Publications by authors named "Nir Fink"

The literature offers various methods for measuring sound localization. In this study, we aimed to compare these methods to determine their effectiveness in addressing different research questions by examining the effect sizes obtained from each measure. Data from 150 participants who identified the location of a sound source were analyzed to explore the effects of speaker angle, stimuli, HPD type, and condition (with/without HPD) on sound localization, using six methods for analysis: mean absolute deviation (MAD), root-mean-squared error (RMSE), very large errors (VLE), percentage of errors larger than the average error observed in a group of participants (pMean), percentage of errors larger than half the distance between two consecutive loudspeakers (pHalf), and mirror image reversal errors (MIRE).

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Current studies report thermographic changes following aerobic or resistance exercise but not short, vigorous anaerobic exercise. Therefore, we investigated body surface temperature changes using thermal imaging following a short session of anaerobic exercise. We studied three different regions of interest (ROIs): the legs, chest, and forehead.

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Combat soldiers are currently faced with using a hearing-protection device (HPD) at the cost of adequately detecting critical signals impacting mission success. The current study tested the performance of the Perforated-Concave-Earplug (pCEP), a proof-of-concept passive HPD consisting of a concave bowl-like rigid structure attached to a commercial roll-down earplug, designed to improve sound localization with minimal compromising of noise attenuation. Primarily intended for combat/military training settings, our aim was an evaluation of localization of relevant sound sources (single/multiple gunfire, continuous noise, spoken word) compared to 3M™-Combat-Arms™4.

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Background:  Binaural hearing is of utmost importance for communicating in noisy surroundings and localizing the direction of sound. Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) affects the quality of life in both childhood and adulthood, speech development, and academic achievements. Sound amplification using air-conducting hearing aids (HAs) is a common option for hearing rehabilitation of UHL.

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Objective: This study aimed to study the effect of steroid treatment on new-onset sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in subjects presenting shortly after an audiometry-confirmed acute acoustic trauma (AAT) injury.

Study Design: This is a case-control study.

Methods: We identified healthy military personnel who presented with AAT injury to the Israeli Defense Forces Medical Corps Otolaryngology/Audiology Services during 2016-2020.

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The purpose of the current study was to test sound localization of a spoken word, rarely studied in the context of localization, compared to pink noise and a gunshot, while taking into account the source position and the effect of different hearing protection devices (HPDs) used by the listener. Ninety participants were divided into three groups using different HPDs. Participants were tested twice, under with- and no-HPD conditions, and were requested to localize the different stimuli that were delivered from one of eight speakers evenly distributed around them (starting from 22.

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Fatigue following sleep deprivation adversely affects various aspects of human performance. It also induces recognizable voice changes, but the literature is inconsistent regarding their nature. The current study used acoustical analyses to assess the effect of 24 hours of sleep deprivation on vocal parameters of young adults.

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Background: During military actions, soldiers are constantly exposed to various forms of potentially harmful noises. Acute acoustic trauma (AAT) results from an impact, unexpected intense noise ≥140 dB, which generates a high-energy sound wave that can damage the auditory system.

Purpose: We sought to characterize AAT injuries among military personnel during operation "Protective Edge," to analyze the effectiveness of hearing protection devices (HPDs), and to evaluate the benefit of steroid treatment in early-diagnosed AAT injury.

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A common complaint of the hearing impaired is the inability to understand speech in noisy environments even with their hearing assistive devices. Only a few single-channel algorithms have significantly improved speech intelligibility in noise for hearing-impaired listeners. The current study introduces a cochlear noise reduction algorithm.

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We have investigated the effect of 0.001 mg/kg delta(8)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on food consumption, cognitive function, and neurotransmitters in mice. Sabra mice were treated with vehicle, THC, or THC+CB1 antagonist (SR141716A).

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