Recognition Of Speech In Multi-Talker Babble By Individuals With Hearing Loss

The purpose of this study was to determine the speech recognition abilities of individuals with hearing loss using multi-talker babble as a competing stimulus. Twenty-six young adults participated, 15 in the normal hearing group (mean age of 21.9 years) and 11 in the hearing loss group (mean age of 22.2 years). The participants with normal hearing (0-20 dB HL) had a high frequency pure tone average (HFPTA) of 5 dB HL in both ears, while the participants in the hearing loss group had an HFPTA of 13 dB HL in the right ear and 25 dB HL in the left ear. There was a significant difference in the hearing level of the two groups. Each group listened to words from an audio file and then repeated the words back to the researchers. Four-person multi-talker babble background noise was presented at signal-to-noise ratios of +15 dB, +5 dB, 0 dB and -5 dB. The results demonstrated that participants with normal hearing and participants with hearing loss had decreased speech recognition scores as the multi-talker babble interfered more with the target words; however, data revealed no statistical difference between the hearing loss group and the normal hearing group. In general, the results suggest that less favorable signal-to-noise ratios will affect an individual’s ability to recognize speech in noise, but mild hearing loss does not affect word recognition to any greater degree. A qualitative analysis of the types of error trends demonstrated that phoneme voicing does not contribute to speech recognition. However, the type of speech errors (e.g., substitutions, omission), the phonemes in error and the manner-of-articulation errors made by the participants increased as background noise interfered more

The Effect of Static Stretching, Mini-Band Warm-Ups, Medicine-Ball Warm-Ups, and a Light Jogging Warm-Up on Common Athletic Ability Tests

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(4): 298-311, 2020. Proper warm-up is important for facilitating peak athletic performance and reducing injury risk; yet, warm-up procedures vary considerably amongst coaches and athletes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a static stretching, medicine-ball, and mini-band warm-ups relative to a light jogging warm-up only on athletic ability test performance. It was hypothesized that static stretching would negatively affect performance, while medicine-ball and mini-band warm-ups would positively affect performance relative to light jogging only. Twelve female collegiate soccer players (19.3 ± 1.2y, 65.2 ± 7.5kg, 1.67 ± 0.07m) participated in this study. Athletes completed each warm-up protocol and all of the athletic performance tests over four sessions in a semi-randomized, counterbalanced order. An omnibus MANOVA with vertical jump height, medicine ball throw distance, 10m and 20m sprint time, and T-test time as the dependent variables was not significant indicating that warm up did not have an effect on subsequent athletic ability test performance [Wilks’ λ = 0.64, F(15,110) = 1.28, p= 0.23, η2= 0.14]. Static stretching warm-up did not negatively influence athletic potential compared to mini-band and medicine ball warm-ups, though the most optimal warm-up is likely athlete specific

Analysis of Total and Segmental Body Composition Relative to Fitness Performance Measures in Law Enforcement Recruits

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 245-260, 2022. Law enforcement agencies often test the fitness performance and body composition of incoming recruits. This study investigated the relationships between whole and segmental body composition, and fitness tests in law enforcement recruits. A retrospective analysis of 72 male and 11 female recruits was performed. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) variables were: lean mass (LM), upper-extremity lean mass (UELM), trunk LM, lower-extremity lean mass (LELM), fat mass (FM), upper-extremity fat mass (UEFM), trunk FM, and lower-extremity fat mass (LEFM). Fitness tests included: vertical jump (VJ), peak anaerobic power (PAPw), 75-yard pursuit run (75PR), push-ups, sit-ups, 2-kg medicine ball throw (MBT), and the multi-stage fitness test (MSFT). Partial correlations and ANCOVAs between quartiles assessed relationships between body composition and performance. Significant moderate-to-large relationships were found; LM, UELM, trunk LM, LELM all related to PAPw (r = 0.500-0.558) and MBT (r = 0.494-0.526). FM, UEFM, trunk FM, LEFM all related to VJ (r = -0.481 to -0.493), 75PR (r = 0.533-0.557), push-ups (r = -0.484 to -0.503), sit-ups (r = -0.435 to -0.449), and MSFT (r = -0.371 to -0.423). The highest LM quartile (4) had superior PAPw and MBT than LM quartiles 1-3. Higher FM quartiles performed poorer in VJ, push-ups, and sit-ups. The 75PR quartiles 2, 3, and 4 were slower than quartile 1, and MSFT quartile 4 completed less shuttles. Total and segmental measures of LM and FM shared the same relationships; lower FM and higher LM related to better performance. Monitoring body composition could help guide training to optimize performance

RECAST: Extending the Impact of Existing Analyses

Searches for new physics by experimental collaborations represent a significant investment in time and resources. Often these searches are sensitive to a broader class of models than they were originally designed to test. We aim to extend the impact of existing searches through a technique we call 'recasting'. After considering several examples, which illustrate the issues and subtleties involved, we present RECAST, a framework designed to facilitate the usage of this technique.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

How Can Psychological Science Inform Research About Genetic Counseling for Clinical Genomic Sequencing?

Next generation genomic sequencing technologies (including whole genome or whole exome sequencing) are being increasingly applied to clinical care. Yet, the breadth and complexity of sequencing information raise questions about how best to communicate and return sequencing information to patients and families in ways that facilitate comprehension and optimal health decisions. Obtaining answers to such questions will require multidisciplinary research. In this paper, we focus on how psychological science research can address questions related to clinical genomic sequencing by explaining emotional, cognitive, and behavioral processes in response to different types of genomic sequencing information (e.g., diagnostic results and incidental findings). We highlight examples of psychological science that can be applied to genetic counseling research to inform the following questions: (1) What factors influence patients’ and providers’ informational needs for developing an accurate understanding of what genomic sequencing results do and do not mean?; (2) How and by whom should genomic sequencing results be communicated to patients and their family members?; and (3) How do patients and their families respond to uncertainties related to genomic information?Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147034/1/jgc40193.pd

Erratum to: How Can Psychological Science Inform Research About Genetic Counseling for Clinical Genomic Sequencing?

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147141/1/jgc40372.pd

Non-Compliance with Growth Hormone Treatment in Children Is Common and Impairs Linear Growth

BACKGROUND: GH therapy requires daily injections over many years and compliance can be difficult to sustain. As growth hormone (GH) is expensive, non-compliance is likely to lead to suboptimal growth, at considerable cost. Thus, we aimed to assess the compliance rate of children and adolescents with GH treatment in New Zealand. METHODS: This was a national survey of GH compliance, in which all children receiving government-funded GH for a four-month interval were included. Compliance was defined as ≥ 85% adherence (no more than one missed dose a week on average) to prescribed treatment. Compliance was determined based on two parameters: either the number of GH vials requested (GHreq) by the family or the number of empty GH vials returned (GHret). Data are presented as mean ± SEM. FINDINGS: 177 patients were receiving GH in the study period, aged 12.1 ± 0.6 years. The rate of returned vials, but not number of vials requested, was positively associated with HVSDS (p < 0.05), such that patients with good compliance had significantly greater linear growth over the study period (p<0.05). GHret was therefore used for subsequent analyses. 66% of patients were non-compliant, and this outcome was not affected by sex, age or clinical diagnosis. However, Maori ethnicity was associated with a lower rate of compliance. INTERPRETATION: An objective assessment of compliance such as returned vials is much more reliable than compliance based on parental or patient based information. Non-compliance with GH treatment is common, and associated with reduced linear growth. Non-compliance should be considered in all patients with apparently suboptimal response to GH treatment

Pathogenic MAST3 Variants in the STK Domain Are Associated with Epilepsy

Objective: The MAST family of microtubule-associated serine–threonine kinases (STKs) have distinct expression patterns in the developing and mature human and mouse brain. To date, only MAST1 has been conclusively associated with neurological disease, with de novo variants in individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder, including a mega corpus callosum. Methods: Using exome sequencing, we identify MAST3 missense variants in individuals with epilepsy. We also assess the effect of these variants on the ability of MAST3 to phosphorylate the target gene product ARPP-16 in HEK293T cells. Results: We identify de novo missense variants in the STK domain in 11 individuals, including 2 recurrent variants p.G510S (n = 5) and p.G515S (n = 3). All 11 individuals had developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, with 8 having normal development prior to seizure onset at \u3c2 years of age. All patients developed multiple seizure types, 9 of 11 patients had seizures triggered by fever and 9 of 11 patients had drug-resistant seizures. In vitro analysis of HEK293T cells transfected with MAST3 cDNA carrying a subset of these patient-specific missense variants demonstrated variable but generally lower expression, with concomitant increased phosphorylation of the MAST3 target, ARPP-16, compared to wild-type. These findings suggest the patient-specific variants may confer MAST3 gain-of-function. Moreover, single-nuclei RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry shows that MAST3 expression is restricted to excitatory neurons in the cortex late in prenatal development and postnatally. Interpretation: In summary, we describe MAST3 as a novel epilepsy-associated gene with a potential gain-of-function pathogenic mechanism that may be primarily restricted to excitatory neurons in the cortex. ANN NEUROL 2021;90:274–284

Earlier snowmelt may lead to late season declines in plant productivity and carbon sequestration in Arctic tundra ecosystems

Arctic warming is affecting snow cover and soil hydrology, with consequences for carbon sequestration in tundra ecosystems. The scarcity of observations in the Arctic has limited our understanding of the impact of covarying environmental drivers on the carbon balance of tundra ecosystems. In this study, we address some of these uncertainties through a novel record of 119 site-years of summer data from eddy covariance towers representing dominant tundra vegetation types located on continuous permafrost in the Arctic. Here we found that earlier snowmelt was associated with more tundra net CO2 sequestration and higher gross primary productivity (GPP) only in June and July, but with lower net carbon sequestration and lower GPP in August. Although higher evapotranspiration (ET) can result in soil drying with the progression of the summer, we did not find significantly lower soil moisture with earlier snowmelt, nor evidence that water stress affected GPP in the late growing season. Our results suggest that the expected increased CO2 sequestration arising from Arctic warming and the associated increase in growing season length may not materialize if tundra ecosystems are not able to continue sequestering CO2 later in the season