The Flute Inside-Out: Tracking Internal Movements in Flute Playing

Analyses in the past have revealed that flute sound production is a complex procedure involving internal movements of the body. The larynx and pharynx in particular play a crucial role. Some authors, advocate for the abdominal muscles, while others, draw attention to the lips and the oral cavity. However, despite the various studies, the physiology of flute playing is limited by lack of empirically-derived information about what happens when a player carries out musical tasks. The present study is an empirical investigation of the role of the larynx and pharynx in flute playing from the perspective of a flute specialist. Specifically, the study aims to determine vocal fold involvement in vibrato, epiglottis movements, arytenoids and epiglottis involvement in articulation, and glottal aperture in tone and dynamics production (soft to loud, loud to soft). A detailed analysis of the relationship between standard flute techniques and the larynx and pharynx mechanisms is presented, making a significant contribution to the flute pedagogical literature. Two male and three female experienced players (referred to in the study as “the participants”) participated in a video-nasendoscopy procedure. The behaviour of the participants’ larynxes and pharynxes while playing a performance protocol specifically designed for this research was observed by a qualified speech pathologist. Specifically, the observer analysed true vocal fold adduction, false vocal fold adduction, laryngeal height, pharyngeal space, epiglottis movement, and arytenoid adduction. This study reveals that laryngeal/pharyngeal participation in flute playing is not limited to vibrato production or specific techniques, such as singing and playing or flutter tongue (tongue rolling effect while playing). The larynx plays a major role in producing flute tone and dynamics and should be considered by pedagogues, performers and health specialists. These findings can assist flute professionals in their daily practice, performances and teaching. Knowing the role of the larynx in vibrato, articulation, pitch control, and dynamics control, reveals a new tool for flute players to use with assurance when preparing any piece of the standard repertoire, or teaching a student

Effects of physical training and potassium supplementation on blood pressure, glucose metabolism and albuminuria of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Introduction: It is still controversial whether there are synergistic effects among different non-pharmacological interventions used in the treatment of hypertension. Objetives: To evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise, oral supplementation of potassium and their combination on blood pressure, glucose metabolism, urinary albumin excretion and glomerular morphology in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods: SHR were divided into groups: Control Group (SHR; standard diet and sedentary, n = 10), Exercise Group (SHR + E; trained on a treadmill, standard diet, n = 10), Potassium Group (SHR + K; sedentary, potassium supplementation, n = 10) and Group Exercise + Potassium (SHR + E + K, exercise, potassium supplementation n = 10). Weekly, body weight (BW) and tail blood pressure (TAP) were measured. At the end of 16 weeks, a Oral Glucose Tolerance Test was performed. Albuminuria was determined in the baseline period, at 8th and at 16th week. After sacrifice, the analysis of glomerular sclerosis index and visceral fat weight was performed. Results:The TAP and BW did not change significantly. There was improvement in insulin sensitivity in SHR + E and SHR + K, but not in SHR + E + K. At week 16, albuminuria in all groups was significantly lower than the SHR control. The glomerular sclerosis index and visceral fat content were also significantly lower in all groups compared to control. Conclusion: An oral supplementation of potassium and exercise led to an improvement in glucose metabolism, in albuminuria and glomerular morphology, however, the overlap of the treatments did not show synergism.Introdução: Ainda é controverso se ocorre sinergismo entre as diferentes medidas não farmacológicas utilizadas no tratamento da hipertensão arterial. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito do exercício físico aeróbico, da sobrecarga oral de potássio e da sua associação sobre a pressão arterial, metabolismo glicídico, excreção urinária de albumina e morfologia glomerular de ratos espontaneamente hipertensos (SHR). Métodos: SHRs foram divididos em: Grupo Controle (SHR; dieta padrão e sedentário, n = 10); Grupo Exercício (SHR + E; treinado em esteira rolante, dieta padrão, n = 10), Grupo Potássio (SHR + K; sedentário, dieta rica em potássio, n = 10) e Grupo Exercício + Potássio (SHR + E + K; exercitado, dieta rica em potássio, n = 10). Semanalmente, foi aferido o peso corporal (PC) e a pressão arterial de cauda (PAC). Ao final de 16 semanas, foi realizado o Teste de Tolerância oral a Glicose. A albuminúria foi determinada nos períodos basal, na 8ª e 16ª semana. Após o sacrifício, foi realizada a análise do índice de esclerose glomerular e a pesagem da gordura visceral. Resultados: A PAC e o PC não variaram significativamente. Houve melhora da sensibilidade à insulina no Grupo Exercício e Grupo Potássio, mas não no Grupo Exercício + Potássio. Na 16ª semana, a albuminúria de todos os grupos foi significativamente menor que o grupo SHR Controle. O índice de esclerose glomerular e o peso da gordura visceral também foram significativamente menores em todos os grupos tratados quando comparados ao controle. Conclusão: A dieta rica em potássio e o exercício físico determinaram melhora no metabolismo glicídico, na albuminúria e na morfologia glomerular, porém, a sobreposição dos tratamentos não apresentou sinergismo.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São PauloUNIFESPSciEL

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Núcleos de Ensino da Unesp: artigos 2013: volume 2: metodologias de ensino e a apropriação de conhecimento pelos alunos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Núcleos de Ensino da Unesp: artigos 2013: volume 2: metodologias de ensino e a apropriação de conhecimento pelos alunos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Núcleos de Ensino da Unesp: artigos 2007

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq