Dastgàh recognition in Iranian music: different features and optimized parameters

In this paper we report on the results of utilizing computational analysis to determine the dastgàh, the mode of music in the Iranian classical art music, using spectrogram and chroma features. We contrast the effectiveness of classifying music using the Manhattan distance and Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM). For our database of Iranian instrumental music played on a santur, using spectrogram and chroma features , we achieved accuracy rates of 90.11% and 80.2% when using Manhattan distance respectively. When using GMM with chroma, the accuracy rate was 89.0%. The effects of altering key parameters were also investigated, varying the amount of the training data and silence, as well as high frequency suppression on the results. The results from this phase of experimentation indicated that a 24 equal temperament was the best tone resolution. While experiments focused on dastgàh, with only minor adjustments the described techniques are applicable to traditional Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic and Greek music, and therefore suitable to use as a basis for a musicological tool that provides a broader form of cross-cultural audio search

Automatic recognition of Persian musical modes in audio musical signals

This research proposes new approaches for computational identification of Persian musical modes. This involves constructing a database of audio musical files and developing computer algorithms to perform a musical analysis of the samples. Essential features, the spectral average, chroma, and pitch histograms, and the use of symbolic data, are discussed and compared. A tonic detection algorithm is developed to align the feature vectors and to make the mode recognition methods independent of changes in tonality. Subsequently, a geometric distance measure, such as the Manhattan distance, which is preferred, and cross correlation, or a machine learning method (the Gaussian Mixture Models), is used to gauge similarity between a signal and a set of templates that are constructed in the training phase, in which data-driven patterns are made for each dastgàh (Persian mode). The effects of the following parameters are considered and assessed: the amount of training data; the parts of the frequency range to be used for training; down sampling; tone resolution (12-TET, 24-TET, 48-TET and 53-TET); the effect of using overlapping or nonoverlapping frames; and silence and high-energy suppression in pre-processing. The santur (hammered string instrument), which is extensively used in the musical database samples, is described and its physical properties are characterised; the pitch and harmonic deviations characteristic of it are measured; and the inharmonicity factor of the instrument is calculated for the first time. The results are applicable to Persian music and to other closely related musical traditions of the Mediterranean and the Near East. This approach enables content-based analyses of, and content-based searches of, musical archives. Potential applications of this research include: music information retrieval, audio snippet (thumbnailing), music archiving and access to archival content, audio compression and coding, associating of images with audio content, music transcription, music synthesis, music editors, music instruction, automatic music accompaniment, and setting new standards and symbols for musical notation

From music ontology towards ethno-music-ontology

This paper presents exploratory work investigating the suitability of the Music Ontology [33] - the most widely used formal specification of the music domain - for modelling non-Western musical traditions. Four contrasting case studies from a variety of musical cultures are analysed: Dutch folk song research, reconstructive performance of rural Russian traditions, contemporary performance and composition of Persian classical music, and recreational use of a personal world music collection. We propose semantic models describing the respective domains and examine the applications of the Music Ontology for these case studies: which concepts can be successfully reused, where they need adjustments, and which parts of the reality in these case studies are not covered by the Music Ontology. The variety of traditions, contexts and modelling goals covered by our case studies sheds light on the generality of the Music Ontology and on the limits of generalisation “for all musics” that could be aspired for on the Semantic Web

Molecular characterization of Hymenolepis nana based on nuclear rDNA ITS2 gene marker

Introduction: Hymenolepis nana is a zoonotic tapeworm with widespread distribution. The goal of the present study was to identify the parasite in the specimens collected from NorthWestern regions of Iran using PCR-sequencing method. Methods: A total of 1521 stool samples were collected from the study individuals. Initially, the identification of hymenolepis nana was confirmed by parasitological method including direct wet-mount and formalin-ethyl acetate concentration methods. Afterward, PCR-sequencing analysis of ribosomal ITS2 fragment was targeted to investigate the molecular identification of the parasite. Results: Overall, 0.65% (10/1521) of the isolates were contaminated with H. nana in formalin-ethyl acetate concentration. All ten isolates were succefully amplified by PCR and further sequenced. The determined sequences were deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers MH337810 -MH337819. Conclusion: Our results clarified the presence of H. nana among the patients in the study areas. In addition, the molecular technique could be accessible when the human eggs are the only sources available to identify and diagnose the parasite. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.6 Cite as: Shahnazi M, Mehrizi MZ, Alizadeh SA, Heydarian P, Saraei M, Alipour M, Hajialilo E. Molecular characterization of Hymenolepis nana (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) based on nuclear rDNA ITS2 gene marker. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(1): 1346- 1352. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.

Molecular characterization of fasciola and dicrocoelium species isolated from ruminant livestock in Qazvin, Iran

Introduction: Fascioliasis and dicrocoeliasis are the most frequent zoonotic diseases with increasing human health problems in different parts of Iran. Two species, Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) and Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica), are spread in the country. Molecular approaches have a decisive role in identifying both the species. The aim of this study was to detect Fasciola spp. and Dicrocoelium spp. by amplifying the ITS-2 and 28S rDNA gene sequence. Methods: Overall, 30 infected liver samples were collected from the livestock of Qazvin, Iran. The adult flukes were collected from different livestock. DNA extraction and PCR amplification of ribosomal RNA gene region (ITS2) and 28S rDNA gene fragment were conducted and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. Result: All the isolates obtained from the cattle (No: 7) and 82.6% (No: 19) of sheep isolates were infected with F. hepatica species, whereas 17.4% (No: 4) of sheep isolates were infected with F. gigantica. It was also shown that F. hepatica was the predominant species of Fasciola present in the region. All the specimens were infected with Dicrocoelium dendriticum (D. dendriticum). Conclusion: Both the species of Fasciola were found in Qazvin. D. dendriticum was the sole infecting species of the Dicrocoelium genus in the livestock of the city of Qazvin. Further research studies are needed to determine the intermediate host of the parasites in the region

Maternal Serological Screening for Congenital Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy and Evaluating the Pregnant Women’s Knowledge on Toxoplasmosis in Qazvin, Iran

Background: The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii seronegative pregnant women, estimate the frequency of fetuses at risk of congenital toxoplasmosis in the study area, and also to investigate the awareness of the studied mothers about T. gondii disease. Methods: A total of 740 pregnant women referred to two health centers in Qazvin province were surveyed voluntarily for anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgG avidity test was used as a confirmatory test for samples showing positive or borderline results for IgM antibodies. Data on socioeconomic, demographic, and knowledge of participants about toxoplasmosis were collected using questionnaires and through face-to-face interviews. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify the potential predictor variables for T. gondii infection. Results: Overall, 21.2% (157/740) and 0.27% (2/740) of pregnant women were positive for T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. Only 1.7% (13/740) of expectant mothers had prior information on toxoplasmosis. Among socioeconomic and demographic variables, contact with soil was the merely cause of a significant association with T. gondii infection. Other variables including age, occupation, education level, residential area, source of drinking water, abortion history, number of delivery, consumption of raw/undercooked meat, having home cat and and consumption of raw vegetables failed to establish significant associations. Conclusion: Our results clarified that the prevalence o

Screening and molecular characterization of Trichomonas vaginalis genotypes isolated from married women in northern Iran

. Trichomonas vaginalis is an anaerobic protozoan parasite that causes trichomonosis in human. It is one of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infections. It has been found to be most prevalent in patients referred to sexually transmitted disease clinics. In recent years, molecular methods have been used to identify genotypes of this parasite in different parts of the world and so far 6 types of T. vaginalis have identified. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and genotype identification of T. vaginalis from married women in northern Iran. A total of 450 vaginal specimens were taken from married women, referring to health centers in northern Iran. Demographic information of women was collected through a questionnaire. The samples were first examined microscopically and then monitored in Dorsch culture medium for up to 10 days. Actin genes of positive samples were amplified by PCR. Finally, PCR products were used to determine the sequence and genotype of the parasite. Overall, 0.7% (3/450) samples were positive for T. vaginalis. All of the three infected women were housewives. After sequencing, the genotype of these parasites were type H (66.7%) (Accession no; MW414672-MW414673) and type E (33.3%) (Accession no; MW414671). Low prevalence of T. vaginalis in north of Iran indicate high level of hygiene in sexual intercourse and avoiding from high risk sexual behaviors, and also it seems that genotype H is dominant type of the parasite in the study area

Isolation and Identification of Free Living Amoeba from Patients and Contact Lens Users in Iran

Background: Free-living amoebae (FLA) such as Acanthamoeba spp., are considered as opportunistic and pathogenic protozoans. Acanthamoeba granulomatous encephalitis (AGE) is a serious threat for immunodeficient patients and Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) for contact lens users. We aimed to identify the presence of free living amoebae in nasal swabs of patients and contact lens users in Qazvin, Iran. Methods: During 2019, 251 nasal and oral swabs (including the pharynx and mouth) were collected from patients with diabetes, AIDS and those under periodic dialysis in Qazvin, Iran. In addition, 27 soft contact lenses were collected from the participants. Following DNA extraction, PCR and sequencing were conducted to identify the genotypes of the amoeba. Phylogenetic analysis of the identified sequences was performed using MEGA 7 software. Results: A strain of Acanthamoeba belonging to the T3 genotype was isolated from hemodialysis patients. Two specimens of Acanthamoeba with T3 genotype were isolated from keratitis patients. Conclusion: The clinicians should pay attention to the possible complication of this organism because this amoeba is potentially pathogenic for immunocompromised patients. Since the amoeba is present in environmental resources, the use of contact lenses should be accompanied by considering proper hygien

BACKGROUND

Persian music has had a profound effect on various Eastern musical cultures, and also influenced Southern European and Northern African music. The Santur, a hammered dulcimer, is one of the most important instruments in Persia. In this paper, Persian music and the Santur instrument are explained and analysed. Techniques for fundamental frequency detection are applied to data acquired from the Santur and results are reported

بررسی اپیدمیولوژیک توکسوکارا در سگ هاي خانگی و نمونه هاي خاك وچمن پارك هاي عمومی شهرستان تاکستان و شناسایی مولکولی ایزوله ها

مقدمه: توکسوکارا (آسکارید سگ و گربه) از نمانودهاي انگلی روده اي منتقله از خاك و عامل توکسوکاریازیس در انسان است. این انگل انتشار جهانی داشته و در مناطق گرمسیري و تحت گرمسیري شایع تر است. گونه هاي آن شامل توکسوکارا کنیس و توکسوکاراکتی است که به ترتیب به آسکارید سگ و گربه شناخته می شوند. خاك به عنوان مخـزن نگـه داري تخم هـاي انگـل توکسوکارا اهمیت ویـژه اي در انتشار این بیماري دارد. مواد و روش‌ها: در این مطالعه تعداد 200 نمونه مدفوع سگ خانگی با روش اسمیر مستقیم و روش تغلیظ فرمالین اتیل استات به همراه پرسشنامه و تعداد 200 نمونه خاک و چمن پارک های عمومی شهرستان تاکستان با روش سدیمانتاسیون –فلوتاسیون سولفات روی در سال 1400-1399 انجام شد. ایزوله های بدست آمده از مدفوع سگ ها با استفاده از ژن ITS-2 بررسی شدند. نتایج: به طور کلی 4 نمونه(2 %) نمونه های مدفوع و 13 نمونه(66/8 %) از نمونه های خاک پارک های عمومی از نظر آلودگی به تخم توکسوکارا مثبت بودند. از مجموع 50 نمونه چمن هیچ گونه آلودگی به تخم توکسوکارا مشاهده نشد. پس از استخراج DNA سه نمونه تخم توکسوکارا از مجموع 4 تخم، و تکثیر ژن ITS-2 تمام موارد توکسوکارا کنیس شناسایی شدند. نتیجه گیری: شیوع توکسوکارا در سگ های خانگی 2 % ، در خاک پارک های عمومی 66/8 % و در چمن الودگی به تخم توکسوکارا گزارش نشد. موارد مثبت توکسوکارا در نمونه سگ ها پس از تکثیر ژن ITS-2 هر سه مورد توکسوکارا کنیس شناسایی شد. کلید واژه ها: توکسوکارا، مولکولار اپیدمیولوژی، تاکستا