Automatic Detection of Laryngeal Pathology on Sustained Vowels Using Short-Term Cepstral Parameters: Analysis of Performance and Theoretical Justification

The majority of speech signal analysis procedures for automatic detection of laryngeal pathologies mainly rely on parameters extracted from time domain processing. Moreover, calculation of these parameters often requires prior pitch period estimation; therefore, their validity heavily depends on the robustness of pitch detection. Within this paper, an alternative approach based on cepstral- domain processing is presented which has the advantage of not requiring pitch estimation, thus providing a gain in both simplicity and robustness. While the proposed scheme is similar to solutions based on Mel-frequency cepstral parameters, already present in literature, it has an easier physical interpretation while achieving similar performance standards

Associations between physical activity and BMI, body fatness, and visceral adiposity in overweight or obese Latino and non-Latino adults.

Background/objectivesAlthough several studies have reported associations between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), body fatness and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), the extent to which associations differ among Latinos and non-Latinos remains unclear. This study evaluated the associations between body composition and MVPA in Latino and non-Latino adults.Subjects/methodsAn exploratory, cross-sectional analysis was conducted using baseline data collected from 298 overweight adults enrolled in a 12-month randomized controlled trial that tested the efficacy of text messaging to improve weight loss. MVPA, body fatness and VAT were assessed by waist-worn accelerometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and DXA-derived software (GE CoreScan GE, Madison, WI, USA), respectively. Participants with <5 days of accelerometry data or missing DXA data were excluded; 236 participants had complete data. Multivariable linear regression assessed associations between body composition and MVPA per day, defined as time in MVPA, bouts of MVPA (time per bout ⩾10 min), non-bouts of MVPA (time per bout <10 min) and meeting the 150-min MVPA guideline. The modifying influence of ethnicity was modeled with a multiplicative interaction term.ResultsThe interaction between ethnicity and MVPA in predicting percent body fat was significant (P=0.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.58, 4.43)) such that a given increase in MVPA was associated with a greater decline in total body fat in non-Latinos compared with Latinos (adjusted for age, sex and accelerometer wear time). There was no interaction between ethnicity and MVPA in predicting VAT (g) (P=0.78, 95% CI (-205.74, 273.17)) and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.18, 95% CI (-0.49, 2.26)).ConclusionsAn increase in MVPA was associated with a larger decrease in body fat, but neither BMI nor VAT, in non-Latinos compared with Latinos. This suggests that changes in VAT and BMI in response to MVPA may be less influenced by ethnicity than is total body fatness

Comparando el programa etnomatemático y el enfoque ontosemiótico: un esbozo de análisis mutuo

La comparación y articulación de marcos teóricos es un tema tratado por distintos autores y foros de discusión, como una fuente de enriquecimiento y punto de partida para hacer avanzar el desarrollo teórico mediante la articulación de teorías. Presentamos un trabajo de esta índole, estableciendo una relación entre la etnomatemática y el enfoque ontosemiótico del conocimiento y la instrucción matemáticos (EOS). La etnomatemática es un Programa de Investigación con una presencia consolidada a nivel internacional que propone una visión ampliada de la matemática y de la educación matemática. El EOS es una propuesta teórica en didáctica de la Matemática, muy difundida y valorada en la comunidad de estudiosos de la educación matemática. Una mirada recíproca de ambos marcos teóricos puede aportar un mutuo enriquecimiento. Concretamente se presentan las características básicas de ambos marcos teóricos, se comparan las cuestiones paradigmáticas abordadas y se identifican algunas concordancias y complementariedades

Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on hidroelectrolyte homeostasis

Fil: Godino, A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.Fil: Vivas, L. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.Fil: Molina, J.C. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.The aim of the present work was to analyze the effect of prenatal exposure to moderate doses of ethanol (Pre-EtOH) during the gestational days (GD) 17 to 20 on offspring (postnatal day 28-33) hydroelectrolyte balance. We analyzed basal brain neural activity and basal/induced sodium appetite and renal response stimulated by sodium depletion (SD).Fil: Godino, A. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.Fil: Vivas, L. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.Fil: Molina, J.C. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; Argentina.Biología del Desarroll

Brain activity at 70-80 Hz changes during olfactory stimulation protocols in Drosophila

Oscillatory and synchronized activities in the mammalian brain have been correlated with the execution of complex cognitive tasks. Similar oscillations have been observed in local field potentials (LFPs) in flies, in this case correlated with different attentional states. To further test the significance of these oscillations we recorded LFPs from the brain of Drosophila melanogaster as it responded to the presentation of olfactory stimuli. We find that responses in the 70-80 Hz range increase during olfactory stimulation. Recurrent stimulation specifically decreased the power of LFPs in this frequency range. Delivery of electric shocks before olfactory stimulation modulated LFPs in the 70-80 Hz range by evoking a transient increase. These results suggest that these signals are a simple neuronal correlate of higher-order olfactory processing in flies. © 2010 Prieto-Godino, de Polavieja.Peer Reviewe

Números mapuches en el currículo de la lengua mapuzugun en la educación básica chilena

Este artículo da cuenta de uno de los aspectos tratados en nuestra investigación en desarrollo sobre la Matemática del pueblo Mapuche en Chile, específicamente, la aritmética Mapuche. Con el objetivo de analizar las prácticas matemáticas implícitas en el Programa de Estudio de Lengua Mapunzugun, contemplamos la descripción morfosintáctica y el análisis de la estructura morfo-matemática, de los números en castellano y mapunzugun. Nuestro análisis se centra en los conflictos semióticos que supone un aprendizaje descontextualizado que no considera el conocimiento matemático de origen del estudiante mapuche presente en sus prácticas matemáticas cotidianas. Los principales resultados dan cuenta de la existencia de la aritmética mapuche reconocida por la institucionalidad y las potencialidades educativas de la numeración en mapunzugun. Concluimos este estudio con una reflexión crítica sobre el complejo escenario del proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje de la matemática escolar en contexto mapuche, la que evidencia la necesidad de articular dos saberes matemáticos que confluyen en el aula de matemática en los primeros niveles de la educación obligatoria. Al mismo tiempo, planteamos preguntas abiertas a futuras investigaciones desde la didáctica de las matemáticas, que requieren herramientas teóricas que permitan diseñar propuestas didácticas para una adecuada articulación entre la matemática escolar y la matemática mapuche

Study of the walls and of the documentary sources of the origin of the church of San Juan del Hospital of Valencia

El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido tratar de definir los límites físicos que tuvo el templo de San Juan del Hospital originalmente. Para ello hemos aplicado una metodología de trabajo precisa y rigurosa, la estratigrafía muraria, propia del ámbito de la arqueología urbana.El procedimiento seguido conlleva inventariar y catalogar todas las huellas encontradas en los paramentos, las unidades, los sistemas, técnicas y elementos constructivos encontrados en las estructuras de sus fábricas, así como el análisis de las referencias encontradas en las fuentes documentales, tanto escritas como gráficas, que se refieren al origen de la construcción. Se han realizado los diagramas estratigráficos, a través de los cuales se han establecido las relaciones de diacronía y sincronía entre las diversas unidades estratigráficas del objeto construido, lo que ha permitido localizar la parte primaria del Templo. Es así, como se ha logrado un resultado sorprendente al encontrar dos periodos diferentes de actuaciones durante el siglo XIII. San Juan del Hospital es la Iglesia más antigua de Valencia, tras la catedral, después de la conquista de Valencia en 1238 por el Rey Jaime I. Los resultados han servido para elaborar la representación virtual de la génesis constructiva de la Iglesia, y mejorar la interpretación de las huellas y sistemas encontrados con la finalidad de poder conservar y difundir

Leveraging open hardware to alleviate the burden of COVID-19 on global health systems.

With the current rapid spread of COVID-19, global health systems are increasingly overburdened by the sheer number of people that need diagnosis, isolation and treatment. Shortcomings are evident across the board, from staffing, facilities for rapid and reliable testing to availability of hospital beds and key medical-grade equipment. The scale and breadth of the problem calls for an equally substantive response not only from frontline workers such as medical staff and scientists, but from skilled members of the public who have the time, facilities and knowledge to meaningfully contribute to a consolidated global response. Here, we summarise community-driven approaches based on Free and Open Source scientific and medical Hardware (FOSH) as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) currently being developed and deployed to support the global response for COVID-19 prevention, patient treatment and diagnostics

Una experiencia de formación matemática de maestros usando recursos informáticos

En este trabajo describimos el diseño e implementación de un módulo de clases prácticas en el aula de informática, que se ha llevado a cabo en el programa de formación inicial de maestros de educación primaria en el área de matemáticas de la Universidad de Granada. Analizamos la organización de las sesiones prácticas y el tipo de activida- des basadas en la exploración y análisis de una colección de “applets” sobre aritmética, geometría, medida y estadística. Presentamos también algunos resultados de la experien- cia y unas primeras conclusiones sobre las cuestiones de investigación que plantea la incorporación de las nuevas tecnologías en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de las matemáticas cuando se realiza en este tipo de escenarios presenciales

Text messaging and brief phone calls for weight loss in overweight and obese English- and Spanish-speaking adults: A 1-year, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND:Weight loss interventions based solely on text messaging (short message service [SMS]) have been shown to be modestly effective for short periods of time and in some populations, but limited evidence is available for positive longer-term outcomes and for efficacy in Hispanic populations. Also, little is known about the comparative efficacy of weight loss interventions that use SMS coupled with brief, technology-mediated contact with health coaches, an important issue when considering the scalability and cost of interventions. We examined the efficacy of a 1-year intervention designed to reduce weight among overweight and obese English- and Spanish-speaking adults via SMS alone (ConTxt) or in combination with brief, monthly health-coaching calls. ConTxt offered 2-4 SMS/day that were personalized, tailored, and interactive. Content was theory- and evidence-based and focused on reducing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure. Monthly health-coaching calls (5-10 minutes' duration) focused on goal-setting, identifying barriers to achieving goals, and self-monitoring. METHODS AND FINDINGS:English- and Spanish-speaking adults were recruited from October 2011 to March 2013. A total of 298 overweight (body mass index [BMI] 27.0 to 39.9 kg/m2) adults (aged 21-60 years; 77% female; 41% Hispanic; 21% primarily Spanish speaking; 44% college graduates or higher; 22% unemployed) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either ConTxt only (n = 101), ConTxt plus health-coaching calls (n = 96), or standard print materials on weight reduction (control group, n = 101). We used computer-based permuted-block randomization with block sizes of three or six, stratified by sex and Spanish-speaking status. Participants, study staff, and investigators were masked until the intervention was assigned. The primary outcome was objectively measured percent of weight loss from baseline at 12 months. Differences between groups were evaluated using linear mixed-effects regression within an intention-to-treat framework. A total of 261 (87.2%) and 253 (84.9%) participants completed 6- and 12-month visits, respectively. Loss to follow-up did not differ by study group. Mean (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) percent weight loss at 12 months was -0.61 (-1.99 to 0.77) in the control group, -1.68 (-3.08 to -0.27) in ConTxt only, and -3.63 (-5.05 to -2.81) in ConTxt plus health-coaching calls. At 12 months, mean (95% CI) percent weight loss, adjusted for baseline BMI, was significantly different between ConTxt plus health-coaching calls and the control group (-3.0 [-4.99 to -1.04], p = 0.003) but not between the ConTxt-only and the control group (-1.07 [-3.05 to 0.92], p = 0.291). Differences between ConTxt plus health-coaching calls and ConTxt only were not significant (-1.95 [-3.96 to 0.06], p = 0.057). These findings were consistent across other weight-related secondary outcomes, including changes in absolute weight, BMI, and percent body fat at 12 months. Exploratory subgroup analyses suggested that Spanish speakers responded more favorably to ConTxt plus health-coaching calls than English speakers (Spanish contrast: -7.90 [-11.94 to -3.86], p < 0.001; English contrast: -1.82 [-4.03 to 0.39], p = 0.107). Limitations include the unblinded delivery of the intervention and recruitment of a predominantly female sample from a single site. CONCLUSIONS:A 1-year intervention that delivered theory- and evidence-based weight loss content via daily personalized, tailored, and interactive SMS was most effective when combined with brief, monthly phone calls. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01171586