Acoustic event, spoken keyword and emotional outburst detection

This thesis presents work in research topics of audio detection. It first describes a system for large-scale multi-label acoustic event detection (AED) in YouTube videos. It explores the potential of the state-of-the-art deep learning classifiers for AED, describes both qualitative and quantitative results (Hit@1 is 47.9%) and presents the pre-trained embedding model as a powerful feature extractor to be adapted to new domains with limited data and improve the detection accuracy (Hit@1 is 58.1%). Second, the thesis focuses on the speech acoustic events and the spoken keyword spotting task for speech. It presents a phonetic keyword spotter as a lightweight alternative to full speech recognition (3x faster, with comparable detection rates and that addresses automatic speech recognition problems). It also explores cross-lingual keyword spotting to support low resource languages and finds that the acoustic model is dominant in determining the cross-lingual keyword search performance. Third, the thesis further presents the emotional outburst detection for infant nonspeech acoustic events. It reports on the efforts to manually code child utterances as being of type “laugh,” “cry,” “fuss,” “babble,” and “hiccup” and to develop the algorithms capable of performing the same task automatically

A rapid screening tool for psychological distress in children 3--6years old: results of a validation study.

International audienceABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The mental health needs of young children in humanitarian contexts often remain unaddressed. The lack of a validated, rapid and simple tool for screening combined with few mental health professionals able to accurately diagnose and provide appropriate care mean that young children remain without care. Here, we present the results of the principle cross-cultural validation of the "Psychological Screening for Young Children aged 3 to 6" (PSYCAa3-6). The PSYCa 3--6 is a simple scale for children 3 to 6 years old administered by non-specialists, to screen young children in crises and thereby refer them to care if needed. METHODS: This study was conducted in Maradi, Niger. The scale was translated into Hausa, using corroboration of independent translations. A cross-cultural validation was implemented using quantitative and qualitative methods. A random sample of 580 mothers or caregivers of children 3 to 6 years old were included. The tool was psychometrically examined and diagnostic properties were assessed comparing the PSYCa 3--6 against a clinical interview as the gold standard. RESULTS: The PSYCa 3--6 Hausa version demonstrated good concurrent validity, as scores correlated with the gold standard and the Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale (CGI-S) [rho = 0.41, p-value = 0.00]. A reduction procedure was used to reduce the scale from 40 to 22 items. The test-retest reliability of the PSYCa 3--6 was found to be high (ICC 0.81, CI95% [0.68; 0.89]). In our sample, although not the purpose of this study, approximately 54 of 580 children required subsequent follow-up with a psychologist. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first validation of a screening scale for children 3 to 6 years old with a cross-cultural validation component, for use in humanitarian contexts. The Hausa version of the PSYCa 3--6 is a reliable and a valuable screening tool for psychological distress. Further studies to replicate our findings and additional validations of the PSYCa 3--6 in other populations may help improve the delivery of mental health care to children

Review of research on kindergarten screening for the early identification of children with learning disabilities

The purpose of this paper was twofold: (a) to review the research on kindergarten screening for the early identification of students with learning disabilities and (b) to review kindergarten screening instruments developed during the period of 1968-75

Positive behaviour in the early years : perceptions of staff, service providers and parents in managing and promoting positive behaviour in early years and early primary settings

The full report of research into positive behaviour in the early years: perceptions of staff, service providers and parents in managing and promoting positive behaviour in early years and early primary settings

Exploring the Relationship Between the Home Microbiome, Parental Stress, and Child Behavior

Recent advances in gut microbiome research have highlighted the significance of the gut-brain axis, where microorganisms influence neurocognitive function through the modulation of neurotransmitters and hormones. While studies have explored the relationship between the gut microbiome and specific mental health disorders, there is little research exploring the microbiome present in a family’s home and its relationship to familial stress dynamics, specifically parental stress and child behavior. This thesis aims to determine correlations between surveys that measured general stress, parental stress, and child behavior while also exploring the influence of confounding variables such as primary language spoken at home and child gender. The study also investigates whether home microbiome diversity or the presence of specific microbial genera is associated with general stress, parental stress, or child behavior. While no notable correlations between home microbiome diversity and survey outcomes were found, microorganisms of the genus Acinetobacter were found in homes with less instances of stressful events and outbursts from the youngest child, while the presence of the Bacillus and Achromobacter genera in a family’s home was associated with more frequent encounters with stressful events and child behavioral problems. Future research should investigate the potential mechanisms by which these genera interact with the gut-brain axis, if such mechanisms exist.Psycholog