Speech audiometry in noise-exposed workers: the SRT-PTA relationship revisited.

The speech recognition threshold (SRT) is believed to be related primarily to the pure-tone average (PTA) and the steepness of the hearing loss. However, there are indications that it may also be influenced by perceptual or cognitive-linguistic factors, or both, such as meaningfulness of the speech stimuli. The purpose of the present study was to ascertain the correspondence between SRT and PTA in noise-exposed workers with various degrees of speech recognition threshold shift in noise.

[Clinical study of speech understanding in noise].

The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which the difficulty frequently experienced by hearing-impaired listeners in understanding noisy speech can be clinically described in terms of the auditory site of lesion. To this end, shifts of speech reception threshold in noise, using standardized franco-québécois bisyllabic word lists, were obtained from noise-exposed workers and compared to Plomp's model to ascertain content validity. Shifts resulted from monaural listening to a broad-band speech spectrum noise held constant at 0 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

Microbiology of drycleaning.

An appreciable number of bacteria on contaminated fabric survived modern drycleaning procedures. Various stages in the process, especially steam pressing, reduced the total number of bacteria, but viable organisms were found on certain areas of garments even after pressing. A significant number of bacteria were redeposited on clean fabric during the washing of ordinary soiled garments in drycleaning units.

Factors affecting growth of Staphylococcus aureus L forms on semidefined medium.

Banville, Robert R. (The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.