Two rapid alternatives compared to the staircase method for the estimation of the vibrotactile perception threshold.

Wearable vibrotactile devices seem now mature for entering the daily lives and practices of more and more users. However, vibrotactile perception can greatly differ between individuals, in terms of psychophysics and physiology, not to mention higher levels (cognitive or affective for example). Broadly-distributed and affordable vibrotactile devices hence must be adapted to each user's own perception, first of all by delivering intensity levels that are in the perceptible range of the user.

Vibrotactile Thresholds on the Wrist for Vibrations Normal to the Skin.

In order to facilitate the development of wrist-worn vibrotactile devices, detailed knowledge about how vibrations are perceived by the users is needed. In particular, perceptual thresholds in amplitude are really important. Thresholds have been measured in the literature for other areas of the body, but given the variability reported between areas (shape of the threshold curve, position of maximum sensitivity), thresholds on the wrist can not be inferred from previous measurements and must be measured.

Permethrin Steal Effect by Unmasked Corneocytic Keratin in Topical Therapy of Scabies.

Introduction: The use of epicutaneously applied permethrin in the treatment of common scabies is considered to be the first-line therapy. Due to increasing clinical treatment failure, the development of genetic resistance to permethrin in Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis has been postulated.

Helical ultrastructure of the metalloprotease meprin α in complex with a small molecule inhibitor.

The zinc-dependent metalloprotease meprin α is predominantly expressed in the brush border membrane of proximal tubules in the kidney and enterocytes in the small intestine and colon. In normal tissue homeostasis meprin α performs key roles in inflammation, immunity, and extracellular matrix remodelling. Dysregulated meprin α is associated with acute kidney injury, sepsis, urinary tract infection, metastatic colorectal carcinoma, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Perception of violin soundpost tightness through playing and listening tests.

This study involved playing and listening (using recorded sounds) experiments to investigate how changes in soundpost length (for a fixed soundpost position) affect the perceptual qualities of the violin and what the threshold of change is below which players and luthiers do not perceive differences. A length-adjustable carbon fiber soundpost was employed. During the playing experiment, subjects played a provided violin on which the soundpost length was modified by the experimenter to find their optimal soundpost lengths.

Structure and Dynamics of Meprin β in Complex with a Hydroxamate-Based Inhibitor.

The astacin protease Meprin β represents an emerging target for drug development due to its potential involvement in disorders such as acute and chronic kidney injury and fibrosis. Here, we elaborate on the structural basis of inhibition by a specific Meprin β inhibitor. Our analysis of the crystal structure suggests different binding modes of the inhibitor to the active site.

Listener evaluations of violins made from composites.

For centuries, wood, and more specifically spruce, has been the material of choice for violin top plates. Lately, carbon fiber instruments have entered the market. Some studies show that composite materials have potential advantages for making instruments [Damodaran, Lessard, and Babu, Acoust.

Effect of back wood choice on the perceived quality of steel-string acoustic guitars.

Some of the most prized woods used for the backs and sides of acoustic guitars are expensive, rare, and from unsustainable sources. It is unclear to what extent back woods contribute to the sound and playability qualities of acoustic guitars. Six steel-string acoustic guitars were built for this study to the same design and material specifications except for the back/side plates which were made of woods varying widely in availability and price (Brazilian rosewood, Indian rosewood, mahogany, maple, sapele, and walnut).

Listener evaluations of new and Old Italian violins.

Old Italian violins are routinely credited with playing qualities supposedly unobtainable in new instruments. These qualities include the ability to project their sound more effectively in a concert hall-despite seeming relatively quiet under the ear of the player-compared with new violins. Although researchers have long tried to explain the "mystery" of Stradivari's sound, it is only recently that studies have addressed the fundamental assumption of tonal superiority.

Perceptual evaluation of violins: A psycholinguistic analysis of preference verbal descriptions by experienced musicians.

In this paper, how the notion of violin quality is conveyed in spontaneous verbalizations by experienced violinists during preference judgments is investigated. The aims of the study were to better understand how musicians conceptualize violin quality, what aspects of the sound and the playing experience are essential, and what associations are formed between perceptual evaluation and physical description. Upon comparing violins of varying make and age, players were interviewed about their preferences using open-ended questions.

Investigating the role of auditory and tactile modalities in violin quality evaluation.

The role of auditory and tactile modalities involved in violin playing and evaluation was investigated in an experiment employing a blind violin evaluation task under different conditions: i) normal playing conditions, ii) playing with auditory masking, and iii) playing with vibrotactile masking. Under each condition, 20 violinists evaluated five violins according to criteria related to violin playing and sound characteristics and rated their overall quality and relative preference. Results show that both auditory and vibrotactile feedback are important in the violinists' evaluations but that their relative importance depends on the violinist, the violin and the type of evaluation (different criteria ratings or preference).

Influence of vibrotactile feedback on some perceptual features of violins.

This paper investigated how auditory and vibrotactile feedback information is integrated within the context of violin quality evaluation. Fifteen violinists evaluated three violins on four criteria-"Rich Sound," "Loud and Powerful," "Alive and Responsive," and "Pleasure"-during a perceptual experiment. Violinists first evaluated the violins one at a time under three experimental conditions: (1) playing, (2) listening to it (played by a professional player) in an active way by fingering the score on an isolated neck, (3) same as (2) with vibrotactile feedback provided at the isolated neck.

Soloist evaluations of six Old Italian and six new violins.

Many researchers have sought explanations for the purported tonal superiority of Old Italian violins by investigating varnish and wood properties, plate tuning systems, and the spectral balance of the radiated sound. Nevertheless, the fundamental premise of tonal superiority has been investigated scientifically only once very recently, and results showed a general preference for new violins and that players were unable to reliably distinguish new violins from old. The study was, however, relatively small in terms of the number of violins tested (six), the time allotted to each player (an hour), and the size of the test space (a hotel room).

Long-term outcome of patients with active ankylosing spondylitis with etanercept-sustained efficacy and safety after seven years.

Introduction: Data from clinical studies on the long-term efficacy and safety of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are scarce. This is the first report on continuous treatment with the TNFα fusion protein etanercept over seven years (y).

Methods: Overall, 26 patients with active AS were initially treated with etanercept 2 × 25 mg s.

Perceptual evaluation of violins: a quantitative analysis of preference judgments by experienced players.

The overall goal of the research presented here is to better understand how players evaluate violins within the wider context of finding relationships between measurable vibrational properties of instruments and their perceived qualities. In this study, the reliability of skilled musicians to evaluate the qualities of a violin was examined. In a first experiment, violinists were allowed to freely play a set of different violins and were then asked to rank the instruments by preference.

Exploring violin sound quality: investigating English timbre descriptors and correlating resynthesized acoustical modifications with perceptual properties.

Performers often discuss the sound quality of a violin or the sound obtained by particular playing techniques, calling upon a diverse vocabulary. This study explores the verbal descriptions, made by performers, of the distinctive timbres of different violins. Sixty-one common descriptors were collected and then arranged by violinists on a map, so that words with similar meanings lay close together, and those with different meanings lay far apart.

Player preferences among new and old violins.

Most violinists believe that instruments by Stradivari and Guarneri "del Gesu" are tonally superior to other violins--and to new violins in particular. Many mechanical and acoustical factors have been proposed to account for this superiority; however, the fundamental premise of tonal superiority has not yet been properly investigated. Player's judgments about a Stradivari's sound may be biased by the violin's extraordinary monetary value and historical importance, but no studies designed to preclude such biasing factors have yet been published.

Persistent clinical efficacy and safety of infliximab in ankylosing spondylitis after 8 years--early clinical response predicts long-term outcome.

Objectives: To report for the first time on the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF therapy after 8 years of follow-up in patients with active AS, and analyse possible short-term predictors for long-term clinical outcomes.

Methods: In this open-label extension of a randomized controlled trial, proportions of the initially included 69 patients with active AS were treated with infliximab 5 mg/kg i.v.

Perceptual studies of violin body damping and vibrato.

This work explored how the perception of violin notes is influenced by the magnitude of the applied vibrato and by the level of damping of the violin resonance modes. Damping influences the "peakiness" of the frequency response, and vibrato interacts with this peakiness by producing fluctuations in spectral content as well as in frequency and amplitude. Initially, it was shown that thresholds for detecting a change in vibrato amplitude were independent of body damping, and thresholds for detecting a change in body damping were independent of vibrato amplitude.

Perceptual thresholds for detecting modifications applied to the acoustical properties of a violin.

This study is the first step in the psychoacoustic exploration of perceptual differences between the sounds of different violins. A method was used which enabled the same performance to be replayed on different "virtual violins," so that the relationships between acoustical characteristics of violins and perceived qualities could be explored. Recordings of real performances were made using a bridge-mounted force transducer, giving an accurate representation of the signal from the violin string.

How do clarinet players adjust the resonances of their vocal tracts for different playing effects?

In a simple model, the reed of the clarinet is mechanically loaded by the series combination of the acoustical impedances of the instrument itself and of the player's airway. Here we measure the complex impedance spectrum of players' airways using an impedance head adapted to fit inside a clarinet mouthpiece. A direct current shunt with high acoustical resistance allows players to blow normally, so the players can simulate the tract condition under playing conditions.