Hypernasal Speech Analysis via Emperical Mode Decomposition and the Teager-Kasiser Energy Operator

In the area of speech science, one particular problem of importance has been to develop a clear method for detecting hypernasality in speech. For speech pathologists, hypernsality is a critical diagnostic used for judging the severity of velopharyngeal (nasal cavity/mouth separation) inadequacy in children with a cleft lip or cleft palate condition. For physicians and particularly neurologists, these same velopharyngeal inadequacies are believed to be linked to nervous system disorders such as Alzheimers disease and particularly Parkinson\u27s disease. One can therefore envision the need to not only find a reliable method for detecting hypernasality, but to also quantify the level (severity) of hypernasality as well. An integral component in the study of speech is the analysis of speech formants, i.e., vocal tract resonances. Traditional acoustical analysis methods of using a linear source model follow the premise that differences between normal and hypernasal speech can be distinguished by shifts or power changes in the formant frequencies and/or the widening (or narrowing) of the formant bandwidths. Such a premise, however, has not been validated with consistency. Part of the reason is that traditional acoustical analysis methods such as one-third octave band, LPC (Linear Predictive Coding), and cepstral analysis are ill-equipped to deal with the nonlinear, non-stationary, and wideband characteristics of normal and nasal speech signals. Relatively newer DSP methods that employ group delay or energy separation overcome some of these problems, but have their own issues such as possible mode mixing, noise, and the aforementioned wideband problem. However, initial investigations into energy separation methods show promise as long as these issues can be resolved. This thesis evaluates the success of a novel acoustical energy approach which deals with the mode mixing and wideband problems where: (1) a DSP sifting algorithm known as the EMD (Empirical Mode Decomposition) is first implemented to decompose the voice signal into a number of IMFs (Intrinsic Mode Functions). (2) Energy analysis is performed on each IMF via the Teager-Kaiser Energy Operator. The proposed EMD energy approach is applied to voice samples taken from the American CLP Craniofacial database and is shown to produce a clear delineation between normal and nasal samples and between different levels of hypernasality.\u2

Anti-pandemic measures in a comparative perspective (Spain - Czech Republic)

52 Protipandemická opatření v komparativní perspektivě (Španělsko - Česko) Abstrakt Pandemie nemoci covid-19, jejímž původcem byl do té doby neznámý typ koronaviru odborně označovaný jako SARS-CoV-2, zasáhla naši zemi na začátku března roku 2020. V té době snad nikdo nemohl ani tušit, co nás všechny v nadcházejících měsících a letech čeká. Protože šlo o pandemii celosvětového měřítka, nebyli jsme jediní, koho čekal nejtěžší zátěžový test moderních krizových předpisů v oblasti zdravotnictví. Svým vlastním způsobem se v následujících zhruba dvou a půl letech s pandemií potýkalo například i Španělské království, s jehož postupem jsem se rozhodl srovnat ten český. V první části diplomové práce se věnuji tomu, jak byly na mimořádnou zdravotní situaci takového rozsahu připravené právní řády obou zemí. Pro vytvoření obecného rámce nejprve upozorňuji na hlavní právní rozdíly mezi španělským a českým státem. Poté se věnuji teoretickému zakotvení mimořádných stavů. Dále postupně procházím právní úpravou na ústavní úrovni, následně na úrovni zákonné a podzákonné, přičemž srovnávám jednotlivé normy a snažím se hledat mezi nimi paralely. Všímám si zejména velké roztříštěnosti právní úpravy mimořádných situací ve zdravotnictví na straně španělské a nedostatku zakotvení mimořádných stavů přímo v ústavní listině na straně...Anti-pandemic measures in a comparative perspective (Spain - Czech Republic) Abstract The pandemic of the covid-19 disease, caused by a previously unknown type of coronavirus known professionally as SARS-CoV-2, hit our country in early March 2020. At that time, perhaps no one could have guessed what awaited us all in the coming months and years. As this was a pandemic on a global scale, we were not the only ones facing the toughest stress test of modern healthcare emergency regulations. In its own way, the Kingdom of Spain, for example, was also dealing with a pandemic in the following two and a half years, and I have decided to compare the Czech approach to that. In the first part of my master's thesis, I discuss how the legal systems of both countries were prepared for a health emergency of this magnitude. In order to establish a general framework, I first highlight the main legal differences between the Spanish and the Czech state. I then discuss the theoretical grounding of states of emergency. Next, I go through the legal framework at the constitutional level, followed by the statutory and sub-statutory levels, comparing the different norms and trying to find parallels between them. I observe in particular the great fragmentation of the legal regulation of health emergencies on the Spanish side and the...Katedra správního práva a správní vědyDepartment of Administrative Law and Administrative SciencePrávnická fakultaFaculty of La

Historical and contemporary demography of leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylidae: Phyllodactylus) in the Mexican dry forest

Disentangling the relative influence of historical versus contemporary processes shaping the spatial distribution of genetic variation is critical if we are to effectively mitigate key biodiversity issues. We utilize a comprehensive approach based on different molecular marker types and analytical methods to understand the demographic consequences of recent habitat fragmentation in a spatially explicit context. We focus our efforts on native leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus saxatilis) throughout fragmented habitat in the tropical dry forest of northern Mexico as recent evidence suggests that geographic ranges for these geckos may be much smaller than currently realized. However, no data are available regarding recent shifts in demographic trends and how these trends may correspond with recent fragmentation and introductions of non-native gecko species (Hemidactylus). Mitochondrial DNA sequences reveal substantial historical genetic divergence over a small geographic area (\u3c40 km). We find evidence for an increase in contemporary versus historical migration rates based on 10 microsatellite loci, but evidence that many populations suffer from recent reductions in effective population sizes. Landscape genetic analyses find that contemporary migration rates are significantly more correlated with the landscape versus historical migration rates or mtDNA divergence, suggesting that individuals have altered their dispersal routes in response to recent habitat changes. Taken together, this study suggests that long-term female philopatry, recent habitat fragmentation, and possibly introductions of non-native gecko species all contribute to the demographic patterns and the high degree of differentiation observed over fine-spatial scales in Mexican leaf-toed geckos

Landscape Genetics of Leaf-Toed Geckos in the Tropical Dry Forest of Northern Mexico

Habitat fragmentation due to both natural and anthropogenic forces continues to threaten the evolution and maintenance of biological diversity. This is of particular concern in tropical regions that are experiencing elevated rates of habitat loss. Although less well-studied than tropical rain forests, tropical dry forests (TDF) contain an enormous diversity of species and continue to be threatened by anthropogenic activities including grazing and agriculture. However, little is known about the processes that shape genetic connectivity in species inhabiting TDF ecosystems. We adopt a landscape genetic approach to understanding functional connectivity for leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus) at multiple sites near the northernmost limit of this ecosystem at Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. Traditional analyses of population genetics are combined with multivariate GIS-based landscape analyses to test hypotheses on the potential drivers of spatial genetic variation. Moderate levels of within-population diversity and substantial levels of population differentiation are revealed by FST and Dest. Analyses using structuresuggest the occurrence of from 2 to 9 genetic clusters depending on the model used. Landscape genetic analysis suggests that forest cover, stream connectivity, undisturbed habitat, slope, and minimum temperature of the coldest period explain more genetic variation than do simple Euclidean distances. Additional landscape genetic studies throughout TDF habitat are required to understand species-specific responses to landscape and climate change and to identify common drivers. We urge researchers interested in using multivariate distance methods to test for, and report, significant correlations among predictor matrices that can impact results, particularly when adopting least-cost path approaches. Further investigation into the use of information theoretic approaches for model selection is also warranted

Protein and Polysaccharide-Based Fiber Materials Generated from Ionic Liquids: A Review.

Natural biomacromolecules such as structural proteins and polysaccharides are composed of the basic building blocks of life: amino acids and carbohydrates. Understanding their molecular structure, self-assembly and interaction in solvents such as ionic liquids (ILs) is critical for unleashing a flora of new materials, revolutionizing the way we fabricate multi-structural and multi-functional systems with tunable physicochemical properties. Ionic liquids are superior to organic solvents because they do not produce unwanted by-products and are considered green substitutes because of their reusability. In addition, they will significantly improve the miscibility of biopolymers with other materials while maintaining the mechanical properties of the biopolymer in the final product. Understanding and controlling the physicochemical properties of biopolymers in ionic liquids matrices will be crucial for progress leading to the ability to fabricate robust multi-level structural 1D fiber materials. It will also help to predict the relationship between fiber conformation and protein secondary structures or carbohydrate crystallinity, thus creating potential applications for cell growth signaling, ionic conductivity, liquid diffusion and thermal conductivity, and several applications in biomedicine and environmental science. This will also enable the regeneration of biopolymer composite fiber materials with useful functionalities and customizable options critical for additive manufacturing. The specific capabilities of these fiber materials have been shown to vary based on their fabrication methods including electrospinning and post-treatments. This review serves to provide basic knowledge of these commonly utilized protein and polysaccharide biopolymers and their fiber fabrication methods from various ionic liquids, as well as the effect of post-treatments on these fiber materials and their applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical research, wound healing, environmental filters and sustainable and green chemistry research

Inbound marketing en la agencia de marketing digital MARKETING DISRUPTIVO. Propuesta de implementación de la estrategia para la captación y fidelización de clientes a través del canal digital

El presente proyecto profesional tiene como objetivo proponer un plan de implementación de la estrategia Inbound marketing que sea adecuado para captar y fidelizar nuevos clientes en el objeto de estudio seleccionado: la agencia de marketing digital Marketing Disruptivo. Por lo mencionado anteriormente, el proyecto inicia con una fase de exploración que tiene como propósito permitirle al lector conocer y comprender a profundidad cómo y dónde inicia la estrategia del Inbound marketing. En línea con ello, se presenta un marco teórico estructurado de tal manera que presenta los conceptos claves del marketing para que, en los siguientes apartados, se continúe con las definiciones y características del marketing digital, el cual abre paso a las estrategias digitales entre las que destaca la de Inbound marketing; con el Inbound marketing inicia la fase descriptiva en donde el proyecto trata de especificar las características y propiedades más importantes de la estrategia, asimismo se inicia la recolección de datos que fue realizada a cuatro grupos diferentes de participantes para llegar a la información indicada y con el mayor detalle posible. Por otro lado, se realizó un análisis de la situación actual del mercado de agencias digitales y del objeto de estudio, Marketing Disruptivo, con la finalidad de presentar el estado actual del entorno en el que la empresa realiza sus actividades y de conocer las necesidades y falencias de la misma. A través de este análisis, y con la información que fue recolectada anteriormente, y con el análisis de cuatro propuestas de implementación de Inbound en una empresa (HubSpot, Inboundcycle, Impulse y GROU Crecimiento Digital), fue posible la presentación de un plan de implementación hecho a través de una elaboración propia basado en las necesidades y fortalezas específicas de la empresa. Como resultado del proyecto, se detallan los pasos que debe seguir la empresa para la aplicación de la propuesta de implementación de la estrategia Inbound marketing en donde cada paso es explicado a partir de los hallazgos obtenidos dentro de las fases de análisis del mercado y recolección de datos. Finalmente, se presentan las conclusiones, las cuales han sido redactadas como producto de la presentación de todo el proyecto profesional y del cumplimiento de los objetivos propuestos en el mismo, y las recomendaciones que se le brinda a Marketing Disruptivo para optimizar sus operaciones.Trabajo de suficiencia profesiona

Silk-Cellulose Acetate Biocomposite Materials Regenerated from Ionic Liquid

The novel use of ionic liquid as a solvent for biodegradable and natural organic biomaterials has increasingly sparked interest in the biomedical field. As compared to more volatile traditional solvents that rapidly degrade the protein molecular weight, the capability of polysaccharides and proteins to dissolve seamlessly in ionic liquid and form fine and tunable biomaterials after regeneration is the key interest of this study. Here, a blended system consisting of Bombyx Mori silk fibroin protein and a cellulose derivative, cellulose acetate (CA), in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc) was regenerated and underwent characterization to understand the structure and physical properties of the films. The change in the morphology of the biocomposites (by scanning electron microscope, SEM) and their secondary structure analysis (by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, FTIR) showed that the samples underwent a wavering conformational change on a microscopic level, resulting in strong interactions and changes in their crystalline structures such as the CA crystalline and silk beta-pleated sheets once the different ratios were applied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrated that strong molecular interactions were generated between CA and silk chains, providing the blended films lower glass transitions than those of the pure silk or cellulose acetate. All films that were blended had higher thermal stability than the pure cellulose acetate sample but presented gradual changes amongst the changing of ratios, as demonstrated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). This study provides the basis for the comprehension of the protein-polysaccharide composites for various biomedical applications

Stable isotope analysis reveals different trophic niche spaces for wild and hatchery origin juvenile Chinook salmon in the Nisqually Delta

Hatchery programs have been used as a conservation tool to bolster declining Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations throughout much of the Salish Sea. In many watersheds, hatchery fish are released concurrently with the natural-origin population, thus raising the potential for density dependent effects via depleted prey resources, territorial behavior, and movement into sub-optimal habitats. Competition during the critical period for early marine growth and survival might have detrimental effects for wild Chinook salmon populations, highlighting the potential importance of a productive delta habitat mosaic. We used an integrated diet approach with stomach content and stable isotope analyses to evaluate differential patterns of habitat use and prey consumption in a fall run population of juvenile Chinook salmon from the Nisqually River Delta in Puget Sound. We examined size class and origin-level differences throughout the out-migration gradient, from freshwater riverine to nearshore habitat. Natural- and hatchery-origin smolts exhibited distinct habitat use patterns, whereby hatchery-origin individuals were captured less frequently in forested and transitional habitats, and more frequently in the nearshore. Consequently, hatchery-origin juveniles were less likely to consume terrestrial insect drift that was almost twice as energy rich as nearshore crustacean prey. Stable isotope signatures from muscle and liver tissues corroborated this finding, showing that while natural-origin Chinook salmon derived 24–31% of their diets from terrestrially sourced prey, terrestrial insects only made up 2–8% of hatchery-origin diets. This may have explained why natural-origin fish were in better condition and had stomach contents that were 15% more energy-rich on average than hatchery-origin fish. We did not observe strong evidence for trophic overlap in natural- and hatchery-origin juvenile Chinook salmon, but our results suggest that hatchery fish are less likely to take advantage of the terrestrial-aquatic interface, and could suffer behaviorally-mediated consequences to early marine growth and survival

Serum Ferritin Levels Lack Diagnostic Accuracy for Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

BACKGROUND & AIM: Series studies have associated increased serum levels of ferritin with liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to determine the accuracy with which measurements of serum ferritin determine the presence and severity of liver fibrosis, and whether combining noninvasive scoring systems with serum ferritin analysis increases the accuracy of diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 1014 patients with liver biopsy-confirmed NAFLD. Three cut-points of serum ferritin level, adjusted for sex, were established based on receiver operating characteristics curve analysis: 1.0 (the upper limit of normal [ULN]), 1.5-fold ULN, and 2.0-fold ULN. Three multiple logistic regression models were created to determine the association of these cutoff values with liver fibrosis, adjusting for age, sex, race, diabetes, body mass index, and level of alanine aminotransferase. RESULTS: A greater proportion of patients with increased serum levels of ferritin had definitive NASH and more-advanced fibrosis than patients without increased levels. In all models, serum level of ferritin was significantly associated with the presence and severity of liver fibrosis. However, for all 3 cutoff values, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values were low (less than 0.60) for the presence of fibrosis or any stage of liver fibrosis; ferritin level identified patients with fibrosis with 16%–41% sensitivity and 70%–92% specificity. The accuracy with which noninvasive scoring systems identified patients with advanced fibrosis did not change with inclusion of serum ferritin values. CONCLUSIONS: Although serum levels of ferritin correlate with more-severe liver fibrosis, based on adjusted multiple logistic regression analysis, serum ferritin levels alone have a low level of diagnostic accuracy for the presence or severity of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD

Spatial dynamics of bovine tuberculosis in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain (2010-2012)

Progress in control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is often not uniform, usually due to the effect of one or more sometimes unknown epidemiological factors impairing the success of eradication programs. Use of spatial analysis can help to identify clusters of persistence of disease, leading to the identification of these factors thus allowing the implementation of targeted control measures, and may provide some insights of disease transmission, particularly when combined with molecular typing techniques. Here, the spatial dynamics of bTB in a high prevalence region of Spain were assessed during a three year period (2010-2012) using data from the eradication campaigns to detect clusters of positive bTB herds and of those infected with certain Mycobacterium bovis strains (characterized using spoligotyping and VNTR typing). In addition, the within-herd transmission coefficient (β) was estimated in infected herds and its spatial distribution and association with other potential outbreak and herd variables was evaluated. Significant clustering of positive herds was identified in the three years of the study in the same location ("high risk area"). Three spoligotypes (SB0339, SB0121 and SB1142) accounted for >70% of the outbreaks detected in the three years. VNTR subtyping revealed the presence of few but highly prevalent strains within the high risk area, suggesting maintained transmission in the area. The spatial autocorrelation found in the distribution of the estimated within-herd transmission coefficients in herds located within distances <14 km and the results of the spatial regression analysis, support the hypothesis of shared local factors affecting disease transmission in farms located at a close proximity