Can coupling effects between outdoor noise and standing waves affect intelligibility in a classroom?

Background noise level and reverberation time are the standard parameters used to evaluate speech understanding in a classroom. This space can be excited by an outdoor source of noise even when it has an acoustic treatment. The room geometry, usually rectangular, creates differences in the signal-to-noise ratio S/N between all listening positions due to eigenmodes. In the present study, 5 listening positions are used in a standard size classroom excited by a virtual source of pink noise. This source is placed in a corner to represent an external noise source. Using the matrix sentence method developed by Hochmuth et al. [Int. J. of Audiology, 51, 536–544 (2012)], 300 sentences from a virtual speaker are used as the signal source located at the opposite corner. In the reference point at the center of the room speech source is adjusted to a LAeq of 65 dBA. Noise source is adjusted to reach a A-weighted S/N (S/N(A)) of approximately -3 dB at this point. The level difference among the positions is less than 3.2 dB considering the S/N(A) but can reach more than 8 dB considering the S/N. Both sources are recorded simultaneously with a dummy head in all positions. A subjective test is then performed with headphones to evaluate intelligibility in these listening points. Room acoustic parameters for intelligibility, D50, STI, S/N and S/N(A), are compared with the subjective test results. Results show that speech recognition is different between all points but no correlation can be found with the objective parameters. In this context, intelligibility is not being affected by room eigenmodes

The performance of green communication across social media: Evidence from large-scale retail industry in Italy

Social media have surged prominently as communication channels for corporate social responsibility. However, little is still known about the performance of green versus non-green communication across different social media. We contribute by examining whether the presence of green features in social media communication exerts a beneficial effect on consumer response in terms of likes, comments, and shares. We also investigate how this effect hinges upon the social media platform where the content is posted as well as the richness of the format (text, photos, videos) utilized for the diffusion. To our scopes, we use an ad hoc dataset of posts of two major large-scale retailers in Italy across three major social media, namely Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Our results show that, while green content generally stimulates larger response than non-green content, its effect varies across social media, with the highest effect being observed on Instagram (at least for likes) and the lowest on Twitter (at least for comments). Moreover, the extent to which the positive effect of green content increases as media richness increases (i.e., moving from only text to text plus photo, and then to text plus video) is also contingent upon the social media platform. On Facebook, the moderation of media richness is positive and significant, while being insignificant on Instagram. On Twitter, the moderation is even nonmonotonic in the sense that the highest (positive) effect of green content tends to be obtained for either low or high media richness. Our findings offer remarkable implications for firms engaging in environmental sustainability

The influence of NGO-corporate relationship on environmental disclosure: Evidence from the fashion industry

Most NGO-corporate relationships have been founded on conflict. However, this pattern has started to change with the emergence of more collaborative (dialog-based) approaches. Academic inquiry into how NGOs influence corporate policies related to sustainable development is a novel field of investigation. This article aims to identify the potential role of conflictual versus collaborative relationships between NGOs and companies in influencing the quality of the environmental disclosure (ED). We also investigate how NGOs may unintentionally lead companies to adopt greenwashing practices. In this article, we derive five propositions by studying the relationships between Greenpeace and 24 firms operating in the fashion industry through a qualitative longitudinal analysis. We gathered data through three semi-structured interviews with the Greenpeace Global Corporate Leader of the Detox Campaign and content analysis of corporate communication documents. Our findings suggest that company behavior toward ED and the odds of greenwashing practices are affected by type of relationship established with NGOs. Specifically, if the NGO-corporate relationship is conflictual, companies tend to achieve higher ED quality in the short and intermediate terms. Vice versa, more collaborative (dialog-based) relationships result in initially low ED quality. However, in the long run, under both types of relationship the quality of ED settles at a medium level. Moreover, NGOs' communication, activism intensity, and pressure constitute powerful means of persuasion and contribute to increasing a campaign engagement rate. However, too much pressure may create a fertile ground for greenwashing, and so may an everlasting conflictual relationship between NGO and companies

The QualiTePE instrument to evaluate Quality of Teaching in Physical Education

disr_s1 verursachen wir wenige Störungen. disr_t1 verursachen die Schüler:innen wenige Störungen. disr_o1 verursachen die Schüler:innen wenige Störungen. disr_s2 hören wir auf die Sportlehrperson. disr_t2 hören die Schüler:innen auf mich. disr_o2 hören die Schüler:innen auf die Sportlehrperson. disr_s3 verhalten wir uns angemessen. disr_t3 verhalten sich die Schüler:innen angemessen. disr_o3 verhalten sich die Schüler:innen angemessen

Association of mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics and anastomotic leak following left sided colorectal resection:an international, multi-centre, prospective audit

Introduction: The optimal bowel preparation strategy to minimise the risk of anastomotic leak is yet to be determined. This study aimed to determine whether oral antibiotics combined with mechanical bowel preparation (MBP+Abx) was associated with a reduced risk of anastomotic leak when compared to mechanical bowel preparation alone (MBP) or no bowel preparation (NBP). Methods: A pre-planned analysis of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) 2017 Left Sided Colorectal Resection audit was performed. Patients undergoing elective left sided colonic or rectal resection with primary anastomosis between 1 January 2017 and 15 March 2017 by any operative approach were included. The primary outcome measure was anastomotic leak. Results: Of 3676 patients across 343 centres in 47 countries, 618 (16.8%) received MBP+ABx, 1945 MBP (52.9%) and 1099 patients NBP (29.9%). Patients undergoing MBP+ABx had the lowest overall rate of anastomotic leak (6.1%, 9.2%, 8.7% respectively) in unadjusted analysis. After case-mix adjustment using a mixed-effects multivariable regression model, MBP+Abx was associated with a lower risk of anastomotic leak (OR 0.52, 0.30–0.92, P = 0.02) but MBP was not (OR 0.92, 0.63–1.36, P = 0.69) compared to NBP. Conclusion: This non-randomised study adds ‘real-world’, contemporaneous, and prospective evidence of the beneficial effects of combined mechanical bowel preparation and oral antibiotics in the prevention of anastomotic leak following left sided colorectal resection across diverse settings. We have also demonstrated limited uptake of this strategy in current international colorectal practice

Evaluating the incidence of pathological complete response in current international rectal cancer practice

The mainstay of management for locally advanced rectal cancer is chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection. Following chemoradiotherapy, a complete response may be detected clinically and radiologically (cCR) prior to surgery or pathologically after surgery (pCR). We aim to report the overall complete pathological response (pCR) rate and the reliability of detecting a cCR by conventional pre-operative imaging.A pre-planned analysis of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) 2017 audit was performed. Patients treated by elective rectal resection were included. A pCR was defined as a ypT0 N0 EMVI negative primary tumour; a partial response represented any regression from baseline staging following chemoradiotherapy. The primary endpoint was the pCR rate. The secondary endpoint was agreement between post-treatment MRI restaging (yMRI) and final pathological staging.Of 2572 patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery in 277 participating centres across 44 countries, 673 (26.2%) underwent chemoradiotherapy and surgery. The pCR rate was 10.3% (67/649), with a partial response in 35.9% (233/649) patients. Comparison of AJCC stage determined by post-treatment yMRI with final pathology showed understaging in 13% (55/429) and overstaging in 34% (148/429). Agreement between yMRI and final pathology for T-stage, N-stage, or AJCC status were each graded as 'fair' only (n = 429, Kappa 0.25, 0.26 and 0.35 respectively).The reported pCR rate of 10% highlights the potential for non-operative management in selected cases. The limited strength of agreement between basic conventional post-chemoradiotherapy imaging assessment techniques and pathology suggest alternative markers of response should be considered, in the context of controlled clinical trials

Trattamento di reflui lattiero-caseari mediante l'impiego della microalga Euglena gracilis

L’obiettivo del presente lavoro è quello di valutare la possibilità pratica dello sfruttamento dei reflui lattiero-caseari quali fonte fertilizzante per la coltivazione microalgale. Parallelamente a tale obiettivo ci si è prefissi la volontà di valutare l’efficacia nella rimozione dei nutrienti dai reflui lattiero-caseari durante la coltivazione di microalghe. I parametri utilizzati per valutare tale tipo di rimozione sono essenzialmente rappresentati dai limiti imposti per legge allo sversamento in acque superficiali ed in fognatura di tali reflui; ci si è quindi prefissi di valutare come sufficiente o insufficiente l’azione di rimozione dei nutrienti dai reflui lattiero-caseari, basandosi su tali parametri. La scelta della microalga da selezionare per lo svolgimento dell’attività sperimentale è ricaduta su di un ceppo mutante, isolato all’interno delle strutture del CNR di Pisa, appartenente al genere Euglena. Dalla sperimentazione condotta sono emerse interessanti considerazioni di carattere tecnico scientifico, a proposito della possibilità di utilizzo della microalga mutante Euglena gracilis nel trattamento dei reflui dell’ industria lattiero-casearia. È emerso infatti come il processo di trattamento mediante l’ uso di E.gracilis abbia permesso una forte riduzione di tutti i valori legati a nutrienti ed attività biologica, fatta eccezione per il pH, indicando quindi una buona affinità tra la microalga selezionata ed il refluo individuato come elemento fertilizzante per la coltura

Study skills instruction for disadvantaged students

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