Bipedal steps in the development of rhythmic behavior in humans

We contrast two related hypotheses of the evolution of dance: H1: Maternal bipedal walking influenced the fetal experience of sound and associated movement patterns; H2: The human transition to bipedal gait produced more isochronous/predictable locomotion sound resulting in early music-like behavior associated with the acoustic advantages conferred by moving bipedally in pace. The cadence of walking is around 120 beats per minute, similar to the tempo of dance and music. Human walking displays long-term constancies. Dyads often subconsciously synchronize steps. The major amplitude component of the step is a distinctly produced beat. Human locomotion influences, and interacts with, emotions, and passive listening to music activates brain motor areas. Across dance-genres the footwork is most often performed in time to the musical beat. Brain development is largely shaped by early sensory experience, with hearing developed from week 18 of gestation. Newborns reacts to sounds, melodies, and rhythmic poems to which they have been exposed in utero. If the sound and vibrations produced by footfalls of a walking mother are transmitted to the fetus in coordination with the cadence of the motion, a connection between isochronous sound and rhythmical movement may be developed. Rhythmical sounds of the human mother locomotion differ substantially from that of nonhuman primates, while the maternal heartbeat heard is likely to have a similar isochronous character across primates, suggesting a relatively more influential role of footfall in the development of rhythmic/musical abilities in humans. Associations of gait, music, and dance are numerous. The apparent absence of musical and rhythmic abilities in nonhuman primates, which display little bipedal locomotion, corroborates that bipedal gait may be linked to the development of rhythmic abilities in humans. Bipedal stimuli in utero may primarily boost the ontogenetic development. The acoustical advantage hypothesis proposes a mechanism in the phylogenetic development

Effects of husbandry and low-dose lipopolysaccharide challenge on the acute phase response of young pigs

End of project reportIn recent years, concern has grown for the welfare of domesticated animals in different production systems (Appleby and Hughes, 1997). Poor welfare can result in poor performance and productivity. However, the consumers are also requesting more welfare-friendly systems, as reflected by the importance that ‘organic’ and ‘free-range’ products have gained in our markets. Furthermore, there are ethical reasons for safeguarding the welfare of animals in our care. Thus, it is scientists’ task to be able to develop methods and techniques that can help to assess the welfare objectively. Traditionally, welfare assessment relied on the study of behaviour and the measurement of endocrine parameters. Acute phase response mediators and products, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins, emerged recently as potential indicators of infection and herd health status (Eckersall, 2000; Petersen et al., 2004). Thus, investigating the effects of husbandry and low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge on the acute phase response of young pigs can give valuable information on the use of these immune parameters as health and welfare indicators in pigs.Teagasc acknowledges the support of National Development Programme Funds (NDP) in the financing of this research projec

Functional Anatomy and Physiology of Airway

In this chapter, we scope the importance of functional anatomy and physiology of the upper airway. The upper airway has an important role in transporting air to the lungs. Both the anatomical structure of the airways and the functional properties of the mucosa, cartilages, and neural and lymphatic tissues influence the characteristics of the air that is inhaled. The airway changes in size, shape, and position throughout its development from the neonate to the adults. Knowledge of the functional anatomy of the airway in these forms the basis of understanding the pathological conditions that may occur. The upper airway extends from the mouth to the trachea. It includes the mouth, the nose, the palate, the uvula, the pharynx, and the larynx. This section also describes the functional physiology of this airway. Managing the airway of a patient with craniofacial disorders poses many challenges to the anesthesiologist. Anatomical abnormalities may affect only intubation, only airway management, or both. This section also focuses on the abnormal airways in obesity, pregnancy, children and neonate, and patients with abnormal facial defects

Effects of Palatal Expansion on Speech Production

Introduction: Rapid palatal expanders (RPEs) are a commonly used orthodontic adjunct for the treatment of posterior crossbites. RPEs are cemented to bilateral posterior teeth across the palate and thus may interfere with proper tongue movement and linguopalatal contact. The purpose of this study was to identify what specific role RPEs have on speech sound production for the child and early adolescent orthodontic patient. Materials and Methods: RPEs were treatment planned for patients seeking orthodontics at Marquette University. Speech recordings were made using a phonetically balanced reading passage (“The Caterpillar”) at 3 time points: 1) before RPE placement; 2) immediately after cementation; and 3) 10-14 days post appliance delivery. Measures of vocal tract resonance (formant center frequencies) were obtained for vowels and measures of noise distribution (spectral moments) were obtained for consonants. Two-way repeated measures (ANOVA) was used along with post-hoc tests for statistical analysis. Results: For the vowel /i/, the first formant increased and the second formant decreased indicating a more inferior and posterior tongue position. For /e/, only the second formant decreased resulting in a more posterior tongue position. The formants did not return to baseline within the two-week study period. For the fricatives /s/, //, /t/, and /k/, a significant shift from high to low frequencies indicated distortion upon appliance placement. Of these, only /t/ fully returned to baseline during the study period. Conclusion: Numerous phonemes were distorted upon RPE placement which indicated altered speech sound production. For most phonemes, it takes longer than two weeks for speech to return to baseline, if at all. Clinically, the results of this study will help with pre-treatment and interdisciplinary counseling for orthodontic patients receiving palatal expanders

Acoustic and Respiratory Characteristics of Infant Vocalization

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore vibratory regime of infant phonation. The first study examined 1) differences in overall levels of acoustic and respiratory variables between different regimes and 2) differences in relationships between the acoustic and respiratory variables among regimes. The second study examined 3) the acoustic and respiratory ranges of modal phonation with respect to other regimes and 4) the range of modal phonation among infants of different ages. Two datasets were used in the study. Dataset I was acquired from eight infants of ages 8-18 months, and Dataset II from one infant of ages 4-6 months. Their vocalizations and respiratory movements were recorded during adult-interaction. Phonated segments were identified through waveform, spectrogram, and auditory inspection, and categorized into six mutually exclusive regimes (modal, pulse, loft, subharmonics, biphonation, and chaos). For each regime segment, the following measurements were made: fundamental frequency (F0), sound pressure level (SPL), expiratory slope, and relative lung volume at regime initiation. A series of linear mixed-effects model analysis and analysis of variance revealed differences in mean F0 between regimes, mean SPL, and mean. Correlations between the acoustic and respiratory variables differed among regimes, indicating their relationships were regime-dependent. The most revealing findings were that regime categories readily distributed into different regions of the intensity-frequency space, and that F0 ranges of modal regime tended to decrease with increasing age. In addition to modal, pulse, and loft distributing around the mid, low, and high intensity-frequency regions, respectively, biphonation and subharmonics were found between modal and loft ranges. The upper end of F0 range for pulse was much higher in infants compared to adults, however, biphonation and subharmonics rarely occurred between pulse and modal ranges. A range of modal F0 was about 500 Hz for the young infant in the vocal expansion stage, and about 200 Hz for older infants in the (post-)canonical stage. Although the results are tentative, this finding suggests that F0 variability decreases with age and phonation becomes more restricted to a lower end of an F0 range

The Pattern of Behaviour of Rabbit Pups in the Nest.

Domestic rabbit pups (22 litters of 6 pups each) were raised in plexiglass nest boxes, and their behaviour was studied under various experimental conditions during the first 14 days of life. 1. Rabbit pups show a stereotyped pattern of behaviour closely associated with the once daily nursing visit of the doe until they start to leave the nest on day 13. 2. One to two hours before nursing pups group tightly together and become exposed from the nest material. In young litters these behaviours appear to improve access to the doe's belly and to shorten the time the doe spends in the nest. 3. Rabbit pups are unusual in that they display a vigorous burst of post-nursing activi- ty, i.e. simultaneous urination followed by digging and burrowing around the nest. This activity is triggered by the nursing act and appears to contribute to thermoregulatory effi- ciency as an insulating cover is quickly regained. 4. Within about 30 minutes pups reaggregate and remain well covered until the next nursing time. 5. The anticipatory uncovering appears to represent a circadian rhythm, and not to be simply due to hunger, as demonstrated in isolated litters deprived of one nursing. 6. Presumably the less time wild does spend in the nursery burrow the less chance there is of predators trapping them or finding the young. The ability of the pups to anticipate the nursing and the their thermoregulatory self-sufficiency may contribute to shortening the time rabbit does must spend in the nest

ATTITUDINAL DIFFERENCES OF CHORAL MUSIC TEACHERS IN REGARDS TO VOCAL CHANGE TYPE

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether differences exist in secondary choral music teachers’ understandings and attitudes toward sex-specific vocal change and whether these differences vary by virtue of years of teaching experience. Participants (N = 405) were secondary choral music educators and current members on the National Association for Music Education who were surveyed using a researcher-designed attitudinal questionnaire. The survey instrument consisted of 20 questions related to teacher attitude towards sex-specific vocal change. Responses were recorded in using a 7-point Likert-type scale and included two anecdotal responses. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted and revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between choral director attitudes in regards to male adolescent vocal change and female adolescent vocal change: t (404)= 18.25, p \u3c 0.01. There was not a statistically significant difference for years of experience

Global timing: a conceptual framework to investigate the neural basis of rhythm perception in humans and non-human species

Timing cues are an essential feature of music. To understand how the brain gives rise to our experience of music we must appreciate how acoustical temporal patterns are integrated over the range of several seconds in order to extract global timing. In music perception, global timing comprises three distinct but often interacting percepts: temporal grouping, beat, and tempo. What directions may we take to further elucidate where and how the global timing of music is processed in the brain? The present perspective addresses this question and describes our current understanding of the neural basis of global timing perception