Australian College of Physical Education

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often includes challenges in verbal communication, particularly for minimally verbal (mv*) individuals. Mv* individuals with ASD often find it difficult to communicate with people since their vocalizations are highly personalized and often non-verbal, making it extremely difficult for people to understand their needs. Recent advances in machine learning and deep learning have made it possible for researchers to explore new avenues and provide personalized care for individuals with ASD. This research explores transfer learning and Mel spectrograms to classify nonverbal vocalizations from <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\text{mv}^{*}$</tex> ASD individuals, aiming to improve understanding and communication. We conduct three experiments to verify the robustness and generalizability of our approach in different setups. Using a dataset of 7077 vocalizations from eight mv* individuals collected from noisy, real-world settings, we convert the audio signals to Mel spectrograms and evaluate six transfer learning models and a custom convolutional neural network model. Our experiments demonstrated that DenseNet161, ResNet101, and VGG19, particularly when combined in an ensemble, effectively classify vocalizations into six categories: self-talk, frustration, delight, dysregulation, social, and request. Results suggest that this ensemble achieves state-of-the-art performance with an F1 score of 0.79, outperforming traditional machine learning methods and highlighting the potential of artificial intelligence in enhancing care for mv* ASD individuals.

ObjectivesTo provide epidemiological data and related costs for sport-related injuries of five sporting codes (cricket, netball, rugby league, rugby union and football) in New Zealand for moderate-to-serious and serious injury claims.MethodsA retrospective analytical review using detailed descriptive epidemiological data obtained from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for 2012–2016.ResultsOver the 5 years of study data, rugby union recorded the most moderate-to-serious injury entitlement claims (25 226) and costs (New Zealand dollars (NZD$)267 359 440 (£139 084 749)) resulting in the highest mean cost (NZD$10 484 (£5454)) per moderate-to-serious injury entitlement claim. Rugby union recorded more serious injury entitlement claims (n=454) than cricket (t(4)=−66.6; P<0.0001); netball (t(4)=−45.1; P<0.0001); rugby league (t(4)=−61.4; P<0.0001) and football (t(4)=66.6; P<0.0001) for 2012–2016. There was a twofold increase in the number of female moderate-to-serious injury entitlement claims for football (RR 2.6 (95%CI 2.2 to 2.9); P<0.0001) compared with cricket, and a threefold increase when compared with rugby union (risk ratio (RR) 3.1 (95%CI 2.9 to 3.3); P<0.0001). Moderate-to-serious concussion claims increased between 2012 and 2016 for netball (RR 3.7 (95%CI 1.9 to 7.1); P<0.0001), rugby union (RR 2.0 (95% CI 1.6 to 2.4); P<0.0001) and football (RR 2.3 (95%CI 1.6 to 3.2); P<0.0001). Nearly a quarter of moderate-to-serious entitlement claims (23%) and costs (24%) were to participants aged 35 years or older.ConclusionsRugby union and rugby league have the highest total number and costs associated with injury. Accurate sport exposure data are needed to enable injury risk calculations.

"Comics and the US South, edited by Brannon Costello and Qiana J. Whitted." Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 7(4), pp. 456–457

ABSTRACT‘Normalization/Social Role Valorization’ has become a buzz word in the delivery of services to elderly people. After outlining the chief characteristics of normalization, the following article makes three criticisms of the policy. The first two arguments concern the inadequacy of the training and implementation of normalization. An argument about an important normalization premise regarding values and value is the subject of the third criticism. The conclusion reached is that normalization is theoretically inadequate as a policy, and has been implemented in a manner which is contrary to the complex issues which characterise human services, and the expressed and stated needs of individuals.

The paper presents a design concept which eliminates two major weaknesses of existing visual inspection systems: (1) narrow application field and (2) inability to process images with poor contrast or noise distortion. Our system combines two basic inspection principles: (1) Feature Extraction and Comparison and (2) Verification of Design Rules. Inspection algorithms are based on gray scale morphology. Our short time goal is a real-time system which can cope with changing inspection objects and does well with complex, low-contrast images. The long-time goal is a rule-based system, able to translate design specifications of an object into an inspection algorithm.

The article begins from a cross-cultural study of creative thinking which showed Australian children as one of the least creative groups tested. A longitudinal study of this group is compared with its American equivalent showing the Australians as comparatively low creative achievers in adult life. A sample of Western Australian children is tested to see how they perform today, and a programme which selects highly able children for special advancement is examined to see if it bypasses the highly creative children. Finally, the value that teachers place on pupil characteristics that appear to be congruent with creativity is examined.

The normal role that the macrophage plays in tissue homeostasis is presented along with the morphological and functional changes that occur to the macrophage population as the lymphoedema progresses from the latent to the chronic phase and then with the treatment with a representative benzopyrone called coumarin. Underlying the lymphoedema, there is a chronic inflammation. It is this, in association with the accumulating protein and the subsequent alterations it produces in the tissues that attract monocytes and macrophages to the affected area. Despite the fact that macrophages are facultative anaerobes, and that larger numbers than normal accumulate, the tissue conditions result in a depression in their activity levels. Apart from these tissue conditions there is the possible production of deactivating proteins such as transforming growth factor beta 1 and 2. Evidence for this deactivation comes from enzymatic studies in which levels of typical macrophage enzymes are reduced and from morphological work which has shown a reduction in pseudopods and a tendency to accumulate large amounts of lipid in their vacuoles. As a consequence of this deactivation further protein accumulation occurs thereby osmotically attracting fluid. Also there is a tendency for the tissues to become fibrotic as the balance between collagen lysis and deposition shifts towards the latter since it has been shown that macrophages have an important role in collagen lysis. The administration of coumarin stimulates the macrophages resulting to their return to normal or supranormal activity levels within the lymphoedematous tissues. As well as this there is an increase in macrophage numbers. The reasons for stimulation are uncertain, however, alterations in the fine structure of the proteins and complement which make these more attractive for phagocytosis seem the most likely. The end result is an rapid enhanced breakup of the excess interstitial protein and the removal of the osmotically attracted fluid together with a more gradual removal of the deposits of fibrotic tissue by the non-stimulated macrophage. Clinically this manifests itself as a softening of the tissues, a reduction in circumference of the lymphoedematous extremity, a return to normal tissue remodelling processes and a range of subjective improvements for the patient.