Orofacial functions and quality of life in oral health in subjects with dentofacial deformity

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

How do laryngeal and respiratory functions contribute to differentiate actors/actresses and untrained voices?

Purpose. The present study aimed to compare actors/actresses's voices and vocally trained subjects through aerodynamic and electroglottographic (EGG) analyses. We hypothesized that glottal and breathing functions would reflect technical and physiological differences between vocally trained and untrained subjects.Methods. Forty participants with normal voices participated in this study (20 professional theater actors and 20 untrained participants). In each group, 10 male and 10 female subjects were assessed. All participants underwent aerodynamic and EGG assessment of voice. From the Phonatory Aerodynamic System, three protocols were used: comfortable sustained phonation with EGG, voice efficiency with EGG, and running speech. Contact quotient was calculated from EGG. All phonatory tasks were produced at three different loudness levels. Mean sound pressure level and fundamental frequency were also assessed. Univariate, multivariate, and correlation statistical analyses were performed.Results. Main differences between vocally trained and untrained participants were found in the following variables: mean sound pressure level, phonatory airflow, subglottic pressure, inspiratory airflow duration, inspiratory airflow, and inspiratory volume. These variables were greater for trained participants. Mean pitch was found to be lower for trained voices.Conclusions. The glottal source seemed to have a weak contribution when differentiating the training status in speaking voice. More prominent changes between vocally trained and untrained participants are demonstrated in respiratory-related variables. These findings may be related to better management of breathing function (better breath support).

Scattering equations, generating functions and all massless five point tree amplitudes

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

On soft limits of large-scale structure correlation functions

We study soft limits of correlation functions for the density and velocity fields in the theory of structure formation. First, we re-derive the (resummed) consistency conditions at unequal times using the eikonal approximation. These are solely based on symmetry arguments and are therefore universal. Then, we explore the existence of equal-time relations in the soft limit which, on the other hand, depend on the interplay between soft and hard modes. We scrutinize two approaches in the literature: the time-flow formalism, and a background method where the soft mode is absorbed into a locally curved cosmology. The latter has been recently used to set up (angular averaged) 'equal-time consistency relations'. We explicitly demonstrate that the time-flow relations and 'equal-time consistency conditions'are only fulfilled at the linear level, and fail at next-to-leading order for an Einstein de-Sitter universe. While applied to the velocities both proposals break down beyond leading order, we find that the 'equal-time consistency conditions'quantitatively approximates the perturbative results for the density contrast. Thus, we generalize the background method to properly incorporate the effect of curvature in the density and velocity fluctuations on short scales, and discuss the reasons behind this discrepancy. We conclude with a few comments on practical implementations and future directions.

Constraints on parton distribution functions and extraction of the strong coupling constant from the inclusive jet cross section in pp collisions at root s=7TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Application of reverse Monte Carlo simulations to diatomic molecules. Part 1. Noncomplete radial distribution functions

The reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) method generates sets of points in space which yield radial distribution functions (RDFS) that approximate those of the system of interest. Such sets of configurations should, in principle, be sufficient to determine the structural properties of the system. In this work we apply the RMC technique to fluids of hard diatomic molecules. The experimental RDFs of the hard-dimer fluid were generated by the conventional MC method and used as input in the RMC simulations. Our results indicate that the RMC method is only satisfactory in determining the local structure of the fluid studied by means of only mono-variable RDF. Also we suggest that the use of multi-variable RDFs would improve the technique significantly. However, the accuracy of the method turned out to be very sensitive to the variance of the input experimental RDF. © 1995.

Comparative study between powers of sigmoid functions, MLP-backpropagation and polynomials in function approximation problems

Function approximation is a very important task in environments where the computation has to be based on extracting information from data samples in real world processes. So, the development of new mathematical model is a very important activity to guarantee the evolution of the function approximation area. In this sense, we will present the Polynomials Powers of Sigmoid (PPS) as a linear neural network. In this paper, we will introduce one series of practical results for the Polynomials Powers of Sigmoid, where we will show some advantages of the use of the powers of sigmiod functions in relationship the traditional MLP-Backpropagation and Polynomials in functions approximation problems.

Estimates of covariance functions for growth from birth to 630 days of age in Nelore cattle

Weight records of Brazilian Nelore cattle, from birth to 630 d of age, recorded every 3 mo, were analyzed using random regression models. Independent variables were Legendre polynomials of age at recording. The model of analysis included contemporary groups as fixed effects and age of dam as a linear and quadratic covariable. Mean trends were modeled through a cubic regression on orthogonal polynomials of age. Up to four sets of random regression coefficients were fitted for animals' direct and maternal, additive genetic, and permanent environmental effects. Changes in measurement error variances with age were modeled through a variance function. Orders of polynomial fit from three to six were considered, resulting in up to 77 parameters to be estimated. Models fitting random regressions modeled the pattern of variances in the data adequately, with estimates similar to those from corresponding univariate analysis. Direct heritability estimates decreased after birth and tended to be lowest at ages at which maternal effect estimates tended to be highest. Maternal heritability estimates increased after birth to a peak around 110 to 120 d of age and decreased thereafter. Additive genetic direct correlation estimates between weights at standard ages (birth, weaning, yearling, and final weight) were moderate to high and maternal genetic and environmental correlations were consistently high.

On partial derivative-Neumann's problem in generalized functions framework

In this paper, we show that the equation delta u/delta (z) over bar + Gu = f, where the elements involved are in generalized functions context, has a local solution in the generalized functions context.

Teaching general concepts about sensors and transfer functions with a voltage divider

This work proposes the use of a simple voltage divider circuit composed by one potentiometer and one resistor to simulate the behavior of the electrical output signal of linear and nonlinear sensors. It is a low cost way to implement practical experiments in classroom and it also enables the analysis of interesting topics of electricity. This work induces naturally to a class guide where students can build and characterize a voltage divider to explore several concepts about sensors output signal. As the result of this teaching activity it is expected that students understand fundamentals of voltage divider, potentiometer operation, fundamental sensor characteristics, transfer function, and, besides, associate directly concepts of physics and mathematics with a practical approach.