Semantic space of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach as a basis of the performing concept

The relevance of the article is due to the issue of formation in a modern multicultural space of the new image of the executor — the carrier of new senses and cultural memory, as well as need for creative comprehension of the world treasury of musical art in the artistic realities of modernity and research on the specifics of its modern performing versions. The purpose of the article is to outline the determinants and the specifics of the semantic space of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach as conceptual basis of the performing concept. The methodology of the article is based on the principles of a comparative approach, which enables the use of research tools for cultural studies and musicology, in particular historical, historical-contextual, genre, hermeneutical and semiological methods and approaches. The results. The article outlines the following factors of conceptual polyphony of “Well-Tempered Clavier” as accumulation and artist experience of reflection and protecting the world in symbolic forms, the significance of the synthesis of arts and the unity of emotion, image and symbol on the parameters of baroque aesthetics, the connection of “Well-Tempered Clavier” with the creativity of the artist, resonance of symbolic forms with axiological structures of historical and cultural epochs. The article substantiates the significance in pluralistic symbolic field of the works: semantics of tonality and tempo, which acts as a construction of performing chronotope; sacred melos with perceptually fixed semantics, means of embodiment of which is citing, representation as complementary unity, allusion-variable reproduction; numeric symbolism; rhetorical figures, sound treatment — visualization of the musical process; fixed in the context of European art semantics — in particular “mirror in the mirror” (on micro — and macro levels of the of the music text organization); the genre “ambivalence”, which determines the superposition of different variants of “genre’s memory” and enables the creation of an artistic-reflective arch between the era of Baroque and postmodernism, designated be the leveling of the genre. The scientific topicality of the article is due to the clarification and systematization of representations regarding the specifics of the semantic field of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach and the positioning of conceptual polyphony of the work as the basis of performing concepts and text. The practical significance of article is determined by a direct possibility of applying research results in the performing practice. Conclusion. Performance of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach on the basis of the interiorization of symbolic forms is a guarantee of its performing “reading” as an embodiment of the process of being human in a cross-cultural dialogue, deploying self-reflection in the space of a representation of postmodernism paradigm as a multidimensional cultural message, in which the axiological experience of humanity is concentrated and the eternal problems of its spiritual being are actualized.

The Effect of Sound Frequency and Intensity on Yeast Growth, Fermentation Performance and Volatile Composition of Beer

This study investigated the impact of varying sound conditions (frequency and intensity) on yeast growth, fermentation performance and production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in beer. Fermentations were carried out in plastic bags suspended in large water-filled containers fitted with underwater speakers. Ferments were subjected to either 200–800 or 800–2000 Hz at 124 and 140 dB @ 20 µPa. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify and measure the relative abundance of the VOCs produced. Sound treatment had significant effects on the number of viable yeast cells in suspension at 10 and 24 h (p < 0.05), with control (silence) samples having the highest cell numbers. For wort gravity, there were significant differences between treatments at 24 and 48 h, with the silence control showing the lowest density before all ferments converged to the same final gravity at 140 h. A total of 33 VOCs were identified in the beer samples, including twelve esters, nine alcohols, three acids, three aldehydes, and six hop-derived compounds. Only the abundance of some alcohols showed any consistent response to the sound treatments. These results show that the application of audible sound via underwater transmission to a beer fermentation elicited limited changes to wort gravity and VOCs during fermentation.

Bayesian interpretation of p values in clinical trials

Commonly accepted statistical advice dictates that large-sample size and highly powered clinical trials generate more reliable evidence than trials with smaller sample sizes. This advice is generally sound: treatment effect estimates from larger trials tend to be more accurate, as witnessed by tighter confidence intervals in addition to reduced publication biases. Consider then two clinical trials testing the same treatment which result in the same p values, the trials being identical apart from differences in sample size. Assuming statistical significance, one might at first suspect that the larger trial offers stronger evidence that the treatment in question is truly effective. Yet, often precisely the opposite will be true. Here, we illustrate and explain this somewhat counterintuitive result and suggest some ramifications regarding interpretation and analysis of clinical trial results.

Management of molar-incisor hypomineralisation by general dental practitioners - part two: treatment

Introduction Molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is a common occurrence in primary and secondary care settings. While severe cases may need specialist care, mild cases should be managed in primary care.Aims To assess how UK-based general dental practitioners (GDPs) plan treatment for children with MIH using two clinical vignettesDesign An electronic vignette survey was designed using clinical photographs and radiographs. Vignette one presented a child with mild MIH who was unhappy about the appearance of his teeth. Vignette two presented an anxious child with severe MIH, caries and sensitivity. Further questions relating to confidence in management of MIH and referral were included. Participants were UK-based GDPs who regularly treat children. The survey was distributed by email and across social media platforms. Data collection occurred between February and May 2019.Results Fifty-eight GDPs completed the survey. Around half of participants addressed the aesthetic concerns of the child in vignette one. The majority of participants demonstrated sound treatment planning in terms of preventive care and management of molars. More GDPs identified increased caries risk in vignette two.Conclusion These findings demonstrate most GDPs in this study were working as effective tier one and two providers when faced with management of children with MIH.

Surgery to Remove Adrenocortical Oncocytic Carcinoma from an Asian Male with Scoliosis

Background: Adrenocortical oncocytoma is a rare type of adrenocortical carcinoma. Its clinical characteristics and biological behaviour need to be further evaluated after the accumulation of cases.Case presentation: We report a case of adrenocortical oncocytic carcinoma in an Asian male with scoliosis. We performed an operation on this patient. Because the patient's scoliosis was limited during the operation and the tumor protruded into the chest, we decided to adopt open surgery in the supine position. During the operation, we found a tumor about 8 cm in diameter in the right adrenal region. There was local adhesion with the surrounding tissues. The surface blood vessels of the tumor were distended. After careful dissection and ligation of the blood vessels around the tumor, the adrenal tumor was completely dissociated and removed. The patient recovered well, and his hypertension was controlled after surgery. Pathological results confirmed the diagnosis of adrenocortical oncocytic carcinoma. Pathological features showed that the tumor cells were arranged in nests, with pathological mitosis, abundant cytoplasm, eosinophilia, and invasion of adipose tissue. Immunohistochemistry showed that Ki67 index was more than 15%. Conclusions: The incidence rate of eosinophilic adrenocortical carcinoma is very low. CT scans and other imaging examination methods are not specific. For larger adrenal tumors, the diagnosis of this disease should be considered. For patients with adrenal cortical carcinoma who have not yet metastasized, we can achieve sound treatment effects and reduce recurrence by removing the tumor, retroperitoneal fat around the tumor and locoregional lymph nodes.

Customised enriched acoustic environment for sound therapy of tinnitus

Tinnitus is an auditory disorder very difficult to treat. Whereas up until now there is not a “cure” for tinnitus, the most extended treatment combines counselling with sound therapy. When this sound is a broadband noise in the audio frequency band, this protocol is named tinnitus retraining therapy. Even though broadband noise was proposed at the beginning as the stimulus for sound therapy, many other sounds have been subsequently proposed and used, including tones, noise bands, music, and nature sounds. Although any sound, low enough to avoid annoyance, discomfort or hearing damage, is better than silence for tinnitus treatment, it is not still clear the relationship of the success of the therapy with the properties of the sound stimuli. The aim of this article is to propose an optimal sound treatment that provides a precise and selective stimulation of the whole auditory system. The proposed sound stimulus, Enriched Acoustic Environment, consists of sequential tones or broadband noise matched to the HL curves of the patients. The acoustical characteristics of these stimuli are analyzed and their positive effects in the treatment of subjects with tinnitus are reported.

Advances in Specific Language Impairment Research and Intervention: An Overview of Five Research Symposium Papers

Purpose This article provides an overview of five papers appearing together on the topic of “Advances in Specific Language Impairment Research and Intervention,” which was the 2019 program in an ongoing series of research symposia presented at the Annual Convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Method The article provides a historical context for the set of papers, then a short summation of each paper's content, followed by the identification of overarching themes and working conclusions. Results Each paper provides summations of empirical results, and some papers provide new empirical evidence. Conclusion The papers collectively highlight six points: (a) Children with specific language impairment (SLI) are likely to be unidentified among their age peers. (b) There is great need for better identification of children with SLI across developmental levels. (c) Progress is evident toward a better understanding of causal pathways, as examined across different research designs involving comparison of children with typical language acquisition to children with SLI and other possibly co-occurring atypical conditions. (d) Measuring multiple dimensions of language brings enhanced informativeness, with differing outcomes for differing dimensions. (e) Replicated research findings require precision of methods in order to reduce unexplained error variance especially when defining groups. (f) Accurate identification of children with SLI is the first step toward a sound treatment plan for SLI and reading disorders as well. Presentation Video https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13063721

Evaluation of Microaeration and Sound to Increase Biogas Production from Poultry Litter

Microaeration, wherein small amounts of air are introduced into otherwise anaerobic digesters, has been shown to enhance biogas production. This occurs by fostering the growth of facultatively aerobic bacteria and production of enzymes that enhance the degradation of complex polymers such as cellulose. The treatment of anaerobic digestate with sound at sonic frequencies (<20 kHz) has also been shown to improve biogas production. Microaeration at a rate of 800 mL day−1, treatment with a 1000-Hz sine wave, and combined microaeration/sound were compared to a control digester for the production of biogas and their effect on wastewater quality. Poultry litter from a facility using wood chips as bedding was used as feed. The initial feeding rate was 400 g week−1, and this was slowly increased to a final rate of 2400 g week−1. Compared to the control, sound treatment, aeration, and combined sound/aeration produced 17%, 32%, and 28% more biogas. The aeration alone treatment may have been more effective than combined aeration/sound due to the sound interfering with retention of aeration or the formation of free radicals during cavitation. Digesters treated with sound had the highest concentrations of suspended solids, likely due to cavitation occurring within the sludge and the resulting suspension of fine particles by bubbles.