Search

Introduction: Auditory scene analysis refers to the system through which the auditory system distinguishes distinct auditory events and sources to create meaningful auditory information. The exact number of directly perceived auditory stimuli is unknown, studies suggest it may range from 3 to 5. This number differs among individuals, and potentially may indirectly indicate the ability to store and process the complex information, related to the memory load, which is combined with human cognitive processes. Aim: This study aims to further identify and quantify the number of sounds that can be perceived simultaneously in a complex auditory environment. Material and methods: Participants were presented with structured acoustic recordings and were asked to identify the exact number of targeted stimuli heard throughout the test. The experiment was designed to assess the auditory load and determine the maximum number of auditory stimuli that a healthy human can perceive at once. Results: Our study showed that on average, participants could identify up to three sounds at once with accuracy of responses declining progressively for four sounds or more. Conclusions: This study aimed to investigate the human capacity to detect and identify multiple sound signals simultaneously in a noisy environment. By understanding this ability, we sought to assess cognitive reserve in individuals. Our objective was to determine if auditory load could serve as a diagnostic tool for cognitive evaluation. We believe that further research will establish the validity of this approach, and we anticipate that it is only a matter of time before it becomes a viable method for assessing cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess whether wearing a face mask behind the ears has an effect on the understanding of speech and the perception of surrounding sounds. Materials and methods: Auditory perception was assessed using verbal noise audiometry in two clinical conditions: without a face mask and with a face mask. To assess auditory perception ability, two parameters were measured: word recognition score (WRS) and sound intensity at maximum WRS. Results: Without wearing face masks, the maximum WRS values for the study group ranged from 75% to 100%, with 52% of respondents achieving a WRS of 100%. The highest WRS for the subjects wearing masks ranged from 80% to 100%, with 32% of subjects achieving a WRS of 100%. Conclusions: Wearing face masks does not change speech recognition scores. This may indicate a greater role of psycho- -sociological aspects of hearing difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to present an original initiative (whose originator and animator is the Argentine-Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim) to create in Berlin a college with a musicalhumanistic profile as an institutional platform for dialog and understanding among young people coming from war ridden countries of the Middle East (Syria, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon). The academy is expected to educate around 90-100 young musicians from Middle East countries. The establishment of an experimental cultural-educational institution, the Barenboim-Said- Akademie (8 December 2016) deserves attention for a variety of reasons: political, cultural, educational, social. It is an interesting phenomenon because of the many functions to be performed by the Academy itself (its fundamental task being education and learning: tutoring in music and humanistic subjects), its students (perfecting their professional skills and learning the history and culture of another nation through music), and last but least the institution as a music center (offering Berlin and its citizens an original concert hall). The study attempts to communicate the message and main assumptions of the initiative with an emphasis on the support it has received in Germany from different institutions ranging from the Bundestag, through the federal government (especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the government of the FRG for culture and the media) to other bodies cooperating in the creation of the Academy. Thanks to the determination and unfailing endeavors of one individual it was possible to create a music college dedicated to performing, on a neutral ground, educational, integrative and political functions for people from other cultural environments. Germany is a country with an openness to other cultures and a favorable socio-political climate for the development of artistic personalities and initiatives towards integration and peace. The indirect observation method was used in the study; it was based on information and materials collected by the analyzed institution as well as on interviews and utterances of competent politicians [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are not many artists who engage so strongly not only in the artistic domain, but also in the social and political spheres, as the Argentine-Israeli pianist and conductor resident in Berlin, Daniel Barenboim. Especially noteworthy is his music project initiated and realized together with Edward Said, an American of Palestinian background and esteemed philosopher, music and culture theoretician and critic. In 1999 they created an Arab-Israeli orchestra named West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, made up of young musicians who come from war-torn countries of the Near East (Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, etc.). In accordance with the principles of its founders the ensemble carries a "message of peace" to the world. Through music, joint workshops, concerts, discussions and conversations a gradual leveling of judgments and mutual prejudices on the people, history and culture of the nations represented by the musicians takes place. This is the best proof that not only is understanding possible among discordant nations despite political, cultural and denominational differences, but even friendships can be established. Thus, Barenboim's claim is confirmed that the solution of the conflict in the Near East lies not in military measures but in the people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long awaited opening of the Elbphilharmonie, the new hall of the Hamburg philharmonic raised an avid interest not only among the inhabitants of this city. Indeed, the occasion turned out to be an event of a much larger scale and socio-cultural signifcance, important not just to music lovers in Germany and worldwide, but also prominent from the perspective of the prestige of the proud city of Hamburg. The solemn opening concert on January 11, 2017 was attended by many leading representatives of the world of politics, culture and business, as well as music lovers from Germany and abroad, journalists, music critics and correspondents from all over the world. On account of the fourish of the structure, its unique form, external circumstances and expectations concerning the acoustics, this impressive cultural project posed an immense architectural, technical and above all financial challenge. From the beginning it provoked doubts whether the work could be successfully completed, so when the construction was finally brought to an end, the satisfaction was all the greater. The object of the study is to present the conception of the entire enterprise and the various purposes that the building serves, with a focus on the merits of the Great Concert Hall and its acoustics. Also the first reactions and commentaries following the official opening of the new building are considered. From the numerous accounts it can be concluded that the Elbphilharmonie has undoubtedly become a new icon of the Free City of Hamburg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent influx of refugees to Europe on an unprecedented scale especially in the second half of 2015 has met with varied, generally very skeptical responses in the host countries or countries of their potential relocation. For Germany, which is the destination of the largest number of refugees (mainly from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran) who have fled from persecution and terror, the situation poses a great challenge. The German society responded with considerable openness to the needs of the immigrants and initiatives for the benefit of refugees were also joined by cultural and artistic circles. Surprisingly many projects and grass roots initiatives have been undertaken with the aim of assisting the newcomers to get accustomed to the new environment and integrate through music. The impulse came both from professionals and amateurs, young people (mostly music school students) as well as renowned public figures. The text presents a broad spectrum of different types of activities andjoint initiatives undertaken by individual people and organized groups (choirs, bands, societies, associations, etc.) for the benefit of refugees and together with them in order to enable them to participate actively in performing music, to help them master the German language (through learning songs and musical games), to give them an opportunity to relax from the treadmill of day to day existence by inviting them to involve in concerts organized specially for them and above all to facilitate their integration with the German society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building of a new identity in the Federal Republic of Germany after its unification had to start from reckoning the past, a process that concerned also the literary milieu of the GDR. The paper is an attempt to portray the diverse attitudes and dilemmas of GDR writers and journalists relevant to their perception and assessment of the past and the role they played in consolidating the socialist state. The personal quandaries of some prominent spiritual leaders of the nation are also shown as well as the questions and accusations they had to face in connection with the responsibility of the literary circles after the Stasi files had been disclosed. The self-reflections of those writers reveal a peculiar mixture of a sense of failure, and chagrin at the "loss of the homeland" and the idea in which they believed, while on the other hand it is evident that they were aware they had let the society down by legitimizing the communist rule; some of the writers tried to suppress their guilt until the end. A review of attitudes and assessments of the activity of East German writers before and after the fall of the GDR allows us to note far reaching differences of stances in judging one's ideals, dreams and beliefs. The dividing lines and differences in evaluating the situation before and after the breakthrough separated not only the writers of the former GDR from their critics in the West but also those writers who remained in the country from those who had to leave their "democratic" republic at various periods for various reasons or were expelled from it. Also, writers belonging to the older generations had a different view of the past than the younger generation of writers who were not embroiled in the previous arrangements and obligations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Polish-German cultural relations and cultural exchange between 1990 and 2010. Focus is given to treaties signed by both countries that have fostered cultural cooperation, including the 1991 Treaty on Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation. The author notes difficulties in promoting Polish culture in Germany due to the German media's negative portrayals of Polish people. Also discussed are partnerships between German and Polish schools, German institutions that promote Polish culture, and cross-cultural events, such as the Polish/German Year of 2005/2006.

This article focuses upon the points raised in the article "Die Hälfte? Warum die Subventionskultur, wie wir sie kennen, ein Ende finden muss," which appeared in the March 12, 2012, issue of the German weekly, "Der Spiegel." It highlighted the opinions of Dieter Haselbach, Armin Klein, Pius Knüsel and Stephan Opitz, the authors of the book "Der Kulturinfarkt: Von allem zu viel und überall das Gleiche. Eine Polemik über Kulturpolitik, Kulturstaat, Kultursubvention," and examined the complex issue of cultural subsidies in Germany in 2012. The author notes the critical opinions of the aforementioned four authors/scholars with regard to the politics that often lie behind and/or burden such public-sector funded subsidies and details their vision for such financial support in the future.

The transformation of the political and economic system in Poland in the 1990s set the development of cultural cooperation between Poland and Germany on a new basis, opening greater possibilities of dialog before local administration, cultural institutions and private persons. A formal basis for the realization of cultural cooperation and exchange was provided by: provisions of the treaty on good neighbors and friendly cooperation of 1991, agreement on cultural cooperation between the two countries of 1997, and numerous agreements signed between authorities on the level of provinces, districts and townships, as well as agreements on partnership between cities and schools, particular cultural institutions, etc. An essential role in the shaping of cultural dialog was played by the embassies of both countries (in Berlin and Warsaw), the Polish consulates in Germany (Munich, Cologne and Hamburg) and the German consulates in Poland (Wrocław, Kraków, Gdańsk), as well as Polish Institutes: in Berlin (with its branch in Lipsk) and Dsseldorf, the Deutsches Polen-Institut in Darmstadt, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw, the agencies of the Goethe-Institut in Warsaw and Kraków, the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation and others. An important factor in implementing the provisions of the treaty and agreements was the direct involvement of numerous persons and subjects in activities aimed at continuing and developing cooperation in the cultural sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a summary of the gathering of scholars and surviving Poles and Germans from the Baltic region, "Poles and Baltic Germans in the Land of the Warta, 1939-1945." It took place on October 16-18, 2009, at the Instytut Zachodni in Poznań, Poland. Germans and Poles lived in the Baltic nations of Latvia and Estonia prior to 1939, and both had either been resettled to Poznań (the case of Germans) or brutally evicted/deported to General Government Poland (Poles). Conference papers and presentations examined these removals and their impact.

This article examines the issue of cultural policy and how it was articulated in the political platforms of Germany's political parties (Christlich-Demokratische Union/Christlich-Soziale Union (Bundestagsfraktion), Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD), Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP), Die Linke, and the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) in the election of 2009. The author notes that these declarations with respect to German culture/German cultural policy shared many common points. Each party, though, highlighted different aspects of the issue. She also notes that Erinnerungskultur (the culture of memory) was not expressed prominently in the declared catalogs/platforms of any of the German political parties that year but, rather, emphasized as either a separate issue or was merely implied.

This article is a synopsis of events associated with the awards ceremony for the fourth high school academic competition, "Historia i Życie," which was held in the building of the department of Law and Administration of the University of Warsaw. The event took place on September 15, 2009. The author notes the subjects/foci of the three previous competitions in the series, and also details the sponsors of the 2008/2009 competition. The fourth competition focused on the issue of "Poles and Germans."

The reunification of Germany in 1990 led to a resumption of the issue of reshaping the historical center of Berlin. Plans to reconstruct the city castle, also known under the name of Berlin city palace, as a former seat of the margraves and electors of Brandenburg gave rise to considerable controversies. The original castle, erected in the years 1443-1451 by order of the Prince Elector Frederick II was in the course of time redecorated and rebuilt a number of times. Towards the end of the Second World War it was seriously damaged. As a result of the division of Germany the complex of the castle together with the Museum Island was within the territory of the GDR. In 1950, at the request of Walter Ulbricht, the then leader of the communist SED, the remains of the castle were demolished and in 1973 the Palace of the Republic was built on the site. Following the reunification of Germany, a special body of experts: the Berlin Historical Center (Historische Mitte Berlin) was summoned with a task to work out concrete solutions for the development of the castle site and the architectonic shape of the new castle building as well as to prepare a statement of the purposes the building was to serve in the future. On 28 November 2008 the verdict of the jury was announced concerning the project of the castle's reconstruction and the winner was an Italian architect, Francesco Stella. In accordance with the recommendations of the Historische Mitte Berlin Committee, the new castle building for which the name of Humboldt-Forum was adopted, is to become a place of „dialogue between cultures and science", serving museum and university purposes. The building is to be completed in 2013, and at the latest in 2015. The debate over the castle revealed differences in attitudes to tradition and past events as well as varying visions of the future in the German society. It is an expression of seeking their national identity by the Germans after the fall of the Berlin wall. It also exposed differences in aesthetic attitudes between supporters of tradition and advocates of innovative architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article summarizes the events of conference „Polska--Niemcy: literatura i pamięć," hosted by the Wyższa Szkoła Języków Obcych im. Samuela Bogumiła Lindego in Poznań, Poland. Organized by the hosting institution and the Central Committee of German Language Olympics and the Polish Association of Teachers of German, the conference presented: five papers on the issue of "Memory" from a historical perspective; a panel discussion on historical anniversaries; and four historical-literary lectures.

This article describes several recent examples of miRNA governing the regulation of the gene expression involved in bone matrix construction. We present the impact of miRNA on the subsequent steps in the formation of collagen type I. Collagen type I is a main factor of mechanical bone stiffness because it constitutes 90–95% of the organic components of the bone. Therefore, the precise epigenetic regulation of collagen formation may have a significant influence on bone structure. We also describe miRNA involvement in the expression of genes, the protein products of which participate in collagen maturation in various tissues and cancer cells. We show how non-collagenous proteins in the extracellular matrix are epigenetically regulated by miRNA in bone and other tissues. We also delineate collagen mineralisation in bones by factors that depend on miRNA molecules. This review reveals the tissue variability of miRNA regulation at different levels of collagen maturation and mineralisation. The functionality of collagen mRNA regulation by miRNA, as proven in other tissues, has not yet been shown in osteoblasts. Several collagen-regulating miRNAs are co-expressed with collagen in bone. We suggest that collagen mRNA regulation by miRNA could also be potentially important in bone metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

<b>Introduction:</b> Auditory scene analysis refers to the system through which the auditory system distinguishes distinct auditory events and sources to create meaningful auditory information. The exact number of directly perceived auditory stimuli is unknown, studies suggest it may range from 3 to 5. This number differs among individuals, and potentially may indirectly indicate the ability to store and process the complex information, related to the memory load, which is combined with human cognitive processes.<b>Aim:</b> This study aims to further identify and quantify the number of sounds that can be perceived simultaneously in a complex auditory environment.<b>Material and methods:</b> Participants were presented with structured acoustic recordings and were asked to identify the exact number of targeted stimuli heard throughout the test. The experiment was designed to assess the auditory load and determine the maximum number of auditory stimuli that a healthy human can perceive at once.<b>Results:</b> Our study showed that on average, participants could identify up to three sounds at once with accuracy of responses declining progressively for four sounds or more.<b>Conclusions:</b> This study aimed to investigate the human capacity to detect and identify multiple sound signals simultaneously in a noisy environment. By understanding this ability, we sought to assess cognitive reserve in individuals. Our objective was to determine if auditory load could serve as a diagnostic tool for cognitive evaluation. We believe that further research will establish the validity of this approach, and we anticipate that it is only a matter of time before it becomes a viable method for assessing cognitive function.

The Aim: This given work is dedicated to examine the correlation of results of the ambulant screening vHIT test conducted by applying ICS Impulse device, with results of standard appliance otoneurological videonystagmography (VNG) testing. Comparison of given results will provide assessment of vHIT test effectiveness for otoneurological diagnosis of patients suffering giddiness or any other equilibrium system disorder., Reference and Method: Diagnosis was reached with 20 patients suffering vestibular disorders with no specific ailment location. From overall VNG test there was a caloric testing extracted, containing assessment of canal paresis and directional preponderance. Numerical values of these parameters were compared to vHIT test result - the indicator of "gain" eye-ball movement imaging head move, to be specific., Results: Conducted examinations did not reveal any significant correlation between VNG and vHIT parameters however it is need to be emphasized here, that most of the considered cases were not affected but any defect of vestibular canal receptor. Nevertheless, unsettled values of "gain" indicator may signify that vHIT regardless of ailments location is defected., Conclusion: vHIT test with its quantitative analysis may in the future become indicator of auricular disorders., (Copyright © 2013 Polish Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Society. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z.o.o. All rights reserved.)