Extended High-Frequency Audiometry Using the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System Compared to Manual Audiometry in Children and Adolescents.

Objectives: Valid wireless automated Békésy-like audiometry (ABA) outside a sound booth that includes extended high frequencies (EHF) would increase access to monitoring programs for individuals at risk for hearing loss, particularly those at risk for ototoxicity. The purpose of the study was to compare thresholds obtained with (1) manual audiometry using an Interacoustics Equinox and modified Hughson-Westlake 5 dB threshold technique to automated audiometry using the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System (WAHTS) and a Békésy-like 2 dB threshold technique inside a sound booth, and (2) ABA measured in the sound booth to ABA measured outside the sound booth.

Design: Cross-sectional study including 28 typically developing children and adolescents (mean = 14.

The influence of menstrual cycle phase on isokinetic knee flexor and extensor strength in female soccer players: a pilot study.

The prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament injury in female soccer players has been attributed to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle (MC), with injury incidence greatest during the follicular phase. Eight, eumenorrheic, collegiate soccer players (19.5 ± 0.

Factors that shape COVID-19 pediatric vaccine decision-making in rural agricultural communities: A qualitative study.

While COVID-19 immunizations can improve outcomes from SARS-CoV-2, vaccine rates in the United States have been lowest among children under age 11 and among rural agricultural communities. This study examined factors influencing pediatric COVID-19 vaccine uptake among rural agricultural and predominantly Hispanic communities in Washington State. We conducted in-depth interviews with school district employees and students and held English and Spanish focus group discussions with parents, all of which were audio-recorded and transcribed.

Why restrict medical effective altruism?

In a challenge trial, research subjects are purposefully exposed to some pathogen in a controlled setting, in order to test the efficacy of a vaccine or other experimental treatment. This is an example of medical effective altruism (MEA), where individuals volunteer to risk harms for the public good. Many bioethicists rejected challenge trials in the context of Covid-19 vaccine research on ethical grounds.

Best practice recommendations for the integration of trauma-informed approaches in maternal mental health care within the context of perinatal trauma and loss: A systematic review of current guidance.

Purpose: The National Health Service (NHS) in England plans to increase accessibility to evidence-based, trauma-informed psychological care for women in the perinatal period. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to 1) synthesise current guidance from clinical guidelines, policy documents, and care standards on trauma-informed approaches to care in maternal mental health settings within the context of pregnancy-related trauma and 2) to offer recommendations informing the implementation and evaluation of this type of care.

Methods: Nine electronic databases were searched and screened.

Characterization of anthropogenic noise and oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) calling behavior in urban and small-town coastal soundscapesa).

The oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) is an ideal model to examine the effects of anthropogenic noise on behavior because they rely on acoustic signals for mate attraction and social interactions. We predict that oyster toadfish have acclimated to living in noise-rich environments because they are common in waterways of urban areas, like New York City (NYC). We used passive acoustic monitoring at two locations to see if calling behavior patterns are altered in areas of typically high boat traffic versus low boat traffic (Pier 40, NYC, NY, and Eel Pond, Woods Hole, MA, respectively).

Factors influencing COVID-19 testing among Native Americans and Latinos in two rural agricultural communities: a qualitative study.

Objective: To examine factors influencing decisions to test for COVID-19 among Native Americans on the Flathead Reservation in Montana and the Latino community in the Yakima Valley of Washington state.

Methods: We conducted 30 key informant interviews with community leaders and six focus groups with community members to examine factors impacting decisions to test for COVID-19 during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic from May 2021 to June 2021.

Results: Three major themes that impacted testing for COVID-19 were identified: (1) Social factors, including the influence of families and friends and employment practices; (2) health factors, including testing procedures, home-based testing, and health communication; and (3) contextual factors, including distrust for government and medical communities and the impact on cultural practices and celebrations.

The natural history, clinical outcomes, and genotype-phenotype relationship of otoferlin-related hearing loss: a systematic, quantitative literature review.

Congenital hearing loss affects one in 500 newborns. Sequence variations in OTOF, which encodes the calcium-binding protein otoferlin, are responsible for 1-8% of congenital, nonsyndromic hearing loss and are the leading cause of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders. The natural history of otoferlin-related hearing loss, the relationship between OTOF genotype and hearing loss phenotype, and the outcomes of clinical practices in patients with this genetic disorder are incompletely understood because most analyses have reported on small numbers of cases with homogeneous OTOF genotypes.

Extended High-Frequency Audiometry using the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System Compared to Manual Audiometry in Children and Adolescents.

Objectives: Reliable wireless automated audiometry that includes extended high frequencies (EHF) outside a sound booth would increase access to monitoring programs for individuals at risk for hearing loss, particularly those at risk for ototoxicity. The purpose of the study was to compare thresholds obtained with 1) standard manual audiometry to automated thresholds measured with the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System (WAHTS) inside a sound booth, and 2) automated audiometry in the sound booth to automated audiometry outside the sound booth in an office environment.

Design: Cross-sectional, repeated measures study.

Reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels for the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System.

This paper presents reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels (RETSPLs) for the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System (WAHTS), a recently commercialized device developed for use as a boothless audiometer. Two initial studies were conducted following the ISO 389-9 standard [ISO 389-9 (2009). "Acoustics-Reference zero for the calibration of audiometric equipment.

Leading through Crises: Healthcare Supply Chain Strategies and Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare organizations globally, particularly from a supply chain perspective. Leaders with successful responses have drawn upon their toolkit to anticipate threats, recognize crises, respond decisively, visibly engage in problem solving and facilitate communication. By harnessing these skills, leaders have tackled COVID-19-related challenges, including panic buying, organizational goal misalignment, staff anxiety and criticism.

Social modulation of ageing: mechanisms, ecology, evolution.

Human life expectancy increases, but the disease-free part of lifespan (healthspan) and the quality of life in old people may not show the same development. The situation poses considerable challenges to healthcare systems and economies, and calls for new strategies to increase healthspan and for sustainable future approaches to elder care. This call has motivated innovative research on the role of social relationships during ageing.

Comparing the Health Workforce Provider Mix and the Distance Travelled for Mental Health Services by Rural and Urban Medicare Beneficiaries.

Purpose: To describe the mix of health professionals who care for rural and urban seniors suffering from mood and/or anxiety disorders, the quantity of services they receive, and to understand where beneficiaries receive care for mood and/or anxiety disorders and the distance and time they travel for care.

Methods: We used 2014 Medicare administrative claims data to examine access to health care for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥ 65 years who received outpatient services for mood and anxiety disorders. We classified providers into 9 categories: (1) family physicians/general practice, (2) internists, (3) nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs), (4) psychiatrists, (5) psychologists, (6) clinical social workers, (7) emergency medicine physicians, (8) other physicians, and (9) other providers.

Honey bees as bioindicators of changing global agricultural landscapes.

There is a growing need to understand relationships between agricultural intensification and global change. Monitoring solutions, however, often do not include pollinator communities that are of importance to ecosystem integrity. Here, we put forth the honey bee as an economical and broadly available bioindicator that can be used to assess and track changes in the quality of agricultural ecosystems.

Clinical Effectiveness of an At-Home Auditory Training Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of an at-home frequent-word auditory training procedure for use with older adults with impaired hearing wearing their own hearing aids.

Design: Prospective, double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial with three parallel branches: an intervention group who received the at-home auditory training; an active control group who listened to audiobooks using a similar platform at home (placebo intervention); and a passive control group who wore hearing aids and returned for outcomes, but received no intervention. Outcome measures were obtained after a 5-week period.

Crisis resolution: consumer, family and referrer perspectives on care.

Aim: To systematically assess the service satisfaction of consumers, their families and referrers with crisis resolution (CR).

Methods: Consecutive consumers discharged after receiving CR over a five-week period were potentially eligible for participation, together with their family and referrer (broadly defined). Structured telephone interviews were conducted and involved forced-choice questions assessing global satisfaction and satisfaction with specific aspects of care, plus two open-ended questions.

The Effects of Service-Delivery Model and Purchase Price on Hearing-Aid Outcomes in Older Adults: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine efficacy of hearing aids in older adults using audiology best practices, to evaluate the efficacy of an alternative over-the-counter (OTC) intervention, and to examine the influence of purchase price on outcomes for both service-delivery models.

Design: The design of this study was a single-site, prospective, double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial with three parallel branches: (a) audiology best practices (AB), (b) consumer decides OTC model (CD), and (c) placebo devices (P). Outcome measures were obtained after a typical 6-week trial period with follow-up 4-week AB-based trial for those initially assigned to CD and P groups.

The effects of dosage and duration of auditory training for older adults with hearing impairment.

This study explored a range of training dosages and durations for a word-based auditory-training procedure for older adults with hearing impairment. Three groups received a different "dose": 2x/week; 3x/week; no training. Fifteen training sessions comprised a "cycle" which was repeated three times for each dosage.

Accuracy of acoustic respiration rate monitoring in pediatric patients.

Background: Rainbow acoustic monitoring (RRa) utilizes acoustic technology to continuously and noninvasively determine respiratory rate from an adhesive sensor located on the neck.

Objective: We sought to validate the accuracy of RRa, by comparing it to capnography, impedance pneumography, and to a reference method of counting breaths in postsurgical children.

Methods: Continuous respiration rate data were recorded from RRa and capnography.

Creating a learning healthcare system in surgery: Washington State's Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program (SCOAP) at 5 years.

There are increasing efforts towards improving the quality and safety of surgical care while decreasing the costs. In Washington state, there has been a regional and unique approach to surgical quality improvement. The development of the Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program (SCOAP) was first described 5 years ago.

Risk factors for the introduction and within-herd transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection on 59 Irish dairy herds.

Since 1994, Irish cattle have been exposed to greater risks of acquiring Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection as a consequence of the importation of over 70,000 animals from continental Europe. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of reported clinical cases of paratuberculosis in Ireland. This study examines the prevalence of factors that promote the introduction and within-herd transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) on selected Irish dairy farms in the Cork region, and the association between these factors and the results of MAP screening tests on milk sock filter residue (MFR).

Phase II study of the antiangiogenic agent SU5416 in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcomas.

Purpose: SU5416 (semaxanib) is a small molecule inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 and KIT receptor tyrosine kinases. This Phase II study was conducted to investigate the safety and efficacy of SU5416 for patients with soft tissue sarcomas.

Experimental Design: Thirteen patients with locally advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcomas were treated with SU5416 via intravenous infusion at a dose of 145 mg/m(2) twice weekly.