The Legacy of Oboist and Master Teacher, Robert Bloom

Robert Bloom (1908-1994) was legendary in the education and performance world. Often hailed as one of the last performers of the Golden Era of classical music and a favorite of conductors ranging from Stokowski to Stravinsky to Shaw, Bloom was an orchestral oboist and English hornist, oboe soloist, chamber musician, teacher (Eastman, Yale, Hartt, Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard and Philadelphia's University of the Arts), composer, conductor, editor of masterworks of the 18th century, and, as a founding member of the Bach Aria group, a seminal influence in the post-WWII revival of Baroque music in America. In The Robert Bloom Collection and the Art of Robert Bloom CD and video archives, we see what his musical ideals were in 1)18th-century performance practices, 2) writing new music for the instrument and commissioning new works, and 3) and transcribing music for the oboe and English horn. As an oboist, I believe it is important that Bloom's teachings, historical performance practices and ideas for expanding repertoire are propagated. Therefore, the works chosen for this dissertation illustrated this legacy. My recitals included 1) some of Bloom's published 18th-century baroque elaborations (his term for ornamentation), as well Baroque works which I have elaborated, 2) works written by him and by other oboists/composers (Labate, Roseman) as well as a flute/oboe duo that I commissioned by Dr. Marcus Maroney and 3) transcriptions by both Bloom and myself (Bach, Donizetti, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Handel, Schumann and Telemann). In these three dissertation recitals, I hope to have illustrated some of Robert Bloom's lasting contributions and impact on the oboe world, and to have demonstrated the potential for carrying forward this legacy by studying his teaching and emulating his example.

The effect of prenatal or early postnatal irradiation on the production of anti-arsonate antibodies and Cross-reactive idiotypes

Preliminary studies on the long-term effects of prenatal and early postnatal irradiation on the immune response to arsonate were performed using A/J mice. Pregnant mice were irradiated (0·5 Gy, X-rays) or sham-irradiated on a single occasion during gestation (between day 5 and 18 post-conception). Alternatively, newborn mice received the same treatment between day 2 and 7 after birth. Mice were immunized with keyhole limpet haemocyanin-arsonate (KLH-Ars) in adjuvant from 2 months after birth. The levels of specific antibodies to arsonate (anti-Ars) were measured by radioimmunoassay. In addition, the Ars-related cross-reactive idiotype (CRIA) was measured by the haemagglutination technique. In the primary response the titre of anti-Ars was reduced in animals that had been irradiated between day 12 and 15 of gestation. In the second response, in contrast, they had increased levels of anti-Ars. After immunization with KLH-Ars, high levels of CRIA were observed in all groups. However, in mice irradiated 18-20 days after conception the level of CRIA was often much higher than the level of anti-Ars, indicating that a large proportion of the CRIA-positive molecules were not specific for Ars. Thus, in this particular case, some specificity of the immune response was lost after irradiation. The expression of recurrent idiotypes may be a sensitive indicator of immunological perturbations after irradiation. © 1988 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.

CD4+ T cells play an important role in acute experimental pancreatitis in mice

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Few data are available on the potential role of T lymphocytes in experimental acute pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to characterize their role in the inflammatory cascade of acute pancreatitis. METHODS: To type this issue, acute pancreatitis was induced by repeated injections of cerulein in nude mice and in vivo CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cell-depleted mice. The role of T lymphocyte-costimulatory pathways was evaluated using anti-CD40 ligand or anti-B7-1 and -B7-2 monoclonal blocking antibodies. The role of Fas-Fas ligand was explored using Fas ligand-targeted mutant (generalized lymphoproliferative disease) mice. Severity of acute pancreatitis was assessed by serum hydrolase levels and histology. Intrapancreatic interleukin 12, interferon gamma, Fas ligand, and CD40 ligand messenger RNA were detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Intrapancreatic T lymphocytes were identified by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In control mice, T cells, most of them CD4(+) T cells, are present in the pancreas and are recruited during acute pancreatitis. In nude mice, histological lesions and serum hydrolase levels are significantly decreased. T-lymphocyte transfer into nude mice partially restores the severity of acute pancreatitis and intrapancreatic interferon gamma, interleukin 12, and Fas ligand gene transcription. The severity of pancreatitis is also reduced by in vivo CD4(+) (but not CD8(+)) T-cell depletion and in Fas ligand-targeted mutant mice. Blocking CD40-CD40 ligand or B7-CD28 costimulatory pathways has no effect on the severity of pancreatitis. CONCLUSIONS: T lymphocytes, particularly CD4(+) T cells, play a pivotal role in the development of tissue injury during acute experimental pancreatitis in mice.

[Book review] Reviews. [1] Nicholas Crane, Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet, London: Weidenfield and Nicolson, 2002. [2] Stephen Inwood: The Man Who Knew Too Much: The Strange and Inventive Life of Robert Hooke (1635-1703), London: Macmillan, 2002

Book reviews of: [1] Nicholas Crane, Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet, London: Weidenfield and Nicolson, 2002, £20, ISBN: 0297646656. [2] Stephen Inwood: The Man Who Knew Too Much: The Strange and Inventive Life of Robert Hooke (1635-1703), London: Macmillan, 2002, £18.99, ISBN: 0333782860.

Super-villains of the "real world": the political use of the characterization of villains in Chistopher Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy"

It is almost a tradition that celluloid (or digital) villains are represented with some characteristics that remind us the real political enemies of the producer country of the film, or even enemies within the country according to the particular ideology that sustains the film. The case of Christopher Nolan The Dark Knight trilogy, analyzed here, is representative of this trend for two reasons. First, because it gets marked by political radicalization conducted by the US government after the attack of September 11, 2001. Secondly, because it offers a profuse gallery of villains who are outside the circle of friends as the new doctrine “either with us or against us” opened by George Bush for the XXI century. This gallery includes from the very terrorists who justify the War on Terror (Ra's al Ghul, the Joker), to the “radical left” (Bane, Talia al Ghul) including liberal politicians (Harvey Dent), and corrupt that take advantage of the softness of the law to commit crimes with impunity (Dr. Crane, the Scarecrow).

Valor social de la fotografía de guerra: Robert Capa en la Guerra civil española

A partir del análisis de las relaciones entre sociología, fotografía y documentación se realiza un recorrido por algunas de las principales fotografías realizadas por Robert Capa durante la Guerra civil española.