Social and Cognitive Impressions of Adults Who Do and Do Not Stutter Based on Listeners' Perceptions of Read-Speech Samples

Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by frequent and involuntary disruptions during speech production. Adults who stutter are often subject to negative perceptions. The present study examined whether negative social and cognitive impressions are formed when listening to speech, even without any knowledge about the speaker. Two experiments were conducted in which naïve participants were asked to listen to and provide ratings on samples of read speech produced by adults who stutter and typically-speaking adults without knowledge about the individuals who produced the speech. In both experiments, listeners rated speaker cognitive ability, likeability, anxiety, as well as a number of speech characteristics that included fluency, naturalness, intelligibility, the likelihood the speaker had a speech-and-language disorder (Experiment 1 only), rate and volume (both Experiments 1 and 2). The speech of adults who stutter was perceived to be less fluent, natural, intelligible, and to be slower and louder than the speech of typical adults. Adults who stutter were also perceived to have lower cognitive ability, to be less likeable and to be more anxious than the typical adult speakers. Relations between speech characteristics and social and cognitive impressions were found, independent of whether or not the speaker stuttered (i.e., they were found for both adults who stutter and typically-speaking adults) and did not depend on being cued that some of the speakers may have had a speech-language impairment

Characteristics of Patients with Non-Cancer Pain and Perceived Severity of COVID-19 Related Stress

UNLABELLED: Synopsis Patients with non-cancer pain reported increased pain and pain interference during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We determined if pain, prescription opioid use, and comorbidities were associated with perceived COVID-19-related stress as the pandemic peaked. Analysis of survey data revealed that depression/anxiety, pain severity, and pain interference were most strongly and consistently associated with greater stress due to COVID-19 related changes in lifestyle, worsening of emotional/mental health and worsening pain. Identifying specific stressful experiences that most impacted patients with non-cancer pain may help target public health and treatment interventions. BACKGROUND: During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with chronic pain reported increased pain severity and interference. This study measured the association between pain, prescription opioid use, and comorbidities with perceived COVID-19-related stress as the pandemic peaked in the United States. METHODS: From 9/2020 to 3/2021, the first 149 subjects from a prospective cohort study of non-cancer pain, completed a survey which contained the Complementary and Integrative Research (CAIR) Pandemic Impact Questionnaire (C-PIQ). Respondents also reported whether the pandemic has contributed to their pain or opioid use. Bivariate comparisons explored patient characteristics with each CAIR domain. RESULTS: Respondents mean age was 54.6 (±11.3) years, 69.8% were female, 64.6% were White. Respondent characteristics were not associated with reading/watching/thinking about the pandemic or with worry about health. Depression/anxiety (p=0.003), using any prescription opioid in the prior three months (p=0.009), higher morphine milligram equivalent used (p=0.005), higher pain severity (p=0.011), and higher pain interference (p=0.0004) were all positively and significantly associated with moderate to severe stress due to COVID-19 related lifestyle changes. Depression/anxiety, pain severity, and pain interference were positively associated with COVID-19-related worsening emotional/mental health. Depression/anxiety were significantly (p CONCLUSION: Depression, anxiety, pain severity, and pain interference were most strongly and consistently associated with COVID-19 changes in way of life, worsening of emotional/mental health, and worsening pain. Identifying specific stressful experiences that most impacted patients with noncancer pain may inform public health and treatment interventions

Technique [Volume 88, Issue 11]

50 Years of Women at TechAKA hazing results in year probationArtists' exhibit offers art, cultural exposure to Tech studentsAtmosphere riddled with silence, stereotypes, questionsBDO 500 : Modern rock bands take over showBeyond the White and GoldBored? Go play some team triviaBreaking the BubbleBrotherhood should accept all lifestylesChalker creates weekly stir on Skiles walkwayClassroom ControversiesCross Country heads to championshipsDemon Deacons next challenge for Tech's griddersEconomic decline lowers TEAM Buzz fundsFreShGA gains permanent statusGolfers swing back into actionGraduates allocate funds to Team BuzzIPST announces merger with Tech in 2003JFC policy changes needed for fair distribution of moneyJFC policy changes not best way to fix problemsKayak Club represents U.S. in ItalyNEWS BRIEFSOptions abound, quality remains in Dupree MBA programOUR VIEWS Consensus OpinionRatio confuses manyRed Dragon does not live up to its rootsStudent Bodyshots offers hilarious look at campus lifeThe best and worst of Georgia Tech campus...Two BitsYellow Jackets stomp on Tar Heel

Technique [Volume 88, Issue 9]

50 Years of Women at TechAbundance of burrito joints makes for a tough decisionBeyond the White and GoldBrewery tours popular fun for students and localsBring on the Rain: Jackets lose in downpourClassroom ControversiesClassy entertainment; A night at the opera with FigaroCoach Shymansky leads "point Tech" attackCriticisms about Tech often exaggerated, untrueCross-country team makes NCAA Top 25 debutCS 1321 alternative acceptedFootball PreviewInfected mosquitoes found on campusIs student life at Tech really that horrible?Letter does not absolve fraternity of actionsNEWS BRIEFSOUR VIEWS Consensus OpinionRegistrar eliminates Friday spring start, paper OSCARSeptember 11 ceremony inappropriately apologeticSurrealist Magritte showcased at HighTech a hotbed of space research, breeds astronautsTech climbs in national rankingsTech keys mystify manyUndergrads discuss Ferst CenterWireless internet access spreads through campus, provides freedomYellow Jackets a common sight among the star

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations across the Florida Panhandle Continental Shelf and Slope after the BP MC 252 Well Failure

The Florida Panhandle continental shelf environment was exposed to oil from the BP oil well failure in the Gulf of Mexico during 2010. Floating mats of oil were documented by satellite, but the distribution of dissolved components of the oil in this region was unknown. Shipek® grab samples of sediments were taken during repeated cruises between June 2010 and June 2012 to test for selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as indicators of this contamination. Sediments were collected as composite samples, extracted using standard techniques, and PAHs were quantified by GC/MS-SIM. PAHs in samples from the continental slope in May 2011 were highest near to the failed well site and were reduced in samples taken one year later. PAHs from continental shelf sediments during the spill (June 2010) ranged from 10 to 165 ng g(-1). Subsequent cruises yielded variable and reduced amounts of PAHs across the shelf. The data suggest that PAHs were distributed widely across the shelf, and their subsequent loss to background levels suggests these compounds were of oil spill origin. PAH half-life estimates by regression were 70-122 days for slope and 201 days for shelf stations