Dynamic Levels in Classical and Romantic Keyboard Music: Effect of Musical Mode

An analysis of dynamic markings in 140 works representing three musical periods (Classical, early Romantic, late Romantic) is reported. We tested the hypothesis that minor-mode music from the Romantic period is more likely to exhibit louder dynamic levels than minor-mode music from the Classical period. This hypothesis was motivated by the theory that in the Romantic period, in addition to conveying sadness, the minor mode was more likely to be used to convey affects that are associated with higher dynamic levels, such as seriousness, passion or aggression. Our analysis showed no absolute differences regarding the notated dynamic levels of the minor-mode pieces. However, regardless of the musical mode, pieces from the earlier period exhibited higher dynamic levels than pieces from the later periods. This effect is attributable to a decrease in dynamics for major-mode pieces in later musical periods, while minor-mode pieces do not show a change in dynamics over time. Using the mean dynamic level for each period as a reference, these observations are consistent with the theory that Romantic music is more likely than Classical music to employ the minor mode to represent or convey affects that are associated with higher dynamic levels

The Pheno- and Genotypic Characterization of Porcine Escherichia coli Isolates

Escherichia (E.) coli is the main causative pathogen of neonatal and post-weaning diarrhea and edema disease in swine production. There is a significant health concern due to an increasing number of human infections associated with food and/or environmental-borne pathogenic and multidrug-resistant E. coli worldwide. Monitoring the presence of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates is essential for sustainable disease management in livestock and human medicine. A total of 102 E. coli isolates of diseased pigs were characterized by antimicrobial and biocide susceptibility testing. Antimicrobial resistance genes, including mobile colistin resistance genes, were analyzed by PCR and DNA sequencing. The quinolone resistance-determining regions of gyrA and parC in ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates were analyzed. Clonal relatedness was investigated by two-locus sequence typing (CH clonotyping). Phylotyping was performed by the Clermont multiplex PCR method. Virulence determinants were analyzed by customized DNA-based microarray technology developed in this study for fast and economic molecular multiplex typing. Thirty-five isolates were selected for whole-genome sequence-based analysis. Most isolates were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. Twenty-one isolates displayed an ESBL phenotype and one isolate an AmpC β-lactamase-producing phenotype. Three isolates had elevated colistin minimal inhibitory concentrations and carried the mcr-1 gene. Thirty-seven isolates displayed a multi-drug resistance phenotype. The most predominant β-lactamase gene classes were blaTEM-1 (56%) and blaCTX-M-1 (13.71%). Mutations in QRDR were observed in 14 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates. CH clonotyping divided all isolates into 51 CH clonotypes. The majority of isolates belonged to phylogroup A. Sixty-four isolates could be assigned to defined pathotypes wherefrom UPEC was predominant. WGS revealed that the most predominant sequence type was ST100, followed by ST10. ST131 was detected twice in our analysis. This study highlights the importance of monitoring antimicrobial resistance and virulence properties of porcine E. coli isolates. This can be achieved by applying reliable, fast, economic and easy to perform technologies such as DNA-based microarray typing. The presence of high-risk pathogenic multi-drug resistant zoonotic clones, as well as those that are resistant to critically important antibiotics for humans, can pose a risk to public health. Improved protocols may be developed in swine farms for preventing infections, as well as the maintenance and distribution of the causative isolates

The Pheno- and Genotypic Characterization of Porcine Escherichia coli Isolates

Escherichia (E.) coli is the main causative pathogen of neonatal and post-weaning diarrhea and edema disease in swine production. There is a significant health concern due to an increasing number of human infections associated with food and/or environmental-borne pathogenic and multidrug-resistant E. coli worldwide. Monitoring the presence of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolates is essential for sustainable disease management in livestock and human medicine. A total of 102 E. coli isolates of diseased pigs were characterized by antimicrobial and biocide susceptibility testing. Antimicrobial resistance genes, including mobile colistin resistance genes, were analyzed by PCR and DNA sequencing. The quinolone resistance-determining regions of gyrA and parC in ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates were analyzed. Clonal relatedness was investigated by two-locus sequence typing (CH clonotyping). Phylotyping was performed by the Clermont multiplex PCR method. Virulence determinants were analyzed by customized DNA-based microarray technology developed in this study for fast and economic molecular multiplex typing. Thirty-five isolates were selected for whole-genome sequence-based analysis. Most isolates were resistant to ampicillin and tetracycline. Twenty-one isolates displayed an ESBL phenotype and one isolate an AmpC β-lactamase-producing phenotype. Three isolates had elevated colistin minimal inhibitory concentrations and carried the mcr-1 gene. Thirty-seven isolates displayed a multi-drug resistance phenotype. The most predominant β-lactamase gene classes were blaTEM-1 (56%) and blaCTX-M-1 (13.71%). Mutations in QRDR were observed in 14 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates. CH clonotyping divided all isolates into 51 CH clonotypes. The majority of isolates belonged to phylogroup A. Sixty-four isolates could be assigned to defined pathotypes wherefrom UPEC was predominant. WGS revealed that the most predominant sequence type was ST100, followed by ST10. ST131 was detected twice in our analysis. This study highlights the importance of monitoring antimicrobial resistance and virulence properties of porcine E. coli isolates. This can be achieved by applying reliable, fast, economic and easy to perform technologies such as DNA-based microarray typing. The presence of high-risk pathogenic multi-drug resistant zoonotic clones, as well as those that are resistant to critically important antibiotics for humans, can pose a risk to public health. Improved protocols may be developed in swine farms for preventing infections, as well as the maintenance and distribution of the causative isolates

Do newborn infants sense the beat?

ABSTRACT I. BACKGROUND Music is present in some form in all human cultures. Sensitivity to various elements of music appears quite early on in infancy with understanding and appreciation of music emerging later through interaction between developing perceptual capabilities and cultural influence. Whereas there is already some information regarding spectral processing abilities of newborn infants, little is known about how they process rhythm. The ability to sense beat (a regular pulse in an auditory signal; termed 'tactus' in music theory); helps individuals to synchronize their movements with each other, such as necessary for dancing or producing music together. While beat induction would be very difficult to assess in newborns using behavioral techniques, it is possible to measure electrical brain responses to sounds (auditory event related brain potentials, ERP), even in sleeping babies. II. AIMS In order to understand how humans can learn to understand music, we need to discover what perceptual capabilities infants are born with. Theorists are divided on the issue whether the processing of beat is innate or learned. The goal of the current study was to test beat induction in sleeping newborn babies, by assessing whether or not the neonate auditory system forms expectation for the onset (downbeat) of the cycle in a regular rhythmic sound sequence. III. METHODS We presented 14 healthy sleeping neonates with sound sequences based on a typical two-measure rock drum accompaniment pattern (S1) composed of snare, bass and hi-hat spanning eight equally spaced (isochronous) positions. Four further variants of the S1 pattern (S2-S4 and D) were created by omitting sounds in different positions. The omissions in S2, S3, and S4 do not break the rhythm when presented in random sequences of S1-S4 linked together, because the omitted sounds are at the lowest level of the metrical hierarchy of this rhythm and, therefore, perceptually less salient. The four strictly metrical sound patterns (S1-S4; standard) made up the majority of the patterns in the sequences. Occasionally, the D pattern was delivered in which the downbeat was omitted. A control sequence repeating the D pattern 100% of the time was also delivered ("deviant-control"). Sleeping newborn infant participating in the experiment. The rhythm was delivered to the baby through self-adhesive ear-couplers at a low volume while electrical brain activity was measured with electrodes attached to the scalp and the face. Measurements followed feeding and lasted for about 20 minutes. The mother of the baby was present during the procedure (Photo courtesy of Gabor Stefanics, MTAPI, Budapest)

Changing the Tune: Listeners Like Music that Expresses a Contrasting Emotion

Theories of esthetic appreciation propose that (1) a stimulus is liked because it is expected or familiar, (2) a stimulus is liked most when it is neither too familiar nor too novel, or (3) a novel stimulus is liked because it elicits an intensified emotional response. We tested the third hypothesis by examining liking for music as a function of whether the emotion it expressed contrasted with the emotion expressed by music heard previously. Stimuli were 30-s happy- or sad-sounding excerpts from recordings of classical piano music. On each trial, listeners heard a different excerpt and made liking and emotion-intensity ratings. The emotional character of consecutive excerpts was repeated with varying frequencies, followed by an excerpt that expressed a contrasting emotion. As the number of presentations of the background emotion increased, liking and intensity ratings became lower compared to those for the contrasting emotion. Consequently, when the emotional character of the music was relatively novel, listeners’ responses intensified and their appreciation increased

[In Press] Enjoying sad music : a test of the prolactin theory

Philosophers have long wrestled with the apparent paradox of the enjoyment of negative emotional portrayals in the arts. An example of this apparent paradox is the enjoyment among some listeners of nominally sad music. An experiment is reported in which 39 participants listened to sad and happy music while serum prolactin (PRL) concentrations were measured. The purpose of the experiment was to test an a priori theory, proposed by Huron, that liking sad music is mediated by elevated PRL levels. Contrary to the theory, sad music did not result in a significant increase in PRL; nor was the pleasure of listening to sad music associated with increased PRL. Nominally happy music did result in a decrease of PRL, especially for those participants who most prefer happy music over sad music. The effect was greatest for those who score high on a measure of loneliness. Consistent with other studies, the degree of liking sad music over happy music was found to correlate with trait openness to experience, although this effect was not echoed in PRL levels. Post-hoc analyses indicate that PRL decreases were most marked for male listeners and those who score high on a loneliness measure. In general, the results are not consistent with the theory proposed by Huron