Processing of hierarchical syntactic strusture in music

Hierarchical structure with nested nonlocal dependencies is a key feature of human language and can be identified theoretically in most pieces of tonal music. However, previous studies have argued against the perception of such structures in music. Here, we show processing of nonlocal dependencies in music. We presented chorales by J. S. Bach and modified versions inwhich the hierarchical structure was rendered irregular whereas the local structure was kept intact. Brain electric responses differed between regular and irregular hierarchical structures, in both musicians and nonmusicians. This finding indicates that, when listening to music, humans apply cognitive processes that are capable of dealing with longdistance dependencies resulting from hierarchically organized syntactic structures. Our results reveal that a brain mechanism fundamental for syntactic processing is engaged during the perception of music, indicating that processing of hierarchical structure with nested nonlocal dependencies is not just a key component of human language, but a multidomain capacity of human cognition.

Os forrós da Serra da Gameleira (São Tomé/RN) : etnicidade, festa e sociabilidade

This work intends to describe and analyze the parties of forró that happen in Serra da Gameleira, in São Tomé/RN. Serra is a divided social space: groups of different ethnic origins live together in Gameleira de Baixo, Salgadinho (or Gameleira de Cima) and Chaves Belas. They are approximately two hundred families that live exclusively from agriculture. We try to understand how the parties inform about the social organization, the ethnic composition of the families that live there and the past of Serra, through the genealogy offorró players. In the discussion, we identify the festive places: in the total, we have Five houses of forró that function regularly one of them has been described. The private and public spaces inside them are intimate related, with no clear limits between the house of forró and the residence. Each house of forró has an owner, that regularly makes the parties, mobilizing a big part of the inhabitants, and provoking the straitening of the social relations. Observing the festive sociability between different social segments, the forró appears like na element that minimizes social conflicts, providing news ways of association and cooperation in the space of Serra da Gameleira. For the collection of facts, we used the ethnographic method, through the direct observation, interviewing and documentary research. The local history is recounted following the routes of oral memory and historical documents analysis. In the end of the analysis, we concluded that music and party are elements that aggregate the different groups that live in the location and determine forms of expression of what is seen as a traditional culture

Medo de dentista em cena: uma análise de produções cinematográficas

The fear related to dental procedures can be acquired through disturbing experiences and/or negative cultural influences related in experiences of previous generations. Such influences may be present in diverse forms of cultural expression: in the cinema, plastic arts, music, literature, and diverse vehicles of printed and visual media. This research aimed investigates the images of fear related to the dental service and dentist in motion pictures. The study has qualitative approach, which used the documentary analysis of movies. The data collection was accomplished through research in the Internet by means of the Google tool (http://www.google.com.br), using the describing words filme and dentista . A total of 44 films were found. Of these, after selective criterion for films with scenes showing interaction between dentist and patient in the execution of clinical procedure, only 24 films were enclosed. Then, these were registered in data base created for this research. After second selective criterion of inclusion (scenes with suggestion of dental anxiety), 15 films remained. As regards cinematographic gender, the films with scenes showing "dental anxiety" varied between comedy (8), horror (3), drama (2), thriller (1) and childish (1). Of these films, scenes with images of situations that suggest fear of the dentist and his job were selected and described. The images were categorized by the identification of negative characteristics that incite "dental anxiety". Then, the classification of the categories was proceeded detaching the most recurrent characteristics in the scenes: situation of fear in the waiting-room; pain; instrument coarse/rudimentary; coarseness of the dentist; torture; and low qualification technique. The waiting-room was observed as a place of great tension, due to the noises coming from the dental attendance. The pain related to the Dentistry was the predominant subject in the majority of films (14), associated to others negative characteristics. The rudimentary aspects of procedures and instruments, and the coarse attitudes of the professional could be observed too. The dentist was characterized as confused, sadist, violent, insensitive, incompetent person and disturbed. Such results suggest that, despite the technological advances of the profession, the image of the dentist and his job is still transmitted in a negative way aspect and reinforces the dental anxiety