Rhythm Research Articles

Deep Learning Detection of Hand Motion During Microvascular Anastomosis Simulations Performed by Expert Cerebrovascular Neurosurgeons

Deep learning enables precise hand tracking without the need for physical sensors, allowing for unsupervised quantitative evaluation of surgical motion and tasks. We quantitatively assessed the hand motions of experienced cerebrovascular neurosurgeons during simulated microvascular anastomosis using deep learning. We explored the extent to which surgical motion data differed among experts. A deep learning detection system tracked 21 landmarks corresponding to digit joints and the wrist on each hand of 5 expert cerebrovascular neurosurgeons. Tracking data for each surgeon were analyzed over long and short time intervals to examine gross movements and micromovements, respectively. Quantitative algorithms assessed the economy and flow of motion by calculating mean movement distances from the baseline median landmark coordinates and median times between sutures, respectively. Tracking data correlated with specific surgical actions observed in microanastomosis video analysis. Economy of motion during suturing was calculated as 19, 26, 29, 27, and 28 pixels for surgeons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Flow of motion during microanastomosis was 31.96, 29.40, 28.90, 7.37, and 47.21seconds for surgeons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Hand tracking data showed similarities among experts, with low movements from baseline, minimal excess motion, and rhythmic suturing patterns. The data revealed unique patterns related to each expert's habits and techniques. The results showed that surgical motion can be correlated with hand motion and assessed using mathematical algorithms. We also demonstrated the feasibility and potential of deep learning-based motion detection to enhance surgical training.

Dynamic entrainment: A deep learning and data-driven process approach for synchronization in the Hodgkin-Huxley model.

Resonance and synchronized rhythm are significant phenomena observed in dynamical systems in nature, particularly in biological contexts. These phenomena can either enhance or disrupt system functioning. Numerous examples illustrate the necessity for organs within the human body to maintain their rhythmic patterns for proper operation. For instance, in the brain, synchronized or desynchronized electrical activities can contribute to neurodegenerative conditions like Huntington's disease. In this paper, we utilize the well-established Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model, which describes the propagation of action potentials in neurons through conductance-based mechanisms. Employing a "data-driven" approach alongside the outputs of the HH model, we introduce an innovative technique termed "dynamic entrainment." This technique leverages deep learning methodologies to dynamically sustain the system within its entrainment regime. Our findings show that the results of the dynamic entrainment technique match with the outputs of the mechanistic (HH) model.

Auditory Cognition

Following vision, audition is often regarded as a secondary sensory system in the study of cognitive science and behavioral neuroscience. Auditory cognition tasks relate to the discernment of finite differences in frequency, duration, or rhythmic pattern. They suggest that there is a wide range of auditory functions required to mediate auditory responses. Auditory perception is the ability to interpret information that is received from the environment, and it is in this interpretation that audible frequency waves through the air or otherwise, follow a series of processes that allow for the acuity of sound. Several mechanisms are employed in the processing of acoustic information to extricate the many sources present and to assess the properties of individual events or sequences of events presenting themselves from a source. From a cognitive level, the sequential relations among events in longer sequences must be advanced to comprehend the nature of actions on objects that are extended in time.

Developing Students’ Readiness for Musical Improvisation in the Context of Selected Assumptions of Edwin E. Gordon’s Music Learning Theory

The article is an attempt to highlight selected assumptions of Edwin E. Gordon’s music learning theory in the context of developing readiness for music improvisation at school and outside school. Improvisation is, in this case, understood as one of the instruments of interpersonal communication, which can be developed through musical dialogue using tonal and rhythm patterns. The article is also a subjective presentation of the values inherent in the theory of music learning in the context of developing the above-mentioned readiness for music improvisation in students of different ages. Developing readiness for musical improvisation involves assimilating tonal and rhythm patterns into the students’ musical vocabulary so that they can participate in musical dialogue with others. This happens thanks to students’ active experience of music in an individual and social context. In developing readiness for musical improvisation, the student begins by actively listening, repeating and assimilating musical motifs, which, in music, are the starting point for complex mental operations related to musical audiation, which, to a musician, is what thinking is to language. The effect of applying the concept of improvisation suggested in the theory of music learning will be to increase the creative, expressive and improvisational activity of students in the process of music education and to develop the tonal, rhythm and melodic vocabulary necessary to independently undertake creative and improvisational activity with full awareness, taking into account the processes of musical audiation.

Antiseizure Medication Use and Outcomes After Suspected or Confirmed Acute Symptomatic Seizures

Antiseizure medications (ASMs) are frequently prescribed for acute symptomatic seizures and epileptiform abnormalities (EAs; eg, periodic or rhythmic patterns). There are limited data on factors associated with ASM use and their association with outcomes. To determine factors associated with ASM use in patients with confirmed or suspected acute symptomatic seizures undergoing continuous electroencephalography, and to explore the association of ASMs with outcomes. This multicenter cohort study was performed between July 1 and September 30, 2021, at 5 US centers of the Post Acute Symptomatic Seizure Investigation and Outcomes Network. After screening 1717 patients, the study included 1172 hospitalized adults without epilepsy who underwent continuous electroencephalography after witnessed or suspected acute symptomatic seizures. Data analysis was performed from November 14, 2023, to February 2, 2024. ASM treatment (inpatient ASM continuation ≥48 hours). Factors associated with (1) ASM treatment, (2) discharge ASM prescription, and (3) discharge and 3-month Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4 or 5 were ascertained. A total of 1172 patients (median [IQR] age, 64 [52-75] years; 528 [45%] female) were included. Among them, 285 (24%) had clinical acute symptomatic seizures, 107 (9%) had electrographic seizures, and 364 (31%) had EAs; 532 (45%) received ASM treatment. Among 922 patients alive at discharge, 288 (31%) were prescribed ASMs. The respective frequencies of inpatient ASM treatment and discharge prescription were 82% (233 of 285) and 69% (169 of 246) for patients with clinical acute symptomatic seizures, 96% (103 of 107) and 95% (61 of 64) for electrographic seizures, and 64% (233 of 364) and 48% (128 of 267) for EAs. On multivariable analysis, acute and progressive brain injuries were independently associated with increased odds of inpatient ASM treatment (odds ratio [OR], 3.86 [95% CI, 2.06-7.32] and 8.37 [95% CI, 3.48-20.80], respectively) and discharge prescription (OR, 2.26 [95% CI, 1.04-4.98] and 10.10 [95% CI, 3.94-27.00], respectively). Admission to the neurology or neurosurgery service (OR, 2.56 [95% CI, 1.08-6.18]) or to the neurological intensive care unit (OR, 7.98 [95% CI, 3.49-19.00]) was associated with increased odds of treatment. Acute symptomatic seizures and EAs were significantly associated with increased odds of ASM treatment (OR, 14.30 [95% CI, 8.52-24.90] and 2.30 [95% CI, 1.47-3.61], respectively) and discharge prescription (OR, 12.60 [95% CI, 7.37-22.00] and 1.72 [95% CI, 1.00-2.97], respectively). ASM treatment was not associated with outcomes at discharge (OR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.61-1.52]) or at 3 months after initial presentation (OR, 1.26 [95% CI, 0.78-2.04]). Among 623 patients alive and with complete data at 3 months after discharge, 30 (5%) had postdischarge seizures, 187 (30%) were receiving ASMs, and 202 (32%) had all-cause readmissions. This study suggests that etiology and electrographic findings are associated with ASM treatment for acute symptomatic seizures and EAs; ASM treatment was not associated with functional outcomes. Comparative effectiveness studies are indicated to identify which patients may benefit from ASMs and to determine the optimal treatment duration.

Circadian cilia transcriptome in mouse brain across physiological and pathological states

Primary cilia are dynamic sensory organelles that continuously undergo structural modifications in response to environmental and cellular signals, many of which exhibit rhythmic patterns. Building on our previous findings of rhythmic cilia-related gene expression in diurnal primates (baboon), this study extends the investigation to the nocturnal mouse brain to identify circadian patterns of cilia gene expression across brain regions. We used computational techniques and transcriptomic data from four publicly available databases, to examine the circadian expression of cilia-associated genes within six brain areas: brainstem, cerebellum, hippocampus, hypothalamus, striatum, and suprachiasmatic nucleus. Our analysis reveals that a substantial proportion of cilia transcripts exhibit circadian rhythmicity across the examined regions, with notable overrepresentation in the striatum, hippocampus, and cerebellum. We also demonstrate region-specific variations in the abundance and timing of circadian cilia genes’ peaks, indicating an adaptation to the distinct physiological roles of each brain region. Additionally, we show that the rhythmic patterns of cilia transcripts are shifted under various physiological and pathological conditions, including modulation of the dopamine system, high-fat diet, and epileptic conditions, indicating the adaptable nature of cilia transcripts’ oscillation. While limited to a few mouse brain regions, our study provides initial insights into the distinct circadian patterns of cilia transcripts and highlights the need for future research to expand the mapping across wider brain areas to fully understand the role of cilia’s spatiotemporal dynamics in brain functions.

Photomorphogenesis of Myxococcus macrosporus: new insights for light-regulation of cell development

Myxobacteria are non-photosynthetic bacteria distinguished among prokaryotes by a multicellular stage in their life cycle known as fruiting bodies that are formed in response to nutrient deprivation and stimulated by light. Here, we report an entrained, rhythmic pattern of Myxococcus macrosporus fruiting bodies, forming consistently spaced concentric rings when grown in the dark. Light exposure disrupts this rhythmic phenotype, resulting in a sporadic arrangement and reduced fruiting-body count. M. macrosporus genome encodes a red-light photoreceptor, a bacteriophytochrome (BphP), previously shown to affect the fruiting-body formation in the related myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca. Similarly, the formation of M. macrosporus fruiting bodies is also impacted by the exposure to BphP—specific wavelengths of light. RNA-Seq analysis of M. macrosporus revealed constitutive expression of the bphP gene. Phytochromes, as light-regulated enzymes, control many aspects of plant development including photomorphogenesis. They are intrinsically correlated to circadian clock proteins, impacting the overall light-mediated entrainment of the circadian clock. However, this functional relationship remains unexplored in non-photosynthetic prokaryotes. Genomic analysis unveiled the presence of multiple homologs of cyanobacterial core oscillatory gene, kaiC, in various myxobacteria, including M. macrosporus, S. aurantiaca and M. xanthus. RNA-Seq analysis verified the expression of all kaiC homologs in M. macrosporus and the closely related M. xanthus, which lacks bphP genes. Overall, this study unravels the rhythmic growth pattern during M. macrosporus development, governed by environmental factors such as light and nutrients. In addition, myxobacteria may have a time-measuring mechanism resembling the cyanobacterial circadian clock that links the photoreceptor (BphP) function to the observed rhythmic behavior.Graphical abstract

Do plants respond to multi‐year disturbance rhythms and are we missing the beat?

Disturbance seasonality and return interval can create complex interactions of direct and indirect effects on species and ecosystems. Fire is a key grassland disturbance, yet long‐term research examining seasonality and return intervals is limited. A 15‐year experiment testing combinations of fire seasonality (summer, fall, spring) and return interval (2, 3, 6‐year) plus non‐burned controls was conducted in northern mixed prairie to evaluate effects on the plant community. Hesperostipa comata is a native C3 bunchgrass and dominant species in northern mixed prairie and previously observed to be fire‐sensitive. Current‐year aboveground biomass results were generally counter to expectations based on short‐term research. Fire increased H. comata biomass with a strong, rhythmic response pattern to a specific fire seasonality‐return‐interval combination (fall fire at 3‐year return intervals) that periodically increased biomass to more than three times that with no fire. Through the first four post‐fire growing seasons, biomass with summer, fall and spring fire across return intervals was 41, 89 and 93% of that with no fire. Afterward, no fire combination produced less biomass than no fire and recurring patterns emerged with large increases in biomass, particularly with fall fire at 3‐year intervals. Peak biomass years were regularly two growing seasons after 3‐year fall fire and occurred across wet, near‐average and dry conditions. We hypothesize that productivity responses were driven by the combination of demographic processes of seedling recruitment and synchronization of multiple tiller age classes. Because short‐term negative effects were reversed and regular patterns only emerged 5 years after study initiation, more long‐term research evaluating fire regimes is recommended to expand upon tests of individual factors over short periods. This suggestion is based on fire research, but likely applies to multiple forms of disturbance and demonstrates how demographic processes can inform responses for individual species and larger ecosystem functions, such as productivity.

Classical music education for students: impact on creative thinking about psychology / Enseñanza de música clásica para estudiantes: el impacto en el pensamiento creativo sobre psicología

The study aims to identify the expertise of college students in classical music and evaluate individual prerequisites for listening to classical music and their impact on creative thinking in connection with psychological defence among students. The study involved 200 students from a college in China. The Chinese college students’ expertise in music was analysed based on the questionnaire method and the research design. The study revealed the following: prolonged listening to loud music, even classical, develops creative thinking and at the same time can lead to loss of self-control and partial loss of the listener’s sense of reality; music volume correlates with the desire to hear the rhythm and the frequency of music listening; there is a correlation between musical rhythm and the psychological defence mechanisms of substitution, regression, compensation, as well as tension.

Increase of Complexity from Classical Greek to Latin Poetry

In this paper a method is developed to analyze the increase of complexity from classical Greek poetry to classical Latin poetry by mapping large samples of poems onto a symbolic time series. This mapping setup intends to characterize the regular succession of rhythms, that is, the patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables in a verse. Using techniques from information theory; more precisely, the mutual information function, it is shown how the rhythmical patterns in Greek poetry evolve to more complex behavior in Latin poetry. Some interesting results are reported.

Eye Movement Evaluation of Pedestrians' Mobile Phone Usage at Street Crossings

Vision is one of the most important human senses, accounting for most of the external information pedestrians receive while crossing the street. However, distracted mobile phone usage during street crossing consumes pedestrians’ cognitive resources and diverts their visual attention. As a result, pedestrians may be unable to fully concentrate on observing the traffic environment and effectively planning their crossing path and behavior. This study evaluated the effect of pedestrian behavioral activities at street crossings on eye-movement (EM) characteristics. The crossing tasks were natural behavior, voice call, text messaging, and listening to music. The tasks were further categorized as simple or complex. A total of 29 participants were recruited in Nanjing: 18 males (62.1%) and 11 females (37.9%) with an average age of 23.59 years (SD = 2.44). The Friedman test was used to analyze differences in saccade frequency, fixation time, browsing number, and browsing time across different scenarios. Text messaging had the most significant impact on pedestrians’ EM characteristics, followed by voice call; music listening had a relatively weaker effect. Secondary task difficulty influenced the percentage of browsing, viewing, and to some extent gaze time. On the other hand, music rhythm and style only partially influenced the percentage of gaze and gaze time. Mobile phones substantially affected pedestrians’ EM characteristics and attention allocation for the same level of secondary task difficulty. These findings contribute to a better understanding of pedestrians’ visual characteristics under distracted mobile phone usage conditions and provide valuable insights for developing appropriate measures to enhance pedestrian safety.

Using Overture to enhance students’ aural musical skills and motivation in learning

Aural musical skills are a compulsory course for music students, but studies show that students are weak in this area due to unattractive and ineffective teaching methods. This study investigated the effects of Overture on enhancing the aural musical skills of students in China. In addition the study also investigated whether the utilization of Overture can enhance students' motivation to learn aural musical skills. This quasi-experimental study only used quantitative data. The researchers chose 70 first-year Chinese music students as an intact group sample, from Hunan City University in China, The experimental group was taught using the Overture method, while the control group was taught using the conventional method. The intervention was for eight weeks. The researchers used pre-test, post-test, and questionnaires on learning motivation as instruments to collect the data. The data was analyzed using the SPSS program for Windows, version 25 (ANCOVA test). The results indicated that the experimental group performed significantly better and outperformed the control group in their overall scores in aural musical skills, melodic intervals, rhythmic patterns, monophonic music, and two-voice music, The experimental group also showed significantly higher motivation than the control group. In terms of pedagogical implications, this study suggests that music lecturers need to consider using Overture as an alternative method to improve aural musical skills among students and they have to be trained on how to utilize Overture for teaching music.

Adapting seasonal beekeeping patterns in western Norway

This paper is about how Western Norway beekeepers synchronise their practices to perceived patterns of seasonal rhythms and adapt their timings and ways of working as they sense shifts in these rhythmic seasonal patterns associated with climatic and environmental (and social) change. It contributes to work on adaptation governance with an emphasis on the time sensitivity of adaptive action in institutions – the importance of taking the right action at the right time – and that this timing is coordinated at the convergence of multiple temporalities across human and more-than-human worlds, within temporal assemblages. The research was conducted in close collaboration with beekeepers over the 2021/2022 seasons and found them to be temporally literate practitioners that are capable of gauging shifts in temporalities, drawing on diverse temporal frameworks (both formal and informal), and recalibrating. Recalibration came both in small incremental micro-manoeuvres to maintain synchrony in a seasonal pattern, or collective efforts to fundamentally adapt or reconfiguring seasonal patterns when patterns fail to ‘hold’. From this perspective, the paper centres and elevates temporal synchronisation in adaption, with attention to the institutionalised capacity of temporally competent practitioners to make use of and recraft the cultural frameworks governing timings.

High-resolution versus conventional manometry for the diagnosis of small bowel motor dysfunction.

The diagnosis of small bowel motility disorders is performed by manometric evaluation of the contractile patterns of the small intestine. Conventional intestinal manometry systems include few pressure sensors at relatively long intervals. We have recently shown that high-resolution jejunal manometry, with multiple closely spaced recording sites, allows the analysis of propagation patterns of intestinal motility in healthy subjects that cannot be detected with conventional manometry. The objective of this pilot study was to explore the feasibility and diagnostic value of high-resolution intestinal manometry in patients with suspected small bowel dysmotility. Prospective pilot study evaluating intestinal motility patterns in 16 consecutive patients (16-61 years; 11 women) with severe, chronic digestive symptoms referred for the evaluation of intestinal motility and in 18 healthy controls (21-38 years; 8 women). A 36-channel high-resolution manometry catheter was orally placed under radiological guidance in the jejunum. Intestinal motility was continuously recorded for 3 h fasting and 2 h after a 450 kcal meal. The manometric recordings were analyzed in two formats: (a) with the high-resolution data from 34 channels and (b) showing only the recordings from 5 channels separated by 7 cm intervals, mimicking a conventional manometry recording. In the analysis mimicking conventional manometry, abnormal motility criteria were detected in six patients and in no healthy subject [bursts (n = 3), postprandial minute rhythm (n = 1) and myopathic pattern (n = 2)]. These classical dysmotility criteria were also detected by high-resolution manometry. High-resolution analysis detected one or more abnormal findings in seven additional patients that were not observed in any healthy subject, specifically: (a) abnormal propagation of Phase III (n = 3); (b) reduced propagated activity during Fasting Phase II (n = 4); (c) increased propagated activity during Fasting Phase II and postprandial phase (n = 1). This pilot study suggests that high-resolution intestinal manometry may improve the sensitivity of conventional manometry in the detection of intestinal motor dysfunction.

168 Real-world walking of people with the chronic lung disease COPD

Abstract Purpose Walking is crucial for active and healthy ageing, but it changes with age and in the presence of diverse health conditions, such as non-communicable diseases. In the field of the chronic lung disease COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), extensive research has been done on physical activity limitation, but little is known about the patterns of walking during daily life (i.e., real-world). We aimed to assess the levels and distribution of real-world walking (walking activity and gait parameters) in people with COPD compared with healthy adults, and across disease severity; and to identify domains of walking in COPD, using a single wearable device. Methods In a cross-sectional study, 550 people with COPD (37% women, with a mean (SD) age of 68 (8) years, postbronchodilator FEV1 54 (21) %) and 19 age-matched healthy adults were recruited in ten cities across eight countries. Subjects were given a single wearable device to wear at their lower back for one week. Twenty-five walking activity and gait parameters (e.g., number of steps, number of walking bouts (WB)>30s, walking speed in WB > 30s, cadence in WB > 30s, walking speed and cadence variability) were derived from the device outputs. Results Most walking activity and gait parameters were reduced in people with COPD compared to healthy adults, and according to COPD severity. Differences remained statistically significant after adjusting for age, sex, height and comorbidities in multivariable analyses. Factor analysis identified six distinct walking domains: Amount of walking, Patterns of walking, Pace, Rhythm, Pace variability and Rhythm variability. Conclusion Real-world walking in people with COPD is a multi-dimensional behaviour that is impaired as the disease progresses. These results may be used to set priorities and improve patient centricity in clinical practice, research and public health initiatives. Support/Funding Source This work was supported by the Mobilise-D project that has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No. 820820. This JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).

Fine-grained descending control of steering in walking Drosophila

Locomotion involves rhythmic limb movement patterns that originate in circuits outside the brain. Purposeful locomotion requires descending commands from the brain, but we do not understand how these commands are structured. Here, we investigate this issue, focusing on the control of steering in walking Drosophila. First, we describe different limb "gestures" associated with different steering maneuvers. Next, we identify a set of descending neurons whose activity predicts steering. Focusing on two descending cell types downstream of distinct brain networks, we show that they evoke specific limb gestures: one lengthens strides on the outside of a turn, while the other attenuates strides on the inside of a turn. Our results suggest that a single descending neuron can have opposite effects during different locomotor rhythm phases, and we identify networks positioned to implement this phase-specific gating. Together, our results show how purposeful locomotion emerges from specific, coordinated modulations of low-level patterns.

Three Sailors, Three Personalities: Choreomusical Analysis of the Solo Variations in Fancy Free

A thorough understanding of how music and movement synthesize is vital for deeper exploration of multimedia artworks. In this article, I demonstrate a choreomusical analytic technique that links detailed analyses of both music and choreography from the ballet Fancy Free, a work that was the product of a close collaboration between Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins. Specifically, I explore the three sailors’ solo variations, noting placement and repetition of rhythmic and choreographic phrases, elisions and metric changes, and reinterpretation of rhythmic patterns. I observe differences in grouping and accents to reveal how the changing relationships between dance and music create unique characterizations for each of the sailors. My integrated reading of music and original choreography explores the relationship between music and movement, offering a way to understand how they intertwine.

The Biological Clock of Liver Metabolism in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis Progression to Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Circadian rhythms are endogenous behavioral or physiological cycles that are driven by a daily biological clock that persists in the absence of geophysical or environmental temporal cues. Circadian rhythm-related genes code for clock proteins that rise and fall in rhythmic patterns driving biochemical signals of biological processes from metabolism to physiology and behavior. Clock proteins have a pivotal role in liver metabolism and homeostasis, and their disturbances are implicated in various liver disease processes. Encoded genes play critical roles in the initiation and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their proteins may become diagnostic markers as well as therapeutic targets. Understanding molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms will aid in therapeutic interventions and may have broader clinical applications. The present review provides an overview of the role of the liver's circadian rhythm in metabolic processes in health and disease, emphasizing MASH progression and the oncogenic associations that lead to HCC.

Analysing Stylistic Differences between Orchestras: an Empirical Study of the ‘Viennese Rhythm’ in the Vienna Philharmonic's Recordings of The Blue Danube

ABSTRACTPerformances of the same piece can differ from one another in many ways. Nevertheless, few scholars have attempted to investigate stylistic differences between orchestras. This article explores in what ways and to what extent the Vienna Philharmonic – an orchestra widely regarded as one of the world's most distinctive – performs metrical rhythm differently from other professional orchestras. It presents findings from an empirical analysis of the timing of the ‘Viennese rhythm’, a rhythmic pattern characterised by the shortening of the first beat and the lengthening of the second in the performance of Viennese waltzes. The methodology employs computer‐assisted techniques to analyse beat lengths in 30 recordings of two excerpts from The Blue Danube. The results indicate that the Vienna Philharmonic tends to use the Viennese rhythm more frequently and to a greater extent than other professional orchestras. This tendency enhances expressivity and heightens the sense of dance motion. As a result, in the Vienna Philharmonic's performances, metrical rhythm is far more than mechanical reproduction of a preordained set of time divisions, becoming instead a spontaneous expressive device which creates the sensuous embodiment of a durational process. This research shows that the way in which the Vienna Philharmonic plays metrical rhythm forms an integral part of their style, regardless of conductor. The article offers new insights into stylistic differences between orchestras and paves the way for a deeper investigation of performance styles in orchestral music.

Sensorimotor control of robots mediated by electrophysiological measurements of fungal mycelia.

Living tissues are still far from being used as practical components in biohybrid robots because of limitations in life span, sensitivity to environmental factors, and stringent culture procedures. Here, we introduce fungal mycelia as an easy-to-use and robust living component in biohybrid robots. We constructed two biohybrid robots that use the electrophysiological activity of living mycelia to control their artificial actuators. The mycelia sense their environment and issue action potential-like spiking voltages as control signals to the motors and valves of the robots that we designed and built. The paper highlights two key innovations: first, a vibration- and electromagnetic interference-shielded mycelium electrical interface that allows for stable, long-term electrophysiological bioelectric recordings during untethered, mobile operation; second, a control architecture for robots inspired by neural central pattern generators, incorporating rhythmic patterns of positive and negative spikes from the living mycelia. We used these signals to control a walking soft robot as well as a wheeled hard one. We also demonstrated the use of mycelia to respond to environmental cues by using ultraviolet light stimulation to augment the robots' gaits.