Performance of two educational approaches in increasing knowledge of high-school students about COVID-19 during the first wave of pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly altered peoples' daily lives. Teachers and students were found quite unprepared for the emergence of the first COVID-19 wave. So, improving the knowledge of students about COVID-19 is an important issue. METHODS: In this study, 240 high students attended. Two interventions with the same contents, but in different ways, were delivered. A structured questionnaire was utilized to collect data on demographic information, and information about the behavioral intention toward COVID-19 before and after the educational interventions as well as a control group that received no educational intervention. RESULTS: students in all arms had similar baseline knowledge of COVID-19. The results of the post-analysis showed the efficiency of educational techniques in increasing students' knowledge about COVID-19. So the audio-visual training method performed significantly better than the visual training method (p = 0.03). Both approaches achieved better scores than the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: During the outbreak of COVID-19, multimedia-based learning is a more effective educational approach and can improve the learning outcomes related to COVID-19 and achieve learning goals without close contact than written materials.

Best practices for billing and coding

Billing and coding of telerheumatology encounter types has become more complex, as opportunities to provide telerheumatology services have expanded, with a major increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter provides an overview of telerheumatology billing and coding prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines how geographic criteria for providing telerheumatology care have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies specific billing codes, and criteria for their use, which are most relevant to rheumatology care teams. These include discussions of synchronous audio and visual encounters, audio-only encounters, E-visits, virtual check-ins, and interprofessional electronic consults (also known as eConsults). We discuss modifiers and place of service codes which may be required, as well as telehealth codes which may be used by nonphysician members of a rheumatology care team, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Finally, this chapter compares payment policies between Medicare and commercial payers, and briefly looks toward possible future trends in telerheumatology coverage policies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.

The effects of audio-visual perceptual characteristics on environmental health of pedestrian streets with traffic noise: A case study in Dalian, China.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected city dwellers' physical and mental health and has raised concerns about the health of urban public spaces. This field investigation research in Dalian, China, examined the perceived audio-visual environment characteristics of urban pedestrian streets with traffic noise and their influences on the environmental health of the pedestrian streets. Five indicators reflecting psychological responses to environmental characteristics (willingness to walk, relaxation, safety, beauty, and comprehensive comfort) were used to measure environmental health of pedestrian streets with traffic noise. The results showed that safety was rated the highest, and willingness to walk was evaluated as the lowest among health evaluation indicators. The imageability and openness of the streetscape were associated with each health evaluation indicator. In contrast, the rhythm and continuity of the street buildings had a greater effect on willingness to walk than the other health indicators. There were negative correlations between L Aeq for traffic noise and health evaluations. Positive health evaluations were observed when L Aeq was less than 55 dBA. In contrast, soundscape indicators showed positive correlations with health evaluations, and acoustic comfort and noise annoyance, rather than sound preference and subjective loudness were associated with each health evaluation indicator. In terms of the combined audio-visual factors, acoustic comfort, the quantity of greening, annoyance, sky visibility, spatial scale, and building distance were examined as the determining factors affecting health evaluations, and 55.40% of the variance in health evaluations was explained by the soundscape and streetscape indicators. The findings provide references for better understanding the relationships between healthy experience and audio-visual perceptions. Moreover, they enable environmental health quality optimisation of pedestrian spaces considering audio-visual indicators and approaches in the post-epidemic era.

Perspectives of Media Competence in Communication and Journalism Careers in the Andean Area

The purpose of the research is to analyze the higher academic offerings in communication and related fields in the Andean Community to determine if there is a relationship with the potential demands of adolescents who developed competencies to generate and exchange audiovisual content since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The research question is: should the academic curricula related to audiovisual and media competence of Andean universities change or be updated to meet a new profile of young people who know the audiovisual language? The methodology is qualitative and descriptive through content analysis of the academic curricula of the leading universities in the international rankings that classify Latin American universities, as well as semi-structured interviews with experts in higher education in communication in the region. In the case of communication studies and related areas, it happens that young people, before entering university, learn autonomously many of the techniques, processes and audiovisual languages that feed the contents of the current offer, but it is an instruction acquired without the corresponding social contexts, deontological senses and responsibilities. The denominations of the titles of the careers are classic, the formation of media competence is not alluded to or implicitly assumed, the same happens with the names of the courses taught, they respond to common or generic programs of professional formation with emphasis on journalistic production and audiovisual contents. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Difference-in-difference estimation in combined feedback on writing skill: a quasi-experimental study

Purpose: This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of audio-visual and written feedback (AVF + WF) on undergraduate students versus only receiving WF in the context of an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) online classroom during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Design/methodology/approach: The study used the estimator Difference in Difference (DID) to compare a treated and control group in a pre-and post-test under the application of six treatment sessions, plus a student's perception survey at the end of the treatment. The treated group that received the multimodal feedback showed higher improvement rates in the paragraph content between the first and final drafts than students in the control group. Findings: Results indicated that receiving a combination of AVF + WF had a statistically significant effect on mechanics (p < 0.001) and the use of transition words (p = 0.003). Practical implications: These findings will benefit educational agents, professors and stakeholders for social and economic development. Originality/value: While previous studies have only used student perceptions of the feedback, this study contributes with empirical data through quasi-experimental analysis and measures the effectiveness of feedback in online learning environments. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Creating Audio-Visual Content for a Personalized Prevention Programme in Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of premature death worldwide. Better risk stratification tools and personalized care of patients are needed for reducing the morbidity and mortality of CHD and the associated economic burden. However, contemporary e-learning solutions lack personalization and shared decision making and as a result, overwhelm patients with large amounts of information. CoroPrevention is a multiyear, EU-funded Horizon 2020 research project aiming to shape and implement a personalized secondary prevention strategy for patients with established CHD. As a part of the project, new digital tools will also be validated. In this paper, we discuss the process of creating audio-visual content for the CoroPrevention mobile application during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022 IEEE.

Evaluation of an Audio-Visual Novela to Improve COVID-19 Knowledge and Safe Practices Among Spanish-Speaking Individuals with Schizophrenia.

In the United States, the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected the Latinx community. Within the Latinx community, people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders are more susceptible to exposure to the virus. Given their increased risk of contracting and getting sick from the virus, efforts targeting the Latinx population should focus on increasing knowledge and safe practices associated with COVID-19. We developed a 10 min animated, Spanish-language audio-visual novela designed to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding COVID-19. Latinx adults with schizophrenia (N = 100) at a community mental health center in Los Angeles were randomly assigned to watch the novela or a non-COVID video (control group). Participants completed surveys immediately before and one month after viewing the material. One month after watching the audio-visual novela, subjects endorsed a greater likelihood of seeking a COVID-19 vaccine than control subjects. No other significant differences were observed between the two conditions. The findings of this study suggest that the presentation of health information in a relevant, engaging, and appealing manner may be useful way to improving salutary health behaviors of Latinx people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

What Do You Get from Turning on Your Video? Effects of Videoconferencing Affordances on Remote Class Experience During COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced schools to swiftly transition from in-person classes to online or remote offerings, making educators and learners alike rely on online videoconferencing platforms. Platforms like Zoom offer audio-visual channels of communication and include features that are designed to approximate the classroom experience. However, it is not clear how students' learning experiences are affected by affordances of the videoconferencing platforms or what underlying factors explain the differential effects of these affordances on class experiences of engagement, interaction, and satisfaction. In order to find out, we conducted two online survey studies: Study 1 (N = 176) investigated the effects of three types of videoconferencing affordances (i.e., modality, interactivity, and agency affordances) on class experience during the first two months after the transition to online learning. Results showed that usage of the three kinds of affordances was positively correlated with students' class engagement, interaction, and satisfaction. Perceived anonymity, nonverbal cues, and comfort level were found to be key mediators. In addition, students' usage of video cameras in class was influenced by their classmates. Study 2 (N = 256) tested the proposed relationships at a later stage of the pandemic and found similar results, thus serving as a constructive replication. This paper focuses on reporting the results of Study 1 since it captures the timely reactions from students when they first went online, and the second study plays a supplementary role in verifying Study 1 and thereby extending its external validity. Together, the two studies provide insights for instructors on how to leverage different videoconferencing affordances to enhance the virtual learning experience. Design implications for digital tools in online education are also discussed. © 2022 ACM.

Watch and Practice: Effectiveness of Using WhatsApp as a Multimedia Tool in Boosting Speaking Competence during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

With their audio-visual capacity, linguistic and non-linguistic content, WhatsApp group video calls appear to have great potential for encouraging EFL learners' speaking development. However, the literature has yet to establish the degree to which WhatsApp group video calls promote English learning motivation and self-efficacy, reduce English speaking anxiety, authentic self-assessment, or urge teachers and students to improve their digital literacy. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of using WhatsApp group video calls to improve students' speaking skills and reveal the extent of this media's impact on student learning. The pre-/post-test, the two-group quantitative explanatory research design was undertaken, featuring one hundred and nineteen students from four classes. A test and questionnaires were used for data collection, and then data were analyzed by using SPSS 24.0. The findings reveal that WhatsApp group video calls have been helpful for increasing learners' speaking competence during the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting students' English speaking motivation. With all these advantages in mind, this study suggests that ESL/EFL speaking instructors use WhatsApp group video calls in their distance or online English speaking classes. © 2023 by the authors.

Photography and Text in the university teachings of Communication in the post COVID-19 era. A proposal for Teaching Innovation

The COVID-19 pandemic forced university lecturers to reinvent themselves in their teaching practice in a non-classroom environment. This meant a forced learning of digital tools and methodologies in class for a scenario that, fortunately, is now beginning to subside as the pandemic is overcome. Through a very experimental proposal, we have combined a formula that combines the photographic/visual and textual dimensions. To this end, we adapted the contents of two text and image courses at the University of Seville and the University of Malaga, which then revolved around a practical delivery based on a dialogue between photography and text as an expressive vehicle. A survey allowed us to measure the degree of satisfaction of the 120 students. © 2022 Universidad Complutense de Madrid. All rights reserved.

Use of Audiovisual Strategies as a Complementary Resource for Practical Courses in Biomedical Engineering

In recent years, the education has been influenced by the implementation of new learning strategies due to the confinement caused by the spread of COVID-19. Teachers adopted audiovisual resources that allow them to teach their classes remotely. However, the transition to this modality has been sudden, forced, and evolving “on the fly" in response to the pedagogical adaptations. A structured implementation of audiovisual media in education is required, since it represents an important part of access to information in our times. For this goal, we propose strategies for the development of complementary offline and online audiovisual content to help teach practical courses in a Biomedical Engineering bachelor program. In particular, we present content created for a Medical Imaging Systems course. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Reflections on the battle against COVID-19: The effects of emotional design factors on the communication of audio-visual art.

Fighting against the epidemic is an arduous and prolonged battle where many artists hope to inspire people with the power of art through cultural creativity. To explore the effects of emotional design factors on the communication of audio-visual art and the audience's perceptive experience, this research takes the original anti-epidemic song and the film China Braves Headwind as the research object. The research also uses such methods as questionnaires, Structural Equation Models, and dependent samples t-tests to conduct statistical analysis. The results are as follows: First, the emotional design evaluation matrix based on the emotional communication model is reasonable, and the scales of this research are feasible. Second, the emotional design of audio-visual works can significantly affect the audience's emotional experience and further improve sharing intention. Third, Attribute A2 (Artistic style, Thematic perception) and attribute C3 (Emotional resonance, Spiritual sublimation) serve as common factors affecting the emotional experience in terms of both musical works and film and television works. Fourth, compared with musical works, film and television works are likely to resonate with the audience. The combination of music and visual sensation can help open up the conception of artistic works and convey their meanings to viewers. Therefore, it's necessary to explore the emotional communication mode between audio-visual artists and the audience. It helps artists think about how to create works innovatively and is conducive to marketizing works and stimulating cultural consumption demand.

The importance of sustainable leadership among company directors in the audio-visual sector in Spain: a cultural, ethical, and legal perspective

Business sectors are generally evolving towards the adoption of models of sustainable practice, but is this also true in the specific audio-visual sector? This question leads us to examine whether sustainable practices are carried out in the image and sound sector, using sector business leadership as a starting point. Adopting a long-term perspective has helped companies survive difficult times, such as seemingly ever more frequent economic crises and recessions, as well as to overcome the current COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. Together with review of appropriate literature, the study aims to analyse the perception of managers in the audio-visual sector regarding styles of leadership in their organizations, through the Bee and Locust Sustainable Leadership framework that Avery and Bergsteiner developed in 2011. A quantitative study was carried out based on the analysis of the responses given by fifty middle and senior managers from the audio-visual sector in Spain who answered a 54-poit questionnaire. The findings yielded interesting results. Organizations within the audio-visual sector were found to display elements of both bee and locust leadership styles. The results showed that idea contribution and teamwork were valued by the managers interviewed. Furthermore, considerable importance was attached to the need to implement continuous training and the development of corresponding professional careers in companies. Overall, the results showed that there was a clear need for companies in the audio-visual sector to put greater effort into promoting and successfully achieving sustainable practices at the operational level. © 2022 Communication & Society.

The Sustainability Challenges in the Colombian Audio-Visual Industry

In the middle of the expansion of the global environmental crisis, along with recent major challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and society, asking questions about the sustainability of the Colombian audio-visual sector is an unavoidable necessity. Here, it is vital to view sustainability protocols through a lens that combines environmental, social, cultural, and economic aspects as fundamental components in the development and consolidation of a sector that intends to be a reference point for the audio-visual production industry in Latin America. Promoting a sustainable future for film and TV cannot avoid the impacts resulting from overt prioritisation of economical concerns at the expense of labour rights, discrimination based on gender, environmental degradation, and cultural appropriation;a scenario that needs to be observed carefully in a country where the industry is in development and economic success is a priority. A set of individual and temporary sustainable initiatives will not change the course of the audio-visual production industry at a national scale. If no large-scale and long-term changes are adopted the current practices will increase CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, keep promoting exclusion, allow abuse against women and/or continue producing unviable content from the market viewpoint. The film industry cannot any longer consider an environmental discussion apart from social justice, cultural heritage protection or gender parity. Hence we will address these matters through a combined approach in this chapter. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Algumas reflexões sobre a pandemia, as visibilidades, velocidade e suspensões possíveis em uma experiência audiovisual docente

A proposta deste artigo é oferecer um mapeamento a respeito de certos impactos sociais, culturais, econômicos, psicológicos e pedagógicos da pandemia de Covid-19 e, dentro deste cenário, pensar como uma proposta de experiência audiovisual pode contribuir no processo pedagógico de compreensão deste momento. Algumas formas autônomas de trabalho ganharam força e disseminação em meio ao isolamento forçado. Termos como home-office, ‘teletrabalho’, ‘ensino remoto’, ‘cursos on-line’, palestras, webinars, ‘startups de inovação digital’ e outras narrativas ganharam força. Em contexto de afastamento social os professores enfrentaram desafios e buscaram soluções para encontrar uma sobrevivência. E, em meio a todas estas implicações e agenciamentos colocados por essa realidade ao espaço da escola, às subjetividades profissionais de professores (e alunos) atravessados pelas visibilidades e dos recursos midiáticos e de novas temporalidades, precisamos compreender um pouco sobre o impacto de certos comportamentos neste novo contexto social. Neste sentido, compartilhamos a experimentação audiovisual realizado via telefone celular em uma turma de ensino fundamental. A proposta é a produção de pequenos ‘vídeo-cartas pandêmicas’ que captassem planos, imagens, objetos, rotinas, histórias, momentos que, na visão do aluno, seriam ilustrativos de uma emoção e/ou reflexão destes tempos de distanciamento.Alternate : The purpose of this article is to provide a mapping of certain social, cultural, economic, psychological and pedagogical impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and, within this scenario, to think about how a proposal for an audiovisual experience can contribute to the pedagogical process of understanding this moment. Some autonomous forms of work gained strength and spread amid forced isolation. Terms such as home-office, telework‘, remote learning’, ’online courses’, lectures, webinars, ‘digital innovation startups’ and other narratives gained traction. In a context of social distancing, teachers faced challenges and sought solutions to find survival. And, amidst all these implications and arrangements placed by this reality on the school space, on the professional subjectivities of teachers (and students) crossed by visibilities and media resources and new temporalities, we need to understand a little about the impact of certain behaviors in this new social context. In this sense, we share the audiovisual experimentation carried out via cell phone in an elementary school class. The proposal is the production of small 'pandemic video-letters' that capture plans, images, objects, routines, stories, moments that, in the student's view, would be illustrative of an emotion and/or reflection of these times of distancing.Alternate : El propósito de este artículo es brindar un mapeo de ciertos impactos sociales, culturales, económicos, psicológicos y pedagógicos de la pandemia Covid-19 y, dentro de este escenario, pensar cómo una propuesta de experiencia audiovisual puede contribuir al proceso pedagógico. de entender este momento. Algunas formas autónomas de trabajo cobraron fuerza y ​​se extendieron en medio del aislamiento forzado. Términos como oficina en casa, trabajo a distancia ", aprendizaje remoto", "cursos en línea", conferencias, seminarios web, "empresas emergentes de innovación digital" y otras narrativas ganaron terreno. En el contexto del aislamiento social, los maestros enfrentaron desafíos y buscaron soluciones para encontrar una supervivencia. Y, en medio de todas estas implicaciones y arreglos que coloca esta realidad en el espacio escolar, en las subjetividades profesionales de los docentes (y estudiantes) atravesadas por visibilidades y recursos mediáticos y nuevas temporalidades, es necesario comprender un poco el impacto de determinadas conductas en este nuevo contexto social. En este sentido, compartimos la experimentación audiovisual realizada a través del teléfono celular en una clase de primaria. La propuesta es la producción de pequeñas 'video-cartas pandémicas' que capturan planos, imágenes, objetos, rutinas, historias, momentos que, a juicio del alumno, serían ilustrativos de una emoción y / o reflejo de estos tiempos lejanos.

Effect of Standardised Virtual Communication on Anxiety in Relatives of Patients with COVID-19 Infection in Central Gujarat: A Prospective Interventional Study

Introduction: There are various researches for increased anxiety in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and their relatives due to separation, but most of them are observational. Audio-video communication can be employed for communication between patients in rigorous isolation and their relatives. There were few researches available about the effectiveness of video calling on anxiety in COVID-19 patient. Gujarat lags considerably behind, according to bibliometric analysis of the India-based COVID-19 publication. Thus, the authors sought to conduct present study to evaluate that how video conferencing between COVID-19 patients in isolation and their relatives, affects anxiety. Aim: To determine the effect of standardised virtual communication on anxiety levels in relatives of COVID-19 intubated patient's. Materials and Methods: This prospective interventional study was conducted at a tertiary care centre, Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society Medical College and Hospital, Vadodara, Gujarat, India, from April 2021 to July 2021. Total 283 relatives of COVID-19 patient were recruited by purposive sampling. Virtual communication unit was set up, where relatives can communicate audio-visually with their patient and caregiver with help of video calling technology. Inside Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the caregivers (intern, doctors or nurses) wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kit handled the portable audio-visual screen and answered on behalf of the patient. The Hamilton anxiety scale was used to measure the anxiety of relatives before and after the communication. Paired t-test was used to statistically analyse the data. Level of significant p-value <0.05 was considered. Results: A total of 283 subjects with 178 males and 105 female relatives were enrolled in the study. As an effect of communication, the mild anxiety prevalence decreased from 69.71% to 46.27%, the moderate anxiety prevalence decreased from 4.93% to 3.81%, and 49.92% of relatives reported being anxiety-free after communication. Statistical analysis of the paired t-test of Hamilton anxiety score showed a drop in anxiety score after communication from 4.77 +/- 3.66 to 2.88 +/- 2.34 (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: Audio-visual technology is effective as a mode of communication and counselling during a pandemic to reduce anxiety in COVID-19 victim families.

ONLINE TEACHING CHALLENGES: THE ROLE OF CREATED AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS IN TEACHING ARABIC TO NON-ARAB SPEAKERS AT SCHOOLS

Background and Purpose: There are many difficulties which both Arabic teachers and non-Arab speakers encounter in the process of learning Arabic language. Covid- 19 has made online teaching inevitable. The role of created audio-visual aids in teaching Arabic to non-Arab students as well as the challenges faced by students learning through online classes is explored. The criteria for creating audio-visual aids and their effects is also investigated. Methodology:A descriptive analysis method is adopted to describe the challenges and difficulties that foundation and primary students face when learning Arabic via online-based means and to analyse the effects of the created audio-visual aids on students. A questionnaire was distributed to 79 foundation and primary students. Findings:Itwasfound that the usage and application of audio-visual tools in online based teaching effectively eases students' interaction with one another, contributed to better academic achievementincreased their vocabulary, enabling them to construct simple short sentences. It has also changed the students' perception of Arabic and instilled a passion for learning Arabic. Contributions: The study substantiates that the usage of audio-visual aids in online Arabic teaching is a key component to help non-Arab studentsto learn Arabic easily and effectively online.

Changing Paradigms of Teaching Amid Covid-19: A SWOT Analysis of online Classes in Physical Education and Sports Sciences

Covid-19, the most devastating pandemics of human history, has adversely affected education fraternity. This unprecedented and sudden outbreak of pandemic has forced the education sector to go through complete makeover overnight. The objective of the present paper was to analysis the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of online teaching of physical education and sports sciences during covid-19. Secondary data available online was utilized to complete the SWOT analysis. The findings of the study revealed that innovative audio-visual aids and tools employed by teachers, flexibility in timing and collaborative learning were recorded as strengths. However technical difficulties in term of usages of devices and software's, isolation and anxiety suffered by learner's were considered weaknesses. Lack of infrastructure and devices, network speed and connectivity, Digital illiteracy and divide and cost of technology were regarded as threats. Government initiative in this direction opened doors for many opportunities like creation of innovative program, tools, and technology. It was recommended that despite many strengths and opportunities a detailed and comprehensive online program and operational policy should be implemented by the government to nullify the grassroot problems. This work will help government, industry, and academia to prepare a better future road map for model online education. © 2021 IEEE.

Research on the Healing Potential of Rural Community Streets From the Perspective of Audiovisual Integration: A Case Study of Four Rural Communities in China.

Rural communities have become a hot topic in academic circles because of their graceful natural environment and great healing potential. However, existing research still lacks attention to the street space in rural communities and rarely considers its integrated visual and soundscape design in terms of their effect on public health. As a result, the healing potential of rural community streets cannot be fully used in design practice. Relevant audiovisual materials were collected from a field investigation in four rural communities in southwestern China. Based on these data, the subjective and objective healing index data of subjects under comprehensive audiovisual conditions were collected and analyzed through laboratory experiments. The results revealed that type of street space affects healing potential, and the artificial-natural enclosed and natural semi-enclosed streets are the street types with the best healing effect. When the total sound pressure level was 55dB(A), the sound combination with birdsong accounting for 70% had a significant positive effect on improving the healing effect of rural community streets. In contrast, the sound combination with birdsong accounting for 50% or less had no significant effect on improving healing. The subjective healing perception of street space in rural communities was significantly positively correlated with aesthetic preferences. There was also a significant correlation between subjective healing perception and physiological index data in the audiovisual combination. This research explored the impact of different types of street space and sound combinations on the healing effect of rural community streets in an integrated audiovisual environment and provided a scientific basis for the healing landscape design of rural community streets in an integrated audiovisual environment. It was expected to provide new ideas for the construction of rural community landscapes, including acoustic landscapes, to promote physical and mental healing.

Using the Short-Time Fourier Transform and ResNet to Diagnose Depression from Speech Data

Depression is a common illness that is affecting many people nowadays, this is especially true now with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. It often arises when a person is having difficulty coping with stressful life events. It can occur throughout the lifespan of a person, and it pervades all aspects of our lives. Currently, depression diagnoses rely on patient interviews and self-report questionnaires, which depend heavily on the patient honesty and the subjective experience of the clinician. In this paper, we will begin with investigating the viability of using the Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) as a feature descriptor to objectively diagnose depression from speech data. The dataset used in this research is the Audio-Visual Emotion Challenging 2017 (AVEC2017). The model is based on a modified ResNet18 model architecture to perform a binary classification (i.e., depressed or non-depressed). The STFT is computed from the speech signal to generate a mel-spectrogram for training and testing the model. The experiment shows that relying solely on STFT as an input feature resulted in an F1 score of 74.71% in classifying depression. © 2021 IEEE.