Auralization uses in acoustical design: A survey study of acoustical consultants.

While auralization technology is used in a variety of fields, particularly in architectural acoustics, there is a lack of data on the auralization tools used and actual practices. In this perspective, this work presents the results of a survey study on auralization uses in the acoustical design and consulting community, targeting acoustical consultants. The objectives are (1) to identify the tools and methods used by acousticians to create auralizations as well as effective uses so as to understand the benefits and changes provided by this technology, and (2) to highlight the difficulties and limitations linked to the use of auralizations in concrete projects.

Salivary Cystatin SN Binds to Phytic Acid In Vitro and Is a Predictor of Nonheme Iron Bioavailability with Phytic Acid Supplementation in a Proof of Concept Pilot Study.

Background: Acute phytic acid intake has been found to decrease iron bioavailability; however, repeated phytic acid consumption leads to iron absorption adaptation. Salivary proline-rich proteins (PRPs) have been shown to inhibit iron chelation to tannins and may mediate similar iron absorption adaptation with phytic acid intake.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine whether salivary proteins bind to phytic acid in vitro, and to explore a proof of concept in a pilot study that examined the impact of 4-wk, daily phytic acid supplementation on individuals' iron status, bioavailability, and salivary PRP concentrations.

Validation of a photophobia symptom impact scale.

Background: Routine assessment of photophobia in the clinical setting may underestimate the presence and severity of this condition. We aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to improve evaluation of the impact of photophobia on activities of daily living, and to determine the relationship of this questionnaire to psychophysical assessment of light sensitivity thresholds.

Methods: We developed the 17-item Utah Photophobia Symptom Impact Scale (UPSIS-17) and compared its psychometric properties to the 8-item Korean Photophobia Questionnaire (KUMC-8).

An archeoacoustic study of the history of the Palais du Trocadero (1878-1937).

During the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a room acoustic theory arose with design goal to avoid echoes from occurring by quantifying the perception threshold between direct sound and 1st-order reflections. The room acoustic design of the large 19th century concert hall Palais du Trocadero (1878-1937) was based on this theory. As the resulting acoustics were notoriously poor, an attempt was undertaken in 1909 to correct the acoustics by installing additional absorbing material following the same "echo theory" design approach.

Return to play and risk of repeat concussion in collegiate football players: comparative analysis from the NCAA Concussion Study (1999-2001) and CARE Consortium (2014-2017).

Objective: We compared data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Concussion Study (1999-2001) and the NCAA-Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium (2014-2017) to examine how clinical management, return to play (RTP) and risk of repeat concussion in collegiate football players have changed over the past 15 years.

Methods: We analysed data on reported duration of symptoms, symptom-free waiting period (SFWP), RTP and occurrence of within-season repeat concussion in collegiate football players with diagnosed concussion from the NCAA Study (n=184) and CARE (n=701).

Results: CARE athletes had significantly longer symptom duration (CARE median=5.

Platelet-derived growth factor activates nociceptive neurons by inhibiting M-current and contributes to inflammatory pain.

Endogenous inflammatory mediators contribute to the pathogenesis of pain by acting on nociceptors, specialized sensory neurons that detect noxious stimuli. Here, we describe a new factor mediating inflammatory pain. We show that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB applied in vitro causes repetitive firing of dissociated nociceptor-like rat dorsal root ganglion neurons and decreased their threshold for action potential generation.

How the Brain Represents Language and Answers Questions? Using an AI System to Understand the Underlying Neurobiological Mechanisms.

To understand the computations that underlie high-level cognitive processes we propose a framework of mechanisms that could in principle implement START, an AI program that answers questions using natural language. START organizes a sentence into a series of triplets, each containing three elements (subject, verb, object). We propose that the brain similarly defines triplets and then chunks the three elements into a spatial pattern.

Evaluation of a Computer-Based HIV Education Program for Adults Living with HIV.

This study evaluated a computer-delivered HIV and antiretroviral treatment education program in adults (N = 102) living with detectable HIV viral loads (> 200 copies/mL). The self-paced program provided immediate feedback for responses and financial incentives for responding correctly. The program was divided into three courses and a test of content from all three courses was delivered before and after participants completed each course.

Location and Plasticity of the Sodium Spike Initiation Zone in Nociceptive Terminals In Vivo.

Nociceptive terminals possess the elements for detecting, transmitting, and modulating noxious signals, thus being pivotal for pain sensation. Despite this, a functional description of the transduction process by the terminals, in physiological conditions, has not been fully achieved. Here, we studied how nociceptive terminals in vivo convert noxious stimuli into propagating signals.

Ultrasound Assessment of Subcutaneous Abdominal Fat Thickness After Treatments With a High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic Field Device: A Multicenter Study.

Background: High-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology is intended for muscle toning, firming, and strengthening.

Objective: The goal of this study is to quantify the effect of HIFEM treatments on subcutaneous fat.

Materials And Methods: A total of 33 patients participated in the study.

Associations Between Autonomic and Orthostatic Self-report and Physician Ratings of Orthostatic Intolerance in Youth.

Purpose: There is no known biological marker or physical assessment to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), leaving physicians to heavily rely on self-report measures regarding the symptoms associated with CFS. Common symptoms of CFS include difficulty sleeping, joint pain, headaches, sore throat, cognitive dysfunction, physical exhaustion, dizziness, and nausea. Because of the overlap among CFS symptoms and autonomic functioning, we examined the association between 2 self-report measures of orthostatic and autonomic symptoms and a physician's report of autonomic functioning (measures of changes in blood pressure and pulse) to further understand the association among autonomic functioning within individuals with symptoms of CFS.

A Validated Scale for Assessing the Severity of Acute Infectious Mononucleosis.

Objectives: To develop a scale for the severity of mononucleosis.

Study Design: One to 5 percent of college students develop infectious mononucleosis annually, and about 10% meet criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) 6 months following infectious mononucleosis. We developed a severity of mononucleosis scale based on a review of the literature.

Resuscitation planning on a subacute geriatric evaluation and management ward.

Objectives: To describe the use of acute resuscitation plans (ARPs) among patients on a subacute geriatric ward and to identify factors associated with use of ARPs in these patients.

Methods: The hospital records of all patients admitted to the geriatric medicine ward in 2016 were retrospectively audited.

Results: An ARP was completed before separation for 333/442 (75.

Immune Response and Intraocular Inflammation in Patients With Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Treated With Intravitreal Injection of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus 2 Carrying the ND4 Gene: A Secondary Analysis of a Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial.

Importance: Intravitreal gene therapy is regarded as generally safe with limited mild adverse events, but its systemic effects remain to be investigated.

Objective: To examine the association between immune response and intraocular inflammation after ocular gene therapy with recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 carrying the ND4 gene (rAAV2/2-ND4).

Design, Setting, And Participants: This secondary analysis of an open-label, dose-escalation phase 1/2 randomized clinical trial of rAAV2/2-ND4 included data from February 13, 2014 (first patient visit), to March 30, 2017 (last patient visit at week 96), the first 2 years after injection.

Auditory Accommodation to Poorly Matched Non-Individual Spectral Localization Cues Through Active Learning.

This study examines the effect of adaptation to non-ideal auditory localization cues represented by the Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) and the retention of training for up to three months after the last session. Continuing from a previous study on rapid non-individual HRTF learning, subjects using non-individual HRTFs were tested alongside control subjects using their own measured HRTFs. Perceptually worst-rated non-individual HRTFs were chosen to represent the worst-case scenario in practice and to allow for maximum potential for improvement.

Dietary Diversity, Food Security, and Body Image among Women and Children on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos.

Objectives: We conducted a study of the food environment and nutritional status among women and children living on a Galapagos Island. Anthropometric and body silhouette data give insight into body size perceptions for women and their young children. We frame our findings in the context of the nutrition transition.

The International Collaborative on Fatigue Following Infection (COFFI).

Background: The purpose of the Collaborative on Fatigue Following Infection (COFFI) is for investigators of post-infection fatigue (PIF) and other syndromes to collaborate on these enigmatic and poorly understood conditions by studying relatively homogeneous populations with known infectious triggers. Utilizing COFFI, pooled data and stored biosamples will support both epidemiological and laboratory research to better understand the etiology and risk factors for development and progression of PIF.

Methods: COFFI consists of prospective cohorts from the UK, Netherlands, Norway, USA, New Zealand and Australia, with some cohorts closed and some open to recruitment.

Robot-Assisted Transversus Abdominis Plane Block: Description of the Technique and Comparative Analysis.

Background: Several randomized clinical trials have shown the efficacy of percutaneous transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in decreasing pain after open and minimally invasive surgeries. We postulated that TAP block could be performed by a robot-assisted transperitoneal approach and provide postoperative pain control equivalent to local anesthetic port infiltration.

Objective: To compare different indicators of postoperative pain between robot-assisted TAP and local anesthetic port infiltration in patients who had undergone robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Cost analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage and respiratory tract biopsies in the diagnosis and management of suspected invasive fungal infection in children with cancer or who have undergone stem cell transplant.

Background: Identification of an organism is the gold standard for the diagnosis of fungal infection; however, we have previously shown that invasive procedures infrequently lead to a change in management in children with cancer or who have undergone stem cell transplant with suspected respiratory tract invasive fungal infection (RT-IFI). There is also a paucity of data on the cost of RT-IFI in this population. We therefore compared the costs of RT-IFI diagnosed based on CT scan alone versus those who underwent a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or respiratory tract biopsy (RTB).

Analytical validation of a prognostic prostate cancer gene expression assay using formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue.

Background: There is a clear need for assays that can predict the risk of metastatic prostate cancer following curative procedures. Importantly these assays must be analytically robust in order to provide quality data for important clinical decisions. DNA microarray based gene expression assays measure several analytes simultaneously and can present specific challenges to analytical validation.

Gain through pain: Augmenting in vivo exposure with enhanced attention to internal experience leads to increased resilience to distress.

Recent variants of exposure therapy ask clients to directly engage with the distress associated with avoided experiences in order to become more resilient to future anxiety-provoking situations. In this study, we consider how this engagement impacts behavioral willingness. Forty-eight participants with high fear of cockroaches completed in vivo exposures while either mindfully attending externally to the feared object (Ext), or to both the object and their internal distress (Int/Ext).

An investigation of delay and probability discounting in hoarding disorder.

Behavioral impulsivity may be a mechanism of hoarding disorder (HD). A commonly used and well-validated measure of impulsivity is the delay and probability discounting task, which consists of making decisions about receiving monetary rewards after varying delay intervals and delivery probabilities. We compared delay and probability discounting and self-reported behavioral impulsivity in 81 patients with a primary diagnosis of HD and 45 nonclinical controls.