Neural networks for harmonic structure in music perception and action.

The ability to predict upcoming structured events based on long-term knowledge and contextual priors is a fundamental principle of human cognition. Tonal music triggers predictive processes based on structural properties of harmony, i.e., regularities defining the arrangement of chords into well-formed musical sequences. While the neural architecture of structure-based predictions during music perception is well described, little is known about the neural networks for analogous predictions in musical actions and how they relate to auditory perception. To fill this gap, expert pianists were presented with harmonically congruent or incongruent chord progressions, either as musical actions (photos of a hand playing chords) that they were required to watch and imitate without sound, or in an auditory format that they listened to without playing. By combining task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with functional connectivity at rest, we identified distinct sub-regions in right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) interconnected with parietal and temporal areas for processing action and audio sequences, respectively. We argue that the differential contribution of parietal and temporal areas is tied to motoric and auditory long-term representations of harmonic regularities that dynamically interact with computations in rIFG. Parsing of the structural dependencies in rIFG is co-determined by both stimulus- or task-demands. In line with contemporary models of prefrontal cortex organization and dual stream models of visual-spatial and auditory processing, we show that the processing of musical harmony is a network capacity with dissociated dorsal and ventral motor and auditory circuits, which both provide the infrastructure for predictive mechanisms optimising action and perception performance.

Success and failure assessing gonad maturity in sequentially hermaphroditic fishes: comparisons between macroscopic and microscopic methods.

For two protogynous hermaphrodite fish species, the performance of visual gonad analysis techniques was evaluated to determine when the use of macroscopic methods was sufficient and when microscopic techniques were necessary. Simple macroscopic gonad analysis was found to be a powerful tool for distinguishing sex and whether or not females were spawning capable or ripe for black sea bass Centropristis striata (n = 1443) and red porgy Pagrus pagrus (n = 980), often producing results that were in close agreement with more complex and expensive microscopic techniques. Estimates of key reproductive variables, such as size-dependent sex-change ogives, spawning season duration, spawning fraction and batch number, were also very similar or equal between methods. Apparent seasonal spawning activity was also predicted similarly by each method and the patterns were highly correlated with seasonal patterns in gonado-somatic indices. In contrast, distinguishing between immature females and those that were mature, but inactive, proved difficult when using macroscopic methods and, in these cases, predictions often differed from those produced microscopically. In turn, maturity ogives differed significantly between methods for C. striata (maturity ogives could not be generated for P. pagrus as nearly all fish encountered were mature). Agreement rates among male phases were also very low. Macroscopic methods were able to identify signs of sex transition in very advanced specimens, but early signs were only evident microscopically. While much more detail is visible microscopically, here several population-scale parameters important for fisheries management were estimated equally well with the unaided eye for C. striata and P. pagrus. For comprehensive, fishery-independent surveys and long-term research programmes in particular, determining when microscopic techniques are and are not necessary can greatly improve efficiency and reduce costs without compromising data quality.

Bacteriología de las infecciones de oído medio de caracter agudo y uso de la miocamicina en su tratamiento / Bacteriology of infections of the middle ear of acute nature and the use of myocammicine in its treatment

En este estudio abierto no comparativo, se cultivó la secreción del oido medio de 20 niños con otitis media aguda obteniendose el resultado en 33 oídos por miringocentesis, en 2 por cultivos directos y 3 oídos no fueron cultivados. Se tomaron los primeros 20 niños de edades comprendidas entre los 6 meses a 6 años de edad que llegaron a la consulta, con signos y síntomas de otitis media aguda que no habian sido tratados durante el mes anterior con ningun antibiótico. Se aislaron los siguientes germenes: Haemophillus influenzae fue el mas comun; Stafilococo aureus; Streptococo pneumoniae; Stafilococo; Pseudomona; Streptococo; Beta hemolítico; Klebsiella y en otros no se aisló ningun germen. En Colombia hay pocos estudios practicados de cultivos de oido medio. Aunque se requiere de un universo mas significativo, se demuestra que nuestras estadisticas son muy similares a las obtenidas en trabajos de Boston, Pittsburg y algunos paises de Europa como Suiza y Dinamarca

Papilomatosis laringo pulmonar, tratamiento con interferón / Laryngopulmonar papilomatosis, interferon treatment

Diez pacientes con Papilomatosis Laringo Pulmonar fueron tratados con Interferon Alfa 2B como coadyudante de la excisición por microlaringoscopia. Los pacientes fueron menores de 15 años, requiriendo por lo menos de una extirpacidn previa a la inclusion del estudio. La dosis utilizada fue de SMU/mgr/al día durante seis meses. El score para evaluar se deriva del numero de sitios anatómicos comprometidos, la extension de la enfermedad y la luz laringea visible. Endoscopia fue practicada al menos cada dos meses y el curso evaluado en base a los scores propuestos comparados en cada endoscopia. Se intentó concluir que el Interferon es un coadyuvante efectivo en el manejo quirurgico de la Papilomatosis Laringe y Laringopulmonar

Carcinoma of the oral cavity: on the prognostic significance of the primary tumour site (by organs) in the oral cavity.

The prognostic significance of so-called organ sites was investigated in 585 cases with carcinoma of the oral cavity and lips. For the subsamples studied the numerical distribution of TNM categories, life tables and life table comparisons were computed. This produced the following results: 1. There is no demonstrable difference in prognosis between identical T catagories in the organs of the oral cavity. 2. In some cases there is a significant difference between identical N categories in organs of the oral cavity. In the No category this is, however, attributable to the substantial differences in the numerical distribution of T categories. By contrast, a logical explanation for the computationally demonstrable significant differences in the Nx category is not available. The problem is currently being investigated. 3. An assessment of identical TN combinations in the "organs" of the oral cavity proved to be impossible on account of the inadequate number of cases available. The so-called "organ localization" of primary tumours in the oral cavity need not - at least for the time being - be accorded any prognostic relevance. The findings should, however, be re-examined on the basis of greater numbers.

[A retrospective study of carcinomas of the oral cavity: a preliminary report (author's transl)]. / Karzinome der Mundhöhle. Vorläufiger Bericht über eine retrospektive Studie.

UNLABELLED: The German-Austrian-Swiss Research Team on Maxillofacial Tumours is investigating a series of 585 carcinomas of the oral cavity, lips and oropharynx by biostatistical methods. The aim of the study is the determination of relevant prognostic symptoms of oral cavity carcinomas, classification of the series on the basis of these symptoms, the determination of therapeutic efficacy and the assessment of collective and individual prognosis. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: 1. Factors of prognostic relevance are probably only tumour size and intensity of regional metastases. 2. The classification of the series becomes problematic due to the lack of relevant prognostic factors.

Carcinoma of the oral cavity: on the prognostic significance of the primary tumour site (by levels and areas).

The prognostic significance of primary tumour site in carcinomas of the oral cavity was investigated in a series of 585 cases. For the subsamples (levels and areas of oral cavity) studied, the numerical distribution of TNM categories, life tables and life table comparisons were computed. This produced the following results: Given an identical extension and analogous metastazising rate, there is no computationally demonstrable difference in prognosis between primary tumours sited at different levels and areas of the oral cavity. The exception are the T1Nx categories, for which a difference exists between precanine and retromolar sites. These results should be re-examined on the basis of a larger series.

TNM-classification of carcinomas of the oral cavity-efficacy of clinically available data (TN).

Using adequate number of cases, the influence of the spread of primary tumour and the degree of regional metastasis on prognosis were investigated. Assuming a practicable classification as a prerequisite for clinico-therapeutic cancer research, experience has shown that the assessment of the spread of primary tumour alone does not suffice for the establishment of comparable homogenous data. The investigation on the importance of the degree of regional metastasis has shown, above all, that the percentage of N3-metastasis within the T-groups contributes essentially to the fact that these show a marked difference in their prognosis. It would therefore appear necessary also to examine the importance of other clinically accessible data in the assessment of prognosis. Only then could we be in a position to judge whether, and to what extent a clinically practicable classification and integration into special groups is possible on the basis of clinically available data. The inclusion of more clinics in the joint investigation is encouraged.

[Studies of the effectiveness of impersonal teaching by means of a sound film: "Conduction anesthesia on the mandible"]. / Untersuchungen über die Effektivität einer apersonalen Studentenunterrichtung mit Hilfe eines Tonfilms: "Die Leitungsanästhesie am Unterkiefer"

The thesis that students could be instructed by audio-visual aids alone equally as well as by a personal instructor was tested by experiment. A teaching program, i.e. a sound film, was made and was shown to first-year clinical dental students. At the same time the usual lecture was offered to these students. Subsequently the knowledge acquired was examined. The results support the initial thesis, but at the same time it must be concluded that the highly differentiated psychomotor teaching objectives of dentistry cannot be achieved without individual instruction.

[TNM-classification of oral cavity neoplasms the value of clinically measurable factors (TN)]. / TNM-Klassifizierung der Mundhöhlenkarzinome--Wertigkeit klinisch fassbarer Sachverhalte (TN).?19H

Problems associated with the classification of cavum oris and labial carcinomata were discussed with particular reference to patients admitted to and treated in seven different clinical hospitals where identical methods of diagnosis and case history evaluation had been used. Using electronic data processing and biostatistical methods it was possible to study the effects of two clinically detectable factors (growth of primary tumor and degree of regional metastasizing) on both the prognosis and classification according to UICC rules. It was possible to show that a determination of the size of primary tumor (T) alone was not sufficient for three homogeneous, prognostically different collectives of tumors to be satisfactorily classified by the new UICC rules. It has been shown that a classification of three collectives of tumors (new classification according to UICC rules), especially as regards the proportion of N3 metastases within the collectives of tumors, was made possible. Therefore, it will be necessary to study the prognostic influences of additional clinically determinable factors with a view to arriving at a useful and practicable classification of oral cavity carcinomata.