Acoustic, phonetic, and phonological features of Drehu vowels.

This study presents an acoustic investigation of the vowel inventory of Drehu (Southern Oceanic Linkage), spoken in New Caledonia. Reportedly, Drehu has a 14 vowel system distinguishing seven vowel qualities and an additional length distinction. Previous phonological descriptions were based on impressionistic accounts showing divergent proposals for two out of seven reported vowel qualities. This study presents the first phonetic investigation of Drehu vowels based on acoustic data from eight speakers. To examine the phonetic correlates of the proposed phonological vowel inventory, multi-point acoustic analyses were used, and vowel inherent spectral change (VISC) was investigated (F1, F2, and F3). Additionally, vowel duration was measured. Contrary to reports from other studies on VISC in monophthongs, we find that monophthongs in Drehu are mostly steady state. We propose a revised vowel inventory and focus on the acoustic description of open-mid /ɛ/ and the central vowel /ə/, whose status was previously unclear. Additionally, we find that vowel quality stands orthogonal to vowel quantity by demonstrating that the phonological vowel length distinction is primarily based on a duration cue rather than formant structure. Finally, we report the acoustic properties of the seven vowel qualities that were identified.

"There is a paywall to my happiness": the influence of socioeconomic determinants on transgender and gender diverse young adults' experiences with eating disorders.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) young adults experience elevated risk for eating disorders (ED), partially due to cissexist discrimination and victimization; less is understood about how socioeconomic determinants contribute to their ED risk. Qualitative data collected from 66 TGD young adults (18-30 years old; 29% self-identified as transgender women, 29% as transgender men, 39% as nonbinary people, and 3% as another gender identity (e.g., mahu)) in eight asynchronous online focus groups explored how socioeconomic determinants in conjunction with other dimensions of identity and lived experience shape disordered eating behavior (DEB) and ED risk. Participants described how economic barriers-including poverty and dependency on others (e.g. parents for health insurance)-and challenges produced by insurance and healthcare systems impeded healthcare access to the detriment of their overall mental health and risk for ED. In addition, participants shared different ways they leveraged financial resources to cope with stress, sometimes in ways that impelled disordered eating behaviors. Finally, participants described how poverty, socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage, and classism compound other systems of oppression (e.g. racism, ableism, weight bias) to adversely impact their general health and ED risk.

[Quantitative electroencephalogram for prediction of delayed ischemia in subarachnoid haemorrhage. Report of one case]. / Electroencefalograma cuantitativo en la predicción precoz de la isquemia cerebral tardía en hemorragia subaracnoidea aneurismática.Reporte de un caso.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating disease, with a mortality rate of 35%. Among patients who survive the initial bleeding, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality is delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Electroencephalography (EEG) can detect cerebral ischemia in the early stages. We report a 66-year-old female patient who consulted for ictal headache and impaired consciousness. On admission, she was confused, dysarthric, and with meningeal signs. Brain angio-CT showed SAH FISHER IV and an aneurysm of the left posterior cerebral artery. After excluding the aneurysm (by coiling), the patient recovered the altered consciousness. Continuous EEG monitoring was initiated. On the sixth day of follow up, she had a transient headache and apathy. The brain MRI showed low cerebral blood flow in the left frontotemporal area, without ischemic lesions. On the seventh day, she presented expression aphasia and right facial-brachial paresis. Angiography confirmed severe vasospasm in M1 and M2 segments bilaterally. Pharmacological angioplasty with nimodipine was performed, with an excellent radiological response, although not clinical. A second MRI was carried out on the eighth day, which showed a left insular infarction and generalized vasospasm. A second therapeutic angiography was performed; the patient persisted with aphasia and left central facial paresis. The quantitative EEG analysis performed retrospectively showed a generalized reduction in the spectral edge frequency 95 (SEF95; meaning slowing in the EEG signal) at the fourth day of follow up, three days earlier than the clinical and imaging diagnosis of DCI was established.

The alignment of F0 tonal targets under changes in speech rate in Drehu.

This study investigates fundamental frequency alignment to segmental landmarks in Drehu, an Oceanic language. The authors present a production experiment that aimed to evaluate the marking of prosodic prominence, and in particular, the tonal marking of prominence, within the autosegmental-metrical phonology, since stress and prominence system of the language has not been phonetically investigated. A rate manipulation paradigm was chosen to test the segmental anchoring hypothesis, namely, to see whether prominence lending tonal movements exhibit a constant slope due to rate manipulation and whether tonal targets can be associated to segmental anchoring points in the speech stream. The authors find that a rising tonal movement, between a word initial low (L), and a word final high (H) tone, is the most frequent tonal pattern. The word initial L tone seeks to align with the left edge whereas the H tone, at the right edge, seeks to anchor to the last full syllable. In fast speech, tonal targets are produced closer together but the slope remains constant in both speech rates. High tones seek to anchor to the word-final syllable, yet not to any specific segment which suggests a weak version of the segmental anchoring hypothesis applies.

The emergence of longevous populations.

The human lifespan has traversed a long evolutionary and historical path, from short-lived primate ancestors to contemporary Japan, Sweden, and other longevity frontrunners. Analyzing this trajectory is crucial for understanding biological and sociocultural processes that determine the span of life. Here we reveal a fundamental regularity. Two straight lines describe the joint rise of life expectancy and lifespan equality: one for primates and the second one over the full range of human experience from average lifespans as low as 2 y during mortality crises to more than 87 y for Japanese women today. Across the primate order and across human populations, the lives of females tend to be longer and less variable than the lives of males, suggesting deep evolutionary roots to the male disadvantage. Our findings cast fresh light on primate evolution and human history, opening directions for research on inequality, sociality, and aging.

The contribution of urbanization to changes in life expectancy in Scotland, 1861-1910.

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, urban populations in Europe and North America continued to be afflicted by very high mortality as rapid urbanization and industrialization processes got underway. Here we measure the effect of population redistribution from (low-mortality) rural to (high-mortality) urban areas on changes in Scottish life expectancy at birth from 1861 to 1910. Using vital registration data for that period, we apply a new decomposition method that decomposes changes in life expectancy into the contributions of two main components: (1) changes in mortality; and (2) compositional changes in the population. We find that, besides an urban penalty (higher mortality in urban areas), an urbanization penalty (negative effect of population redistribution to urban areas on survival) existed in Scotland during the study period. In the absence of the urbanization penalty, Scottish life expectancy at birth could have attained higher values by the beginning of the twentieth century.

Bascule syndrome associated with syncopal episodes.

Bascule syndrome is a recently described benign vasomotor dermatosis characterized by Bier anemic spots, cyanosis, and urticaria-like eruption. We report a case of a 13-year-old girl with cutaneous lesions consistent with Bascule syndrome who had had three exercise-related syncopal episodes. It would be recommended to exclude orthostatic intolerance or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome when evaluating patients with Bascule syndrome.

Clinical, Microscopic and Ultrastructural Findings in a Case of Short Anagen Syndrome.

Short anagen syndrome is an uncommon and recently described disease characterized by many telogen hairs and short maximum hair length. We report here the case of a 3-year-old girl whose short, sparse, fine hair since birth was consistent with short anagen syndrome. X-ray microanalysis demonstrated normal composition of the main bioelements of her hairs.

Accelerometer-based physical activity levels among Mexican adults and their relation with sociodemographic characteristics and BMI: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to describe the accelerometer based total and bout-specific PA levels for a representative sample of adults from Cuernavaca, Mexico, and to examine the relationships with sociodemographic characteristics and BMI status. METHODS: Cross sectional study of adults from Cuernavaca, Mexico (2011, n = 677). Participants wore Actigraph GT3X accelerometers for seven days and sociodemographic data was collected through a survey. Weight and height were objectively measured. Total minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and of MVPA occurring within bouts of at least ten minutes were obtained. Intensity-specific (moderate and vigorous) total PA and bouted-PA was also obtained. The relation of each PA variable with sex, age, socioeconomic status, education, marital status and BMI status was assessed using unadjusted and adjusted linear models. RESULTS: The mean total MVPA among adults from Cuernavaca was 221.3 ± 10.0 (median = 178.3 min/week). Average MVPA within bouts was 65.8 ± 4.7 min/week (median = 30.0 min/week). 9.7 % of total MVPA occurred within bouts. Significant associations were found for total and bout-specific MVPA with being male (positive) and owning a motor vehicle (negative). Additional associations were found for intensity-specific PA outcomes. Mexican adults were more active during weekdays than weekends, suggesting that PA may be more strongly driven by necessity (transport) than by choice (leisure). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to objectively measure PA for a representative sample of Mexican adults in an urban setting. The sociodemographic correlates vary from those known from high income countries, stressing the need for more correlate studies from lower-to-middle income countries.

Defining optimal control of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting-based on patients' experience.

PURPOSE: A considerable challenge when comparing antiemetic trials for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is the large number of outcome measures for nausea and vomiting. The objective of this study is to determine the optimal definition of CINV control from the patients' perspective. METHODS: Patients with early-stage breast cancer who had received anthracycline-cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy were surveyed. They were asked about their experiences of CINV and perceptions of different CINV assessment tools. RESULTS: Of 201 patients approached, 168 (83 %) completed the survey. Patients consistently ranked nausea over vomiting as the "worst side effect from chemotherapy." Despite the use of multi-agent antiemetic regimens, 71 % of patients experienced nausea and 26 % vomiting. Only 57 % of patients with any nausea or vomiting took rescue medications and only then when the symptom was severe. Most (76 %) patients believed that the primary end point of antiemetic trials should include the absence of both nausea and vomiting. Patients felt that CINV should be evaluated for the overall period post chemotherapy (i.e., days 1-5) and not simply the acute (the first 24 h) or delayed (days 2-5) periods. CONCLUSIONS: Patients strongly favored a CINV end point that includes the absence of both nausea and vomiting. Patients' experience with CINV is underestimated when nausea is not included in composite end points. "Use of rescue medication," a commonly used surrogate for emesis control, is inappropriate as it underestimates nausea. A standardized primary end point that includes nausea is essential if CINV control is to be improved.

Contribution of formative research to design an environmental program for obesity prevention in schools in Mexico City.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the methods and key findings of formative research conducted to design a school-based program for obesity prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Formative research was based on the ecological model and the principles of social marketing. A mixed method approach was used. Qualitative (direct observation, indepth interviews, focus group discussions and photo-voice) and quantitative (closed ended surveys, checklists, anthropometry) methods were employed. RESULTS: Formative research key findings, including barriers by levels of the ecological model, were used for designing a program including environmental strategies to discourage the consumption of energy dense foods and sugar beverages. CONCLUSION: Formative research was fundamental to developing a context specific obesity prevention program in schools that seeks environment modification and behavior change.

Characterization and prognostic factors of children with sepsis in a high complexity hospital. / Caracterización y factores pronósticos de niños con sepsis en un hospital de alta complejidad.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with sepsis admitted to a high-complexity healthcare center in Latin America. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Descriptive observational study. Patients between one month to 17 years of age with sepsis diagnosis were included. Studied variables included demographics, clinical and laboratory characteristics, and treatment administered, determining predictors of mortality. A descriptive analysis was performed using the Chi-square or Fisher test. RESULTS: 186 patients were included and 72% of them had comorbidities. Respiratory disease was the most frequent source of sepsis (29%), followed by gastrointestinal infection (11%) and catheter-related bacteremia (11%). 60% of patients had at least one organ dysfunction, the most frequent being respiratory dysfunction (70%). 60% of the patients presented multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Blood cultures showed a positive result in 37% of cases. The two most common first-hour interventions included IV resuscitation fluids (67%) and antibiotics (36%). Vasopressor support and mechanical ventilation were used in 33% and 34% of patients, respectively. Overall mortality was 12% and was higher in patients diagnosed with MODS (59%) or who presented with some organ dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Organ dysfunction was frequent. Patients with some type of organ dysfunction or MODS presented higher mortality. Despite global and institutional guidelines focused on improving diagnosis and treatment, in less than half of the patients sepsis was adequately detected and first-hour IV fluids and antibiotics administration rates were below 70%.

Identifying age- and sex-specific COVID-19 mortality trends over time in six countries.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by successive waves that each developed differently over time and through space. We aim to provide an in-depth analysis of the evolution of COVID-19 mortality during 2020 and 2021 in a selection of countries. METHODS: We focus on five European countries and the United States. Using standardized and age-specific mortality rates, we address variations in COVID-19 mortality within and between countries, and demographic characteristics and seasonality patterns. RESULTS: Our results highlight periods of acceleration and deceleration in the pace of COVID-19 mortality, with substantial differences across countries. Periods of stabilization were identified during summer (especially in 2020) among the European countries analyzed but not in the United States. The latter stands out as the study population with the highest COVID-19 mortality at young ages. In general, COVID-19 mortality is highest at old ages, particularly during winter. Compared with women, men have higher COVID-19 mortality rates at most ages and in most seasons. CONCLUSION: There is seasonality in COVID-19 mortality for both sexes at all ages, characterized by higher rates during winter. In 2021, the highest COVID-19 mortality rates continued to be observed at ages 75+, despite vaccinations having targeted those ages specifically.

Fundamental Frequency and Regional Variation in Lifou French.

This study presents two experiments aimed at investigating tune-to-text alignment and pitch scaling in Lifou French, a variety spoken by bilingual speakers of French and Drehu. Descriptions of New Caledonian French have focussed on language use of European descendants or the variety spoken in the urban region, neglecting emergent varieties spoken by the indigenous population in rural areas, like the island Lifou. Due to the reduced inventory of pitch accents, dialectal variation in French intonation has proved to be difficult to detect, which has led to the assumption that French has a relatively homogeneous intonation system across its varieties. This study shows that fine-grained phonetic differences in speaking tempo and at the level of tonal alignment as well as in the scaling of AP-final peaks can be attributed to dialectal variation.

Models of clinical care delivery for geriatric oncology in Canada and the United States: A survey of geriatric oncology care providers.

BACKGROUND: Geriatric assessment (GA) can help improve patient care and outcomes. There are increasing numbers of centres in Canada and the United States (U.S.) which provide geriatric oncology services, but the distribution and structure of these clinics is unclear. This study sought to identify and describe outpatient geriatric oncology clinics in Canada and the U.S. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 30-question survey was administered electronically to clinics identified by the authors, through a search of the internet and from members of geriatric oncology community of practices in Canada and the U.S. Additional clinics were identified via a snowball method. Descriptive statistics were used. An exploratory analysis of factors associated with higher volumes of patients seen was done using a two sample t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for categorical variables and simple linear regression for continuous variables. RESULTS: Nineteen clinics (5 in Canada, 14 in U.S.) responded. Median duration in operation was 5 years (range < 1 to 25 years). More than a third (36.8%) were run by a geriatric oncologist alone, 36.8% had input from both geriatrics and oncology, while 21.1% had access to only one of the disciplines. The majority of clinics had nursing, social work and pharmacy involvement, with fewer having physiotherapy and dieticians. Just over half (53%) had an age cut-off for referral to their clinic. Fitness for treatment was the most common reason for referral. Clinics saw a median of 188 consults per year (range 0-1000). Clinics which have been operating longer (p = 0.002), those that took less time to complete a GA (p = 0.03), and those in which individual components of the GA were assessed by each discipline, rather than by one point person (p = 0.02), saw more new consults annually. CONCLUSION: There has been a growth of geriatric oncology services in Canada and the U.S. within the last five years. The composition and structure of clinics varies widely though the majority have both geriatrics and oncology expertise. Support to build more geriatric oncology services is needed to reach more older adults with cancer. This study provides some insight into ways to structure these clinics.

The demography of COVID-19 deaths database, a gateway to well-documented international data.

National authorities publish COVID-19 death counts, which are extensively re-circulated and compared; but data are generally poorly sourced and documented. Academics and stakeholders need tools to assess data quality and to track data-related discrepancies for comparability over time or across countries. "The Demography of COVID-19 Deaths" database aims at bridging this gap. It provides COVID-19 death counts along with associated documentation, which includes the exact data sources and points out issues of quality and coverage of the data. The database - launched in April 2020 and continuously updated - contains daily cumulative death counts attributable to COVID-19 broken down by sex and age, place and date of occurrence of the death. Data and metadata undergo quality control checks prior to online release. As of mid-December 2021, it covers 21 countries in Europe and beyond. It is open access at a bilingual (English and French) website with content intended for expert users and non-specialists ( https://dc-covid.site.ined.fr/en/ ; figshare: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5807027 ). Data and metadata are available for each country separately and pooled over all countries.

Recent trends and technological development in plasma as an emerging and promising technology for food biosystems.

The rising need for wholesome, fresh, safe and "minimally-processed" foods has led to pioneering research activities in the emerging non-thermal technology of food processing. Cold plasma is such an innovative and promising technology that offers several potential applications in the food industry. It uses the highly reactive, energetic and charged gas molecules and species to decontaminate the food and package surfaces and preserve the foods without causing thermal damage to the nutritional and quality attributes of food. Cold plasma technology showed promising results about the inactivation of pathogens in the food industry without affecting the food quality. It is highly effective for surface decontamination of fruits and vegetables, but extensive research is required before its commercial utilization. Recent patents are focused on the applications of cold plasma in food processing and preservation. However, further studies are strongly needed to scale up this technology for future commercialization and understand plasma physics for getting better results and expand the applications and benefits. This review summarizes the emerging trends of cold plasma along with its recent applications in the food industry to extend shelf life and improve the quality of food. It also gives an overview of plasma generation and principles including mechanism of action. Further, the patents based on cold plasma technology have also been highlighted comprehensively for the first time.