Pitch-matching Scanning: comparison of musicians and non-musicians' performance

PURPOSE: To develop a simple and quick-to-apply procedure for pitch-matching scanning that contains vocal imitation tasks of musical sounds of different tones and the temporal ordination of three different tones; to verify its applicability, by comparing the performance of musicians and non-musicians. METHODS: Participants were 32 adults of both genders without vocal, hearing and/or auditory processing complaints. They were equally divided into two groups: musicians group - MG and non-musicians group - NMG. All participants underwent the Pitch-matching Scanning that included musical stimuli compatible with men and women singing vocal range gathered into two types of tasks: isolate tones and three-tone sequences. Participants were instructed to listen to them and to reproduce them vocally. Voice samples were recorded, analyzed acoustically, and right and wrong matches for the two tasks were characterized. The variables regarding the comparison between groups and types of tasks were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A difference was found between groups, and the MG presented greater number of right matches in both tasks. CONCLUSION: The Pitch-matching Scanning was developed and was sensitive to evaluate and compare the performance between groups. Thus, it can be used as a tool for pitch-matching tracking. Musicians presented better performance than non-musicians in the Pitch-matching Scanning.OBJETIVOS: Elaborar um procedimento simples e de rápida aplicação contendo tarefas de imitação vocal de sons musicais de diferentes tons e de ordenação temporal de três tons; verificar sua aplicabilidade, comparando o desempenho de musicistas e não musicistas. MÉTODOS: Participaram 32 indivíduos adultos, de ambos os gêneros, sem queixas vocais, auditivas e/ou de processamento auditivo, que foram divididos igualmente em dois grupos: grupo musicistas - GM e grupo não musicistas - GNM. Todos passaram pela Triagem da Afinação Vocal, que incluiu estímulos musicais compatíveis com a tessitura vocal de homens e mulheres, agrupados em dois tipos de tarefas: tons isolados e sequências de três tons. Os participantes foram instruídos a ouvir os tons apresentados e reproduzí-los vocalmente. As emissões vocais foram gravadas, analisadas acusticamente e os acertos e erros cometidos nos dois tipos de tarefas foram caracterizados. As variáveis referentes à comparação entre os grupos e os tipos de tarefas foram analisadas estatisticamente. RESULTADOS: Houve diferença na comparação entre os dois tipos de tarefas para o GNM, o que não ocorreu com o GM. Foram observadas diferenças na comparação entre os grupos, sendo que o GM apresentou um maior número de acertos nos dois tipos de tarefas. CONCLUSÃO: A Triagem da Afinação Vocal foi criada e mostrou-se sensível para avaliação e comparação do desempenho entre grupos, podendo ser utilizada como instrumento de rastreamento de afinação vocal. Musicistas apresentaram melhor desempenho que não musicistas na Triagem da Afinação Vocal.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de FonoaudiologiaUNIFESP, Depto. de FonoaudiologiaSciEL

Fratura de colo de fêmur proximal em crianças: um relato de caso / Proximal femoral neck fracture in children: a case report

Introdução:  A fratura de fêmur proximal (FP) na infância é muito rara, correspondendo a quase 1% de todas as da criança. Em geral provenientes de traumas de alta energia (acidente automobilístico). O sistema de classificação de Delbet e Colonna possui quatro tipos, sendo de fundamental importância para a propedêutica. Essa fratura torna-se cirúrgica, preferencialmente, a partir dos 2 anos de idade, associado ou não com gesso pélvico podálico. Os índices de complicações nas fraturas do colo femoral em crianças são elevados e dependem da gravidade da fratura e do método de tratamento proposto. Dessa forma, sendo uma fratura potencialmente grave constituem uma urgência ortopédica. Assim sendo, o retardo no tratamento adequado afeta diretamente no prognóstico.Método: Foi realizado uma revisão bibliográfica, perfazendo uma análise qualitativa, do tipo descritiva, através de um relato de caso. As literaturas foram obtidas na bibliotecas eletrônicas SciELO e BVS com as seguintes bases de dados: Lilacs e MEDLINE. A genitora do paciente em questão assinou o termo de consentimento livre esclarecido.Resultados: FBSB, masculino, 12 anos, admitido devido a acidente do tipo colisão moto versus carro. Apresentou-se com múltiplos ferimentos do tipo queimadura de fricção e importante deformidade em membro inferior esquerdo sem exposição óssea em região do joelho esquerdo e quadril esquerdo. Um das fraturas obtidas foi a fratura de colo femoral (Delbet e Colonna tipo IV – fratura intertrocantérica com elevado desvio. No dia da admissão foi diversas intervenções cirúrgicas, exceto a fratura de fêmur proximal femoral, que apenas abordado no 12º dia com a instalação de fixador externo e fios de Steinman. A pesar do atraso no tratamento cirúrgico o paciente evoluiu estável e gradualmente a nível ambulatorial percebeu-se apresentou o ganho da ADM.Conclusão: As complicações são frequentes na fratura de FP, especialmente no tratamento tardio dessas fraturas, como no presente caso exposto. Assim sendo sujeito a complicações, como a necrose avascular e o fechamento prematuro da epífise. Dessa forma e mediante o caso foi criado uma fluxograma para terapêutica das fraturas FP em crianças, aja vista quanto mais precoce a intervenção e a obtenção de redução anatômica, maiores as probabilidades de bons resultados

High anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroconversion rates before the second wave in Manaus, Brazil, and the protective effect of social behaviour measures: results from the prospective DETECTCoV-19 cohort

Background: The city of Manaus, Brazil, has seen two collapses of the health system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We report anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibody seroconversion rates and associated risk factors in Manaus residents before the second wave of the epidemic in Brazil. Methods: A convenience sample of adult (aged ≥18 years) residents of Manaus was recruited through online and university website advertising into the DETECTCoV-19 study cohort. The current analysis of seroconversion included a subgroup of DETECTCoV-19 participants who had at least two serum sample collections separated by at least 4 weeks between Aug 19 and Oct 2, 2020 (visit 1), and Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020 (visit 2). Those who reported (or had no data on) having a COVID-19 diagnosis before visit 1, and who were positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at visit 1 were excluded. Using an in-house ELISA, the reactivity index (RI; calculated as the optical density ratio of the sample to the negative control) for serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies was measured at both visits. We calculated the incidence of seroconversion (defined as RI values ≤1·5 at visit 1 and ≥1·5 at visit 2, and a ratio >2 between the visit 2 and visit 1 RI values) during the study period, as well as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) through cluster-corrected and adjusted Poisson regression models to analyse associations between seroconversion and variables related to sociodemographic characteristics, health access, comorbidities, COVID-19 exposure, protective behaviours, and symptoms. Findings: 2496 DETECTCoV-19 cohort participants returned for a follow-up visit between Oct 19 and Nov 27, 2020, of whom 204 reported having COVID-19 before the first visit and 24 had no data regarding previous disease status. 559 participants were seropositive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at baseline. Of the remaining 1709 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 71 did not meet the criteria for seroconversion and were excluded from the analyses. Among the remaining 1638 participants who were seronegative at baseline, 214 showed seroconversion at visit 2. The seroconversion incidence was 13·06% (95% CI 11·52–14·79) overall and 6·78% (5·61–8·10) for symptomatic seroconversion, over a median follow-up period of 57 days (IQR 54–61). 48·1% of seroconversion events were estimated to be asymptomatic. The sample had higher proportions of affluent and higher-educated people than those reported for the Manaus city population. In the fully adjusted and corrected model, risk factors for seroconversion before visit 2 were having a COVID-19 case in the household (IRR 1·49 [95% CI 1·21–1·83]), not wearing a mask during contact with a person with COVID-19 (1·25 [1·09–1·45]), relaxation of physical distancing (1·31 [1·05–1·64]), and having flu-like symptoms (1·79 [1·23–2·59]) or a COVID-19 diagnosis (3·57 [2·27–5·63]) between the first and second visits, whereas working remotely was associated with lower incidence (0·74 [0·56–0·97]). Interpretation: An intense infection transmission period preceded the second wave of COVID-19 in Manaus. Several modifiable behaviours increased the risk of seroconversion, including non-compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions measures such as not wearing a mask during contact, relaxation of protective measures, and non-remote working. Increased testing in high-transmission areas is needed to provide timely information about ongoing transmission and aid appropriate implementation of transmission mitigation measures. Funding: Ministry of Education, Brazil; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/WHO.World Health OrganizationRevisión por pare

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Search for anomalous production of events with three or more leptons in pp collisions at √s = 8TeV

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published articles title, journal citation, and DOI.A search for physics beyond the standard model in events with at least three leptons is presented. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5fb-1 of proton-proton collisions with center-of-mass energy s=8TeV, was collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2012. The data are divided into exclusive categories based on the number of leptons and their flavor, the presence or absence of an opposite-sign, same-flavor lepton pair (OSSF), the invariant mass of the OSSF pair, the presence or absence of a tagged bottom-quark jet, the number of identified hadronically decaying τ leptons, and the magnitude of the missing transverse energy and of the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta. The numbers of observed events are found to be consistent with the expected numbers from standard model processes, and limits are placed on new-physics scenarios that yield multilepton final states. In particular, scenarios that predict Higgs boson production in the context of supersymmetric decay chains are examined. We also place a 95% confidence level upper limit of 1.3% on the branching fraction for the decay of a top quark to a charm quark and a Higgs boson (t→cH), which translates to a bound on the left- and right-handed top-charm flavor-violating Higgs Yukawa couplings, λtcH and λctH, respectively, of |λtcH|2+|λctH|2<0.21