Indifference to dissonance in native Amazonians reveals cultural variation in music perception.

by biology remains debated. One widely discussed phenomenon is that some combinations of notes are perceived by Westerners as pleasant, or consonant, whereas others are perceived as unpleasant,or dissonant. The contrast between consonance and dissonance is central to Western music and its origins have fascinated scholars since the ancient Greeks. Aesthetic responses to consonance are commonly assumed by scientists to have biological roots, and thus to be universally present in humans. Ethnomusicologists and composers, in contrast, have argued that consonance is a creation of Western musical culture. The issue has remained unresolved, partly because little is known about the extent of cross-cultural variation in consonance preferences. Here we report experiments with the Tsimane'--a native Amazonian society with minimal exposure to Western culture--and comparison populations in Bolivia and the United States that varied in exposure to Western music. Participants rated the pleasantness of sounds. Despite exhibiting Western-like discrimination abilities and Western-like aesthetic responses to familiar sounds and acoustic roughness, the Tsimane' rated consonant and dissonant chords and vocal harmonies as equally pleasant. By contrast, Bolivian city- and town-dwellers exhibited significant preferences for consonance,albeit to a lesser degree than US residents. The results indicate that consonance preferences can be absent in cultures sufficiently isolated from Western music, and are thus unlikely to reflect innate biases or exposure to harmonic natural sounds. The observed variation in preferences is presumably determined by exposure to musical harmony, suggesting that culture has a dominant role in shaping aesthetic responses to music.

Structural investigation of selective binding dynamics for the pheromone-binding protein 1 of the grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana.

The European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller), is a serious pest in vineyards in North and South America. Mating disruption techniques have been used to control and monitor L. botrana on the basis of its sexual communication. This needs a well-tuned olfactory system, in which it is believed that pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are key players that transport pheromones in the antennae of moths. In this study, the selectivity of a PBP, named as LbotPBP1, was tested by fluorescence binding assays against 11 sex pheromone components and 6 host plant volatiles. In addition, its binding mechanism was predicted on the basis of structural analyses by molecular docking and complex and steered molecular dynamics (SMD). Our results indicate that LbotPBP1 binds selectively to sex pheromone components over certain host plant volatiles, according to both in vitro and in silico tests. Thus, chain length (14 carbon atoms) and functional groups (i.e., alcohol and ester) appear to be key features for stable binding. Likewise, residues such as Phe12, Phe36, and Phe118 could participate in unspecific binding processes, whilst Ser9, Ser56, and Trp114 could participate in the specific recognition and stabilization of sex pheromones instead of host plant volatiles. Moreover, our SMD approach supported 11-dodecenyl acetate as the best ligand for LbotPBP1. Overall, the dynamics simulations, contact frequency analysis and SMD shed light on the binding mechanism of LbotPBP1 and could overcome the imprecision of molecular docking, supporting the in vitro binding assays. Finally, the role of LbotPBP1 in the chemical ecology of L. botrana is discussed.

Degradation studies of quetiapine fumarate by liquid chromatography-diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry methods.

Quetiapine fumarate (QUE) is an antipsychotic agent with a chemical structure that is susceptible to degradation; therefore, it is important to study its stability using appropriate analytical tools. Knowledge of the stability profile of a drug is important because chemical degradation of its active component often results in a loss of potency, affecting its efficacy and safety. This current work reports degradation studies of QUE as drug substance, under different stress conditions such as oxidation, hydrolysis, heat, humidity and photolysis, by a stability-indicating LC method. The chemical stability was evaluated using a simple HPLC/diode array detection method, with a core-shell C18 column under isocratic conditions, which allows the separation of all primary degradation products (DPs) in a short run time. QUE was mainly degraded under oxidative and hydrolytic conditions, with the formation of three and two DPs, respectively, which were identified by electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The method was properly validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, selectivity, robustness and quantitation limit. Commercial tablets containing 25 mg of QUE were quantified, with results obtained within the United States Pharmacopeia limits. The proposed method is suitable to assess the stability and perform routine analysis of QUE in pharmaceutical samples.

Child stunting is associated with weaker human capital among native Amazonians.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed associations between child stunting, recovery, and faltering with schooling and human capital skills in a native Amazonian society of horticulturalists-foragers (Tsimane'). METHODS: We used cross-sectional data (2008) from 1262 children aged 6 to 16 years in 53 villages to assess contemporaneous associations between three height categories: stunted (height-for-age Z score, HAZ<-2), moderately stunted (-2 ≤ HAZ≤-1), and nonstunted (HAZ>-1), and three categories of human capital: completed grades of schooling, test-based academic skills (math, reading, writing), and local plant knowledge. We used annual longitudinal data (2002-2010) from all children (n = 853) in 13 villages to estimate the association between changes in height categories between the first and last years of measure and schooling and academic skills. RESULTS: Stunting was associated with 0.4 fewer completed grades of schooling (∼24% less) and with 13-15% lower probability of showing any writing or math skills. Moderate stunting was associated with ∼20% lower scores in local plant knowledge and 9% lower probability of showing writing skills, but was not associated with schooling or math and writing skills. Compared with nonstunted children, children who became stunted had 18-21% and 15-21% lower probabilities of showing math and writing skills, and stunted children had 0.4 fewer completed grades of schooling. Stunted children who recovered showed human capital outcomes that were indistinguishable from nonstunted children. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm adverse associations between child stunting and human capital skills. Predictors of growth recovery and faltering can affect human capital outcomes, even in a remote, economically self-sufficient society.

Determination of vortioxetine and its degradation product in bulk and tablets, by LC-DAD and MS/MS methods.

Vortioxetine hydrobromide (VOR), is a novel antidepressant used for the treatment of major depressive disorder. It has a chemical structure susceptible to degradation, therefore it is important to have suitable analytical methods to determine VOR in presence of its main degradation products (DP), because if the compound degrades, this could result in diminution of the therapeutic activity and safety. A simple HPLC method with photodiode array detection was developed and validated for determination of VOR in bulk and tablets, in the presence of its major DP. The drug was subjected to oxidative, hydrolytic, and photolytic stress conditions, showing significant degradation under oxidation with the formation of one DP, which was identified by ESI-MS/MS. A C18 column was used, with mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water with acetic acid and triethylamine in isocratic elution mode, with detection at 228 nm and 1.0 mL/min flow rate. The assay was linear in the 25-125 µg/mL concentration range. For precision, the RSD was <1.8%, the recovery was 100.0-101.6%, and the method demonstrated adequate selectivity. The method was successfully applied to quantify VOR in tablets. The results showed that the method is useful for routine analysis and for quality control purposes.

Birth seasons and heights among girls and boys below 12 years of age: lasting effects and catch-up growth among native Amazonians in Bolivia.

BACKGROUND: Seasons affect many social, economic, and biological outcomes, particularly in low-resource settings, and some studies suggest that birth season affects child growth. AIM: To study a predictor of stunting that has received limited attention: birth season. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study uses cross-sectional data collected during 2008 in a low-resource society of horticulturists-foragers in the Bolivian Amazon, Tsimane'. It estimates the associations between birth months and height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) for 562 girls and 546 boys separately, from birth until age 11 years or pre-puberty, which in this society occurs ∼13-14 years. RESULTS: Children born during the rainy season (February-May) were shorter, while children born during the end of the dry season and the start of the rainy season (August-November) were taller, both compared with their age-sex peers born during the rest of the year. The correlations of birth season with HAZ were stronger for boys than for girls. Controlling for birth season, there is some evidence of eventual partial catch-up growth, with the HAZ of girls or boys worsening until ∼ age 4-5 years, but improving thereafter. By age 6 years, many girls and boys had ceased to be stunted, irrespective of birth season. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that redressing stunting will require attention to conditions in utero, infancy and late childhood.

Optimization of rhein-loaded polymeric nanoparticles using a factorial design and evaluation of the cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects.

The aim of the work was to develop rhein loaded polymeric nanoparticles (R-PNPs). Nanoparticles were prepared by three methods, solvent emulsion-evaporation, double emulsion, and nanoprecipitation, by means of experimental design. Additionally, the effects of the best formulation on in vitro cytotoxicity and inflammation were evaluated. The solvent emulsion-evaporation method presented the highest encapsulation efficiency of the three techniques (38.41%), as well as had a mean diameter of 189.33 nm and a polydispersity index of less than 0.1. Despite efforts to optimize the encapsulation of rhein, the drug release from nanoparticles was close to 50% during the first 5 min, followed by a continuous release within 60 min. It was observed that macrophages exposed to the highest concentration of R-PNPs showed cell viability about 80% and at the lowest nanoparticle concentrations was closed to 100%. IL-1ß in cell culture supernatants was decreased in the presence of R-PNPs and TNFα concentrations were lower than the sensitivity of the assay. ROS production was only inhibited with R-PNPs at concentrations of 2.5 and 5 µM. In conclusion, the solvent emulsion-evaporation was the best method evaluated to obtain nanoparticles with the desired specifications. It was possible to assess R-PNPs with low cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory properties showed by the inhibition of IL-1ß production and a low decrease in ROS production.

Conditional cash transfers for primary education: Which children are left out?

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs to increase primary-school enrollment and attendance among low-income households have been shown to benefit children and households, but to date little is known about who joins such programs. We test three hypotheses about predictors of CCT program participation in indigenous societies in Bolivia, focusing on attributes of the household (ethnicity), parents (modern human capital), and children (age, sex). We model whether children receive a transfer from Bolivia's CCT program (Bono Juancito Pinto), using data from 811 school-age children and nine ethnic groups. Children from the group least exposed to Westerners (Tsimane') are 18-22 percentage points less likely to participate in the program than children from other lowland ethnic groups. Parental modern human capital and child sex do not predict participation. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying the findings and conclude that the Tsimane's current lower returns to schooling are the most likely explanation.

Catch-up growth and growth deficits: Nine-year annual panel child growth for native Amazonians in Bolivia.

BACKGROUND: Childhood growth stunting is negatively associated with cognitive and health outcomes, and is claimed to be irreversible after age 2. AIM: To estimate growth rates for children aged 2-7 who were stunted (sex-age standardised z-score [HAZ] <-2), marginally-stunted (-2 ≤ HAZ ≤-1) or not-stunted (HAZ >-1) at baseline and tracked annually until age 11; frequency of movement among height categories; and variation in height predicted by early childhood height. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study used a 9-year annual panel (2002-2010) from a native Amazonian society of horticulturalists-foragers (Tsimane'; n = 174 girls; 179 boys at baseline). Descriptive statistics and random-effect regressions were used. RESULTS: This study found some evidence of catch-up growth in HAZ, but persistent height deficits. Children stunted at baseline improved 1 HAZ unit by age 11 and had higher annual growth rates than non-stunted children. Marginally-stunted boys had a 0.1 HAZ units higher annual growth rate than non-stunted boys. Despite some catch up, ∼ 80% of marginally-stunted children at baseline remained marginally-stunted by age 11. The height deficit increased from age 2 to 11. Modest year-to-year movement was found between height categories. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of growth faltering among the Tsimane' has declined, but hurdles still substantially lock children into height categories.

Commonality and variation in mental representations of music revealed by a cross-cultural comparison of rhythm priors in 15 countries.

Music is present in every known society but varies from place to place. What, if anything, is universal to music cognition? We measured a signature of mental representations of rhythm in 39 participant groups in 15 countries, spanning urban societies and Indigenous populations. Listeners reproduced random 'seed' rhythms; their reproductions were fed back as the stimulus (as in the game of 'telephone'), such that their biases (the prior) could be estimated from the distribution of reproductions. Every tested group showed a sparse prior with peaks at integer-ratio rhythms. However, the importance of different integer ratios varied across groups, often reflecting local musical practices. Our results suggest a common feature of music cognition: discrete rhythm 'categories' at small-integer ratios. These discrete representations plausibly stabilize musical systems in the face of cultural transmission but interact with culture-specific traditions to yield the diversity that is evident when mental representations are probed across many cultures.

Sibling composition and children's anthropometric indicators of nutritional status: evidence from native Amazonians in Bolivia.

BACKGROUND: Siblings compete for parental resources. Little is known about how sibling composition (older sisters, older brothers, younger sisters, younger brothers) might affect child anthropometric indicators of nutritional status. AIM: This study evaluates the associations between sibling composition and child anthropometry using panel data from a native Amazonian society (Tsimane'). METHODS: Anthropometry of ~168 girls and 169 boys aged 2-9 years were measured annually during 2002-2007 (2360 observations). Children's weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), mid-upper arm muscle area (AMA) and triceps skin-fold thickness (TST) were regressed separately against all of the sibling composition variables while controlling for child's age and survey year. Multivariate panel linear regressions were used with individual, village, survey year and village-year fixed-effects, clustering by household. RESULTS: Among girls, an additional older brother was associated with a 1.4% decrease in MUAC (p < 0.01) and a 4.3% decrease in AMA (p < 0.01); an additional younger sister was associated with a 6.3% decrease in TST (p < 0.01). The association between sibling composition and arm anthropometry was robust to various model specifications. CONCLUSION: Older brothers and younger sisters were negatively associated with arm measures in girls. This finding may help improve policy interventions that aim to address children's nutritional health and long-term well-being.

Math skills and market and non-market outcomes: Evidence from an Amazonian society of forager-farmers.

Research in industrial nations suggests that formal math skills are associated with improvements in market and non-market outcomes. But do these associations also hold in a highly autarkic setting with a limited formal labor market? We examined this question using observational annual panel data (2008 and 2009) from 1,121 adults in a native Amazonian society of forager-farmers in Bolivia (Tsimane'). Formal math skills were associated with an increase in wealth in durable market goods and in total wealth between data collection rounds, and with improved indicators of own reported perceived stress and child health. These associations did not vary significantly by people's Spanish skills or proximity to town. We conclude that the positive association between math skills and market and non-market outcomes extends beyond industrial nations to even highly autarkic settings.

Identification and ligand binding of a chemosensory protein from sea louse Caligus rogercresseyi (Crustacea: Copepoda).

Caligus rogercresseyi is an ectoparasitic copepod that negatively affects the salmon farming industry, causing economic losses. To use phytochemicals as feed additives, or other chemicals that could elicit behavioral responses in C. rogercresseyi, the chemosensory recognition process is crucial. Therefore, to establish how C. rogercresseyi recognizes glucosinolates and their derivates isothiocyanates, a chemosensory protein (CSP) described as specific carrier of these chemicals in sea louse (CrogCSP) was identified in this study. The recombinant CSP and its selectivity against different chemical compounds was tested by fluorescence binding assays. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship among CrogCSP and other reported CSPs. Our results indicate that phenyl isothiocyanate and isophorone exhibited dissociation constants of 4.17 and 4.28 µM of Ki, respectively, indicating affinity over other chemicals, such as fatty acids and sinigrin. Structural findings suggest a unique binding site capable of accept several types of chemicals, similar to what has been reported for crystallized insect CSPs. Finally, this study lays the foundation for a deeper understanding of CSPs in crustaceans and especially in C. rogercresseyi. Likewise, the identification of chemosensory proteins could serve as the first step towards novel semiochemicals discovery to being applied in the sea louse controlling.

Multi-Grasp Classification for the Control of Robot Hands Employing Transformers and Lightmyography Signals.

The increasing use of smart technical devices in our everyday lives has necessitated the use of muscle-machine interfaces (MuMI) that are intuitive and that can facilitate immersive interactions with these devices. The most common method to develop MuMIs is using Electromyography (EMG) based signals. However, due to several drawbacks of EMG-based interfaces, alternative methods to develop MuMI are being explored. In our previous work, we presented a new MuMI called Lightmyography (LMG), which achieved outstanding results compared to a classic EMG-based interface in a five-gesture classification task. In this study, we extend our previous work experimentally validating the efficiency of the LMG armband in classifying thirty-two different gestures from six participants using a deep learning technique called Temporal Multi-Channel Vision Transformers (TMC-ViT). The efficiency of the proposed model was assessed using accuracy. Moreover, two different undersampling techniques are compared. The proposed thirty-two-gesture classifiers achieve accuracies as high as 92%. Finally, we employ the LMG interface in the real-time control of a robotic hand using ten different gestures, successfully reproducing several grasp types from taxonomy grasps presented in the literature.

On lightmyography based muscle-machine interfaces for the efficient decoding of human gestures and forces.

Conventional muscle-machine interfaces like Electromyography (EMG), have significant drawbacks, such as crosstalk, a non-linear relationship between the signal and the corresponding motion, and increased signal processing requirements. In this work, we introduce a new muscle-machine interfacing technique called lightmyography (LMG), that can be used to efficiently decode human hand gestures, motion, and forces from the detected contractions of the human muscles. LMG utilizes light propagation through elastic media and human tissue, measuring changes in light luminosity to detect muscle movement. Similar to forcemyography, LMG infers muscular contractions through tissue deformation and skin displacements. In this study, we look at how different characteristics of the light source and silicone medium affect the performance of LMG and we compare LMG and EMG based gesture decoding using various machine learning techniques. To do that, we design an armband equipped with five LMG modules, and we use it to collect the required LMG data. Three different machine learning methods are employed: Random Forests, Convolutional Neural Networks, and Temporal Multi-Channel Vision Transformers. The system has also been efficiently used in decoding the forces exerted during power grasping. The results demonstrate that LMG outperforms EMG for most methods and subjects.

A highly conserved plant volatile odorant receptor detects a sex pheromone component of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

Odorant receptors (ORs) are key specialized units for mate and host finding in moths of the Ditrysia clade, to which 98% of the lepidopteran species belong. Moth ORs have evolved to respond to long unsaturated acetates, alcohols, or aldehydes (Type I sex pheromones), falling into conserved clades of pheromone receptors (PRs). These PRs might have evolved from old lineages of non-Ditrysian moths that use plant volatile-like pheromones. However, a Ditrysian moth called the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (a worldwide-distributed pest of beehives), uses C9-C11 saturated aldehydes as the main sex pheromone components (i.e., nonanal and undecanal). Thus, these aldehydes represent unusual components compared with the majority of moth species that use, for instance, Type I sex pheromones. Current evidence shows a lack of consensus in the amount of ORs for G. mellonella, although consistent in that the moth does not have conserved PRs. Using genomic data, 62 OR candidates were identified, 16 being new genes. Phylogeny showed no presence of ORs in conserved PR clades. However, an OR with the highest transcript abundance, GmelOR4, appeared in a conserved plant volatile-detecting clade. Functional findings from the HEK system showed the OR as sensitive to nonanal and 2-phenylacetaldehyde, but not to undecanal. It is believed that to date GmelOR4 represents the first, but likely not unique, OR with a stable function in detecting aldehydes that help maintain the life cycle of G. mellonella around honey bee colonies.

Diurnal cortisol rhythms and child growth: exploring the life history consequences of HPA activation among the Tsimane'.

OBJECTIVE: Although psychosocial stress has also been implicated as a contributor to growth failure by imposing energetic constraints during development, the direct physiological pathways by which these life history trade-offs are imposed are not well understood. This study explores associations between diurnal cortisol rhythms and differential patterns of linear child growth among the Tsimane, a horticulturalist and foraging society in the Bolivian Amazon. METHODS: Waking and bedtime salivary cortisol samples (n = 243) were collected from 53 Tsimane' children ages 1.6-6 over 3 days as part of a larger study of developmental trajectories in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dynamics. Anthropometric measurements and survey data were collected in conjunction with the Tsimane' Amazonian panel study (TAPS). RESULTS: Among children under the age of 6, diurnal rhythms in stunted versus nonstunted children vary dramatically: stunted children display elevated cortisol at both the AM (P = 0.03) and PM (P = 0.02) collection points. Multilevel regression analysis demonstrates an inverse relationship between cortisol and height-for-age z-score status (P = 0.00), which is mediated, in part, by infection (P = 0.00), and is strongest among male children (n.s.). Moreover, the poorest statural growth is exhibited among children with high cortisol living in more acculturated Tsimane' communities, a proxy for a more adverse developmental milieu. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a small, but significant, life history cost of elevated diurnal cortisol rhythms on linear growth among Tsimane' children, and provides critical insight into the developmental origins of health differentials among an indigenous Amazonian population experiencing rapid lifestyle changes.

Electromyography Based Decoding of Dexterous, In-Hand Manipulation Motions With Temporal Multichannel Vision Transformers.

Electromyography (EMG) signals have been used in designing muscle-machine interfaces (MuMIs) for various applications, ranging from entertainment (EMG controlled games) to human assistance and human augmentation (EMG controlled prostheses and exoskeletons). For this, classical machine learning methods such as Random Forest (RF) models have been used to decode EMG signals. However, these methods depend on several stages of signal pre-processing and extraction of hand-crafted features so as to obtain the desired output. In this work, we propose EMG based frameworks for the decoding of object motions in the execution of dexterous, in-hand manipulation tasks using raw EMG signals input and two novel deep learning (DL) techniques called Temporal Multi-Channel Transformers and Vision Transformers. The results obtained are compared, in terms of accuracy and speed of decoding the motion, with RF-based models and Convolutional Neural Networks as a benchmark. The models are trained for 11 subjects in a motion-object specific and motion-object generic way, using the 10-fold cross-validation procedure. This study shows that the performance of MuMIs can be improved by employing DL-based models with raw myoelectric activations instead of developing DL or classic machine learning models with hand-crafted features.

Characterization of Two Aldehyde Oxidases from the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella Linnaeus. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) with Potential Role as Odorant-Degrading Enzymes.

Odorant-degrading enzymes (ODEs) are proposed to degrade/inactivate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on a millisecond timescale. Thus, ODEs play an important role in the insect olfactory system as a reset mechanism. The inhibition of these enzymes could incapacitate the olfactory system and, consequently, disrupt chemical communication, promoting and complementing the integrated pest management strategies. Here, we report two novel aldehyde oxidases, AOX-encoding genes GmelAOX2 and GmelAOX3, though transcriptomic analysis in the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. GmelAOX2 was clustered in a clade with ODE function, according to phylogenetic analysis. Likewise, to unravel the profile of volatiles that G. mellonella might face besides the sex pheromone blend, VOCs were trapped from honeycombs and the identification was made by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that GmelAXO2 has a sex-biased expression, and qRT-PCR indicated that both GmelAOX2 and GmelAOX3 have a higher relative expression in male antennae rather than female antennae. A functional assay revealed that antennal extracts had the strongest enzymatic activity against undecanal (4-fold) compared to benzaldehyde (control). Our data suggest that these enzymes have a crucial role in metabolizing sex pheromone compounds as well as plant-derived aldehydes, which are related to honeycombs and the life cycle of G. mellonella.

Determination of the Chemical Stability of Dapagliflozin by LC/DAD and MS/MS Methods.

A simple and fast stability-indicating liquid chromatographic method with diode array detection (DAD) was developed and validated for the determination of dapagliflozin (DAPA) in bulk and tablets, in the presence of its major degradation products (DP). The drug was subjected to hydrolytic, oxidative, photolytic, thermal and humidity/thermal stress conditions, showing significant degradation under humidity/thermal with the formation of two DP, which were preliminarily identified by liquid chromatography with diode array detector coupled with electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS). Chromatographic separation of dapagliflozin and its DP was achieved with a core-shell RP-18 column, using acetonitrile and water as mobile phase in isocratic elution mode. The described method was linear over a range of 50-150 µg/mL. For precision, the relative standard deviation (RSD) was <1.3%, the recovery was 99.64-100.11%, and the assay demonstrated adequate selectivity. The degradation kinetics of dapagliflozin was evaluated corresponding to first-order under thermal and humidity/thermal stress conditions. Dapagliflozin was well resolved from its drug products showing the power of stability-indicating of the method. The results showed that the proposed method was found to be suitable for routine analysis, quantitative determination and the stability study of dapagliflozin in pharmaceutical samples.