Evaluation of Psychoacoustic Sound Parameters for Sonification

Sonification designers have little theory or experimental evidence to guide the design of data-to-sound mappings. Many mappings use acoustic representations of data values which do not correspond with the listener's perception of how that data value should sound during sonification. This research evaluates data-to-sound mappings that are based on psychoacoustic sensations, in an attempt to move towards using data-to-sound mappings that are aligned with the listener's perception of the data value's auditory connotations. Multiple psychoacoustic parameters were evaluated over two experiments, which were designed in the context of a domain-specific problem - detecting the level of focus of an astronomical image through auditory display. Recommendations for designing sonification systems with psychoacoustic sound parameters are presented based on our results

Acupuncture for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuro-psychiatric problem, affecting 7-9% of children. Pharmacological interventions are widely used with behavioral treatments in ADHD. Still, the origin of ADHD is unclear, limiting pharmacological effectiveness and making adverse effects common. The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased, especially for developmental and behavioral disorders, such as ADHD. CAM is used by 60-65% of parents of children with ADHD to relieve ADHD-associated symptoms and to avoid the side effects of conventional medication. Acupuncture has been widely used to treat patients with ADHD, but the available evidence of its effectiveness is insufficient. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients (both and each treatment naive and conventional therapy children) with ADHD (any subtype) compared to the waitlist control.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This study is a waitlist controlled open trial. We used a computer generated randomization scheme. This randomised, controlled trial had two parallel arms (acupuncture, and waitlist group). Each arm consisted of 40 participants. The acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment two times per week for a total of 12 sessions over 6 weeks. Post-treatment follow-up was performed 3 weeks later to complement the 12 acupuncture sessions. Participants in the waitlist group did not receive acupuncture treatments during the first six weeks but were only required to be assessed. After 6 weeks, the same treatments given to the acupuncture group were provided to the waitlist group. The primary outcome of this trial included differences in Korean version of ADHD-Rating Scale (K-ADHD-RS) before randomization, 3 weeks and 6 weeks after randomization, and 3 weeks after completing the treatment.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Subjective measurements, like K-ADHD-RS, are commonly used in ADHD. Although these measurements have adequate reliability and validity, lack of objective assessment in ADHD may lead to some disputes, like parental placebo effects. More objective measurements, like Computerized Neurocognitive function Test (CNT) in this study, are needed in ADHD trials. Furthermore, this trial will provide evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for ADHD.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Clinical Research Information Service (CRiS) KCT0000019</p

Heterogeneous length of stay of hosts’ movements and spatial epidemic spread

Infectious diseases outbreaks are often characterized by a spatial component induced by hosts’ distribution, mobility, and interactions. Spatial models that incorporate hosts’ movements are being used to describe these processes, to investigate the conditions for propagation, and to predict the spatial spread. Several assumptions are being considered to model hosts’ movements, ranging from permanent movements to daily commuting, where the time spent at destination is either infinite or assumes a homogeneous fixed value, respectively. Prompted by empirical evidence, here we introduce a general metapopulation approach to model the disease dynamics in a spatially structured population where the mobility process is characterized by a heterogeneous length of stay. We show that large fluctuations of the length of stay, as observed in reality, can have a significant impact on the threshold conditions for the global epidemic invasion, thus altering model predictions based on simple assumptions, and displaying important public health implications

Harnessing the potential of green leaves : agricultural biomass as a source of sustainable food protein

Demand for sustainable protein-rich food sources is currently increasing to meet the nutritional requirements of a growing population, while also considering climate challenges. Green leafy biomass (GLBM), in the form of side-streams and main crops, is a widely available protein source with potential food value. Extended use of GLBM, e.g. through a biorefinery process targeting leaf protein concentrates (LPCs), could add direct values, e.g. economic revenues from side-stream valorisation, or indirect values, e.g. reduced greenhouse gas emissions from higher resource utilisation. In this thesis, several types of GLBM were successfully subjected to an extraction protocol targeting water-soluble proteins, although the outcomes, e.g. yield, differed significantly between GLBM types. The major protein component in LPC was the enzyme RuBisCO. A pre-feasibility assessment revealed insufficient recovery rates on upscaling the process. To achieve economic viability, further process development is needed and additional compounds and products should be targeted. The use of LPCs in food applications is of interest due to their nutritional aspects, i.e. high protein content and good amino acid profile. Another area of interest is their potential as a functional ingredient, e.g. their foam stabilising ability, which was demonstrated for LPCs from several GLBM types in this thesis. Air-water interfacial properties, which can serve as an indicator of foam stabilising capacity, did not differ significantly between LPCs from the GLBM types evaluated. Further, no major differences in interfacial properties were observed between the LPCs and egg white. Green leafy biomass can be viewed as a valuable resource with great potential and extending the use of GLBM through LPC production could contribute to a more sustainable food production system

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