Evaluation of the neo-glottal closure based on the source description in esophageal voice

The characteristics of esophageal voice render its study by traditional acoustic means to be limited and complicate. These limitations are even stronger when working with patients lacking minimal skills to control the required technique. Nevertheless the speech therapist needs to know the performance and mechanics developed by the patient in producing esophageal voice, as the specific techniques required in this case are not as universal and well-known as the ones for normal voicing. Each patient develops different strategies for producing esophageal voice due to the anatomical changes affecting the crico-pharyngeal sphincter (CPS) and the functional losses resulting from surgery. Therefore it is of fundamental relevance that practitioners could count on new instruments to evaluate esophageal voice quality, which on its turn could help in the enhancement of the CPS dynamics. The present work carries out a description of the voice of four patients after undergoing laryngectomy on data obtained from the study of the neo-glottal wave profile. Results obtained after analyzing the open-close phases and the tension of the muscular body on the CPS are shown

Tipificació de dos noms Cavanillesians, Galium Fruticescens (Rubiaceae) i Scorzonera pumila (Compositae)

The Cavanillesian names Galium fruticescens and Scorzonera pumila, basionym of Launaea pumila, are lectotypified from original specimens preserved in the Cavanilles herbarium in the Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid (MA).Els noms cavanillesians Galium fruticescens i Scorzonera pumila, basiònim de Launaea pumila, són lectotipificats a partir d’espècimens que pertanyen al material original de l’autor conservat a l’herbari del Reial Jardí Botànic de Madrid (MA)

Oral Propranolol for Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma

Introduction: Several therapeutic approaches have been developed to treat choroidal hemangioma. However, all these therapies are associated with a potential risk of damaging the overlying retina. Case Report: We report a case of circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH) in a 59-year-old man refractory to laser treatment. Visual acuity was 20/200 and a serous macular detachment was present. The CCH was treated with oral propanolol, whereupon visual acuity improved to 20/20 and the macular detachment resolved without systemic or local adverse effects. Discussion: Propanolol is a β-blocker commonly used in cardiology that may induce endothelium vasoconstriction and inhibit endothelial proliferation. It has been shown to be effective in infantile facial hemangiomas, and proved safe and effective for the CCH in our patient. Further studies are needed to confirm our observation

Analysis of the Usefulness of a Serious Game to Raise Awareness about Mental Health Problems in a Sample of High School and University Students: Relationship with Familiarity and Time Spent Playing Video Games

Background: One of the main challenges in the field of mental health today is the stigma towards individuals who have psychological disorders. Aims: This study aims to analyse the usefulness of applying a serious game developed for the purpose of raising awareness among students about mental health problems and analyse whether its usefulness can be influenced by the type of video games or the time that students usually devote to playing with this type of entertainment. Method: The serious game introduces four characters who display the symptoms of different psychological disorders. A total of 530 students participated in the study, 412 of whom comprised the experimental group and 118 the control group, 291 came from secondary school classes and 239 were university students. Results: The findings show that this serious game significantly reduced total stigma among students. Variables like time habitually spent playing video games or video game preference had no bearing on the results. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the serious game is an appropriated tool to reduce stigma, both in high school and university students, independently of the type of video games that young people usually play, or time spent playing video games