracted large mixed-race audiences to her concerts across the country. Her fame was such that, during the early 1890s, she appeared as the star of several companies in which she was the only black performer. This article documents her early life in Portsmouth, Virginia, and Providence, Rhode Island; her two tours, in 1888 and 1890, to the Caribbean and South America; and her varied concert appearances in the United States and Europe up to the formation of the Black Patti Troubadours in the fall of 1896.
Intriguing Laments: Sigismondo d'India, Claudio Monteverdi, and Dido alla parmigiana (1628)
Authors: Carter Tim
Published: September 2012

The wedding festivities for Duke Odoardo Farnese and Margherita de' Medici held in Parma in December 1628 brought a commission for the music from the Ferrarese impresario, Marquis Enzo Bentivoglio, to Claudio Monteverdi, then maestro di cappella at St. Mark's, Venice. But Sigismondo d'India and other composers also sought to write for Parma, and d'India sent samples of his work to Bentivoglio to bolster his claim of expertise in writing for the theater, including a Lamento di Didone which he had published in 1623. This recitative lament-a close imitation of Monteverdi's famous Lamento d'Arianna-also existed in a polyphonic version (again, like Monteverdi's Lamento d'Arianna), of which only the alto part survives. D'India's failure to gain the 1628 commission was in part the result of intrigue from musicians recruited for the performance, not least the virtuoso soprano Settimia Caccini. But in the end, a lamenting Dido did indeed sing in Parma in 1628, in the second of the spectacular intermedi accompanying a performance of Tasso's Aminta. Although the text by Ascanio Pio di Savoia survives, Monteverdi's music is lost. The metrical, and in part strophic, structures of this text, however, suggest a shift away from the recitative laments characteristic of the genre in the first decades of the seventeenth century in favor of aria-based styles. Thus the 1628 Parma festivities provide intriguing evidence for a broader consideration of stylistic and aesthetic issues in the shift from "Renaissance" to "Baroque" modes of musical discourse.
Memory and Rhetorical Trope in Schoenberg's String Trio
Authors: Cherlin Michael
Published: September 2012

Conceived of by Schoenberg as depicting a near fatal illness that he experienced on 2 August 1946, the String Trio, Op. 45 is noteworthy for its extreme contrasts and even apparent non sequiturs. Beyond that, the work seems alternately to remember and then abandon the musical languages of its antecedents; these "memorial" aspects include form, phrase design, evocations of tonality, associations with the music of Beethoven, and the centrality of an emergent "waltz strand." The paper develops two tropes, distraction and imperfection, that interpret the work's rhetoric and provide a general framework within which to interpret Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique and its grounding in the compositional sketches.
Calcified pericardial band at the level of right ventricle causing midventricular obstruction: a case report of constrictive pericarditis
Authors: Gautam MP , Sharma D , Subramanyam G , Gautam S , Ghimire U
Published: September 2012

Constrictive pericarditis is a debilitating but potentially curable disease. Diffuse pericardial thickening and calcification is a classic feature described; localized pericardial constrictions are very rare. Here we report a case of a young female who had presented with constrictive pericarditis and had localized calcific constrictive band located at the level distal to atrioventricular groove which had caused right midventricular obstruction. In many patients the cause of the pericardial disease is undetermined, and in them an asymptomatic or forgotten bout of viral or tubercular pericarditis, acute or idiopathic, may have been the inciting event. Our patient had pulmonary tuberculosis during childhood and received antituberculous treatment. Investigations revealed the presence of thickened pericardium and a thickened calcific constrictive band around the right ventricles at midventricle level causing midventricular obstruction. She was referred to another centre for further surgical management. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2011,Vol-7,No-4, 58-62 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v7i4.6813
Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma of the tongue – A rare entity
Authors: Khadim MT , Asif A , Ali Z , Jamal S , Rizwan -
Published: September 2012

Spindle cell variant of Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor in adults but even more so in tongue. We report a case of a 17 year old boy who presented with a polypoidal swelling on the tip of the tongue. The mass was excised and the specimen was sent to the Histopathology Department of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology for Histomorphological diagnosis. The histological evaluation showed a malignant spindle cell tumor. On the basis of morphological features and immunohistochemistry findings a final diagnosis of Rhabdomyosarcoma, Spindle cell variant was made. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2011,Vol-7,No-4, 63-66 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v7i4.6814
Erthroplasia of queryat- A case report
Authors: Ghimire RBK , Mathur M
Published: September 2012

Erthroplassia of Queryat (EQ) is a rare squamous cell carcinoma in situ of the penis. It usually occurs on the glans penis and appears as a well-marginated erythematous velvety patch or plaque. Here, we present a case of Erthroplasia of Queryat (EQ). Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2011,Vol-7,No-4, 67-69 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v7i4.6815
Contact dermatitis – Pathomechanism and understanding of disease in clinical setting
Authors: Mathur M , Kumari S
Published: September 2012

According to the pathophysiological mechanisms involved, two major types of contact dermatitis recognized irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). The diagnosis of either ICD or ACD is mainly depending on comprehensive clinical data (history and physical examination) as well as by performing appropriate diagnostic patch testing. Two forms of contact dermatitis may differ in early phase of development but development of clinical dermatitis have similar mechanism confusing the clinician and differentiating between ICD and ACD is often difficult in the clinical setting. This review will allow practicing physician to adopt rational clinical approach and the implementation of scientific information for therapeutic as well as preventive strategies. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2011,Vol-7,No-4, 70-77 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v7i4.6816
Effect of gonadotropins and alpha 2u-globulin on testicular steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis in melatonin-treated rats
Authors: Biswas R , Biswas NM , Mandal H , Biswas NM
Published: September 2012

Administration of melatonin (400?g/100g bd.wt.) for 14 days caused a fall in weights of the testes and accessory sex organs and testicular 17?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17?-HSD) but rise in 3?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3?-HSD) activity, decreased spermatogenesis, serum level of gonadotropins, testosterone and alpha 2u-globulin, The animals treated with melatonin when received gonadotropins or alpha 2u-globulin for the last seven days reversed the weight of testis and accessory sex organs, 3?-HSD, 17?-HSD activities, serum level of gonadotropins, testosterone and alpha 2u-globulin when compared with melatonin-treated rats. It is concluded that alpha 2u-globulin prevents testicular degeneration in melatonin-treated rats by stimulating the synthesis of gonadotropins. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2012,Vol-8,No-1, 7-12 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v8i1.6819
A lethal chest injury following rhinoceros attack– a case report
Authors: Shah S , Marharjan N , Pradhan SK , Kafle P , Chapagain D , Reddy DJ
Published: September 2012

Injuries following wild animal encounters continue to be a major public health problem. Majority of such injuries are minor, however, many injuries remain undocumented. Many victim die, primarily in third-world countries, before receiving adequate medical care. Penetrating injuries to the chest following the attack by the wild animals, though rare, present a challenging problem. Though a great number of papers have been published regarding the injuries following encounter with animals, least are the lethal injuries occuring in the thoracic region and the survival out of these grave injury is very minimum. We herein present the least possible surviving case with lethal penetrating injury of the chest and left lung following the goring by the rhinoceros. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2012,Vol-8,No-1, 52-55 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v8i1.6827
Long-Term Effects of Chronic Oral Ritalin Administration on Cognitive and Neural Development in Adolescent Wistar Kyoto Rats
Authors: Pardey Margery C. , Kumar Natasha N. , Goodchild Ann K. , Clemens Kelly J. , Homewood Judi , Cornish Jennifer L.
Published: September 2012

The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often results in chronic treatment with psychostimulants such as methylphenidate (MPH, Ritalin®). With increases in misdiagnosis of ADHD, children may be inappropriately exposed to chronic psychostimulant treatment during development. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of chronic Ritalin treatment on cognitive and neural development in misdiagnosed “normal” (Wistar Kyoto, WKY) rats and in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), a model of ADHD. Adolescent male animals were treated for four weeks with oral Ritalin® (2 × 2 mg/kg/day) or distilled water (dH2O). The effect of chronic treatment on delayed reinforcement tasks (DRT) and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity (TH-ir) in the prefrontal cortex was assessed. Two weeks following chronic treatment, WKY rats previously exposed to MPH chose the delayed reinforcer significantly less than the dH2O treated controls in both the DRT and extinction task. MPH treatment did not significantly alter cognitive performance in the SHR. TH-ir in the infralimbic cortex was significantly altered by age and behavioural experience in WKY and SHR, however this effect was not evident in WKY rats treated with MPH. These results suggest that chronic treatment with MPH throughout adolescence in “normal” WKY rats increased impulsive choice and altered catecholamine development when compared to vehicle controls.
Efficient Heterologous Transformation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii npq2 Mutant with the Zeaxanthin Epoxidase Gene Isolated and Characterized from Chlorella zofingiensis
Authors: Couso Inmaculada , Cordero Baldo F. , Vargas María Ángeles , Rodríguez Herminia
Published: September 2012

In the violaxanthin cycle, the violaxanthin de-epoxidase and zeaxanthin epoxidase catalyze the inter-conversion between violaxanthin and zeaxanthin in both plants and green algae. The zeaxanthin epoxidase gene from the green microalga Chlorella zofingiensis (Czzep) has been isolated. This gene encodes a polypeptide of 596 amino acids. A single copy of Czzep has been found in the C. zofingiensis genome by Southern blot analysis. qPCR analysis has shown that transcript levels of Czzep were increased after zeaxanthin formation under high light conditions. The functionality of Czzep gene by heterologous genetic complementation in the Chlamydomonas mutant npq2, which lacks zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) activity and accumulates zeaxanthin in all conditions, was analyzed. The Czzep gene was adequately inserted in the pSI105 vector and expressed in npq2. The positive transformants were able to efficiently convert zeaxanthin into violaxanthin, as well as to restore their maximum quantum efficiency of the PSII (Fv/Fm). These results show that Chlamydomonas can be an efficient tool for heterologous expression and metabolic engineering for biotechnological applications.
A Structural Study of Epoxidized Natural Rubber (ENR-50) and Its Cyclic Dithiocarbonate Derivative Using NMR Spectroscopy Techniques
Authors: Hamzah Rosniza , Bakar Mohamad Abu , Khairuddean Melati , Mohammed Issam Ahmed , Adnan Rohana
Published: September 2012

A structural study of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR-50) and its cyclic dithiocarbonate derivative was carried out using NMR spectroscopy techniques. The overlapping 1H-NMR signals of ENR-50 at δ 1.56, 1.68–1.70, 2.06, 2.15–2.17 ppm were successfully assigned. In this work, the 13C-NMR chemical shift assignments of ENR-50 were consistent to the previously reported work. A cyclic dithiocarbonate derivative of ENR-50 was synthesized from the reaction of purified ENR-50 with carbon disulfide (CS2), in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as catalyst at reflux temperature. The cyclic dithiocarbonate formation involved the epoxide ring opening of the ENR-50. This was followed by insertion of the C–S moiety of CS2 at the oxygen attached to the quaternary carbon and methine carbon of epoxidized isoprene unit, respectively. The bands due to the C=S and C–O were clearly observed in the FTIR spectrum while the 1H-NMR spectrum of the derivative revealed the peak attributed to the methylene protons had split. The 13C-NMR spectrum of the derivative further indicates two new carbon peaks arising from the >C=S and quaternary carbon of cyclic dithiocarbonate. All other 1H- and 13C-NMR chemical shifts of the derivative remain unchanged with respect to the ENR-50.
Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 3A in Rat Liver by the Diorganotin (IV) Compound di-n-Butyl-di-(4-chlorobenzo-hydroxamato)tin (IV) and Its Probable Mechanism
Authors: Zhang Yunxia , Li Yunlan , Li Qingshan
Published: September 2012

The specific aims of this study were to evaluate the inhibition effect on CYP3A of di-n-butyl-di-(4-chlorobenzohydroxamato)tin (IV) (DBDCT), a tin-based complex with high antitumor activity, and the probable mechanism(s) of this action. Adult male SD rats were treated separately with natural saline (NS), lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg), DBDCT (1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 2 days after induction of CYP3A with dexamethasone (DEX, 100 mg/kg) for 4 days. Western blot analysis and fluorescent quantitation PCR (FQ-PCR) were conducted to determine the changes in expression of CYP3A, PXR, CAR and RXR. The biological accumulation of DBDCT and total Sn were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). CYP450 content and CYP3A activities were significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) in DBDCT-treated rats compared with the control group, as was the expression of CYP3A (p < 0.05) at both protein and mRNA levels. In DBDCT-treated groups, the expression of PXR protein and mRNA increased, while the expression of CAR decreased. The biological accumulation of DBDCT and Sn in rat livers treated with DBDCT was high. The accumulation of DBDCT and Sn due to the inhibition of CYP3A may be involved in the mechanism of toxicity of DBDCT in rat liver.
Epigenetic Control and Cancer: The Potential of Histone Demethylases as Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Lizcano Fernando , Garcia Jeison
Published: September 2012

The development of cancer involves an immense number of factors at the molecular level. These factors are associated principally with alterations in the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate gene expression profiles. Studying the effects of chromatin structure alterations, which are caused by the addition/removal of functional groups to specific histone residues, are of great interest as a promising way to identify markers for cancer diagnosis, classify the disease and determine its prognosis, and these markers could be potential targets for the treatment of this disease in its different forms. This manuscript presents the current point of view regarding members of the recently described family of proteins that exhibit histone demethylase activity; histone demethylases are genetic regulators that play a fundamental role in both the activation and repression of genes and whose expression has been observed to increase in many types of cancer. Some fundamental aspects of their association with the development of cancer and their relevance as potential targets for the development of new therapeutic strategies at the epigenetic level are discussed in the following manuscript.
Applications of Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Tumor Targeting and Future Cancer Therapies
Authors: Regberg Jakob , Srimanee Artita , Langel Ülo
Published: September 2012

Cell-penetrating peptides provide a highly promising strategy for intracellular drug delivery. One relevant clinical application of cell-penetrating peptides is cancer therapeutics. Peptide based delivery could increase the uptake of drugs in tumor cells and thereby increase the efficacy of the treatment, either of conventional small molecular drugs or oligonucleotide based therapeutics. This review is focused on the cancer applications of cell penetrating peptides as delivery systems; different aspects of drug loading, cargoes and delivery are discussed together with methods for targeted delivery, activatable cell-penetrating peptides and transducible agents coupled to cell-penetrating peptides.
Spatial Frequency Multiplexing of Fiber-Optic Interferometric Refractive Index Sensors Based on Graded-Index Multimode Fibers
Authors: Liu Li , Gong Yuan , Wu Yu , Zhao Tian , Wu Hui-Juan , Rao Yun-Jiang
Published: September 2012

Fiber-optic interferometric sensors based on graded-index multimode fibers have very high refractive-index sensitivity, as we previously demonstrated. In this paper, spatial-frequency multiplexing of this type of fiber-optic refractive index sensors is investigated. It is estimated that multiplexing of more than 10 such sensors is possible. In the multiplexing scheme, one of the sensors is used to investigate the refractive index and temperature responses. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the combined reflective spectra is analyzed. The intensity of the FFT spectra is linearly related with the refractive index and is not sensitive to the temperature.
Child Murder in Nazi Germany: The Memory of Nazi Medical Crimes and Commemoration of “Children’s Euthanasia” Victims at Two Facilities (Eichberg, Kalmenhof)
Authors: Kaelber Lutz
Published: September 2012

Nazi Germany’s “children’s euthanasia” was a unique program in the history of mankind, seeking to realize a social Darwinist vision of a society by means of the systematic murder of disabled children and youths. Perpetrators extinguished “unworthy life” during childhood and adolescence by establishing killing stations, misleadingly labeled Kinderfachabteilungen (“special children’s wards”), in existing medical or other care facilities. Part of a research project on Nazi “euthanasia” crimes and their victims, this paper uses a comparative historical perspective to trace memories of the crimes and the memorialization of their victims at the sites of two of these wards (Eichberg and Kalmenhof in Hesse, Germany). It also discusses the implications of the findings for theorizing mnemonic practices and analyzing ways in which memorials and other sites of memory deal with past trauma and atrocity.
A Climate Change Adaptation Planning Process for Low-Lying, Communities Vulnerable to Sea Level Rise
Authors: Barron Sara , Canete Glenis , Carmichael Jeff , Flanders David , Pond Ellen , Sheppard Stephen , Tatebe Kristi
Published: September 2012

While the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada, provides guidelines for flood risk management, it is local governments’ responsibility to delineate their own flood vulnerability, assess their risk, and integrate these with planning policies to implement adaptive action. However, barriers such as the lack of locally specific data and public perceptions about adaptation options mean that local governments must address the need for adaptation planning within a context of scientific uncertainty, while building public support for difficult choices on flood-related climate policy and action. This research demonstrates a process to model, visualize and evaluate potential flood impacts and adaptation options for the community of Delta, in Metro Vancouver, across economic, social and environmental perspectives. Visualizations in 2D and 3D, based on hydrological modeling of breach events for existing dike infrastructure, future sea level rise and storm surges, are generated collaboratively, together with future adaptation scenarios assessed against quantitative and qualitative indicators. This ‘visioning package’ is being used with staff and a citizens’ Working Group to assess the performance, policy implications and social acceptability of the adaptation strategies. Recommendations based on the experience of the initiative are provided that can facilitate sustainable future adaptation actions and decision-making in Delta and other jurisdictions.
Emaravirus: A Novel Genus of Multipartite, Negative Strand RNA Plant Viruses
Authors: Mielke-Ehret Nicole , Mühlbach Hans-Peter
Published: September 2012

Ringspot symptoms in European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia L.), fig mosaic, rose rosette, raspberry leaf blotch, pigeonpea sterility mosaic (Cajanus cajan) and High Plains disease of maize and wheat were found to be associated with viruses that share several characteristics. They all have single-stranded multipartite RNA genomes of negative orientation. In some cases, double membrane-bound virus-like particles of 80 to 200 nm in diameter were found in infected tissue. Furthermore, at least five of these viruses were shown to be vectored by eriophyid mites. Sequences of European mountain ash ringspot-associated virus (EMARaV), Fig mosaic virus (FMV), rose rosette virus (RRV), raspberry leaf blotch virus (RLBV), pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus and High Plains virus strongly support their potential phylogenetic relationship. Therefore, after characterization of EMARaV, the novel genus Emaravirus was established, and FMV was the second virus species assigned to this genus. The recently sequenced RRV and RLBV are supposed to be additional members of this new group of plant RNA viruses.
Upgrading of Wastewater Treatment Plants Through the Use of Unconventional Treatment Technologies: Removal of Lidocaine, Tramadol, Venlafaxine and Their Metabolites
Authors: Rúa-Gómez Paola C. , Guedez Arlen A. , Ania Conchi O. , Püttmann Wilhelm
Published: September 2012

The occurrence and removal efficiencies of the pharmaceuticals lidocaine (LDC), tramadol (TRA) and venlafaxine (VEN), and their major active metabolites monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX), O-desmethyltramadol (ODT) and O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) were studied at four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) equipped with activated sludge treatment technologies. In parallel to activated sludge treatment, the removal efficiency of the compounds in pilot- and full-scale projects installed at the WWTPs was investigated. Within these projects two different treatment methods were tested: adsorption onto powdered/granulated activated carbon (PAC/GAC) and ozonation. The metabolite MEGX was not detected in any sample. The concentrations of the target analytes in wastewater effluents resulting from activated sludge treatment ranged from 55 to 183 (LDC), 88 to 416 (TRA), 50 to 245 (ODT), 22 to 176 (VEN) and 77 to 520 ng L−1 (ODV). In the pilot project with subsequent treatment with PAC/GAC, the mean concentrations of the analytes were between
INTERNATIONAL SPILLOVERS, KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION AND TRANSFER AMONG JAPANESE FIRMS IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Shang Qingyan , Poon Jessie P. H.
Published: September 2012

In this paper, we investigate (i) the relationship between international spillovers and knowledge acquisition, and, (ii) intra-firm subsidiary-to-parent transfer of technology among Japanese firms in the United States. Using a survey of 185 firms, probit regressions reveal that R&D personnel and market power significantly influence the acquisition of knowledge associated with basic and applied science and product development. Tacit knowledge that resides in customers, and skilled personnel are effective sources for exploitation of international knowledge spillovers. Participation in seminars and conferences also enhances the acquisition of applied science. Firms that rely on codified sources are unlikely to acquire any knowledge. This research also confirms other authors’ findings that subsidiary autonomy facilitates knowledge acquisition. In addition, knowledge in product development is most likely to lead to vertical intra-firm transfers while applied scientific research only results in the transfer of R&D capability. Scientific team visits from the US to Japan support subsidiaries’ transfer of R&D capability but teams sent from Japan to the US adversely affect transfers. Overall, our results suggest international spillovers are predominantly associated with the acquisition of tacit knowledge, and intra-firm transfers are most effective in the context of knowledge acquired in applied research and product development.
INTEREST RATE PASS-THROUGH IN TURKEY AND IMPACT OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: ASYMMETRIC THRESHOLD COINTEGRATION ANALYSIS
Authors: Yüksel Ebru , Özcan Kıvılcım Metin
Published: September 2012

This paper aims to investigate the interest rate pass-through of monetary policy rate to banking retail rates in Turkey by employing the asymmetric threshold autoregressive (TAR) and momentum threshold autoegressive (MTAR) procedures introduced by Enders and Siklos (2001). Over the period December 2001 to April 2011, the empirical results of asymmetric threshold cointegration analysis suggest that there exist significant and complete pass-through between policy rate and loan rates. Positive and negative departures from the equilibrium converge to long run path almost at the same speed. Pace of convergence is about two to three months for all loan rates. Policy rate has significant short run impact on loan rates. Our analysis revealed that there is no significant relationship between policy rate and bank deposit rates due to sluggish adjustment of deposit rates. Lastly, the speed and behavior of interest rate pass-through between policy rate and loan rates did not change when we encounter the effect of 2008 financial crisis. Having a banking sector dominated financial system in Turkey, the results suggest that banks adjust loan rates faster than deposit rates. This indicates that Central Bank can affect the consumption behavior of people, in other words aggregate demand through loan rates.
The Prevalence of Erectile Dysfunction and Its Association with Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Men: The Swiss HIV Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Qing , Young Jim , Bernasconi Enos , Cavassini Matthias , Vernazza Pietro , Hirschel Bernard , Weber Rainer , Furrer Hansjakob , Stoeckle Marcel , Bucher Heiner C , Fux Christoph ,   the Swiss HIV Cohort Study
Published: September 2012

Background

Here, we aimed to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) among HIV-infected men and its association with components of antiretroviral therapy.

Methods

Cross-sectional data on sexual dysfunction were collected in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) between December 2009 and November 2010. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between ED and exposure to 24 different antiretroviral drugs from four drug classes.

Results

During the study period, 5,194 of 5,539 eligible men in the SHCS had a follow-up visit; 4,064 men answered a question on ED for the first time. Among these men, ED was experienced often by 459 (11%), sometimes by 543 (13%), rarely by 389 (10%), never by 2,526 (62%) and 147 (4%) did not know. ED was associated with older age, an earlier HIV diagnosis and depression. No association was found with any drug class; however, ED was associated with cumulative exposure to either zalcitabine (OR 1.29 per year of use; 95% CI 1.07, 1.55) or enfuvirtide (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.08, 1.52).

Conclusions

Around 1 in 10 men in the SHCS reported often experiencing ED. We found no association between ED and any drug class, but those exposed to zalcitabine or enfurvitide (drugs no longer or rarely used) were more likely to report ED; this second association was probably not causal.
Gram-negative bacteria account for main differences between faecal microbiota from patients with ulcerative colitis and healthy controls
Authors: Vigsnæs L.K. , Brynskov J. , Steenholdt C. , Wilcks A. , Licht T.R.
Published: September 2012

Detailed knowledge about the composition of the intestinal microbiota may be critical to unravel the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), a human chronic inflammatory bowel disease, since the intestinal microbes are expected to influence some of the key mechanisms involved in the inflammatory process of the gut mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the faecal microbiota in patients either with UC in remission (n=6) or with active disease (n=6), and in healthy controls (n=6). The composition of Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria was examined. Antigenic structures of Gram-negative bacteria such as lipopolysaccharides have been related to the inflammatory responses and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Dice cluster analysis and principal component analysis of faecal microbiota profiles obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative PCR, respectively, revealed that the composition of faecal bacteria from UC patients with active disease differed from the healthy controls and that this difference should be ascribed to Gram-negative bacteria. The analysis did not show any clear grouping of UC patients in remission. Even with the relatively low number of subjects in each group, we were able to detect a statistically significant underrepresentation of Lactobacillus spp. and Akkermansia muciniphila in UC patients with clinically active disease compared to the healthy controls. In line with previous communications, we have shown that the microbiota in UC patients with active disease differ from that in healthy controls. Our findings indicate that alterations in the composition of the Gram-negative bacterial population, as well as reduced numbers of lactobacilli and A. muciniphila may play a role in UC.
Building Partnerships Using Student Role Models for Neonatal Resuscitation Simulation
Authors: Hensel Desiree , Kathman Julie , Hendricks Ronda , Ball Sonita
Published: September 2012

Background:

Although the use of simulation in schools of nursing is becoming common, its use in clinical practice is still emerging. This project explored how students could contribute to the clinical unit by supporting learning among experienced registered nurses who are new to simulation.

Methods:

This quasi-experimental pilot study used a convenience sample of all perinatal nurses who participated in a neonatal resuscitation program renewal course in the fall quarter at a Midwestern U.S. hospital (
N
= 88). Satisfaction and confidence in learning were compared between groups of nurses who watched a simulation DVD with either instructors or students as team members before participating in a neonatal resuscitation scenario.

Results:

The participants viewed the simulation as a positive experience. There was no significant difference in satisfaction or confidence with the simulation between the two groups.

Conclusion:

There may be opportunities for student nurses to make positive contributions to staff education on clinical units through simulation.
Inflammation, Interferon-Alpha, and Depression
Authors: Lotrich Francis
Published: September 2012

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Understand the incidence of depression during interferon-alpha treatment, the utility of pretreatment mental health assessments, as well as potentially modifiable vulnerability factors that could be targeted for prevention of this depression.

2.

Know the current role of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in both the treatment and prevention of depression during interferon-alpha treatment.

3.

Be able to describe the role of inflammatory cytokines in triggering depressive symptoms in both humans and rodent behavioral models.

Many instances of major depression are accompanied by evidence of elevated inflammatory cytokines. Data from animal models and human studies indicate a role for these cytokines in the etiology and development of depression.
Inflammation in the Psychiatric Manifestations of Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Authors: O’Pry Jon Jason , Russell I. Jon
Published: September 2012

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Recognize and diagnose fibromyalgia syndrome along with its typical somatic and psychiatric comorbidities.

2.

Describe evidence for inflammation in the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia.

3.

Consider the potential for marginalization of patients with fibromyalgia and subsequent effects on current and future medical care.

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a common soft tissue pain condition, typically presenting with chronic widespread pain and tenderness to palpation. For years, people with fibromyalgia pain have been doubted, criticized, mocked, negated, and marginalized because of their unique presentation of chronic widespread pain. They have been considered unduly sensitive, complainers, drug dependent, or seekers of primary and secondary gain.