Emotions, Arousal, and Frontal Alpha Rhythm Asymmetry During Beethoven's 5th Symphony

Music is capable of inducing emotional arousal. While previous studies used brief musical excerpts to induce one specific emotion, the current study aimed to identify the physiological correlates of continuous changes in subjective emotional states while listening to a complete music piece. A total of 19 participants listened to the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th symphony (duration: ~7.4 min), during which a continuous 76-channel EEG was recorded. In a second session, the subjects evaluated their emotional arousal during the listening. A fast fourier transform was performed and covariance maps of spectral power were computed in association with the subjective arousal ratings. Subjective arousal ratings had good inter-individual correlations. Covariance maps showed a right-frontal suppression of lower alpha-band activity during high arousal. The results indicate that music is a powerful arousal-modulating stimulus. The temporal dynamics of the piece are well suited for sequential analysis, and could be necessary in helping unfold the full emotional power of music.

Efficacy and Safety of Natalizumab in Crohn’s Disease Patients Treated at 6 Boston Academic Hospitals

BACKGROUND: Despite trials demonstrating its efficacy, many physicians harbor concerns regarding the use of natalizumab in the treatment of patients with refractory Crohn's disease (CD). The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of a series of CD patients not currently enrolled in a clinical trial. METHODS: A retrospective case review of patients treated with natalizumab at 6 sites in Massachusetts: Boston Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Lahey Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and UMass Medical Center. RESULTS: Data on 69 CD patients on natalizumab were collected. At the start of treatment, patients' disease duration was 12 years. A high proportion of patients were women (68%), presented with perianal disease (65%) and upper gastrointestinal tract involvement (14%). Prior nonbiologic therapies were steroids (96%), thiopurines (94%), antibiotics (74%), methotrexate (58%), and at least two anti-tumor necrosis factor agent failures (81%). Sixty-nine percent (44 of 64 patients) with available medical evaluation had a partial or complete clinical response. Loss of response was 13% after an average of 1 year of treatment. Adverse events were infusion reactions, headaches, fever, and infections. No case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In our clinical experience outside the context of a clinical trial, natalizumab is largely reserved for CD patients with extensive ileocolonic disease who have failed conventional immunosuppressants and of at least 2 anti-tumor necrosis factor agents. This drug is, however, well tolerated and offers significant clinical improvement for more than a year in one-third of these difficult-to-treat CD patients.

Internationalität und Interdisziplinarität der Editionswissenschaft, Berlin/Boston 2014 (Beihefte zu editio 38) [Beiträge der Tagung InterNationalität und InterDisziplinarität der Editionswissenschaft, 15. – 18. Februar 2012 in Bern]

Thema des Bandes ist die in der internationalen Praxis der Editionswissenschaft beobachtbare Vielfalt von wissenschaftsgeschichtlichen Traditionen, texttheoretischen Zugängen und editionspragmatischen Verfahren, die häufig aus der jeweils unterschiedlichen Entwicklung einzelner Nationalphilologien und ihrer tragenden Institutionen resultiert. Diese Heterogenität bereichert die länder- und sprachübergreifende editionswissenschaftliche Kommunikation, erschwert sie aber auch. Hinzu tritt die Tatsache, dass die Editionswissenschaft zunehmend in einem interdisziplinären Austausch steht, an dem in jüngerer Zeit auch die Informations- und Naturwissenschaften teilhaben. In einer von beschleunigter Kommunikation und Globalisierung geprägten Wissensgesellschaft berühren und vermischen sich diese verschiedenen Ansätze, dies nicht zuletzt im Kontext medialer Veränderungen. Zugleich erweisen sich nationale und fachspezifische Konventionen auch unter diesen gewandelten Bedingungen als erstaunlich zählebig – sie bestimmen wissenschaftliche Formen der Interaktion und Kooperation mitunter mehr, als dies den beteiligten Partnern bewusst ist. Diese komplexe Situation bildet den Rahmen für die im Band versammelten Beiträge, die sich mit dem ‚Dazwischen‘ (inter), d.h. mit Synergien und Brüchen nationaler und disziplinärer Zugänge in der Editionswissenschaft auseinandersetzen. Sie dokumentieren die Praxis des gegenwärtigen editorischen Alltags und zeigen, wie unterschiedliche textliche und methodische Voraussetzungen das editorische Endprodukt prägen.