Utilização da Imagem por Ressonância Magnética nos Estudos sobre a Produção da Fala

A fala é uma ferramenta única de comunicação, que envolve um conjunto de órgãos que trabalham sincronamente na produção de sons. Os mecanismos envolvidos são complexos, sendo várias as técnicas de estudo da fala, quer do ponto de vista acústico, quer do ponto de vista morfológico. A ressonância magnética tem revelado potencialidades únicas no estudo do tracto vocal, e que são aqui destacadas. O principal objectivo deste estudo é dar a conhecer esta técnica de imagem e demonstrar a sua utilização no estudo da produção da fala, nomeadamente do Português Europeu. Através da recolha e análise de imagens foi possível a obtenção e construção de modelos tridimensionais do tracto vocal nas mais variadas posições articulatórias. Recorrendo a uma técnica de sincronização através de monitorização cardíaca e a aquisições de imagem ultra-rápidas foi possível também a captação dinâmica por sub-amostragem e a observação dos movimentos articulatórios envolvidos durante a produção de três sílabas. A caracterização morfológica e dinâmica do tracto vocal com base nas imagens de ressonância magnética é, face aos resultados obtidos, fiável e deveras importante para o conhecimento deste mecanismo. Para além disso, a informação obtida desperta um interesse multidisciplinar e aplicações diversas com potencialidades marcantes face aos esperados avanços tecnológicos desta técnica de imagem

Morfometria do trato vocal por ressonância magnética: simulação de padrões patológicos articulatórios

Introdução - A análise da forma ou morfometria de estruturas anatómicas, como o trato vocal, pode ser efetuada a partir de imagens bidimensionais (2D) como de aquisições volumétricas (3D) de ressonância magnética (RM). Esta técnica de imagem tem vindo a ter uma utilização crescente no estudo da produção da fala. Objetivos - Demonstrar como pode ser efetuada a morfometria do trato vocal a partir da imagem por ressonância magnética e ainda apresentar padrões anatómicos normais durante a produção das vogais [i a u] e dois padrões articulatórios patológicos em contexto simulado. Métodos - As imagens consideradas foram recolhidas a partir de aquisições 2D (Turbo Spin-eco) e 3D (Flash Gradiente-Eco) de RM em quatro sujeitos durante a produção das vogais em estudo; adicionalmente procedeu-se à avaliação de duas perturbações articulatórias usando o mesmo protocolo de RM. A morfometria do trato vocal foi extraída com recurso a técnicas manuais (para extração de cinco medidas articulatórias) e automáticas (para determinação de volumes) de processamento e análise de imagem. Resultados - Foi possível analisar todo o trato vocal, incluindo a posição e a forma dos articuladores, tendo por base cinco medidas descritivas do posicionamento destes órgãos durante a produção das vogais. A determinação destas medições permitiu identificar quais as estratégias mais comummente adotadas na produção de cada som, nomeadamente a postura articulatória e a variação de cada medida para cada um dos sujeitos em estudo. No contexto de voz falada intersujeitos, foi notória a variabilidade nos volumes estimados do trato vocal para cada som e, em especial, o aumento do volume do trato vocal na perturbação articulatória de sigmatismo. Conclusão - A imagem por RM é, sem dúvida, uma técnica promissora no estudo da fala, inócua, não-invasiva e que fornece informação fiável da morfometria do trato vocal.Introduction - The shape or morphologic analysis of anatomical structures, such as the vocal tract can be performed from two-dimensional (2D) or volumetric acquisitions (3D) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This imaging technique has had an increasing use in the study of speech production. Objectives - To determine a method to perform the morphometric analysis of the vocal tract from magnetic resonance imaging; to present anatomical patterns during the normal speech production of some vowels and two pathological articulatory disorders in simulated context. Methods - The image data was collected from 2D (Turbo Spin Echo) and 3D (Flash Gradient Echo) acquisitions of MRI of four subjects during the production of three vowels; in addition, two articulatory disorders were assessed using this imaging protocol. The morphology of the vocal tract was extracted using manual and automatic techniques of image processing and analysis. Results - Based on five articulatory measurements, it was possible to study the entire vocal tract during vowel production, including the position and shape of the articulators involved. Based on these measurements, it was possible to identify the strategies most commonly adopted in the production of each sound, including the articulatory posture and the modification of each measure for the subjects under study. Concerning the voices of the different speakers, the variability in the assessed volumes of the vocal tract for each sound was found, and in particular, the increased vocal tract volume in the articulatory disorder - the sigmatism. Conclusion - MRI is a promising technique for speech production studies, safe, non-invasive and that provides reliable information concerning the morphometric analysis of the vocal tract

CONTEXTO DE LA INNOVACIÓN EN LA RURALIDAD ESPAÑOLA: EL CASO DEL ARROZAL ANDALUZ

This article presents a descriptive statistical analysis on the relationship of rice growing and the retention of the rural population on the territory in Spain. Data provided by FAOSTAT (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE) and the Statistics and Cartography Institute of Andalusia were used. Results show that technological and non-technological innovation based on sustainable production has facilitated the increase in yield of paddy rice production, avoiding processes of rural depopulation in the municipalities of study

ANÁLISIS COMPARATIVO DE CONSUMIDORES DE VERDURAS Y FRUTAS ECOLÓGICAS EN ESPAÑA Y PORTUGAL

Presently, new patterns of food consumption associated to the so-called organic foods have been detected. The spread of post-materialist values, ecological awareness, environmental conservation, as well as the recent economic crisis that has impacted most European countries have fostered the emergence of new forms of consumption of organic products based on a model of sustainable production. In this context, the production and consumption of organic vegetables and fruits proves to be a strategy for quality in food consumption and also as a way of saving in the acquisition of fresh and healthy foods. The following scientific contribution makes a comparative descriptive statistical study of the sociodemographic characteristics of the different types of consumers of organic fruits and vegetables in Spain and Portugal. A description of the pro-environment practices in this typology of consumers is also shown. We resort to a quantitative strategy through the use of data that belongs to the ISSP Environment (2010, Portugal) and ISSP (2010, Spain) surveys. The technique used is the bivariate analysis and the tree segmentation analysis through the CHAID algorithm. The main results show the influence of education, income and environment in the characterization of the different types of consumers of organic fruits and vegetables in Spain and Portugal

Translating COGNISTAT and the Use of the Cognitive Interview Approach: Observations and Challenges

Cognitive functioning is a salient issue among people in the late adulthood stage where mental health declines with age. A common cognitive disability among elders is Dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive screening tools such as the Mini- Mental Status Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment are most commonly used to measure the cognitive ability areas leading to a diagnostic evaluation. COGNISTAT as a neuropsychological instrument is a recent screener being introduced to a few outpatient clinics. In this study; COGNISTAT is translated to Filipino for the first time using a rigorous procedure and pilot tested on elderly volunteers in local settings. The translation was done by an interdisciplinary team of a Geriatric Physician; a Speech Pathologist; and a Clinical Psychologist. The Filipino-translated COGNISTAT was administered to 22 elders in two batches using the cognitive interview method. Challenges were identified in the initial testing phase which has implications for future adaptations of foreign instruments

Probiotic-loaded microcapsule system for human in situ folate production: Encapsulation and system validation

This study focused on the use of a new system, an alginate | -poly-l-lysine | alginate | chitosan microcapsule (APACM), able to immobilize a folate-producing probiotic, Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris (LLC), which provides a new approach to the utilization of capsules and probiotics for in situ production of vitamins. LLC is able to produce 95.25 ± 26 g·L 1 of folate, during 10 h, and was encapsulated in the APACM. APACM proved its capacity to protect LLC against the harsh conditions of a simulated digestion maintaining a viable concentration of 6 log CFU·mL 1of LLC. A nutrients exchange capacity test, was performed using Lactobacillus plantarum UM7, a high lactic acid producer was used here to avoid false negative results. The production and release of 2 g·L 1 of lactic acid was achieved through encapsulation of L. plantarum, after 20 h. The adhesion of APACM to epithelial cells was also quantified, yielding 38% and 33% of capsules adhered to HT-29 cells and Caco-2 cells, respectively.Fundacão para a Ciência e Tecnologia, POPH-QREN and FSE (FCT, Portugal) through grants, SFRH/BD/80800/2012 and SFRH/BPD/101181/2014, respectively. The authors thank the FCT Strategic ProjectPEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the project “BioInd—Biotechnology and Bioengineering for Improved Industrial and Agro-Food Processes”, ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028 co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2–O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER

Vocal tract morphometry by magnetic resonance imaging: simulation of pathological articulatory patterns

Introduction – The shape or morphologic analysis of anatomical structures, such as the vocal tract can be performed from two-dimensional (2D) or volumetric acquisitions (3D) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This imaging technique has had an increasing use in the study of speech production. Objectives – To determine a method to perform the morphometric analysis of the vocal tract from magnetic resonance imaging; to present anatomical patterns during the normal speech production of some vowels and two pathological articulatory disorders in simulated context. Methods – The image data was collected from 2D (Turbo Spin Echo) and 3D (Flash Gradient Echo) acquisitions of MRI of four subjects during the production of three vowels; in addition, two articulatory disorders were assessed using this imaging protocol. The morphology of the vocal tract was extracted using manual and automatic techniques of image processing and analysis. Results – Based on five articulatory measurements, it was possible to study the entire vocal tract during vowel production, including the position and shape of the articulators involved. Based on these measurements, it was possible to identify the strategies most commonly adopted in the production of each sound, including the articulatory posture and the modification of each measure for the subjects under study. Concerning the voices of the different speakers, the variability in the assessed volumes of the vocal tract for each sound was found, and in particular, the increased vocal tract volume in the articulatory disorder – the sigmatism. Conclusion – MRI is a promising technique for speech production studies, safe, non-invasive and that provides reliable information concerning the morphometric analysis of the vocal tract

3D vocal tract reconstruction using magnetic resonance imaging data to study fricative consonant production

The development of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has grown rapidly in clinical practice. Currently, the use of MRI in speech research provides useful and accurate qualitative and quantitative data of speech articulation. The aim of this work was to describe an effective method to extract vocal tract and compute their volumes during speech production from MRI images. Using a 3.0 Tesla MRI system, 2D and 3D images of the vocal tract were collected and used to analyze the vocal tract during the production of fricative consonants. These images were also used to build the associated 3D models and compute their volumes. This approach showed that, in general, the volumes measured for the voiceless consonants are smaller than the counterpart voiced consonants. (c) Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015