Sonata V of Jan Dismas Zelenka : a study in style and genre

textThe music of the late baroque composer Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679- 1745) was not widely circulated during his lifetime. In the late twentieth century, Zelenka's music experienced a revival due to the rediscovery of his sonatas for double reed ensemble. The thesis examines the stylistic, generic, and historical context for Zelenka's Sonata V (ZWV 181, no. 5), tracing the development of the ensemble sonata for double reeds at the Augustan court. Chapter One focuses on Zelenka's life, as well as the purpose and dating of the six ensemble sonatas for obbligato double reeds (ZWV 181). The subsequent chapter surveys the national styles that were assimilated into the compositional traditions of the Dresden hofkapelle in the early 18th century. The role of the oboist within the court musical establishment and the social status of the hofmusicus are discussed. Chapter Three considers the precedents for and influences on Zelenka's Sonata V, particularly with respect to its inclusion in the little known genre of the sonata auf concertenart. These sonatas in the manner of a concerto adopt the formal outlines of Vivaldi's concertos and concerted sonatas while obscuring the distinctions of genre between the sonata and concerto through the treatment of scoring and texture. Zelenka's Sonata V follows the style of an early sonate auf concertenart of Vivaldi. Zelenka's concerted sonata departs from its model by confounding the identity of the initially distinct ritornello and solo material. The specific use of the oboe in Zelenka's sonatas, including playing techniques, and the degree of specialization are discussed. The conclusion speculates as to why Zelenka's music quickly fell out of favor and why even the composer himself was treated in a critical manner only a few generations after his time at Dresden. An understanding of the Dresden court not only provides a window on Zelenka's music, but also explains its almost immediate eclipse following his death.Musi

Racial differences in breast cancer survival in the Detroit Metropolitan area

African American (AA) women have poorer breast cancer survival compared to Caucasian American (CA) women. The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether socioeconomic status (SES) and treatment differences influence racial differences in breast cancer survival . The study population included 9,321 women (82% CA, 18% AA) diagnosed with local (63%) or regional (37%) stage disease between 1988 and 1992, identified through the Metropolitan Detroit SEER registry. Data on SES were obtained through linkage with the 1990 Census of Population and Housing Summary Tape and cases were geocoded to census block groups. Pathology, treatment and survival data were obtained through SEER. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare survival for AA versus CA women after adjusting for age, SES, tumor size, number of involved lymph nodes, and treatment. AA␣women were more likely to live in a geographic area classified as working poor than were CA women ( p <0.001). AA women were less likely to have lumpectomy and radiation and more likely to have mastectomy with radiation ( p <0.001). After multivariable adjusted analysis, there were no significant racial differences in survival among women with local stage disease, although AA women with regional stage disease had persistent but attenuated poorer survival compared to CA women. After adjusting for known clinical and SES predictors of survival, AA and CA women who are diagnosed with local disease demonstrate similar overall and breast cancer-specific survival, while race continues to have an independent effect among women presenting at a later stage of disease.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44238/1/10549_2005_Article_9103.pd

Stem cell marker TRA-1-60 is expressed in foetal and adult kidney and upregulated in tubulo-interstitial disease

The kidney has an intrinsic ability to repair itself when injured. Epithelial cells of distal tubules may participate in regeneration. Stem cell marker, TRA-1-60 is linked to pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells and is lost upon differentiation. TRA-1-60 expression was mapped and quantified in serial sections of human foetal, adult and diseased kidneys. In 8- to 10-week human foetal kidney, the epitope was abundantly expressed on ureteric bud and structures derived therefrom including collecting duct epithelium. In adult kidney inner medulla/papilla, comparisons with reactivity to epithelial membrane antigen, aquaporin-2 and Tamm–Horsfall protein, confirmed extensive expression of TRA-1-60 in cells lining collecting ducts and thin limb of the loop of Henle, which may be significant since the papillae were proposed to harbour slow cycling cells involved in kidney homeostasis and repair. In the outer medulla and cortex there was rare, sporadic expression in tubular cells of the collecting ducts and nephron, with positive cells confined to the thin limb and thick ascending limb and distal convoluted tubules. Remarkably, in cortex displaying tubulo-interstitial injury, there was a dramatic increase in number of TRA-1-60 expressing individual cells and in small groups of cells in distal tubules. Dual staining showed that TRA-1-60 positive cells co-expressed Pax-2 and Ki-67, markers of tubular regeneration. Given the localization in foetal kidney and the distribution patterns in adults, it is tempting to speculate that TRA-1-60 may identify a population of cells contributing to repair of distal tubules in adult kidney. <br/