Benefits of linear amplification and multichannel compression for speech comprehension in backgrounds with spectral and temporal dips

People with cochlear hearing loss have markedly higher speech-receptions thresholds (SRTs) than normal for speech presented in background sounds with spectral and/or temporal dips. This article examines the extent to which SRTs can be improved by linear amplification with appropriate frequency-response shaping, and by fast-acting wide-dynamic-range compression amplification with one, two, four, or eight channels. Eighteen elderly subjects with moderate to severe hearing loss were tested. SRTs for sentences were measured for four background sounds, presented at a nominal level (prior to amplification) of 65 dB SPL: (1) A single female talker, digitally filtered so that the long-term average spectrum matched that of the target speech; (2) a noise with the same average spectrum as the target speech, but with the temporal envelope of the single talker; (3) a noise with the same overall spectral shape as the target speech, but filtered so as to have 4 equivalent-rectangular-bandwidth (ERB) wide spectral notches at several frequencies; (4) a noise with both spectral and temporal dips obtained by applying the temporal envelope of a single talker to speech-shaped noise [as in (2)] and then filtering that noise [as in (3)]. Mean SRTs were 5-6 dB lower (better) in all of the conditions with amplification than for unaided listening. SRTs were significantly lower for the systems with one-, four-, and eight-channel compression than for linear amplification, although the benefit, averaged across subjects, was typically only 0.5 to 0.9 dB. The lowest mean SRT (-9.9 dB, expressed as a speech-to-background ratio) was obtained for noise (4) and the system with eight-channel compression. This is about 6 dB worse than for elderly subjects with near-normal hearing, when tested without amplification. It is concluded that amplification, and especially fast-acting compression amplification, can improve the ability to understand speech in background sounds with spectral and temporal dips, but it does not restore performance to normal.     

Depth perception in linear and inverse perspective pictures

The range of pictorial depth perception was tested with four pictures from the repertoire of European art, rather than the customary line drawings or photographs. These pictures included those rendered in linear perspective and inverse perspective, as well as those with different degrees of depth. Using Pandora' Box, the subjects were asked to place a lamp at the same apparent depth as objects in the pictures. The subjects did so without regard to the depiction technique. The results suggest that depth is seen in pictures both where the rules of linear perspective hold and where they have been violated.     

Consonant and vowel production of right hemisphere patients

Recent reports of subclinical phonetic deficits in posterior and most particularly in Wernicke's aphasics have challenged the traditional dichotomy which characterized speech deficits in aphasia as anterior/phonetic and posterior/phonological. It is unclear whether the basis of the phonetic deficit in posterior aphasics reflects the fact that the speech production system extends to more posterior regions of the left hemisphere than previously thought or alternatively is the result of generalized brain damage effects. The present study explores the latter possibility by investigating the patterns of speech production in right hemisphere brain-damaged, non-aphasic patients with anterior and posterior lesions. Acoustic analyses conducted on a range of consonant and vowel parameters showed differences between the speech patterns of both anterior and posterior right hemisphere patients and that of Wernicke's aphasics. These findings suggest that the subclinical deficit of Wernicke's aphasics can not simply be ascribed to a generalized brain-damage effect and raise the possibility that the right hemisphere also plays some role, if only a minor one, in the phonetic implementation of speech.     

Adolescents' perception of discussions with parents and friends.

Examined 180 adolescents' perceptions of discussions with parents and friends, with reference to the academic/vocational, social/ethical, family, and peer domains. Ss completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. 30 males and 30 females represented each of 3 age groups: 12–13 yrs, 14–25 yrs, and 18–20 yrs. Discussion levels for parents remained substantial across ages in the academic/vocational, social/ethical, and family domains. Discussions with friends about these domains increased with age, and peer relationship issues were discussed more with friends than with parents in all age groups. For mutuality of discussion, parents tended to explain their views more than they tried to understand the Ss' views in all domains. Friends' efforts to explain and to understand did not differ significantly for most domains. The findings are discussed in terms of the differences in procedures of social construction between parents' and friends' socializing influences. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ceptral voice analysis: link with perception and stroboscopy

Osteomyelitis of the clavicle or the sternoclavicular joint is a rare complication of subclavian vein catheterization. Soft tissue infections around the puncture site occur frequently and respond well to topical and antibiotic treatment. If symptoms persist for several weeks, osteomyelitis or sternoclavicular pyo-arthrosis should be considered. Bone and gallium scintigraphy scans and computerized tomography scans are helpful diagnostic measures.     

Risk perception in smokers with children with asthma.

Objective: No studies have examined the relationship between caregiver beliefs about the risks of smoking to their own health and caregiver beliefs about the effect of their smoking on their child's health. In the current study, we investigated our proposed risk congruence hypothesis among caregivers who smoke. Specifically, we investigated whether caregivers' self-perceived risk of smoking is directly associated with their perception of the risks of smoking to their child. Method: The sample consisted of 271 regular smokers (≥3 cigarettes per day; Mage = 32.9 years; 214 women) who were caregivers of children with asthma (Mage = 4.9 years) who had a recent visit to the emergency room for their asthma. Three constructs of perceived risk were measured via self-report questionnaires assessing both caregiver perception of smoking risk to self and to child: Precaution Effectiveness, Optimistic Bias, and Perceived Vulnerability. Child asthma-related functional morbidity and home and child secondhand smoke exposure were also assessed. Results: Consistent with our risk congruence hypothesis, self-perceived risk of smoking was significantly associated with perceived risk to child, over and above the child's secondhand smoke exposure and caregiver report of child's asthma symptoms (i.e., asthma-related functional morbidity). Conclusions: These findings should be considered in the design of clinical interventions seeking to influence risk of caregiver behavior on child health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stereotactic radiosurgery with linear accelerator

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a method that applies a radiation dose to a limited and well-defined volume while the irradiation of adjacent healthy tissues is minimized. It is most commonly used in the treatment of intracranial lesions because the skull hardness assures the stable location of its contents. Treatment of the rest of the body has recently been proposed and carried out, using original immobilization systems. Stereotactic radiosurgery was first described in 1951 by the Swedish neurosurgeon Lars Leksell who originally used X-rays and then high-energy protons as a source of radiation. In the '80s photons from linear accelerators were used as radiation source, with various stereotactic systems and computerized treatment planning. The method used with all radiosurgical systems, regardless of the source of irradiation, is similar. The lesion is detected with common diagnostic imaging and adequate location frames. At present, to prevent errors in location, MRI and CT data are matched using an Image Fusion computer program. The objective of stereotactic radiosurgery is to destroy tumor cells or to induce changes in tissues that, as in brain arteriovenous malformations lead to the occlusion of their abnormal vessels. Stereotactic radiosurgery is increasingly used today in the treatment of a variety of intracranial lesions to the patients' benefit.     

Reuniting perception and conception

Work in philosophy and psychology has argued for a dissociation between perceptually-based similarity and higher-level rules in conceptual thought. Although such a dissociation may be justified at times, our goal is to illustrate ways in which conceptual processing is grounded in perception, both for perceptual similarity and abstract rules. We discuss the advantages, power and influences of perceptually-based representations. First, many of the properties associated with amodal symbol systems can be achieved with perceptually-based systems as well (e.g. productivity). Second, relatively raw perceptual representations are powerful because they can implicitly represent properties in an analog fashion. Third, perception naturally provides impressions of overall similarity, exactly the type of similarity useful for establishing many common categories. Fourth, perceptual similarity is not static but becomes tuned over time to conceptual demands. Fifth, the original motivation or basis for sophisticated cognition is often less sophisticated perceptual similarity. Sixth, perceptual simulation occurs even in conceptual tasks that have no explicit perceptual demands. Parallels between perceptual and conceptual processes suggest that many mechanisms typically associated with abstract thought are also present in perception, and that perceptual processes provide useful mechanisms that may be co-opted by abstract thought.     

US-guided pseudoaneurysm repair with a compression device

A simple commercially available compression device allowed intermittent ultrasound scanning of the compression site during compression repair of a femoral artery pseudoaneurysm in six patients. All six of the pseudoaneurysms (five superficial femoral and one common femoral) were compressed without compression of the underlying vessels. The procedure was successful in four of the six patients, without complications. Use of this device may decrease operator fatigue during compression repair of pseudoaneurysm.     

Liposuction combined with controlled compression therapy reduces arm lymphedema more effectively than controlled compression therapy alone

Arm lymphedema after breast cancer therapy has been treated with various forms of conservative and surgical treatment during recent years. The clinical results usually have been modest or, in some instances, even disappointing. In a previous series of patients treated with the new liposuction technique combined with controlled compression therapy, we found, however, an overall edema reduction of 106 percent after 1 year. The purpose of this study was both to investigate how much the surgical procedure contributes to the outcome and to clarify the importance of controlled compression therapy. Twenty-eight patients were, therefore, prospectively matched into two groups. One group received liposuction combined with controlled compression therapy, and one group received the therapy alone. Additionally, the therapy group was compared with our complete group of patients treated thus far with liposuction combined with therapy (n = 30). The prospective study using matched pairs (n = 14) showed that liposuction combined with controlled compression therapy is significantly more effective than the therapy alone (p < 0.0001), with a mean difference of about 1000 ml during the entire 1-year observation period. The beneficial effect of liposuction was confirmed by the comparison between the controlled compression therapy group and our complete group of patients treated with liposuction combined with the therapy, as the edema reduction figures after 1 year were 47 percent and 104 percent, respectively (p < 0.0001). In six patients who had surgery and a complete reduction of the edema, the compression garments were removed for 1 week, 1 year postoperatively. A marked increase in the arm volume was observed, which was immediately remedied by reapplying the garments. We conclude that liposuction combined with controlled compression therapy reduces arm lymphedema more efficiently than the therapy alone. Continued use of compression garments is, however, important to maintain the primary surgical outcome.     

Establishment and characterization of a megakaryoblast cell line with amplification of MLL

A new cell line with megakaryoblastic features, designated UoC-M1, was established from the malignant cells of a 68-year-old patient with acute myeloid leukemia. The patient's leukemic cells reacted with alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase and acid phosphatase and expressed CD7, CD24, CD34, CD38, CD45, HLA-DR and CD61. Cytogenetic analysis of the patient's malignant cells (and of the UoC-M1 cells) showed a human, male hypodiploid karyotype with many chromosome rearrangements and marker chromosomes. Spectral karyotyping (SKY) analysis complemented the G-banded karyotyping and clarified several chromosomal translocations and identified the marker chromosomes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and SKY analysis demonstrated that one marker chromosome contained three segments of chromosome 9 interspersed with three segments of chromosome 11, as well as a portion of chromosome 19. FISH analysis with a probe for MLL revealed that the UoC-M1 cells contained four copies of the MLL gene. Southern blot analysis determined that the MLL gene had a germline profile while Northern and Western analyses showed that the MLL mRNAs and protein were of the appropriate sizes. This is the first report of amplification of the MLL gene which may be an additional mechanism of leukemogenesis or disease progression.