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Description of the Baseline Audiologic Characteristics of the Participants Enrolled in the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders Study
Get PDFPurpose:The Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE) study is a randomized clinical trial designed to determine the effects of a best-practice hearing intervention versus a successful aging health education control intervention on cognitive decline among community-dwelling older adults with untreated mild-to-moderate hearing loss. We describe the baseline audiologic characteristics of the ACHIEVE participants.Method:Participants aged 70–84 years (N = 977; Mage = 76.8) were enrolled at four U.S. sites through two recruitment routes: (a) an ongoing longitudinal study and (b) de novo through the community. Participants underwent diagnostic evaluation including otoscopy, tympanometry, pure-tone and speech audiometry, speech-in-noise testing, and provided self-reported hearing abilities. Baseline characteristics are reported as frequencies (percentages) for categorical variables or medians (interquartiles, Q1–Q3) for continuous variables. Between-groups comparisons were conducted using chi-square tests for categorical variables or Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous variables. Spearman correlations assessed relationships between measured hearing function and self-reported hearing handicap.Results:The median four-frequency pure-tone average of the better ear was 39 dB HL, and the median speech-in-noise performance was a 6-dB SNR loss, indicating mild speech-in-noise difficulty. No clinically meaningful differences were found across sites. Significant differences in subjective measures were found for recruitment route. Expected correlations between hearing measurements and self-reported handicap were found.Conclusions:The extensive baseline audiologic characteristics reported here will inform future analyses examining associations between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The final ACHIEVE data set will be publicly available for use among the scientific community
Recession fears and stock markets: An application of directional wavelet coherence and a machine learning-based economic agent-determined Google fear index
No full textRecession fears play a pivotal role in investment decision making and policy development aimed at reducing the likelihood of a recession and managing its impact. Using machine learning, we develop an economic agent-determined daily recession fear index using Google searches that isolates recession-related fears from overall stock market uncertainty. We study the evolving impact of recent recession fears on stock markets using directional wavelet coherence that distinguishes between positive and negative associations. Recession fears negatively impact world and G7 stock markets and trigger heightened volatility, with Japan being the most resilient. Monetary policy tightening in response to record inflation levels significantly contributes to persistent recession fears, suggesting that policymakers should consider co-ordinating responses to avoid an excessive global economic slowdown. Our methodology offers a high frequency monitoring tool that can be applied to analyse evolving relationships between variables and can be generalised to study the influence of specific events on financial markets by isolating topic-specific components from general proxies for uncertainty, attention or sentiment
Secure communities as immigration enforcement: How secure is the child care market?
No full textImmigrants comprise nearly 20% of the child care workforce in the U.S. This paper studies the impact of a major immigration enforcement policy, Secure Communities (SC), on the structure and functioning of the child care market. Relying on the staggered introduction of SC across counties between 2008 and 2014, we find that the program reduced children’s participation in center-based child care programs. The estimated reductions are substantially larger among advantaged children and in jurisdictions with a greater fraction of undocumented individuals. We also find that SC reduced the equilibrium supply and wages of immigrant and native workers in the center-based sector as well as the number of center-based facilities. There is no compensating increase in the home-based or private household sectors. Our findings suggest that immigrants and natives are likely to be complements in child care service production
An environmentally friendly approach to modern world issues: A case study from Edinburgh, Scotland
No full textHalf of the forests are cleared to acquire land for industries and the rest gets affected by the activities being carried out in the industry with the use of harmful chemicals. Acquiring land is a process that takes place in a very large area because there is a need to provide residence to the labor as well. Vegetation destruction is progressing at an alarming level throughout the earth due to industrial pollution. There is a critical need for an improved understanding of how industrial pollution or soil contamination affects vegetation structure. The impact of industrial pollution on vegetation was observed in Edinburgh, Scotland. Quadrat quantitative ecological approaches were utilized for vegetation data collection. A total of 65 quadrats (plots) were randomly selected in the Industrial zone. Soil samples of roughly 400 g to a depth of 15–30 cm was collected from each plot. The samples were analyzed in the plant ecology and conservation lab to ensure whether the balance nutrients are available for plants or not. Sum of 89 species belonging to 39 were reported. The dominant family was Rosaceae followed by Poaceae and Asteraceae. CANOCO software was used for Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). PC-ORD version 5 was used to display distinct species compositions, which resulted in four plant associations. Indicator species analysis also indicated that pH, EC, and heavy metals (Fe, Cd, Cu, Zn and Cr,) were the main environmental variables in the research region that determined the vegetation structure, plant associations, and indicator plant species of distinct plant associations. It is concluded that, in addition to answering a variety of ecological problems, the current study provides a baseline for future investigations of vegetation dynamics in response to Industrial Pollution. It will be beneficial to learn how effectively these species grow, produce biomass and accumulate metal in metal contaminated soils in order to improve management and conservation efforts
« L’attente silencieuse »: Antiquités javanaises et photographie au xixe siècle dans les Indes orientales néerlandaises
Get PDFThis essay discusses the significant role of archaeological expeditions in the early development of photography in the Dutch East Indies (colonial Indonesia). In the wake of competitive archaeological treasure hunts in the 19th century, the camera was a device welcomed by Dutch colonial administrator for its capacity to provide a faithful description and truthful impression of ancient Hindu-Buddhist temples and antiquities in Java. Early photography expeditions in the island, whether government-sponsored or private and commercially initiated, typically carried proto-archaeological agendas. Through close reading of photographs from Adolph Schaefer, Woodbury & Page studio, Isidore van Kinsbergen, and Kassian Cephas, the essay examines how the European and Javanese photographers, who mastered their trade under the tropical sun, adopted and adapted the veracity of the camera to project their sense, vision and imagination on Javanese antiquity within the context of colonial archaeological project
Implementation of game elements in online business related to fashion
No full textThe gamification criteria based on the crisp analysis algorithm and the K-mean for clustering are studied. The calculation of the customer lifetime value (CLV) based on the recency frequency monetary variable (RFMV) model including purchase recency, purchase frequency, purchase monetary, and purchase variety, weight using Shannon index, as well as the diagnostic analysis in three cluster segments and their lifetime value. Additionally, we develop the consideration of gamification as a tool that online businesses can apply to boost CLV and increase online sales, especially clothing and footwear industry. The approximate volume of the sample includes all customers who follow the company's Instagram profile (242 customers). The findings indicate that gamification can greatly influence RFMV criteria and thus increase CLV. The final clustering shows that if gamification can offer the right mechanics by identifying the audience types, it can identify the most accurate motivations and thereby increase the CLV
Validation of the Ukrainian caregiver-report version of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS) in children and adolescents in Ukraine
No full textObjective: Emerging research indicates that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to an increased prevalence of war-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. The current study sought to test the psychometric properties of a Ukrainian-translated measure of PTSD for children and adolescents; the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS; Sachser et al., 2017).Method: Participants were an opportunistic sample of N = 2,004 parents living in Ukraine who provided data on themselves and one target child in their household as part of The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study. The latent structure of the parent-reported CATS was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, composite reliability estimates were estimated, and criterion validity was assessed.Results: The latent structure of the parent-reported CATS was best reflected by a three-factor model and a four-factor model in the preschool and child and adolescent samples, respectively. Estimates of internal reliability were high for both samples. Criterion validity was supported through associations with external measures of internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems. Parent-report child milestone development delays and prior psychological or pharmacological support were associated with higher average scores on the CATS symptom scales. The prevalence of probable PTSD for the preschool sample was 15.4% (n = 77) and the prevalence of probable PTSD for the child and adolescent sample was 14.4% (n = 217).Discussion: This study supports the psychometric properties of the Ukrainian parent-reported CATS which can be used routinely in clinical practice for the caregiver-rated assessment of PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
Efficacy of Virtual Reality in Pain Management
No full textBackground and Objective: This systematic review synthesizes research conducted from 2015 to 2023 on the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) interventions within pain management with a particular focus on opportunities to enhance healthcare quality. Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive literature search identifying and analyzing 50 studies. These studies were selected to investigate VR’s effectiveness across three key domains: reducing patient pain intensity, elevating patient satisfaction, and demonstrating suitability for various pain conditions.Methods: In line with PRISMA guidelines, our literature search was rigorous and exhaustive. We aimed to identify relevant studies that collectively examined the effectiveness of VR in pain management. Our primary objectives included assessing VR’s potential as both an alternative and a complement to traditional pharmacological pain management approaches. We also evaluated VR’s capacity to improve the overall quality of healthcare.Results: Our comprehensive review of 50 studies unequivocally demonstrates that VR interventions can significantly reduce patient pain intensity and elevate overall satisfaction levels. Moreover, these studies consistently confirm the suitability of VR for managing a wide range of pain conditions, reinforcing the importance of integrating VR modalities into clinical pain management practices.Discussion and Conclusions: The findings from our systematic review strongly advocate for the greater integration of VR modalities into clinical pain management practices. This approach has the potential to not only reduce patient pain but also enhance the overall quality of healthcare services. It is imperative to consider expanding the utilization of VR in clinical pain management settings, especially given the promising initial efficacy indications
The Utilization of Contraceptives by Teenagers in Lesotho: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Survey
Get PDFBackground: Contraceptive service provision to teenagers prevents pregnancy and childbirth complications, which are the leading causes of death among teenage girls globally. The study aimed to assess how teenagers utilized the contraceptive services provided at selected healthcare facilities in Lesotho. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 194 teenagers who were conveniently sampled from two health facilities in Berea district, Lesotho. Permission to conduct the study was sought and granted from the Ministry of Health and written informed consent was sought from the participants before they completed self-administered questionnaires. Data was captured and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 24. Most (64.5%) of the teenagers knew that contraceptives prevented pregnancy, whilst a fifth of them referred to them as the prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Utilization of contraceptives was reported by just over a third and about two-fifths were able to access them at the public health clinics daily. Injectables and condoms were the most preferred methods used by teenagers. Factors that enhanced contraceptive usage included nurses' friendliness, as well as an understanding of why teenagers are not fully utilizing the contraceptive services provided. Most teenagers were found not to be utilizing contraceptive services due to the belief that they led to weight gain and unsatisfactory intercourse. The study findings provided a need for and importance of contraceptive service provision to teenagers, including the need for education to improve their understanding and reduce myths. Hence, healthcare service providers need to improve access to contraceptive services to improve their utilization by teenagers
Artificial intelligence enabled smart mask for speech recognition for future hearing devices
Get PDFIn recent years, Lip-reading has emerged as a significant research challenge. The aim is to recognise speech by analysing Lip movements. The majority of Lip-reading technologies are based on cameras and wearable devices. However, these technologies have well-known occlusion and ambient lighting limitations, privacy concerns as well as wearable device discomfort for subjects and disturb their daily routines. Furthermore, in the era of coronavirus (COVID-19), where face masks are the norm, vision-based and wearable-based technologies for hearing aids are ineffective. To address the fundamental limitations of camera-based and wearable-based systems, this paper proposes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-based smart mask for a Lip-reading framework capable of reading Lips under face masks, enabling effective speech recognition and fostering conversational accessibility for individuals with hearing impairment. The system uses RFID technology to make Radio Frequency (RF) sensing-based Lip-reading possible. A smart RFID face mask is used to collect a dataset containing three different classes of vowels (A, E, I, O, U), Consonants (F, G, M, S), and words (Fish, Goat, Meal, Moon, Snake). The collected data are fed into well-known machine-learning models for classification. A high classification accuracy is achieved by individual classes and combined datasets. On the RFID combined dataset, the Random Forest model achieves a high classification accuracy of 80%
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