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Music ensemble performance provides an ecologically valid context for investigating leadership dynamics in small group interactions. Musical texture, specifically the relative salience of simultaneously sounding ensemble parts, is a feature that can potentially alter leadership dynamics by introducing hierarchical relationships between individual parts. The present study extended previous work on quantifying interpersonal coupling in musical ensembles by examining the relationship between musical texture and leader-follower relations, operationalised as directionality of influence between co-performers' body motion in concert video recordings. It was hypothesised that the directionality of influence, indexed by Granger Causality, would be greater for 'homophonic' textures with a clear distinction between melody and accompaniment parts than for 'polyphonic' textures with less distinction between melody and accompaniment. This hypothesis was tested by using pose estimation algorithms to track instrumentalists' body movements in a string quartet and a clarinet quintet, and then applying Granger Causality analysis to their head motion to estimate directional influence between instrumentalist pairs for sections of the pieces that varied in texture. It was found that Granger Causality values were generally higher (indicating greater directionality of influence) for homophonic than polyphonic textures. Furthermore, considering melody and accompaniment instrument roles revealed more evidence for the melody instrument influencing accompanying instruments than vice versa, plus a high degree of directionality among accompanying instruments, in homophonic textures. These observed patterns of directional information flow in co-performer body motion are consistent with changing leader-follower relations depending on hierarchical relations between ensemble parts in terms of the relative salience of melodic material in the musical texture. The finding that automatic pose estimation can detect modulations of leadership dynamics in standard video recordings under naturalistic performance conditions has implications for investigating interpersonal coordination in large-scale music video datasets representing different cultural traditions, and for exploring nonverbal communication in group activities more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document explores the application of Neo-Riemannian Theory (NRT) to wind band literature, specifically analyzing a theme from Johan de Meij's Symphony No. 1, The Lord of the Rings. NRT is a contemporary music theory that focuses on nonfunctional triadic progressions. The document discusses the effectiveness of NRT for analyzing music within the wind band genre and highlights its interpretive utility for conductors and performers. It provides an overview of NRT concepts, a close reading of the analyzed theme, and a list of other wind band works where NRT could be useful. The document also mentions the relationship between NRT and film music analysis. [Extracted from the article]

The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were experienced by the ears as much as the eyes, yet the auditory dimensions of these conflicts have received limited attention from historians. This article interrogates the reach and reception of military music in wartime Britain and Ireland by drawing on a wealth of evidence from memoirs, diaries, press reports and regimental archives. It demonstrates that military bands provided sought-after entertainment at myriad public events and staged open-air concerts for socially diverse audiences. The article interprets martial music-making as an important civil-military interface and a potent form of cultural propaganda: a means of inculcating patriotism and asserting the sonic supremacy of the established order in a revolutionary age. But it also reveals that military music provoked irritation, controversy and distress, not least by generating noise complaints and exacerbating sectarianism in Ireland. The article concludes by considering the role of British regimental music-making in overseas colonies and foreign theatres of operations, arguing that it functioned as a form of soft power that underpinned imperial authority, aided diplomacy and eased relations with local inhabitants. An intrusive symptom of large-scale military mobilization, martial music shaped civilian attitudes and soundscapes while profoundly influencing broader musical culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind bands were an integral component of the turbulent political currents that dominated the late Porfiriato (the dictatorship of President Porfirio Díaz, 1876-1911) and Mexican Revolution (1910-20). Three case studies set along the US-Mexico border demonstrate how musical excellence was maintained while political allegiances and methods of financial patronage were shifting radically under successive governments during a time of violence and instability. Close examination of the use of wind-band music in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua--at the Diaz-Taft presidential meeting in 1909, the Battle of Juarez in 1911, and Alfredo Pacheco's El Paso perfor¬mances in 1916--reveals how band music was used by political and military factions as a form of "soft power." It was also used as entertainment and artistic edification, as well as to heighten the rituals of daily life at public and private events, such as concerts, serenades, political rallies, bullfights, battles, and executions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study deals with the special usage of masculine virile forms to name music bands in Slovak. The names of music bands are usually classified as a special subtype of chrematonyms which name the artistic groups and are labelled as ergonyms in the theoretical works. Masculine virile forms can be used with a heterogenous range of meanings depending on context which can be understood as result of metonymic transpositions. The study focuses on description of units warranted by proper names which arise in two deproprial processes – transonymization and appellativization. The analysed material comes from web corpus Omnia Slovaca IV Maior. Metonymy is understood as a gradient phenomenon with instantiations that form a continuum on a scale depending on the strength of contiguity. Metonymy gives rise to a variety of readings, which are often difficult to capture and whose meaning has to be specified in the course of interpretation by contextual cues and pragmatic inferences. This fact leads to orthographic instability concerning the usage of capital letters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas writings on African melodies have addressed their structures, shapes and forms, the way characteristic traits such as cadential practices aid to nuance the musics of different ethnolinguistic groups remains largely undocumented. Relying on Ogu songs, this article argues that there are group-specific stylistic practices that nuance the melodies of West African peoples. It examines ten songs selected from bands in Badagry (Lagos State, Nigeria), in the public domain, and the work of two iconic Ogu musicians from the Republic of Benin. The analyses reveal that Ogu melodies often display two important focal tones that share different aspects of 'tonic function' between them: an important tonal centre, and the primary resting note which assumes the status of a concluding tone at cadences. This and other stylistic characteristics and conventions could signal Ogu sensibilities in songs. These findings engage and extend previous descriptions of West African melodies by Kubik (1968), Ekwueme (1980), Kwami (1992) and Agawu (2016). The article concludes that there is a need to devote attention to the specifics of all musical practices in Africa, since artistic nuances on the continent could be glossed over when focusing only on regionally dominant practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind band has a deep and long-lasting connection to folk-song sources. Societal expectations around music choices and sources are changing, including calls to diversify repertoire and eliminate traditional songs that include offensive language and stereotypes. Concerns about music usage in relation to cultural appropriation are also being amplified. How will teachers, composers, and publishers of band music respond to these calls for change? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research paper, a polyester‐based bandpass microstrip filer is proposed. Split ring resonator, stepped‐impedance resonator structure, and coupled microstrip lines are used to design the proposed filter circuit in the pass band of 4.35 to 4.60 GHz for NATO frequency band military applications. The filter is fabricated using polyester substrate and self‐adhesive copper tape. The Agilent vector network analyzer is used to test the fabricated polyester wearable filter. There is good agreement between the simulated as well as measured insertion loss and return loss of the proposed wearable filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptual and attentional demands to achieve musical synchrony escalate in larger musical groups. Recent findings show that larger groups display emergent properties that differ from those of smaller groups. To date, models of synchronous behavior in larger musical groups do not incorporate these emergent properties. Social group theory reveals important factors that affect synchrony: group size and group roles. Nonlinear dynamics theory offers solutions for group synchrony that incorporate group size and group roles. Synchronization, the human tendency to align behaviors in time with others, is necessary for many survival skills. The ability to synchronize actions with rhythmic (predictable) sound patterns is especially well developed in music making. Recent models of synchrony in musical ensembles rely on pairwise comparisons between group members. This pairwise approach to synchrony has hampered theory development, given current findings from social dynamics indicating shifts in members' influence within larger groups. We draw on social theory and nonlinear dynamics to argue that emergent properties and novel roles arise in musical group synchrony that differ from individual or pairwise behaviors. This transformational shift in defining synchrony sheds light on successful outcomes as well as on disruptions that cause negative behavioral outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the impact of the contemporary praise and worship music industry on the songs available to worship leaders. It focuses on the dominance of a few church groups, including Bethel Music, Elevation Worship, Hillsong Worship, and Passion, in contributing a significant number of top songs in this genre. The study analyzes data from the CCLI and PraiseCharts top song lists, which provide insights into the songs used in evangelical, charismatic, and Pentecostal churches. The authors find that a small number of church bands and artists have a strong influence on the industry, with 95% of the top 25 songs being linked to four church bands. The article also highlights the challenges faced by independent songwriters in gaining recognition in this industry. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms and trends that shape the contemporary praise and worship music landscape. [Extracted from the article]

Researching children's experiences of charismatic worship activities was relatively uncharted territory until recently. For the purpose of this intrinsic case study, activities to cultivate children's own developing worship styles were implemented through engagement with music during kids band rehearsals in a charismatic church. These activities included vocal and instrumental training, immersive activities, spontaneous worship, intercession and reflection on experiences. Data was collected through observations and interviews with five children who reported on their experiences in a children's band in a charismatic church at weekly kids band practices. The findings suggested that participation in worship activities in kids band rehearsals alongside others could nurture the ways children experience spirituality and connection with a higher power, the music, and each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to examine how wind bands from Europe survived in Latin America through cultural hybridization with indigenous peoples and the African diaspora. In this context, the pelayera wind band is seen as a musical phenomenon that frames these hybridizations in Colombia, as melodies from gaita music and music of African origin became part of this instrumental format. From a historical analysis perspective conducted through documentary research, the study also identifies two other scenarios related to wind bands to observe processes of cultural hybridization and the survival of the musical phenomenon in Latin America: Brazil and Mexico. The text's introductory section provides an overview of the pelayera wind band phenomenon. Subsequently, in the methodology, it describes the descriptors for searching academic databases and other documents. It then delves into the origin of wind bands and the wind band phenomenon in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. In its concluding part, the research findings are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music education in the United States is typified by students in large ensembles, like band and orchestra, learning to perform pieces of Western art music. One organisation working to expand curricular offerings within the field is Little Kids Rock (LKR), which has invested millions of dollars training music teachers and providing instrument resources for popular music pedagogy. Though this organisation has demonstrated success in its ability to propagate 'modern band' programmes, the effects of its investment are not known. LKR administers an end-of-year survey to its participating teachers to assess teachers' perceptions of their music programmes. However, LKR do not publish meaningful information regarding the outcomes and impact of its activities. The present study examined free-response data from the 2018 end-of-year survey. Using the passive and active identity and learning realisation (PAILR) model as our analytical framework (Froehlich, Hildegard C., and Gareth Dylan Smith. 2017. Sociology for Music Teachers: Practical Applications. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315402345), the authors analysed themes using grounded theory to produce a logic model to describe the effects of LKR's investment. Results indicate participating teachers perceive a positive impact on students, including being more engaged in their learning, and more musically independent. Additionally, teachers believed they were more engaged and committed to their profession, and more able to teach previously disengaged students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasive Eurocentric model of music education in the United States is hegemonic, pursuing a model of performance excellence in large ensembles that, by the time young people reach high school, excludes most from music making opportunities in school. Despite numerous efforts to challenge the dominant paradigm since the 1960s, little change has happened from within the music education profession. Since 2002, nonprofit organization Little Kids Rock (Music Will) has leveraged outsider perspectives and philanthropic resources to galvanize momentum nationally towards adoption of curricula and musicking practices that focus more on popular musics and lifelong learning. Through a programme of professional development, curriculum provision and instrument donations, Little Kids Rock has both engaged in active resistance against, and established strategic partnerships with, state governments, university departments, school districts, major industry players including the National Association of Music Merchants, and education brands such as Berklee College of Music. Little Kids Rock promotes a new stream of music making called "modern band" as a disruptive phenomenon that emphasizes creativity, cultural relevance and student-centred learning while reinforcing entrenched hegemonic structures. Drawing on the history of Little Kids Rock and the modern band movement, the authors use Kahn-Egan's (1998) five tenets of punk to frame a critical examination of the modern band phenomenon and the ways which Little Kids Rock operates at various points along punk's ideological spectrum in attempting to "transform lives through restoring, expanding and innovating music education" in US schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning around the mid-1930s, clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman engaged with classical music, adding standard solo pieces to his regular performance and record portfolio. He also stimulated the emergence of a modern clarinet repertoire by granting commissions to composers, such as Béla Bartók, Paul Hindemith, Darius Milhaud, and others. In this article, I explore why and how these projects evolved and how the collaborations unfolded. My focus is on the commissions to Hindemith (1941/47) and Milhaud (1941). The newly found correspondence of Eric Simon, a Viennese-born clarinetist who advised Goodman and initiated contact with Hindemith and Milhaud, reveal Goodman's "double life" as a multilayered sphere for various actors, each with their own specific background and agenda. My analysis follows three topics that decisively shaped the investigated projects: Goodman's relationship with classical music, which I discuss in light of the intersectionally biased structures of U.S. musical life; the situation of European émigré artists experienced by Hindemith, Milhaud, and Simon; and the promotion of new music, which linked the lives, networks, and agendas of the aforementioned protagonists and even defined their relationships. By highlighting Goodman taking center stage as a performer-commissioner, I argue for more serious attention to performers' impact on musical production and repertoire formation, given that they represent the ultimate gatekeepers to the living repertoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2010, the contemporary worship scene has changed. New prominent church bands have emerged and streaming services have made worship music more accessible. While solo worship artists such as Chris Tomlin and Tim Hughes primarily released studio albums in the 2000s, two new prominent collectives, Bethel Music and Elevation Worship, followed Hillsong and Passion in releasing live albums. These live tracks have heavily influenced the local congregation. One example of this influence is the performance practice of singing ad-libs. This article will first define ad-libs within the contemporary worship context and examine how ad-libs provide authenticity to worship leaders. Then, it will explain how this performance practice moved from worship artists to local church vocalists. Finally, the article will conclude with a new typology for identifying and analyzing ad-libs in contemporary worship. Singing ad-libs in contemporary worship is an authenticating performance practice that has extended into the local church through the prominence of live recordings and therefore requires a typology for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the proposed article is to determine the peculiarities of the formation of the saxophone quartet in the world musical culture of the 19-th century in the unity of performance and compositional creativity. The research methodology is based on the use of the following methods: textological, source studies, and hermeneutics - when processing musicological and sheet music sources on the chosen topic; systemic-historical, which makes it possible to comprehensively consider the saxophone quartet in the context of the history of the development of world wind art of the 19th century. Special attention was paid to the method of personalisation (scientific biography), which helped to outline the contribution of composers to the formation of the original repertoire for the saxophone quartet of the specified chronological period; analytical - when revealing the immanent features of specific works of the analysed genre. The scientific novelty of the work consists in a comprehensive study of the stage of formation of the saxophone quartet in the world musical culture of the 19th century, outlining the specific genre and style features of the first original compositions for the named ensemble. Conclusions. The saxophone quartet is one of the most popular forms of performance on the named instrument. The prerequisites for its formation were the use of a group of saxophones in wind and military bands. The first saxophone quartet originated in the French musical culture of the 19th century. and by the end of the century it had spread to Europe and America. Usually, saxophone quartets toured together with professional concert groups - P. Gilmore, J.-F. Souza, F. Innes and others. The founders of saxophone ensembles were solo performers themselves, in particular, E. Lefebre. Based on the analytical characteristics of the original works for saxophone quartet by J.-B. Singeli, J. Savarі and С. Florio, their immanent genre-stylistic features are determined, such as the reliance on the structure of the four-part classicist string quartet (Quartet op. 53 by J.-B. Singeli and Quartet for Saxophones by J. Savarі), a combination of different types textures, reliance on romantic harmony and melody of operas by authors of the 19th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on the potential of a network of Doppler lidars for the improvement of short‐term forecasts of low‐level wind. For the impact assessment, we developed a new methodology that is based on ensemble sensitivity analysis (ESA). In contrast to preceding network design studies using ESA, we calculate the explicit sensitivity including the inverse of the background covariance B$$ \mathbf{B} $$ matrix to account directly for the localization scale of the assimilation system. The new method is applied to a pre‐existing convective‐scale 1,000‐member ensemble simulation to mitigate effects of spurious correlations. We evaluate relative changes in the variance of a forecast metric, that is, the low‐level wind components averaged over the Rhein–Ruhr metropolitan area in Germany. This setup allows us to compare the relative variance change associated with the assimilation of hypothetical observations from a Doppler wind lidar with respect to the assimilation of surface‐wind observations only. Furthermore, we assess sensitivities of derived variance changes to a number of settings, namely observation errors, localization length scale, regularization factor, number of instruments in the network, and their location, as well as data availability of the lidar measurements. Our results demonstrate that a network of 20–30 Doppler lidars leads to a considerable variance reduction of the forecast metric chosen. On average, an additional network of 25 Doppler lidars can reduce the 1–3 hr forecast error by a factor of 1.6–3.3 with respect to 10‐m wind observations only. The results provide the basis for designing an operational network of Doppler lidars for the improvement of short‐term low‐level wind forecasts that could be especially valuable for the renewable energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the long-acknowledged and widespread association of wind instrumentalists with English cathedrals in the late 16th and 17th centuries, and the continued performance tradition enjoyed by sacred vocal music of the period, the performance practices of English cathedral wind bands during this time have been strangely neglected in the existing literature. Drawing on a combination of traditional musicological and archival research and bespoke practice-led research methodologies, this article discusses some possible solutions to the question of how wind instrumentalists may have been employed in the day-to-day enactment of Prayer Book services during a turbulent period of English history. New archival evidence surrounding the life of William Mather, cornettist at Canterbury Cathedral in the years before the suspension of sung worship in 1642, sheds new light on the interplay between civic and ecclesiastical music-making in the city, contributing to our knowledge of the historical and social contexts of the people and practices involved, and offering a tantalizing glimpse into life in the 17th-century gig economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new scheme of seismic strengthening of adobe structures has been proposed in this paper. The scheme involves horizontal and vertical bands of steel wire mesh plastered with cement-sand mortar. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is assessed by dynamically testing a half-scale model of the adobe structure on a shaking table. The acceleration time history record of the 1995 Kobe earthquake was used to simulate the ground motion for the strengthened model which was increased sequentially in increments of 25% of peak ground acceleration (PGA). Initial (hairline) cracks were observed in the in-plane wall of the model at a PGA of 0.439 g. Although the out-of-plane walls also sustained damages, the in-plane walls were the most damaged parts of the structure. The proposed strengthening method reduced the torsional irregularity of the structure. It also increased strength, ductility and energy dissipation capacities of the walls. The data of observed structural damages and building drift were used to propose four performance levels for the strengthened adobe structures corresponding to the applied PGAs of ground motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) is a heterotetrameric regulator of eukaryotic cell division, consisting of an Aurora-type kinase and a scaffold built of INCENP, Borealin, and Survivin. While most CPC components are conserved across eukaryotes, orthologs of the chromatin reader Survivin have previously only been found in animals and fungi, raising the question of how its essential role is carried out in other eukaryotes. By characterizing proteins that bind to the Arabidopsis Borealin ortholog, we identified BOREALIN RELATED INTERACTOR 1 and 2 (BORI1 and BORI2) as redundant Survivin-like proteins in the context of the CPC in plants. Loss of BORI function is lethal and a reduced expression of BORIs causes severe developmental defects. Similar to Survivin, we find that the BORIs bind to phosphorylated histone H3, relevant for correct CPC association with chromatin. However, this interaction is not mediated by a BIR domain as in previously recognized Survivin orthologs but by an FHA domain, a widely conserved phosphate-binding module. We find that the unifying criterion of Survivin-type proteins is a helix that facilitates complex formation with the other two scaffold components and that the addition of a phosphate-binding domain, necessary for concentration at the inner centromere, evolved in parallel in different eukaryotic groups. Using sensitive similarity searches, we find conservation of this helical domain between animals and plants and identify the missing CPC component in most eukaryotic supergroups. Interestingly, we also detect Survivin orthologs without a defined phosphate-binding domain, likely reflecting the situation in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Svenonius theorem establishes the correspondence between definability of relations in a countable structure and automorphism groups of these relations in extensions of the structure. This may help in finding a description of the lattice constituted by all definability spaces (reducts) of the original structure. Results on definability lattices were previously obtained only for ω-categorical structures with finite signature. In our work, we introduce the concept of an upward complete structure and define the upward completion of a structure. For upward complete structures, the Galois correspondence between definability lattice and the lattice of closed supergroups of the automorphism group of the structure is an anti-isomorphism. We describe the natural class of structures which have upward completion, we call them discretely homogeneous graphs, present the explicit construction of their completion and automorphism groups of completions. We establish the general localness property of discretely homogeneous graphs and present examples of completable structures and their completions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postnatal mental health problems affect 10–15% of women and can adversely impact on mother-infant interactions and bonding, the mother's mood, and feelings of competence. There is evidence that attending performing arts activities, such as singing, dancing, and listening to music, may improve maternal mental health with potential for an effect on postnatal depression. Methods: A systematic review will be conducted to assess the effect of mother-infant group music classes on postnatal depression compared to standard care, no control or wait list control. Studies will be included that report on postnatal depression. Further outcomes of interest include anxiety, stress, parenting competence, confidence and self-efficacy, perceived social support and mother-infant bonding. Infant and child outcomes measuring cognitive development, behaviour and social and emotional development will be included. Search databases to be used will be Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, CENTRAL, Web of Science, Maternity and Infant Care and discipline-specific journals for music. The Cochrane's Template for Intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist and guide will be utilised to aid a detailed description, standardised assessment and quality assurance. Risk of bias will be assessed by the authors using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions risk of bias tool. If sufficient studies are available, meta-analyses will be conducted to combine, compare and summarise the results of the studies for more precise estimates of effects. Where meta-analysis is not possible, results for each individual study will be reported through qualitative narrative data synthesis. Discussion: This systematic review will identify and synthesise evidence of the measured effect of postnatal mother-infant interventions involving music on maternal psychological and psychosocial outcomes and infant/child outcomes. Systematic review registration: This protocol was registered with Prospero on 18 October 2021 (registration number CRD42021283691). https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021283691. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aggravation of many social psychological and psychological stress factors, the high incidence rate of depression and depression has become a major problem which puzzles people's health and even endangers life. Non drug therapy has become an effective alternative to drug therapy, which is in line with the new trend of natural medicine in the world. This paper will use the real world research method (RWS) to conduct a clinical trial of pop light music in the treatment of depression. Based on the fuzzy algorithm, a comprehensive evaluation system for the treatment of depression was established. By comparing and analyzing the main efficacy indexes between music group and traditional medicine group, we found that the cure rate, clinical control rate, significant efficiency, effective rate and ineffective rate of music therapy group were significantly better than those of drug group. Through the analysis of seven factors of HAMD (Hamilton Depression Scale) scale, we found that pop light music can improve the sleep status and physical symptoms of patients, and the improvement degree of music therapy is significantly better than that of drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music training programs have shown mixed results on children's executive functions. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of a 10‐week multimodal music program with vocal development, bimanual coordination, and musical improvisation, on children's executive functions. We hypothesized that a 10‐week music program would enhance executive functions in working memory in 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children. Eighty‐four children were randomly assigned to a multimodal music program, an active control Lego program, or no treatment control condition (i.e., randomized controlled design). All children completed measures of music aptitude, music achievement, and executive functions (i.e., EF Touch) pre‐ and post‐training. Results revealed enhanced pitch accuracy and working memory for children in the music training group as compared to the other conditions. Children in the Lego condition demonstrated significant enhancements of spatial working memory. Tonal music aptitude significantly predicted performance on measures of working memory. Contributions to the literature include the randomized controlled design, group multimodal music program appropriate for 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children, and the use of executive function measures sensitive to individual differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate music selection as a treatment for anxiety during Intravitreal injections (IVI) for individuals of varying cultures. 106 individuals were enrolled in this randomized controlled study. Individuals were randomized into one to three categories: (1) a control group in which the IVI procedure was performed without music (n = 35), (2) an experimental group in which the music was selected by the physician (n = 36), (3) an experimental group in which the music was selected by the patient (n = 35). After the procedure, all patients responded to a questionnaire regarding their level of experienced anxiety, pain and discomfort (grade 0–10). The primary outcome was anxiety level during the procedure. The experimental group in which patients selected music had higher number of patients with low anxiety score compared to the other groups (anxiety score <4 in 19,18 and 27 patients, respectively, p =.04). Interestingly, patients who answered the questionnaire in Arabic were less likely to desire music on subsequent injections compared to Hebrew and English speakers (52% Vs 78% Vs 100%, p =.02). Music was deemed by both experimental groups as an effective method to induce relaxation (average score of 6.6 and 7.2 in group 2 and 3, respectively). Preference for music on subsequent injections was increased in both experimental groups compared to the control group (P <.01). Patients in the third group preferred music selection on future injections more than the other groups (P <.01). Music selection may be an effective way to reduce anxiety levels during IVI. Preference for music during future injections is higher in patients who were exposed to music during IVI and may be influenced by culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines artistic production in the formerly Syrian land of the Jawlan (Golan Heights) as a way of tracing Indigenous politics of decolonization. Through consideration of the Jawlanis' longstanding refusal to integrate into the Israeli state, the article demonstrates how Yasser Khanger's poetry and the music of the band Toot Ard are practices of artistic fugitivity that flee colonial captivity. It argues that these cases offer two different modes of metaphoric and actual fugitive mobility. Khanger's is a mental movement toward disengagement from the settler-colonial state while physically staying in place. It evades subjugation by redefining confinement as a tool for staging poetic insurgency. The second mode is based on physical nomadic movement in international space while embracing a stateless condition. Fugitivity here becomes a movement that forces the Indigenous stateless self into the outside world, to realise the possibility of decolonisation by transgressing nation-state borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eranthis Salisb. (Ranunculaceae) is a herbaceous plant genus, including few species disjunctively distributed throughout the temperate zone from Southeastern Europe to Eastern Asia. Until recently, only Eranthis sibirica DC. was known in South Siberia, being considered endemic and tertiary relict. Not long ago, Eranthis tanhoensis Erst was also described in Siberia. We report here a reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationships between the Siberian Eranthis species based on nuclear (ITS) and plastid (trnL + trnL-trnF + trnH-psbA) DNA. The phylogeographic structure of Siberian Eranthis is distinguished by the presence of the two "eastern" and "western" supergroups, which most likely formed as a result of disjunction caused by active mountain uplifts during the late Neogene–early Quaternary and subsequent progressive Pleistocene cooling. The eastern supergroup combines lineage I, containing populations from the eastern Khamar-Daban Ridge, the Eastern Sayan Mountains, and the Tannu-Ola Ridge, and lineage II containing western Khamar-Daban populations. The western supergroup includes only lineage III, containing Western Sayan populations. Our data clearly show that E. tanhoensis is nested in the E. sibirica clade, thereby indicating that its description as a separate species is unjustified, as it compromises the monophyletic status of E. sibirica. Therefore, we suggest here to consider E. tanhoensis as a synonym of E. sibirica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is clear that mental fatigue can have many negative impacts on individuals, such as impairing cognitive function or affecting performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of sound interventions in combating mental fatigue. Method: The subjects were assessed on various scales, a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) task, and a 3 min resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG), followed by a 20 min mental fatigue–inducing task (Time Load Dual Back, TloadDback), during which subjects in different condition groups listened to either 15 Hz binaural beats, 40 Hz binaural beats, relaxing music, or a 240 Hz pure tone. After the mental fatigue–inducing task, subjects were again assessed on various scales, a PVT task, and a 3 min resting-state EEG. Results: After the fatigue-inducing task, there was no significant difference between the four groups on the scales or the PVT task performance. In TloadDback, the accuracy rate of the 40 Hz binaural beats group and the relaxing music group decreased in the middle stage of the task, while the 15 Hz binaural beats group and the 240 Hz pure tone group remained unchanged in all stages of the task. The EEG results showed that after fatigue inducement, the average path length of the 15 Hz binaural beats group decreased, and local efficiency showed an increasing tendency, indicating enhanced brain network connectivity. Meanwhile, the 240 Hz pure tone group showed enhanced functional connectivity, suggesting a state of mental fatigue in the group. Conclusions: The results of this study show that listening to 15 Hz binaural beats is a proven intervention for mental fatigue that can contribute to maintaining working memory function, enhancing brain topological structure, and alleviating the decline in brain function that occurs in a mentally fatigued state. As such, these results are of great scientific and practical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of assimilating ground-based radar reflectivity and wind data on tropical cyclone (TC) intensity prediction. The effect on a high-impact TC in the western North Pacific region that penetrated the Bashi Channel is examined. A multiscale correction based on the successive covariance localization (SCL) method is adopted to improve the analysis and forecast performance. In addition, GNSS-R wind speed is assimilated jointly in the rapid update assimilation framework to complement the TC boundary layer where radar data are limited. Model experiments are conducted and evaluated using the observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) framework with a coupled atmosphere–ocean model nature run. Taking the experiment without data assimilation as the baseline, assimilating the radar data with the standard localization and SCL methods reduces the wind speed analysis error by 12% and 44%, respectively. The SCL method dominates the improvement in TC intensity prediction with a lead time longer than 2 days and the TC's peak intensity forecast is improved by 18 hPa. The additional assimilation of the GNSS-R wind speed observation further reduces the wind speed error in the low-level analysis by 12% and 5% under the standard and SCL radar assimilation framework, respectively. GNSS-R wind assimilation leads to a further 6-hPa improvement in TC's peak intensity. However, the sampling error introduced by the SCL method restrains the effect of GNSS-R assimilation. Sensitivity experiments with different GNSS-R data arrangements show that better GNSS-R wind coverage and additional wind direction information can further improve the TC analysis. Significance Statement: Tropical cyclone (TC) intensity prediction over the western North Pacific (WNP) region remains a significant challenge due to limited observations. This study aims to improve the TC intensity prediction in WNP by assimilating the ground-based radar data using a multiscale correction framework and incorporating with the satellite ocean surface wind speed observation. We particularly focus on a high-impact TC like Typhoon Hato (2017), which penetrated the Bashi Channel and later made landfall in China, causing great damage. Our results showed that the assimilation strategy improved the TC intensity prediction for a lead time longer than 2 days. These results demonstrate the great potential of these observations and can provide guidance for future applications in operation centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]