Integration of a Spanish-to-LSE machine translation system into an e-learning platform

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21657-2_61This paper presents the first results of the integration of a Spanish-to-LSE Machine Translation (MT) system into an e-learning platform. Most e-learning platforms provide speech-based contents, which makes them inaccessible to the Deaf. To solve this issue, we have developed a MT system that translates Spanish speech-based contents into LSE. To test our MT system, we have integrated it into an e-learning tool. The e-learning tool sends the audio to our platform. The platform sends back the subtitles and a video stream with the signed translation to the e-learning tool. Preliminary results, evaluating the sign language synthesis module, show an isolated sign recognition accuracy of 97%. The sentence recognition accuracy was of 93%.Authors would like to acknowledge the FPU-UAM grant program for its financial support. Authors are grateful to the FCNSE linguistic department for sharing their knowledge in LSE and performing the evaluations. Many thanks go to María Chulvi and Benjamín Nogal for providing help during the imple-mentation of this system. This work was partially supported by the Telefónica Móviles España S.A. project number 10-047158-TE-Ed-01-1

A randomised controlled trial of the Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) for childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): a protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An abundance of literature is dedicated to research for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Most, is in the area of pharmacological therapies with less emphasis in psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions and even less in the area of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).</p> <p>The use of CAM has increased over the years, especially for developmental and behavioral disorders, such as ADHD. 60–65% of parents with children with ADHD have used CAM. Medical evidence supports a multidisciplinary approach (i.e. pharmacological and psychosocial) for the best clinical outcomes. The Neuro Emotional Technique (NET), a branch of Chiropractic, was designed to address the biopsychosocial aspects of acute and chronic conditions including non-musculoskeletal conditions. Anecdotally, it has been suggested that ADHD may be managed effectively by NET.</p> <p>Design/methods</p> <p>A placebo controlled, double blind randomised clinical trial was designed to assess the effectiveness of NET on a cohort of children with medically diagnosed ADHD.</p> <p>Children aged 5–12 years who met the inclusion criteria were randomised to one of three groups. The control group continued on their existing medical regimen and the intervention and placebo groups had the addition of the NET and sham NET protocols added to their regimen respectively. These two groups attended a clinical facility twice a week for the first month and then once a month for six months.</p> <p>The Conners' Parent and Teacher Rating Scales (CRS) were used at the start of the study to establish baseline data and then in one month and in seven months time, at the conclusion of the study. The primary outcome measures chosen were the Conners' ADHD Index and Conners' Global Index. The secondary outcome measures chosen were the DSM-IV: Inattentive, the DSM-IV:Hyperactive-Impulsive, and the DSM-IV:Total subscales from the Conners' Rating Scales, monitoring changes in inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.</p> <p>Calculations for the sample size were set with a significance level of 0.05 and the power of 80%, yielding a sample size of 93.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The present study should provide information as to whether the addition of NET to an existing medical regimen can improve outcomes for children with ADHD.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registration Number: ANZCTRN 012606000332527</p

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder managed by the Neuro Emotional Technique (NET): Twenty case series

Abstracts Third International Congress on Complementary Medicine Research 2008. Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Habor, March 29 - 31, 2008

Final data of the effects of the Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) for pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD): A randomized controlled trial

Introduction: The literature reveals that two treatments have been validated as effective treatment modalities for pediatric AD/HD: psychosocial treatments, pharmacological treatments and their combination. However, controversy exists over the efficacy and safety of pharmacological therapies. As a result of this controversy, parents have been seeking complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) such as chiropractic for their children with AD/HD. The objective of this study was to determine whether the addition of the emotional component of NET therapy to an existing treatment program could improve clinical outcomes (i.e. reduce inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) in pediatric AD/HD. The purpose of this study was to test anecdotal claims of treatment success made by chiropractors using NET therapy for pediatric AD/HD. Methods: An approved clinical trial was conducted in four private clinics in Sydney, Australia. Children aged 5–12 years who met inclusion criteria were randomised into three groups: Group A (Sham n = 37), Group B (NET therapy n = 59) and Group C (Control n = 32). All groups continued with their existing treatment regimens (i.e. pharmacological and/or psychosocial). Groups A and B had sham and NET protocols added respectively to existing regimens. Psychometric outcome measures were chosen from the Conners’ Rating Scales (CRS), which were scored and interpreted by independent registered clinical psychologists. The psychologists, participants, parents and teachers of groups A and B were all blinded to group allocation. An analysis of covariance was conducted comparing the changes between baseline and final results (i.e. after seven months and 14 interventions) between the active group (NET) and placebo group (sham). Results: Forty-one participants (10 sham; 21 NET; 10 Control) completed the protocol. CRS classified changes of five or more subscale points as significant and thus -5 was chosen as the minimally clinically important difference (MCID). Decreases in global and behavioral indices were indicative of improvements in participants’ behaviors and were considered clinically meaningful results. At the conclusion of the study, only NET therapy group achieved the MCID (>−5). The intention to treat analysis revealed that NET therapy produced significant results for all primary and secondary outcomes: Conners ADHD Index (p = 0.000, CI: −13.03, −3.96); Conners Global Index (p = 0.006, CI: −13.70, −2.46); DSM-IV:Inattentive (p = 0.031, CI: −9.94, −0.49); DSM-IV:Hyperactive/Impulsive (p = 0.003, CI: −13.91, −2.98) and DSM-IV:Total (p = 0.006, CI: −12.75, −2.23). The Cohen's d coefficient revealed medium to high effect sizes (1.08, 0.82, 0.64, 0.89 and 0.82, respectively). These significant results denote improvements in global and behavioral indices (i.e. reductions in inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity) in participants who received NET therapy. Conclusions: These results provide the first data towards answering the question: Does NET have a potential role to play in the management of pediatric AD/HD? This study has demonstrated clinically meaningful changes and significant results for the emotional component of NET therapy for pediatric AD/HD. Definitive recommendations cannot be made about the intervention at this time until a protocol using the whole spectrum of NET is undertaken

Separation anxiety disorder in a 13-year–old boy managed by the Neuro Emotional Technique as a biopsychosocial intervention

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of an adolescent with separation anxiety disorder (SAD) presenting to a chiropractor for treatment. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient was a 13-year-old boy who had consulted with a clinical psychologist and had been diagnosed with SAD using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria. The patient was unable to attend school camps or sleep at friends' homes because of anxiety. INTERVENTION/OUTCOME: The patient underwent 8 sessions with a chiropractor certified in the Neuro Emotional Technique (NET). Two days after his last NET treatment, he attended his first school camp without incident. He also slept away from home at a friend's home for the first time without incident. Six months postintervention, he returned to his clinical psychologist, where she independently reevaluated him stating that he no longer met the criteria for SAD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. CONCLUSION: This single case report cannot provide a causal relationship between the clinical outcome and NET without further investigations. Neuro Emotional Technique is a unique therapy that does not take the place of psychotherapy; however, it may be used as an adjunct to it. It is possible that, with valid and reliable follow-up research, the biopsychosocial principles that NET addresses may be of value to children and adolescents with SAD

A new psychosocial therapy, neuro emotional technique (NET) for childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

No abstract availabl

Primary-school-aged children inspire their peers and families to eat more vegetables in the KiiDSAY project: a qualitative descriptive study

Abstract Background While vegetable intakes in Australia remain sub-optimal across all age groups, children are rarely consulted about their ideas on how to increase consumption. Qualitative research involving children provides an opportunity to consider their views. The aim of the Kids initiative inspires Dietary Success in Adults and Youth (KiiDSAY) project was to explore the views of school-aged children, who had participated in a school-based nutrition education program, about inspiring their peers and families to eat more vegetables. Methods A total of 26 children (15 boys) aged 10–12 years from four primary schools in New South Wales, Australia, participated in seven focus group interviews. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants. The study involved open-ended semi-structured questions conducted via Zoom that were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis with deductive and inductive coding in NVivo. Results Four major themes emerged: (i) taste; (ii) family environment; (iii) healthy eating; and (iv) change makers; with subthemes that were embedded within Social Cognitive Theory and Ecological Model of Health Behaviour theoretical frameworks. Conclusions Children’s inputs hold great potential for informing future interventions, particularly when designing or refining school-based nutrition programs. Children offered suggestions on how to inspire increased vegetable consumption among their peers and families that could be taken into consideration for future research and practice. These included: cooking activities in the home and school settings using recipes that creatively hide/mask/enhance the flavour of vegetables, involving positive role models and supportive school environments. Additionally, children recommended a sequential approach to the delivery of recipes starting from fruit-based and transitioning to vegetable-based recipes. Given the challenges faced in increasing children’s vegetable consumption, particular focus on future research in this area is warranted. Trial registration FEAST Trial registered 14th December 2020 with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620001347954)

Impact and process evaluation of a primary-school Food Education and Sustainability Training (FEAST) program in 10-12-year-old children in Australia: pragmatic cluster non-randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Environmentally sustainable food initiatives accompanying nutrition education, such as the Food Education and Sustainability Training (FEAST) program, have gained traction in school settings. The aim of this trial was to conduct an impact and process evaluation of FEAST, to evaluate its effect on children’s fruit and vegetable (F&V) intakes, and secondary outcomes: F&V variety consumed, nutrition knowledge, food preparation/cooking skills, self-efficacy and behaviours, food waste knowledge and behaviours, and food production knowledge. Methods FEAST was a 10-week curriculum-aligned program, designed to educate children about healthy eating, food waste, and sustainability, while teaching cooking skills. It was implemented by classroom teachers, face-to-face and online, during COVID-19 school closures, in Australia in 2021. A custom designed survey was used to collect baseline and post-intervention data from students. Generalised linear mixed models (GLMM) estimated group differences in pre-post changes for primary and secondary outcomes. Surveys were also administered to students and teachers to evaluate intervention implementation. Results Twenty schools participated and self-selected to be either intervention schools (n = 10) or wait-list control (WLC) schools (n = 10). A total of 977, 5th and 6th grade children participated in the trial with a mean age of 11.1 years (SD ± 0.7). The FEAST intervention, compared to WLC, did not result in significant increases in primary outcomes nor secondary outcomes. The process evaluation revealed FEAST was well-received by students and teachers, but COVID-19 school closures hindered implementation fidelity with a less intense program delivered under the constraints of pandemic lockdowns. Conclusions This is the first cluster non-randomized controlled trial designed to independently evaluate FEAST in the primary-school setting. No evidence was found for improved F&V intakes in children, nor secondary outcomes. However, the positive process evaluation results suggest that further trials of the program are warranted. If implemented as originally designed (pre-pandemic), with increased duration and complemented by supporting school policies, such programs have the potential to improve children’s daily F&V intakes, cooking skills and food waste behaviours. This would support the Australian curriculum and contribute to: health promotion within schools and sustainable schools initiatives, the national agenda to reduce food waste and sustainable development goals. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry [ACTRN12620001347954]- Registered prospectively on 14/12/2020

Emotional Body Expression Parameters In Virtual Human Ontology

Abstract. To create expressive body animation in Virtual Humans one uses motion captured sequences, because the results are more realistic and credible. This technology is expensive in time and cost. Its reusability is not evident and it depends on the quality of the descriptors one can adhere to animations. We propose an ontology where one can look for animations that can be adapted inside an emotional context. These animations are classified within a representation of emotion. Since we use MPEG-4 animations it is also possible to provide parameters that can enhance the animation to a more expressive performance.