The Violin Sonata of Amy Beach

American composer and pianist Amy Marcy Cheney Beach -- Mrs. H. H. A. Beach (1867-1944) was born in Henniker, New Hampshire. She is recognized as the best American composer of her time. She was the first American woman to compose large-scale art music, and she was also a virtuosic pianist. The Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Minor, Op. 34 (1896) is Beach’s most representative chamber music work. It contains four movements, with Classical formal design, and expresses a style featured in late Romantic music. The Violin Sonata begins with a large, imposing movement, followed by a folk-like second movement. The expressive third movement contains Wagnerian infinite melody. The work ends with an energetic finale. Beach conveys intense feelings and emotions throughout the Violin Sonata, along with her phenomenal compositional technique. The purpose of this monograph is to provide an historical, analytical, and stylistic study of Beach’s Violin Sonata. Chapter 1 presents biographical information of Beach. Chapter 2 introduces Beach’s violin and piano music and her major chamber music compositions. Chapter 3 provides historical reviews on the premiere performances of the Violin Sonata in the United States and Europe. Chapter 4 analyzes the Violin Sonata considering the following issues: formal structure, melodic and harmonic characteristics, the treatment of violin in combination with piano, and the idiomatic violin and piano writing. Chapter 5 is the conclusion. The catalog of Beach’s music and her Music’s Ten Commandments As Given For Young Composers is collected in the Appendices

ACUTE EFFECT OF VIBRATORY STIMULATION ON ELBOW JOINT FLEXOR PERFORMANCE

A novel design of vibratory stimulation training system was developed in this study. Each participant took a pre-test, before receiving treatment with 20 seconds of vibratory stimulation (VS) at a specific frequency and amplitude. The participants then took a post-test. Percentage improvement was then calculated by comparing the pre- and post-test values for each index. The experimental data were analyzed through a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA analysis, with the independent variables being vibratory frequency and amplitude and the dependent variables being EMG root mean square, maximal force, rate of force development, and average force. The optimal vibratory stimulation pattern was found from this study that being a 60% maximal force loading combined with VS at 2.5 Hz and 1 N amplitude sustained over 20 s

Atrial Dysfunction in Significant Atrial Functional Mitral Regurgitation: Phenotypes and Prognostic Implications

Background: Atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Left atrial (LA) size and function in AFMR are poorly characterized. We aimed to assess LA function by reservoir strain (LASr) and estimated reservoir work (LAWr) and their impact on outcome in AFMR. Methods: Consecutive patients at our institution between 2001 and 2019 and with significant (moderate or greater) AFMR were examined. LAWr was estimated as LASr×LA reservoir volume, and patients were grouped by median LASr and LAWr. Outcomes were all-cause death or heart failure hospitalizations. Results: Five hundred fifteen AFMR patients were followed up for 5 (1–17) years. Patients had previously documented atrial fibrillation (AF; 37%), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) without AF (24%), or both (HFpEF+AF, 39%). LA volume was largest in AF, while LA function parameters were most impaired in the combined HFpEF+AF group. During follow-up, patients with low LASr or LAWr had higher risk of death (P<0.001) and heart failure hospitalization (P<0.05). In Cox regression analyses, low LASr and LAWr, but not LA volume or left ventricular function, were associated with a higher risk of death (LASr: hazard ratio, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.6–3.5]; LAWr: hazard ratio, 3.4 [95% CI, 2.4–4.9]; both P<0.001) after adjustment for clinical and echocardiographic confounders. Low LASr and LAWr were strongest associated with death in HFpEF and HFpEF+AF. Conclusions: LA reservoir function but not LA size is a robust predictor of outcome in significant AFMR. This provides mechanistic insights into the interplay of functional versus geometric LA changes in AFMR.publishedVersio

Micromachined Electrodes for High Density Neural Stimulation Systems

Abstract-High-resolution retinal prosthetic systems require high-density stimulation electrodes to restore the vision of blind patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. Micromachining the surface of electrodes to obtain high aspect ratio features can tremendously increase the effective area of the electrode. A unique process has been developed to obtain high aspect ratio structures by plating on the sidewall of recently developed and insufficiently rinsed resist. A quadrupling of the effective area of the electrode surface has been achieved with modest micromachining and should translate into a similar improvement in visual resolution

Progression of mitral regurgitation in rheumatic valve disease : role of left atrial remodeling

Introduction: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valve abnormality in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) often associated with stenosis. Although the mechanism by which MR develops in RHD is primary, longstanding volume overload with left atrial (LA) remodeling may trigger the development of secondary MR, which can impact on the overall progression of MR. This study is aimed to assess the incidence and predictors of MR progression in patients with RHD. Methods: Consecutive RHD patients with non-severe MR associated with any degree of mitral stenosis were selected. The primary endpoint was a progression of MR, which was defined as an increase of one grade in MR severity from baseline to the last follow-up echocardiogram. The risk of MR progression was estimated accounting for competing risks. Results: The study included 539 patients, age of 46.2 ± 12 years and 83% were women. At a mean follow-up time of 4.2 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.2–6.9 years), 54 patients (10%) displayed MR progression with an overall incidence of 2.4 per 100 patient-years. Predictors of MR progression by the Cox model were age (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.541, 95% CI 1.222–1.944), and LA volume (HR 1.137, 95% CI 1.054–1.226). By considering competing risk analysis, the direction of the association was similar for the rate (Cox model) and incidence (Fine-Gray model) of MR progression. In the model with LA volume, atrial fibrillation (AF) was no longer a predictor of MR progression. In the subgroup of patients in sinus rhythm, 59 had an onset of AF during follow-up, which was associated with progression of MR (HR 2.682; 95% CI 1.133–6.350). Conclusions: In RHD patients with a full spectrum of MR severity, progression of MR occurs over time is predicted by age and LA volume. LA enlargement may play a role in the link between primary MR and secondary MR in patients with RHD

Feasibility of Image-Guided Radiotherapy for Elderly Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE: The study aims to assess the tolerance of elderly patients (70 years or older) with locally advanced rectal cancers to image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). A retrospective review of 13 elderly patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent preoperative chemoradiation using IGRT was performed. Grade 3-4 acute toxicities, survival, and long-term complications were compared to 17 younger patients (<70 years) with the same disease stage. RESULTS: Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicities occurred in 7.6% and 0% (p = 0.4) and gastrointestinal toxicities, and, in 15.2% and 5% (p = 0.5), of elderly and younger patients, respectively. Surgery was aborted in three patients, two in the elderly group and one in the younger group. One patient in the elderly group died after surgery from cardiac arrhythmia. After a median follow-up of 34 months, five patients had died, two in the elderly and three in the younger group. The 3-year survival was 90.9% and 87.5% (p = 0.7) for the elderly and younger group respectively. Two patients in the younger group developed ischemic colitis and fecal incontinence. There was no statistically significant difference in acute and late toxicities as well as survival between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Elderly patients with locally advanced rectal cancers may tolerate preoperative chemoradiation with IGRT as well as younger patients. Further prospective studies should be performed to investigate the potential of IGRT for possible cure in elderly patients with locally advanced rectal cancer