Activity

Instrumentalplaying techniques such as vibratos, glissandos, and trills often denote musical expressivity, both in classical and folk contexts. However, most existing approaches to music similarity retrieval fail to describe timbre beyond the so-called “ordinary” technique, use instrument identity as a proxy for timbre quality, and do not allow for customization to the perceptual idiosyncrasies of a new subject. In this article, we ask 31 human participants to organize 78 isolated notes into a set of timbre clusters. Analyzing their responses suggests that timbre perception operates within a more flexible taxonomy than those provided by instruments or playing techniques alone. In addition, we propose a machine listening model to recover the cluster graph of auditory similarities across instruments, mutes, and techniques. Our model relies on joint time-frequency scattering features to extract spectrotemporal modulations as acoustic features. Furthermore, it minimizes triplet loss in the cluster graph by means of the large-margin nearest neighbor (LMNN) metric learning algorithm. 4-Aminobutyric datasheet Over a dataset of 9346 isolated notes, we report a state-of-the-art average precision at rank five (AP@5) of 99.0%±1. An ablation study demonstrates that removing either the joint time-frequency scattering transform or the metric learning algorithm noticeably degrades performance.

To describe the mortality trends of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Colombia, by sex and age group, from 1979 to 2017.

We carried out an ecological study using mortality data from the Colombian National Administrative Department of Statistics. Crude and age-standardized annual mortality rates per 100 000 people were estimated. Trends of standardized rates were described by sex and age groups. Joinpoint regression models were performed to study mortality trends.

Throughout the whole period, the total number of DM recorded deaths in Colombia was 200 650, 58% (116 316) in women (p<0.05). The age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) by sex increased from 13.2 to 26.6 deaths per 100 000 in women and from 10.1 to 22.7 in men from 1979 to 1999. We observed a decrease from 26.6 to 15.4 per 100 000 in women, and from 22.7 to 15.9 in men for the period 1999-2017. The joinpoint regression analysis showed that the average annual percentage change of the period did not vary in both sexes (men -0.2%, 95% CI -1.0 to 1.4%; women 0.7%, 95% CI -0.1 to 1.6%).

The DM mortality showed a decreasing trend after 2000 in women and 2004 in men. Primary and secondary prevention programs must continue to be strengthened for an earlier diagnosis of diabetes.

The DM mortality showed a decreasing trend after 2000 in women and 2004 in men. Primary and secondary prevention programs must continue to be strengthened for an earlier diagnosis of diabetes.[This corrects the article DOI 10.26633/RPSP.2020.74.].

To confirm the absence of

autochthonous cases in Manaus, a former focus of lymphatic filariasis in the Western Brazilian Amazon.

A field survey was carried out in 2016 using immunochromatographic rapid tests (ICT card) for the detection of circulating filarial antigens in blood. The sample included a group of 3 000 schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years enrolled in schools from different urban areas of Manaus (including the former lymphatic filariasis focus in the city) and a group of 709 adolescents and adults, between the ages of 11 and 85 years, born and raised in different areas of Manaus.

All of the individuals tested negative for

antigen.

Although Manaus was once considered endemic, this focus no longer seems to be active for lymphatic filariasis transmission. The results of this study could support the certification by the World Health Organization of the lymphatic filariasis transmission elimination exercise in Brazil.

Although Manaus was once considered endemic, this focus no longer seems to be active for lymphatic filariasis transmission. The results of this study could support the certification by the World Health Organization of the lymphatic filariasis transmission elimination exercise in Brazil.

In Central and South America, snakebite envenomation is mainly caused by

spp. snakes, whose venoms feature significant biochemical richness, including serine proteases. The available bothropic antivenoms are efficient in avoiding fatalities, but do not completely neutralize venom serine proteases, which are co-responsible for some disorders observed during envenomation.

In order to search for tools to improve the antivenom’s, 6-mer peptides were designed based on a specific substrate for

venom serine proteases, and then synthesized, with the intention to selectively inhibit these enzymes.

Using batroxobin as a snake venom serine protease model, two structurally similar inhibitor peptides were identified. When tested on

venom, one of the new inhibitors displayed a good potential to inhibit the activity of the venom serine proteases. These inhibitors do not affect human serine proteases as human factor Xa and thrombin, due to their selectivity.

Our study identified two small peptides able to inhibit bothropic serine proteases, but not human ones, can be used as tools to enhance knowledge of the venom composition and function. Moreover, one promising peptide (pepC) was identified that can be explored in the search for improving

spp. envenomation treatment.

Our study identified two small peptides able to inhibit bothropic serine proteases, but not human ones, can be used as tools to enhance knowledge of the venom composition and function. Moreover, one promising peptide (pepC) was identified that can be explored in the search for improving Bothrops spp. envenomation treatment.RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play a key role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. They have been shown to be dysfunctional in a variety of cancers and are closely related to the occurrence and progression of cancers. However, the biological function and clinical significance of RBPs in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) are unclear. In our current study, we downloaded the transcriptome data of ccRCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and identified differential expression of RBPs between tumor tissue and normal kidney tissue. Then the biological function and clinical value of these RBPs were explored by using a variety of bioinformatics techniques. We identified a total of 40 differentially expressed RBPs, including 10 down-regulated RBPs and 30 up-regulated RBPs. Eight RBPs (APOBEC3G, AUH, DAZL, EIF4A1, IGF2BP3, NR0B1, RPL36A, and TRMT1) and nine RBPs (APOBEC3G, AUH, DDX47, IGF2BP3, MOV10L1, NANOS1, PIH1D3, TDRD9, and TRMT1) were identified as prognostic related to overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), respectively, and prognostic models for OS and DFS were constructed based on these RBPs.