Jitter, Shimmer and HNR classification within gender, tones and vowels in healthy voices

A statistical analysis of the Jitter, Shimmer and Harmonic to Noise Ratio parameters was applied to classify and compare genders, vowels and tones of healthy voices. Different type of speech records has used for the comparison, namely records with sustained vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/ at High, Low and Neutral tones. A gender comparison has made denoting differences only in Jitter parameter. The parameters determined in recorded vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/ has also compared and the Kruskal Wallis statistical test showed differences for parameters rap, Shim, ShdB, apq3, apq5 and HNR. High, Low and Neutral tones has compared using the same statistical test denoting statistical differences for all Jitter, Shimmer and HNR parameters. A statistical classification of the mean and standard values for these parameters on healthy voices is also presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lung glutathione adaptive responses to cigarette smoke exposure

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Smoking tobacco is a leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but although the majority of COPD cases can be directly related to smoking, only a quarter of smokers actually develop the disease. A potential reason for the disparity between smoking and COPD may involve an individual's ability to mount a protective adaptive response to cigarette smoke (CS). Glutathione (GSH) is highly concentrated in the lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and protects against many inhaled oxidants. The changes in GSH that occur with CS are not well investigated; therefore the GSH adaptive response that occurs with a commonly utilized CS exposure was examined in mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mice were exposed to CS for 5 h after which they were rested in filtered air for up to 16 h. GSH levels were measured in the ELF, bronchoalveolar lavage cells, plasma, and tissues. GSH synthesis was assessed by measuring γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (GCL) activity in lung and liver tissue.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>GSH levels in the ELF, plasma, and liver were decreased by as much as 50% during the 5 h CS exposure period whereas the lung GSH levels were unchanged. Next, the time course of rebound in GSH levels after the CS exposure was examined. CS exposure initially decreased ELF GSH levels by 50% but within 2 h GSH levels rebound to about 3 times basal levels and peaked at 16 h with a 6-fold increase and over repeat exposures were maintained at a 3-fold elevation for up to 2 months. Similar changes were observed in tissue GCL activity which is the rate limiting step in GSH synthesis. Furthermore, elevation in ELF GSH levels was not arbitrary since the CS induced GSH adaptive response after a 3d exposure period prevented GSH levels from dropping below basal levels.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>CS exposures evoke a powerful GSH adaptive response in the lung and systemically. These data suggests there may be a sensor that sets the ELF GSH adaptive response to prevent GSH levels from dipping below basal levels. Factors that disrupt GSH adaptive responses may contribute to the pathophysiology of COPD.</p

Effect of thermal treatment on the catalytic activity of a Fe-rich bentonite for the photo-Fenton reaction

Abstract The objective of this work was to evaluate the degradation of rhodamine B dye from aqueous solution by photo-Fenton reaction under visible irradiation using a Fe-rich bentonite as a catalyst. The material was thermally treated at a low temperature (200 °C) and characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, FTIR, SEM-EDS and XRF. Iron leaching in aqueous solution after the photo-Fenton reaction was evaluated by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The material exhibited a mesoporous structure, containing a specific surface area of 99 m2.g-1. The catalytic results showed significant dye degradation, reaching 95% of decolorization and 72% of mineralization at 300 min of reaction. The catalyst showed high chemical stability in four reaction cycles. Therefore, this thermally treated Fe-rich bentonite can be considered as a promising catalyst in the heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction for the degradation of rhodamine B from aqueous solution

Tratamiento eficaz de aguas residuales hospitalarias con diclofenaco e ibuprofeno en alta concentración utilizando una tecnología prometedora basada en una reacción de degradación catalizada por Fe0 bajo irradiación de microondas.

Real hospital wastewater was effectively treated by a promising technology based on degradation reaction catalyzed by Fe0 under microwave irradiation in this work. Fe0 powders were synthesized and characterized by different techniques, resulting in a single-phase sample with spherical particles. Optimum experimental conditions were determined by a central composite rotatable design combined with a response surface methodology, resulting in 96.8% of chemical oxygen demand reduction and 100% organic carbon removal, after applying MW power of 780 W and Fe0 dosage of 0.36 g L−1 for 60 min. Amongst the several organic compounds identified in the wastewater sample, diclofenac and ibuprofen were present in higher concentrations; therefore, they were set as target pollutants. Both compounds were completely degraded in 35 min of reaction time. Their plausible degradation pathways were investigated and proposed. Overall, the method developed in this work effectively removed high concentrations of pharmaceuticals in hospital wastewaterEn este trabajo, las aguas residuales hospitalarias reales fueron tratadas eficazmente mediante una tecnología prometedora basada en la reacción de degradación catalizada por Fe0 bajo irradiación de microondas. Los polvos de Fe0 se sintetizaron y caracterizaron mediante diferentes técnicas, dando como resultado una muestra monofásica con partículas esféricas. Las condiciones experimentales óptimas se determinaron mediante un diseño central compuesto giratorio combinado con una metodología de superficie de respuesta, lo que resultó en una reducción del 96,8% de la demanda química de oxígeno y una eliminación del 100% de carbono orgánico, después de aplicar una potencia de MW de 780 W y una dosis de Fe0 de 0,36 g L − 1. durante 60 min. Entre los varios compuestos orgánicos identificados en la muestra de aguas residuales, el diclofenaco y el ibuprofeno estaban presentes en concentraciones más altas; por lo tanto, se establecieron como contaminantes objetivo. Ambos compuestos se degradaron completamente en 35 min de tiempo de reacción. Se investigaron y propusieron sus posibles vías de degradación. En general, el método desarrollado en este trabajo eliminó de manera efectiva las altas concentraciones de productos farmacéuticos en las aguas residuales de los hospitales

Valorization of Pumpkin Peel as a Source of Bioactive Compounds: Optimization of Heat- and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

The peels from three pumpkin genotypes cultivated in Greece were assessed for their phenolic content and bioactive properties to obtain extracts with a high preservative capacity. The optimization of the extraction was performed through response surface methodology (RSM) based on a Box–Behnken experimental design after applying two extraction techniques: heat-assisted (HAE) and ultrasound-assisted (UAE) extraction. The implemented independent variables were time, solvent concentration, and temperature/power (for HAE/UAE), while as dependent variables the dry residue (DR), reducing power (RP), and total phenolic content (TP) were considered. In general, HAE was the most effective technique for ‘TL’ (75 min; 30 °C; 24% ethanol) and ‘Voutirato’ (15 min; 30 °C; 10% ethanol), while UAE was more effective for ‘Leuka Melitis’ (5 min; 400 W; 0% ethanol). The extracts obtained in the global optimum conditions for each genotype peel were then assessed for their phenolic profile, by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS, and bioactive potential. Seven phenolic compounds were detected, including four flavonoids, two phenolic acids, and one flavan-3-ol. The extracts presented high antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal potential, with no cytotoxicity for non-tumor cells. The optimized conditions for the extraction of preservative compounds from bioresidues were defined, allowing the acquisition of antioxidant and antimicrobial extracts and proving their potential for food application