Comparison of Training, Anthropometric, Physiological and Psychological Variables of Ultra-Endurance Cyclists and Runners

AbstractWe compared training, anthropometric, physiological and psychological characteristics between 14 cyclists, participants in a 24-hour mountain bike race and 12 runners, participants in a 7-day running ultra-marathon. Methods: Questionnaires and physiological measurements. Results: The differences in ages between cyclists and runners were significant (p << 0.01). The pre-race minus post-race differences (Δ) in body mass (from 76.5 ± 13.1kg to 72.0 ± 12.0kg) and (Δ) in value of hematocrit (6.1 ± 3.5%) were significant only in runners. The post-race minus pre-race difference (Δ) in the rating of perceived exertion was significant in both groups

Effect of stimulus sweep direction on distortion product otoacoustic emission fine structure

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of stimulus sweep direction on the fine structure of the 2f1-f2 distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE). It was hypothesised that the DPOAE fine structure could be shifted if the stimulus sweep changed from one direction to the other. In the present study, ascending, descending and random frequency sweeps were used, with f2 frequency varying between 992 Hz and 2496 Hz and f2/f1 fixed at 1.22. DPOAE fine structure was recorded at 16 Hz intervals. Screening, spontaneous otoacoustic emission (SOAE) and DPOAE measurements were carried out on 19 ears of 19 subjects aged between 22 and 30 years. Data from 14 ears that had at least one significant peak or valley in their DPOAE fine structure were included in the main analysis. Of these, five ears showed at least one occurrence of SOAE over the frequency span 600 Hz to 2500 Hz. Data for ears with and without SOAEs were grouped and analysed separately. The results showed no effect of sweep direction on DPOAE fine structure. No significant differences were observed in peak or valley frequencies, peak height or valley depth between the three stimulus sweep conditions (p > 0.05). There was also no significant effect of stimulus sweep direction on DPOAE level at the point at which SOAE frequency equalled DPOAE frequency (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the study found no effect of stimulus sweep direction on the fine structure of the 2f1-f2 DPOAE, either in ears with or without SOAEs.Therefore, future measurements of this fine structure may use either sweep direction

What is the risk of noise-induced hearing loss at 80, 85, 90 dB(A) and above?

Regulations regarding risk from exposure to noise at work entail action at levels of 85 dB(A) and above. At 80 dB(A) there is no material risk in the vast majority of individuals. At 85 dB(A) there is a marginal risk with susceptible individuals accruing a significant hearing impairment from a lifetime of exposure. At 90 dB(A) and above the risk becomes material, with the majority of individuals accruing a significant hearing impairment

Age at implantation and development of vocal and auditory preverbal skills in implanted deaf children

BackgroundPreverbal vocal and auditory skills are essential precursors of spoken language development and they have been shown previously to predict later speech perception and production outcomes in young implanted deaf children.ObjectivesTo assess the effect of age at implantation on the development of vocal and auditory preverbal skills in implanted children.MethodsThe study assessed 99 children, 33 in each of three groups (those implanted between 1 and 2 years; 2 and 3 years; and 3 and 4 years). Preverbal skills were measured in three areas: turn taking, autonomy and auditory awareness of spoken language, using the Tait video analysis method.ResultsThe youngest implanted group made an exceptional progress outperforming in all measures the two other groups (p &lt; 0.01), 6 and 12 months post-implantation, whereas there was no such difference before implantation. In the youngest group there was also significantly greater use of an auditory/oral style of communication: 85% of the group by 12 months post-implantation compared with 30% and 18% of the two older groups.ConclusionsVocal and auditory preverbal skills develop much more rapidly in children implanted between 1 and 2 years in comparison with older implanted children and reach a significantly higher level by 6 and 12 months post-implantation. In addition, younger implanted children are significantly more likely by 12 months post-implantation to adopt an auditory/oral mode of communication. These findings favour cochlear implantation as early as between 1 and 2 years, provided that correct diagnosis and adequate hearing-aid trial have been achieved

The identification of musical instruments through Nucleus cochlear implants

In this study, self-reported ability to recognize musical instruments was investigated by means of a questionnaire, which was sent to a group of adult Nucleus cochlear implant users and a group of normally hearing subjects. In addition, spectrograms and electrodograms were produced and analysed for samples of music played on 10 different musical instruments. Self-reported ability to recognize some instruments was poor in the group of implant users, particularly for the saxophone, tuba and clarinet. Electrodograms showed that these instruments could only be identified using distorted spectral information or reduced temporal information. Other instruments, such as the drum and piano, could be identified using temporal information. Limited spectral resolution makes the recognition of musical instruments difficult for Nucleus implant users