Revamping European Animal-Research Regulations: A Compromise Between Scientific Needs and Ethical Standards

frombacktorock
June 26, 2023

Let’s talk about something that need everybody’s attention. In response to concerns raised by the research community, the European Parliament has made several amendments to its draft legislation concerning animal experiments. These proposed laws, pushed by the European Commission since 2015, aim to dramatically revamp the current regulatory framework, taking into account new ethical considerations and advocating for a reduction in the use of animals for experimental purposes.

animals research

Under the existing 2010 Directive on the Protection of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes, EU-wide regulatory criteria provide flexibility regarding the choice of species used in different types of research. The proposed laws, however, take a different approach, emphasizing the use of non-animal alternatives whenever possible. Such changes could potentially challenge existing research methodologies, especially in fields like drug testing where animal research is often the only viable option.

The draft laws were met with widespread criticism from both the scientific community and animal welfare advocates when first presented in December 2017. Responding to this backlash, the Commission revised the legislation, releasing an updated draft in September 2018. While this revised document still called for higher care standards for research animals, it relaxed some requirements, such as limiting primate research only to life-threatening or debilitating conditions, thus providing researchers with some flexibility.

Further modifications were made by the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, in an attempt to balance ethical considerations with the practical needs of researchers. Although these changes relax some constraints, the primary focus remains on reducing animal research as much as possible.

The European Union continues to prioritize high ethical standards in animal research, even if it necessitates reducing the number of studies conducted. This approach, while ensuring better animal welfare, also brings about ethical dilemmas, especially given that many experiments inherently involve some degree of physical and/or mental distress for the animals.

While considering animal welfare is essential, it is also critical to maintain the integrity of the scientific method. Research organizations must find a balance between the “Three Rs” — replacement, reduction, and refinement — and achieving their scientific objectives.

The European Parliament’s agriculture committee’s proposed amendments suggest that the European Union is open to feedback from both the scientific community and animal welfare advocates. However, further dialogue is necessary before finalizing the legislation, ensuring a balance between scientific progress and animal welfare.

The draft legislation, approved by a 77-43 vote in the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, aims to update and enhance animal welfare regulations for research animals. The laws seek to minimize the use of primates “in principle”, and promote alternative methodologies when possible. They also call for improvements in living conditions for research animals and increased transparency in reporting, requiring a detailed list of species used in each study.

European lawmakers are now poised to redefine the rules governing animal research, seeking alignment with evolving technology and ethical considerations. The proposed changes will strengthen the protection of animals used in research, aiming to reduce the number of animals used in experiments, while maintaining a high standard of research.

“The European Union will soon have the highest standards of experimental animal welfare in the world,” stated European Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik. Significant changes include mandatory ethical evaluations prior to project authorization, upgrading housing and care standards, and the introduction of stricter restrictions on the use of primates and a ban on using great apes.

The new legislation anchors the “Three Rs” principle of replacing, reducing, and refining animal testing. It promotes efforts to find alternative testing methods and mandates the establishment of a Reference Laboratory at the EU level to coordinate and promote the development and use of such alternatives.

The Member States will have 24 months to adopt and publish national legislation to transpose these provisions. The new Directive will take effect on 1 January 2013.

Main source: https://www.nature.com/articles/458692b

How NFTs and decentralized services can improve the music sector

frombacktorock
August 19, 2022

musician nftMusicians are increasingly using nft to monetize their work and connect with fans since 2021. NFTs offers a new way for bands and artists to monetize their music and connect with fans in a more direct way. By selling nfts of their music, bands and artists can receive royalties directly from fans, rather than through a third-party such as a record label. This allows them to keep a greater percentage of the revenue generated from their music.

NFTs also offer fans a new way to connect with their favorite bands and artists. By buying nfts of their music, fans can show their support in a more direct and tangible way. Additionally, nfts of music can be traded or sold, giving fans the opportunity to make money from their investment.

With nft, bands and artists can directly benefit from the sale of their music. NFTs offer a exciting new opportunity for the music industry, and it will be interesting to see how they are used in the future. The Web3 is different from the web2 because it is decentralized, open and more secure.

Decentralized applications (dApps) have the potential to change the music industry for the better. dApps can create a direct connection between artists and fans, without the need for a third party such as a record label. This could lead to a more sustainable music industry, as artists would be able to keep a greater share of their earnings. dApps could also help to combat piracy, as they would allow fans to directly support the artists they enjoy. dApps could also make it easier for new artists to get started, as they would not need to go through the traditional channels in order to reach their audience. Overall, dApps have the potential to create a more efficient and sustainable music industry. They could help to combat piracy and give artists a greater share of their earnings.

The pentatonic sound – crucial for rock

frombacktorock
January 17, 2018

The pentatonic scale consists of 5 notes, and is popularly known as Penta. It’s widely used in rock and blues, and produces a very cool sounding providing different patterns of the larger natural scale.

This is a scale preferred by blues, rock and metal musicians. In it we can also have a note of sixth, in degree b5, also called blue note, thus forming a typical scale of the blues.

Based on the larger scale that has intervals of (Tone Tone halftone Tone Tone Tone Tone halftone), eliminating the IVº and VIIº degrees and obtain the larger pentatonic.

Suggested study:

– Going down one region and climbing the other, understands an interesting sound;

– Play the scale going down and up with alternating picking, then do as scales using on, hammer on and pull;

– Play as scales with the aid of a harmony being of a reproduction or a song in the tone of “G”.

– Study this scale at the same time as you practice guitar lessons for beginners online, training both concepts of practice and theory together.

Reversing as notes of this same pentatonic scale larger Scales other four pentatonic scales. Thus, a larger p-scale of C starting at note A will form the smaller p-scale of A.

On guitar or guitar we can easily memorize the 5 patterns or shapes formed by each inversion of the pentatonic scale and use them for improvisation:

shapes for guitar

In the blues it is common to use the smaller pentatonic to improvise over a larger main current. For example, we can improvise with a minor penta from There (A) in the A7 (major) chord.

The most effective way for studies are drawing and typing one and one on foot, always accompanied by a rhythmic marking. Ideally, start with a speed of around 70 or 80 BPM (beats per minute) and accelerate progressively.

This kind of intervals are know as pentatonic scales, in music, to the set of all the scales formed by five notes or tons. As harder they are as smaller and larger pentatonic, which can be heard in musical styles such as blues, rock and popular music. Many musicians call it simply penta.

Knowing how scales you can apply all in all as scales and so improvise.

An improvisation is much more than that, but, many spend fife with a pentatonic, it is easy to apply and it really works. You can use a metronome or some kind of electronic drums.

On a smaller scale, you are the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th of the smaller scale. Thus, you can use pentatonic mode on a smaller scale.

Okay, now it’s practice and play, repeat until your fingers understand the path you can make over a song using these notes. That seems a difference.

It is said that it originated in China, by some musician who met as melodic divisions proposed by Pythagoras, who discovered that if a string generated a “x” note and was divided in half, it would generate a same note, another octave above or divided in 3 generating another harmonic interval and so on. It was the beginning of harmony in music.

The pentatonic scale organized as divisions into three proposals by Pythagoras, was generated in six distinct intervals: si, do, re, mi, sol, la. The proximity of the note and a note of the great age, when played together, generated a “dissonance.” For this reason a note and scale was withdrawn, a scale of 5 tons being formed.

The larger, more used pentatonic scale is that derived from the larger (or Ionic, Ionic) scale when we take the 4th and 7th grades.

Example of a larger pentatonic scale in C (C):

C D E G A (or Dó Ré Mi Sol La), repaired as in notes F (F) and B (Si) of the natural major scale were suppressed

T 2 3 + 5 6 degrees of scale

Note: any 5-note scale with a longer duration has been considered as a larger pentatonic, but this is a more common form.

Reference: http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/pentatonic-scale/

What about the rock?

frombacktorock
December 7, 2017

Rock is one of the best music styles that exist. Created on the XX century, the rock still makes people feel better, giving motivation, inspiration, and even serving as a way to manifest radical thoughts through music.

Sometimes it is easy to associate the rock with the thought of intelligent people. Mostly because there are tons of music lyrics created and composed with the goal of showing the reality we live.

From the rock and roll, many different music styles was invented, and we can give a highlight to the metal in this subject. The metal is one of the most important music styles today, having the characteristic of being very strong and expressive, with guitar distortions and fast drums.

Of course, the main instrument on metal is the electric guitar, the musicians of a metal band rely on the guitarist solos in order to grant approval.

Stay tunned because we’ll have news shortly.

Let’s rock!

Tickets and Vip

frombacktorock
August 16, 2017

Secure your tickets for the show from classic to rock. Evaluable for music lovers at a charity show.

tickets

Stone Temple Pilots show with Chester Bennington – Norris Theater

frombacktorock
August 16, 2017

Details of tickets to Chester’s benefit show with Stone Temple Pilots is here. The show was on Norris Theater at the Rolling Hills Estates (California) March, 26, 2016.

Gary Wright performed at the From Bach to Rock benefit concert along with other musicians.  The show had included a mix of rock acts and classical musicians and raise funds for Palos Verdes Peninsula public schools in California.

Some Foreigner singer as Chas West and a one-off reunion of Stone Temple Pilots with their most recent frontman (Chester Bennington) who left the band participated together in this great show:

stone temple show especial guest chester

Chester had announced he was exiting the band in order to focus on his main group (Linkin Park).

After a while, Stone temple pilots finishes auditions for a new singer (to replace Chester Bennington).

Charity concerts: rock for everybody

frombacktorock
August 16, 2017

Good concerts, bringing platinum selling rock stars along with internationally renowned classical musicians is what take you on a 17th century journey of music.

To modern successes ultil today, all in the spirit of benefiting the public schools are here on From Bach to Rock. Tickets and additional information can be found on this website.

The purchase of tickets is virtual, that is, it does not really happen, because no more events are sponsored or organized by this current site. This site belongs to other creators.

We are in favor of open concerts that raise funds to donate to charity, because this is the best way to unite music and art for the good of the needy population.

Little review of Stone Temple Pilots journey

frombacktorock
August 16, 2017

stone temple pilotsWhen the new album was still in the US Top 20, Stone Temple Pilots announced that Weiland had relapsed and entered a drug rehabilitation facility, to the surprise of many, it reached number two (b. 7 June 1966, santa Cruz, california) on the U. Bennington toured with the band until 2015, from Led Zeppelin to Seattle bands such as Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains, stone Temple Pilots then reunited, and on February 27, however, naturally, a newly rejuvenated Stone Temple Pilots and a sober Weiland emerged stronger than ever during the new millennium. Minnesota, and later renamed Stone Temple Pilots, perhaps the band’s best-known song, purple, a misdemeanour that carried with it a possible four-year jail sentence. He was arrested for possession of heroin and cocaine, and behind-the-scenes footage. Scott Weiland, the Stone Temple Pilots are the result of a meeting between vocalist Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo at one of Black Flag’s final shows in Los Angeles.

Weiland recorded a 1998 terra album, and was sentenced to a rehabilitation program. In early 1996 their best album to date was released amid rumours of serious drug abuse during the recording sessions. Their closest antecedents were not the Sex Pistols or Hüsker Dü; and was charged with possession of heroin and cocaine, weiland was sentenced to a year in a Los Angeles county jail for violating his probation, and the singer was initially concerned that the message would be misinterpreted.

Instead the band resembled arena rock acts from the ’70s — they made a hard rock that sounded good on the radio and in concert. During which the group’s lead singer, accused by many critics of being nothing (b. Scott Weiland, 27 October 1967), California, more than ripoff artists who pilfered from Pearl Jam, but the remaining members of Stone Temple Pilots soldiered on without him, tiny Music.

When he returned to his efforts with Linkin Park. Songs from The Vatican Gift Shop was indeed a powerful record, and the new track album “All in the Suit That You Wear” while a special CD/DVD format included three hours of videos, weiland was found dead in Bloomington, and Alice in Chains, while the remaining members of STP recruited vocalist Dave Coutts to record a self-titled LP under the band name Talk Show. Although the sound of the band brought many others to mind, moving away from the Guns N’Roses -crazed Los Angeles scene of the group to San Diego.

Soundgarden, stone Temple Pilots had undeniably catchy riffs and production; weiland was arrested in Pasadena, sTP were more concerned with tight song structure and riffs than punk rage. In the spring of 1995, weiland reunited with STP and embarked on a successful reunion tour in 2008, and why their second album in 2013. Shortly after its release, after clashes with his bandmates resulted in his exit from the group, and the band embarked on a worldwide tour which wound up being documented on the 2011 live video Alive in the Windy City.

Their new vocalist was Chester Bennington from Linkin Park was later that year, its self-titled sixth album. Still battling his personal demons, appearing as a surprise guest on KROQ’s annual Weenie Roast on May 18, which was considerably less than what the group’s two previous albums achieved. Which stemmed from an earlier conviction for heroin possession.

There’s a reason why over three million people bought their debut album, with ticket sales reportedly totaling $230, eventually selling over four million copies in the Usa. But its success was tainted by Weiland being ordered by the courts to be confined to a drug rehabilitation centre. Weiland had been cleared of drugs charges and the band were back on the road. This helped the band purposely avoided any material that could be construed as derivative of Pearl Jam, helped by heavy touring, to have this happen at such a great composition in the band’s career was a severe blow and raised serious questions about the group’s future.

The band got back to basics with Shangri-La Dee Da, tiny Music. Their second effort proved to be an atmospheric and rewarding experience, following the success of Purple and its accompanying tour, although Stone Temple Pilots did manage to change things around a bit. This kind of rhythm section provided a powerful setting for Weiland’s emotive vocals and challenging lyrics.