Predictors of Listening-Related Fatigue in Adolescents With Hearing Loss.

Purpose: Self-reported listening-related fatigue in adolescents with hearing loss (HL) was investigated. Specifically, the extent to which listening-related fatigue is associated with school accommodations, audiologic characteristics, and listening breaks was examined.

Method: Participants were 144 adolescents with HL ages 12-19 years.

Effectiveness of Television Streaming on Hearing Aid User Performance and Satisfaction in Quiet and in Noise.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of television (TV) streaming on hearing aid user performance and satisfaction in quiet and in noise.

Method: Twenty experienced hearing aid users were evaluated in quiet and in noise (5 dB SNR) under three hearing aid conditions: hearing aids, streaming with hearing aid microphones attenuated by 6 dB, and streaming with hearing aid microphones muted. The audiovisual Connected Speech Test served as the signal, and the ipsilateral competing message from the Synthetic Sentence Identification-Ipsilateral Competing Message (SSI-ICM) served as the noise.

A Framework for Approaching Refractory Hypocalcemia in Children.

Hypocalcemia is a potentially fatal electrolyte imbalance with complications that include seizures, tetany, prolonged QT interval, cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure. In chi dren, persistent hypocalcemia can also be detrimental to bone growth and health. Therefore, it is important to recognize the many ways this electrolyte imbalance may present and determine its etiology.

Using Microphone Technology to Improve Speech Perception in Noise in Children with Cochlear Implants.

Background: Cochlear implant (CI) users are affected more than their normal hearing (NH) peers by the negative consequences of background noise on speech understanding. Research has shown that adult CI users can improve their speech recognition in challenging listening environments by using dual-microphone beamformers, such as adaptive directional microphones (ADMs) and wireless remote microphones (RMs). The suitability of these microphone technologies for use in children with CIs is not well-understood nor widely accepted.

Relationship among the physiologic channel interactions, spectral-ripple discrimination, and vowel identification in cochlear implant users.

The hypothesis of this study was that broader patterns of physiological channel interactions in the local region of the cochlea are associated with poorer spectral resolution in the same region. Electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) were measured for three to six probe electrodes per subject to examine the channel interactions in different regions across the electrode array. To evaluate spectral resolution at a confined location within the cochlea, spectral-ripple discrimination (SRD) was measured using narrowband ripple stimuli with the bandwidth spanning five electrodes: Two electrodes apical and basal to the ECAP probe electrode.

Comparison of multichannel wide dynamic range compression and ChannelFree processing in open canal hearing instruments.

Background: Multichannel wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) and ChannelFree processing have similar goals yet differ significantly in terms of signal processing. Multichannel WDRC devices divide the input signal into separate frequency bands; a separate level is determined within each frequency band; and compression in each band is based on the level within each band. ChannelFree processing detects the wideband level, and gain adjustments are based on the wideband signal level and adjusted up to 20,000 times per second.

Caveats for poly(methimazolyl)borate chemistry: the novel inorganic heterocycles [H2C(mt)2BR2]Cl (mt = methimazolyl; BR2 = BH2, BH(mt), 9-BBN).

Whilst frequently used for reactions of poly(methimazolyl)borates, dichloromethane is not an innocent solvent, but rather slowly forms heterocyclic salts [H(2)C(mt)(2)BR(2)]Cl, three examples of which (BR(2) = BH(2), BH(mt), 9-borabicyclononyl) have been structurally characterised to confirm the unprecedented B(NCS)(2)C connectivity.