“When do we get into the cultural rhythm?” A study on the effects of music-cultural perceptual narrowing

openRhythmic abilities are a fundamental aspect of daily life. Rhythm offers a predictable sequence of time intervals and accents that individuals can synchronize their actions to, enabling one to learn a language, communicate with others, move from one place to another, and synchronize movements to music. Syncing body movements with music, whether through dance or merely an individual response to music, is a common human behavior (Patel et al., 2005). But synchronization, though seemingly effortless, requires the complex integration of perceptual and sensorimotor skills. In moving to music, a beat must first be extracted and then a rhythmic motor response is integrated into that metrical framework (Ilari, 2014). But all over the world, metrical and rhythmic structures differ (Kalender et al., 2013). Hence, an individual’s perception and processing of rhythm are shaped by the unique rhythmic characteristics of the musical culture in which they are deeply ingrained. Studies have shown that individuals of various ages and cultural backgrounds experience a phenomenon known as music-cultural perceptual narrowing (e.g., Lynch et al., 1990; Lynch & Eilers, 1992; Hannon & Trehub, 2005a,b; Hannon & Trainor, 2007). Individuals initially exhibit sensitivity to a diverse range of perceptual structures that narrow down through exposure to the specific characteristics of their musical culture, thus leading to reduced sensitivity to less conventional structures. This study explores the effect of this phenomenon on movement-to-music synchronization, putting to question whether (i) culture-specific perceptual narrowing influences how infants spontaneously move in response to music samples with meters that are either present in their day-to-day experiences with music or absent from it, and whether these responses are (ii) modulated by daily exposure to, i.e. training with, a specific rhythmic pattern, which was either native to the infants’ culture or non-native. Italian infants aged 6 to 24 months and their parents, who were mainly exposed to music with isochronous simple meters, were presented with songs of both simple (4/4) and complex (7/8) meters and their motor behavior as a response to these songs were analyzed. Subsequently, they were invited to participate in a month-long musical training to either a song of 4/4 or 7/8 meter. They were then asked to return to the same experimental setting and tasked to do the same thing as the first experimental session. Preliminary analysis of infants’ motor behavior during auditory stimuli exposure suggests individual differences in motor responses, potential changes in correlations between arm and leg movements, and consistent high levels of synchronization. This thesis will first review existing literature on musicality, music processing, music-cultural perceptual narrowing, and sensorimotor synchronization (Chapter 1), then detail the research methods and materials (Chapter 2). Preliminary results will be presented (Chapter 3), and the theoretical and educational implications of these findings for our understanding of music-motor synchrony and future research directions will be detailed (Chapter 4).Rhythmic abilities are a fundamental aspect of daily life. Rhythm offers a predictable sequence of time intervals and accents that individuals can synchronize their actions to, enabling one to learn a language, communicate with others, move from one place to another, and synchronize movements to music. Syncing body movements with music, whether through dance or merely an individual response to music, is a common human behavior (Patel et al., 2005). But synchronization, though seemingly effortless, requires the complex integration of perceptual and sensorimotor skills. In moving to music, a beat must first be extracted and then a rhythmic motor response is integrated into that metrical framework (Ilari, 2014). But all over the world, metrical and rhythmic structures differ (Kalender et al., 2013). Hence, an individual’s perception and processing of rhythm are shaped by the unique rhythmic characteristics of the musical culture in which they are deeply ingrained. Studies have shown that individuals of various ages and cultural backgrounds experience a phenomenon known as music-cultural perceptual narrowing (e.g., Lynch et al., 1990; Lynch & Eilers, 1992; Hannon & Trehub, 2005a,b; Hannon & Trainor, 2007). Individuals initially exhibit sensitivity to a diverse range of perceptual structures that narrow down through exposure to the specific characteristics of their musical culture, thus leading to reduced sensitivity to less conventional structures. This study explores the effect of this phenomenon on movement-to-music synchronization, putting to question whether (i) culture-specific perceptual narrowing influences how infants spontaneously move in response to music samples with meters that are either present in their day-to-day experiences with music or absent from it, and whether these responses are (ii) modulated by daily exposure to, i.e. training with, a specific rhythmic pattern, which was either native to the infants’ culture or non-native. Italian infants aged 6 to 24 months and their parents, who were mainly exposed to music with isochronous simple meters, were presented with songs of both simple (4/4) and complex (7/8) meters and their motor behavior as a response to these songs were analyzed. Subsequently, they were invited to participate in a month-long musical training to either a song of 4/4 or 7/8 meter. They were then asked to return to the same experimental setting and tasked to do the same thing as the first experimental session. Preliminary analysis of infants’ motor behavior during auditory stimuli exposure suggests individual differences in motor responses, potential changes in correlations between arm and leg movements, and consistent high levels of synchronization. This thesis will first review existing literature on musicality, music processing, music-cultural perceptual narrowing, and sensorimotor synchronization (Chapter 1), then detail the research methods and materials (Chapter 2). Preliminary results will be presented (Chapter 3), and the theoretical and educational implications of these findings for our understanding of music-motor synchrony and future research directions will be detailed (Chapter 4)

Diseño del Módulo de Salidas Gráficas de la Carta Geoquímica

Fil: Marquínez García, Jorge. INDUROT: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Ordenación del Territorio – Universidad de Oviedo; España.Fil: García Manteca, Pilar. INDUROT: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Ordenación del Territorio – Universidad de Oviedo; España.Fil: Colina, A. INDUROT: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Ordenación del Territorio – Universidad de Oviedo; España.Fil: Turel, Andrea Vilma. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Moser, Leda Cecilia. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Candaosa, Norberto Gabriel. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Ferpozzi, Federico Javier. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Chavez, Silvia Beatríz. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina

Protocolo para la Incorporación de Cartas Temáticas de la Dirección de Recursos Geológico Mineros de la República de Argentina

Fil: Marquínez García, Jorge. INDUROT: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Ordenación del Territorio – Universidad de Oviedo; España.Fil: García Manteca, Pilar. INDUROT: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Ordenación del Territorio – Universidad de Oviedo; España.Fil: Sánchez, D. INDUROT: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Ordenación del Territorio – Universidad de Oviedo; España.Fil: Colina, A. INDUROT: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Ordenación del Territorio – Universidad de Oviedo; España.Fil: Candaosa, Norberto Gabriel. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Gozalvez, Martín R. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Ferpozzi, Federico Javier. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Moser, Leda Cecilia. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Turel, Andrea Vilma. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Álvarez, María Dolores. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Peroni, Javier Ignacio. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina.Fil: Chavez, Silvia Beatríz. SEGEMAR: Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino; Argentina

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8 \pm 0.7 (stat) \pm 6.7 (sys) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principle calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Supplemental material in the ancillary file

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity