Prediction of pure tone thresholds using the speech reception threshold and age in elderly individuals with hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: Early detection and effective management of hearing loss constitute the key to improving the quality of life of individuals with hearing loss. However, in standardized pure tone audiometry, it is sometimes difficult for elderly patients to understand and follow all instructions. Audiologists also require time, expertise, and patience to ensure that an elderly can identify the faintest levels of stimuli during a hearing test. Therefore, this study aimed to devise and validate a formula to predict the pure tone threshold at each frequency across 0.5-4 kHz (PTTs) using speech reception threshold. METHODS: The 1226 audiograms of hearing-impaired individuals aged 60-90 years were reviewed. The random sample function randomly assigned 613 participants to the training and testing sets each. A linear model was created to predict the PTT value at each frequency based on variables significant at all frequencies across 0.5-4 kHz. The adjusted-R2 value was considered to indicate the performance of the predictive model. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to describe the relationship between the actual and predicted PTT at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz among the testing set to measure the performance of the proposed model. RESULTS: The predictive model was devised using variables based on the speech recognition threshold (SRT) after adjusting with age in the training set. The overall prediction accuracy demonstrated a higher adjusted-R2 ranging from 0.74 to 0.89 at frequencies of 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz, whereas a low percentage of explained variance was observed at 4 kHz (adjusted-R2 = 0.41). This predictive model can serve as an adjunctive clinical tool for guiding determination of the PTTs. Moreover, the predicted PTTs can be applied in the hearing aid programming software to set appropriate hearing aid gain using standard prescriptive formulas.

A Skin-Inspired Self-Adaptive System for Temperature Control During Dynamic Wound Healing.

The thermoregulating function of skin that is capable of maintaining body temperature within a thermostatic state is critical. However, patients suffering from skin damage are struggling with the surrounding scene and situational awareness. Here, we report an interactive self-regulation electronic system by mimicking the human thermos-reception system. The skin-inspired self-adaptive system is composed of two highly sensitive thermistors (thermal-response composite materials), and a low-power temperature control unit (Laser-induced graphene array). The biomimetic skin can realize self-adjusting in the range of 35-42 °C, which is around physiological temperature. This thermoregulation system also contributed to skin barrier formation and wound healing. Across wound models, the treatment group healed ~ 10% more rapidly compared with the control group, and showed reduced inflammation, thus enhancing skin tissue regeneration. The skin-inspired self-adaptive system holds substantial promise for next-generation robotic and medical devices.

The Influence of Geographical Environment on Public Social Trust: What Role Do Tourism Activities Play?

Social trust is derived from the interaction of environmental and social factors, which has important significance for the sustainable development of society and social governance. In particular, in the post-pandemic era, tourist activity will receive special attention in terms of its role in the development of the public's social trust. On the basis of the sample of big data, this research takes China as an example to study the influences of different geographical and environmental elements on individuals' social trust as well as the common role played by the tourist activity. The research showed that the geographical environment and tourism activities have interacting effects on public social trust. This influencing mechanism is specifically manifested as the rice-growing ratio and tourist reception level can have interacting effects on the social trust of the residents in a tourist destination; pathogen stress and tourist supply level can exert interacting effects on the social trust of the residents in an area from which tourists originate; and economic development and tourist reception level can have interacting effects on the social trust of the residents in a tourist destination. By doing so, this research provides theoretical support and practical suggestions for the recovery of the public's social trust from the perspective of tourism geography in the post-pandemic era.

Navigation by magnetic signatures in a realistic model of Earth's magnetic field.

Certain animal species use the Earth's magnetic field (i.e. magnetoreception) alongside their other sensory modalities to navigate long distances that include continents and oceans. It is hypothesized that several animals use geomagnetic parameters, such as field intensity and inclination, to recognize specific locations or regions, potentially enabling migration without a pre-surveyed map. However, it is unknown how animals use geomagnetic information to generate guidance commands, or where in the world this type of strategy would maximize an animal's fitness. While animal experiments have been invaluable in advancing this area, the phenomenon is difficult to studyin vivoorin situ, especially on the global scale where the spatial layout of the geomagnetic field is not constant. Alongside empirical animal experiments, mathematical modeling and simulation are complementary tools that can be used to investigate animal navigation on a global scale, providing insights that can be informative across a number of species. In this study, we present a model in which a simulated animal (i.e. agent) navigates via an algorithm which determines travel heading based on local and goal magnetic signatures (here, combinations of geomagnetic intensity and inclination) in a realistic model of Earth's magnetic field. By varying parameters of the navigation algorithm, different regions of the world can be made more or less reliable to navigate. We present a mathematical analysis of the system. Our results show that certain regions can be navigated effectively using this strategy when these parameters are properly tuned, while other regions may require more complex navigational strategies. In a real animal, parameters such as these could be tuned by evolution for successful navigation in the animal's natural range. These results could also help with developing engineered navigation systems that are less reliant on satellite-based methods.

"Lesbian nation is Amazon culture: Lesbian separatism and the uses of Amazons".

In this article, Amazon imagery serves as a case study for the complicated relationship of lesbian separatist movements of the 1970s and the classical Greek tradition. I consider how the use of mythological figures allowed lesbian feminists to rewrite and subvert dominant patriarchal narratives in ways that furthered their revolutionary projects. I argue that the nature of mythology is fundamentally fluid, collaborative, and open to queer reinterpretations and appropriations in ways that are rich with symbolic potential. Furthermore, the creation of separatist communities approximates an act of nation-building, and it is useful to consider other attempts to construct and theorize nations, ranging from Homi Bhabha on post-/anticolonial resistance to Berlant and Freeman on Queer Nationality. In particular, when considering a lesbian movement, we should remember that queer theory is messy because queerness itself is messy and resists boundaries and classification. Furthermore, what Ward frames as "dyke methods" (or dyke-centric queer methods) insist on categories that are fluid, messy, and shifting in their classifications and drawn toward as-yet-unknown queer possibilities. To study lesbian separatists with dyke methods is to embark on "an antiessentialist and interdisciplinary project" without necessarily "making a commitment to balanced ideas" (pp. 82-83). It is my hope that a messy, queer analysis of Amazonian symbolism in the construction of a lesbian nationalism will ultimately offer intriguing, if at times contradictory, possibilities.

Negotiating un/sanitary citizenship: the reception of UK government COVID-19 public health messaging by racialised people highly exposed to infection.

Governments across the world differently invoked citizen responsibility for responding to the risk of COVID-19 infection. Approaches which focused on changing social practices served to reinforce distinctions between 'sanitary' and 'unsanitary' citizenship. This paper examines citizens' responses to public health policy messaging, exploring as a case study the reception of UK Government messaging about responsible behaviour during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine the public responses to such messaging from narrative interviews with 43 people who became ill with COVID-19. These interviews were with people who identified as members of the minoritised religious and racialised groups, who were most heavily burdened by the impact of COVID-19. Interviewees challenged assumptions that they were 'irresponsible' for having caught COVID-19, and instead directed attention towards the ways in which pandemic guidance was unworkable. Some actively critiqued government messaging, questioning the problematic racialisation of pandemic messaging and challenging individual responsibilisation for the management of the pandemic. Through this analysis we demonstrate the active role of citizens in enacting, and at times resisting, health policy.

Outcome Prediction of Speech Perception in Quiet and in Noise for Cochlear Implant Candidates Based on Pre-Operative Measures.

(1) Background: The fitting of cochlear implants (CI) is an established treatment, even in cases with considerable residual hearing but insufficient speech perception. The aim of this study was to evaluate a prediction model for speech in quiet and to provide reference data and a predictive model for postoperative speech perception in noise (SPiN) after CI provision. (2) Methods: CI candidates with substantial residual hearing (either in hearing threshold or in word recognition scores) were included in a retrospective analysis (n = 87). Speech perception scores in quiet 12 months post-surgery were compared with the predicted scores. A generalized linear model was fitted to speech reception thresholds (SRTs) after CI fitting to identify predictive variables for SPiN. (3) Results: About two-thirds of the recipients achieved the expected outcome in quiet or were better than expected. The mean absolute error of the prediction was 13.5 percentage points. Age at implantation was the only predictive factor for SPiN showing a significant correlation (r = 0.354; p = 0.007). (4) Conclusions: Outcome prediction accuracy for speech in quiet was comparable to previous studies. For CI recipients in the included study population, the SPiN outcome could be predicted only based on the factor age.

The Sequence Characteristics and Binding Properties of the Odorant-Binding Protein SvelOBP1 from Sympiezomias velatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to Jujube Volatiles.

Sympiezomias velatus (Chevrolat) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has caused serious damage on jujube trees (Ziziphus jujuba Mill) in northern China. Semiochemicals emerging from the host are essential in the process of insects identifying and localizing the host. The highly expressed odorant-binding protein 1 of S. velatus (SvelOBP1) was assumed to play a possible role in the recognition of host volatiles. In this study, SvelOBP1 was cloned based on the antennal transcriptome of S. velatus. The recombinant SvelOBP1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by Ni-NTA resin. The predicted protein SvelOBP1 belonged to a classic OBP subfamily. The expression patterns revealed that SvelOBP1 was mainly expressed in the antennae of both males and females, whereas the expression of SvelOBP1 in other body parts could be neglected. The fluorescence binding assay indicated that SvelOBP1 displayed very strong binding affinities to dibutyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate and (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol (Ki = 6.66 ± 0.03 and 7.98 ± 0.06 µM). The molecular docking results showed that residues Trp114, Phe115 and Asp110 may be involved in binding to both dibutyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate and (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol and may have a great impact on odorant recognition of S. velatus. Our results provide evidence that SvelOBP1 might participate in the olfactory molecular perception of S. velatus and would promote the development of pest attractants for S. velatus control.

The Challenges of Tuberculosis Management beyond Professional Competence: Insights from Tuberculosis Outbreaks among Ethiopian Immigrants in Israel.

Controlling tuberculosis (TB) among immigrants from high-incidence countries presents a public health concern as well as a medical challenge. In this article, we investigate a TB outbreak in a community of people of Jewish descent who emigrated from Ethiopia to Israel (Israeli Ethiopians) that started in June 2022. The index case was a 20-year-old female who had recently immigrated to Israel with her family. Her pre-immigration tuberculin skin test was positive. After excluding active TB, treatment with daily isoniazid for latent TB (LTB) was started shortly after her arrival. A year later, she was diagnosed with smear-positive, culture-positive, pulmonary TB. Investigation of 83 contacts revealed five additional patients with active TB, and three of whom were members were of her household. In this article, we report the current TB outbreak, review previously published TB outbreaks involving Israeli Ethiopians, analyze the factors that triggered each of these outbreaks, and discuss the challenges that face the Israeli TB control program in an era of declining TB incidence and diminishing resources available for TB control.

Odorant-Binding and Chemosensory Proteins in Fig Wasps: Evolutionary Insights From Comparative Studies.

Fig wasps (Agaonidae; Hymenoptera) are the only pollinating insects of fig trees (Ficus; Moraceae), forming the most closely and highly specific mutualism with the host. We used transcriptome sequences of 25 fig wasps from six genera to explore the evolution of key molecular components of fig wasp chemosensory genes: odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs). We identified a total 321 OBPs and 240 CSPs, with each species recording from 6 to 27 OBP genes and 6-19 CSP genes. 318 OBP genes are clustered into 17 orthologous groups and can be divided into two groups: PBP sensitive to pheromone and GOBP sensitive to general odor molecules, such as alcohols, esters, acids, ketones, and terpenoids. 240 CSP genes are clustered into 12 orthologous groups, which can be divided into three major groups and have functions, such as olfactory, tissue formation and/or regeneration, developmental, and some specific and unknown function. The gene sequences of most orthologous groups vary greatly among species and are consistent with the phylogenetic relationships between fig wasps. Strong purifying selection of both OBP and CSP genes was detected, as shown by low ω values. A positive selection was detected in one locus in CSP1. In conclusion, the evolution of chemosensory proteins OBPs and CSPs in fig wasps is relatively conservative, and they play an indispensable role in the life activities of fig wasps. Our results provide a starting point for understanding the molecular basis of the chemosensory systems of fig wasps.

DeepPyramid+: medical image segmentation using Pyramid View Fusion and Deformable Pyramid Reception.

PURPOSE: Semantic segmentation plays a pivotal role in many applications related to medical image and video analysis. However, designing a neural network architecture for medical image and surgical video segmentation is challenging due to the diverse features of relevant classes, including heterogeneity, deformability, transparency, blunt boundaries, and various distortions. We propose a network architecture, DeepPyramid+, which addresses diverse challenges encountered in medical image and surgical video segmentation. METHODS: The proposed DeepPyramid+ incorporates two major modules, namely "Pyramid View Fusion" (PVF) and "Deformable Pyramid Reception" (DPR), to address the outlined challenges. PVF replicates a deduction process within the neural network, aligning with the human visual system, thereby enhancing the representation of relative information at each pixel position. Complementarily, DPR introduces shape- and scale-adaptive feature extraction techniques using dilated deformable convolutions, enhancing accuracy and robustness in handling heterogeneous classes and deformable shapes. RESULTS: Extensive experiments conducted on diverse datasets, including endometriosis videos, MRI images, OCT scans, and cataract and laparoscopy videos, demonstrate the effectiveness of DeepPyramid+ in handling various challenges such as shape and scale variation, reflection, and blur degradation. DeepPyramid+ demonstrates significant improvements in segmentation performance, achieving up to a 3.65% increase in Dice coefficient for intra-domain segmentation and up to a 17% increase in Dice coefficient for cross-domain segmentation. CONCLUSIONS: DeepPyramid+ consistently outperforms state-of-the-art networks across diverse modalities considering different backbone networks, showcasing its versatility. Accordingly, DeepPyramid+ emerges as a robust and effective solution, successfully overcoming the intricate challenges associated with relevant content segmentation in medical images and surgical videos. Its consistent performance and adaptability indicate its potential to enhance precision in computerized medical image and surgical video analysis applications.

IVF with reception of oocytes from partner in lesbian couples: a systematic review and SWOT analysis.

The growing utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART) by the LGBTQ+ community, especially among lesbian couples, challenges societal norms and promotes inclusivity. The reception of oocytes from partner (ROPA) technique enables both female partners to have a biological connection to their child. A systematic review was conducted of the literature on ROPA IVF to provide the latest data and a SWOT analysis was subsequently performed to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with ROPA IVF. Publications from 2000 to 2023 with relevant keywords were reviewed and 16 records were included. Five studies provided clinical information on couples who used ROPA IVF. ROPA IVF provides a unique opportunity for a biological connection between the child and both female partners and addresses concerns related to oocyte donation and anonymity. Weaknesses include limited cost-effectiveness data and unresolved practical implications. Opportunities lie in involving both partners in parenthood, advancing ART success rates and mitigating risks. Threats encompass increased pregnancy complications, ethical concerns, insufficient safety data, legal or cultural barriers, and emotional stress. In conclusion, ROPA IVF offers a promising solution for lesbian couples seeking to create a family in which both partners want to establish a biological connection with their child.

Using the theory of planned behaviour to predict pre-service teachers' preferences for scientific sources.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing emphasis on research-based teacher education and calls for evidence-informed practice, teachers tend to prefer experiential over scientific knowledge sources to inform their actions, justify decisions and analyse educational problems. This tendency already occurs as early as during initial teacher education, and it is possibly bolstered by school internships where mentors emphasise the value of practical over scientific knowledge. AIMS: The present study applied the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to investigate under what conditions pre-service teachers intend to use and prefer scientific sources from educational research. METHODS: The study's participants were 343 pre-service teachers in a half-year school internship who indicated their attitudes towards educational research, behavioural control (i.e. self-efficacy), perceived subjective norm, intentions of using research and preference for scientific sources in a survey. Perceived subjective norm was established by measuring whether pre-service teachers believed their mentors considered research-based knowledge. RESULTS: In line with the predictions of the standard TPB model, structural equation modelling confirmed the effects of positive attitudes, self-efficacy and perceived subjective norm on pre-service teachers' intentions of using research. In turn, intentions and self-efficacy predicted preferences for scientific sources but not the use of scientific sources when planning a lesson in the internship. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-service teachers' scientific source preferences are shaped not only by personal dispositions but also by the social context of school.

Psychological factors and barriers to donating and receiving milk from human milk banks: A review.

Human milk banks (HMBs), established in the early 20th century, aimed to provide safe breast milk for infants with challenges obtaining it. The spread of infections since the 1980s resulted in strict regulations and screening in HMBs, to ensure the safety of donated milk. Several social and personal factors discourage mothers from practicing breastfeeding, making donated milk a viable alternative because of its protective and immunity-enhancing properties. However, psychological barriers can affect the decision to donate or receive donated milk. To identify psychological factors related to donating and receiving human milk from HMBs, we searched PubMed to identify studies reporting psychological factors in donating and receiving milk and excluding studies not reporting psychological factors. The search identified 28 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Eligible studies from various countries spanned from 1995 to 2023 and focused on psychological factors influencing milk donation and receiving. Most studies were descriptive-qualitative. Factors facilitating or hindering milk donation and reception included perceptions, psychological aspects, and previous experiences. Positive factors for donors included the desire to help other mothers, support from health care professionals, and personal well-being. Negative factors included breast milk exclusivity and discomfort caused by health checks. For recipients, awareness of donated milk benefits was a positive factor, whereas fear regarding safety was negative. The altruistic motivation to help other mothers drove many women to donate. Proper awareness and support from health care professionals and families can help women understand the value of milk donation and support their personal and identity reintegration, especially in cases of the loss of a child.

The incomparable fascination of comparative physiology: 40 years with animals in the field and laboratory.

This paper is not meant to be a review article. Instead, it gives an overview of the major research projects that the author, together with his students, colleagues and collaborators, has worked on. Although the main focus of the author's work has always been the fish lateral line, this paper is mainly about all the other research projects he did or that were done in his laboratory. These include studies on fishing spiders, weakly electric fish, seals, water rats, bottom dwelling sharks, freshwater rays, venomous snakes, birds of prey, fire loving beetles and backswimmers. The reasons for this diversity of research projects? Simple. The authors's lifelong enthusiasm for animals, and nature's ingenuity in inventing new biological solutions. Indeed, this most certainly was a principal reason why Karl von Frisch and Alfred Kühn founded the Zeitschrift für vergleichende Physiologie (now Journal of Comparative Physiology A) 100 years ago.

Development and Psychometric Properties of Work Information Anxiety Questionnaire.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop and validate the Work Information Anxiety Questionnaire (WIAQ), and to report on the psychometric properties of the WIAQ. Methods: Based on the Approach-Avoidance Conflict theory, and combining previous literature reviews and open-ended interviews, initial scale items for the Work Information Anxiety Questionnaire were developed. Using 324 full-time corporate employees as subjects (Sample 1), an exploratory structural examination of work information anxiety was conducted, including item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and network analysis. An additional 210 corporate employees were selected for formal testing (Sample 2), and the obtained data underwent structural validation, including confirmatory factor analysis, validity testing, and reliability testing. Results: The WIAQ (9 items) exhibited a two-factor structure of reception anxiety and missing out anxiety, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 67.56%. The confirmatory factor model showed good model fit, with cross-group and cross-measurement stability. The Cronbach's α of the WIAQ was 0.899, and the McDonald's ω of the two factors were 0.906 and 0.831 respectively. The WIAQ demonstrated good criterion-related validity with the SAS and DASS. Conclusion: The factor structure of the WIAQ is clear, and its reliability and validity indicators meet psychometric requirements. It can serve as an effective tool for measuring work information anxiety.

Authentic Pathology Specimen Reception: A Valuable Resource for Developing Biomedical Science Student Competencies and Employability.

Background/Introduction: The pathology specimen reception is fundamental to the services provided by Biomedical Science laboratories worldwide. To ensure patient safety and that samples are of adequate quality to send for analysis, prospective Biomedical Scientists should have a robust knowledge of the processes involved and the acceptance criteria of the pathology specimen reception. This knowledge has been highlighted by employers as a current gap in Biomedical Science graduates and therefore needs to be addressed within higher education settings. To do this, this study aimed to 1) design a practical session to simulate the key processes of the pathology specimen reception and 2) to understand Biomedical Science students' opinions on these activities and the development of transferable skills required for post-graduate employment. Methods: The practical session was designed based on industrial requirements and academic knowledge of student skill sets to ensure suitability. Qualitative information regarding participant demographics and career interests was acquired through open-answer or multiple-choice questions. Quantitative student feedback was acquired via questionnaires utilising a 5-point Likert scale (n = 77). Results: The scenario-based practical session provided students with a positive learning experience with 98.7% of participants enjoying the session, with 87.0% stating they learned a lot by completing the session. It was also identified that participants preferred this style of learning to that of conventional higher education teaching modalities with 97.4% stating they would prefer simulated employment focussed scenarios embedded into the curriculum more often. The majority of participants also thought this session was helpful for the development of their key transferrable skills including teamworking, communication, and confidence. When stratified based on demographic data, there was minimal difference between cohorts and in the majority of cases, those participants from non-traditional university entry backgrounds had a more positive experience and better transferable skill development following the completion of this style of learning experience. Conclusion: This study highlights simulation-based learning as a tool to develop core Biomedical Science knowledge, build student graduate capital, and ensure the preparedness of students for post-graduation employment.

Rosa Bonheur the Amazon? Equestrianism, Female Masculinity, and The Horse Fair (1852-1855).

In 1853, Rosa Bonheur first exhibited what would become her most widely celebrated work: The Horse Fair. Although the work's modern setting and animal-focused subject matter do not obviously characterize it as an instance of classical reception, the artist claimed that it was inspired by the Parthenon frieze. A significant amount of feminist and queer scholarship has been dedicated to Rosa Bonheur's life, career, and art practices, all of which reveal the complex ways in which the artist negotiated the gender norms of 19th-century France. These ranged from her decision never to marry, instead living in households with two women, to her officially sanctioned practice of cross-dressing when conducting art studies in public. In view of all these things, one of the most remarkable elements of The Horse Fair is the very probable inclusion of the artist's self-portrait, clad in masculine clothing and riding with legs astride her mount. Taking seriously Bonheur's Parthenonian quotation, how should her self-portrait within the male-dominated arena of the horse market be understood? The author argues that, by classical analogy, Bonheur may be regarded as a gender-bending Amazon of a sort that was radically distinct from the scores of so-called "amazones" promenading about Paris. A comparative consideration of contemporary visualizations of the Amazonian rider trope suggests that Bonheur appropriates and, as it were, refashions this modish, gendered imagery to make a bold statement of women's equality with men.

Comedy as dissonant rhetoric.

This article considers the normative and critical value of popular comedy. I begin by assembling and evaluating a range of political theory literature on comedy. I argue that popular comedy can be conducive to both critical and transformative democratic effects, but that these effects are contingent on the way comedic performances are received by audiences. I illustrate this by means of a case study of a comedic climate change 'debate' from the television show, Last Week Tonight. Drawing from recent scholarship on deliberation, judgment and rhetoric, I highlight both critical and transformative dimensions of the performance. I attribute these to the vignette's likely reception, which I describe as 'dissonant' - unresolved, affectively turbulent and aesthetically attuned. I argue that comedy is uniquely positioned to spur such 'dissonant' modes of engagement and, in so doing, to promote acknowledgement and reflective judgment.