ROGRESS
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DEV COMM NEWS FEATURE
Cough-based AI Algorithm detects COVID-19 patients SAMANTHA GUTIERREZ A research conducted by Laguarta, Hueto, and Subirana in their paper published in the IEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology is only one of the several research and IT models that prove the possibility of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to diagnose COVID-19 patients with a mere cough recording. In a short span of a year, various researchers and specialists alike have gathered and engineered COVID-19 cough recording applications, and the results of these innovations have sparked great curiosity by many. Almost a year into the pandemic and there are still inadequate resources for people to freely get checked for COVID-19. With the lack of free testing, COVID-19 patients fail to acquire the proper medical support and fail to isolate themselves until the symptoms have already reached noticeable and more transmissible degrees. Laguarta, Hueto, and Subirana’s paper stated that a forced-cough recording taken on a cellphone may detect both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases with the help of AI. Said research collected cough audio recordings from 5,320 positive and negative COVID-19 subjects, and the way it works is through following a detailed process. Every cough recording
would be split into six-second clips, processed with the MFCC package, and passed through biomarker 1 (muscular degradation). ResNet50s are then trained to capture the acoustics on biomarkers 2 (vocal chords), 3 (sentiment), and 4 (lungs and respiratory tract), which would be collected using a Global Average Pooling 2D layer. This entire structure is designed according to the collected cough dataset of 5,320 individuals and would help in the binary classification of cases. Faith on the effectiveness of such algorithms depend heavily on past diagnoses generated by AI, such as using smartphones to detect Pertussis, pneumonia, asthma, and other diseases. The research declared the algorithm a success by presenting its 98.5% accuracy, proving to be 18% more effective than self-diagnosis. 100% of accuracy rate, on the other hand, was presented among asymptomatic subjects. Higher-level biomarkers may be added to improve the algorithm, and to sufficiently diagnose individuals. Once developed, such AI-assisted models may be able to alleviate the ever-increasing cases of COVID-19, particularly in places where free and large-scale testing is close to impossible due
UC Researchers unveil ancient water filtration system
to the lack of supplies, manpower, and finance. Asymptomatic individuals would be aware of their health conditions, lessening chances of unintentionally spreading viruses; screening would not be limited only to temperature checking at important checkpoints, which also prove to be inoperable for asymptomatic cases; and manpower and finance would no longer be considered barriers to getting tested and saving lives.
OPINION
has just been able to utilize such innovation until recently—but Ancient Mayan has already been using it more than 2,000 years ago. Although said ancient troops are not considered the technological Multidisciplinary team under the University of Cincinnati uncovers giant during its prime unlike China, Rome, or India, Ancient Maya is generations ahead when it comes evidence of a 2000-year old Ancient to water management, probably Water Filtration system once used since it is situated in a tropical by Mayan Civilization. Discovery environment. They treated sources of this filtration system took of water with utmost importance, place in the city of Tikal, in the often relying on porous limestone rainforests of northern Guatemala. which made potable water accessible during seasonal droughts. Researchers under UC, which include a team of anthropologists, Sources of import for both the geologists, and biologists, found quartz and zeolite are pinpointed identified crystalline quartz and from the steep ridges around the zeolite which are minerals utilized Bajo de Azucar. The place is 18 during water filtration. Such miles away from the abandoned city. discovered minerals have the ability to kill harmful microbes, heavy The researchers, at the moment, metals, nitrogen-rich compounds, are trying to determine how the and other toxins in the water under filtration. This might have Ancient Maya protected their precious reservoirs from erosions. safeguarded the Mayans against harmful cyanobacteria and toxins. PHOTO/ SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE The best part of this discovery is that post-modern technology
There will be no development while class society exists
MA. RHEANNA TUAZON
P. arayatnesis: A call for healing YANCY MORON
Jomari Jalipa, Joaquim Gerardo Jurilla, and Jose Manuel Villasenor. Growing in the beat of the healing nature, the discovery of such species, as Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Central Luzon Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr. said, has proven that an excellent quality of biodiversity is evident in the mountain park. Moreno, having a firm initiative that MANP’s ecological significance should be preserved, remained positive on Suba’s research ensemble and the hope that they will bring good results after.
Even if the new plant species was divulged as a result of botanical expeditions in MANP in 2017, it was formally included in an international scientific journal Annales Botanici Fennice, and became a part of the dissertation of AUF College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Marlon Suba in UST, along with colleagues Dr. Axel Arriola, Dr. Grecebio Jonathan Alejandro, Nicolas Raphael Arcangel,
PHOTO/ BIOONE
COVID-19 pandemic coerced us to contend in our homes for an indefinite period of time and much of the happenings outside became out of our reach because of the dangers of the virus. Inversely, the said outbreak and the established norm of staying home became a bounty for our nature to heal and thrive with the temporary inexistence of our busy society. This new reality also sheds an opportunity for extensive research and continuous preservation of wildlife conditions, Pyrostria arayatnesis is living proof that amid the pandemic’s and one of its marvels is the discovery of Pyrostria arayatnesis. paralyzing effects on our society, there comes a hope on the other Discovered by a joint research team from Angeles University facet of our planet—our nature’s continuous healing and growth. Even Foundation (AUF) and University of Santo Tomas (UST), the after this global crisis, the DENR Region 3 is in full hopes that people endemic plant species are said to be found in the lowland grounds should protect and conserve MANP, the newly-found species’ home, of Mount Arayat National Park (MANP) in Pampanga. Although from any disturbances as it is a vital biodiversity hotspot in a region. the said discovery is a breakthrough, the national park and even Mount Arayat itself is home to a bountiful array of wildlife species—86 species of birds, 49 species of trees and plants, 14 species of mammals, 11 species of reptiles and with two endemic plant species like the Flame Tree and Chamberlain’s Pitogo.
VOX POPULI Ma. Rheanna Tuazon
I
was en route to Angeles City in a Sapangbato-Angeles jeepney when a child beggar stepped inside the vehicle to ask for spare changes. I was not complacent with the idea of giving money, so I gave him a packed cheesecake alternatively. One thing that I noticed was the fact that the child was not wearing a face mask. I immediately grabbed my extra face mask and gave it to the kid. He seemed to be truly delighted and said something along the lines of, “Salamat ate, minsan lang ako magsuot ng ganito kasi bihira lang may nagbibigay.” That succinct narrative of mine during the brief jeepney ride led me to think about the living conditions of the prole and poor. If us, petty bourgeoisie people, those who are proletariats, barely endure, then how do the marginalized people live during this period of contagion? We are panic-stricken easily when lockdowns are issued, we get overwrought about our food storage, or the days we’d have to skip going to the office if work from home options are not available. With these things affecting us, can we imagine how these distress those who do not have a stable source of food and a roof on top of their heads? I, then, got to thinking deeper. Riding a public transportation such as the jeepney is also slightly dangerous as well— but as part of the working class, not all of us have the reserves to procure a private vehicle. In my 21 years of existence, I have never once imagined a senator riding a jeepney or a president travelling by MRT; although Chiz Escudero has once rented out a jeepney for Heart Evangelista and Salvador Panelo has also once tried public transportation, those are special cases. With this supposition bothering me, I envisioned how it would be if the distribution of wealth is not based on capitalism. Higher profits would not matter and people would not have to live by their labor. Margins of poverty would not have to exist and there will be no homeless. Although there would be no ostentatious lifestyle like those in BGC, imeldarific spendings, or brand new luxury cars roaming around; wouldn’t life be easier and safer if everyone lived fairly without a price? At such time when we won’t have any reasons to hold a peaceful protest anywhere in Mendiola, would be the only time when the Philippines could prosper. This is why, on a MarxistLeninist perspective, I will always say, dissolve the triangle.
VOLUME XLIX | NO. 2 | SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 2020
