Exploring Kinaesthetic and Body Self-Awareness in Professional Musicians

This research aimed to explore whether developing movement awareness in the playing of professional musicians could improve performance and assist in reducing tension. The issue was studied adopting a neurophenomenological perspective (Varela, 1996) which combines the traditions of continental phenomenology and neuroscientific studies related to cognitive processes. Musicians are often not aware of the importance of their body movements or gestures in playing (Holgersen, 2010). This research investigated whether movement awareness could be developed and if so what impact it would have on performance. Qualitative data were collected by applying phenomenological First-person mediator methods through semi-structured interviews, observation, and audiovisual materials. A range of professional instrumentalists participated. A quasi-repeated qualitative measurement research design was adopted. The musicians were asked to perform an easy, slow piece of music, which they had previously chosen, from memory three times. The first time the piece was performed with no intervention. In the first intervention they were asked to mentally rehearse the piece before playing it again, and in the second, they were asked to simulate the movements of playing without their instrument, before performing. The activities and performances were video recorded. The data were analysed in terms of verbal and non-verbal responses during the interviews and following performance. The performances were analysed by a panel of five experienced musicians and comparisons made in relation to the way the participants responded to the interventions. The findings showed that all of the musicians were affected by the simulation which aroused a range of feelings. The simulation seemed to generate kinaesthetic and sensory-motor feedback assisting the musicians in shaping their thoughts and developing body self-awareness even when they expressed negative feelings. The panellists noted a reduction in anxiety particularly following the third performance and an increase in concentration, musical communication, accuracy and fluidity of gestures

Proteomic patterns of cultured breast cancer cells and epithelial mammary cells.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death from cancer among women in western countries. The different types of breast cancer are grouped into invasive and noninvasive forms. Among the invasive types, ductal infiltrating carcinoma (DIC) is the most common and aggressive form. Using an in vitro model consisting of a DIC-derived cell line (8701-BC) and a nontumoral mammary epithelial cell line (HB2), we used the proteomics approach to search for homology and differences in protein expression patterns between tumoral and nontumoral phenotypes. Within an analysis window comprising 1,750 discernible spots we have currently catalogued 140 protein spots of potential interest. Fifty-eight of them were identified by gel matching with reference maps, immunodetection, or N-terminal microsequencing and classified into four functional groups. Twelve proteins were found differentially expressed in two cell lines: four were uniquely present in the neoplastic cell proteome and eight in epithelial cells. In addition, 53 proteins displayed different relative expression levels between the two cell lines, that is, 44 were more elevated in cancer cells and 9 in HB2 cells. Among proteins with greater relative abundance in cancer cells we identified glycolytic enzymes (or their isoforms), which may indicate that the known metabolic dysregulation in cancer can reflect oncogenic-related defects of glycolytic gene expression

A contribution to breast cancer cell proteomics: detection of new sequences

Ductal infiltrating carcinoma (DIC) of the breast is the most common and potentially aggressive form of cancer. Knowledge of proteomic profiles, attained both in vivo and in vitro, is fundamental to acquire as much information as possible on the proteins expressed in these pathologic conditions. We used the breast cancer cell line 8701-BC, established from a primary DIC, with the aim of contributing to the databases on mammary cancer cells, which in turn will be very useful for the identification of differentially expressed proteins in normal and neoplastic cells. Within an analysis window comprising about 1750 discernible spots, we have at present catalogued 84 protein spots. The proteins for which an identity was assigned were identified essentially using gel comparison, N-terminal (Nt) microseqencing and immune detection. Among the protein spots Nt-microsequenced, sixteen corresponded to known proteins, four resulted as modified, relative to matching sequences deposited on databases, and seven were unknown. These modified or novel sequences are thus of potential interest to the knowledge of breast cancer proteomics and its applications

Type V collagen induces apoptosis of 8701-BC breast cancer cells and enhances m-calpain expression

We previously reported that ductal infiltrating carcinomas (DIC) of the human breast display profound modifications of the stromal architecture, associated with anomalous collagen composition. The major alterations observed in the interstitial collagen were an abnormal ratio between type I and type III collagens, the appearence of an onco-foetal form of collagen (OF/LB) and a relative increase of type V collagen content. Biological assays performed by culturing a DIC-derived cell line (8701-BC) onto type V collagen substrate demonstrated that the latter was able to restrain cell growth and to inhibit cell motility and invasion "in vitro", differently from what found with other collagen species tested. To search for molecular mechanisms underlying the observed inhibitory effect of collagen type V on breast cancer cells. As a reference model, we used culture substrates prepared with type IV collagen, which represents the physiological substrate for cells of epithelial origin. Apoptosis was studied by both fluorescence microscopical analyses of cell viability and DNA fragmentation assays in preparations of 8701-BC cells grown onto either type V and type IV collagen. Differences in gene expression following cell adhesion onto the two substrates were analyzed by a "differential display" PCR (DD-PCR) technique and Western blot. In this paper we demonstrate that the inhibitory effect exerted by type V collagen is consistently associated with the switching-on of a death program by a significant proportion of the cell culture, concomitant with the formation of cohesive cell islands displaying a progressive decrease of cell spreading. DD-PCR and Western blot assays demonstrated a consistent association of type V collagen-promoted apoptosis with the up-regulation of the large subunit of m-calpain (L-mC) at both mRNA and protein level. Cell exposure to calpain inibitor I decreased the amount of DNA fragmentation by 30%. The present data substantiate our previous postulates that in cases of breast DIC the zonal increase of type V collagen contribute to the assembly of a "non-permissive" micro-environment for tumor cells, antagonist to other local permissive substrates. It is therefore conceivable that the spatio-temporal derangement of stromal components may actively modulate neoplastic cell behavior and metastatic propensity, thus contributing to the selection and development of more or less malignant tumor phenotypes

Proteome analysis of breast cancer cells (8701-BC) cultured from primary ductal infiltrating carcinoma: relation to correspondent breast tissues

n/

Decorin transfection induces proteomic and phenotypic modulation in breast cancer cells 8701-BC

Decorin is a prototype member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan family widely distributed in the extracellular matrices of many connective tissues, where it has been shown to play multiple important roles in the matrix assembly process, as well as in some cellular activities. A major interest for decorin function concerns its role in tumorigenesis, as growth-inhibitor of different neoplastic cells, and potential antimetastatic agent. The aim of our research was to investigate wide-ranged effects of transgenic decorin on breast cancer cells. To this purpose we utilized the well-characterized 8701-BC cell line, isolated from a ductal infiltrating carcinoma of the breast, and two derived decorin-transfected clones, respectively, synthesizing full decorin proteoglycan or its protein core. The responses to the ectopic decorin production were examined by studying morphological changes, cell proliferation rates, and proteome modulation. The results revealed new important antioncogenic potentialities, likely exerted by decorin through a variety of distinct biochemical pathways. Major effects included the downregulation of several potential breast cancer biomarkers, the reduction of membrane ruffling, and the increase of cell-cell adhesiveness. These results disclose original aspects related to the reversion of malignant traits of a prototype of breast cancer cells induced by decorin. They also raise additional interest for the postulated clinical application of decori

A survey of grapevine fanleaf nepovirus isolates for the presence of satellite RNA

Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) isolates from different geographical origins were surveyed for natural occurrence of satellite RNA. The results of molecular hybridization assays indicated that 5 isolates out of 34 tested, support the multiplication of a satellite RNA, both in Chenopodium quinoa and grapevine. The satellite molecules appear to have a high degree of sequence homology with, and the same size of, the satellite RNA supported by GFLV-F13 strain, isolated and characterized in France

Viroids of grapevines in Italy

Rebviroide in ItalienEs wird über das Vorkommen niedermolekularer RNAs bei 48 Vitis-vinifera-Stämmen und 15 amerikanischen Vitis-Arten und Kreuzungen aus Italien, Osteuropa, Mittelmeer- und Nahost-Ländern berichtet. In den Sämlingen zweier Sorten wurden keine derartigen RNAs gefunden. Aufgrund ihres elektrophoretischen Verhaltens wurden diese RNAs vorläufig identifiziert als Grapevine yellow speckle-Viroid (GYSVd), Grapeivine-Viroid 2 (GVd2) und Hop stunt-Viroid (HSVd). Das letztere Viroid löste bei künstlich infizierten Pflanzen von Tomate cv. Rutgers und Gurke cv. Suyo Befallssymptome aus. HSVd, GYSVd und GVd2 wurden in 97, 92 bzw. 11 % der untersuchten Proben wiedergefunden. In der Regel lagen Mischinfektionen vor, wobei die Kombination von HSVd mit GYSVd überwog. Diese beiden Viroide kamen regelmäßig in Reben mit den Symptomen von Yellow speckle oder Vein banding vor. Es wurde keine eindeutige Beziehung zwischen dem Vorkommen eines der Viroide und Rebkrankheiten mit unklarer Ätiologie, wie Vein necrosis oder Fleck, gefunden

Further studies on the use of molecular probes to grapevine closterovirus A

Two cloned cDNA probes to genomic RNA of grapevine closterovirus A (GVA) were utilized successfully for the detection of viral sequences in infected herbaceous hosts (Nicotiana benthamiana) and grapevines. One of the probes (pGA112) was complementary to the central part of the viral genome and gave light false positive signals with healthy grapevine extracts, whereas the other (pGA240), which is presumably colinear with the 3' terminus, was virus-specific and hybridized only with infected sample extracts. The two probes recognized smaller than genome RNAs in electrophoresed N. benthamiana extracts and hybridized differentially with the bands, thus suggesting that these represent subgenomic RNAs. Probe pGA240 may be used for GVA detection, but the preparation of samples for hybridization needs further improvement for routine testing.Weitere Untersuchungen über die Verwendung von Molekülsonden beim Grapevine-Closterovirus AZwei klonierte cDNA-Sonden für genomische RNA des Grapevine-Closterovirus A (GVA} wurden mit Erfolg zum Nachweis von Virussequenzen in infizierten krautigen Wirtspflanzen (Nicotiana benthamiana) und Reben benützt. Die eine Sonde (pGA112} war komplementär zum zentralen Teil des Virusgenoms und lieferte schwache falsch-positive Nachweisreaktionen mit Extrakten aus gesunden Reben; die andere Sonde (pGA240}, die vermutlich kolinear mit dem 3'-Terminus ist, war dagegen virusspezifisch und hybridisierte nur mit Extrakten aus infizierten Proben. In elektrophoretisch aufgetrennten N. benthamiana-Extrakten "erkannten" die beiden Sonden RNAs von weniger als Genomgröße; sie hybridisierten differenziert mit den Banden, so daß diese subgenomische RNAs darstellen könnten. Die Sonde pGA240 kann für den GVA-Nachweis verwendet werden; für Routinetests muß die Vorbereitung der Proben für die Hybridisierung noch verbessert werden