bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved Systemic Delivery of Oncolytic Reovirus to Established Tumors Using Preconditioning with Cyclophosphamide-Mediated Treg Modulation and Interleukin-2
Authors: Kottke Timothy , Thompson Jill , Diaz Rosa Maria , Pulido Jose , Willmon Candice , Coffey Matt , Selby Peter , Melcher Alan , Harrington Kevin , Vile Richard G.
Published: January 2009

Purpose: The goals of this study were (a) to investigate whether preconditioning of immunocompetent mice with PC-61-mediated regulatory T-cell (Treg) depletion and interleukin-2 (IL-2) would enhance systemic delivery of reovirus into subcutaneous tumors and (b) to test whether cyclophosphamide (CPA), which is clinically approved, could mimic PC-61 for modification of Treg activity for translation into the next generation of clinical trials for intravenous delivery of reovirus.

Experimental Design: C57Bl/6 mice bearing subcutaneous B16 tumors were treated with CPA or PC-61 followed by 10 injections of low-dose IL-2. Mice were then treated with intravenous reovirus. Virus localization to tumor and other organs was measured along with tumor growth and systemic toxicity.

Results: Preconditioning with PC-61 and IL-2 enhanced localization of intravenous oncolytic reovirus to tumors with significantly increased antitumor therapy compared with controls (P < 0.01). However, with the maximal achievable dose of reovirus, Treg modification + IL-2 was also associated with systemic toxicity. CPA (100 mg/kg) did not deplete, but did functionally inhibit, Treg. CPA also mimicked PC-61, in combination with IL-2, by inducing “hyperactivated” NK cells. Consistent with this, preconditioning with CPA + IL-2 enhanced therapy of intravenously delivered, intermediate-dose reovirus to a level indistinguishable from that induced by PC-61 + IL-2, without any detectable toxicity.

Conclusion: With careful reference to ongoing clinical trials with dose escalation of reovirus alone and in combination with CPA, we propose that future clinical trials of CPA + IL-2 + reovirus will allow for both improved levels of virus delivery and increased antitumor efficacy.
Delta-Crystallin Enhancer Binding Factor 1 Controls the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Phenotype and Resistance to the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor Erlotinib in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Lines
Authors: Haddad Yasmine , Choi Woonyoung , McConkey David J.
Published: January 2009

Purpose: Although the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in a majority of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), only a minority of patients derive substantial clinical benefit from EGFR inhibitors. We initiated the present study to identify the mechanisms underlying erlotinib resistance in a panel of HNSCC cell lines.

Methods: We used [3H]thymidine incorporation to characterize the heterogeneity of responsiveness to erlotinib-mediated growth inhibition in a panel of 27 human HNSCC cells. We characterized the molecular mechanisms involved in resistance using a representative subset of six erlotinib-sensitive and erlotinib-resistant HNSCC lines.

Results: Erlotinib had heterogeneous effects on DNA synthesis in HNSCC cells that correlated closely with molecular markers of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Specifically, the drug-sensitive lines expressed high levels of E-cadherin and showed limited invasion and migration capabilities. In contrast, the erlotinib-resistant HNSCC lines expressed high levels of the E-cadherin repressor delta-crystallin enhancer binding factor 1 (deltaEF1; Zeb-1) and other mesenchymal markers and low levels of E-cadherin, and they were highly invasive and migratory. Small interfering RNA–mediated knockdown of deltaEF1 in the erlotinib-resistant cell lines (1386LN and UMSCC1) resulted in up-regulation of E-cadherin and increased sensitivity to erlotinib in an E-cadherin–dependent manner.

Conclusions: DeltaEF1 controls the mesenchymal phenotype and drives erlotinib resistance in HNSCC cells. E-cadherin and deltaEF1 may prove to be useful markers in predicting EGFR inhibitor responsiveness.
Disseminated Tumor Cells in Prostate Cancer Patients after Radical Prostatectomy and without Evidence of Disease Predicts Biochemical Recurrence
Authors: Morgan Todd M. , Lange Paul H. , Porter Michael P. , Lin Daniel W. , Ellis William J. , Gallaher Ian S. , Vessella Robert L.
Published: January 2009

Purpose: Men with apparently localized prostate cancer often relapse years after radical prostatectomy. We sought to determine if epithelial-like cells identified from bone marrow in patients after radical prostatectomy, commonly called disseminated tumor cells (DTC), were associated with biochemical recurrence.

Experimental Design: We obtained bone marrow aspirates from 569 men prior to radical prostatectomy and from 34 healthy men with prostate-specific antigens <2.5 ng/mL to establish a comparison group. Additionally, an analytic cohort consisting of 98 patients with no evidence of disease (NED) after radical prostatectomy was established to evaluate the relationship between DTC and biochemical recurrence. Epithelial cells in the bone marrow were detected by magnetic bead enrichment with antibodies to CD45 and CD61 (negative selection) followed by antibodies to human epithelial antigen (positive selection) and confirmation with FITC-labeled anti-BerEP4 antibody.

Results: DTC were present in 72% (408 of 569) of patients prior to radical prostatectomy. There was no correlation with pathologic stage, Gleason grade, or preoperative prostate-specific antigens. Three of 34 controls (8.8%) had DTC present. In patients with NED after radical prostatectomy, DTC were present in 56 of 98 (57%). DTC were detected in 12 of 14 (86%) NED patients after radical prostatectomy who subsequently suffered biochemical recurrence. The presence of DTC in NED patients was an independent predictor of recurrence (hazard ratio 6.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-45.9).

Conclusions: Approximately 70% of men undergoing radical prostatectomy had DTC detected in their bone marrow prior to surgery, suggesting that these cells escape early in the disease. Although preoperative DTC status does not correlate with pathologic risk factors, persistence of DTC after radical prostatectomy in NED patients was an independent predictor of recurrence.
Loss-of-Function Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor-2 Mutations in Melanoma
Authors: Gartside Michael G. , Chen Huaibin , Ibrahimi Omar A. , Byron Sara A. , Curtis Amy V. , Wellens Candice L. , Bengston Ana , Yudt Laura M. , Eliseenkova Anna V. , Ma Jinghong , Curtin John A. , Hyder Pilar , Harper Ursula L. , Riedesel Erica , Mann Graham J. , Trent Jeffrey M. , Bastian Boris C. , Meltzer Paul S. , Mohammadi Moosa , Pollock Pamela M.
Published: January 2009

We report that 10% of melanoma tumors and cell lines harbor mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene. These novel mutations include three truncating mutations and 20 missense mutations occurring at evolutionary conserved residues in FGFR2 as well as among all four FGFRs. The mutation spectrum is characteristic of those induced by UV radiation. Mapping of these mutations onto the known crystal structures of FGFR2 followed by in vitro and in vivo studies show that these mutations result in receptor loss of function through several distinct mechanisms, including loss of ligand binding affinity, impaired receptor dimerization, destabilization of the extracellular domains, and reduced kinase activity. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of loss-of-function mutations in a class IV receptor tyrosine kinase in cancer. Taken into account with our recent discovery of activating FGFR2 mutations in endometrial cancer, we suggest that FGFR2 may join the list of genes that play context-dependent opposing roles in cancer. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(1):41–54)
Boswellic Acid Blocks Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 3 Signaling, Proliferation, and Survival of Multiple Myeloma via the Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP-1
Authors: Kunnumakkara Ajaikumar B. , Nair Asha S. , Sung Bokyung , Pandey Manoj K. , Aggarwal Bharat B.
Published: January 2009

Activation of signal transducers and activators of transcription-3 (STAT-3) has been linked with survival, proliferation, chemoresistance, and angiogenesis of tumor cells, including human multiple myeloma (MM). Thus, agents that can suppress STAT3 activation have potential as cancer therapeutics. In our search for such agents, we identified acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA), originally isolated from Boswellia serrata. Our results show that AKBA inhibited constitutive STAT3 activation in human MM cells. AKBA suppressed IL-6–induced STAT3 activation, and the inhibition was reversible. The phosphorylation of both Jak 2 and Src, constituents of the STAT3 pathway, was inhibited by AKBA. Interestingly, treatment of cells with pervanadate suppressed the effect of AKBA to inhibit the phosphorylation of STAT3, thus suggesting the involvement of a protein tyrosine phosphatase. We found that AKBA induced Src homology region 2 domain–containing phosphatase 1 (SHP-1), which may account for its role in dephosphorylation of STAT3. Moreover, deletion of the SHP-1 gene by small interfering RNA abolished the ability of AKBA to inhibit STAT3 activation. The inhibition of STAT3 activation by AKBA led to the suppression of gene products involved in proliferation (cyclin D1), survival (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1), and angiogenesis (VEGF). This effect correlated with the inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis in MM cells. Consistent with these results, overexpression of constitutive active STAT3 significantly reduced the AKBA-induced apoptosis. Overall, our results suggest that AKBA is a novel inhibitor of STAT3 activation and has potential in the treatment of cancer. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(1):118–28)
On Target to Dual Block RAS?
Authors: Papadopoulos Dimitris P. , Papademetriou Vasilios , Makris Thomas K.
Published: January 2009

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are thought to possess cardioprotective, cerebroprotective, and nephroprotective properties. Both classes of agents can prevent or reverse endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, thereby potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular events. Such a reduction has been shown with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in patients with coronary artery disease, but no such data are scarce with angiotensin receptor blockers (Valsartan in Acute Myocardial Infarction study). Both angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have been shown to reduce damage in target organs, such as the heart and kidney, and to decrease cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients with congestive heart failure. These drugs (especially angiotensin receptor blockers) may successfully prevent atrial fibrillation and play a protective role in metabolic syndrome. In some clinical settings, combined therapy angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors with angiotensin receptor blocker (double blockade of the renin—angiotensin— aldosterone system) may appear the most effective.
Governance and `Integrated' Planning: The Case of Sustainable Communities in the Thames Gateway, England
Authors: Brownill Sue , Carpenter Juliet
Published: January 2009

This paper explores the relationship between the increasing emphasis on the integration of social, economic, democratic and environmental objectives within planning practice and the emergence of new forms of networked governance. Using a framework which stresses the hybridity and tensions that characterise current governance arrangements, the article investigates attempts to create `sustainable communities' in the Thames Gateway, England. The analysis reveals the tensions and contradictions arising from governing the Gateway, including those between the conflicting goals of economic competitiveness and social and environmental sustainability, between horizontal, networked governance and forms of and requirements for hierarchical direction and between a focus on delivery and participatory governance. The paper concludes by reflecting on the implications of the hybridity and complexity in governance forms for the search for sustainable communities and the forms of governance `fit for purpose' in their realisation.
All Beginnings Are Light
Authors: Schlüter Julia
Published: January 2009

The present contribution investigates the motivations underlying a tendency for phonological phrases in English to start with upbeats, that is, unstressed syllables. The empirical part consists of two case studies based on a corpus of Early Modern English prose, focusing on the variable use of the preposition of introducing nominal complements of (un)worthy and objects of gerunds, respectively. The counts provide quantified evidence indicating that the upbeat phenomenon is not only a corollary of the need for a function word signaling the beginning of a new phrase, but also a rhythmically motivated preference that exerts an influence on the presence or absence of a grammatical marker in phrase onsets. The phonological requirement for an upbeat thus has consequences for the syntactic makeup of phrases. In light of such empirical facts, it is argued that models of grammar conceptualizing the syntax-phonology interface as a unidirectional mapping are not tenable.
Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in the Electrical Activity of Suprachiasmatic Nuclei Neurons and their Response to Photoperiod
Authors: Brown T.M. , Piggins H.D.
Published: January 2009

The coordinated activity of thousands of cellular oscillators in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) temporally regulates mammalian physiology to anticipate daily environmental changes across the seasons. The phasing of clock gene expression varies according to anatomical location in the SCN and is thought to encode photoperiodic information. However, it is unclear whether similar variations in phase occur in the electrical activity of SCN neurons, a measure of both intraSCN signaling and clock output. To address this, we recorded single-unit and multiunit activity (SUA/MUA) from dorsal and ventral subregions of the middle level of the rostrocaudal axis of the SCN in coronal brain slices prepared from mice housed under different photoperiods. We demonstrate that under a symmetrical (12 h light:12 h dark) photoperiod, cells in the dorsal SCN are less tightly synchronized than those in the ventral SCN. Comparison of recordings made from mice under short (8 h light:16 h dark) or long (16 h light:8 h dark) photoperiods shows that the phase distribution of ventral, but not dorsal, SCN neurons expands with increasing day length. Conversely, the duration that individual neurons are active increases in dorsal, but not ventral, SCN under long days. These data indicate that in the ventral SCN photoperiod is encoded at the network level, while this coding occurs at the level of individual cells in the dorsal SCN.
The 2008 Pittendrigh/Aschoff Lecture: Peripheral Phase Coordination in the Mammalian Circadian Timing System
Authors: Schibler Ueli
Published: January 2009

The mammalian timing system is composed of a bodywide web of cell-autonomous and self-sustained oscillators. A master clock in the SCN synchronizes peripheral clocks through yet poorly understood molecular signaling pathways. In this lecture I shall present some of the experimental approaches we are employing to elucidate signaling routes through which the SCN may phase entrain peripheral clocks. These attempts unveiled several candidate pathways worth pursuing in future studies, including signaling through nuclear receptors, cytoskeleton components, Ca2+, fibroblast growth factors, ubiquitin ligases, Sirtuin 1 (a redox-sensing histone deacetylase), RNA binding proteins, and body temperature.
Rationality, Intelligibility, and Interpretation
Authors: Stone Peter
Published: January 2009

Behavior is rational to the extent that it optimizes actions, beliefs, and information collection subject to various constraints. It is intelligible to the extent that it makes sense to an interpreter. The two concepts are connected because interpretation ordinarily proceeds on the assumption that others would do what we do under the same circumstances, mutatis mutandis. And because we of necessity understand our own behavior as being as rational as possible given the constraints we face, we must interpret the behavior of others in the same way. This paper develops the concepts of rationality and intelligibility, and applies them to the problem of interpretation. It does so by relying upon Jon Elster's recent work upon the same concepts. Like Elster, moreover, this paper concerns both the interpretation of real behavior and that of fictional characters.
Management of the Athlete With Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency
Authors: Hurd Wendy , Axe Michael , Snyder-Mackler Lynn
Published: January 2009

Background:

Identification of highly active individuals early after acute anterior cruciate ligament deficiency who are good candidates for nonoperative management is a clinical challenge. The University of Delaware has developed and validated a treatment algorithm and screening examination to distinguish between nonoperative and surgical candidates.

Study Design:

Review.

Evidence Acquisition:

A description of the decision-making rules and rehabilitation protocol for highly active individuals with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency is provided. Results from clinical trials, outcome studies, and biomechanical investigations conducted using the treatment algorithm and screening examination are also reviewed.

Results:

Patients identified as nonoperative rehabilitation candidates using these clinical guidelines have a far greater success rate than what has been reported when patients self-select nonoperative management. Furthermore, nonoperative outcomes are improved when patients participate in a perturbation-enhanced rehabilitation protocol. Divergent lower extremity movement patterns are consistent with the different functional abilities of the dichotomous patient groups identified with the screening examination.

Conclusion:

Given the differential patient response to anterior cruciate ligament injury, implementation of the decision-making guidelines discussed in this review offers clinicians the opportunity to provide individualized patient care rather than continuing with a blanket surgical treatment strategy.
DLL1-mediated Notch activation regulates endothelial identity in mouse fetal arteries
Authors: Sörensen Inga , Adams Ralf H. , Gossler Achim
Published: January 2009

Notch signaling has been shown to regulate various aspects of vascular development. However, a specific role of the ligand Delta-like 1 (DLL1) has not been shown thus far. Here, we demonstrate that during fetal development, DLL1 is an essential Notch ligand in the vascular endothelium of large arteries to activate Notch1 and maintain arterial identity. DLL1 was detected in fetal arterial endothelial cells beginning at embryonic day 13.5. While DLL4-mediated activation has been shown to suppress vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway components in growing capillary beds, DLL1-Notch signaling was required for VEGF receptor expression in fetal arteries. In the absence of DLL1 function, VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and its coreceptor, neuropilin-1 (NRP1), were down-regulatedin mutant arteries, which was followed by up-regulation of chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII), a repressor of arterial differentiation and Nrp1 expression in veins. Consistent with a positive modulation of the VEGF pathway by DLL1, the Nrp1 promoter contains several recombinant signal-binding protein 1 for J κ (RBPJκ)–binding sites and was responsive to Notch activity in cell culture. Our results establish DLL1 as a critical endothelial Notch ligand required for maintaining arterial identity during mouse fetal development and suggest context-dependent interrelations of the VEGFA and Notch signaling pathways.
Dynamic evolution of bitter taste receptor genes in vertebrates
Authors: Dong Dong , Jones Gareth , Zhang Shuyi
Published: January 2009

Background

Sensing bitter tastes is crucial for many animals because it can prevent them from ingesting harmful foods. This process is mainly mediated by the bitter taste receptors (T2R), which are largely expressed in the taste buds. Previous studies have identified some T2R gene repertoires, and marked variation in repertoire size has been noted among species. However, the mechanisms underlying the evolution of vertebrate T2R genes remain poorly understood.

Results

To better understand the evolutionary pattern of these genes, we identified 16 T2R gene repertoires based on the high coverage genome sequences of vertebrates and studied the evolutionary changes in the number of T2R genes during birth-and-death evolution using the reconciled-tree method. We found that the number of T2R genes and the fraction of pseudogenes vary extensively among species. Based on the results of phylogenetic analysis, we showed that T2R gene families in teleost fishes are more diverse than those in tetrapods. In addition to the independent gene expansions in teleost fishes, frogs and mammals, lineage-specific gene duplications were also detected in lizards. Furthermore, extensive gains and losses of T2R genes were detected in each lineage during their evolution, resulting in widely differing T2R gene repertoires.

Conclusion

These results further support the hypotheses that T2R gene repertoires are closely related to the dietary habits of different species and that birth-and-death evolution is associated with adaptations to dietary changes.
The relationship between magnetic and electrophysiological responses to complex tactile stimuli
Authors: Zhu Zhao , Zumer Johanna M , Lowenthal Marianne E , Padberg Jeff , Recanzone Gregg H , Krubitzer Leah A , Nagarajan Srikantan S , Disbrow Elizabeth A
Published: January 2009

Background

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has become an increasingly popular technique for non-invasively characterizing neuromagnetic field changes in the brain at a high temporal resolution. To examine the reliability of the MEG signal, we compared magnetic and electrophysiological responses to complex natural stimuli from the same animals. We examined changes in neuromagnetic fields, local field potentials (LFP) and multi-unit activity (MUA) in macaque monkey primary somatosensory cortex that were induced by varying the rate of mechanical stimulation. Stimuli were applied to the fingertips with three inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs): 0.33s, 1s and 2s.

Results

Signal intensity was inversely related to the rate of stimulation, but to different degrees for each measurement method. The decrease in response at higher stimulation rates was significantly greater for MUA than LFP and MEG data, while no significant difference was observed between LFP and MEG recordings. Furthermore, response latency was the shortest for MUA and the longest for MEG data.

Conclusion

The MEG signal is an accurate representation of electrophysiological responses to complex natural stimuli. Further, the intensity and latency of the MEG signal were better correlated with the LFP than MUA data suggesting that the MEG signal reflects primarily synaptic currents rather than spiking activity. These differences in latency could be attributed to differences in the extent of spatial summation and/or differential laminar sensitivity.
Unsuspected and extensive transmission of a drug-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosisstrain
Authors: López-Calleja Ana Isabel , Gavín Patricia , Lezcano Ma Antonia , Vitoria Ma Asunción , Iglesias Ma José , Guimbao Joaquín , Lázaro Ma Ángeles , Rastogi Nalin , Revillo Ma José , Martín Carlos , Samper Sofia
Published: January 2009

Background

A large and unsuspected tuberculosis outbreak involving 18.7% of the total of the tuberculosis cases studied, was detected in a population-based molecular epidemiological study performed in Zaragoza (Spain) from 2001 to 2004.

Methods

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug-susceptible strain, named MTZ strain, was genetically characterized by IS6110-RFLP, Spoligotyping and by MIRU-VNTR typing and the genetic patterns obtained were compared with those included in international databases. The characteristics of the affected patients, in an attempt to understand why the MTZ strain was so highly transmitted among the population were also analyzed.

Results

The genetic profile of the MTZ strain was rare and not widely distributed in our area or elsewhere. The patients affected did not show any notable risk factor for TB.

Conclusion

The M. tuberculosis strain MTZ, might have particular transmissibility or virulence properties, and we believe that greater focus should be placed on stopping its widespread dissemination.
Minor contribution of mutations at iniA codon 501 and embC-embA intergenic region in ethambutol-resistant clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in Kuwait
Authors: Jaber Al-Anoud , Ahmad Suhail , Mokaddas Eiman
Published: January 2009

Background

Ethambutol (EMB) is a first-line drug for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Resistance to EMB inMycobacterium tuberculosisisolates is mediated by mutations in several genes involved in arabinan synthesis notably threeemb(arabinosyl transferase) andiniA(isoniazid-inducible) genes. Most epidemiologically unrelated EMB-resistantM. tuberculosisstrains contain mutations atembBcodons 306, 406 and 497,embC-embAintergenic region (IGR) andiniAcodon 501 (iniA501).

Objective

To develop a more comprehensive molecular screen for EMB-resistance detectioamong epidemiologically unrelated EMB-resistantM. tuberculosisstrains previously analyzed forembBcodon 306, 406 and 497 mutations by including analysis of mutations atiniA501and inembC-embAIGR.

Methods

Fifty consecutive and phenotypically documented EMB-resistant and 25 pansusceptibleM. tuberculosisstrains isolated from 75 different TB patients over a four-year period in Kuwait were analyzed. Mutations atiniA501were detected by PCR amplification followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns generated withHpy99 I. Direct DNA sequencing was used to confirm RFLP results and for detecting mutations inembC-embAIGR.

Results

Nearly same number of EMB-resistantM. tuberculosisstrains were resistant to EMB alone and EMB together with additional resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid (9 of 50, 18% and 11 of 50, 22%, respectively). All the 25 pansusceptible strains contained wild-type sequences atiniA501and inembC-embAIGR. The analysis of 50 EMB-resistantM. tuberculosisisolates showed that only one strain contained a mutatediniA501while no mutation was detected inembC-embAIGR in any of the isolate.

Conclusion

Analysis ofiniA501andembC-embAIGR in epidemiologically unrelated EMB-resistantM. tuberculosisisolates in Kuwait indicate that mutations at these locations occur very infrequently and their inclusion for the development of a comprehensive molecular screen will make only minor contribution towards rapid EMB resistance detection.
Hepatic hydatid disease: four case reports
Authors: Elshazly Attef M , Azab Manar S , ElBeshbishi Samar N , Elsheikha Hany M
Published: January 2009

We report four cases who were referred to Mansoura University Teaching Hospital, Egypt suffering from abdominal pain and gastrointestinal manifestations. The patients' history was unremarkable, except that they had contact with dogs and live in rural communities. Laboratory findings showed peripheral blood eosinophilia, leucocytosis, and elevated liver enzymes. Serological tests were positive in three cases. Ultrasonography showed well-circumscribed cystic masses in the liver. Diagnosis of hydatid cysts was confirmed by computed tomography (CT). Surgical treatment along with chemotherapy was performed and all patients recovered well. The results of these cases support the notion that CT scan can led to increased clarity, regarding surgical management, because of discordance between radiographic and laboratory findings.
Lumps, bumps and vasculitis
Authors: Uddin A , West K , Barratt J
Published: January 2009

Summary

We report an unusual case of primary vasculitis presenting with unilateral submandibular gland enlargement and lymphadenopathy resulting in stridor.
Design of Perforated Panels for Low Frequency Acoustic Correction of Rooms for Listening to Music
Authors: Panteghini Andrea , Ancellotti Francesco , Genna Francesco
Published: January 2009

The acoustic design of rooms for listening to music or recording is a very difficult subject: in order to improve the acoustic performance of these confined rooms, it may be necessary to absorb noise energy; sometimes all audible frequencies of the spectrum, sometimes at some specific frequencies. The design is especially difficult at low frequencies, where both resonance modes and standing waves are present.

For the correction of problems of this kind, a resonance cavity perforated panel can be used. In the technical literature, there are some theoretical models describing the behavior of such a panel, but the results given are scarcely informative.

Here we try to develop a simple but accurate approach for the design of these devices. On the basis of a reference FEM simulation of a drilled panel which was discussed in a previous paper [4], an engineering analytical model, which can be simply implemented either in few lines of FORTRAN code or by means of free engineering software tools like OpenOffice.org , has been developed.

The dependency of the panel's behavior on the design parameters is here discussed.
Using Sport Science to Improve Coaching: A Case Study of the American Record Holder in the Women's Hammer Throw
Authors: Judge Larry W. , Hunter Iain , Gilreath Erin
Published: January 2009

Conclusions from biomechanical data can make a significant difference in the performance of athletes in the hammer throw if properly understood by coaches. By utilizing this scientific approach to the hammer throw event, the throws coach will be able to determine more accurate adjustments and devise training stimuli to better accommodate the athlete. In this case study, we have attempted to bridge the gap between the researcher and the coach in our approach to teaching the hammer throw, by integrating biomechanical analysis. We have employed the use of video analysis as an essential part of our coaching/teaching system. This USATF Women's development hammer project is an example in which the cooperation between sport science and coaching helped to produce an American record of 73.87m by Erin Gilreath in the women's hammer in 2005.
Gaining Insight into Actual and Preferred Sources of Coaching Knowledge
Authors: Erickson Karl , Bruner Mark W. , MacDonald Dany J. , Côté Jean
Published: January 2009

Previous research has suggested that current formal coach education programs do not fully meet the learning needs of coaches. The purpose of the present study was to examine actual and preferred sources of coaching knowledge for developmental-level coaches. Structured quantitative interviews were conducted with coaches (N = 44) from a variety of sports. Learning by doing, interaction with coaching peers, and formal coach education were the top actual sources of coaching knowledge. Discrepancies were found between actual and preferred usage of learning by doing, formal coach education, and mentoring. Coaches indicated they would prefer more guided learning and less self-directed learning by doing. Further, differences in preferred sources were identified between coaches wishing to move to an elite level versus coaches wishing to stay at a developmental level. Findings highlight the importance of both experiential and formally guided sources of coaching knowledge and the context-specific nature of coach learning.
Performance Norms for British National Super League Netball
Authors: O'Donoghue Peter , Mayes Anna , Edwards Kate M. , Garland Jess
Published: January 2009

The use of norms allows performance indicator values to be related to the relevant population of performances. However, it is also necessary to relate performances to the quality of the opposition. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine percentiles for performance indicators in British National Super League netball. Percentiles were determined for different types of match based on the strengths of the teams involved. The strength of the opponent was found to effect teams in the top half of the league differently to teams in the bottom half of the league. Relating a team's performance to the relevant performance norms based on the strength of the opposition permits more effective interpretation of the performance indicators. This information can be used by coaches to identify facets of performance requiring attention and can support more effective decision making and use of video feedback.
Sport Coaches' Perceived Role Frames and Philosophies
Authors: Nash Christine S. , Sproule John , Horton Peter
Published: January 2009

Philosophy underpins all aspects of coaching and by creating a formal philosophy coaches may improve their coaching effectiveness. The role that coaches fulfill is based on their experience, knowledge, values, opinions and beliefs, but how coaches frame their role and form their philosophy is still unclear. This study investigates these aspects by interviewing coaches at various stages of their coaching career. It concludes that as coaches gain both knowledge and experience their ability to articulate a coherent philosophy and, more importantly, contextualize it for subsequent use in a more holistic coaching practice is enhanced. As a key element of coach development, the inclusion of a coaching philosophy, values clarification, and consideration of the coach's responsibilities could improve their practice and better meet the needs of their charges.
Skill and Physiological Demands of Open and Closed Training Drills in Australian Football
Authors: Farrow Damian , Pyne David , Gabbett Tim
Published: January 2009

This study compared the skill and physiological demands of open- and closed-skill drills commonly used in Australian football. Junior male players (n=30, age 16.7 ± 0.5 y, height 1.88 ± 0.07 m, mass 79.7 ± 6.5 kg; mean ± SD) completed two different training sessions involving a series of three open and closed training drills. Movement demands were quantified with global positioning system (GPS) technology, while physiological responses were assessed with heart rate, blood lactate concentration and self-reported ratings of physical exertion. Skill demands were quantified by video analysis and self-reported ratings of perceived cognitive complexity. Two of the three open drills were substantially more demanding in terms of distance (metres) covered ( p < .05), rating of perceived physical exertion ( p < .05), and relative intensity ( p < .05). All open drills had significantly more moderate velocity efforts ( p < .05) than their closed counterparts. There were no differences in post-session lactate concentration between the drills or formats, but heart rate was higher in the open format for the third drill. Analysis of skill demands revealed that while the number of ball disposals were equivalent in two of the three open and closed drill formats, there was a significantly larger volume of game-like decisions required of the participants in all open drills. Higher cognitive complexity scores were reported in the open drills ( p < .05). In conclusion, the open drills were generally more physically and cognitively demanding than the closed drills commonly used in Australian Football. Coaches and conditioning staff should prescribe open drills to elicit higher physical and cognitive training loads in a game-specific context.
Polytopic Observer Design for LPV Systems Based on Minimal Convex Polytope Finding
Authors: Anstett Floriane , Millérioux Gilles , Bloch Gérard
Published: January 2009

Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) systems are models widely encountered in the engineering field. In this paper, a systematic method is provided to design a polytopic observer whose goal is to reconstruct the state of discrete-time LPV systems. The method incorporates in an original manner a minimal convex polytope finding and thereby confers efficiency to the reconstruction technique. The proposed approach is illustrated in the context of secure communications based on chaotic parameter modulation.
Trade-Off Aversion as an Explanation for the Attraction Effect: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Authors: Hedgcock William , Rao Akshay R.
Published: January 2009

This research reports on a cognitive neuroscientific examination of whether trade-off aversion explains the attraction effect. The principal study involves the neuroimaging of participants engaging in choice tasks while their cerebral activity is recorded. The authors examine whether the presence of a third (normatively irrelevant) alternative yields relatively less activation in areas of the brain associated with negative emotion than the activation during choice tasks involving two equally (un)attractive options. The results support the claim that trade-off choice sets are associated with relatively greater negative emotion. The authors discuss the implications of the research for marketing theory and methodology, as well as for managerial practice in the corporate and public policy arenas.
The Influence of Self-View on Context Effects: How Display Fixtures Can Affect Product Evaluations
Authors: Zhu Rui (Juliet) , Meyers-Levy Joan
Published: January 2009

Can the surface material of a display table prompt context effects on shoppers’ product evaluations? If so, how might the direction of such effects be influenced by people's use of different modes of cognition—namely, holistic versus analytic cognition? The authors theorize and find that people's use of holistic cognition, as prompted by an interdependent self-view, produces an assimilation effect. Product evaluations are assimilated with associations with the table surface. However, people who rely on analytic processing, as prompted by an independent self-view, elicit a contrast effect in which evaluations are negatively related to such associations.
The Influence of Consumers’ Lay Theories on Approach/Avoidance Motivation
Authors: Jain Shailendra Pratap , Mathur Pragya , Maheswaran Durairaj
Published: January 2009

This research suggests that consumers’ approach/avoidance tendencies depend on their implicit theories about the world around them. Entity theorists believe in the immutability of the world, and thus they are not influenced by whether a persuasive message is framed in terms of approach or avoidance. In contrast, incremental theorists believe that the world is mutable, and thus they are influenced by the message frame. This proposition is supported in two studies that feature advertising messages. The mechanism underlying these effects differs as a function of implicit theory orientation. Entity theorists’ focus on the outcome and incremental theorists’ reliance on the process form the basis for the observed findings. A third study reveals that when a consumer's implicit theory is violated, these findings are reversed. The authors discuss theoretical and managerial implications.
Verwendung von im selbstständigen Beweisverfahren eingeholten Gutachten zum Beweis von Tatsachen im Urkundenprozess
Authors: Looff Mitarbeiterin Franziska
Published: January 2009

Im Urkundenprozess ist die Beweiserbringung nach §§ 592 und 595 Abs. 2 und 3 ZPO lediglich durch Urkunden und ggf. durch Parteivernehmung statthaft. Lebhaft umstritten ist, ob das schriftliche Ergebnis einer Beweisaufnahme im selbstständigen Beweisverfahren als Urkunde in diesem Sinne eingeführt werden kann. Der BGH hat sich zuletzt in einer aktuellen Entscheidung vom 18.9.2007 mit dieser Frage befasst, hier insbesondere mit der Verwertbarkeit eines im selbstständigen Beweisverfahren eingeholten Sachverständigengutachtens. Dies sei Anlass für eine kritische Analyse.
The Invention of the Cyclic Mass
Authors: Kirkman Andrew
Published: January 2009

This article explores the origins of the notion of the polyphonic mass as an epoch-making early embodiment of the principle of musical unity and as the quintessence of the Renaissance “masterwork.” Finding no evidence for this status in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, it uses surviving written materials to inquire how the mass might have been perceived by its original users. Taking this inquiry as its point of departure, the study details how the modern status of the mass evolved gradually in the course of the “rediscovery” of early music from the late eighteenth century to the early twentieth. That status arose in response to prevailing ideologies in Western European thought from the Enlightenment through Hegel, reaching its apogee (influenced by Hegel and Jacob Burckhardt) in the Geschichte der Musik of August Wilhelm Ambros. Ambros was the first music historian to place aesthetic value on music of the generation of Du Fay, and the first to broach the notion of a musical Renaissance. Although he did not actually propose a Renaissance beginning in the fifteenth century, he was construed to have done so by later writers. The subsequent location of the beginnings of a musical “Renaissance” in the early fifteenth century, and the association of the early “cyclic” mass with it, provided the linchpin in the creation of the level of prestige and historical importance enjoyed by the mass in modern music-historical writing.
The Council of Trent Revisited
Authors: Monson Craig A.
Published: January 2009

Reexamination of a wide range of documents surrounding the twenty-second, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth sessions of the Council of Trent reveals that delegates strived officially to say as little as possible about music: only that secular or impure elements should be eliminated and that specific issues should be settled locally, by individual bishops and provincial synods. But, beginning with Gustave Reese, several scholars have misleadingly strung together a preliminary canon, stressing textual intelligibility, which was never approved in the general congregations, and the few lines that actually supplanted it, concerned only with the elimination of lasciviousness. On the other hand, a largely unrecognized or misunderstood attack on church polyphony did occur at the less familiar twenty-fifth session, when Gabriele Paleotti may have attempted to suppress elaborate music in female monasteries. Although this attempt was rejected in the general congregations, its restrictions were subsequently revived by local authorities such as Paleotti and Carlo Borromeo in their own dioceses. In the Council's immediate aftermath, reformers such as Paleotti and Borromeo once again focused on the issue of intelligibility, affording it a quasi-official status that seems to have quickly become widely accepted as “iuxta formam concilii.”
From Scarlatti to “Guantanamera”: Dual Tonicity in Spanish and Latin American Musics
Authors: Manuel Peter
Published: January 2009

This essay explores the sense of dual tonicity evident in a set of interrelated Spanish and Latin American music genres. These genres include seventeenth-century Spanish keyboard and vihuela fandangos, and diverse folk genres of the Hispanic Caribbean Basin, including the Venezuelan galerón and the Cuban punto, zapateo, and guajira. Songs in these genres oscillate between apparent “tonic” and “dominant” chords, yet conclude on the latter chord and bear internal features that render such terminology inapplicable. Rather, such ostinatos should be understood as oscillating in a pendular fashion between two tonal centers of relatively equal stability. The ambiguous tonicity is related to the Moorish-influenced modal harmony of flamenco and Andalusian folk music; it can also be seen to have informed the modern Cuban son and the music of twentieth-century Cuban composer Amadeo Roldán.
Adémar de Chabannes, Carolingian Musical Practices, and Nota Romana
Authors: Grier James
Published: January 2009

Writing in 1027–28, Adémar de Chabannes states in his Chronicon that musicians at the court of Charlemagne knew and used musical notation. Authentic Carolingian sources of the eighth and ninth centuries provide striking corroboration of several elements in Adémar's narrative and so suggest that his version of events may be accurate. More important, however, are the parallels between Adémar and the Carolingian sources regarding the concern of the Frankish monarchs of the period for the quality of singing in the Frankish church, and particularly the adoption of the Roman style of performance. It was in this environment that the Frankish cantors may have developed musical notation, probably at Metz in the last decade of the eighth or first of the ninth century, to assist in the preservation and dissemination of Roman nuances of singing.
Munich, Milan, and a Marian Motet: Dating Josquin's Ave Maria …… virgo serena
Authors: Rifkin Joshua
Published: January 2009

Recent developments in the biography of Josquin des Prez have focused new attention on the motet Ave Maria …… virgo serena. In 1974, Thomas Noblitt showed that watermark evidence assigned a copy of the piece in Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Mus. ms. 3154 to 1476; the dating appeared unassailable philologically, and the style of the music tied it to a repertory created at the court of Milan in a period when Josquin supposedly worked there. But with the discovery by Lora Matthews and Paul Merkley that Josquin had no connection with Milan until 1484, a potential conflict between style, date, and perhaps authorship has emerged. Reexamination of the motet and its transmission affirms both the Milanese character of the music and Josquin's authorship; a more intensive investigation of the relationship between script and paper in Munich 3154, however, shows that the Ave Maria represents a previously unrecognized phase in the work of its copyist, datable to 1485 or an adjacent year. Even against this revised background, Munich 3154 remains the earliest securely datable source for any music of Josquin, and the Ave Maria seems in all likelihood the earliest composition of his that we can identify.
Public Performance and Private Understanding: Clara Wieck's Concerts in Berlin
Authors: Ferris David
Published: January 2009

The critics of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik idealized the private performance as an enlightened alternative to the public concert, and it was in private settings that Clara Wieck Schumann typically played Robert Schumann's music in the early years of her career. In the winter of 1839-40 she was in Berlin, abandoned by her father, Friedrich Wieck, and struggling to continue her career on her own. At Schumann's suggestion she performed his Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22 in a public soirée. Afterwards Schumann decided his music was too personal for a public audience, and his major piano works were not heard again until the year of his death.