Legislative Basis of Pedagogical Education in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchai, Tetiana

2014-01-01

Legal framework policy of Japan in the field of education has been analyzed. The problem of influence of legislative materials on the development of education in Japan, its legislative support has been considered. It has been defined that directive materials affect the development of education system in Japan. Legislation policy of the country is…

[Evaluation of hazards caused by magnetic field emitted from magnetotherapy applicator to the users of bone conduction hearing prostheses].

Science.gov (United States)

Zradziński, Patryk; Karpowicz, Jolanta; Gryz, Krzysztof; Leszko, Wiesław

2017-06-27

Low frequency magnetic field, inducing electrical field (Ein) inside conductive structures may directly affect the human body, e.g., by electrostimulation in the nervous system. In addition, the spatial distribution and level of Ein are disturbed in tissues neighbouring the medical implant. Numerical models of magneto-therapeutic applicator (emitting sinusoidal magnetic field of frequency 100 Hz) and the user of hearing implant (based on bone conduction: Bonebridge type - IS-BB or BAHA (bone anchorde hearing aid) type - IS-BAHA) were worked out. Values of Ein were analyzed in the model of the implant user's head, e.g., physiotherapist, placed next to the applicator. It was demonstrated that the use of IS-BB or IS-BAHA makes electromagnetic hazards significantly higher (up to 4-fold) compared to the person without implant exposed to magnetic field heterogeneous in space. Hazards for IS-BAHA users are higher than those for IS-BB users. It was found that applying the principles of directive 2013/35/EU, at exposure to magnetic field below exposure limits the direct biophysical effects of exposure in hearing prosthesis users may exceed relevant limits. Whereas applying principles and limits set up by Polish labor law or the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines, the compliance with the exposure limits also ensures the compliance with relevant limits of electric field induced in the body of hearing implant user. It is necessary to assess individually electromagnetic hazard concerning hearing implant users bearing in mind significantly higher hazards to them compared to person without implant or differences between levels of hazards faced by users of implants of various structural or technological solutions. Med Pr 2017;68(4):469-477. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Evaluation of hazards caused by magnetic field emitted from magnetotherapy applicator to the users of bone conduction hearing prostheses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patryk Zradziński

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Low frequency magnetic field, inducing electrical field (Ein inside conductive structures may directly affect the human body, e.g., by electrostimulation in the nervous system. In addition, the spatial distribution and level of Ein are disturbed in tissues neighbouring the medical implant. Material and Methods: Numerical models of magneto-therapeutic applicator (emitting sinusoidal magnetic field of frequency 100 Hz and the user of hearing implant (based on bone conduction: Bonebridge type – IS-BB or BAHA (bone anchorde hearing aid type – IS-BAHA were worked out. Values of Ein were analyzed in the model of the implant user’s head, e.g., physiotherapist, placed next to the applicator. Results: It was demonstrated that the use of IS-BB or IS-BAHA makes electromagnetic hazards significantly higher (up to 4-fold compared to the person without implant exposed to magnetic field heterogeneous in space. Hazards for IS-BAHA users are higher than those for IS-BB users. It was found that applying the principles of directive 2013/35/EU, at exposure to magnetic field below exposure limits the direct biophysical effects of exposure in hearing prosthesis users may exceed relevant limits. Whereas applying principles and limits set up by Polish labor law or the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP guidelines, the compliance with the exposure limits also ensures the compliance with relevant limits of electric field induced in the body of hearing implant user. Conclusions: It is necessary to assess individually electromagnetic hazard concerning hearing implant users bearing in mind significantly higher hazards to them compared to person without implant or differences between levels of hazards faced by users of implants of various structural or technological solutions. Med Pr 2017;68(4:469–477

Nuclear liability legislation in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skraban, A.

2000-01-01

This paper gives some basic data about nuclear installations in Slovenia, reviews Slovenian national legislation in the field of third-party liability for nuclear damage, applicability of the international nuclear liability treaties in the Slovenian legal system and outlines some main provisions of national legislation. It also aims to give some facts about history and present status of nuclear insurance pool and the insurance of nuclear risks in Slovenia. Paper finally indicates also some future legislative steps with respect to nuclear third party liability, at national and international level. (author)

Hearing Threshold and Equal Loudness Level Contours of 1/3-octave Noise Bands in a Diffuse Sound Field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Maja Kirstine E.; Poulsen, Torben

1994-01-01

Hearing threshold levels and equal loudness level contours of 1/3-octave noise bands at 40 phons and 60 phon were measured for 27 normal hearing listeners in an approximately diffuse sound field. The threshold data in the frequency range 125 Hz to 1 kHz were 3-6 dB higher than the values given...

THE INSTITUTION OF LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IN THE FIELDS OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE. AN OVERVIEW OF THE TIMEFRAME 2010-2014

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionel BOSTAN

2015-03-01

Full Text Available According to the Romanian Constitution (Art. 115, paragraph 1, the Government, as a body of the Executive Power, is endowed with attributions belonging to the Legislative function, specific to the Parliament. Thus, we are dealing with what the juridical science calls “legislative delegation”. On this basis, the Government may issue simple ordinances, under a special enabling law and emergency ordinances - in case of special circumstances, which both represent primary normative acts with the power of a law. In this paper we approach the issue of the legislative delegation during the recent five years (2010-2014, focusing on a few aspects relating to the fields of finance and economics.

Nuclear Liability Legislation in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skraban, A.

1998-01-01

This paper reviews Slovenian national legislation in the field of third party liability for nuclear damage, applicability of the international nuclear liability treaties in Slovenia legal system and outlines some main provisions of national legislation. It is worth mentioning that legal instruments covering third party liability and compulsory insurance of such liability exist in Slovenia for almost 20 years and that our nuclear facilities are covered by relevant international treaties and conventions in this field, among them also by the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (from 1977) and the Joint Protocol Relating to the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention (from 1994). (author)

Hearing on Drug Abuse Prevention and Education. Hearing before the Committee on Education and Labor. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, Second Session.

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and Labor.

The text of a hearing on drug abuse prevention and education is provided in this document. After an opening statement by Representative Augustus Hawkins which briefly describes progress that has been made towards drug abuse prevention legislation, statements are given by these witnesses: (1) Carolyn Burns of the National Federation of Parents for…

Compliance with smoke-free legislation and smoking behaviour: observational field study from Punjab, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Goel, Sonu; Sharma, Deepak; Gupta, Rakesh; Mahajan, Vini

2017-08-10

Indian smoke-free legislation requires prohibition of smoking at public places and owners of public places to display 'no smoking' signages. The study aims to assess the compliance of public places with smoke-free legislation and determine the factors associated with active smoking in public places. This was a cross-sectional analytic observational quantitative survey conducted by a team of trained field investigators using a structured observational checklist across 6875 public places in Punjab state of India. The study was carried out over a period of 3 years. A total of 6875 public places across 22 districts of Punjab were observed. The overall compliance to smoke-free law in Punjab was 83.8%. The highest overall compliance was observed in healthcare facilities (89.6%) and least in transit stations (78.8%). Less active smoking was observed in public places where display of 'no smoking' signage compliant with smoke-free law of India was present (adjusted OR 0.6). Further, there was a positive association between active smoking and places where the owner of public places smoked (OR 5.2, CI 2.5 to 11.1). More than 80% of the public places in a jurisdiction in north India were compliant with the smoke-free legislation of India. 'No smoking' signages displayed as per legislation have an effect on curbing smoking behaviours at public places. It is recommended that policymakers should focus more on implementing the smoke-free law at transit sites and structured training sessions should be organised for owners of workplaces. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Towards a comprehensive approach for managing transitions of older workers with hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Fok, Daniel; Shaw, Lynn; Jennings, Mary Beth; Cheesman, Margaret

2009-01-01

Demographic and legislative trends suggest that many older workers may remain at work past the traditional retirement age. This extended work trajectory poses new challenges and opportunities for workers with acquired hearing loss as they age. Workplaces require a new approach to enable transitions of older workers with hearing loss to remain safe and productive. A review of the literature on older workers, those with hearing loss, and strategies used to accommodate them suggests that individualized and piecemeal approaches are predominant. While universal design represents a fresh ideology that may help create more accessible and usable products and environments, its application to improve workplaces for older workers with hearing loss is limited. This paper proposes that occupational science be integrated with knowledge in hearing sciences, accessibility, and usability to assist with the transitions faced by older workers with hearing loss. A more comprehensive approach including the following three key components will be posited to examine the nexus of aging, hearing loss and work: (1) the use of an occupational perspective, along with concepts in hearing sciences to examine hearing demands and improve hearing access; (2) the use of contextual processes to promote physical and social change, and (3) the inclusion of Universal Design for Hearing (UDH) considerations as stakeholders develop more hearing friendly workplaces.

Visual field bias in hearing and deaf adults during judgments of facial expression and identity.

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Susan M Letourneau

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The dominance of the right hemisphere during face perception is associated with more accurate judgments of faces presented in the left rather than the right visual field. Previous research suggests that the left visual field bias typically observed during face perception tasks is reduced in deaf adults who use sign language, for whom facial expressions convey important linguistic information. The current study examined whether visual field biases were altered in deaf adults whenever they viewed expressive faces, or only when attention was explicitly directed to expression. Twelve hearing adults and 12 deaf signers were trained to recognize a set of novel faces posing various emotional expressions. They then judged the familiarity or emotion of faces presented in the left or right visual field, or both visual fields simultaneously. The same familiar and unfamiliar faces posing neutral and happy expressions were presented in the two tasks. Both groups were most accurate when faces were presented in both visual fields. Across tasks, the hearing group demonstrated a bias toward the left visual field. In contrast, the deaf group showed a bias toward the left visual field during identity judgments that shifted marginally toward the right visual field during emotion judgments. Two secondary conditions tested whether these effects generalized to angry faces and famous faces and similar effects were observed. These results suggest that attention to facial expression, not merely the presence of emotional expression, reduces a typical left visual field bias for face processing in deaf signers.

Assessment of the risk factors for hearing loss in adult Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: It was concluded that the RFs for SNHL in adult Nigerians were multifactorial while some of the RFs may be amenable to primary prevention. Legislation and public health education could facilitate reduction of SNHL in our community. Keywords: Adults, elderly, hearing loss, Nigerians, risk factors. Nigerian ...

On the Improvement of the Legislation Regulating the Powers of Public Authorities in the Field of Procurement of Goods, Works and Services for State and Municipal Needs

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Evgeny V. Solomonov

2016-11-01

Full Text Available On the basis of a systematic analysis of the powers of public authorities, as well as legislation on contract system in the field of procurement of goods, works and services for state and municipal needs, the Authors come to a conclusion about the need to improve the existing legislation in this field of public relations.

Perspectives on animal welfare legislation and study considerations for field-oriented studies of raptors in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Boal, C.W.; Wallace, M.C.; Strobel, B.

2010-01-01

Concern for the welfare of animals used in research and teaching has increased over the last 50 yr. Animal welfare legislation has resulted in guidelines for the use of animals in research, but the guidelines can be problematic because they focus on animals used in laboratory and agriculture research. Raptor biologists can be constrained by guidelines, restrictions, and oversight that were not intended for field research methods or wild animals in the wild or captivity. Field researchers can be further hampered by not understanding animal welfare legislation, who is subject to oversight, or that oversight is often provided by a committee consisting primarily of scientists who work with laboratory animals. Raptor researchers in particular may experience difficulty obtaining approval due to use of various species-specific trapping and handling methods. We provide a brief review of animal welfare legislation and describe the basic components and responsibilities of an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in the United States. We identify topics in raptor research that are especially problematic to obtaining IACUC approval, and we provide insight on how to address these issues. Finally, we suggest that all raptor researchers, regardless of legal requirements, abide by the spirit of the animal welfare principles. Failure to do so may bring about further regulatory and permitting restrictions. ?? 2010 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

On the sound field requirements in the hearing protector standard ISO 4869-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, N. S.; Poulsen, Torben

1999-01-01

The sound field requirements in the ISO 4869 1 standard for hearing protector attenuation measurements comprise two parts: 1) a sound level difference requirement for positions around the head of the listener (ie at positions 15 cm from a reference point; up-down, front-back and left-right) and 2......) a directivity requirement for the sound incidence at the reference point, measured with a directional microphone, to ensure an approximate diffuse sound field. The level difference requirement (1) is not difficult to fulfil but the directivity requirement (2) may lead to contradicting results if the measurement...

LEGISLATIVE, ACCOUNTING AND FISCAL NON-CONFORMITIES

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PALIU – POPA LUCIA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the context of the debate analysis from the last decades on the relationship between accounting and taxation, independence or dependence of the accounting rules from the tax ones and taking into consideration that the independence of the two leads to permanent and even significant differences between the accounting and tax profit, I found that certain terms are regulated differently in accounting legislation in our country compared to fiscal one or the legislation in the economic field. Taken from this perspective the main objective of this scientific approach is the identification of accounting and tax legislative nonconformities and the proposal of the ways to solve them so as to eliminate, where possible, differentiated professional interpretations.

LEGISLATIVE, ACCOUNTING AND FISCAL NON-CONFORMITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PALIU – POPA LUCIA

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the context of the debate analysis from the last decades on the relationship between accounting and taxation, independence or dependence of the accounting rules from the tax ones and taking into consideration that the independence of the two leads to permanent and even significant differences between the accounting and tax profit, I found that certain terms are regulated differently in accounting legislation in our country compared to fiscal one or the legislation in the economic field. Taken from this perspective the main objective of this scientific approach is the identification of accounting and tax legislative nonconformities and the proposal of the ways to solve them so as to eliminate, where possible, differentiated professional interpretations.

Risk based regulation: a convenient concept for legislation and regulation in the field of technical risks?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seiler, J.H.

1998-01-01

Legislation and regulation concerning risk activities are traditionally based on deterministic safety measures. This may lead to inefficient results: sometimes the law requires safety measures which are - from an economic viewpoint - not justified because of their poor cost-effectiveness; sometimes it does not require safety measures although they would be very efficient. The risk based regulation approach wants to make the law more efficient and to get more safety at less costs. Legislation and regulation should be based on terms of risk rather than on deterministic rules. Risk should be expressed in quantitative terms and risk regulation should be based on the cost-effectiveness of safety measures. Thus a most efficient (in the sense of the economic analysis of the law) strategy for safety and environmental law could be established. The approach is economically reasonable and theoretically convincing. Its practical implementation however raises a lot of technical and legal questions. The project 'Risk Based Regulation' (1996-1999), sponsored by the Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research, intends to evaluate the practical feasibility of the approach from a technical and a legal view. It contains a general part which describes the risk based regulation approach and its legal and technical questions, case studies which try to practically implement the risk based regulation approach; the case studies are: storage and management of explosives in the army, storage and management of explosives for non-military purposes, safety at work, accident prevention in the non-professional field (mainly road accidents), fire protection, transportation of dangerous goods, waste disposal: traditional waste, waste disposal: radioactive waste, nuclear energy (reactor safety), a synthesis with recommendations for the future legislation and regulation in the field of technical risks. The paper presents the project and its preliminary results. (author)

African American legislators' perceptions of firearm violence prevention legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Payton, Erica; Thompson, Amy; Price, James H; Sheu, Jiunn-Jye; Dake, Joseph A

2015-06-01

Firearm mortality is the leading cause of death for young African American males, however, few studies have focused on racial/ethnic minority populations and firearm violence. The National Black Caucus of State Legislators advocates for legislation that promotes the health of African Americans. Thus, the purpose of this study was to collect baseline data on African American legislators' perceptions regarding firearm violence in the African American community. A cross-sectional study of African American legislators (n = 612) was conducted to investigate the research questions. Of the 612 questionnaires mailed, 12 were not deliverable, and 170 were returned (28%). Utilizing a three wave mailing process, African American legislators were invited to participate in the study. The majority (88%) of respondents perceived firearm violence to be very serious among African Americans. Few (10%) legislators perceived that addressing legislative issues would be an effective strategy in reducing firearm violence among African Americans. The majority (72%) of legislators perceived the most effective strategy to reducing firearm violence in the African American community should focus on addressing societal issues (e.g. crime and poverty). After adjusting for the number of perceived barriers, the number of perceived benefits was a significant predictor of legislators' perceived effectiveness of firearm violence prevention legislation for 8 of the 24 potential firearm violence prevention legislative bills.

Working alliance, interpersonal trust and perceived coercion in mental health review hearings

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Donnelly Vidis

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is some evidence that when mental health commitment hearings are held in accordance with therapeutic jurisprudence principles they are perceived as less coercive, and more just in their procedures leading to improved treatment adherence and fewer hospital readmissions. This suggests an effect of the hearing on therapeutic relationships. We compared working alliance and interpersonal trust in clinicians and forensic patients, whose continued detentions were reviewed by two different legal review bodies according to their legal category. Methods The hearings were rated as positive or negative by patients and treating psychiatrists using the MacArthur scales for perceived coercion, perceived procedural justice (legal and medical and for the impact of the hearing. We rated Global assessment of Function (GAF, Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS, Working Alliance Inventory (WAI and Interpersonal Trust in Physician (ITP scales six months before the hearing and repeated the WAI and ITP two weeks before and two weeks after the hearing, for 75 of 83 patients in a forensic medium and high secure hospital. Results Psychiatrists agreed with patients regarding the rating of hearings. Patients rated civil hearings (MHTs more negatively than hearings under insanity legislation (MHRBs. Those reviewed by MHTs had lower scores for WAI and ITP. However, post-hearing WAI and ITP scores were not different from baseline and pre-hearing scores. Using the receiver operating characteristic, baseline WAI and ITP scores predicted how patients would rate the hearings, as did baseline GAF and PANSS scores. Conclusions There was no evidence that positively perceived hearings improved WAI or ITP, but some evidence showed that negatively perceived hearings worsened them. Concentrating on functional recovery and symptom remission remains the best strategy for improved therapeutic relationships.

Working alliance, interpersonal trust and perceived coercion in mental health review hearings.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Donnelly, Vidis

2011-11-10

Abstract Background There is some evidence that when mental health commitment hearings are held in accordance with therapeutic jurisprudence principles they are perceived as less coercive, and more just in their procedures leading to improved treatment adherence and fewer hospital readmissions. This suggests an effect of the hearing on therapeutic relationships. We compared working alliance and interpersonal trust in clinicians and forensic patients, whose continued detentions were reviewed by two different legal review bodies according to their legal category. Methods The hearings were rated as positive or negative by patients and treating psychiatrists using the MacArthur scales for perceived coercion, perceived procedural justice (legal and medical) and for the impact of the hearing. We rated Global assessment of Function (GAF), Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) and Interpersonal Trust in Physician (ITP) scales six months before the hearing and repeated the WAI and ITP two weeks before and two weeks after the hearing, for 75 of 83 patients in a forensic medium and high secure hospital. Results Psychiatrists agreed with patients regarding the rating of hearings. Patients rated civil hearings (MHTs) more negatively than hearings under insanity legislation (MHRBs). Those reviewed by MHTs had lower scores for WAI and ITP. However, post-hearing WAI and ITP scores were not different from baseline and pre-hearing scores. Using the receiver operating characteristic, baseline WAI and ITP scores predicted how patients would rate the hearings, as did baseline GAF and PANSS scores. Conclusions There was no evidence that positively perceived hearings improved WAI or ITP, but some evidence showed that negatively perceived hearings worsened them. Concentrating on functional recovery and symptom remission remains the best strategy for improved therapeutic relationships.

Political realities of statewide smoking legislation: the passage of California's Assembly Bill 13.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, H R; Glantz, S A

1997-01-01

To prepare a history of the enactment of California Assembly Bill 13 (AB 13), a state law prohibiting smoking in most workplaces passed in 1994, and to discuss its initial impacts. Data were gathered from open ended interviews with representatives of voluntary health organisations, local government organisations, and principal legislators involved in the process, as well as observers around the state who could provide insight into the legislative process. Information was also obtained from legislative hearings and debates, public documents, letters and personal communications, internal memoranda, and news reports. The success of local tobacco control legislation in California led to a situation in which some health groups were willing to accept state preemption in order to attract the support of the state restaurant association for a bill. The decision to accept this preemption compromise was made by the state level offices of the voluntary health agencies without consulting the broader tobacco control community within California. In contrast, local tobacco control advocates did not accept this compromise, in part because of their belief that local legislation was a better device to educate the public, generate media coverage, and build community support for enforcement and implementation of clean indoor air and other tobacco control laws. Enactment of AB 13 was associated with a slowing of all local tobacco control legislation, including youth oriented laws. Because its supporters initially doubted that AB 13 would pass, there was never an effort to reconcile the policy differences between state oriented and locally oriented tobacco control policies. This lack of consensus, combined with the political realities inherent in passing any state legislation, led to a bill with ambiguous preemption language which replaced the "patchwork of local laws" with a "patchwork of local enforcement."

Elder Abuse. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care of the Select Committee on Aging. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session.

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Aging.

This document contains testimony and prepared statements from a Congressional hearing called to examine the issue of elder abuse. Chairman Claude Pepper's opening statement discusses the horror of elder abuse and calls for federal legislation, similar to the child abuse legislation, for combating elder abuse. Elder abuse is defined as physical…

Apps for Hearing Science and Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Paglialonga, Alessia; Tognola, Gabriella; Pinciroli, Francesco

2015-09-01

Our research aims at the identification and assessment of applications (referred to as apps) in the hearing health care domain. This research forum article presents an overview of the current availability, affordability, and variety of hearing-related apps. The available apps were reviewed by searching on the leading platforms (iOS, Android, Windows Phone stores) using the keywords hearing, audiology, audio, auditory, speech, language, tinnitus, hearing loss, hearing aid, hearing sys tem, cochlear implant, implantable device, auditory training, hearing rehabilitation, and assistive technology/tool/device. O n the bas is of the offered services, apps were classified into 4 application domains: (a) screening and assessment, (b) intervention and rehabilitation, (c) education and information, and (d) assistive tools. A large variety of apps are available in the hearing health care domain. These cover a wide range of services for people with hearing or communication problems as well as for hearing professionals, families, or informal caregivers. This evolution can potentially bring along considerable advantages and improved outcomes in the field of hearing health care. Nevertheless, potential risks and threats (e.g., safety, quality, effectiveness, privacy, and regulation) should not be overlooked. Significant research—particularly in terms of assessment and guidance—is still needed for the informed, aware, and safe adoption of hearing-related apps by patients and professionals.

Audiological results with Baha in conductive and mixed hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfiffner, Flurin; Caversaccio, Marco-Domenico; Kompis, Martin

2011-01-01

The level of improvement in the audiological results of Baha(®) users mainly depends on the patient's preoperative hearing thresholds and the type of Baha sound processor used. This investigation shows correlations between the preoperative hearing threshold and postoperative aided thresholds and audiological results in speech understanding in quiet of 84 Baha users with unilateral conductive hearing loss, bilateral conductive hearing loss and bilateral mixed hearing loss. Secondly, speech understanding in noise of 26 Baha users with different Baha sound processors (Compact, Divino, and BP100) is investigated. Linear regression between aided sound field thresholds and bone conduction (BC) thresholds of the better ear shows highest correlation coefficients and the steepest slope. Differences between better BC thresholds and aided sound field thresholds are smallest for mid-frequencies (1 and 2 kHz) and become larger at 0.5 and 4 kHz. For Baha users, the gain in speech recognition in quiet can be expected to lie in the order of magnitude of the gain in their hearing threshold. Compared to its predecessor sound processors Baha(®) Compact and Baha(®) Divino, Baha(®) BP100 improves speech understanding in noise significantly by +0.9 to +4.6 dB signal-to-noise ratio, depending on the setting and the use of directional microphone. For Baha users with unilateral and bilateral conductive hearing loss and bilateral mixed hearing loss, audiological results in aided sound field thresholds can be estimated with the better BC hearing threshold. The benefit in speech understanding in quiet can be expected to be similar to the gain in their sound field hearing threshold. The most recent technology of Baha sound processor improves speech understanding in noise by an order of magnitude that is well perceived by users and which can be very useful in everyday life. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Stethoscopes with hearing aid use: Case studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob, Regina Tangerino de Souza

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Description for using stethoscopes adapted to hearing aids. Aim: To describe the adaptation of HAs to stethoscopes used by 2 students in the health field with bilateral hearing impairment. Case reports: Two subjects with hearing loss had their stethoscopes coupled to HAs because of the individual requirements of their professions (healthcare to perform auscultation. Conclusion: The improvement was measured in situ, and satisfaction was evaluated using a subjective questionnaire. The use of a stethoscope coupled to an HA allowed students with hearing loss to perform auscultation.

Stethoscopes with hearing aid use: Case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Regina Tangerino de Souza; Zambonato, Ticiana Cristina de Souza; Mondelli, Maria Fernanda Capoani Garcia

2013-01-01

Summary Introduction: Description for using stethoscopes adapted to hearing aids. Aim: To describe the adaptation of HAs to stethoscopes used by 2 students in the health field with bilateral hearing impairment. Case reports: Two subjects with hearing loss had their stethoscopes coupled to HAs because of the individual requirements of their professions (healthcare) to perform auscultation. Conclusion: The improvement was measured in situ, and satisfaction was evaluated using a subjective questionnaire. The use of a stethoscope coupled to an HA allowed students with hearing loss to perform auscultation. PMID:25992000

Occupational Noise Pollution and Hearing protection in selected industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghorbanali Mohammadi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The use of technology in industries is ever increasing. With the introduction of this technology come new safety and human performance concerns. Hearing loss caused by industrial noise has been recognized for many years, and protection of employee hearing has been made mandatory by governmental agencies. This paper presents an investigation of occupational noise exposure and Personal hearing protective devices (PHPD in selected industries in the south-eastern Iran. A questionnaire has been used to collect data for workers with high noise exposure and Personal hearing protective devices (PHPD. The subjects were 354 industrial workers expose to noise pressure levels greater than the action level defined in Iranian legislation (85dB (A 8h/d. The results of this study indicated that only younger workers with minor professional experience and with high educational background are used PHPD to protect and preserve their hearing. The finding of this study shows that approximately 75% of the workers with age 18-36 reported the use of personal protective Devices at all the time, and 73% of workers with age more than 46 years old reported that they had never used them PHPD, even though it was mandatory in their workplaces. Statistical data show that, the percentage of male workers (82 with age more than 37 years old having headaches at workplace are higher than female (3.4 with the same age groups. A noise training and education program must be developed for industrial employees in order to protect them from hazardous noise pollution. Employers must play an important role in promoting the regular use of Personal hearing protective devices. Noise level in work areas must be considered in the early design of Hearing Conservation Program.

New ISO standards for hearing protectors (A)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Torben

2000-01-01

Working Group 17 under ISO/TC43/SC1 deals with measurement of hearing protector attenuation. WG17 is presently involved in revision of the present 4869-1 standard (especially sound field requirements and reproducibility estimations) and formulation of a new standard where inexperienced hearing...

Do Hearing Protectors Protect Hearing?

Science.gov (United States)

Groenewold, Matthew R.; Masterson, Elizabeth A.; Themann, Christa L.; Davis, Rickie R.

2015-01-01

Background We examined the association between self-reported hearing protection use at work and incidence of hearing shifts over a 5-year period. Methods Audiometric data from 19,911 workers were analyzed. Two hearing shift measures—OSHA standard threshold shift (OSTS) and high-frequency threshold shift (HFTS)—were used to identify incident shifts in hearing between workers’ 2005 and 2009 audiograms. Adjusted odds ratios were generated using multivariable logistic regression with multi-level modeling. Results The odds ratio for hearing shift for workers who reported never versus always wearing hearing protection was nonsignificant for OSTS (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.92–1.64) and marginally significant for HFTS (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.00–1.59). A significant linear trend towards increased risk of HFTS with decreased use of hearing protection was observed (P = 0.02). Conclusion The study raises concern about the effectiveness of hearing protection as a substitute for noise control to prevent noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace. Am. J. Ind. Med. 57:1001–1010, 2014. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. PMID:24700499

AEC authorizing legislation, fiscal year 1975. Part 3. Hearings before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, Congress of the United States, Ninety-Third Congress, Second Session on Physical Research and Regulatory, February 28, 1974

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1974-01-01

This volume contains testimony on the proposed budget for the physical research program presented at public hearings of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy on the proposed AEC authorizing legislation for fiscal year 1975. Atomic Energy Commission witnesses were Commissioner William O. Doub; Director of Regulation L. Manning Muntzing; Dr. Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky, Director, SLAC; Dr. John M. Teem, Assistant General Manager for Physical Research and Laboratory Coordination; and Dr. Robert R. Wilson, Director, NAL. Other witnesses included B. James Porter, Donald C. Gilbert, Hon. Sterling Cole, and Wyatt M. Rogers, Jr. Prepared statements, questions and answers, a letter from AEC Chairman Ray, and the report of the ad hoc panel on heavy-ion facilities are included. (U.S.)

[Hearing loss and idoneity--the segnalation of noise-induced hearing loss hearing Loss].

Science.gov (United States)

Albera, Roberto; Dagna, Federico; Cassandro, Claudia; Canale, Andrea

2011-01-01

Work idoneity in hearing loss must be related to working ability and evolution risks. Working ability is referred to the difficulties found in speech comprehension and in signals perception. As regards hearing loss evolution it is necessary to define if the subject is affected by conductive or neurosensorial hearing loss. In conductive hearing loss it is necessary to evaluate entity and frequential distribution of the deficit. In neurosensorial hearing loss it is necessary to distinguish between noise-induced hearing loss and extraprofessional hearing loss. In noise-induced hearing loss the evolution risk is high if the noise exposure is less than 10-15 years or the actual noise exposure is louder than the former. In case of extraprofessional hearing loss the evolution risk is higher in presbycusis, endolymphatic hydrops and toxic hearing loss. The necessity to report the presence on professionale noise-induced hearing loss arises if audiometric threshold is more than 25 dB at 0.5-1-2-3-4 kHz and if it is verified the professional origine of hearing loss.

Superfund: right-to-know and hazardous waste site cleanup. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation, and Tourism of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session, December 20, 1985

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1985-01-01

Representatives of local and state offices and the congressional representative of St. Paul, Minnesota testified at a field hearing on the Superfund program. The focus of the hearing was on community right-to-know aspects and the cleanup of hazardous materials that were abandoned on federal sites. At issue was environmental problems at the 38 priority sites listed for Minnesota and the lack of information on health effects after over 20 years of environmental study of toxic substances. The proposed legislation would subject federal facilities and sites to the same standards, cleanup schedules, and oversite as private sites. A new enforcement bill would encourage citizen suits to force cleanup. Military arsenals that contribute to water and soil pollution were of particular concern. Witnesses discussed the need for a national right-to-know law so that businesses would not be tempted to relocate to avoid Minnesota's environmental policy. The hearing record covers the testimony of seven witnesses.

Mobile phone induced sensorineural hearing loss

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Dousary, Surayie H.

2007-01-01

The increased use of mobile phones worldwide has focused interest on the biological effects and possible health outcomes of exposure to radiofrequency fields from mobile phones, and their base stations. Various reports suggest that mobile phone use can cause health problems like fatigue, headache, dizziness, tension and sleep disturbances, however, only limited research data is available in medical literature regarding interaction between electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones and auditory function and the possible impact on hearing. We report a case of sensorineural hearing loss due to Global System for Mobile Communication mobile phone use in a 42-year-old male. (author)

Factors influencing pursuit of hearing evaluation: Enhancing the health belief model with perceived burden from hearing loss on communication partners.

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Kristine A; Modeste, Naomi; Lee, Jerry; Roberts, Rhonda; Saunders, Gabrielle H; Witsell, David L

2016-07-01

There is limited application of health behavior-based theoretical models in hearing healthcare, yet other fields utilizing these models have shown their value in affecting behavior change. The health belief model (HBM) has demonstrated appropriateness for hearing research. This study assessed factors that influence an individual with suspected hearing loss to pursue clinical evaluation, with a focus on perceived burden of hearing loss on communication partners, using the HBM as a framework. Cross-sectional design collecting demographics along with three validated hearing-loss related questionnaires. Patients from Duke University Medical Center Otolaryngology Clinic aged 55-75 years who indicated a communication partner had expressed concern about their hearing. A final sample of 413 completed questionnaire sets was achieved. The HBM model construct 'cues to action' was a significant (p loss on communication partners was a significant (p model fit when added to the HBM: 72.0% correct prediction when burden is added versus 66.6% when not (p models in hearing healthcare is warranted.

Hawaii state legislator views on e-cigarettes and likelihood of legislative action.

Science.gov (United States)

Juarez, Deborah Taira; Seto, Jason; Guimaraes, Alexander; Masterson, James; Davis, James; Seto, Todd B

2015-01-01

To examine perspectives on e-cigarette use and regulations in Hawaii through key informant interviews with state legislators. E-cigarette use is rapidly increasing, with sales in 2013 topping $1 billion in the United States, but e-cigarettes are still a largely unregulated industry. Although e-cigarettes are thought by most to be a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, long-term health effects are not yet known. Semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with Hawaii state legislators (n = 15). We found a lack of consensus among legislators, which suggests that substantial legislative action is unlikely in the upcoming session. However, most legislators believe that some type of incremental legislation will pass, such as enactment of a small tax, limitations on advertising to protect adolescents, or regulations concerning where people can use e-cigarettes. Legislators eagerly await further research to clarify the overall benefits and harms of e-cigarettes at both the individual and population levels.

The Personal Hearing System—A Software Hearing Aid for a Personal Communication System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giso Grimm

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A concept and architecture of a personal communication system (PCS is introduced that integrates audio communication and hearing support for the elderly and hearing-impaired through a personal hearing system (PHS. The concept envisions a central processor connected to audio headsets via a wireless body area network (WBAN. To demonstrate the concept, a prototype PCS is presented that is implemented on a netbook computer with a dedicated audio interface in combination with a mobile phone. The prototype can be used for field-testing possible applications and to reveal possibilities and limitations of the concept of integrating hearing support in consumer audio communication devices. It is shown that the prototype PCS can integrate hearing aid functionality, telephony, public announcement systems, and home entertainment. An exemplary binaural speech enhancement scheme that represents a large class of possible PHS processing schemes is shown to be compatible with the general concept. However, an analysis of hardware and software architectures shows that the implementation of a PCS on future advanced cell phone-like devices is challenging. Because of limitations in processing power, recoding of prototype implementations into fixed point arithmetic will be required and WBAN performance is still a limiting factor in terms of data rate and delay.

The Personal Hearing System—A Software Hearing Aid for a Personal Communication System

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm, Giso; Guilmin, Gwénaël; Poppen, Frank; Vlaming, Marcel S. M. G.; Hohmann, Volker

2009-12-01

A concept and architecture of a personal communication system (PCS) is introduced that integrates audio communication and hearing support for the elderly and hearing-impaired through a personal hearing system (PHS). The concept envisions a central processor connected to audio headsets via a wireless body area network (WBAN). To demonstrate the concept, a prototype PCS is presented that is implemented on a netbook computer with a dedicated audio interface in combination with a mobile phone. The prototype can be used for field-testing possible applications and to reveal possibilities and limitations of the concept of integrating hearing support in consumer audio communication devices. It is shown that the prototype PCS can integrate hearing aid functionality, telephony, public announcement systems, and home entertainment. An exemplary binaural speech enhancement scheme that represents a large class of possible PHS processing schemes is shown to be compatible with the general concept. However, an analysis of hardware and software architectures shows that the implementation of a PCS on future advanced cell phone-like devices is challenging. Because of limitations in processing power, recoding of prototype implementations into fixed point arithmetic will be required and WBAN performance is still a limiting factor in terms of data rate and delay.

Hearing aid fitting in older persons with hearing impairment: the influence of cognitive function, age, and hearing loss on hearing aid benefit.

Science.gov (United States)

Meister, Hartmut; Rählmann, Sebastian; Walger, Martin; Margolf-Hackl, Sabine; Kießling, Jürgen

2015-01-01

To examine the association of cognitive function, age, and hearing loss with clinically assessed hearing aid benefit in older hearing-impaired persons. Hearing aid benefit was assessed using objective measures regarding speech recognition in quiet and noisy environments as well as a subjective measure reflecting everyday situations captured using a standardized questionnaire. A broad range of general cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and intelligence were determined using different neuropsychological tests. Linear regression analyses were conducted with the outcome of the neuropsychological tests as well as age and hearing loss as independent variables and the benefit measures as dependent variables. Thirty experienced older hearing aid users with typical age-related hearing impairment participated. Most of the benefit measures revealed that the participants obtained significant improvement with their hearing aids. Regression models showed a significant relationship between a fluid intelligence measure and objective hearing aid benefit. When individual hearing thresholds were considered as an additional independent variable, hearing loss was the only significant contributor to the benefit models. Lower cognitive capacity - as determined by the fluid intelligence measure - was significantly associated with greater hearing loss. Subjective benefit could not be predicted by any of the variables considered. The present study does not give evidence that hearing aid benefit is critically associated with cognitive function in experienced hearing aid users. However, it was found that lower fluid intelligence scores were related to higher hearing thresholds. Since greater hearing loss was associated with a greater objective benefit, these results strongly support the advice of using hearing aids regardless of age and cognitive function to counter hearing loss and the adverse effects of age-related hearing impairment. Still, individual cognitive capacity might

The usefulness of science knowledge for parents of hearing-impaired children.

Science.gov (United States)

Shauli, Sophie; Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet

2018-04-01

Hearing-impaired children's chances of integrating into hearing society largely depend on their parents, who need to learn vast amounts of science knowledge in the field of hearing. This study characterized the role played by science knowledge in the lives of nonscientists faced with science-related decisions by examining the interactions between general science knowledge, contextual science knowledge in the field of hearing, and parents' advocacy knowledge and attitudes. Based on six semi-structured interviews and 115 questionnaires completed by parents of hearing-impaired children, contextual science knowledge emerged as the only predictor for having slightly better advocacy attitudes and knowledge (5.5% explained variance). Although general science knowledge was the best predictor of contextual knowledge (14% of explained variance), it was not a direct predictor of advocacy knowledge and attitudes. Science knowledge plays some role in the lives of hearing-impaired families, even if they do not list it as a resource for successful rehabilitation.

National legislative and regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

This section gathers the following national legislative and regulatory activities sorted by country: Bulgaria: General legislation; Czech Republic: General legislation; France: General legislation, Regulatory infrastructure and activity; Germany: General legislation; India: Liability and compensation, Organisation and structure; Ireland: Radiation protection, General legislation; Korea (Republic of): Organisation and structure; Lithuania: Regulatory infrastructure and activity, Radioactive waste management, Radiation protection, international cooperation, Nuclear safety; Poland: General legislation; Romania: Environmental protection; Russian Federation: Radioactive waste management; Slovenia: Nuclear safety; Spain: Liability and compensation, Nuclear security; Sweden: Nuclear safety; Turkey: Radiation protection, Regulatory infrastructure and activity, Nuclear safety, Liability and compensation; United States: General legislation

THE INFLUENCES OF CHANGES IN TAX LEGISLATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MORAR IOAN DAN

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Taxation is a fairly important field in the relationship between taxpayers and tax authorities, especially given the frequent changes in specific legislation. Legislative changes affect the patrimonial position of the taxpayers, but also their behavior, therefore this phenomenon is important to advise those interested and also to analyze the changes resulting from changes in tax legislation. This paper aims to meaningfully present the latest legislative changes and to analyze their influences on taxpayers and on budget revenues from taxes subject to change. The research methodology is based on comparison and inference, based on previous analyzes for such studies on the tax system. In the literature there are known ways and methods of increasing the tax burden and, based on these variables, in the present paper we will highlight the particular influences on the taxpayer’s , loaded by weight imposed by the official distribution of the tax burden. The implications of legislative changes in tax matters should be sought in the innermost chord of taxpayers and also in the increasingly large and patched pockets of the modern state. In the first place, we will point out the implications on changing tax procedures, in terms of the workload for the taxpayer and the tax collectors. By accurately and relevantly analyzing the influences generated by such changes, the author aims to demonstrate the harmful influences of some changes in terms of discouraging investments and honest labor.

Speech perception benefits of FM and infrared devices to children with hearing aids in a typical classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Karen L; Goldstein, Howard

2004-04-01

Children typically learn in classroom environments that have background noise and reverberation that interfere with accurate speech perception. Amplification technology can enhance the speech perception of students who are hard of hearing. This study used a single-subject alternating treatments design to compare the speech recognition abilities of children who are, hard of hearing when they were using hearing aids with each of three frequency modulated (FM) or infrared devices. Eight 9-12-year-olds with mild to severe hearing loss repeated Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) sentence lists under controlled conditions in a typical kindergarten classroom with a background noise level of +10 dB signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and 1.1 s reverberation time. Participants listened to HINT lists using hearing aids alone and hearing aids in combination with three types of S/N-enhancing devices that are currently used in mainstream classrooms: (a) FM systems linked to personal hearing aids, (b) infrared sound field systems with speakers placed throughout the classroom, and (c) desktop personal sound field FM systems. The infrared ceiling sound field system did not provide benefit beyond that provided by hearing aids alone. Desktop and personal FM systems in combination with personal hearing aids provided substantial improvements in speech recognition. This information can assist in making S/N-enhancing device decisions for students using hearing aids. In a reverberant and noisy classroom setting, classroom sound field devices are not beneficial to speech perception for students with hearing aids, whereas either personal FM or desktop sound field systems provide listening benefits.

Public Hearing or `Hearing Public'? An Evaluation of the Participation of Local Stakeholders in Environmental Impact Assessment of Ghana's Jubilee Oil Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Bawole, Justice Nyigmah

2013-08-01

This article investigates the involvement of local stakeholders in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes of Ghana's first off-shore oil fields (the Jubilee fields). Adopting key informants interviews and documentary reviews, the article argues that the public hearings and the other stakeholder engagement processes were cosmetic and rhetoric with the view to meeting legal requirements rather than a purposeful interest in eliciting inputs from local stakeholders. It further argues that the operators appear to lack the social legitimacy and social license that will make them acceptable in the project communities. A rigorous community engagement along with a commitment to actively involving local stakeholders in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes of the partners may enhance the image of the partners and improve their social legitimacy. Local government agencies should be capacitated to actively engage project organisers; and government must mitigate the impact of the oil projects through well-structured social support programmes.

Public hearing or 'hearing public'? an evaluation of the participation of local stakeholders in environmental impact assessment of Ghana's Jubilee oil fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Bawole, Justice Nyigmah

2013-08-01

This article investigates the involvement of local stakeholders in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes of Ghana's first off-shore oil fields (the Jubilee fields). Adopting key informants interviews and documentary reviews, the article argues that the public hearings and the other stakeholder engagement processes were cosmetic and rhetoric with the view to meeting legal requirements rather than a purposeful interest in eliciting inputs from local stakeholders. It further argues that the operators appear to lack the social legitimacy and social license that will make them acceptable in the project communities. A rigorous community engagement along with a commitment to actively involving local stakeholders in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes of the partners may enhance the image of the partners and improve their social legitimacy. Local government agencies should be capacitated to actively engage project organisers; and government must mitigate the impact of the oil projects through well-structured social support programmes.

Hearing loss

Science.gov (United States)

Decreased hearing; Deafness; Loss of hearing; Conductive hearing loss; Sensorineural hearing loss; Presbycusis ... Symptoms of hearing loss may include: Certain sounds seeming too loud Difficulty following conversations when two or more people are talking ...

How to quantify binaural hearing in patients with unilateral hearing using hearing implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Snik, Ad; Agterberg, Martijn; Bosman, Arjan

2015-01-01

Application of bilateral hearing devices in bilateral hearing loss and unilateral application in unilateral hearing loss (second ear with normal hearing) does not a priori lead to binaural hearing. An overview is presented on several measures of binaural benefits that have been used in patients with unilateral or bilateral deafness using one or two cochlear implants, respectively, and in patients with unilateral or bilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss using one or two percutaneous bone conduction implants (BCDs), respectively. Overall, according to this overview, the most significant and sensitive measure is the benefit in directional hearing. Measures using speech (viz. binaural summation, binaural squelch or use of the head shadow effect) showed minor benefits, except for patients with bilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss using two BCDs. Although less feasible in daily practise, the binaural masking level difference test seems to be a promising option in the assessment of binaural function. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

About Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

... Info to Go » Hearing-Related » About Hearing About Hearing Each child who is deaf or hard of ... the ear to the brain. Implications: When the hearing mechanism is not functioning Hearing may be impacted ...

Seminar on present and future Spanish Legislation on nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The Proceedings of the Seminar contain the papers presented and the conclusions of each Session. The topics cover Spanish nuclear legislation including the licensing of nuclear power plants and control, analysed in the context of legislation in other fields and the new requirements since Spain joined the European Communities. Other papers deal with the origin and evolution of Spanish nuclear law, the competent international organizations and the nuclear third party liability regime set in place by the international conventions in that field. Also discussed are the national regulations on radioactive waste management and the competent authorities. Finally, a revision of the Spanish Nuclear Energy Act is considered necessary in the light of developments since its inception [fr

Round window stimulation for conductive and mixed hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, Margaret T; Tubbs, Rhonda S; Adunka, Marcia C; King, English R; Hillman, Todd A; Adunka, Oliver F; Chen, Douglas A; Buchman, Craig A

2014-10-01

Assess surgical complications, postoperative residual hearing, and speech perception outcomes of placement of a middle ear implant on the round window in conductive and mixed hearing loss cases. Single-subject, repeated-measures design where each subject served as his or her own control. Tertiary referral medical systems. Eighteen subjects with either conductive or mixed hearing loss who could not benefit from conventional amplification were enrolled in a clinical trial investigating vibratory stimulation of the round window. The floating mass transducer (FMT) was positioned in the round window niche. Unaided residual hearing, and aided sound field thresholds and speech perception abilities were evaluated preoperatively, and at 1, 3, 6, and 10 months post-activation of the external speech processor. Six subjects experienced complications that either required further medical management or resolved on their own. There was no difference in residual bone conduction thresholds or unaided word discrimination over time. All subjects experienced a significant improvement in aided speech perception abilities as compared to preoperative performance. Subjects with conductive and mixed hearing loss with placement of the FMT in the round window niche experienced improved sound field thresholds and speech perception, without compromising residual hearing thresholds. Vibratory stimulation of the round window via a middle ear implant may be an appropriate treatment option for patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss. Additional research is needed on the preferred placement of the FMT, improvement of functional gain, and methods to limit postoperative complications and need for revision surgery.

[Progressive noise induced hearing loss caused by hearing AIDS, a dilemma for the worker and the expert alike].

Science.gov (United States)

Feldmann, H

2001-12-01

Investigating cases of noise induced hearing loss the expert is often confronted with the situation that the hearing loss is progressive although the noise exposure has been reduced to almost non-damaging levels. Other causes such as age, hereditary deafness, head injuries, blasts, internal diseases can be excluded. Hearing aids as sources of damaging noise? By consulting the protocol of the hearing-aid acoustician and by own examinations the expert should obtain the following data: loudness level that yields best discrimination score of speech; level of discomfort for tones and speech, discrimination score that is achieved under free field condition with a speech level of 65 dB, using the hearing aids. Furthermore he should explore the circumstances under which the hearing aids are used: how many hours per day, at what occasions etc.? It is likely that in using the hearing aids they are adjusted to emit an intensity level identical to the one yielding the optimal discrimination score. If this e. g. is 100 dB and the hearing aids are used for 2 hours per day this would be equivalent to an exposure to industrial noise of 94 dB (A) for 8 hours daily without ear protection. Among all individuals working under industrial noise exposure today only about 1 - 2 % having unusually vulnerable inner ears will suffer a noise induced hearing loss. On the other hand workers in industrial noise are accustomed to loud noise levels, usually have a raised threshold of discomfort and therefore are likely to adjust their hearing aids to such high intensities. The expert will have to decide whether in an individual case the industrial noise exposure or the use of the hearing aids is the dominant risk for further damage. The consequences in respect to the regulations of the workers' health insurance are discussed.

Present scenery of cuban legislation in the field of legal verification of dosimetric instruments used in radiological protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salas G, Walwyn; Morales Monzon, J.A.; Hernandez Blanche, E.

2001-01-01

The main objective of legal metrology is to ensure the public guaranty from the point of view of safety, and the suitable accuracy of the measurements that are made on health, environmental applications, and trade. The International Organization of Legal Metrology included the ionizing radiation field on those for which the use of the verified measuring instruments are suggested. . The paper presents the advances of Cuban legislation in this field, promoted by issue of the Decree-Law 183 of Metrology. As part of such advances, the Cuban standards for verification NC 44:1999 'X and Gamma Radiation Measuring Instruments. Verification methods' is discussed. This standard was elaborated in the Cuban Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory, and it is based on the available relevant international standards. Results from verification service during the year 2000 are also provided.(author)

Introduction to audiology: Some basics about hearing loss, hearing technologies and barriers to hearing aid use

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mourtou, Eleni; Meis, Markus

2012-01-01

This chapter provides background information for researchers who wish to become familiar with some basic medical and audiological aspects of hearing loss and the technology of hearing aids. It introduces (1) the disciplines involved in research on hearing loss, (2) the medical categories of hearing...... loss and their various effects on communication, (3) the different degrees of hearing loss as defined by different national and international organizations, (4) statistics on the preva- lence of hearing loss worldwide, (5) some technological aspects of hearing instruments, (6) sta- tistics on non...

National legislative and regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

This section treats of the following National legislative and regulatory activities: 1 - Algeria, Nuclear safety and radiological protection, Executive Decree No. 17-126 of 27 March 2017; 2 - Belgium, Liability and compensation, Law of 7 December 2016 modifying the law of 22 July 1985 on third party liability in the field of nuclear energy; 3 - Canada, Liability and compensation, Ratification by Canada of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage; 4 - France, Radioactive waste management: Decree No. 2017-231 of 23 February 2017 implementing Article L. 542-1-2 of the French Environmental Code (Code de l'environnement) and setting out the provisions of the National Radioactive Material and Waste Management Plan; and Order of 23 February 2017 implementing Decree No. 2017-231 of 23 February 2017 implementing Article L. 542-1-2 of the French Environmental Code setting out the provisions of the National Radioactive Material and Waste Management Plan; Liability and compensation: Order of 10 November 2016 amending the Appendix to the Order of 19 August 2016, setting the list of reduced liability amount sites pursuant to Decree No. 2016-333 of 21 March 2016 implementing Article L. 597-28 of the Environmental Code and relating to third party liability in the nuclear energy field; International co-operation: Decree No. 2016-1225 of 16 September 2016 making public the Protocol to the Co-operation Agreement between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the Development of the Pacific Uses of Nuclear Energy, signed in Paris on 27 August 2008; 5 - Germany, Transport of radioactive materials: New Versions of Ordinances on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (2017); Radioactive Waste Management: Act on the Reorganisation of the Responsibility of Nuclear Waste Disposal (2017); 6 - Lithuania, Nuclear security: Cyber security; Nuclear installations: Free release criteria of buildings and site of nuclear

Negotiating hearing disability and hearing disabled identities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lykke Hindhede, Anette

2012-01-01

  　 Using disability theory as a framework and social science theories of identity to strengthen the arguments, this paper explores empirically how working-age adults confront the medical diagnosis of hearing impairment. For most participants hearing impairment threatens the stability of social...... interaction and the construction of hearing disabled identities is seen as shaped in the interaction with the hearing impaired person‟s surroundings. In order to overcome the potential stigmatisation the „passing‟ as normal becomes predominant. For many the diagnosis provokes radical redefinitions of the self....... The discursively produced categorisation and subjectivity of senescence mean that rehabilitation technologies such as hearing aids identify a particular life-style (disabled) which determines their social significance. Thus wearing a hearing aid works against the contemporary attempt to create socially ideal...

Recent Developments in EU Environmental Policy and Legislation (Sept, 2016 - March, 2017)

OpenAIRE

Gordeeva, Yelena M.

2017-01-01

This article describes the significant political initiatives and acts of legislation in the environmental field adopted in the period from September 2016 until March 2017. UHasselt clean energy for all Europeans (winter package); circular economy package; waste; forest law enforcement governance and trade (flegt); national emission ceilings directive; noise pollution report; legislative priorities for 2017; commission infringement decisions; sustainable development priorities; protecti...

Legislation and regulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-09-01

This document presents the fulfilling of the Brazilian obligations under the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The Chapter 3 of the document contains some details about the Brazilian legislation and regulation, the nuclear and environmental licensing, and emergency preparedness legislation.

Legislation and regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

This document presents the fulfilling of the Brazilian obligations under the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The Chapter 3 of the document contains some details about the Brazilian legislation and regulation, the nuclear and environmental licensing, and emergency preparedness legislation

Assessment of hearing and hearing disorders in rock/jazz musicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Kähärit, Kim; Zachau, Gunilla; Eklöf, Mats; Sandsjö, Leif; Möller, Claes

2003-07-01

The aim of this study was to assess hearing and hearing disorders among rock/jazz musicians. One hundred and thirty-nine (43 women and 96 men) musicians participated. The results are based on pure-tone audiometry and questionnaire responses. According to our definition of hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, distortion and/or diplacusis as hearing disorders, we found disorders in 74%, of the rock/jazz musicians studied. Hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis were most common, and the latter two were found significantly more frequently than in different reference populations. The women showed bilateral, significantly better hearing thresholds at 3-6 kHz than the men. Hyperacusis, and the combination of both hyperacusis and tinnitus, were found to be significantly more frequent among women than among men. Hearing loss and tinnitus were significantly more common among men than among women. It is important to evaluate all kinds of hearing problems (other than hearing loss) in musicians, since they represent an occupational group especially dependent on optimal, functional hearing. On the basis of our results, we suggest that hearing problems such as tinnitus, hyperacusis, distortion and/or diplacusis should, in addition to hearing loss, be defined as hearing disorders.

Reform and Harmonization of Legislation concerning Environment and Spatial Planning towards Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maret Priyanta

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In an effort to achieve of state responsibility, national development carried out by all components of the nation. National development formulated and established by the government through a system of national development planning. In the implementation of development activities that use natural resources, legislation in the field of environment and spatial planning is an important aspect as the legal basis, in which the substance and purpose of the rules is not only derived from legal aspect, but also derived from sciences field environment and spatial planning. This research uses normative juridical approach, through the method of approach to legislation, the conceptual approach and an analytical approach. The scope of this normative juridical research includes a study of the principles of law, an inventory study of positive law and legal research on systematic. Regulatory issues in the field of environment and spatial planning in Indonesia in the context of sustainable development was originally rooted in the process of establishing legislation. In terms of the substance of which is set to have a tendency no longer rooted in the sciences that underlie environmental law and spatial. Concept of reform and harmonization of legislation field of environment and spatial planning in Indonesia in the context of sustainable development must be assessed in terms of the scientific approach to the whole holistic, inter and multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral to harmonize science related to the environment and spatial planning with the principles, theory and philosophy in Legal studies.

Legislative framework on establishing emergency response plan in the case of a nuclear accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novosel, N.; Valcic, I.; Biscan, R.

2000-01-01

To give an overview of the legislative framework, which defined emergency planning in Croatia in the case of a nuclear accident, it's necessary to look at all international recommendations and obligations and the national legislation, acts and regulations. It has to be emphasized that Croatia signed three international conventions in this field, and by that took over some responsibilities and obligations. Beside that, it is also in Croatian interest to follow the recommendations of international institutions such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA standards and technical documents). On the other hand, national legislation in this field consists of several laws, which cover nuclear safety measures, governmental organization, natural disasters and acts (decree, decisions) of responsible authority for emergency planning in the case of a nuclear accident (Ministry of Economy). This paper presents an overview of the international and Croatian legislation which influenced the emergency planning in the case of a nuclear accident. (author)

Legislation and supervision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

In this part next aspects are described: (1) Legislative and supervision-related framework (reviews of structure of supervisory bodies; legislation; state supervision in the nuclear safety area, and state supervision in the area of health protection against radiation are given); (2) Operator's responsibility

Legislation and regulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-09-01

This document presents the fulfilling of the Brazilian obligations under the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The Chapter 3 of the document contains some details about the Brazilian legislation and regulation, the legislative and regulatory framework, regulatory body and responsibility of the license holder.

Legislation and regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This document presents the fulfilling of the Brazilian obligations under the Convention on Nuclear Safety. The Chapter 3 of the document contains some details about the Brazilian legislation and regulation, the legislative and regulatory framework, regulatory body and responsibility of the license holder

Working with Your Legislative Delegation

Science.gov (United States)

Safransky, Robert J.

2010-01-01

In this article, the author discusses how to work with legislative delegation to get positive legislation passed. Most school districts have a person who is responsible for working with the legislators and informing them of the district's position on bills and issues that arise in each legislative session. Even if one has a full-time or part-time…

Main hearing according to the new Serbian Criminal Procedure Code: Survey in practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soković Snežana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The main hearing is the central part of the criminal procedure. In Serbia, the reform of the national criminal procedure legislation has brought about numerous changes related to this stage of criminal proceedings. Numerous objections have been addressed to the almost entirely new legal text. In an attempt to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the new legislation and observe how the prescribed rules are applied in practice, the authors have conducted an empirical research by attending 205 main hearings which were conducted under the rules of the new Criminal Procedure Code. The research covers a huge number of related issues but, given the page limit, this paper will focus on individual issues observed in trial proceedings. The focal point of reference is the examination of witness, but the authors also consider a number of other issues: the examination of expert witness, the delay of the trial, and the use of a video-link as a novelty introduced owing to the technological achievements of the modern era. The article is organized into several parts. The authors first provide a theoretical background of the issue under consideration and, then, present and discuss the research results provided in tables. In the third part of the article, the authors draw specific conclusions about the current practice in trials proceedings.

Comparing Analog and Digital Hearing Aids in Reducing Hearing Disability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghassem Mohammad Khani

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: Comparing analog and digital hearing aids reducing disability caused by hearing deficiency among moderate to severe sensorineural hearing-impaired persons. Method and Material: This descriptive-analytic study was carried out on two groups of subjects participated in this study in some audiology clinics of hearing aid since May 2002 to October 2003. Twenty subjects wore analog hearing aids and twenty one subjects wore digital hearing aids. In this study , no subject had previous middle ear or psychological problems. APHAB questionnaire was completed before using hearing aid and 2 months after to determine benefit of hearing aid use. Results: Total score mean of APHAB inventory before and after use of analoge hearing aids were 52.215+6.420 and 32.300+3.443 respectively. Also total score mean of APHAB inventory before and after use of digital hearing aids were 54.9252+9.028 and 26.321+10.916 respectively. There was no significant difference between total mean score of APHAB inventory before and after using analog and digital hearing aids (P=0.058.While there was significant difference between total mean score of APHAB questionnaire before and after use of analog hearing aids (P<0.001 and also before and after use of digital hearing aids (P<0.001. Moreover age, gender , litracy level , occupation , degree of hearing loss and manner of hearing aid usage did not have significant effect on APHAB results. Configuration of loss had siginficant effect on aversiveness subscale before and after use of analog hearing aids (P=0.008. Previous experience and duration of hearing aid usage had significant effect on aversiveness subscale before and after use of digital hearing aids (P=0.043 and (P=0.024, respectively , while all of these three items did not have significant effect on total mean score of APHAB inventory and also total mean scores of three subscales of ease of communication , reverberation and background noise. Conclusion: Comparing to

Hearing: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Science.gov (United States)

... reduce your exposure to noise by choosing quiet leisure activities rather than noisy ones. Develop the habit ... the degree of your hearing loss, you may benefit from using a hearing aid (a device you ...

[Guidelines given by several international documents to the Italian legislation on bioethics in scientific research].

Science.gov (United States)

Scuderi, G

2001-01-01

Moving from the most recent progresses in some address international acts on bioethics of the research, the Convention of human rights and biomedicine and La declaration universelle sur le génome humain e les droits de l'homme, this paper describes the legislative acts which regard many aspects of theoretical and practical scientific research, both in the Italian national and supra-national fields. This legislation concerns mainly the following topics: rights of the human subjects of research, informed consent, privacy on the personal data, activity on organ transplantation, research in genetics, activity in the field of treatment of human gametes and embrios. The author here quotes these legislative acts referring briefly to national and international laws.

Enhancing Auditory Selective Attention Using a Visually Guided Hearing Aid

Science.gov (United States)

Kidd, Gerald, Jr.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Listeners with hearing loss, as well as many listeners with clinically normal hearing, often experience great difficulty segregating talkers in a multiple-talker sound field and selectively attending to the desired "target" talker while ignoring the speech from unwanted "masker" talkers and other sources of sound. This…

Specific Statistics of Czech Legislation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novák, František

2015-01-01

Roč. 5, č. 3 (2015), s. 162-183 ISSN 1805-8396 Institutional support: RVO:68378122 Keywords : legislation * quantitative description of legislation * structure and development of the legislation in the CR Subject RIV: AG - Legal Sciences

Determining a Criminal Defendant's Competency to Proceed With an Extradition Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

Piel, Jennifer; Finkle, Michael J; Giske, Megan; Leong, Gregory B

2015-06-01

When a criminal defendant flees from one state (often referred to as the requesting state) to another (often referred to as the asylum state), the requesting state can demand that the asylum state return the defendant through a process called extradition. Only a handful of states have considered a fugitive's right to be competent to proceed with an extradition hearing. Those states fall into three categories. Some states apply the same standard as in criminal trial competency cases. Others apply a more limited competency standard. Two have found that a fugitive has no right to be competent to proceed in an extradition hearing. The particular legal test adopted affects the nature and scope of the competency evaluation conducted by the psychiatrist or psychologist in the extradition hearing. In addition, we are not aware of any state that has considered what happens to the fugitive if he is ultimately found not competent to proceed. Legislation, either state by state or through amendments to the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act, can provide the legal and psychiatric communities with guidance in assessing competency initially and in taking appropriate steps if the fugitive is ultimately found not competent. © 2015 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Triagem auditiva neonatal: incidência de deficiência auditiva neonatal sob a perspectiva da nova legislação paulista Neonatal auditory screening: the incidence of neonatal hearing impairment in the context of the new São Paulo legislation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalil Fouad Hanna

2010-06-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: identificar a incidência de recém-nascidos com deficiência auditiva, em maternidade particular da cidade de São Paulo. MÉTODOS: estudo de coorte transversal, realizado no período de 2004 a 2008, em maternidade localizada na zona sul da cidade de São Paulo, com 20.615 recém-nascidos de ambos os sexos, sem indicadores de risco para deficiência auditiva e submetidos à triagem auditiva neonatal. O teste foi realizado por intermédio das Emissões Otoacústicas Evocadas Transientes (EOAET. Os pacientes que falharam nas EOAET nas duas fases foram encaminhados para a realização do Potencial Evocado Auditivo do Tronco Encefálico (PEATE para a confirmação da deficiência auditiva neonatal. Empregou-se o Teste Exato de Fischer e o nível de significância adotado foi de 0,05 oupOBJECTIVES: to determine the incidence of hearing impairment in newborns, at a private maternity hospital in the city of São Paulo. METHODS: a cross-sectional cohort study was carried out covering the period between 2004 and 2008, at a maternity hospital located in the southern zone of the city of São Paulo, including 20,615 newborns of both sexes, with no risk factors for hearing impairment and who had undergone neonatal auditory screening. The test was carried out using the Evoked Transient Otoacoustic Emissions test. Patients who failed both phases of this test were referred to do a Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential test to confirm the presence of neonatal auditory deficiency. Fischer 's exact test was used with a level of significance of 0.05 orp<0.05. RESULTS: the incidence of neonatal hearing impairment found in this study was 1.2/1000. CONCLUSION: state legislation allows neonatal auditory screening to be more effective in achieving early detection of neonatal hearing impairment. Neonatal auditory screening prevents future impairment of oral development and language acquisition in a social, professional and educational context.

Hearing Screening

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson-Curiskis, Nanette

2012-01-01

Hearing levels are threatened by modern life--headsets for music, rock concerts, traffic noises, etc. It is crucial we know our hearing levels so that we can draw attention to potential problems. This exercise requires that students receive a hearing screening for their benefit as well as for making the connection of hearing to listening.

Antinomy in Legislation in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zainal Arifin Mochtar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A number of reality for laws as a production of Parliament and President was canceled by the Constitutional Court, occur as a result of the legislation matter that plural reflects the injustice and legal uncertainty. The high number of judicial review becomes signal less accommodation of citizen interests and rights in a legislation product. The absence of arrangement harmony made by Parliament gives impact on plural legislation sued. This paper attempts to describe some debate antinomy that characterizes the existence of legislation in Indonesia. The analysis showed, antinomy-conflict-norm in the legislation is one thing that is difficult to avoid, especially given the poor-legislative process in the parliament today. In each establishment of legislation, synchronization and norms harmonization is not a major pressing point, but defeated by transnational politics inter-faction in the parliament that actually looked more dominant. But when these norms conflict constituted a rule of law which are simultaneous, dynamic, and meet legal ideals, would not be a problem. As long as not to cause harm to the fulfillment of constitutional rights of citizens.

Does hearing aid use affect audiovisual integration in mild hearing impairment?

Science.gov (United States)

Gieseler, Anja; Tahden, Maike A S; Thiel, Christiane M; Colonius, Hans

2018-04-01

There is converging evidence for altered audiovisual integration abilities in hearing-impaired individuals and those with profound hearing loss who are provided with cochlear implants, compared to normal-hearing adults. Still, little is known on the effects of hearing aid use on audiovisual integration in mild hearing loss, although this constitutes one of the most prevalent conditions in the elderly and, yet, often remains untreated in its early stages. This study investigated differences in the strength of audiovisual integration between elderly hearing aid users and those with the same degree of mild hearing loss who were not using hearing aids, the non-users, by measuring their susceptibility to the sound-induced flash illusion. We also explored the corresponding window of integration by varying the stimulus onset asynchronies. To examine general group differences that are not attributable to specific hearing aid settings but rather reflect overall changes associated with habitual hearing aid use, the group of hearing aid users was tested unaided while individually controlling for audibility. We found greater audiovisual integration together with a wider window of integration in hearing aid users compared to their age-matched untreated peers. Signal detection analyses indicate that a change in perceptual sensitivity as well as in bias may underlie the observed effects. Our results and comparisons with other studies in normal-hearing older adults suggest that both mild hearing impairment and hearing aid use seem to affect audiovisual integration, possibly in the sense that hearing aid use may reverse the effects of hearing loss on audiovisual integration. We suggest that these findings may be particularly important for auditory rehabilitation and call for a longitudinal study.

45 CFR 81.51 - Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing. 81.51 Section 81.51 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE FOR HEARINGS UNDER PART 80 OF THIS TITLE Proceedings Prior to Hearing § 81.51 Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing....

Training of Community Health Agents in health hearing children: current perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Taís Teixeira de Oliveira; Zucki, Fernanda

2015-01-01

To characterize the training of Community Health Workers in the field of child hearing health. A systematic literature review on Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) and Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações of USP databases was performed. The search strategy was oriented by the specific question: "How have the Community Health Workers been trained to work in the field of child hearing health?" The study selection criteria involved consistency with the proposed theme, belonging to the category of scientific papers, dissertation or thesis, and publication in Brazilian Portuguese. A total of 2,687 studies were found. After analyzing the title and abstract, eight studies were chosen for full reading, however, only four of them met the proposed criteria and were included in the review. The studies indicated live and virtual classes with the use of video conferencing or CD-ROM as training strategies for Community Health Workers. Trainings were effective. Only one questionnaire about hearing and language monitoring was described. Different possibilities for the activities of Community Health Workers were identified. Different learning methodologies have been used for training the Community Health Worker in the field of child hearing health, and all of have proven effective for knowledge acquisition. Community Health Workers play an important role in promoting and monitoring child hearing health.

Vibroplasty for mixed and conductive hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Luers, Jan Christoffer; Hüttenbrink, Karl-Bernd; Zahnert, Thomas; Bornitz, Matthias; Beutner, Dirk

2013-08-01

To summarize new application methods of an active middle ear implant (Vibrant Soundbridge) in patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss. Publications listed in the Medline/PubMed database. All publications published in English language; search term Vibrant Soundbridge AND floating mass transducer in all fields. Structured analysis of all publications. Extraction of significant findings and conclusions and audiometric data. Modern application methods of an active middle ear implant (VSB) open new therapeutic options for patients with various outer and middle ear diseases resulting in conductive or mixed hearing loss. Titanium couplers can help to couple the active middle ear implant in a standardized way to remnants of the ossicular chain or to the round window. Thus, the active middle ear implant has been established as an alternative treatment option for patients with mixed and conductive hearing. However, the heterogeneity of the studies published so far complicates the analysis of the audiometric results, and thus, the functional hearing gain after VSB implantation varies a lot.

Report on the behalf of the Commission for social affairs on the bill project ratifying the decree nr 2017-48 of the 19 January 2017 related to the profession of medical physicist, and the decree nr 2017-50 of 19 January 2017 related to the acknowledgement of professional qualifications in the field of health. Nr 94

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toutut-Picard, Elisabeth

2017-01-01

After having noticed that the first examined text is well accepted by the profession, and that the second one contains evolutions which are a matter of concern for representatives of health professions, this report briefly describes the field of the certification awarded to the government by the law for a modernisation of the health system, and then discusses the welcome acknowledgement of the profession of medical physicist. Then, it discusses the general issue of acknowledgement of professional qualifications in the field of health: a legislator under constraint, and implementation of framework to favour worker mobility. The next part reports a hearing of the minister, Commission debates, and the examination of both concerned articles. A list of hearings is also provided

Changes in Tax Legislation and Social Responsibility of Taxpayers and Legislative Institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Štager Vesna

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the cost of tax compliance which arises for taxpayers from tax complexity and the constant changes in tax legislation. A socially responsible institution for the fiscal aggression is the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, as its powers and responsibilities creates the tax position of individuals, businesses and the entire economy. The aim of our research is to encourage socially responsible behaviour of legislation institutions in adopting the tax legislation, which will help to improve the social responsibility of taxpayers and increase tax compliance.

Acid rain legislation update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Storey, H.L.

1990-01-01

This paper presents the author's view that the coal industry should develop a strategy to respond to the global warming issue. A few weeks ago a speaker stated that the global warming issue placed coal at the crossroads. He stated that global warming legislation, could reduce the consumption of coal by approximately twenty-five percent, without global warming legislation coal would continue to grow at a approximately three percent per year. It is believed there is a path to be traveled between the two options, legislation or no legislation, that can result in coal obtaining the position as the primary fuel source for electrical generating throughout the world. This is a path the coal industry can define and should follow

Behavioral Animal Model of the Emotional Response to Tinnitus and Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauer, Amanda M; Larkin, Gail; Jones, Aikeen; May, Bradford J

2018-02-01

Increased prevalence of emotional distress is associated with tinnitus and hearing loss. The underlying mechanisms of the negative emotional response to tinnitus and hearing loss remain poorly understood, and it is challenging to disentangle the emotional consequences of hearing loss from those specific to tinnitus in listeners experiencing both. We addressed these questions in laboratory rats using three common rodent anxiety screening assays: elevated plus maze, open field test, and social interaction test. Open arm activity in the elevated plus maze decreased substantially after one trial in controls, indicating its limited utility for comparing pre- and post-treatment behavior. Open field exploration and social interaction behavior were consistent across multiple sessions in control animals. Individual sound-exposed and salicylate-treated rats showed a range of phenotypes in the open field, including reduced entries into the center in some subjects and reduced locomotion overall. In rats screened for tinnitus, less locomotion was associated with higher tinnitus scores. In salicylate-treated animals, locomotion was correlated with age. Sound-exposed and salicylate-treated rats also showed reduced social interaction. These results suggest that open field exploratory activity is a selective measure for identifying tinnitus distress in individual animals, whereas social interaction reflects the general effects of hearing loss. This animal model will facilitate future studies of the structural and functional changes in the brain pathways underlying emotional distress associated with hearing dysfunction, as well as development of novel interventions to ameliorate or prevent negative emotional responses.

Information report on state legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landau, M.

1983-06-01

Legislation that would consent to the Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact has been introduced into Congress as H.R. 3002. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced into the Senate soon. This is the second compact consent legislation to be introduced into Congress this year - the first was the Northwest Compact, introduced in January. States in the Central Compact are AR, KS, LA, NE and OK. Enacted and introduced radioactive waste management legislation in various states is summarized

International environmental legislation; Internationales Umweltrecht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Proelss, Alexander (ed.) [Trier Univ. (Germany)

2017-07-01

The book on international environmental legislation includes the following contributions: Development, sources and actors concerning the international environmental legislation, cross-national environmental justice, principles of the international environmental legislation, environmental protection by lawsuit, environmental protection and human right, environmental protection and trading, responsibility and liability, peaceful settlement of disputes, climatic change, preservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity, protection of air and space, oceanic protection, protection of inland waters, protection of the Antarctic and Arctic environment, waste and hazardous materials legislation.

National legislative and regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

This section treats of the following National legislative and regulatory activities: 1 - Canada: Liability and compensation; 2 - France: Liability and compensation; Nuclear safety and radiological protection; 3 - Greece: Organisation and structure; 4 - Hungary: General legislation; 5 - India: Liability and compensation; 6 - Japan: Liability and compensation; 7 - Korea: Liability and compensation; 8 - Lithuania: General legislation; Transport of radioactive material; 9 - Slovak Republic: International co-operation; Liability and compensation; 10 - Slovenia: General legislation; 11 - Switzerland: Liability and compensation; 12 - United States: Radioactive waste management

[Penal and non-penal legislative policy in relation to human biotechnology].

Science.gov (United States)

Romeo Casabona, Carlos María

2007-01-01

The Spanish legislator has introduced a set of legislative novelties in the field of human biotechnology or is about to do so. This will be done either through the reform of some laws or through the approval of new laws, that is, without previous regulatory references available. The greater part of these novelties turn on research with cells or cell lines of human origin, specifically those from human embryos and through the use of diverse techniques, such as reproductive cloning and non-reproductive ('therapeutic') cloning.

Financial implications of the accident at Three Mile Island. Oversight hearings before the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-Seventh Congress, First Session on financial implications of the accident at Three Mile Island, hearings held in Washington, DC, May 4-5, 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1981-01-01

Five panel presentations and a total of 21 witnesses testified at a two-day hearing May 4-5, 1981, in Washington, DC, on the financial consequences of the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident and the economic issues of the cleanup. The committee's goal was to listen to recommendations for government response and to determine the government's proper role and whether legislation is necessary to fulfill that role. Another issue under consideration was the restart of the undamaged unit one. The hearing record includes testimony of witnesses representing the nuclear power industry, environmental groups, and the financial and insurance industries and three appendices with additional materials

Status of legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warner, C.

1982-01-01

The status of the House legislation, the major differences between the House and Senate legislation and a preview of what is likely to take place during the lame duck session in December are presented. The House legislation provides: long-term program leading toward permanent disposal of nuclear waste; an interim program for storage and for expansion of storage space for spent fuel; provides an R and D component through what is called a test and evaluation facility; an alternative long-term storage program based on a proposal to be completed by the Department of Energy on what's called Monitored Retrievable Storage; full upfront financing of the program through user fees based on contracts between the government and the users of the nuclear waste disposal services

Evaluation of Extended-Wear Hearing Technology for Children with Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Jace; Schafer, Erin; Martella, Natalie; Morais, Mila; Mann, Misty

2015-01-01

Research shows that many older children and teenagers who have mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss do not use their hearing instruments during all waking hours. A variety of reasons may contribute toward this problem, including concerns about cosmetics associated with hearing aid use and the inconvenience of daily maintenance associated with hearing instruments. Extended-wear hearing instruments are inserted into the wearer's ear canal by an audiologist and are essentially invisible to outside observers. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential benefits and limitations associated with use of extended-wear hearing instruments in a group of children with hearing loss. A two-way repeated measures design was used to examine performance differences obtained with the participants' daily-wear hearing instruments versus that obtained with extended-wear hearing instruments. Sixteen children, ages 10-17 yr old, with sensorineural hearing loss ranging from mild to moderately severe. Probe microphone measures were completed to evaluate the aided output of device. Behavioral test measures included word recognition in quiet, sentence recognition in noise, aided warble-tone thresholds, and psychophysical loudness scaling. Questionnaires were also administered to evaluate subjective performance with each hearing technology. Data logging suggested that many participants were not using their daily-wear hearing instruments during all waking hours (mean use was less than 6 h/day). Real ear probe microphone measurements indicated that a closer fit to the Desired Sensation Level Version 5 prescriptive targets was achieved with the children's daily-wear instruments when compared to the extended-wear instruments. There was no statistically significant difference in monosyllabic word recognition at 50 or 60 dBA obtained with the two hearing technologies. Sentence recognition in noise obtained with use of the extended-wear devices was, however, significantly

Congenital hearing impairment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robson, Caroline D. [Children' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States)

2006-04-15

Establishing the etiology of congenital hearing impairment can significantly improve treatment for certain causes of hearing loss and facilitates genetic counseling. High-resolution CT and MRI have contributed to the evaluation and management of hearing impairment. In addition, with the identification of innumerable genetic loci and genetic defects involved in hearing loss, genetic testing has emerged as an invaluable tool in the assessment of hearing impairment. Some of the common forms of congenital hearing loss are reviewed and their imaging features illustrated. (orig.)

Congenital hearing impairment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robson, Caroline D.

2006-01-01

Establishing the etiology of congenital hearing impairment can significantly improve treatment for certain causes of hearing loss and facilitates genetic counseling. High-resolution CT and MRI have contributed to the evaluation and management of hearing impairment. In addition, with the identification of innumerable genetic loci and genetic defects involved in hearing loss, genetic testing has emerged as an invaluable tool in the assessment of hearing impairment. Some of the common forms of congenital hearing loss are reviewed and their imaging features illustrated. (orig.)

CERN hearing day

CERN Multimedia

2005-01-01

1 in 10 people suffer from hearing loss - do you? The Medical Service invites everyone working on the CERN site to participate in the NATIONAL HEARING DAY on: Thursday 10th March 2005 From 9am to 4pm The Infirmary, Blg. 57, Ground Floor We will be offering hearing tests (audiograms), as well as information and advice on hearing loss, tinnitus, etc. Deafness does not just affect the elderly: in Europe, 50% of the hearing-impaired are under the age of 55. Exposure to excessive noise is one of the main reasons for hearing problems but PREVENTION IS POSSIBLE. For example, hearing protection devices can prevent 80% of tinnitus cases.

CERN hearing day

CERN Multimedia

2005-01-01

1 in 10 people suffer from hearing loss - do you? The Medical Service invites everyone working on CERN premises to participate in the National Hearing Day on: Thursday 10th March From 9am to 4pm The Infirmary, Blg. 57, Gr.Fl. We will be offering hearing tests (audiogram); information, advice on hearing loss, tinnitus and more. Deafness does not just affect the elderly: in Europe, 50% the hearing-impaired are under the age of 55. Exposure to excessive noise is one of the main reasons for hearing loss. But PREVENTION IS POSSIBLE AND EFFECTIVE: for example, Hearing protection devices could reduce tinnitus cases by 80%.

CERN hearing day

CERN Document Server

2005-01-01

1 in 10 people suffer from hearing loss - do you? The Medical Service invites everyone working on CERN premises to participate in the National Hearing Day on: Thursday 10th March From 9am to 4pm The Infirmary, Blg. 57, Gr.Fl. We will be offering hearing tests (audiogram); information, advice on hearing loss, tinnitus and more. Deafness does not just affect the elderly: in Europe, 50% the hearing-impaired are under the age of 55. Exposure to excessive noise is one of the main reasons for hearing loss. But prevention is possible and effective: for example, Hearing protection devices could reduce tinnitus cases by 80%.

CERN hearing day

CERN Multimedia

2005-01-01

1 in 10 people suffer from hearing loss ? do you? The Medical Service invites everyone working on the CERN site to participate in the NATIONAL HEARING DAY on: Thursday 10th March 2005 From 9am to 4pm The Infirmary, Blg. 57, Ground Floor We will be offering hearing tests (audiograms), as well as information and advice on hearing loss, tinnitus, etc. Deafness does not just affect the elderly: in Europe, 50% of the hearing-impaired are under the age of 55. Exposure to excessive noise is one of the main reasons for hearing problems but prevention is possible. For example, hearing protection devices can prevent 80% of tinnitus cases.

Hearing Problems

Science.gov (United States)

... Read MoreDepression in Children and TeensRead MoreBMI Calculator Hearing ProblemsLoss in the ability to hear or discriminate ... This flow chart will help direct you if hearing loss is a problem for you or a ...

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Musicians: Crafting a Narrative Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Churchill, Warren N.

2015-01-01

The topic of deafness has been studied in the field of music education; however, this work largely reflects hearing world perspectives. The author of this study, a music educator who identifies as hard-of-hearing, draws upon Deaf cultural discourses as a way of bringing a more nuanced understanding to this topic. The purpose of this study is…

Comparison of Reading Literacy in Hearing Impaired and Normal Hearing Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Ali Asghar Kakojoibari

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: listening, speaking, reading and writing are considered the lingual skills. These skills are in direct relation with each other. Listening is the first skill learnt by the individual through development. If damaged by hearing impairment, listening can cause serious defect to lingual skills. The goal of our research was to study the effect of hearing loss on reading literacy in hearing impairment students in comparison with normal hearing students.Methods: Study was performed using the examination booklets of Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS 2001. 119 hearing impairment students of 4th grade primary school, last year guidance school, and last year high school levels in schools providing exceptional student education were included. These individuals were compared to 46 normal hearing students of 4th grade primary school of ordinary schools. Comparative statistical analysis was performed using t-test.Results: Reading literacy and literal contents understanding was shown to have a significant difference between normal hearing and whole hearing impaired student (p<0.05, except the ones in high school level with moderate hearing loss. There was also seen a significant difference between normal hearing and hearing impairment students in understanding of information contents (p=0.03.Conclusion: Hearing loss has a negative effect on reading literacy. Consequently, curriculum change and evolution of educational programs in exceptional centers is needed, in order to promote reading literacy and to enhance rest hearing

National legislative and regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

This section of the Bulletin presents a summary of the recent national legislative and regulatory activities sorted by country and topic: - Algeria: Nuclear security. - France: Radioactive waste management; Nuclear safety and radiological protection; General legislation; International co-operation. - Germany: International trade. - Indonesia: Nuclear security, General legislation. - Ireland: Nuclear safety and radiological protection; General legislation. - Lithuania: Nuclear security; Nuclear safety and radiological protection. - Slovak Republic: International co-operation; Liability and compensation; Environmental protection. - Switzerland: Radioactive waste management. - United Arab Emirates: Liability and compensation. - United States: Radioactive waste management; Licensing and regulatory infrastructure

Rurality and determinants of hearing healthcare in adult hearing aid recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Stephen; Hixon, Brian; Adkins, Margaret; Shinn, Jennifer B; Bush, Matthew L

2017-10-01

The objective of this study was to compare the timing of hearing aid (HA) acquisition between adults in rural and urban communities. We hypothesized that time of acquisition of HA after onset of hearing loss is greater in rural adults compared with urban adults. Secondary objectives included assessment of socioeconomic/educational status and impact of hearing loss and hearing rehabilitation of urban and rural HA recipients. Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. We assessed demographics, timing of HA fitting from onset of hearing loss, and impact of hearing impairment in 336 adult HA recipients (273 urban, 63 rural) from a tertiary referral center. Amplification benefit was assessed using the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI). The time to HA acquisition was greater for rural participants compared to urban participants (19.1 vs. 25.7 years, P = 0.024) for those with untreated hearing loss for at least 8 years. Age at hearing loss onset was correlated with time to HA acquisition (P = -0.54, P hearing specialists (68 vs. 32 minutes, P Hearing impairment caused job performance difficulty in 60% of all participants. Rural adults are at risk for delayed HA acquisition, which may be related to distance to hearing specialists. Further research is indicated to investigate barriers to care and expand access for vulnerable populations. 4. Laryngoscope, 127:2362-2367, 2017. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Preschool teachers' perception and use of hearing assistive technology in educational settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Lauri H; Poole, Bridget; Muñoz, Karen

2013-07-01

This study explored how often sound-field amplification and personal frequency-modulated (FM) systems are used in preschool classrooms, teacher perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of using hearing assistive technology, and teacher recommendations for hearing assistive technology use. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Participants were professionals who provided services to preschool-age children who are deaf or hard of hearing in public or private schools. A total of 306 surveys were sent to 162 deaf education programs throughout the United States; 99 surveys were returned (32%). Simple statistics were used to describe the quantitative survey results; content analysis was completed on open-ended survey comments. Surveys were received from teachers working at listening and spoken language preschool programs (65%) and at bilingual-bicultural and total communication preschool programs (35%). Most respondents perceived that hearing assistive technology improved students' academic performance, speech and language development, behavior, and attention in the classroom. The majority of respondents also reported that they definitely would or probably would recommend a sound-field system (77%) or personal FM system (71%) to other educators. Hearing assistive technology is frequently used in preschool classrooms of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, with generally positive teacher perceptions of the benefits of using such technology.

e-Health technologies for adult hearing screening

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Stenfelt

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The development of hearing diagnosis methods and hearing screening methods are not isolated phenomena: they are intimately related to changes in the cultural background and to advances in fields of medicine and engineering. In the recent years, there has been a rapid evolution in the development of fast, easy and reliable techniques for lowcost hearing screening initiatives. Since adults and elderly people typically experience a reduced hearing ability in challenging listening situations [e.g., in background noise, in reverberation, or with competing speech (Pichora‑Fuller & Souza, 2003], these newly developed screening tests mainly rely on the recognition of speech stimuli in noise, so that the real experienced listening difficulties can be effectively targeted (Killion & Niquette, 2000. New tests based on the recognition of speech in noise are being developed on portable, battery- operated devices (see, for example, Paglialonga et al., 2011, or distributed diffusely using information and communication technologies. The evolutions of e-Health and telemedicine have shifted focus from patients coming to the hearing clinic for hearing health evaluation towards the possibility of evaluating the hearing status remotely at home. So far, two ways of distributing the hearing test have primarily been used: ordinary telephone networks (excluding mobile networks and the internet. When using the telephone network for hearing screening, the predominantly test is a speech-in-noise test often referred to as the digit triplet test where the subjects hearing status is evaluated as the speech-to-noise threshold for spoken digits. This test is today available in some ten countries in Europe, North America and Australia. The use of internet as testing platform allows several different types of hearing assessment tests such as questionnaires, different types of speech in noise tests, temporal gap detection, sound localization (minimum audible angle, and spectral

Can Baby Hear?

Science.gov (United States)

... born in the United States are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Research shows that early intervention with hearing devices and educational services can help children with hearing loss to develop language skills at the same rate as their hearing peers. ...

Sensorineural hearing loss following irradiation to the malignant tumor of the head and neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Masafumi; Kobari, Hitomi; Kanno, Hidetaka; Aikawa, Tohru; Anzai, Tomohiro; Okamura, Hiro-oki; Ohtani, Iwao; Hoshino, Toshiaki

1989-01-01

We observed sensorineural hearing loss following X-ray irradiation to the malignant tumor of head and neck. There were 24 patients whose auditory organs lied within the irradiation field. Ten of these patients were affected by sensorineural hearing loss. Hearing loss occurred at a high frequency in elderly patients, epipharynx tumor and high dose of irradiation. Many cases revealed high tone hearing loss. Most cases showed about a 20∼30 dB hearing loss, so their impediment seemed not severe in daily life. In some of these cases, we could have temporal bone findings, but there were no particular findings relevant to sensorineural hearing loss. (author)

The harmonization of banking legislation in the EU

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shkëlqesa Çitaku

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper attempts to assess the current legislation of banking in the European Union. The process of unification in Europe is also followed by efforts to harmonize and unify the laws of the member states. In the field of banking industry the precondition for harmonization of laws is the integration of internal market with the free movement of capital. The regulation and supervision of banks in EU still remains fragmented. European member states still have diverse regulations concerning the role of the state. The European Commission has the important function of proposing EU legislation on financial services including banks and ensuring that EU law is properly applied throughout the EU. Banks are considered as a key industry enabling all the economic activities via depositing, crediting and arranging of payments. A number of secondary legislation has been adopted by the EU institutions to harmonize the national banking law of Member States. The principles and objectives set by the European Commission Treaty depend on four EU freedoms with the aim of effective and open market including banks. Therefore it was a continuous process of harmonization of national banking regulation via secondary law since the 70’s.

Conductive hearing loss and bone conduction devices: restored binaural hearing?

Science.gov (United States)

Agterberg, Martijn J H; Hol, Myrthe K S; Cremers, Cor W R J; Mylanus, Emmanuel A M; van Opstal, John; Snik, Ad F M

2011-01-01

An important aspect of binaural hearing is the proper detection of interaural sound level differences and interaural timing differences. Assessments of binaural hearing were made in patients with acquired unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL, n = 11) or congenital UCHL (n = 10) after unilateral application of a bone conduction device (BCD), and in patients with bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss after bilateral BCD application. Benefit (bilateral versus unilateral listening) was assessed by measuring directional hearing, compensation of the acoustic head shadow, binaural summation and binaural squelch. Measurements were performed after an acclimatization time of at least 10 weeks. Unilateral BCD application was beneficial, but there was less benefit in the patients with congenital UCHL as compared to patients with acquired UCHL. In adults with bilateral hearing loss, bilateral BCD application was clearly beneficial as compared to unilateral BCD application. Binaural summation was present, but binaural squelch could not be proven. To explain the poor results in the patients with congenital UCHL, two factors seemed to be important. First, a critical period in the development of binaural hearing might affect the binaural hearing abilities. Second, crossover stimulation, referring to additional stimulation of the cochlea contralateral to the BCD side, might deteriorate binaural hearing in patients with UCHL. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Hearing in young adults. Part I: The effects of attitudes and beliefs toward noise, hearing loss, and hearing protector devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Keppler

2015-01-01

Full Text Available There is great concern regarding the development of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL in youth caused by high sound levels during various leisure activities. Health-orientated behavior of young adults might be linked to the beliefs and attitudes toward noise, hearing loss, and hearing protector devices (HPDs. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of attitudes and beliefs toward noise, hearing loss, and HPDs on young adults′ hearing status. A questionnaire and an audiological test battery were completed by 163 subjects (aged 18-30 years. The questionnaire contained the Youth Attitude to Noise Scale (YANS and Beliefs about Hearing Protection and Hearing Loss (BAHPHL. A more positive attitude or belief represented an attitude where noise or hearing loss is seen as unproblematic and attitudes and beliefs regarding HPDs is worse. Hearing was evaluated using (high frequency pure tone audiometry (PTA, transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. First, mean differences in hearing between the groups with different attitudes and beliefs were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA. Second, a χ2 test was used to examine the usage of HPDs by the different groups with different attitudes and beliefs. Young adults with a positive attitude had significantly more deteriorated hearing and used HPDs less than the other subjects. Hearing conservation programs (HCPs for young adults should provide information and knowledge regarding noise, hearing loss, and HPDs. Barriers wearing HPDs should especially be discussed. Further, those campaigns should focus on self-experienced hearing related symptoms that might serve as triggers for attitudinal and behavioral changes.

The impact of hearing aids and age-related hearing loss on auditory plasticity across three months - An electrical neuroimaging study.

Science.gov (United States)

Giroud, Nathalie; Lemke, Ulrike; Reich, Philip; Matthes, Katarina L; Meyer, Martin

2017-09-01

The present study investigates behavioral and electrophysiological auditory and cognitive-related plasticity in three groups of healthy older adults (60-77 years). Group 1 was moderately hearing-impaired, experienced hearing aid users, and fitted with new hearing aids using non-linear frequency compression (NLFC on); Group 2, also moderately hearing-impaired, used the same type of hearing aids but NLFC was switched off during the entire period of study duration (NLFC off); Group 3 represented individuals with age-appropriate hearing (NHO) as controls, who were not different in IQ, gender, or age from Group 1 and 2. At five measurement time points (M1-M5) across three months, a series of active oddball tasks were administered while EEG was recorded. The stimuli comprised syllables consisting of naturally high-pitched fricatives (/sh/, /s/, and /f/), which are hard to distinguish for individuals with presbycusis. By applying a data-driven microstate approach to obtain global field power (GFP) as a measure of processing effort, the modulations of perceptual (P50, N1, P2) and cognitive-related (N2b, P3b) auditory evoked potentials were calculated and subsequently related to behavioral changes (accuracy and reaction time) across time. All groups improved their performance across time, but NHO showed consistently higher accuracy and faster reaction times than the hearing-impaired groups, especially under difficult conditions. Electrophysiological results complemented this finding by demonstrating longer latencies in the P50 and the N1 peak in hearing aid users. Furthermore, the GFP of cognitive-related evoked potentials decreased from M1 to M2 in the NHO group, while a comparable decrease in the hearing-impaired group was only evident at M5. After twelve weeks of hearing aid use of eight hours each day, we found a significantly lower GFP in the P3b of the group with NLFC on as compared to the group with NLFC off. These findings suggest higher processing effort, as

Hearing Protection and Hearing Symptoms in Danish Symphony Orchestras

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laitinen, Heli; Poulsen, Torben

2006-01-01

A study about hearing protectors, problems involving hearing protector usage, hearing problems and working surroundings of classical musicians was made in three Danish symphony orchestras. The questionnaire used in the study was based on a previous study, a study made in Sweden to rock musicians,...

S.674, The Sensible Advertising and Family Education Act. Hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, First Session.

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

This Congressional hearing discusses legislation that would require health warnings to be included in advertisements of alcoholic beverages. Opening statements are included from Senators Hollings, Burns, Danforth, Thurmond, and Simon, and from Representative Kennedy. Testimony is included from two panels of witnesses, whose members include: (1)…

Hard of Hearing?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

T Christensen, Vibeke

This summary presents the results of a study of the impact of reduced hearing in relation to labour-market attachment and working life. Reduced hearing contributes to early retirement. Many people with impaired hearing are not aware of the impact of their hearing problems on their working life an...

Coping with EU environmental legislation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anker, Helle Tegner; de Graaf, Kars; Purdy, Ray

2015-01-01

A ‘burden reducing’ agenda has spurred an increased interest in how EU environmental legislation is transposed into national legislation—most prominently reflected in the principle of ‘no gold-plating’. Yet, an important question is to what extent transposition principles and practices may ensure...... on coherence and accessibility with respect to environmental legislation and that such issues deserve more attention in the transposition process.......A ‘burden reducing’ agenda has spurred an increased interest in how EU environmental legislation is transposed into national legislation—most prominently reflected in the principle of ‘no gold-plating’. Yet, an important question is to what extent transposition principles and practices may ensure...... a coherent and accessible body of environmental legislation, while at the same time ensuring adequate transposition of EU environmental legislation. This article analyses the existence, or emergence, of transposition principles and practices in three Member States—the United Kingdom, the Netherlands...

Treatment Efficacy: Hearing Aids in the Management of Hearing Loss in Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Barbara E.

1996-01-01

This article reviews the efficacy of hearing aids in adults with hearing impairments. Information is provided on the prevalence of hearing impairments; the daily effects of a hearing impairment; and the role of the audiologist. The effectiveness and benefits of hearing aids are reviewed, and a case study is provided. (CR)

Binaural pitch perception in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

2007-01-01

The effects of hearing impairment on the perception of binaural-pitch stimuli were investigated. Several experiments were performed with normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners, including detection and discrimination of binaural pitch, and melody recognition using different types of binaural...... pitches. For the normal-hearing listeners, all types of binaural pitches could be perceived immediately and were musical. The hearing-impaired listeners could be divided into three groups based on their results: (a) some perceived all types of binaural pitches, but with decreased salience or musicality...... compared to normal-hearing listeners; (b) some could only perceive the strongest pitch types; (c) some were unable to perceive any binaural pitch at all. The performance of the listeners was not correlated with audibility. Additional experiments investigated the correlation between performance in binaural...

Bulgarian energy legislation. Status quo and problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denchev, P.

1996-01-01

The author gives a general survey of the present situation and the development tendencies in the Bulgarian nuclear legislation. The latest amendments of the Atomic Energy Act passed by the Bulgarian Parliament are discussed. Special attention is paid to the ratification of the following four groups of international documents: 1) The Convention on Nuclear Safety; 2) The Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage and the Joint Protocol on the Application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy; 3) The Convention for the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency; 4) The European Energy Charter and its Protocol on Energy Efficiency. The need of adoption of new legislative documents regulating the supply of radioactive materials according to the EURATOM Treaty is stressed

Lungfish Hearing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Christian Bech; Madsen, Peter Teglberg; Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jakob

Recent research has shown that tympanic middle ears evolved independently in the major vertebrate groups and represent independent experiments in terrestrial hearing. Furthermore, the tympanic ear emerged quite late – ap - proximately 120 mya after the origin of the tetrapods and approximately 70...... my after the first truly terrestrial tetrapods emerged. One of the major challenges is to understand the transitional stages from tetrapod ancestors to the tympanic tetrapod ear, for example how a non-tympanic ear functions in terrestrial hearing. Lungfish are the closest living relatives...... and urodeles. Based on ABR and vibration measurements also on amphib - ians, lizards, snakes and alligators we can outline scenarios for the initial adaptations of the middle ear to non-tympanic hearing and assess the selection pressures later adapting the middle ear for tympanic hearing. Hearing by bone...

The Master Hearing Aid

Science.gov (United States)

Curran, James R.

2013-01-01

As early as the 1930s the term Master Hearing Aid (MHA) described a device used in the fitting of hearing aids. In their original form, the MHA was a desktop system that allowed for simulated or actual adjustment of hearing aid components that resulted in a changed hearing aid response. Over the years the MHA saw many embodiments and contributed to a number of rationales for the fitting of hearing aids. During these same years, the MHA was viewed by many as an inappropriate means of demonstrating hearing aids; the audio quality of the desktop systems was often superior to the hearing aids themselves. These opinions and the evolution of the MHA have molded the modern perception of hearing aids and the techniques used in the fitting of hearing aids. This article reports on a history of the MHA and its influence on the fitting of hearing aids. PMID:23686682

Understanding Cancer Prognosis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Book Careers at NCI Visitor Information Legislative Activities Hearings & Testimonies Current Congress Legislative History Committees of Interest ... Congressional Justification NCI Budget Fact Book Legislative Activities Hearings & Testimonies Current Congress Legislative History Committees of Interest ...

Viral Causes of Hearing Loss: A Review for Hearing Health Professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Brandon E.; Durstenfeld, Anne

2014-01-01

A number of viral infections can cause hearing loss. Hearing loss induced by these viruses can be congenital or acquired, unilateral or bilateral. Certain viral infections can directly damage inner ear structures, others can induce inflammatory responses which then cause this damage, and still others can increase susceptibility or bacterial or fungal infection, leading to hearing loss. Typically, virus-induced hearing loss is sensorineural, although conductive and mixed hearing losses can be seen following infection with certain viruses. Occasionally, recovery of hearing after these infections can occur spontaneously. Most importantly, some of these viral infections can be prevented or treated. For many of these viruses, guidelines for their treatment or prevention have recently been revised. In this review, we outline many of the viruses that cause hearing loss, their epidemiology, course, prevention, and treatment. PMID:25080364

Symphony orchestra musicians′ use of hearing protection and attenuation of custom-made hearing protectors as measured with two different real-ear attenuation at threshold methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K H Huttunen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Despite a high level of sound exposure and a fairly large selection of earplugs available, musicians have often been reported to use personal hearing protectors only seldom. For better hearing conservation, it is important to identify and eliminate the causes for the low motivation to use hearing protection. We explored the usage rate of custom-molded musician′s earplugs (ER-15 among 15 symphony orchestra musicians with a questionnaire, and measured the attenuation properties of their earplugs with a Real-Ear Attenuation at Threshold (REAT procedure in a sound field. Earplug use was found to be low, and the musicians reported that earplugs hampered listening to their own and their colleagues′ playing; earplugs affected either timbre or dynamics, or both. Additionally, several reasons related to discomfort of use were itemized, but the musicians who consistently used their earplugs did so in spite of problems with use. The REAT values obtained in sound field were relatively close to the manufacturer′s nominal specifications, being 13.7 dB, on average. In the frequency range studied (0.125-8 kHz, individual variation in REAT was, however, up to 15 dB across the measured frequencies. Fluctuation in attenuation might be related to low use of hearing protectors, and REAT measured at fixed center frequencies may be too robust a method to uncover it. We therefore tested 10 additional subjects to find out whether a sweeping signal used in Bιkιsy audiometry would bring more detailed information on earplug attenuation. Mean attenuation was found to be somewhat closer to the nominal attenuation of the ER-9 and ER-15 earplugs up to about 1 kHz, whereas REAT measurements in sound field revealed more even attenuation at frequencies between 1 and 6 kHz. No significant association was found between earplug attenuation properties and earplug use. It was concluded that support and determination to get accustomed to hearing protector use are important

WASTE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT FRAMEWORK LEGISLATION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN EUROPE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria-Loredana NICOLESCU

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE has become one of the most significant waste streams due to the increasing amounts and environmental impact. It is very important to know how to manage the WEEE quantities, what laws are in force in this field and what policies are available to apply. This paper presents the e-waste legislation and management system from some of the European countries, as examples. The hierarchy of the management systems is presented according to the framework Directive and legislative approaches. There are also shown the "take-back" policy, the "polluter pays" principle and the "extended producer responsibility" principle. The goal of this research is to highlight the WEEE framework legislation in Europe and to present the EU policies for the WEEE management system.

National Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1981. Hearings before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, Ninety-Seventh Congress, First Session on S. 1662, October 31, 1981, Richland, Washington; November 9, 1981, Washington, DC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1982-01-01

Hearings were held on October 31, 1981 in Richland, Washington and on November 9, 1981 in Washington, DC to discuss the effort in S. 1662 to establish a national policy and an environmentally acceptable program for managing nuclear wastes from domestic commercial activities. The Richland hearing was held in recognition that Washington State will bear the major impact of the legislation. Witnesses at the Washington, DC hearing included officials from states that are potential sites for radioactive waste storage and disposal facilities. The hearing record includes the testimony of 16 witnesses in Richland and seven in Washington, DC, followed by a reprint of S. 1662 and additional material submitted for the record

Navigating SA's climate change legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickey, Suzanne

2006-01-01

It is proposed that there should be a legislation to address climate change and Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Bill. South Australian Government Greenhouse Strategy and climate change legislation in light of the far-reaching implications this legislation could have on clients, who face the impacts of climate change in the business and natural environment. It is a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in South Australia by 2050 to 60 per cent of 1990 levels

Unilateral hearing during development: hemispheric specificity in plastic reorganizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrej eKral

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The present study investigates the hemispheric contributions of neuronal reorganization following early single-sided hearing (unilateral deafness. The experiments were performed on ten cats from our colony of deaf white cats. Two were identified in early hearing screening as unilaterally congenitally deaf. The remaining eight were bilaterally congenitally deaf, unilaterally implanted at different ages with a cochlear implant. Implanted animals were chronically stimulated using a single-channel portable signal processor for two to five months. Microelectrode recordings were performed at the primary auditory cortex under stimulation at the hearing and deaf ear with bilateral cochlear implants. Local field potentials (LFPs were compared at the cortex ipsilateral and contralateral to the hearing ear. The focus of the study was on the morphology and the onset latency of the LFPs. The data revealed that effects of hearing experience were more pronounced when stimulating the hearing ear. With respect to morphology of LFPs, pronounced hemisphere-specific effects were observed. Morphology of amplitude-normalized LFPs for stimulation of the deaf and the hearing ear was similar for responses recorded at the same hemisphere. However, when comparisons were performed between the hemispheres, the morphology was more dissimilar even though the same ear was stimulated. This demonstrates hemispheric specificity of some cortical adaptations irrespective of the ear stimulated. The results suggest a specific adaptation process at the hemisphere ipsilateral to the hearing ear, involving specific (down-regulated inhibitory mechanisms not found in the contralateral hemisphere. Finally, onset latencies revealed that the sensitive period for the cortex ipsilateral to the hearing ear is shorter than that for the contralateral cortex. Unilateral hearing experience leads to a functionally-asymmetric brain with different neuronal reorganizations and different sensitive

Exploring the influence of culture on hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Fei; Manchaiah, Vinaya; St Claire, Lindsay; Danermark, Berth; Jones, Lesley; Brandreth, Marian; Krishna, Rajalakshmi; Goodwin, Robin

2015-07-01

The purpose of this paper was to highlight the importance of cultural influence in understanding hearing-help seeking and hearing-aid uptake. Information on audiological services in different countries and 'theories related to cross-culture' is presented, followed by a general discussion. Twenty-seven relevant literature reviews on hearing impairment, cross-cultural studies, and the health psychology model and others as secondary resources. Despite the adverse consequences of hearing impairment and the significant potential benefits of audiological rehabilitation, only a small number of those with hearing impairment seek professional help and take up appropriate rehabilitation. Therefore, hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake has recently become the hot topic for clinicians and researchers. Previous research has identified many contributing factors for hearing help-seeking with self-reported hearing disability being one of the main factors. Although significant differences in help-seeking and hearing-aid adoption rates have been reported across countries in population studies, limited literature on the influence of cross-cultural factors in this area calls for an immediate need for research. This paper highlights the importance of psychological models and cross-cultural research in the area of hearing help-seeking and hearing-aid uptake, and consequently some directions for future research are proposed.

Comparison of Reading Comprehension Skill of Students with Severe to Profound Hearing Impairment from Second up to Fifth Grade of Exceptional Schools with Normal Hearing Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Jalalipour

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Reading is known as one of the most important learning tools. Research results consistently have shown that even a mild hearing impairment could affect the reading skills. Due to the reported differences in reading comprehension skills between hearing impaired students and their normal hearing peers, this research was conducted to compare the differences between the two groups. The other aim was to find any changes in the reading ability of hearing impaired group during elementary school. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional (descriptive–analytic one in which reading comprehension ability of 91 students with severe and profound hearing impairment (33 girls and 58 boys from 2nd up to 5th grade of exceptional schools were compared with 50 2nd grade normal hearing students in Ahvaz, Iran. The first section of Diagnostic Reading Test (Shirazi – Nilipour, 2004 was used in this study. Then the mean reading scores of hearing impaired students in each grade was compared with control group using SPSS 13 with Mann Whitney test. Results: There was a significant difference between average scores of hearing impaired students (boys and girls in 2nd to 5th grade with normal hearing students of 2nd grade (P<0.001. Reading comprehension scores of students with hearing impairment in higher grades had improved slightly, but it was still lower than that of the normal hearing students in the 2nd grade. Conclusion: It appears that reading comprehension skill of students with significant hearing impairment near the end of elementary school years becomes weaker than normal hearing students in the second grade. Therefore, it is essential to find and resolve the underlying reasons of this condition by all professionals who work in the field of education and rehabilitation of these students.

Preschool Teachers' Perception and Use of Hearing Assistive Technology in Educational Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Lauri H.; Poole, Bridget; Munoz, Karen

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study explored how often sound-field amplification and personal frequency-modulated (FM) systems are used in preschool classrooms, teacher perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of using hearing assistive technology, and teacher recommendations for hearing assistive technology use. Method: The study used a cross-sectional survey…

Low empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (preadolescents compared to normal hearing controls.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anouk P Netten

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine the level of empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (preadolescents compared to normal hearing controls and to define the influence of language and various hearing loss characteristics on the development of empathy.The study group (mean age 11.9 years consisted of 122 deaf and hard of hearing children (52 children with cochlear implants and 70 children with conventional hearing aids and 162 normal hearing children. The two groups were compared using self-reports, a parent-report and observation tasks to rate the children's level of empathy, their attendance to others' emotions, emotion recognition, and supportive behavior.Deaf and hard of hearing children reported lower levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than normal hearing children, regardless of their type of hearing device. The level of emotion recognition was equal in both groups. During observations, deaf and hard of hearing children showed more attention to the emotion evoking events but less supportive behavior compared to their normal hearing peers. Deaf and hard of hearing children attending mainstream education or using oral language show higher levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than deaf and hard of hearing children who use sign (supported language or attend special education. However, they are still outperformed by normal hearing children.Deaf and hard of hearing children, especially those in special education, show lower levels of empathy than normal hearing children, which can have consequences for initiating and maintaining relationships.

Mathematics Motivation, Anxiety, and Performance in Female Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing and Hearing Students

Science.gov (United States)

Ariapooran, Saeed

2017-01-01

Hearing loss can be a major detriment to academic achievement among students. The present comparative study examines the differences in mathematics motivation, anxiety, and performance in female students with hearing loss and their hearing peers. A total of 63 female students with hearing loss (deaf and hard-of-hearing) and 63 hearing female…

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Can Your Baby Hear?

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This podcast discusses how important it is that every child receives a hearing screening as soon as possible after birth. It also gives specific ways that parents and health providers can find out if a child has a possible hearing loss and where to get further information. (Created 6/5/2007 by the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, NCBDDD).

Regulatory control, legislation and framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parthasarathy, K.S.

1998-01-01

The legislation and regulations, a regulatory authority to authorise and inspect the regulated activities and to enforce the legislation and regulations, sufficient financial and man-power resources are the essential parts of a national infrastructure to implement the Basic Safety Standards. The legal framework consists of legislation (Act passed by Parliament) and the regulations (framed by the government and endorsed by the Parliament). This paper is primarily deals with the the legal framework set up in India for atomic energy activities

Hearing assessment in pre-school children with speech delay.

Science.gov (United States)

Psillas, George; Psifidis, Anestis; Antoniadou-Hitoglou, Magda; Kouloulas, Athanasios

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study was to detect any underlying hearing loss among the healthy pre-school children with speech delay. 76 children, aged from 1 to 5 years, underwent a thorough audiological examination consisting of tympanometry, free field testing, otoacoustic emission recordings and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). If hearing was normal, then they were evaluated by a child neurologist-psychiatrist. According to our findings, the children were classified into 3 groups; those with normal hearing levels (group I, 52 children, 68.4%), sensorineural hearing loss (group II, 22 children, 28.9%) and conductive hearing loss (group III, 2 children, 2.6%). In group I, speech delay was attributed to pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), which represents high-functioning autistic children (37 cases). Other causes were specific language impairment (SLI)-expressive (3 cases), bilingualism (2 cases), and unknown etiology (10 cases). More than half (59%) of the children diagnosed with PDD evidenced significant language impairment limited to more than two words. Children with SLI-expressive and bilingualism used a maximum of two words. In group II, 13 children suffered from profound hearing loss in both ears, 3 from severe, 3 had profound hearing loss in one ear and severe in the other, 2 from moderate, and 1 had moderate in one ear and severe in the other. No child had mild sensorineural hearing loss. The children with profound hearing loss in at least one ear had total language impairment using no word at all (10 cases), or a maximum of two words (6 cases). When hearing loss was moderate to severe, then the speech vocabulary was confined to several words (more than two words-6 cases). Only two children suffering from conductive hearing loss both presented with complete lack of speech. A great number of healthy pre-school children with speech delay were found to have normal hearing. In this case, the otolaryngologist should be aware of the possible underlying clinical

Modeling auditory processing and speech perception in hearing-impaired listeners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Morten Løve

in a diagnostic rhyme test. The framework was constructed such that discrimination errors originating from the front-end and the back-end were separated. The front-end was fitted to individual listeners with cochlear hearing loss according to non-speech data, and speech data were obtained in the same listeners......A better understanding of how the human auditory system represents and analyzes sounds and how hearing impairment affects such processing is of great interest for researchers in the fields of auditory neuroscience, audiology, and speech communication as well as for applications in hearing......-instrument and speech technology. In this thesis, the primary focus was on the development and evaluation of a computational model of human auditory signal-processing and perception. The model was initially designed to simulate the normal-hearing auditory system with particular focus on the nonlinear processing...

Harmonization of Legislation of a Candidate Country with EU Legislation: Insights from the Prism of the Citizens of Macedonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdula Azizi

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Since the majority of the Western Balkan countries remain although they have expressed a willingness to join the EU, it is considered necessary to examine the topic of harmonization of national legislation of these countries with the EU legislation. So while until now, to this problem is not devoted adequate attention in scientific circles, it is considered necessary to explain and analyze the theoretical aspect of the harmonization of the legislation of the candidate countries with EU legislation, while they also learned things fr survey was conducted with the citizens of Macedonia where they express their opinions on the harmonization of Macedonian legislation and government policies related to Euro hope that in the future this work will encourage research and other activities related to government policy on the harmonization of national legislation with EU legislation.

Measurements on Hearing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Torben

1996-01-01

Background material for measurements of hearing for grammar school pupils. The note gives the necessary background for the exercise 'Measurement on Hearing'. The topics comprise sound and decibel, the ear, basic psychoacoustics, hearing threshold, audiometric measurement methods, speech and speech...

Subjective Evaluation of Sound Quality for Normal-hearing and Hearing-i,paired Listeners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lars Bramsløw

1992-01-01

11 hearing-impaired (HI) and 12 normal-hearing (NH) subjects have performed sound quality ratings on 6 perceptual scales (Loudness, Clarity, Sharpness, Fullness, Spaciousness and Overall judgement). The signals for the rating experiment consisted of running speech and music with or without......, but the normal-hearing group was slightly more reliable. There were significant differences between stimuli and between subjects, with stimuli affecting the ratings the most. Normal-hearing and hearing-impaired subjects showed similar trends, but normal-hearing listeners were generally more sensitive, i...

Nuclear legislation: analytical study. Regulatory and institutional framework for nuclear activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

Australia' s basic legislation in the nuclear field consists in five Acts passed by the Federal Parliament. These Acts are as follow: the South Pacific nuclear free zone treaty Act; the nuclear non-proliferation act; the Australian nuclear science and technology organisation act; the Australian nuclear science and technology organisation amendment act; the radiation protection and nuclear safety act. The two first Acts were prompted by the need for domestic legislation to implement Australia 's international obligations. The third arose from a long-standing recognition that the Atomic energy Act was inappropriate as the legislative basis for the activities of Australia 's national nuclear organisation. For its part the fourth Act introduced some necessary changes into the Australian nuclear science and technology organisation Act. Finally, the fifth act establishes a regime to regulate the operation of nuclear installations and the management of radiation sources, where the activities are undertaken by Commonwealth entities. Each of these Acts is discussed in more details in this work. (N.C.)

Single-Case Design Research: Building the Evidence-Base in the Field of Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Cannon, Joanna E; Guardino, Caroline; Antia, Shirin D; Luckner, John L

2016-01-01

The field of education of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students has a paucity of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to guide instruction. The authors discussed how the research methodology of single-case design (SCD) can be used to build EBPs through direct and systematic replication of studies. An overview of SCD research methods is presented, including an explanation of how internal and external validity issues are addressed, and why SCD is appropriate for intervention research with DHH children. The authors then examine the SCD research in the field according to quality indicators (QIs; at the individual level and as a body of evidence) to determine the existing evidence base. Finally, future replication areas are recommended to fill the gaps in SCD research with students who are DHH in order to add to the evidence base in the field.

Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manchaiah V

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Vinaya Manchaiah,1–4 Brian Taylor,5 Ashley L Dockens,1 Nicole R Tran,1 Kayla Lane,1 Mariana Castle,1 Vibhu Grover1 1Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA; 2The Swedish Institute for Disability Research, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; 3Audiology India, Mysore, 4Department of Speech and Hearing, School of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal, India; 5Taylor Audio LLC, Minneapolis, MN, USA Background: This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1 personal sound amplification products (PSAPs, 2 direct-mail hearing aids, and 3 over-the-counter (OTC hearing aids.Method: A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review.Results: Included studies fell into three domains: 1 electroacoustic characteristics, 2 consumer surveys, and 3 outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level. Low-end (or low-cost devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis, especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%–19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive

Relationship between hearing complaint and hearing loss among older people

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teixeira, Adriane Ribeiro

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Presbycusis is a public health problem. Despite its high prevalence, many elders do not have their hearing ability investigated periodically, because they do not have a specific complaint. Objective: To check whether there is a relationship between the complaint and the presence of hearing loss in elder people. Method: Transversal study in elders from a neighborhood in the city of Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul. After the definition of the neighborhood's geographic boundaries, all houses were visited, the older people's addresses were ascertained and the invitations to take part in the research were provided. A questionnaire survey was applied which had a question about hearing loss complaint and air-conducted hearing thresholds were obtained and studied. Out of the 72 identified elders 50 elders agreed to participate, 35 (70% women, and 15 (30% men. Results: It was confirmed that only 12 (24% elders showed a specific complaint of hearing loss, although 33 (66% elders showed slight, moderate, severe and profound hearing losses. Conclusion: Data analysis confirmed there was no relationship between the complaint and the presence of hearing loss in the assessed group, and demonstrated the need to forward the elders for audiological evaluation even without any specific complaint.

Hearing devices for children with unilateral hearing loss: Patient- and parent-reported perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Purcell, Patricia L; Jones-Goodrich, Rose; Wisneski, Meghan; Edwards, Todd C; Sie, Kathleen C Y

2016-11-01

Management of children with unilateral hearing loss is not standardized. The primary goal of this study was to elicit patient- and parent-reported perspectives regarding usage of hearing devices in pediatric UHL and to suggest a basic algorithmic approach to management. Our tertiary care center recruited families of youth ages 5-19 years with unilateral hearing loss from January 2014 through October 2015. Parents of all youths completed a 36-item survey, and some youth ages 11-19 years participated in hour-long interviews. We assessed patterns of hearing device usage among participants, and performed qualitative data analysis to understand factors considered by youths when deciding whether or not to use a hearing device. Survey information was collected for 50 patients. Distribution of hearing loss severity in affected ear was mild 14%, moderate 26%, severe 22%, and profound 38%. The majority of children had sensorineural hearing loss (57%), followed by mixed (32%), and then conductive (11%). 34 children (68%) had tried a hearing device; 20 continued to use the device. Retention rates were similar among children with different degrees of hearing loss: mild 66%, moderate 50%, severe 60%, profound 64%. Sixteen children tried a wireless contralateral routing of signal (CROS) device, and 15 tried a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid. Retention rates for CROS and BTE devices were 69% and 47%, respectively. The most common reason for cessation of use was discomfort, followed by lack of benefit. A majority of children with unilateral hearing loss who tried a hearing device continued to use it, and retention rates were similar across all degrees of hearing loss. These findings suggest that personal hearing devices should be included in management protocols. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of Automated Vehicle Legislation

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

This report provides a synthesis of issues addressed by state legislation regarding automated vehicles (AV); AV technologies are rapidly evolving and many states have developed legislation to govern AV testing and deployment and to assure safety on p...

Elderly With Different Types of Hearing Loss and Comorbidities: Satisfaction With Hearing Aids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dashti

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background Hearing loss is developing when age is rising. Initiation and progression rates of hearing loss vary among different individuals and groups. Objectives The current study aimed to determine satisfaction of the elderly with their hearing aids in different types of hearing loss and comorbidities. Patients and Methods The study was conducted on 40 elderly subjects suffering from hearing loss and using hearing aids. The data collection method included assessment of hearing loss in addition to using a questionnaire to estimate respondents' satisfaction with their hearing aids in daily life. The Persian version of the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life (SADL questionnaire was administered. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics by SPSS software version19. Results The mean satisfaction scores of the elderly were 4.83 ± 0.51 and 5.36 ± 0.30 in the sensorineural loss groups. There was no significant difference between different comorbidities. There was a significant difference between satisfaction level of cost and services subscales in the symmetrical styles of hearing loss (P value = 0.04. Conclusions The findings of the study indicated a high satisfaction of the elderly with their hearing aids, considering the type of hearing loss. Despite all the efforts to improve the audiologic services during verification process, the elderly should be consulted specifically in order to fit their hearing aid as well as their expectations from aid.

Quality of Life and Hearing Eight Years After Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Härkönen, Kati; Kivekäs, Ilkka; Rautiainen, Markus; Kotti, Voitto; Vasama, Juha-Pekka

2017-04-01

To explore long-term hearing results, quality of life (QoL), quality of hearing (QoH), work-related stress, tinnitus, and balance problems after idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). Cross-sectional study. We reviewed the audiograms of 680 patients with unilateral ISSNHL on average 8 years after the hearing impairment, and then divided the patients into two study groups based on whether their ISSNHL had recovered to normal (pure tone average [PTA] ≤ 30 dB) or not (PTA > 30 dB). The inclusion criteria were a hearing threshold decrease of 30 dB or more in at least three contiguous frequencies occurring within 72 hours in the affected ear and normal hearing in the contralateral ear. Audiograms of 217 patients fulfilled the criteria. We reviewed their medical records; measured present QoL, QoH, and work-related stress with specific questionnaires; and updated the hearing status. Poor hearing outcome after ISSNHL was correlated with age, severity of hearing loss, and vertigo together with ISSNHL. Quality of life and QoH were statistically significantly better in patients with recovered hearing, and the patients had statistically significantly less tinnitus and balance problems. During the 8-year follow-up, the PTA of the affected ear deteriorated on average 7 dB, and healthy ear deteriorated 6 dB. Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss that failed to recover had a negative impact on long-term QoL and QoH. The hearing deteriorated as a function of age similarly both in the affected and the healthy ear, and there were no differences between the groups. The cumulative recurrence rate for ISSNHL was 3.5%. 4 Laryngoscope, 127:927-931, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

What factors influence help-seeking for hearing impairment and hearing aid adoption in older adults?

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Carly; Hickson, Louise

2012-02-01

The purpose of this review paper was to identify factors that influence older adults' decisions to seek help for hearing impairment and to adopt hearing aids. A literature search of abstracts within peer-reviewed journal articles published in English between 1990 and 2010 was conducted in online bibliographic databases using the keywords: hearing; impair* or loss; seek* or candidate* or applicant* or acquir*; and hearing aid* or help or advice. Twenty-two articles that were directly relevant to this topic were included in this review. The evidence suggests that individuals are more likely to seek help for hearing impairment and/or adopt hearing aids if they: (1) have a moderate to severe hearing impairment and self-reported hearing-related activity limitations or participation restrictions; (2) are older; (3) perceive their hearing as poor; (4) consider there to be more benefits than barriers to amplification; and (5) perceive their significant other/s as supportive of hearing rehabilitation. A barrier to help-seeking for hearing impairment and hearing aid adoption appears to be general practitioners' management of age-related hearing impairment.

Flexibility in radiation protection legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaver, P.F.; Gill, J.R.

1980-01-01

The UK approach to radiation protection legislation is described in detail. The advantages are outlined of a flexible approach whereby the objectives of the legislation are clearly identified but the means of achieving these are left open or qualified by terms such as 'where reasonably practicable'. The roles and viewpoints of management and unions in such an approach are discussed especially with respect to legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act. Specific topics include requirements for notification of use, criteria for controlled areas and the tasks of the radiation protection adviser. (UK)

GMOs in Russia: Research, Society and Legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Korobko, I V; Georgiev, P G; Skryabin, K G; Kirpichnikov, M P

2016-01-01

Russian legislation lags behind the rapid developments witnessed in genetic engineering. Only a scientifically based and well-substantiated policy on the place of organisms that are created with the use of genetic engineering technologies and an assessment of the risks associated with them could guarantee that the breakthroughs achieved in modern genetic engineering technologies are effectively put to use in the real economy. A lack of demand for such breakthroughs in the practical field will lead to stagnation in scientific research and to a loss of expertise.

Individual Hearing Loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sébastien Santurette

2016-06-01

Full Text Available It is well-established that hearing loss does not only lead to a reduction of hearing sensitivity. Large individual differences are typically observed among listeners with hearing impairment in a wide range of suprathreshold auditory measures. In many cases, audiometric thresholds cannot fully account for such individual differences, which make it challenging to find adequate compensation strategies in hearing devices. How to characterize, model, and compensate for individual hearing loss were the main topics of the fifth International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research (ISAAR, held in Nyborg, Denmark, in August 2015. The following collection of papers results from some of the work that was presented and discussed at the symposium.

Hearing Aids Communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Globally, hearing loss is the second most frequent disability. About 80% of the persons affected by hearing loss do not use hearing aids. The goal of this edited volume is to present a theoretically founded, interdisciplinary approach geared at understanding and improving social interaction...

Enhancing Auditory Selective Attention Using a Visually Guided Hearing Aid

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Purpose Listeners with hearing loss, as well as many listeners with clinically normal hearing, often experience great difficulty segregating talkers in a multiple-talker sound field and selectively attending to the desired “target” talker while ignoring the speech from unwanted “masker” talkers and other sources of sound. This listening situation forms the classic “cocktail party problem” described by Cherry (1953) that has received a great deal of study over the past few decades. In this article, a new approach to improving sound source segregation and enhancing auditory selective attention is described. The conceptual design, current implementation, and results obtained to date are reviewed and discussed in this article. Method This approach, embodied in a prototype “visually guided hearing aid” (VGHA) currently used for research, employs acoustic beamforming steered by eye gaze as a means for improving the ability of listeners to segregate and attend to one sound source in the presence of competing sound sources. Results The results from several studies demonstrate that listeners with normal hearing are able to use an attention-based “spatial filter” operating primarily on binaural cues to selectively attend to one source among competing spatially distributed sources. Furthermore, listeners with sensorineural hearing loss generally are less able to use this spatial filter as effectively as are listeners with normal hearing especially in conditions high in “informational masking.” The VGHA enhances auditory spatial attention for speech-on-speech masking and improves signal-to-noise ratio for conditions high in “energetic masking.” Visual steering of the beamformer supports the coordinated actions of vision and audition in selective attention and facilitates following sound source transitions in complex listening situations. Conclusions Both listeners with normal hearing and with sensorineural hearing loss may benefit from the acoustic

Legislative drafting: a new sub-discipline of law is born

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Helen Xanthaki

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Professor Helen Xanthaki (Academic Director of the Sir William Dale Centre for Legislative Studies at IALS explains how legislative drafting has been transformed from a skill often associated with government lawyers to a new sub-discipline of law and subject for legal research and scholarship. Her paper describes the creation of a dynamic process with new doctrines, new questions, new answers in the field. Some have been there for a while, others are being introduced or are being borrowed and applied by other disciplines of law and other social sciences. So, is there a new discipline? And what is its place in the study of law? And what is its main philosophy? And what are its main elements?

Sensorineural and conductive hearing loss in infants diagnosed in the program of universal newborn hearing screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Wroblewska-Seniuk, Katarzyna; Dabrowski, Piotr; Greczka, Grazyna; Szabatowska, Katarzyna; Glowacka, Agata; Szyfter, Witold; Mazela, Jan

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to analyze infants diagnosed with sensorineural or conductive hearing deficit and to identify risk factors associated with these defects. A retrospective analysis of infants diagnosed with hearing deficit based on the database of the universal newborn hearing screening program and medical records of the patients. 27 935 infants were covered by the universal neonatal hearing screening program. 109 (0.39%) were diagnosed with hearing deficit and referred for treatment and rehabilitation. 56 (51.4%) children were diagnosed with conductive, 38 (34.9%) with sensorineural and 15 (13.8%) with mixed type of hearing deficit. Children with sensorineural hearing deficit more frequently suffered from hyperbilirubinemia (p conductive hearing loss were more frequently diagnosed with isolated craniofacial anomalies (p hearing deficit occurred almost 3 times more often bilaterally than unilaterally (p hearing deficit, the difference was not significant. In children with conductive and mixed type of hearing loss the impairment was mainly mild while among those with sensorineural hearing deficit in almost 45% it was severe and profound (p hearing screening test by means of otoacoustic emissions and the final diagnosis of hearing deficit we found that the highest agreement rate was observed in children with sensorineural hearing loss (p hearing deficit was similar in children with sensorineural, conductive and mixed type of hearing loss, only hyperbilirubinemia seemed to predispose to sensorineural hearing deficit and isolated craniofacial malformations seemed to be associated with conductive hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing deficit usually occurred bilaterally and was severe or profound, while conductive and mixed type of hearing deficit were most often of mild degree. Most children with the final diagnosis of sensorineural hearing deficit had positive result of hearing screening by means of otoacoustic emissions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All

Memory for faces and objects by deaf and hearing signers and hearing nonsigners.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, P; Murray, C

1998-07-01

The memory of 11 deaf and 11 hearing British Sign Language users and 11 hearing nonsigners for pictures of faces of and verbalizable objects was measured using the game Concentration. The three groups performed at the same level for the objects. In contrast the deaf signers were better for faces than the hearing signers, who in turn were superior to the hearing nonsigners, who were the worst. Three hypotheses were made: That there would be no significant difference in terms of the number of attempts between the three groups on the verbalizable object task, that the hearing and deaf signers would demonstrate superior performance to that of the hearing nonsigners on the matching faces task, and that the hearing and deaf signers would exhibit similar performance levels on the matching faces task. The first two hypotheses were supported, but the third was not. Deaf signers were found to be superior for memory for faces to hearing signers and hearing nonsigners. Possible explanations for the findings are discussed, including the possibility that deafness and the long use of sign language have additive effects.

Comparison of general health status in mothers of hearing and hearing-impaired children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Movallali

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: The birth of a hearing-impaired child and raising him/her often brings special psychological feelings for parents, especially mothers who spend more time with the child. This study aimed to compare the general health status in mothers of hearing-impaired and hearing children. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic study. General Health Questionnaire was used to identify general health status; and data were analyzed with independent-t test. Results: The general health level of mothers of hearing-impaired children was lower than mothers of normal hearing children (p=0.01 . The average scores of anxiety (p=0.01, depression (p= 0.01 and physical (p=0.02 symptoms and social function (p=0.01 of mothers of hearing-impaired children was higher than mothers of normal hearing ones (p=0.01. Conclusion: Having a child with hearing impairment affects mothers’ general health status. Our findings show that it’s necessary to provide psychological and social support for mothers of hearing-impaired children.

Unilateral hearing during development: hemispheric specificity in plastic reorganizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kral, Andrej; Heid, Silvia; Hubka, Peter; Tillein, Jochen

2013-01-01

The present study investigates the hemispheric contributions of neuronal reorganization following early single-sided hearing (unilateral deafness). The experiments were performed on ten cats from our colony of deaf white cats. Two were identified in early hearing screening as unilaterally congenitally deaf. The remaining eight were bilaterally congenitally deaf, unilaterally implanted at different ages with a cochlear implant. Implanted animals were chronically stimulated using a single-channel portable signal processor for two to five months. Microelectrode recordings were performed at the primary auditory cortex under stimulation at the hearing and deaf ear with bilateral cochlear implants. Local field potentials (LFPs) were compared at the cortex ipsilateral and contralateral to the hearing ear. The focus of the study was on the morphology and the onset latency of the LFPs. With respect to morphology of LFPs, pronounced hemisphere-specific effects were observed. Morphology of amplitude-normalized LFPs for stimulation of the deaf and the hearing ear was similar for responses recorded at the same hemisphere. However, when comparisons were performed between the hemispheres, the morphology was more dissimilar even though the same ear was stimulated. This demonstrates hemispheric specificity of some cortical adaptations irrespective of the ear stimulated. The results suggest a specific adaptation process at the hemisphere ipsilateral to the hearing ear, involving specific (down-regulated inhibitory) mechanisms not found in the contralateral hemisphere. Finally, onset latencies revealed that the sensitive period for the cortex ipsilateral to the hearing ear is shorter than that for the contralateral cortex. Unilateral hearing experience leads to a functionally-asymmetric brain with different neuronal reorganizations and different sensitive periods involved.

Low empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (pre)adolescents compared to normal hearing controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Netten, Anouk P; Rieffe, Carolien; Theunissen, Stephanie C P M; Soede, Wim; Dirks, Evelien; Briaire, Jeroen J; Frijns, Johan H M

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (pre)adolescents compared to normal hearing controls and to define the influence of language and various hearing loss characteristics on the development of empathy. The study group (mean age 11.9 years) consisted of 122 deaf and hard of hearing children (52 children with cochlear implants and 70 children with conventional hearing aids) and 162 normal hearing children. The two groups were compared using self-reports, a parent-report and observation tasks to rate the children's level of empathy, their attendance to others' emotions, emotion recognition, and supportive behavior. Deaf and hard of hearing children reported lower levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than normal hearing children, regardless of their type of hearing device. The level of emotion recognition was equal in both groups. During observations, deaf and hard of hearing children showed more attention to the emotion evoking events but less supportive behavior compared to their normal hearing peers. Deaf and hard of hearing children attending mainstream education or using oral language show higher levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than deaf and hard of hearing children who use sign (supported) language or attend special education. However, they are still outperformed by normal hearing children. Deaf and hard of hearing children, especially those in special education, show lower levels of empathy than normal hearing children, which can have consequences for initiating and maintaining relationships.

Comparative analysis of endurance of not hearing and hearing students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iwańska Dagmara

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Study aim: Sport participation is important for deaf children, as participants experience physical, psychological and social benefits [23]. This study is a summary of four year’s researches on the endurance level of deaf and well hearing girls and boys. The aim of this study was to compare endurance of not hearing and hearing students.

[Presbycusis - Age Related Hearing Loss].

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, N; Weber, B; Riechelmann, H

2016-07-01

Presbycusis or age related hearing loss can be defined as a progressive, bilateral and symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss due to age related degeneration of inner ear structures. It can be considered a multifactorial complex disorder with environmental and genetic factors. The molecular, electrophysiological and histological damage at different levels of the inner ear cause a progressive hearing loss, which usually affects the high frequencies of hearing. The resulting poor speech recognition has a negative impact on cognitive, emotional and social function in older adults. Recent investigations revealed an association between hearing impairment and social isolation, anxiety, depression and cognitive decline in elderly. These findings emphasize the importance of diagnosis and treating hearing loss in the elderly population. Hearing aids are the most commonly used devices for treating presbycusis. The technical progress of implantable hearing devices allows an effective hearing rehabilitation even in elderly with severe hearing loss. However, most people with hearing impairments are not treated adequately. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Hearing Screening and Diagnostic Evaluation of Children With Unilateral and Mild Bilateral Hearing Loss

OpenAIRE

Ross, Danielle S.; Holstrum, W. June; Gaffney, Marcus; Green, Denise; Oyler, Robert F.; Gravel, Judith S.

2008-01-01

More than 90% of newborns in the United States are now being screened for hearing loss. A large fraction of cases of unilateral hearing loss and mild bilateral hearing loss are not currently identified through newborn hearing screening. This is of concern because a preponderance of research has demonstrated that unilateral hearing loss and mild bilateral hearing loss can lead to developmental delays and educational problems for some children. To help address this probable underidentification ...

Hear where we are sound, ecology, and sense of place

CERN Document Server

Stocker, Michael

2013-01-01

Throughout history, hearing and sound perception have been typically framed in the context of how sound conveys information and how that information influences the listener. Hear Where We Are inverts this premise and examines how humans and other hearing animals use sound to establish acoustical relationships with their surroundings. This simple inversion reveals a panoply of possibilities by which we can re-evaluate how hearing animals use, produce, and perceive sound. Nuance in vocalizations become signals of enticement or boundary setting; silence becomes a field ripe in auditory possibilities; predator/prey relationships are infused with acoustic deception, and sounds that have been considered territorial cues become the fabric of cooperative acoustical communities. This inversion also expands the context of sound perception into a larger perspective that centers on biological adaptation within acoustic habitats. Here, the rapid synchronized flight patterns of flocking birds and the tight maneuvering of s...

Legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This bulletin contains information about activities of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (UJD). In this leaflet the legislation activities of the UJD are presented. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (UJD) of the Slovak Republic, as the central body, performs legislative activities within its competence and defines binding criteria in the area of nuclear safety. In the area of nuclear safety the Act No.130/1998 Coll. 'on peaceful use of nuclear energy' (Atomic Act) is the principal document which came into force on July 1, 1998. Based on the Atomic Act UJD issued decrees on special materials and installations, limits for maximum quantities of nuclear materials at which nuclear damage is not presumed. Furthermore, the regulations are issued which deal with provision of physical protection of nuclear material and radioactive waste, professional ability of employees at nuclear installations, registration and control of nuclear materials, emergency planning for the case of an incident or an events on nuclear installations at their decommissioning, transportation of nuclear materials and radioactive waste. Simultaneously, other 6 regulations are just before the before the completion and they are in various stages of the of the legislative process. In addition, UJD performs remarkable activities in legislative area by preparation of comments to drafts of other relating generally binding legal provisions of the Slovak Republic. UJD also acts as the participant of the review procedure in the area of technical standards and publication. UJD also issues documents which have character of the recommendations, so called safety guides. These guides contain methods and approach how to meet safety requirements presented in binding documents, as acts and decrees. In accordance with the Atomic act it is possible to use nuclear energy or make business in the area of nuclear energy only the basis of the authorisation issued by UJD. Authorisations are following

Noise induced hearing loss and other hearing complaints among musicians of symphony orchestras

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, E. J. M.; Helleman, H. W.; Dreschler, W. A.; de Laat, J. A. P. M.

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVES: An investigation of the hearing status of musicians of professional symphony orchestras. Main questions are: (1) Should musicians be treated as a special group with regard to hearing, noise, and noise related hearing problems (2) Do patterns of hearing damage differ for different

Legislative and Judicial Information Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Louise Giovane

1983-01-01

Reviews computer applications in judicial, legal, and legislative information activities being used to support litigation and court administration, assist in searching for legislation and laws, aid criminal justice information systems, and provide appropriate bibliographic and reference assistance. Management issues in automating systems are…

Legal Principles and Legislative Instrumentalism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gribnau, J.L.M.; Soeteman, A.

2003-01-01

Instrumentalist legislation usually underestimates the importance of legal principles in modern law. Legal principles are the normative core of a value oriented conception of law. They function as essential criteria of evaluation for lawmaking by the legislator and the executive. In fact,

Hearing Aid and children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamileh Fatahi

2002-07-01

Full Text Available In order to develop oral communication, hearing impaired infants and young children must be able to hear speech comfortably and consistently. To day children with all degrees of hearing loss may be condidates for some kinds of amlification. As children differ from adults, many Factors should be consider in hearing aid selection, evaluation and fitting. For example the child age when he or she is candidate for custom instruments? Do we consider programmable Hearing aid? Are multi memory instruments appropriate for them? What about directional microphones? What style of hearing aid do we select? In this paper such questions are Answered.

Low Empathy in Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Pre)Adolescents Compared to Normal Hearing Controls

Science.gov (United States)

Netten, Anouk P.; Rieffe, Carolien; Theunissen, Stephanie C. P. M.; Soede, Wim; Dirks, Evelien; Briaire, Jeroen J.; Frijns, Johan H. M.

2015-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the level of empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (pre)adolescents compared to normal hearing controls and to define the influence of language and various hearing loss characteristics on the development of empathy. Methods The study group (mean age 11.9 years) consisted of 122 deaf and hard of hearing children (52 children with cochlear implants and 70 children with conventional hearing aids) and 162 normal hearing children. The two groups were compared using self-reports, a parent-report and observation tasks to rate the children’s level of empathy, their attendance to others’ emotions, emotion recognition, and supportive behavior. Results Deaf and hard of hearing children reported lower levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than normal hearing children, regardless of their type of hearing device. The level of emotion recognition was equal in both groups. During observations, deaf and hard of hearing children showed more attention to the emotion evoking events but less supportive behavior compared to their normal hearing peers. Deaf and hard of hearing children attending mainstream education or using oral language show higher levels of cognitive empathy and prosocial motivation than deaf and hard of hearing children who use sign (supported) language or attend special education. However, they are still outperformed by normal hearing children. Conclusions Deaf and hard of hearing children, especially those in special education, show lower levels of empathy than normal hearing children, which can have consequences for initiating and maintaining relationships. PMID:25906365

Hearing protector fit testing with off-shore oil-rig inspectors in Louisiana and Texas.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, William J; Themann, Christa L; Murata, Taichi K

2016-11-01

This field study aimed to assess the noise reduction of hearing protection for individual workers, demonstrate the effectiveness of training on the level of protection achieved, and measure the time required to implement hearing protector fit testing in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted field studies in Louisiana and Texas to test the performance of HPD Well-Fit. Fit tests were performed on 126 inspectors and engineers working in the offshore oil industry. Workers were fit tested with the goal of achieving a 25-dB PAR. Less than half of the workers were achieving sufficient protection from their hearing protectors prior to NIOSH intervention and training; following re-fitting and re-training, over 85% of the workers achieved sufficient protection. Typical test times were 6-12 minutes. Fit testing of the workers' earplugs identified those workers who were and were not achieving the desired level of protection. Recommendations for other hearing protection solutions were made for workers who could not achieve the target PAR. The study demonstrates the need for individual hearing protector fit testing and addresses some of the barriers to implementation.

Music and hearing aids.

Science.gov (United States)

Madsen, Sara M K; Moore, Brian C J

2014-10-31

The signal processing and fitting methods used for hearing aids have mainly been designed to optimize the intelligibility of speech. Little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of hearing aids for listening to music. Perhaps as a consequence, many hearing-aid users complain that they are not satisfied with their hearing aids when listening to music. This issue inspired the Internet-based survey presented here. The survey was designed to identify the nature and prevalence of problems associated with listening to live and reproduced music with hearing aids. Responses from 523 hearing-aid users to 21 multiple-choice questions are presented and analyzed, and the relationships between responses to questions regarding music and questions concerned with information about the respondents, their hearing aids, and their hearing loss are described. Large proportions of the respondents reported that they found their hearing aids to be helpful for listening to both live and reproduced music, although less so for the former. The survey also identified problems such as distortion, acoustic feedback, insufficient or excessive gain, unbalanced frequency response, and reduced tone quality. The results indicate that the enjoyment of listening to music with hearing aids could be improved by an increase of the input and output dynamic range, extension of the low-frequency response, and improvement of feedback cancellation and automatic gain control systems. © The Author(s) 2014.

Music and Hearing Aids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara M. K. Madsen

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The signal processing and fitting methods used for hearing aids have mainly been designed to optimize the intelligibility of speech. Little attention has been paid to the effectiveness of hearing aids for listening to music. Perhaps as a consequence, many hearing-aid users complain that they are not satisfied with their hearing aids when listening to music. This issue inspired the Internet-based survey presented here. The survey was designed to identify the nature and prevalence of problems associated with listening to live and reproduced music with hearing aids. Responses from 523 hearing-aid users to 21 multiple-choice questions are presented and analyzed, and the relationships between responses to questions regarding music and questions concerned with information about the respondents, their hearing aids, and their hearing loss are described. Large proportions of the respondents reported that they found their hearing aids to be helpful for listening to both live and reproduced music, although less so for the former. The survey also identified problems such as distortion, acoustic feedback, insufficient or excessive gain, unbalanced frequency response, and reduced tone quality. The results indicate that the enjoyment of listening to music with hearing aids could be improved by an increase of the input and output dynamic range, extension of the low-frequency response, and improvement of feedback cancellation and automatic gain control systems.

Auditory Outcomes with Hearing Rehabilitation in Children with Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Appachi, Swathi; Specht, Jessica L; Raol, Nikhila; Lieu, Judith E C; Cohen, Michael S; Dedhia, Kavita; Anne, Samantha

2017-10-01

Objective Options for management of unilateral hearing loss (UHL) in children include conventional hearing aids, bone-conduction hearing devices, contralateral routing of signal (CROS) aids, and frequency-modulating (FM) systems. The objective of this study was to systematically review the current literature to characterize auditory outcomes of hearing rehabilitation options in UHL. Data Sources PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to January 2016. Manual searches of bibliographies were also performed. Review Methods Studies analyzing auditory outcomes of hearing amplification in children with UHL were included. Outcome measures included functional and objective auditory results. Two independent reviewers evaluated each abstract and article. Results Of the 249 articles identified, 12 met inclusion criteria. Seven articles solely focused on outcomes with bone-conduction hearing devices. Outcomes favored improved pure-tone averages, speech recognition thresholds, and sound localization in implanted patients. Five studies focused on FM systems, conventional hearing aids, or CROS hearing aids. Limited data are available but suggest a trend toward improvement in speech perception with hearing aids. FM systems were shown to have the most benefit for speech recognition in noise. Studies evaluating CROS hearing aids demonstrated variable outcomes. Conclusions Data evaluating functional and objective auditory measures following hearing amplification in children with UHL are limited. Most studies do suggest improvement in speech perception, speech recognition in noise, and sound localization with a hearing rehabilitation device.

Hearing Aids

Science.gov (United States)

... primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss that results ... and you can change the program for different listening environments—from a small, quiet room to a ...

Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Manchaiah, Vinaya; Taylor, Brian; Dockens, Ashley L; Tran, Nicole R; Lane, Kayla; Castle, Mariana; Grover, Vibhu

2017-01-01

Background This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1) personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), 2) direct-mail hearing aids, and 3) over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. Method A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review. Results Included studies fell into three domains: 1) electroacoustic characteristics, 2) consumer surveys, and 3) outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level). Low-end (or low-cost) devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis), especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%–19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive outcomes of OTC devices in the elderly population. Of note, OTC outcomes appear better when a hearing health care professional supports these users. Conclusion While some direct-to-consumer hearing devices have the capability to produce adverse effects due to production of dangerously high sound levels and internal noise, the existing literature suggests that there are potential benefits of these devices. Research of direct-to-consumer hearing devices is limited, and current published studies are of weak quality. Much

US legislative proposals for nuclear export controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donnelly, W.H.

1977-01-01

Some of the topics covered are: Congress' perception of proliferation; completed legislation for non-proliferation; partially complete legislative initiatives in the 94th Congress; non-proliferation measures defeated or vetoed; and legislation for non-proliferation in the 95th Congress

Outdoor recreation in forest policy and legislation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mann, Carsten; Pouta, Eija; Gentin, Sandra

2010-01-01

in the field of outdoor recreation, and reveal similarities, differences, gaps and future needs. Among the main findings is a contradiction between the expressed political importance of outdoor recreation at the national level, and the absence of binding commitments for action. The majority of the countries...... surveyed recognise and express outdoor recreation in some form of political and/or legislative way. However, recreation monitoring or measurements are rarely mentioned in relevant policies or acts at the national, regional or local level, perhaps due to a l ack of political will or resources. The analysis...

The impact of safety legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, J.L.; Gill, J.R.

1989-01-01

The impact of medicines legislation for radiopharmaceuticals is discussed with regard to product licensing, production and quality control, marketing authorisation within the EC, licensing exemptions and authorisation for administration. As regards safety legislation for radiopharmaceuticals the requirements of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 are outlined. (UK)

Understanding Cancer Prognosis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Budget Proposal NCI Congressional Justification NCI Budget Fact Book Careers at NCI Visitor Information Legislative Activities Hearings & ... Plan & Budget Proposal Congressional Justification NCI Budget Fact Book Legislative Activities Hearings & Testimonies Current Congress Legislative History ...

Legislation for nuclear disaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagata, Shozo

2012-01-01

Fukushima nuclear disaster accident clarified problems on nuclear-related legislation and its application. Legislation for nuclear disaster (LNA) could not respond to severe accident because assumed size of accident was not enough. After emergency event corresponding to the article 15 of LNA, was reported by the operator, more than two hours passed by the issuance of Emergency State Declaration. Off-site center could not work at all. This article reviewed outline of LNA and introduced discussion on the reform of legislation and its application. Reform discussion should be focused on swift and effective response readiness to emergency: 1) operator's substantial nuclear emergency drilling, (2) reinforcement of government's headquarters for emergency response, (3) after nuclear emergency, government's headquarters remained to enhance resident's safety from radiation hazard and (4) enactment of nuclear emergency preparedness guidelines for local communities. (T. Tanaka)

Legislative coalitions with incomplete information.

Science.gov (United States)

Dragu, Tiberiu; Laver, Michael

2017-03-14

In most parliamentary democracies, proportional representation electoral rules mean that no single party controls a majority of seats in the legislature. This in turn means that the formation of majority legislative coalitions in such settings is of critical political importance. Conventional approaches to modeling the formation of such legislative coalitions typically make the "common knowledge" assumption that the preferences of all politicians are public information. In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework to investigate which legislative coalitions form when politicians' policy preferences are private information, not known with certainty by the other politicians with whom they are negotiating over what policies to implement. The model we develop has distinctive implications. It suggests that legislative coalitions should typically be either of the center left or the center right. In other words our model, distinctively, predicts only center-left or center-right policy coalitions, not coalitions comprising the median party plus parties both to its left and to its right.

Impact of the legislation on electric utilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Long, M.

1982-01-01

The possible impact of Federal nuclear waste legislation on electric utilities is discussed. The proposed legislation will set forth a well defined program enabling utilities with nuclear plants to make long term plans under a statutory mandate committed to an available technology and implementation timetable. The legislation includes the necessary specificity for the utility companies to fulfill their responsibilities in describing their waste disposal plans to their customers, the concerned public, and state and local legislators

Prediction of hearing outcomes by multiple regression analysis in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Hideaki; Tabata, Takahisa; Koizumi, Hiroki; Hohchi, Nobusuke; Takeuchi, Shoko; Kitamura, Takuro; Fujino, Yoshihisa; Ohbuchi, Toyoaki

2014-12-01

This study aimed to create a multiple regression model for predicting hearing outcomes of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). The participants were 205 consecutive patients (205 ears) with ISSNHL (hearing level ≥ 40 dB, interval between onset and treatment ≤ 30 days). They received systemic steroid administration combined with intratympanic steroid injection. Data were examined by simple and multiple regression analyses. Three hearing indices (percentage hearing improvement, hearing gain, and posttreatment hearing level [HLpost]) and 7 prognostic factors (age, days from onset to treatment, initial hearing level, initial hearing level at low frequencies, initial hearing level at high frequencies, presence of vertigo, and contralateral hearing level) were included in the multiple regression analysis as dependent and explanatory variables, respectively. In the simple regression analysis, the percentage hearing improvement, hearing gain, and HLpost showed significant correlation with 2, 5, and 6 of the 7 prognostic factors, respectively. The multiple correlation coefficients were 0.396, 0.503, and 0.714 for the percentage hearing improvement, hearing gain, and HLpost, respectively. Predicted values of HLpost calculated by the multiple regression equation were reliable with 70% probability with a 40-dB-width prediction interval. Prediction of HLpost by the multiple regression model may be useful to estimate the hearing prognosis of ISSNHL. © The Author(s) 2014.

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention: Can Your Baby Hear?

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2007-06-15

This podcast discusses how important it is that every child receives a hearing screening as soon as possible after birth. It also gives specific ways that parents and health providers can find out if a child has a possible hearing loss and where to get further information. (Created 6/5/2007 by the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, NCBDDD).  Created: 6/15/2007 by National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.   Date Released: 6/25/2007.

45 CFR 99.11 - Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing. 99.11 Section 99.11 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURE FOR HEARINGS FOR THE CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT FUND Preliminary Matters-Notice and Parties § 99...

49 CFR 209.115 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 209.115 Section 209.115 Transportation... Hearing. (a) When a hearing is requested and scheduled under § 209.113, a hearing officer designated by the Chief Counsel convenes and presides over the hearing. If requested by respondent and if...

Motivation to Address Self-Reported Hearing Problems in Adults with Normal Hearing Thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Alicea, Carly C. M.; Doherty, Karen A.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the motivation to change in relation to hearing problems in adults with normal hearing thresholds but who report hearing problems and that of adults with a mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Factors related to their motivation were also assessed. Method: The motivation to change in…

Postural control assessment in students with normal hearing and sensorineural hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo, Renato de Souza; Lemos, Andrea; Macky, Carla Fabiana da Silva Toscano; Raposo, Maria Cristina Falcão; Ferraz, Karla Mônica

2015-01-01

Children with sensorineural hearing loss can present with instabilities in postural control, possibly as a consequence of hypoactivity of their vestibular system due to internal ear injury. To assess postural control stability in students with normal hearing (i.e., listeners) and with sensorineural hearing loss, and to compare data between groups, considering gender and age. This cross-sectional study evaluated the postural control of 96 students, 48 listeners and 48 with sensorineural hearing loss, aged between 7 and 18 years, of both genders, through the Balance Error Scoring Systems scale. This tool assesses postural control in two sensory conditions: stable surface and unstable surface. For statistical data analysis between groups, the Wilcoxon test for paired samples was used. Students with hearing loss showed more instability in postural control than those with normal hearing, with significant differences between groups (stable surface, unstable surface) (ppostural control compared to normal hearing students of the same gender and age. Copyright © 2014 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Working memory and referential communication – multimodal aspects of interaction between children with sensorineural hearing impairment and normal hearing peers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olof eSandgren

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Whereas the language development of children with sensorineural hearing impairment (SNHI has repeatedly been shown to differ from that of peers with normal hearing (NH, few studies have used an experimental approach to investigate the consequences on everyday communicative interaction. This mini review gives an overview of a range of studies on children with SNHI and NH exploring intra- and inter-individual cognitive and linguistic systems during communication.Over the last decade, our research group has studied the conversational strategies of Swedish speaking children and adolescents with SNHI and NH using referential communication, an experimental analogue to problem-solving in the classroom. We have established verbal and nonverbal control and validation mechanisms, related to working memory capacity (WMC and phonological short term memory (PSTM. We present main findings and future directions relevant for the field of cognitive hearing science and for the clinical and school-based management of children and adolescents with SNHI.

Status of legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilman, P.

1982-01-01

The Senate passed 69 to 6 legislation to provide a comprehensive nuclear waste policy. This legislation restates some things the Department of Energy is already doing. It modifies some others, and in some cases it provides new authorities, principally in those areas of state participation and in the area of financing of the program. Some of the provisions of the Senate bill are: schedule for a number of items in the disposal of nuclear waste, the first being an area referred to as away-from reactor storage; a timetable for geologic disposal; a plan for the long-term storage of nuclear waste for spent fuels; a financing mechanism; and states participation

34 CFR 668.116 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hearing. 668.116 Section 668.116 Education Regulations... Program Review Determinations § 668.116 Hearing. (a) A hearing is a process conducted by the hearing official whereby an orderly presentation of arguments and evidence is made by the parties. (b) The hearing...

40 CFR 57.807 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hearing. 57.807 Section 57.807... § 57.807 Hearing. (a) Composition of hearing panel. The Presiding Officer shall preside at the hearing held under this subpart. An EPA panel shall also take part in the hearing. In general, the membership...

34 CFR 668.88 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hearing. 668.88 Section 668.88 Education Regulations of... Proceedings § 668.88 Hearing. (a) A hearing is an orderly presentation of arguments and evidence conducted by a hearing official. (b) If the hearing official, the designated department official who brought a...

19 CFR 356.23 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hearing. 356.23 Section 356.23 Customs Duties... § 356.23 Hearing. (a) Scheduling of hearing. The administrative law judge will schedule the hearing at a... parties adequately to prepare for the hearing and the importance of expeditiously resolving the matter. (b...

Hearing aid-related satisfaction based on type and degree of hearing loss in elderly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farzad FarajiKhiavi

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the elderly; using a hearing aid to alleviate auditory impairment can positively affect their quality of life. This research aimed to determine the level of satisfaction concerning hearing aids in elderly people with hearing impairment based on the type and degree of hearing loss.Methods: An analytic cross-sectional research design was used ; the sample included 40 elderly people who used hearing aids. According to the World Health Organization (WHO age classification, participants were divided into two age groups: 65-74 years (n=20 and 75-90 years (n=20. Satisfaction levels were assessed using a standard satisfaction with amplification in daily life (SADL questionnaire.Results: Satisfaction levels in the 65-74 age group were significantly higher than that in the 75-90 age group (p=0.02. Participants with mixed hearing loss revealed higher satisfaction levels than participants with sensorineural hearing loss (p=0.02. On the negative effects dimension, participants with severe hearing loss exhibited significantly higher satisfaction levels than participants with moderate or moderate to severe hearing loss (p=0.01.Conclusion: Total satisfaction mean scores were relatively high in the elderly participants . Negative features could be reduced via careful consultation regarding the aids’ amplifying capabilities and limitations in groups with moderate or moderate to severe hearing loss.

Pre-enlistment hearing loss and hearing loss disability among US soldiers and marines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlene E Gubata

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Hearing loss is a common condition among US adults, with some evidence of increasing prevalence in young adults. Noise-induced hearing loss attributable to employment is a significant source of preventable morbidity world-wide. The US military population is largely comprised of young adult males serving in a wide variety of occupations, many in high noise-level conditions, at least episodically. To identify accession and service-related risk factors for hearing-related disability, matched case-control study of US military personnel was conducted. Individuals evaluated for hearing loss disability in the US Army and Marine Corps were frequency matched to controls without history of disability evaluation on service and enlistment year. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine the association between accession and service-related factors and hearing-related disability evaluations between October 2002 and September 2010. Individuals with medically disqualifying audiograms or hearing loss diagnoses at application for military service were 8 and 4 times more likely, respectively, to have a disability evaluation related to hearing loss, after controlling for relevant accession, demographic, and service-related factors. Conservative hearing loss thresholds on pre-enlistment audiograms, stricter hearing loss medical waiver policies or qualified baseline audiograms pre-enlistment are needed in the U.S military. Industrial corporations or labor unions may also benefit from identifying individuals with moderate hearing loss at the time of employment to ensure use of personal protective equipment and engineer controls of noise.

5 CFR 1215.5 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 1215.5 Section 1215.5... § 1215.5 Hearing. (a) Request for hearing. (1) An employee must file a petition for a hearing in accordance with the instructions outlined in the agency's notice to offset. (2) A hearing may be requested by...

10 CFR 16.9 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 16.9 Section 16.9 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY... § 16.9 Hearing. (a) Request for hearing. (1) An employee shall file a petition for a hearing in... creditor agency, a hearing may be requested by filing a written petition stating why the employee disputes...

45 CFR 213.11 - Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing. 213.11 Section 213.11 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE FOR HEARINGS TO STATE...

42 CFR 430.70 - Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing. 430.70 Section 430.70 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS GRANTS TO STATES FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS Hearings on Conformity of State Medicaid Plans...

Evolution of European Union legislation of herbal medicinal products and its transposition to national legislation in 1965-2007: case Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Koski, Sari M; Laitinen-Parkkonen, Pirjo; Airaksinen, Marja

2015-01-01

The study aim was to explore the progress of legislation relating to herbal medicinal products in the European Union and compare it with the corresponding progress of the legislation in Finland in 1965-2007. The study was carried out using content analysis. Data were searched from publicly available European Union directives and national acts. All definitions and safety-related requirements for herbal medicinal products were identified. The transposition of safety-related requirements into the national legislation was studied. Medicinal products from plant origins have been part of the European Union legislation since 1965. Most plant-based products have not initially been regarded as medicinal products but rather as some kind of medicine-like products. The official definition of herbal medicinal products was introduced in Directive 2004/24/EC and implemented into the Finnish legislation with the terminology to recognise herbal medicinal products as part of medicinal products. The current safety-related requirements of medicinal products concern analogously herbal medicinal products. Herbal medicinal products have had different definitions in pharmaceutical legislation over the study period in the European Union and Finland. The current definition places herbal medicinal products more clearly under the medicinal products' legislation. Safety-related requirements are now practically identical for all medicinal products. Transposition of the European Union legislation into the national legislation in Finland is apparent. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prevention of the Evolution of Workers' Hearing Loss from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Noisy Environments through a Hearing Conservation Program

OpenAIRE

Fonseca, Vinicius Ribas; Marques, Jair; Panegalli, Flavio; Gonçalves, Claudia Giglio de Oliveira; Souza, Wesley

2016-01-01

Introduction Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a serious problem for workers and therefore for businesses. The hearing conservation program (HCP) is a set of coordinated measures to prevent the development or evolution of occupational hearing loss, which involves a continuous and dynamic process of implementation of hearing conservation routines through anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and subsequent control of the occurrence of existing environmental risks or of those thatmay exist...

29 CFR 784.102 - General legislative history.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General legislative history. 784.102 Section 784.102 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STATEMENTS OF GENERAL... Aquatic Products Legislative History of Exemptions § 784.102 General legislative history. (a) As orginally...

12 CFR 308.155 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 308.155 Section 308.155 Banks and... Pursuant to Section 32 of the FDIA § 308.155 Hearing. (a) Hearing dates. The Executive Secretary shall order a hearing to be commenced within 30 days after receipt of a request for a hearing filed pursuant...

19 CFR 111.67 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hearing. 111.67 Section 111.67 Customs Duties U.S... Revocation § 111.67 Hearing. (a) Hearing officer. The hearing officer must be an administrative law judge... right to examine all exhibits offered at the hearing and will have the right to cross-examine witnesses...

14 CFR 13.79 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 13.79 Section 13.79 Aeronautics....79 Hearing. If an alleged violator requests a hearing in accordance with § 13.75, the procedure of Subpart D of this part applies. At the close of the hearing, the Hearing Officer, on the record or...

45 CFR 16.11 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 16.11 Section 16.11 Public Welfare... BOARD § 16.11 Hearing. (a) Electing a hearing. If the appellant believes a hearing is appropriate, the... appeal file). The Board will approve a request (and may schedule a hearing on its own or in response to a...

Visual function and ocular status of children with hearing impairment in Oman: A case series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khandekar Rajiv

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Visual functions of children with hearing disability were evaluated in a school of Muscat, Oman in 2006. Two hundred and twenty-three children were tested for near vision, distant vision, contrast sensitivity, color vision, field of vision, motion perception and crowding. Profound and severe hearing loss was noted in 161 and 63 students respectively. Thirty-five (81% students with refractive error were using spectacles. Color vision and field of vision was defective in one student each. In 286 (64.1% eyes, contrast sensitivity was defective. Abnormal contrast sensitivity was not associated with the severity of hearing loss [RR = 1.04 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.29]. Children with hearing impairment should be assessed for visual functions. Refractive error and defect in contrast sensitivity were unusually high among these children. In addition to visual aids, we recommend environmental changes to improve illumination and contrast to improve the quality of life of such children with double disability.

Hear, Hear!

Science.gov (United States)

Rittner-Heir, Robbin

2000-01-01

Examines the problem of acoustics in school classrooms; the problems it creates for student learning, particularly for students with hearing problems; and the impediments to achieving acceptable acoustical levels for school classrooms. Acoustic guidelines are explored and some remedies for fixing sound problems are highlighted. (GR)

Cochlear implantation: is hearing preservation necessary in severe to profound hearing loss?

Science.gov (United States)

Derinsu, Ufuk; Serin, Gediz Murat; Akdaş, Ferda; Batman, Çağlar

2011-03-01

The goal of the cochlear implant surgery is to place the electrode array with minimal damage to preserve the residual hearing. Round-window insertion can be performed in a manner that is potentially less traumatic than the standard cochleostomy. The purpose of the study was to investigate audiological results of the round-window approach using standard electrode. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate our experience in patients with implanted through round window between January 2007 and March 2009. Sixty patients had undergone cochlear implant surgery through the round window with full insertion of a standard electrode array. Preoperative and postoperative pure-tone thresholds were measured for implanted ears in the range of 250 to 4000 Hz. Within these 60 cases, 31 patients had been evaluated. The population comprised 16 women and 15 men. The mean age was 15.96 years (range, 4-64 years). Follow-up times ranged from 6 to 26 months. Preservation of low-frequency hearing (250 and 500 Hz) was achieved in 27 (87%) of 31 patients. Complete hearing preservation (all frequencies) was accomplished in 11 patients (35.48%). No hearing could be determined postoperatively in 4 patients (12.9%), having preoperative thresholds of 120 dB at 250, 500, and 1000 Hz. Round-window approach has been widely used for preservation of residual hearing. In our patients with severe to profound hearing loss, we preserved residual hearing. Although the residual hearing cannot be sufficient for using additional acoustic stimulation, the preserved residual hearing means minimal damage and a more convenient cochlea, so this is promising for future development.

Hearing Disorders and Deafness

Science.gov (United States)

... enough to enjoy talking with friends or family. Hearing disorders make it hard, but not impossible, to ... often be helped. Deafness can keep you from hearing sound at all. What causes hearing loss? Some ...

Attitudes hearing impaired children face from hearing people : a case study from Wollega, Ethiopia

OpenAIRE

Olika, Ruth Erin Liselott

2009-01-01

The aim of this research is to find out what kind of attitudes that hearing impaired children face from hearing people, and how these attitudes influence the hearing impaired child’s life. This is a qualitative research project with interview as the instrument of collecting data. The interviews were conducted in Wollega, Ethiopia with four different informant groups: Children with hearing impairment (CWHI), their parents (Parents CWHI), Children with hearing (CWH), and their parents (Parents ...

29 CFR 783.28 - General legislative history.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General legislative history. 783.28 Section 783.28 Labor... TO EMPLOYEES EMPLOYED AS SEAMEN Legislative History and Judicial Construction of the Exemptions § 783.28 General legislative history. As originally enacted in 1938, section 13(a)(3) of the Fair Labor...

Hearing Impairment

Science.gov (United States)

... Ear Hears Think about how you can feel speakers vibrate on your sound system or feel your throat vibrate when you speak. Sound, which is made up of invisible waves of energy, causes these vibrations. Hearing begins when sound waves that travel through ...

Vowel production of Mandarin-speaking hearing aid users with different types of hearing loss.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Chen Hung

Full Text Available In contrast with previous research focusing on cochlear implants, this study examined the speech performance of hearing aid users with conductive (n = 11, mixed (n = 10, and sensorineural hearing loss (n = 7 and compared it with the speech of hearing control. Speech intelligibility was evaluated by computing the vowel space area defined by the Mandarin Chinese corner vowels /a, u, i/. The acoustic differences between the vowels were assessed using the Euclidean distance. The results revealed that both the conductive and mixed hearing loss groups exhibited a reduced vowel working space, but no significant difference was found between the sensorineural hearing loss and normal hearing groups. An analysis using the Euclidean distance further showed that the compression of vowel space area in conductive hearing loss can be attributed to the substantial lowering of the second formant of /i/. The differences in vowel production between groups are discussed in terms of the occlusion effect and the signal transmission media of various hearing devices.

Handbook on Nuclear Law: Implementing Legislation (Spanish Edition)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoiber, C.; Cherf, A.; Tonhauser, W.; Vez Carmona, Maria de Lourdes

2012-01-01

In 2003, the IAEA published the Handbook on Nuclear Law (the 2003 Handbook), which emphasized that the safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy in any State can only be ensured with the promulgation and implementation of an effective national legal framework to govern this technology. The IAEA has long been involved in providing assistance to its Member States in developing these frameworks, and demand for such assistance has increased dramatically. Since publication of the 2003 Handbook, requests for IAEA legislative assistance have - if anything - been even more numerous, in large part due to the fact that over sixty Member States that currently do not utilize nuclear energy for the production of electrical power have recently expressed interest in pursuing this option. The current nuclear laws in many of these States are limited to non-power uses of ionizing radiation, such as those utilizing radiation sources for medical, agricultural and industrial purposes. If these States move toward nuclear power development, they will need to adopt legislation consistent with the various relevant international legal instruments covering the field (such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, among others) and with relevant voluntary guidance documents developed under the aegis of the IAEA. The 2003 Handbook has already made an important contribution to enhancing national capabilities to develop the necessary legal frameworks by setting out the general scheme of nuclear law. However, a number of important developments in nuclear law have occurred since its publication. These developments are discussed in the present volume. Also, over the past six years, representatives of many Member States receiving IAEA legislative assistance have suggested that it would be valuable to develop model texts of legislative provisions covering the key elements needed in a national nuclear law. The present volume provides such

Does tinnitus, hearing asymmetry, or hearing loss predispose to occupational injury risk?

Science.gov (United States)

Cantley, Linda F; Galusha, Deron; Cullen, Mark R; Dixon-Ernst, Christine; Tessier-Sherman, Baylah; Slade, Martin D; Rabinowitz, Peter M; Neitzel, Richard L

2015-02-01

To determine the relative contributions of tinnitus, asymmetrical hearing loss, low frequency hearing loss (pure tone average of 0.5, 1, 2, 3 kHz; PTA.5123), or high frequency hearing loss (pure tone average of 4, 6 kHz; PTA46), to acute injury risk among a cohort of production and maintenance workers at six aluminum manufacturing plants, adjusting for ambient noise exposure and other recognized predictors of injury risk. Retrospective analysis. The study considered 9920 workers employed during 2003 to 2008. The cohort consisted of 8818 workers (89%) whose complete records were available. Adjusting for noise exposure and other recognized injury predictors, a 25% increased acute injury risk was observed among workers with a history of tinnitus in conjunction with high-frequency hearing loss (PTA46). Low frequency hearing loss may be associated with minor, yet less serious, injury risk. We did not find evidence that asymmetry contributes to injury risk. These results provide evidence that tinnitus, combined with high-frequency hearing loss, may pose an important safety threat to workers, especially those who work in high-noise exposed environments. These at risk workers may require careful examination of their communication and hearing protection needs.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Science.gov (United States)

... Home » Health Info » Hearing, Ear Infections, and Deafness Noise-Induced Hearing Loss On this page: What is ... I find additional information about NIHL? What is noise-induced hearing loss? Every day, we experience sound ...

National legislative and regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This section treats of the following National legislative and regulatory activities: 1 - France: General legislation, regulations and instruments; Nuclear trade (including non-proliferation); International co-operation; 2 - India: Licensing and regulatory infrastructure; Liability and compensation; 3 - Ireland: Nuclear safety and radiological protection (including nuclear emergency planning); Transport of radioactive material; Nuclear trade (including non-proliferation); 4 - Lithuania: Licensing and regulatory infrastructure; Nuclear safety and radiological protection (including nuclear emergency planning); Radioactive waste management; 5 - Luxembourg: Nuclear safety and radiological protection (including nuclear emergency planning); 6 - Slovak Republic: International co-operation; General legislation, regulations and instruments; 7 - Spain: Radioactive materials (including physical protection); Radioactive waste management; 8 - United States: Licensing and regulatory infrastructure

Maritime environmental penal law. International and German legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eller, Jan Frederik

2017-01-01

The book on maritime environmental penal law discusses the following issues: part I: introduction into the importance of oceanic environment and its thread, requirement of protective measures,; part II: focus of the study and terminology: oceanic pollution, maritime environmental legislation, international legislation; part 3: international legislative regulations concerning the protection of maritime environment: avoidance of environmental pollution, maritime legislative agreements, existing protective institutions; part 4: state penal power concerning maritime environmental protection; part 5: statutory offense according to German legislation; perspectives for regulations concerning criminal acts on sea.

Legislating for advocacy: The case of whistleblowing.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Chanel L; O'Connor, Tom

2017-05-01

The role of nurses as patient advocates is one which is well recognised, supported and the subject of a broad body of literature. One of the key impediments to the role of the nurse as patient advocate is the lack of support and legislative frameworks. Within a broad range of activities constituting advocacy, whistleblowing is currently the subject of much discussion in the light of the Mid Staffordshire inquiry in the United Kingdom (UK) and other instances of patient mistreatment. As a result steps to amend existing whistleblowing legislation where it exists or introduce it where it does not are underway. This paper traces the development of legislation for advocacy. The authors argue that while any legislation supporting advocacy is welcome, legislation on its own will not encourage or enable nurses to whistleblow.

Bone-anchored hearing devices in children with unilateral conductive hearing loss: a patient-carer perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Banga, Rupan; Doshi, Jayesh; Child, Anne; Pendleton, Elizabeth; Reid, Andrew; McDermott, Ann-Louise

2013-09-01

We sought to determine the outcome of implantation of a bone-anchored hearing device in children with unilateral conductive hearing loss. A retrospective case note analysis was used in a tertiary referral pediatric hospital to study 17 consecutive cases of pediatric patients with unilateral conductive hearing loss who were fitted with a bone-anchored hearing device between 2005 and 2010. The average age of the patients at the time of bone-anchored hearing device fitting was 10 years 6 months (range, 6 years 3 months to 16 years). Qualitative subjective outcome measures demonstrated benefit. The vast majority of patients reported improved social and physical functioning and improved quality of life. All 17 patients are currently using their bone-anchored hearing device on a daily basis after a follow-up of 6 months. This study has shown improved quality of life in children with unilateral hearing loss after implantation of their bone-anchored hearing device. There was a high degree of patient satisfaction and improvement in health status reported by children and/or carers. Bone-anchored hearing devices have an important role in the management of children with symptomatic unilateral hearing loss. Perhaps earlier consideration of a bone-anchored hearing device would be appropriate in selected cases.

Comparison of Carina active middle-ear implant with conventional hearing aids for mixed hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Savaş, V A; Gündüz, B; Karamert, R; Cevizci, R; Düzlü, M; Tutar, H; Bayazit, Y A

2016-04-01

To compare the auditory outcomes of Carina middle-ear implants with those of conventional hearing aids in patients with moderate-to-severe mixed hearing loss. The study comprised nine patients (six males, three females) who underwent middle-ear implantation with Carina fully implantable active middle-ear implants to treat bilateral moderate-to-severe mixed hearing loss. The patients initially used conventional hearing aids and subsequently received the Carina implants. The hearing thresholds with implants and hearing aids were compared. There were no significant differences between: the pre-operative and post-operative air and bone conduction thresholds (p > 0.05), the thresholds with hearing aids and Carina implants (p > 0.05), or the pre-operative (mean, 72.8 ± 19 per cent) and post-operative (mean, 69.9 ± 24 per cent) speech discrimination scores (p > 0.05). One of the patients suffered total sensorineural hearing loss three months following implantation despite an initial 38 dB functional gain. All except one patient showed clinical improvements after implantation according to quality of life questionnaire (Glasgow Benefit Inventory) scores. Acceptance of Carina implants is better than with conventional hearing aids in patients with mixed hearing loss, although both yield similar hearing amplification. Cosmetic reasons appear to be critical for patient acceptance.

The congressional viewpoint: Deficit reduction and risk legislation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chakoff, H.E.

1995-12-31

This presentation will provide a current congressional status of legislation related to low-level waste and DOE cleanup. Key legislation discussed will include S. 755 for Privatization of the Uranium Enrichment Corporation and the markup of H.R. 1020, the Nuclear Waste Legislation. In addition, the session will include a discussion of legislation related to the approval of the Texas compact.

The congressional viewpoint: Deficit reduction and risk legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakoff, H.E.

1995-01-01

This presentation will provide a current congressional status of legislation related to low-level waste and DOE cleanup. Key legislation discussed will include S. 755 for Privatization of the Uranium Enrichment Corporation and the markup of H.R. 1020, the Nuclear Waste Legislation. In addition, the session will include a discussion of legislation related to the approval of the Texas compact

10 CFR 710.25 - Appointment of Hearing Officer; prehearing conference; commencement of hearings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... papers, issuing subpoenas for witnesses to attend the hearing or for the production of specific documents... extension of the hearing date past 90 calendar days from the date the request for hearing is received by the...

Computer Contribution Act of 1983. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures of the Committee on Ways and Means. House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, First Session, on H.R.701 (San Francisco, California).

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Ways and Means.

This hearing on legislation designed to encourage contributions of computers and computer equipment to elementary and secondary schools emphasizes California's experience with a state-level program. Testimony is included from the following witnesses: Kay Pacheco, Alameda County Office of Education; Michael D. Rashkin, Apple Computer, Inc.; Barbara…

78 FR 5556 - Public Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-25

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Public Hearing AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold a public hearing on February 14, 2013, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At this public hearing, the Commission will hear testimony on the...

77 FR 64576 - Public Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-22

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Public Hearing AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold a public hearing on November 15, 2012, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At this public hearing, the Commission will hear testimony on the...

78 FR 43961 - Public Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-22

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Public Hearing AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold a public hearing on August 15, 2013, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At this public hearing, the Commission will hear testimony on the...

77 FR 44703 - Public Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-30

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Public Hearing AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold a public hearing on August 23, 2012, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At this public hearing, the Commission will hear testimony on the...

78 FR 64260 - Public Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-28

... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION Public Hearing AGENCY: Susquehanna River Basin Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold a public hearing on November 13, 2013, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At this public hearing, the Commission will hear testimony on the...

Prevention of the Evolution of Workers' Hearing Loss from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Noisy Environments through a Hearing Conservation Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Vinicius Ribas; Marques, Jair; Panegalli, Flavio; Gonçalves, Claudia Giglio de Oliveira; Souza, Wesley

2016-01-01

Introduction Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a serious problem for workers and therefore for businesses. The hearing conservation program (HCP) is a set of coordinated measures to prevent the development or evolution of occupational hearing loss, which involves a continuous and dynamic process of implementation of hearing conservation routines through anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and subsequent control of the occurrence of existing environmental risks or of those that may exist in the workplace and lead to workers' hearing damage. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the HCP in preventing further hearing loss in workers with audiograms suggestive of NIHL. The audiometric tests and medical records of 28 furniture company workers exposed to noise were reviewed and monitored for 2 years. Methods This retrospective, cross-sectional study examined five audiometric tests in the medical records (on admission and every semester) of 28 workers in a furniture company (totaling 140 audiometric exams) following the introduction of the HCP. Results Data analysis showed no differences between the audiometric tests conducted on admission and those performed every semester. Conclusions The HCP implemented was effective in preventing the worsening of hearing loss in workers already with NIHL when exposed to occupational noise. Therefore, such a measure could be useful for the employment of workers with hearing loss in job sectors that have noise exposure.

Prevention of the Evolution of Workers' Hearing Loss from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Noisy Environments through a Hearing Conservation Program

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Vinicius Ribas; Marques, Jair; Panegalli, Flavio; Gonçalves, Claudia Giglio de Oliveira; Souza, Wesley

2015-01-01

Introduction Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a serious problem for workers and therefore for businesses. The hearing conservation program (HCP) is a set of coordinated measures to prevent the development or evolution of occupational hearing loss, which involves a continuous and dynamic process of implementation of hearing conservation routines through anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and subsequent control of the occurrence of existing environmental risks or of those that may exist in the workplace and lead to workers' hearing damage. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the HCP in preventing further hearing loss in workers with audiograms suggestive of NIHL. The audiometric tests and medical records of 28 furniture company workers exposed to noise were reviewed and monitored for 2 years. Methods This retrospective, cross-sectional study examined five audiometric tests in the medical records (on admission and every semester) of 28 workers in a furniture company (totaling 140 audiometric exams) following the introduction of the HCP. Results Data analysis showed no differences between the audiometric tests conducted on admission and those performed every semester. Conclusions The HCP implemented was effective in preventing the worsening of hearing loss in workers already with NIHL when exposed to occupational noise. Therefore, such a measure could be useful for the employment of workers with hearing loss in job sectors that have noise exposure. PMID:26722345

Changes in auditory perceptions and cortex resulting from hearing recovery after extended congenital unilateral hearing loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jill B Firszt

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Monaural hearing induces auditory system reorganization. Imbalanced input also degrades time-intensity cues for sound localization and signal segregation for listening in noise. While there have been studies of bilateral auditory deprivation and later hearing restoration (e.g. cochlear implants, less is known about unilateral auditory deprivation and subsequent hearing improvement. We investigated effects of long-term congenital unilateral hearing loss on localization, speech understanding, and cortical organization following hearing recovery. Hearing in the congenitally affected ear of a 41 year old female improved significantly after stapedotomy and reconstruction. Pre-operative hearing threshold levels showed unilateral, mixed, moderately-severe to profound hearing loss. The contralateral ear had hearing threshold levels within normal limits. Testing was completed prior to, and three and nine months after surgery. Measurements were of sound localization with intensity-roved stimuli and speech recognition in various noise conditions. We also evoked magnetic resonance signals with monaural stimulation to the unaffected ear. Activation magnitudes were determined in core, belt, and parabelt auditory cortex regions via an interrupted single event design. Hearing improvement following 40 years of congenital unilateral hearing loss resulted in substantially improved sound localization and speech recognition in noise. Auditory cortex also reorganized. Contralateral auditory cortex responses were increased after hearing recovery and the extent of activated cortex was bilateral, including a greater portion of the posterior superior temporal plane. Thus, prolonged predominant monaural stimulation did not prevent auditory system changes consequent to restored binaural hearing. Results support future research of unilateral auditory deprivation effects and plasticity, with consideration for length of deprivation, age at hearing correction, degree and type

International hearing protector standardization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Torben

2002-01-01

Hearing protectors shall fulfill some minimum requirements to their performance. As hearing protector manufacturers sell the products all over the world, the testing and certification of hearing protectors has become an international issue. The ISO working group WG17 under the headlines Acoustics...

Hearing Screening Follow-Up: Completing the Process to Identify Hearing Health Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Eiserman, William; Shisler, Lenore; Hoffman, Jeff

2015-01-01

Hearing is at the heart of language development and school readiness; increasing numbers of Early Head Start programs have come to rely on otoacoustic emissions (OAE) technology to screen all infants and toddlers for hearing loss. Successful identification of hearing health needs is dependent not only on an appropriate screening method, but also…

Equality, Legal Certainty and Tax Legislation in the Netherlands
Fundamental Legal Principles as Checks on Legislative Power: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans Gribnau

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Fundamental legal principles may function as a check on legislative power protecting citizens against arbitrary interferences with their liberty. This contribution deals with the principle of equality and the principle of certainty. First, the testing of legislation against the principle of equality is presented as a case study of constitutional review. In the Netherlands, the constitutional dialogue between the legislator and the Dutch Supreme Court revolving around the principle of equality demonstrates a fair amount of subtle details. As a result, constitutional review can hardly be called an all or nothing affair.Secondly, retroactive tax legislation is dealt with. The legislator does seem to take the principle of legal certainty, another fundamental legal principle, quite seriously, although no testing of statutory legislation is possible by the courts. With regard to retroactive tax legislation the Government has committed itself in a memorandum, requested by Parliament, to adhere to rules of conduct with regard to different situations where it deems retroactive tax legislation to be justified. Thus, a soft law instrument facilitates a dialogue between different partners in the business of law-making.

Self-Assessment of Hearing and Purchase of Hearing Aids by Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Otavio, Andressa Colares da Costa

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction Presbycusis is a consequence of aging. Prescription of hearing aids is part of the treatment, although the prevalence of use by elderly people is still small. Objective To verify whether or not self-assessment of hearing is a predictor for purchase of hearing aids. Methods Quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and observational study. Participants were subjects who sought a private hearing center for selection of hearing aids. During the diagnostic interview, subjects answered the following question: “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 the best, how would you rate your overall hearing ability?” After that, subjects underwent audiometry, selected a hearing aid, performed a home trial, and decided whether or not to purchase the hearing aid. The variables were associated and analyzed statistically. Results The sample was comprised of 32 subjects, both men and women, with a higher number of women. Mean age was 71.41 ± 12.14 years. Self-assessment of hearing ranged from 2 to 9 points. Overall, 71.9% of the subjects purchased hearing aids. There was no association between scores in the self-assessment and the purchase of hearing aids (p = 0.263. Among those who scored between 2 and 5 points, 64.7% purchased the device; between 6 and 7 points, 76.09% purchased the device; and between 8 and 9 points, 50% purchased the device, respectively. Conclusion There is evidence that low self-assessment scores lead to the purchase of hearing aids, although no significant association was observed in the sample.

A Prospectus of Working Women's Concerns. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Employment Opportunities of the Committee on Education and Labor. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session (July 21-22, 1987).

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and Labor.

This document contains congressional hearings to raise a variety of issues and problems pertaining to women in the workplace. It focuses on legislation that might alleviate any adverse conditions that might exist, especially H.R. 2577, the Economic Equity Act of 1987. Issues include barriers in pay equity, wider opportunities for women and…

5 CFR 831.1106 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 831.1106 Section 831.1106...) RETIREMENT Prohibition on Payments of Annuities § 831.1106 Hearing. (a) OPM's hearing examiner shall preside at any hearing held pursuant to this subpart, unless OPM designates another presiding officer. The...

Efficient evaluation of hearing ability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2009-01-01

A system for establishing a hearing ability model of a hearing ability of a person, includes a data storage configured to store a representation of a distribution of a hearing ability of a population of individuals, and a processor configured to establish a hearing ability model representing a

49 CFR 209.321 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 209.321 Section 209.321 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD SAFETY ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES Disqualification Procedures § 209.321 Hearing. (a) Upon receipt of a hearing request complying with § 209.311, an administrative hearing for review of a notice of...

Effects of acoustical stimuli delivered through hearing aids on tinnitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweetow, Robert W; Sabes, Jennifer Henderson

2010-01-01

The use of acoustic signals to mask, mix with, or ease the distress associated with tinnitus has been clinically employed for decades. It has been proposed that expanding acoustic options for tinnitus sufferers due to personal preferences is desirable. Fractal tones incorporate many useful characteristics of music while avoiding certain features that could be distracting to some individuals. To assess the effects on relaxation, tinnitus annoyance, tinnitus handicap, and tinnitus reaction from the use of a hearing aid that incorporates combinations of amplification, fractal tones, and white noise. Participants listened to experimental hearing aids containing several acoustic options and were asked to rate the signals in terms of their effect on relaxation and tinnitus annoyance. They subsequently wore the hearing aids for 6 mo and completed tinnitus handicap and reaction scales. Fourteen hearing-impaired adults with primary complaints of subjective tinnitus. Participants were tested wearing hearing aids containing several programs including amplification only, fractal tones only, and a combination of amplification, noise, and/or fractal tones. The fractal tones (now commercially available as the "Zen" feature) were generated by the Widex Mind hearing aid. Rating procedures were conducted in the laboratory, and tinnitus reaction and handicap were assessed during and following a 6 mo field trial. Data were collected at the initial visit, one week, 1 mo, 3 mo, and 6 mo. Nonparametric statistics included Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank, chi(2), and repeated-measures analyses of variance. Thirteen of 14 participants reported that their tinnitus annoyance, as measured by the Tinnitus Annoyance Scale, was reduced for at least one of the amplified conditions (with or without fractal tones or noise), relative to the unaided condition. Nine assigned a lower tinnitus annoyance rating when listening to fractal tones alone versus the amplification-alone condition. There was a

Maximum likelihood based multi-channel isotropic reverberation reduction for hearing aids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuklasiński, Adam; Doclo, Simon; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2014-01-01

We propose a multi-channel Wiener filter for speech dereverberation in hearing aids. The proposed algorithm uses joint maximum likelihood estimation of the speech and late reverberation spectral variances, under the assumption that the late reverberant sound field is cylindrically isotropic....... The dereverberation performance of the algorithm is evaluated using computer simulations with realistic hearing aid microphone signals including head-related effects. The algorithm is shown to work well with signals reverberated both by synthetic and by measured room impulse responses, achieving improvements...

Newborn hearing screening and strategy for early detection of hearing loss in infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakubíková, Janka; Kabátová, Zuzana; Pavlovcinová, Gabriela; Profant, Milan

2009-04-01

More than 80% of permanent hearing losses (HL) in children are congenital. Newborn hearing screening (NHS) is the best method for early detection of suspected hearing loss. If the NHS is not universal more than 30% permanent hearing losses are not identified. There are various methods of NHS: otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE, DPOAE) and automatic auditory brainstem response (AABR). After hearing screening, and when hearing loss is suspected, tympanometry and audiological methods then used for determination of hearing threshold; these include ABR, ASSR or/and behavioral methods. The goal of this study is to evaluate the influence of UNHS on the early detection of hearing loss in children before and after the implementation of obligatory universal newborn hearing screening in Slovakia, and also on the etiologic evaluation of hearing impaired infants identified by screening. In Slovakia NHS started in 1998 and was provided in ENT departments. From May 1, 2006 UNHS has been mandatory in Slovakia, using two stages TEOAE in all newborn departments in Slovakia (64 newborn departments). In year 2005--42% of newborns in Slovakia were screened, in 2006--66% newborns and in 2007--94, 99% (three small newborn departments do not yet have equipment for OAE screening). For determination of hearing thresholds ASSR are used in two ENT departments and ABR in the other four ENT departments. Comparing the number of identified cases with bilateral severe permanent HL or deafness before and after UNHS, 22.8% more cases of PHL were identified in the first year of UNHS. Also the average age of diagnosis of PHL was lower. In the year 2007, 94% of newborns were screened. We found 0.947/1000 newborns with bilateral severe PHL (35.9%) more than before UNHS). After audiologic and etiologic assessment of the 76 infants who failed screening, 5 (6.58%) were found to have normal hearing, 16 (22.54%) had unilateral and 55 (77.46%) had bilateral SNHL. A non-syndromic genetic cause was present in 25

Nuclear Regulatory Legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-08-01

This compilation of statutes and material pertaining to nuclear regulatory legislation through the 100th Congress, 2nd Session, has been prepared by the Office of the General Counsel, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with the assistance of staff, for use as an internal resource document. Persons using this document are placed on notice that it may not be used as an authoritative citation in lieu of the primary legislative sources. Furthermore, while every effort has been made to ensure the completeness and accuracy of this material, neither the United States Government, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nor any of their employees makes any expressed or implied warranty or assumes liability for the accuracy or completeness of the material presented in this compilation

Legislative vulnerability of minority groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Paula, Carlos Eduardo Artiaga; Silva, Ana Paula da; Bittar, Cléria Maria Lôbo

2017-12-01

Minorities are in an inferior position in society and therefore vulnerable in many aspects. This study analyzes legislative vulnerability and aims to categorize as "weak" or "strong" the protection conferred by law to the following minorities: elderly, disabled, LGBT, Indians, women, children/ adolescents and black people. In order to do so, it was developed a documental research in 30 federal laws in which legal provisions were searched to protect minorities. Next, the articles were organized in the following categories: civil, criminal, administrative, labor and procedural, to be analyzed afterwards. Legal protection was considered "strong" when there were legal provisions that observed the five categories and "weak" when it did not meet this criterion. It was noted that six groups have "strong" legislative protection, which elides the assertion that minorities are outside the law. The exception is the LGBT group, whose legislative protection is weak. In addition, consecrating rights through laws strengthens the institutional channels for minorities to demand their rights. Finally, it was observed that the legislative protection granted tominorities is not homogeneous but rather discriminatory, and there is an interference by the majority group in the rights regulation of vulnerable groups.

15 CFR 90.14 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 90.14 Section 90.14 Commerce... OF COMMERCE PROCEDURE FOR CHALLENGING CERTAIN POPULATION AND INCOME ESTIMATES § 90.14 Hearing. (a) The hearing shall be conducted by the same hearing officer who collected the documentary evidence, if...

47 CFR 1.1928 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 1.1928 Section 1.1928... United States Salary Offset-Individual Debt § 1.1928 Hearing. (a) Petition for hearing. (1) An employee may request a hearing by filing a written petition with the Managing Director of the Commission, or...

19 CFR 354.12 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hearing. 354.12 Section 354.12 Customs Duties... ANTIDUMPING OR COUNTERVAILING DUTY ADMINISTRATIVE PROTECTIVE ORDER § 354.12 Hearing. (a) Scheduling of hearing. The presiding official will schedule the hearing at a reasonable time, date, and place, which will be...

Newborn hearing screening vs later hearing screening and developmental outcomes in children with permanent childhood hearing impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korver, Anna M. H.; Konings, Saskia; Dekker, Friedo W.; Beers, Mieke; Wever, Capi C.; Frijns, Johan H. M.; Oudesluys-Murphy, Anne M.; de Vries, Jutte; Vossen, Ann; Kant, Sarina; van den Akker-van Marle, Elske; le Cessie, Saskia; Rieffe, Carolien; Ens-Dokkum, Martina; van Straaten, Irma; Uilenburg, Noelle; Elvers, Bert; Loeber, Gerard; Meuwese-Jongejeugd, Anneke; Maré, Marcel; van Zanten, Bert; Goedegebure, André; Coster, Francien; van Dijk, Pim; Goverts, Theo; Admiraal, Ronald; Cremers, Cor; Kunst, Dirk; de Leeuw, Marina; Dijkhuizen, Janette; Scharloo, Marleen; Hoeben, Dirk; Rijpma, Gerti; Graef, Wim; Linschoten, Dik; Kuijper, Jessica; Hof, Nanda; Koldewijn, Reinoud; Pans, Donné; Jorritsma, Frank; van Beurden, Maarten; ter Huurne, Christien; Brienesse, Patrick; Seekles, Lisanne; de Jong, Jantine; Thijssen, Andrea; Lievense, Andrea; van Egdom-van der Wind, Marina; Theunissen, Stephanie; Mooij, Sophie

2010-01-01

Newborn hearing screening programs have been implemented in many countries because it was thought that the earlier permanent childhood hearing impairment is detected, the less developmentally disadvantaged children would become. To date, however, no strong evidence exists for universal introduction

National legislative and regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

This part gathers the national legislative and regulatory activities. The subjects tackled are as follow: radiological protection (Belgium), transport of radioactive materials (Belgium, France), general legislation (Brazil, Ireland, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Turkey), third part liability (Japan), radioactive waste management (Korea, Romania, Slovenia, Usa), regime of radioactive materials (Romania), organisation and structure (Switzerland), regime of nuclear installations (Usa), regulations on nuclear trade (Usa). (N.C)

Comparison of reading comprehension and working memory in hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Rezaei

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Reading is the most important human need for learning. In normal-hearing people working memory is a predictor of reading comprehension. In this study the relationship between working memory and reading comprehension skills was studied in hearing-impaired children, and then compared with the normal-hearing group.Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic study. The working memory and reading comprehension skills of 18 (8 male, 10 female sever hearing-impaired children in year five of exceptional schools were compared by means of a reading test with 18 hearing children as control group. The subjects in the control group were of the same gender and educational level of the sample group.Results: The children with hearing loss performed similarly to the normal-hearing children in tasks related to auditory-verbal memory of sounds (reverse, visual-verbal memory of letters, and visual-verbal memory of pictures. However, they showed lower levels of performance in reading comprehension (p<0.001. Moreover, no significant relationship was observed between working memory and reading comprehension skills.Conclusion: Findings indicated that children with hearing loss have a significant impairment in the reading comprehension skill. Impairment in language knowledge and vocabulary may be the main cause of poor reading comprehension in these children. In hearing-impaired children working memory is not a strong predictor of reading comprehension.

29 CFR 2200.209 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hearing. 2200.209 Section 2200.209 Labor Regulations... Simplified Proceedings § 2200.209 Hearing. (a) Procedures. As soon as practicable after the conclusion of the pre-hearing conference, the Judge will hold a hearing on any issue that remains in dispute. The...

5 CFR 1639.23 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 1639.23 Section 1639.23... Hearing. (a) Request for hearing. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, an employee who desires a hearing concerning the existence or amount of the debt or the proposed offset schedule must send...

45 CFR 607.5 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 607.5 Section 607.5 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SALARY OFFSET § 607.5 Hearing. (a) Request for hearing. (1) An employee may file a petition for an oral or paper hearing in...

7 CFR 900.115 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 900.115 Section 900.115 Agriculture... Hearing. (a) The arbitrator shall have full discretion to conduct the hearing in such manner as will, in..., and other experts. (h) When more than two arbitrators are designated to hear a dispute, and they...

Deafness and Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, Washington, DC.

This brief overview provides information on the definition, incidence, and characteristics of children with hearing impairments and deafness. The federal definitions of hearing impairment and deafness are provided. The different types of hearing loss are noted, including: (1) conductive (caused by diseases or obstructions in the outer or middle…

Influence of Loudness Compression on Hearing with Bone Anchored Hearing Implants

OpenAIRE

Kurz, Anja; Caversaccio, Marco; Kompis, Martin; Flynn, Marc

2014-01-01

Bone Anchored Hearing Implants (BAHI) are routinely used in patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss, e.g. if conventional air conduction hearing aids cannot be used. New sound processors and new fitting software now allow the adjustment of parameters such as loudness compression ratios or maximum power output separately. Today it is unclear, how the choice of these parameters influences aided speech understanding in BAHI users. In this prospective experimental study, the effect ...

Objective Scaling of Sound Quality for Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Listeners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Lars Bramsløw

) Subjective sound quality ratings of clean and distorted speech and music signals, by normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners, to provide reference data, 2) An auditory model of the ear, including the effects of hearing loss, based on existing psychoacoustic knowledge, coupled to 3) An artificial neural......A new method for the objective estimation of sound quality for both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners has been presented: OSSQAR (Objective Scaling of Sound Quality and Reproduction). OSSQAR is based on three main parts, which have been carried out and documented separately: 1...... network, which was trained to predict the sound quality ratings. OSSQAR predicts the perceived sound quality on two independent perceptual rating scales: Clearness and Sharpness. These two scales were shown to be the most relevant for assessment of sound quality, and they were interpreted the same way...

Hearing aid adjustment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinemann, Trine; Matthews, Ben; Raudaskoski, Pirkko Liisa

2012-01-01

to the interaction during hearing aid fitting. This report of a Danish pilot study describes two such problems. The first problem arises from the requirement that the audiologist needs to ‘translate’ the patient’s subjective hearing description for making technological decisions. The second problem is the way...... in which the hearing aid user’s implicit and often unrealistic expectations are handled. This kind of research has potential application for developing a model of best practices....

Legislation on university technology transfer and research management 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-02-01

This book deals with legislation on university technology transfer in 2012, which includes invention promotion act, legislation on technology transfer and promotion of industrialization, legislation on industrial education and industrial cooperation, and special legislation on venture business. It lists the legislation related research and development by government department : fundamental law of scientific technique, law on evaluation and management of domestic research development business, national science and technology council and the patent office.

Atmosferic pollution due to sea traffic. An overview on international legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landri, G.; Prati, M.V.

1999-01-01

Only recently the attention for the injuries to human and environmental health due to vehicular pollutant emission has been enlarged to the sea traffic. Consequently, technologies and local and international actions has been developed to control the phenomenon. In this paper the activities undertaken in the marine field, comparing the two types of traffic with references to the relevant legislations, are shown [it

45 CFR 33.6 - Hearings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... adjudication and need not take the form of an evidentiary hearing, i.e., the rules of evidence need not apply... information developed at the hearing, as soon as practicable after the hearing, but not later than sixty (60) days after the date on which the hearing petition was received by the creditor agency, unless the...

45 CFR 1179.5 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 1179.5 Section 1179.5 Public Welfare... ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES SALARY OFFSET § 1179.5 Hearing. (a) Request for hearing. (1) An employee must file a petition for a hearing in accordance with the instructions outlined in the agency's notice to...

45 CFR 1606.8 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 1606.8 Section 1606.8 Public Welfare... PROCEDURES; RECOMPETITION § 1606.8 Hearing. (a) The recipient may make written request for a hearing within... days after receipt of a request for a hearing, the Corporation shall notify the recipient in writing of...

10 CFR 2.1405 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 2.1405 Section 2.1405 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY... with Oral Hearings § 2.1405 Hearing. (a) No later than twenty (20) days after the conclusion of the prehearing conference, the presiding officer shall hold a hearing on any contention that remains in dispute...

12 CFR 308.142 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 308.142 Section 308.142 Banks and... Exchange Act of 1934 § 308.142 Hearing. (a) Proceedings are informal. Formal rules of evidence, the... Local Rules shall not apply to hearings under this subpart. (b) Hearing Procedure. (1) Parties to the...

34 CFR 300.181 - Hearing procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... evidentiary hearing and estimation of time for each presentation; or (E) Completion of the review and the... of the parties during the proceedings. The Hearing Official or Hearing Panel takes all steps... disposition of the case. (2) The Hearing Official or Hearing Panel may schedule a prehearing conference with...

Cognitive behaviour modification: a technique for teaching subtraction skills to hearing and deaf/hard-of-hearing elementary students.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hilawani, Y A

2000-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of using the Cognitive Behaviour Modification (CBM) technique on the subtraction skills of third grade hearing and deaf/hard-of-hearing students. The results indicated that the CBM deaf/hard-of-hearing students and the CBM and non-CBM hearing students made more progress in solving the subtraction problems than the non-CBM deaf/hard-of-hearing students. The results also showed that there were no significant differences between the CBM deaf/hard-of-hearing and the non-CBM hearing students; and there were no significant differences between the CBM and non-CBM hearing students. The results revealed that the CBM hearing students achieved significantly higher post-test scores than the CBM deaf/hard-of-hearing students. However, the CBM deaf/hard-of-hearing students obtained a significantly higher gain score compared to the CBM and non-CBM hearing students. Implications for teachers and suggestions for future research are discussed in this paper.

Legislative background of food and nutrition policy in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana Andreeva

2012-07-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The importance of effective policy aimed at improving nutrition practices is highly recognized by the global community. METHODS: Analysis of Ukrainian legislative documents was conducted to clarify the situation in the field of policy initiatives and legislation devoted to nutrition in Ukraine. Documents in force adopted from 1991 to 2011 including key words “nutrition”, “health”, “concept”, and “food products” were reviewed.RESULTS: We reviewed 55 legislative acts related to nutrition and identified several groups: 18 documents are related to organization of supply, regimen, norms of nutrition in state establishments or for special populations; 12 documents related to economic and technological regulation of food preparation, quality control and distribution; 3 documents regulating nutritious and safety norms of food products for children under 3 years; 14 documents aimed to control food safety, quality and accessibility; 6 other documents partly referred to nutrition, including 4 Concepts of healthy lifestyles. Some of the principles of healthy eating are declared in the “Concept of improving food security and quality of nutrition of the population” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2004. Principles of maintaining breastfeeding, activities aimed to reduce iodine deficiency among population as well as school educational program “Foundations of health” were those few governmental activities, which supported some of the ideas declared in the Concept. CONCLUSION: Great attention of policymakers is paid to regulation of production, distribution of food, its quality control, affordability of products for special population groups, especially children. Not much attention is devoted in the official documents to creating and maintaining the healthy eating practices of the population. Mechanisms aimed to form healthy eating practices are not specified in the legislative documents. No regulatory documents to

Career Education of Hearing-Impaired Students: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullis, Michael, Ed.; Watson, Douglas, Ed.

This monograph reviews the many efforts that have been made in the fields of education and vocational rehabilitation to develop and refine career preparation services for hearing-impaired individuals. The following papers are included in the volume: "Career Education: A Literature Review," by Charlene Dwyer; "A Current Profile of Career Education…

Is Hearing Impairment Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emamifar, Amir; Bjoerndal, Kristine; Jensen Hansen, Inger Marie

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, inflammatory disease that affects 1% of the population. The auditory system may be involved during the course of disease; however the association of RA and hearing impairment has not been clearly defined. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review...... is to evaluate published clinical reports related to hearing impairment in patients with RA. Furthermore, we discuss possible pathologies and associated factors as well as new treatment modalities. METHOD: A thorough literature search was performed using available databases including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane...... and ComDisDome to cover all relative reports. The following keywords were used: hearing loss, hearing difficulties, hearing disorders, hearing impairment, sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, autoimmune hearing loss, drug ototoxicity, drug-induced hearing loss, hearing...

[Does the healthcare for rare diseases benefit from the legislative reforms?

Science.gov (United States)

Heyder, Ralf

2017-05-01

The founding of the National Action League for People with Rare Diseases (NAMSE) in 2010 represents the creation of a significant political platform. In addition, recent years had seen Germany and the EU adopt specific legislative measures aimed at improving healthcare for people with rare diseases. In this article we will give an overview of the legislative reforms adopted between 2013 and 2016 and evaluate how the specific healthcare situation of people with rare diseases has been improved. This article analyzes the health care legislative reforms adopted during the 18th term (since 2013) of the German lower house, the Bundestag, as well as their self-governing implementation. The analysis also extends to similar political initiatives of the European Commission. The impact of the recent hospital reforms on the health care received by patients or on the work of health care providers in the field of rare diseases cannot be assessed conclusively at this point (January 2017). One positive feature is that the health care coverage mandate of the university hospital outpatient departments now also comprises rare diseases. Recent legislative measures have created possibilities to improve the economic position of centers for rare diseases and university hospital outpatient departments. What these improvements will look like specifically depends on the implementation within the hospital plans of the federal states as well as on the outcome of the remuneration negotiations between university hospitals and health insurance funds.

Comparison of Audiological Results Between a Transcutaneous and a Percutaneous Bone Conduction Instrument in Conductive Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerdes, Timo; Salcher, Rolf Benedikt; Schwab, Burkard; Lenarz, Thomas; Maier, Hannes

2016-07-01

In conductive, mixed hearing losses and single-sided-deafness bone-anchored hearing aids are a well-established treatment. The transcutaneous transmission across the intact skin avoids the percutaneous abutment of a bone-anchored device with the usual risk of infections and requires less care.In this study, the audiological results of the Bonebridge transcutaneous bone conduction implant (MED-EL) are compared to the generally used percutaneous device BP100 (Cochlear Ltd., Sydney, Australia). Ten patients implanted with the transcutaneous hearing implant were compared to 10 matched patients implanted with a percutaneous device. Tests included pure-tone AC and BC thresholds and unaided and aided sound field thresholds. Speech intelligibility was determined in quiet using the Freiburg monosyllable test and in noise with the Oldenburg sentence test (OLSA) in sound field with speech from the front (S0). The subjective benefit was assessed with the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit. In comparison with the unaided condition there was a significant improvement in aided thresholds, word recognition scores (WRS), and speech reception thresholds (SRT) in noise, measured in sound field, for both devices. The comparison of the two devices revealed a minor but not significant difference in functional gain (Bonebridge: PTA = 27.5 dB [mean]; BAHA: PTA = 26.3 dB [mean]). No significant difference between the two devices was found when comparing the improvement in WRSs and SRTs (Bonebridge: improvement WRS = 80% [median], improvement SRT = 6.5 dB SNR [median]; BAHA: improvement WRS = 77.5% [median], BAHA: improvement SRT = 6.9 dB SNR [median]). Our data show that the transcutaneous bone conduction hearing implant is an audiologically equivalent alternative to percutaneous bone-anchored devices in conductive hearing loss with a minor sensorineural hearing loss component.

19 CFR 207.66 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hearing. 207.66 Section 207.66 Customs Duties... EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES Five-Year Reviews § 207.66 Hearing. (a) In general. The Commission shall hold a hearing in each full review. The date of the hearing shall be specified in the scheduling notice...

29 CFR 101.34 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hearing. 101.34 Section 101.34 Labor Regulations Relating... Section 10(k) of the Act § 101.34 Hearing. If the parties have not adjusted the dispute or agreed upon methods of voluntary adjustment, a hearing, usually open to the public, is held before a hearing officer...

29 CFR 4221.6 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hearing. 4221.6 Section 4221.6 Labor Regulations Relating... PLANS ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES IN MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS § 4221.6 Hearing. (a) Time and place of hearing established. Unless the parties agree to proceed without a hearing as provided in § 4221.5(c), the parties and...

Hearing loss at work? Hearing loss from leisure activities?

CERN Multimedia

2006-01-01

The nurses of the Medical Service would like invite all persons working on the CERN site to take part in a: HEARING LOSS DETECTION WEEK From 28 August to 1st September 2006 At the Infirmary, Building 57 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hearing tests - advice - information - documentation - protective equipment

Hear, hear, what, what

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1985-02-01

Noise is now the most serious health hazard in industry. People risk suffering severe damage to their hearing and health generally through exposure to noise levels which exceed the risk limit of 95-90 dB(A). Stress related problems are often directly the result of exposure to noise. Furthermore, noise leads to reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and compensation claims. In a series of eight reports, Bilson technologists detail the specific noise problems commonly encountered in each of the major areas of industry. These range from the concrete and construction industry through sawmilling, wood working, mining and mechanical engineering, to textile and food manufacture. This report discusses the noise in mining, considering drills, load haul dump machines, surface mines, earth moving equipment, treatment plants, frequency spectra of noise, and finally, choice of hearing protection.

Deaf/Hearing Research Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Wolsey, Ju-Lee A.; Misener Dunn, Kim; Gentzke, Scott W.; Joharchi, Hannah A.; Clark, M. Diane

2017-01-01

Deaf individuals typically are seen through the lens of the dominant hearing society's perception, i.e., that being deaf is an impairment. Today, a small but growing number of Deaf and hearing researchers are challenging this perception. The authors examined perceptions of what components are necessary for a successful Deaf/hearing research…

Improvements in speech understanding with wireless binaural broadband digital hearing instruments in adults with sensorineural hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreisman, Brian M; Mazevski, Annette G; Schum, Donald J; Sockalingam, Ravichandran

2010-03-01

This investigation examined whether speech intelligibility in noise can be improved using a new, binaural broadband hearing instrument system. Participants were 36 adults with symmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss (18 experienced hearing instrument users and 18 without prior experience). Participants were fit binaurally in a planned comparison, randomized crossover design study with binaural broadband hearing instruments and advanced digital hearing instruments. Following an adjustment period with each device, participants underwent two speech-in-noise tests: the QuickSIN and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT). Results suggested significantly better performance on the QuickSIN and the HINT measures with the binaural broadband hearing instruments, when compared with the advanced digital hearing instruments and unaided, across and within all noise conditions.

Model Legislation for GAAP and GASB.

Science.gov (United States)

Bissell, George E.

1987-01-01

The use of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) by all state and local governments may require legislation. Findings from a survey of states to get data on current accounting and financial reporting practices are summarized. Model legislation to provide uniformity in accounting and reporting is presented. (MLF)

Occupational hearing loss

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001048.htm Occupational hearing loss To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Occupational hearing loss is damage to the inner ear from noise ...

Dimensions of Deaf/Hard-of Hearing and Hearing Adolescents’ Health Literacy and Health Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Scott R.; Samar, Vincent J.

2016-01-01

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) adults have lower health literacy compared to hearing adults but it is unclear if this disparity also occurs in adolescence. We used the Health Literacy Skills Instrument-Short Form (HLSI-SF), Short Form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy (S-TOFHLA), Comprehensive Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (CHDKQ) and newly constructed interactive and critical health literacy survey items to quantify D/HH and hearing adolescents’ health literacy. We adapted and translated survey materials into sign language and spoken English to reduce testing bias due to variable English language skills. Participants were 187 D/HH and 94 hearing college-bound high school students. Adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, school grade, and SES, D/HH adolescents demonstrated weaker general and functional health literacy and cardiovascular health knowledge than hearing adolescents on the HLSI, S-TOFHLA, and CHDKQ (all p’s<.0001). Standard health literacy or knowledge scores were associated with several interactive and critical health literacy skills (all p’s<.05). D/HH adolescents who reported greater hearing-culture identity, having hearing aids, experiencing better hearing with assistive devices, having good quality of communication with parents, and attending hearing schools at least half of the time had higher functional health literacy (all p’s<.025). Those who reported English as their best language and attending hearing schools at least half the time had higher cardiovascular health knowledge scores (all p’s< .03). Results suggest that interventions to improve D/HH adolescents’ health literacy should target their health-related conversations with their families, access to printed health information, and access to health information from other people, especially health care providers and educators. PMID:27548284

Dimensions of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing and Hearing Adolescents' Health Literacy and Health Knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Scott R; Samar, Vincent J

2016-01-01

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) adults have lower health literacy compared to hearing adults, but it is unclear whether this disparity also occurs in adolescence. We used the Health Literacy Skills Instrument-Short Form (HLSI-SF), Short Form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA), Comprehensive Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (CHDKQ), and newly constructed interactive and critical health literacy survey items to quantify D/HH and hearing adolescents' health literacy. We adapted and translated survey materials into sign language and spoken English to reduce testing bias due to variable English language skills. Participants were 187 D/HH and 94 hearing college-bound high school students. When we adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, school grade, and socioeconomic status, D/HH adolescents demonstrated weaker general and functional health literacy and cardiovascular health knowledge than hearing adolescents on the HLSI, S-TOFHLA, and CHDKQ (all ps < .0001). Standard health literacy or knowledge scores were associated with several interactive and critical health literacy skills (all ps < .05). D/HH adolescents who reported greater hearing-culture identity, having hearing aids, experiencing better hearing with assistive devices, having good quality of communication with parents, and attending hearing schools at least half of the time had higher functional health literacy (all ps < .025). Those who reported English as their best language and attending hearing schools at least half of the time had higher cardiovascular health knowledge scores (all ps < .03). Results suggest that interventions to improve D/HH adolescents' health literacy should target their health-related conversations with their families; access to printed health information; and access to health information from other people, especially health care providers and educators.

Disability, Technology and Politics: The entangled experience of being hard of hearing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene Olaussen

2011-03-01

Full Text Available About 10 % of a population have a hearing loss. Combining analytical resources from two interdisciplinary field – Science and Technology Studies and Disability Studies - this thesis investigates the complex interplay between people, technologies and material surroundings. The aim is to learn about how hearing disability becomes ordered in policy making, audiological practice, and everyday life. Disability has traditionally been treated as a physical defect, a problem that can be compensated for utilizing medicine and assistive technologies. Over the last decades, disability policy has undergone a discursive shift. Today, disability is conceptualized as a natural part of societal diversity. Thus, rather than normalizing the disabled individual, society should enable the full inclusion and participation of disabled people in societal life. But how to realize the vision of the universal society? How to translate social rights into empowering medical consultation, enabling technical aids, including material surroundings, and respectful social relations among the people that live and work with hearing disability? Following policy to practice; hearing aids from design to use, and hard of hearing people from the audiological clinic and home, this investigates the transition from disability policy to practice. The result is a comparative, qualitative study of hearing loss in Norway and the Netherlands.

Petroleum Legislation and Administration: Past, Present, Future and Impact on Exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ofurhie, M. A.

2002-01-01

The need to exploit the vast petroleum resources of the country in an optimally efficient manner demands a versatile, responsive, workable legislation and its administration.Therefore, Government enacted the Mineral Oils Act of 1914, which regulates the right to search and develop mineral oil efficiently. Specifically, Section 6 (1) (a) provided that Shell Darcy, a British company, had the sole right to operate the Nigerian province as its concession thereby disqualifying other non-British companies from exploration opportunities.The 1914 Act was modified in 1958 to accommodate non-British companies to compete for acreage. Thus, exploration activities increased thereby generating more reserves. Furthermore, exploration activities improved in the frontier areas because government granted the operators incentives, which expensed one exploratory and two appraisal wells as an offset against PPT.The Government promulgated the Petroleum Act of 1969 to ensure good management of the abundant petroleum resources found in the Niger Delta basin. The Act vests the ownership and control of all petroleum resources in the state. The marginal fields legislation strives to encourage more participation by indigenous companies, while at the same time boosting national producible reserves through a farm-in arrangement with concessionaires. Legislations on deep-water exploration have encouraged exploration activities in that terrain though it poses a great challenge to technology. Government's desire to eradicate environmental pollution and improve revenue has led it to enact legislations that would properly position Nigerian gas to compete favourably in the world market. Joint studies by government and operators in viable options for utilizing uncommitted gas through projects such as Gas-to Liquid, NGL and IPP are on-going.Although many of the Legislations have not changed by a large margin, their dynamic administration accommodates their reviews to match increasingly difficult safety

9 CFR 124.42 - Hearing procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Diligence Hearing § 124.42 Hearing procedure. (a) The presiding officer shall be appointed by the... hearing. (g) The due diligence hearing will be conducted in accordance with rules of practice adopted for... opportunity to participate as a party in the hearing. The standard of due diligence set forth in § 124.33 will...

Early Radiosurgery Improves Hearing Preservation in Vestibular Schwannoma Patients With Normal Hearing at the Time of Diagnosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akpinar, Berkcan [University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States); Mousavi, Seyed H., E-mail: mousavish@upmc.edu [Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States); McDowell, Michael M.; Niranjan, Ajay; Faraji, Amir H. [Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States); Flickinger, John C. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States); Lunsford, L. Dade [Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (United States)

2016-06-01

Purpose: Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are increasingly diagnosed in patients with normal hearing because of advances in magnetic resonance imaging. We sought to evaluate whether stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) performed earlier after diagnosis improved long-term hearing preservation in this population. Methods and Materials: We queried our quality assessment registry and found the records of 1134 acoustic neuroma patients who underwent SRS during a 15-year period (1997-2011). We identified 88 patients who had VS but normal hearing with no subjective hearing loss at the time of diagnosis. All patients were Gardner-Robertson (GR) class I at the time of SRS. Fifty-seven patients underwent early (≤2 years from diagnosis) SRS and 31 patients underwent late (>2 years after diagnosis) SRS. At a median follow-up time of 75 months, we evaluated patient outcomes. Results: Tumor control rates (decreased or stable in size) were similar in the early (95%) and late (90%) treatment groups (P=.73). Patients in the early treatment group retained serviceable (GR class I/II) hearing and normal (GR class I) hearing longer than did patients in the late treatment group (serviceable hearing, P=.006; normal hearing, P<.0001, respectively). At 5 years after SRS, an estimated 88% of the early treatment group retained serviceable hearing and 77% retained normal hearing, compared with 55% with serviceable hearing and 33% with normal hearing in the late treatment group. Conclusions: SRS within 2 years after diagnosis of VS in normal hearing patients resulted in improved retention of all hearing measures compared with later SRS.

Early Radiosurgery Improves Hearing Preservation in Vestibular Schwannoma Patients With Normal Hearing at the Time of Diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akpinar, Berkcan; Mousavi, Seyed H.; McDowell, Michael M.; Niranjan, Ajay; Faraji, Amir H.; Flickinger, John C.; Lunsford, L. Dade

2016-01-01

Purpose: Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are increasingly diagnosed in patients with normal hearing because of advances in magnetic resonance imaging. We sought to evaluate whether stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) performed earlier after diagnosis improved long-term hearing preservation in this population. Methods and Materials: We queried our quality assessment registry and found the records of 1134 acoustic neuroma patients who underwent SRS during a 15-year period (1997-2011). We identified 88 patients who had VS but normal hearing with no subjective hearing loss at the time of diagnosis. All patients were Gardner-Robertson (GR) class I at the time of SRS. Fifty-seven patients underwent early (≤2 years from diagnosis) SRS and 31 patients underwent late (>2 years after diagnosis) SRS. At a median follow-up time of 75 months, we evaluated patient outcomes. Results: Tumor control rates (decreased or stable in size) were similar in the early (95%) and late (90%) treatment groups (P=.73). Patients in the early treatment group retained serviceable (GR class I/II) hearing and normal (GR class I) hearing longer than did patients in the late treatment group (serviceable hearing, P=.006; normal hearing, P<.0001, respectively). At 5 years after SRS, an estimated 88% of the early treatment group retained serviceable hearing and 77% retained normal hearing, compared with 55% with serviceable hearing and 33% with normal hearing in the late treatment group. Conclusions: SRS within 2 years after diagnosis of VS in normal hearing patients resulted in improved retention of all hearing measures compared with later SRS.

Asymmetric hearing loss in a random population of patients with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Segal, Nili; Shkolnik, Mark; Kochba, Anat; Segal, Avichai; Kraus, Mordechai

2007-01-01

We evaluated the correlation of asymmetric hearing loss, in a random population of patients with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss, to several clinical factors such as age, sex, handedness, and noise exposure. We randomly selected, from 8 hearing institutes in Israel, 429 patients with sensorineural hearing loss of at least 30 dB at one frequency and a speech reception threshold not exceeding 30 dB. Patients with middle ear disease or retrocochlear disorders were excluded. The results of audiometric examinations were compared binaurally and in relation to the selected factors. The left ear's hearing threshold level was significantly higher than that of the right ear at all frequencies except 1.0 kHz (p < .05). One hundred fifty patients (35%) had asymmetric hearing loss (more than 10 dB difference between ears). In most of the patients (85%) the binaural difference in hearing threshold level, at any frequency, was less than 20 dB. Age, handedness, and sex were not found to be correlated to asymmetric hearing loss. Noise exposure was found to be correlated to asymmetric hearing loss.

Hearing Loss: Issues in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreland, Christopher; Atcherson, Samuel R; Zazove, Philip; McKee, Michael M

2015-07-01

Hearing loss can lead to impairments in language and speech acquisition, educational attainment, social development, and reading achievement. More than 90% of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children are born to hearing parents who may lack the knowledge or experience to effectively care for a child with hearing loss. Family involvement is crucial for teaching self-advocacy and global communication skills, optimizing social development, and helping DHH individuals understand and manage external attitudes about deafness and hearing loss. American Sign Language is a naturally developed language with an always-expanding lexicon and grammatical structures different from those of English. Teaching spoken English and American Sign Language equally, often called bilingual bimodal education, can enhance academic and reading achievement as well as language and psychosocial development. Formal schooling options for a DHH child include enrollment in a public or private school system (often called inclusion, integration, or mainstreaming), a school for the deaf, or a bilingual school. Individuals with hearing loss experience stereotypes and biases that create disparities in health insurance coverage, health care access, and outcomes of mental and physical conditions. Family physicians should recognize and minimize biases to improve health care in the DHH community. Written permission from the American Academy of Family Physicians is required for reproduction of this material in whole or in part in any form or medium.

Sensorineural hearing loss in children.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Wormald, R

2010-02-01

The objective of the study was to examine the aetiology of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in a paediatric population presenting to the National Centre of Medical Genetics. A retrospective chart review from 1998 to 2006. One hundred and twenty nine children were investigated for SNHL. The average age of diagnosis of hearing loss was 36 months. The degree of hearing loss was mild in 8 children, moderate in 33 children, severe in 31 children and profound in 57 children. Eighty-five children (66%) were diagnosed with a hereditary hearing loss, 11 (8%) children had an acquired hearing loss and no cause found in 33 (26%) children. This is the first report of the causes of hearing loss in Irish children. The mean age of diagnosis in our cohort is high and emphasises the need for a neonatal screening programme. There remains a number of children for whom the cause of hearing loss remains unknown.

The Political Economy of Collective Labour Legislation in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James W. Y. Wang

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This article provides a seminal analysis of collective labour legislation in Taiwan. A chronological review of Taiwan’s legislative process suggests that the context of incorporation, institutional framework, mechanisms for delivering reforms, and sequence of reforms together shape the legislative outcomes of labour reforms at the collective level. While most labour legislation was revised and passed after the preceding sequence of economic transition, the reform of collective labour rights was greatly constrained by the flexible labour-market structure. In order for politicians to form new alliances with labour organizations, legislation of collective labour rights was a strategy to cultivate support during electoral periods. Consequently, the industrial relations changed following the enactment of substantial reform-oriented labour legislation. Theore-tically, the historical analysis of legislative procedure unveils evolutionary reform paths for collective labour rights in new democracies. At the same time, empirically, Taiwan demonstrates an alternative reform path in combination with incremental steps and progressive agendas. For new democracies of small economy, a window of opportunity for the progress in collective labour legislation remains open today, albeit with limitations.

Legislative Bargaining and Incremental Budgeting

OpenAIRE

Dhammika Dharmapala

2002-01-01

The notion of 'incrementalism', formulated by Aaron Wildavsky in the 1960's, has been extremely influential in the public budgeting literature. In essence, it entails the claim that legislators engaged in budgetary policymaking accept past allocations, and decide only on the allocation of increments to revenue. Wildavsky explained incrementalism with reference to the cognitive limitations of lawmakers and their desire to reduce conflict. This paper uses a legislative bargaining framework to u...

Do You Need a Hearing Test?

Science.gov (United States)

... hearing them? Yes No Do you have difficulty hearing or understanding co-workers, clients, or customers? Yes No Do you feel restricted or limited by a hearing problem? Yes No Do you have difficulty hearing ...

Acoustic Trauma - Hearing Loss in Teenagers

Science.gov (United States)

... I Can Hear It, It's Too Loud: Earbuds & Teen Hearing Loss Page Content ​Many parents will agree ... hearing loss." Recommended Hearing Screenings for Older Children & Teens Kids should be screened at three ages: 11- ...

Hearing Aids: MedlinePlus Health Topic

Science.gov (United States)

... for hearing loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish Topic Image MedlinePlus Email Updates Get Hearing Aids updates ... MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA Devices for hearing loss Related Health Topics Cochlear Implants Hearing Disorders and Deafness National Institutes ...

Age-related Hearing Impairment and the Triad of Acquired Hearing Loss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Hui eYang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Understanding underlying pathological mechanisms is prerequisite for a sensible design of protective therapies against hearing loss. The triad of age-related, noise-generated, and drug-induced hearing loss ¬¬displays intriguing similarities in some cellular responses of cochlear sensory cells such as a potential involvement of reactive oxygen species and apoptotic and necrotic cell death. On the other hand, detailed studies have revealed that molecular pathways are considerably complex and, importantly, it has become clear that pharmacological protection successful against one form of hearing loss will not necessarily protect against another. This review will summarize pathological and pathophysiological features of age-related hearing impairment (ARHI in human and animal models and address selected aspects of the commonality (or lack thereof of cellular responses in ARHI to drugs and noise.

Hearing Conservation Live #2430

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chochoms, Michael [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-08-09

Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States (US). From 22 to 30 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, and 25% of these workers will develop permanent hearing loss. Hearing loss from noise is slow and painless, and you can have a disability before you notice it. This course presents the hazards associated with workplace noise, the purpose and elements of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Hearing Conservation Program (HCP), and controls that are available to reduce your exposure to hazardous levels of noise.

Plea for European Price Anderson legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roser, T.

1992-01-01

The paper analyses the essential features and the basic differences in nuclear liability and coverage in the United States where the problem is governed by the Price-Anderson legislation, and the Member States of the European Community which adhere to the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy. The paper undertakes to show that it is possible to introduce into the European Community certain elements of the American regime, in particular the solidarity of nuclear operators and the retroactive premium coverage without violating the basic principles of the Paris Convention. Consequently the paper advocates the adoption of such rules in Europe as a step towards harmonisation of nuclear coverage and safety and a means to reduce government interference. (author)

Ear malformations, hearing loss and hearing rehabilitation in children with Treacher Collins syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Francisco; Coutinho, Miguel Bebiano; Ferreira, João Pinto; Sousa, Cecilia Almeida

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the main ear malformations, hearing loss and auditory rehabilitation in children with Treacher Collins syndrome. We performed a retrospective study of 9 children with Treacher Collins syndrome treated in a central hospital between January 2003 and January 2013. This study showed a high incidence of malformations of the outer and middle ear, such as microtia, atresia or stenosis of the external auditory canal, hypoplastic middle ear cavity, dysmorphic or missing ossicular chain. Most patients had bilateral hearing loss of moderate or high degree. In the individuals studied, there was functional improvement in patients with bone-anchored hearing aids in relation to conventional hearing aids by bone conduction. Treacher Collins syndrome is characterized by bilateral malformations of the outer and middle ear. Hearing rehabilitation in these children is of utmost importance, and bone-anchored hearing aids is the method of choice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

Decline of Low-Frequency Hearing in People With Ski-Slope Hearing Loss; Implications for Electrode Array Insertion.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuurbiers, Jasper; Dingemanse, Gertjan; Metselaar, Mick

2017-12-01

The decline of low-frequency hearing in people with ski-slope hearing loss varies and might depend on etiology. People with ski-sloping hearing loss might benefit from cochlear implantation with preservation of residual hearing. To reduce the risk of losing low-frequency hearing after implantation, the electrode-array can be inserted partially up to the desired frequency. That, however, obstructs electrical stimulation of lower frequencies. To decide between complete or partial insertion, knowledge regarding the natural decline of low-frequency hearing is helpful. Patients with at least two ski-slope audiograms over time were selected. We calculated progression at lower frequencies for 320 patients. Etiologies for hearing loss were retrieved from medical records. Progression of hearing loss was analyzed separately for patients with uni- and bilateral hearing losses. Relative progression of hearing loss was obtained by comparing progression to a reference group. Average progression of PTA was 1.73 dB/yr and was not significantly different in the bilateral and unilateral group. Etiologies that did not show significantly more progression compared with the reference group could be identified as single or short-lasting pathologic events, whereas long-lasting conditions had significant more progression of PTA. Patients with a ski-slope hearing loss that was caused by a single or short-lasting event have low progression rate and are viable for partial insertion to minimize the risk of damaging residual low-frequency hearing. In the absence of such an event, complete insertion should be considered because faster than normal deterioration of low-frequency hearing over time will probably limit the advantage of preservation of residual hearing.

Does State Legislation Improve Nursing Workforce Diversity?

Science.gov (United States)

Travers, Jasmine; Smaldone, Arlene; Cohn, Elizabeth Gross

2015-08-01

A health-care workforce representative of our nation's diversity is a health and research priority. Although racial and ethnic minorities represent 37% of Americans, they comprise only 16% of the nursing workforce. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of state legislation on minority recruitment to nursing. Using data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and U.S. census, we compared minority enrollment in baccalaureate nursing programs of states (Texas, Virginia, Michigan, California, Florida, Connecticut, and Arkansas) before and 3 years after enacting legislation with geographically adjacent states without legislation. Data were analyzed using descriptive and chi-square statistics. Following legislation, Arkansas (13.8%-24.5%), California (3.3%-5.4%), and Michigan (8.0%-10.0%) significantly increased enrollment of Blacks, and Florida (11.8%-15.4%) and Texas (11.2%-13.9%) significantly increased enrollment of Hispanic baccalaureate nursing students. States that tied legislation to funding, encouragement, and reimbursement had larger enrollment gains and greater minority representation. © The Author(s) 2015.

An analysis of state legislation on community trails.

Science.gov (United States)

Eyler, Amy; Lankford, Tina; Chriqui, Jamie; Evenson, Kelly R; Kruger, Judy; Tompkins, Nancy; Voorhees, Carolyn; Zieff, Susan; Aytur, Semra; Brownson, Ross

2010-03-01

Trails provide opportunities for recreation, transportation and activity. The purpose of this article is to describe state legislation related to community trails, to analyze legislation content, and to evaluate legislation on inclusion of evidence-informed elements. State trail legislation from 2001 to 2008 was identified using online legislative databases. An analysis of evidence-informed elements included in the legislation was conducted. These elements included: funding, liability, accessibility, connectivity, and maintenance. Of the total 991 trail bills, 516 (52.0%) were appropriations bills, of which 167 (32.2%) were enacted. We analyzed 475 (48%) nonappropriation trail bills of which 139 (29.3%) were enacted. The percentage of enactment of appropriations bills decreased over time while enactment of nonappropriations trail bills increased. Over half of the nonappropriations trail bills included at least 1 evidence-informed element, most commonly funding. Few bills contained liability, connectivity, accessibility, or maintenance. There is opportunity for providing evidence-informed information to policy-makers to potentially influence bill content. The number of bills with a funding element demonstrates that fiscal support for trails is an important policy lever that state legislatures may use to support trails. Lastly, trails should be considered in over-all state-level physical activity legislation to provide opportunities for communities to be active.

Hearing Aid Personalization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jens Brehm; Nielsen, Jakob; Jensen, Bjørn Sand

2013-01-01

Modern digital hearing aids require and offer a great level of personalization. Today, this personalization is not performed based directly on what the user actually perceives, but on a hearing-care professional’s interpretation of what the user explains about what is perceived. In this paper......, an interactive personalization system based on Gaussian process regression and active learning is proposed, which personalize the hearing aids based directly on what the user perceives. Preliminary results demonstrate a significant difference between a truly personalized setting obtained with the proposed system...

Hearing poorly with skill

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Day, Dennis

2012-01-01

This paper offers an account of ongoing research into hearing. I offer a characterization of 'skil- led practitioners' from an Ethnomethodological perspective. The skilled practitioner in question is a generic 'hard of hearing' person. The ambition is that such a characterization, both in its...... making and its final state, may be an intrinsic part of design practices concerning the development of hearing aids....

Smartphone-Based Hearing Screening in Noisy Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngmin Na

2014-06-01

Full Text Available It is important and recommended to detect hearing loss as soon as possible. If it is found early, proper treatment may help improve hearing and reduce the negative consequences of hearing loss. In this study, we developed smartphone-based hearing screening methods that can ubiquitously test hearing. However, environmental noise generally results in the loss of ear sensitivity, which causes a hearing threshold shift (HTS. To overcome this limitation in the hearing screening location, we developed a correction algorithm to reduce the HTS effect. A built-in microphone and headphone were calibrated to provide the standard units of measure. The HTSs in the presence of either white or babble noise were systematically investigated to determine the mean HTS as a function of noise level. When the hearing screening application runs, the smartphone automatically measures the environmental noise and provides the HTS value to correct the hearing threshold. A comparison to pure tone audiometry shows that this hearing screening method in the presence of noise could closely estimate the hearing threshold. We expect that the proposed ubiquitous hearing test method could be used as a simple hearing screening tool and could alert the user if they suffer from hearing loss.

Hearing aid controlled by binaural source localizer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2009-01-01

An adaptive directional hearing aid system comprising a left hearing aid and a right hearing aid, wherein a binaural acoustic source localizer is located in the left hearing aid or in the right hearing aid or in a separate body- worn device connected wirelessly to the left hearing aid and the right

Swiss legislation on dog ownership

CERN Multimedia

DSU Department

2008-01-01

The Swiss Permanent Mission in Geneva has requested CERN to inform the members of its personnel that a notice relating to Swiss legislation on dog ownership has been published on-line at the following address: http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/topics/intorg/un/unge/gepri/pet.html This legislation is applicable to all international civil servants who own a dog. Relations with the Host States Service mailto:relations.secretariat@cern.ch http://www.cern.ch/relations/

State health agencies and the legislative policy process.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams-Crowe, S M; Aultman, T V

1994-01-01

A new era of health care reform places increasing pressure on public health leaders and agencies to participate in the public policy arena. Public health professionals have long been comfortable in providing the scientific knowledge base required in policy development. What has been more recent in its evolution, however, is recognition that they must also play an active role in leading and shaping the debate over policy. A profile of effective State legislative policy "entrepreneurs" and their strategies has been developed to assist health agencies in developing such a leadership position. Based on the experiences of State legislative liaison officers, specific strategies for dealing with State legislatures have been identified and are organized into five key areas--agency organization, staff skills, communications, negotiation, and active ongoing involvement. A public health agency must be organized effectively to participate in the legislative policy process. Typically, effective agencies centralize responsibility for policy activities and promote broad and coordinated participation throughout the organization. Playing a key role in the agency's political interventions, the legislative liaison office should be staffed with persons possessing excellent interpersonal skills and a high degree of technical competence. Of central importance to effective legislative policy entrepreneurship is the ability to communicate the agency's position clearly. This includes setting forward a focused policy agenda, documenting policy issues in a meaningful manner, and reaching legislators with the proper information. Once a matter is on the legislative agenda, the agency must be prepared to negotiate and build broad support for the measure. Finally, public health agencies must be active policy players. To take advantage of new opportunities for action, the public health (policy) leader must monitor the political environment continually.By working to anticipate and formulate

Analysis of risk factors associated with unilateral hearing loss in children who initially passed newborn hearing screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Appelbaum, Eric N; Howell, Jessica B; Chapman, Derek; Pandya, Arti; Dodson, Kelley M

2018-03-01

To analyze 2007 Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) risk factors in children with confirmed unilateral hearing loss (UHL) who initially passed newborn hearing screening. Retrospective record review of 16,108 infants who passed newborn hearing screening but had one or more JCIH risk factors prompting subsequent follow-up through the universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program in Virginia from 2010 to 2012. The study was reviewed and qualified as exempt by the Virginia Commonwealth University Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Virginia Department of Health. Over the 2-year study period, 14896 (4.9% of total births) children passed UNHS but had the presence of one or more JCIH risk factor. Ultimately, we identified 121 babies from this group with confirmed hearing loss (0.7%), with 48 babies (0.2%) showing UHL. The most common risk factors associated with the development of confirmed UHL after passing the initial screen were neonatal indicators, craniofacial anomalies, family history, and stigmata of syndrome associated with hearing loss. Neonatal indicators and craniofacial anomalies were the categories most often found in children with confirmed unilateral hearing loss who initially passed their newborn hearing screen. While neonatal indicators were also the most common associated risk factor in all hearing loss, craniofacial abnormalities are relatively more common in children with UHL who initially passed newborn hearing screening. Further studies assessing the etiology underlying the hearing loss and risk factor associations are warranted. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A critical examination of the definition of 'psychoactive effect' in Australian drug legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barratt, Monica J; Seear, Kate; Lancaster, Kari

2017-02-01

As the number of new 'psychoactive substances' detected globally has risen exponentially, the policy response of assessing and prohibiting each new substance individually has become increasingly unworkable. In an attempt to disrupt the availability of new as-yet-unscheduled substances, Ireland (2010), Poland (2011), Romania (2012), New Zealand (2013), Australia (2015) and the United Kingdom (2016) have enacted generic or blanket ban legislation that prohibits all 'psychoactive substances' that are not already regulated or belong to exempt categories. How such generic legislation defines 'psychoactive substance' is therefore crucial. While there is a growing critical literature relating to blanket bans of 'psychoactive substances', the Australian legislation is yet to be described or critically analysed. In this commentary, we aim to draw the attention of local and international drug policy scholars to Australia's newest legislative approach to 'psychoactive substances'. Using the Australian experience as a case study, we first describe and trace the origins of this generic banning approach, especially focusing on how 'psychoactive effect' came to be defined. Then, we critically examine the assumptions underpinning this definition and the possibilities silenced by it, drawing on the work of poststructuralist and critical scholars. In doing so, we explore and raise a series of questions about how this legislation works to stabilise drugs, drug harms and drug effects, as well as addiction realities; how the category of 'psychoactive substances' is produced through this legislation; and some of the material-discursive effects which accompany this rendering of the 'problem'. We offer this commentary not as a comprehensive discussion of each of these elements but rather as a starting-point to promote further discussion and debate within the drug policy field. To this end, we conclude with a suggested research agenda that may help guide such future work. Copyright © 2016

78 FR 56951 - Notice of Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-16

... No. 6] Notice of Hearing ACTION: Notice of a hearing. SUMMARY: The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) will conduct a public hearing with current and former government officials and... federal government regarding the government's counterterrorism surveillance programs. This hearing will...

Improvements in Speech Understanding With Wireless Binaural Broadband Digital Hearing Instruments in Adults With Sensorineural Hearing Loss

OpenAIRE

Kreisman, Brian M.; Mazevski, Annette G.; Schum, Donald J.; Sockalingam, Ravichandran

2010-01-01

This investigation examined whether speech intelligibility in noise can be improved using a new, binaural broadband hearing instrument system. Participants were 36 adults with symmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss (18 experienced hearing instrument users and 18 without prior experience). Participants were fit binaurally in a planned comparison, randomized crossover design study with binaural broadband hearing instruments and advanced digital hearing instruments. Following an adjustment peri...

CFC legislation in the European Union

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cvjetković Cvjetana M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the author considers CFC legislation in the Member States of the European Union, and points to the official attitude of the institutions of the European Union toward CFC legislation. Special attention in this paper is focused on Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the case Cadbury Schweppes. The aim of the paper is to analyze CFC legislation in the Member States in order to determine its basic characteristics, as well as to determine its compatibility with freedoms guaranteed by the primary law of the European Union, i.e. with Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the Cadbury Schweppes case.

PSYCHOSOCIAL INFLUENCE OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT ON THE INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR OF YOUTHS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osisanya AYO

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Individuals with hearing impairment are confronted with a lot of problems due to the condition of their disability. This has a negative impact on their social and psychological well-being with multiplying effect on their interpersonal relationship. Therefore, this study investigated the psycho-social influence of hearing impairment on interpersonal behavior of youths with hearing loss.MethodologyThe study adopted a survey research design. A sample consisting of 211 participants with hearing loss were purposively selected from the Federal College of Education (Special Oyo, Nigeria. A questionnaire, part of Psycho-social Competence Scale (PCS, was used for data collection with reliability coefficient of 0.72.ResultsThe findings revealed that hearing impairement affects social interaction of youths with hearing impairment, hearing loss affects emotional well-being of youths with hearing impairment and youths with hearing impairment feel inferior in company of persons without hearing impairment. Based on this, it was recommended that a friendly home environment should be made and youths with hearing impairment should be advised to accept their loss and take it as a challenge that can be used to achieve a better end and the society should have right attitude and beliefs toward youths with hearing impairment.

Auditory perception and the control of spatially coordinated action of deaf and hearing children.

Science.gov (United States)

Savelsbergh, G J; Netelenbos, J B; Whiting, H T

1991-03-01

From birth onwards, auditory stimulation directs and intensifies visual orientation behaviour. In deaf children, by definition, auditory perception cannot take place and cannot, therefore, make a contribution to visual orientation to objects approaching from outside the initial field of view. In experiment 1, a difference in catching ability is demonstrated between deaf and hearing children (10-13 years of age) when the ball approached from the periphery or from outside the field of view. No differences in catching ability between the two groups occurred when the ball approached from within the field of view. A second experiment was conducted in order to determine if differences in catching ability between deaf and hearing children could be attributed to execution of slow orientating movements and/or slow reaction time as a result of the auditory loss. The deaf children showed slower reaction times. No differences were found in movement times between deaf and hearing children. Overall, the findings suggest that a lack of auditory stimulation during development can lead to deficiencies in the coordination of actions such as catching which are both spatially and temporally constrained.

Speech understanding in noise with integrated in-ear and muff-style hearing protection systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon M Abel

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Integrated hearing protection systems are designed to enhance free field and radio communications during military operations while protecting against the damaging effects of high-level noise exposure. A study was conducted to compare the effect of increasing the radio volume on the intelligibility of speech over the radios of two candidate systems, in-ear and muff-style, in 85-dBA speech babble noise presented free field. Twenty normal-hearing, English-fluent subjects, half male and half female, were tested in same gender pairs. Alternating as talker and listener, their task was to discriminate consonant-vowel-consonant syllables that contrasted either the initial or final consonant. Percent correct consonant discrimination increased with increases in the radio volume. At the highest volume, subjects achieved 79% with the in-ear device but only 69% with the muff-style device, averaged across the gender of listener/talker pairs and consonant position. Although there was no main effect of gender, female listener/talkers showed a 10% advantage for the final consonant and male listener/talkers showed a 1% advantage for the initial consonant. These results indicate that normal hearing users can achieve reasonably high radio communication scores with integrated in-ear hearing protection in moderately high-level noise that provides both energetic and informational masking. The adequacy of the range of available radio volumes for users with hearing loss has yet to be determined.

Hearing Status in Pediatric Renal Transplant Recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulleroglu, Kaan; Baskin, Esra; Aydin, Erdinc; Ozluoglu, Levent; Moray, Gokhan; Haberal, Mehmet

2015-08-01

Renal transplant provides a long-term survival. Hearing impairment is a major factor in subjective health status. Status of hearing and the cause of hearing impairment in the pediatric renal transplant group have not been evaluated. Here, we studied to evaluate hearing status in pediatric renal transplant patients and to determine the factors that cause hearing impairment. Twenty-seven pediatric renal transplant recipients were investigated. All patients underwent audiologic assessment by means of pure-tone audiometry. The factors on hearing impairment were performed. Sensorineural hearing impairment was found in 17 patients. There was marked hearing impairment for the higher frequencies between 4000 and 8000 Hz. Sudden hearing loss developed in 2 patients, 1 of them had tinnitus. Decrease of speech understanding was found in 8 patients. The cyclosporine level was significantly high in patients with hearing impairment compared with group without hearing impairment. Cyclosporine levels also were found to be statistically significantly high when compared with the group with decrease of speech understanding and the group without decrease of speech understanding. Similar relations cannot be found between tacrolimus levels and hearing impairment and speech understanding. Sensorineural hearing impairment prevalence was high in pediatric renal transplant recipients when compared with the general population of children. Cyclosporine may be responsible for causing hearing impairment after renal transplant. We suggest that this effect is a dose-dependent toxicity.

Legislative Framework Required for Africa's M-Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Williams, Idongesit

2014-01-01

This article discusses the importance of developing legislative frameworks for the development of an m - economy in Africa......This article discusses the importance of developing legislative frameworks for the development of an m - economy in Africa...

The effect of different cochlear implant microphones on acoustic hearing individuals’ binaural benefits for speech perception in noise

Science.gov (United States)

Aronoff, Justin M.; Freed, Daniel J.; Fisher, Laurel M.; Pal, Ivan; Soli, Sigfrid D.

2011-01-01

Objectives Cochlear implant microphones differ in placement, frequency response, and other characteristics such as whether they are directional. Although normal hearing individuals are often used as controls in studies examining cochlear implant users’ binaural benefits, the considerable differences across cochlear implant microphones make such comparisons potentially misleading. The goal of this study was to examine binaural benefits for speech perception in noise for normal hearing individuals using stimuli processed by head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) based on the different cochlear implant microphones. Design HRTFs were created for different cochlear implant microphones and used to test participants on the Hearing in Noise Test. Experiment 1 tested cochlear implant users and normal hearing individuals with HRTF-processed stimuli and with sound field testing to determine whether the HRTFs adequately simulated sound field testing. Experiment 2 determined the measurement error and performance-intensity function for the Hearing in Noise Test with normal hearing individuals listening to stimuli processed with the various HRTFs. Experiment 3 compared normal hearing listeners’ performance across HRTFs to determine how the HRTFs affected performance. Experiment 4 evaluated binaural benefits for normal hearing listeners using the various HRTFs, including ones that were modified to investigate the contributions of interaural time and level cues. Results The results indicated that the HRTFs adequately simulated sound field testing for the Hearing in Noise Test. They also demonstrated that the test-retest reliability and performance-intensity function were consistent across HRTFs, and that the measurement error for the test was 1.3 dB, with a change in signal-to-noise ratio of 1 dB reflecting a 10% change in intelligibility. There were significant differences in performance when using the various HRTFs, with particularly good thresholds for the HRTF based on the

Comparison of Different Levels of Reading Comprehension between Hearing-Impaired Loss and Normal-Hearing Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azam Sharifi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Aim: Reading skill is one of the most important necessities of students' learning in everyday life. This skill is referred to the ability of comprehension, comment and conclusion from texts and receiving the meaning of the massage which is composed. Educational development in any student has a direct relation with the ability of the comprehension. This study is designed to investigate the effects of hearing loss on reading comprehension in hearing-impaired students compared to normal-hearing ones.Methods: Seventeen hearing-impaired students in 4th year of primary exceptional schools in Karaj, Robatkarim and Shahriyar, Iran, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Seventeen normal-hearing students were randomly selected from ordinary schools next to exceptional ones as control group. They were compared for different levels of reading comprehension using the international standard booklet (PIRLS 2001. Results: There was a significant difference in performance between hearing-impaired and normal- hearing students in different levels of reading comprehension (p<0.05.Conclusion: Hearing loss has negative effects on different levels of reading comprehension, so in exceptional centers, reconsideration in educational planning in order to direct education from memorizing to comprehension and deeper layers of learning seems necessary.

Accountability legislation: Implications for financial and performance reporting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daphne Rixon

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this case study is to first examine the implications of accountability legislation on the financial and performance reporting of a public sector agency in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and secondly, to compare the level of accountability with Stewart’s (1984 ladder of accountability. This paper is based on the first phase of a two-phase study. The first phase focuses on the initial impacts of accountability legislation on agencies and the challenges created by the legislation’s ‘one size fits all’ approach. The second phase of this study will examine the impact of the legislation on stakeholders after it has been in operation for five years. The second phase will include interviews with stakeholders to ascertain the level of satisfaction with the new legislation. The first phase of the study is significant since it highlights how governments could consider stakeholder needs when drafting such legislation. This research contributes to the body of literature on stakeholder accountability since there is a paucity of research focused specifically on the impact of accountability legislation on public sector agencies. An important contribution of this paper is the introduction of a framework for legislated accountability reporting. The main theoretical frameworks used to analyse the findings are Stewart’s (1984 ladder of accountability in conjunction with Friedman and Miles (2006 ladder of stakeholder management and engagement.

Adaptive psychological structure in childhood hearing impairment: audiological correlations.

Science.gov (United States)

Serra, A; Spinato, G; Cocuzza, S; Licciardello, L; Pavone, P; Maiolino, L

2017-06-01

The present research deals with the clinical and social problems present during linguistic and cognitive development of deaf children. Currently, the development of Theory of Mind represents an important research field in deafness studies. These international studies highlighted a significant alteration in the development of Theory of Mind in deaf children compared to normal hearing children, especially in cases of congenital or preverbal hearing loss. In particular, the research focuses on the skills of deaf children in recognising emotions and desires, through both perceptive and cognitive methods, by evaluation of psycho-cognitive skills of children with severe hearing loss using a set of questions to be administered to hearing loss patients. The experiment was performed on a group composed of 10 children (5 males and 5 females) aged 4 to 9 years and 54 to 108 months, affected by bilateral congenital hearing loss (severe to total), or hearing loss that developed in preverbal children the year before entering elementary school, or during the fourth year of elementary school. The selection criteria were based on: audiologic evaluation, neuro-psychological tests administered to assess general, cognitive as well as praxis and perceptive abilities, and clinical observations performed to assess psychopathology using tests that assess development of both visual perceptive (Coloured Progressive Matrices) and graphic representational abilities (Test of Human Figure Drawings and the Family Drawing Test). The instrument "cognitive" was the "Deaf Children Series", arranged by us, that consists of a mental status examination (MSE) that evaluates: level of cognitive (knowledge-related) ability, emotional mood, and speech and thought patterns at the time of evaluation. Deaf children show a reduced responsiveness to the expressions of sadness on the perceptive side. Through the test, we observed a psychodynamic defense mechanism considering perceptive understanding performance

Improving hearing health for farming families.

Science.gov (United States)

Lower, Tony; Fragar, Lyn; Depcynzksi, Julie; Challinor, Kathy; Mills, Jan; Williams, Warwick

2010-01-01

Occupational noise injury and hearing loss are common features of agricultural workforces internationally. Farmsafe Australia has identified hearing health as one of its 4 key priority goals and targets. Currently, approximately 60-70% of Australian farmers have measurable hearing loss, compared with 27% of those in the general Australian community. This article describes the findings of a community based demonstration project to address hearing health issues conducted in the Australian state of New South Wales. This program sought to implement local demonstration projects in 3 communities to identify what works well in hearing health promotion with farmers and what could be applied more broadly throughout Australia. Local advisory groups were established in each community to guide project development and implementation. Project implementation focused on 3 major aspects: (1) increasing awareness of priority noise injury prevention and hearing health practices; (2) improving access to hearing health services; and (3) networking services in local communities. Area-specific training was undertaken for stakeholders to maximize local information links. Service utilization data were monitored and analysed. There was variability among sites; however in general there was an increased awareness of hearing health issues by farming families and expanded opportunities for farmers to access screening services. Utilization rates of hearing services also increased markedly in one community. Local hearing health networks were strengthened by linkages to key stakeholders outside the health sector. Previously unidentified methods of promoting hearing health (eg using agricultural retail outlets that supply hearing protection equipment and are accepted by farmers as an information source) were identified and utilized. Hearing health promotion with farmers in local communities can be enhanced through utilization and strengthening of local networks. Integration of hearing health

Problems in education, employment and social integration of hard of hearing artists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radić-Šestić Marina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to determine the problems in education (primary, secondary and undergraduate academic studies, employment and social integration of hard of hearing artists based on a multiple case study. The sample consisted of 4 examinees of both genders, aged between 29 and 54, from the field of visual arts (a painter, a sculptor, a graphic designer, and an interior designer. The structured interview consisted of 30 questions testing three areas: the first area involved family, primary and secondary education; the second area was about the length of studying and socio-emotional problems of the examinees; the third area dealt with problems in employment and job satisfaction of our examinees. Research results indicate the existence of several problems which more or less reflect the success in education, employment and social integration of hard of hearing artists. One of the problems which can influence the development of language abilities, socioemotional maturity, and better educational achievement of hard of hearing artists in general, is prolongation in diagnosing hearing impairments, amplification and auditory rehabilitation. Furthermore, parents of hard of hearing artists have difficulties in adjusting to their children's hearing impairments and ignore the language and culture of the Deaf, i.e. they tend to identify their children with typically developing population. Another problem are negative attitudes of teachers/professors/employers and typically developing peers/ colleagues towards the inclusion of hard of hearing people into the regular education/employment system. Apart from that, unmodified instruction, course books, information, school and working area further complicate the acquisition of knowledge, information, and the progress of hard of hearing people in education and profession.

Firework related injury and legislation: the epidemiology of firework injuries and the effect of legislation in Northern Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogarty, B J; Gordon, D J

1999-02-01

The efficacy of legislation in reducing firework associated injuries is uncertain as is the nature of the problem within the United Kingdom (UK). In September 1996 the legislation governing firework sale in Northern Ireland was relaxed thus equalling that of the rest of the UK. For the 2 years following the change in legislation we prospectively assessed those patients who were admitted with a firework injury over the Halloween period. We then compared these results with retrospective data for the 3 years prior to the change in firework law. In the pre-legislation series the mean number of patients admitted annually was 0.38 per 100,000 while in the post-legislation series the mean was 0.43 per 100,000. Blast injury to the hand was the commonest injury accounting for 53% of cases in both series. Burn injuries were the second commonest form of injury comprising 30% of all admissions. Of those admitted with a hand injury 47% had at least one finger terminalised and nearly half of those patients admitted with burns (44%) required skin grafting. We conclude that early evidence suggests that liberalisation of the law on firework sale has not resulted in a significant increase in firework related injuries requiring hospital admission.

Protecting Children in Day Care: Building a National Background Check System. Hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session on the National Child Protection Act of 1991.

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

In his opening statement at this hearing, committee chairman Senator Joseph Biden mentioned the National Child Protection Act of 1991; praised Oprah Winfrey's efforts to support programs and legislation to prevent sexual abuse of children; presented data on the incidence of sexual abuse of children in the home and in day care centers; and…

Newborn hearing screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, D L; Pearlman, A

1994-11-01

Congenital deafness is a relatively common problem with an incidence of 1/300 to 1/1000. Most states have no mass screening program for hearing loss, but the state of Kentucky compiles a High Risk Registry which is a historical survey of parents relating to risk factors for hearing loss. Unfortunately this survey can miss 50% of those who have a hearing deficit. If not detected prior to discharge, there is often a delay in diagnosis of deafness which prevents early intervention. We report 2 years' experience at Kosair Children's Hospital where 1,987 infants admitted to well baby, intermediate, or intensive care nurseries were screened using the ALGO-1 screener (Natus Medical Inc, Foster City, CA) which is a modified auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR). Our screening of this population led to an 11% incidence of referral for complete audiological evaluation. There were no significant complications. Forty-eight infants were found to have nonspecified, sensorineural, or conductive hearing loss. The positive predictive value of the test was 96%. Therefore, we feel that the use of the modified ABR in the newborn is a timely, cost efficient method of screening for hearing loss and should be used for mass screening of all newborns.

Legislating Interprofessional Regulatory Collaboration in Nova Scotia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Lahey

2013-10-01

Full Text Available To shift health professions regulation from traditional to ‘collaborative’ self-regulation, Nova Scotia has adopted legislation which will: make all self-regulating health professions members of the Regulated Health Professions Network; mandate the Network to facilitate voluntary collaboration among its members; and enable regulators to work together on investigations of patient complaints, to adjust scopes of practice on an ongoing basis and to adjudicate appeals of unsuccessful applicants for registration. The goals are to give health professions regulation the capacity to enable and support the functioning of interprofessional teams. The legislation was adopted primarily for two reasons: collaborative development and unanimous support by all of the province’s self-regulating professions; and alignment with the government’s health care reform agenda and its emphasis on collaborative team-based care. Contrary to the approach of several other provinces, the legislation will enable but not require regulators to collaborate on the premise that consensual collaboration is more likely to happen, to be meaningful and to yield tangible benefits. Support for this approach can be taken from the impressive collaborative work on which the legislation is based. Evaluation will be critical, and the five-year review required by the legislation will give Nova Scotia the opportunity to test not only the legislation but the ideas on which it is based. The extent of the legislation’s reliance on voluntary process will prove to be either its greatest strength or its greatest weakness.

40 CFR 791.30 - Hearing procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... officer may deem necessary to an understanding and determination of the dispute. The hearing officer shall... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Hearing procedures. 791.30 Section 791... (CONTINUED) DATA REIMBURSEMENT Hearing Procedures § 791.30 Hearing procedures. (a) Representation by counsel...

Hearing Preservation in Cochlear Implant Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila Carvalho Miranda

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the past, it was thought that hearing loss patients with residual low-frequency hearing would not be good candidates for cochlear implantation since insertion was expected to induce inner ear trauma. Recent advances in electrode design and surgical techniques have made the preservation of residual low-frequency hearing achievable and desirable. The importance of preserving residual low-frequency hearing cannot be underestimated in light of the added benefit of hearing in noisy atmospheres and in music quality. The concept of electrical and acoustic stimulation involves electrically stimulating the nonfunctional, high-frequency region of the cochlea with a cochlear implant and applying a hearing aid in the low-frequency range. The principle of preserving low-frequency hearing by a “soft surgery” cochlear implantation could also be useful to the population of children who might profit from regenerative hair cell therapy in the future. Main aspects of low-frequency hearing preservation surgery are discussed in this review: its brief history, electrode design, principles and advantages of electric-acoustic stimulation, surgical technique, and further implications of this new treatment possibility for hearing impaired patients.

78 FR 11237 - Public Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-15

... NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD Public Hearing On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will convene an Investigative Hearing to gather additional factual information... Union Pacific (UP) intermodal train No. AAMMLX-22 on June 24, 2012 near Goodwell, Oklahoma. The hearing...

Efficient evaluation of hearing ability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2010-01-01

The present invention relates to a method of establishing a hearing ability model for a person, the method including providing a representation of the distribution of hearing ability for a population of individuals. The method may comprise the steps) performing a hearing evaluation event, comprising

78 FR 39017 - Investigative Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-28

... NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD Investigative Hearing On November 30, 2012, at 6:59 a.m... exposure. The investigative hearing will discuss Conrail operations and the emergency response to the... in establishing a unified command. The goals of this hearing are to gather additional factual...

78 FR 64026 - Investigative Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-25

... NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD Investigative Hearing On Wednesday, November 6, 2013, and... hearing to gather additional factual information for the ongoing investigation into two Metro-North... Investigative Hearing. On Friday, May 17, 2013, at 6:01 p.m. eastern daylight time, eastbound Metro-North...

Hereditary Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, LenhAnh P.; Grundfast, Kenneth M.

1997-01-01

This article discusses inheritance patterns in hearing loss, epidemiology, clues to genetic causes, locating genes that cause hereditary disorders, genes related to hearing loss disorders in individuals with Usher syndrome, Waardenburg syndrome, Treacher-Collins syndrome, Branchio-oto-renal and Pendred syndromes, and the significance of finding…

New Ontario power legislation aims to protect consumers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2000-09-01

New legislation designed to improve regulation of the electricity sector in Ontario was introduced by the provincial government in June 2000, the first such legislation since the government mandated an open electricity market with the Energy Competition Act of 1998. The new legislation is described as narrowly focused on putting limits on local power rate increases. The legislation was introduced in combination with a directive to the Ontario Energy Board, and is designed to ensure that the Board approves municipal electric utility rates only when certain conditions are met. The Energy Minister was at great pains to point out that the legislation should not be interpreted as the government interfering in the marketplace, it is merely to help the utility wires side of the business during a two-year transition period. Municipal authorities reacted unfavorably to the legislation because it appears to require them to return significant assets to their utilities, assets that they considered as theirs under municipal restructuring. Energy Probe, an environmental advocacy group, suggested an alternative to the legislation, i. e., the government should allow the price increases requested by the municipal utilities to go through, but to leave consumers whole, it should impose a windfall profits tax on municipal governments, use the proceeds to reduce debt retirement taxes in the electricity bill, a leftover from Ontario Hydro's debt and stranded nuclear waste liabilities, and eliminate the province's own electricity tax on consumers. No direct reaction has been received from the Minister to date. If the legislation is passed in its present form it will prevent municipalities from using windfall profits from their utilities to justify rate hikes.

The relationship between administrative court control and legislative control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckmann, M.

1986-01-01

The legislator can determine the extent of control of administrative courts by reduction of substantive conditions. The author has the opinion that the judicial control cannot be stricter than the legislative control. For the range of the control of administrative courts is decisive, to what extent the legislator is forced to proper legislative settlements. In this context the author discusses the Kalkar-decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of 1978. (CW) [de

National legislative and regulatory activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This section treats of the following National legislative and regulatory activities: 1 - Argentina: Organisation and structure; 2 - France: Radioactive waste management (Act No. 2016-1015 of 25 July 2016 specifying the procedures for creating a reversible deep geological repository for long-lived medium and high-level radioactive waste), Liability and compensation (Decree No. 2016-333 of 21 March 2016 implementing Article L. 597-28 of the French Environmental Code and relating to third party liability in the field of nuclear energy; Ministerial Order of 19 August 2016 listing the sites benefiting from a reduced amount of liability pursuant to decree No. 2016-333 of 21 March 2016 implementing Article L. 597-28 of the French Environmental Code and relating to third party liability in the field of nuclear energy), Nuclear facilities (Decree No. 2016-846 of 28 June 2016 related to the modification, final shutdown and decommissioning of basic nuclear installations, and to subcontracting); 3 - Germany: Nuclear trade - including non-proliferation (Amendments to the Foreign Trade Act and the Foreign Trade Ordinance (2015)), Radioactive waste management (Act on the Organisational Restructuring in the Field of Radioactive Waste Management (2016); Final report of the Commission to Review the Financing for the Phase-out of Nuclear Energy; Draft Bill of an Act on the Reorganisation of the Responsibility of Nuclear Waste Disposal (2016)); 4 - Lithuania: Nuclear safety and radiological protection (including nuclear emergency planning), Nuclear security (Physical security of sources of ionising radiation), Radioactive waste management, Licensing and regulatory infrastructure (Enforcement measures); 5 - Luxembourg: Radioactive waste management (Agreement between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of Belgium on the Management and Final Disposal of the Radioactive Waste of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on the Territory of the Kingdom of Belgium, signed on 4 July 2016); 6

Dissolution Threats and Legislative Bargaining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Becher, Michael; Christiansen, Flemming Juul

2015-01-01

Chief executives in many parliamentary democracies have the power to dissolve the legislature. Despite a well-developed literature on the endogenous timing of parliamentary elections, political scientists know remarkably little about the strategic use of dissolution power to influence policymaking....... To address this gap, we propose and empirically evaluate a theoretical model of legislative bargaining in the shadow of executive dissolution power. The model implies that the chief executive's public support and legislative strength, as well as the time until the next constitutionally mandated election...

Parenting Styles of Mothers with Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Children and Hearing Siblings

Science.gov (United States)

Antonopoulou, Katerina; Hadjikakou, Kika; Stampoltzis, Aglaia; Nicolaou, Nicoletta

2012-01-01

The present study aims to determine whether rearing a deaf or hard-of-hearing (d/hh) child would differentiate the parenting and disciplinary preference of parents between the d/hh and the hearing child. The parenting styles of 30 hearing mothers from Cyprus were assessed using the Greek version of the Parenting Styles & Dimensions…

Contralateral Occlusion Test: The effect of external ear canal occlusion on hearing thresholds.

Science.gov (United States)

Reis, Luis Roque; Fernandes, Paulo; Escada, Pedro

Bedside testing with tuning forks may decrease turnaround time and improve decision making for a quick qualitative assessment of hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of ear canal occlusion on hearing, in order to decide which tuning fork frequency is more appropriate to use for quantifying hearing loss with the Contralateral Occlusion Test. Twenty normal-hearing adults (forty ears) underwent sound field pure tone audiometry with and without ear canal occlusion. Each ear was tested with the standard frequencies. The contralateral ear was suppressed with by masking. Ear occlusion was performed by two examiners. Participants aged between 21 and 30 years (25.6±3.03 years) showed an increase in hearing thresholds with increasing frequencies from 19.94dB (250Hz) to 39.25dB (2000Hz). The threshold difference between occluded and unoccluded conditions was statistically significant and increased from 10.69dB (250Hz) to 32.12dB (2000Hz). There were no statistically significant differences according to gender or between the examiners. The occlusion effect increased the hearing thresholds and became more evident with higher frequencies. The occlusion method as performed demonstrated reproducibility. In the Contralateral Occlusion Test, 256Hz or 512Hz tuning forks should be used for diagnosis of mild hearing loss, and a 2048Hz tuning fork should be used for moderate hearing loss. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Otorrinolaringología y Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello. All rights reserved.

Сoncept of national legislative initiative and its types

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

А. Л. Крутько

2015-11-01

Full Text Available . National legislative initiative is a new instrument of popular wills demonstration as compared to different forms of direct democracy. In most of developed democracies this institution regulated at the constitutional/ legislative level. But in the modern Ukraine its constitutional legal regulation is absent, due disregard of its possibilities and lack of understanding of its essence. Paper objective. This article an aim is to analyze in details the definition of «national legislative initiative» and determinate its basic types according to theoretical insights and foreign current law. Recent research and publications analysis. The domestic and foreign scholars works on scientific research of national legislative initiative institution such as V.N. Rudenko, O.M. Mudra, V.M. Shapoval, V.F. Nesterovich, J. F. Zimmerman and etc. Their works were foundational at the time of writing. Paper main body. With the help of big definition dictionary and new encyclopedic dictionary it was found the etymology of the concept «initiative» which is characterized as the basis, also found meaning of «legislative initiative», «national initiative» and «national legislative initiative». It was argued impossibility an identification of «national initiative» with «national legislative initiative». The current definitions of the national legislative initiative were analyzed in the article. It was noted that suggested terms were limited only by identification of institute’s apparent indicator and withhold essence. This is precisely why four types of the national legislative initiative’s realization are briefly examined for the complex determination of the definition. These types depending on what role the legislator are assigning to citizen, who are the main actors of initiative. And on the basis of this analysis the author provided his own definition of «the national legislative initiative». The author had notes that the proposed definition was not

49 CFR 190.327 - Hearings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... scheduling of a hearing. A petition is granted only if the petitioner shows good cause for a hearing. If a... Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY... not provide for a hearing, any interested person may petition the Administrator for an informal...

Speech understanding and directional hearing for hearing-impaired subjects with in-the-ear and behind-the-ear hearing aids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuw, A. R.; Dreschler, W. A.

1987-01-01

With respect to acoustical properties, in-the-ear (ITE) aids should give better understanding and directional hearing than behind-the-ear (BTE) aids. Also hearing-impaired subjects often prefer ITEs. A study was performed to assess objectively the improvement in speech understanding and directional

Adult hearing screening: the Cyprus Pilot Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Thodi

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Hearing loss is the third most common condition affecting adults over 65 (Cruickshanks et al., 1998. It can affect quality of life, limiting the ability to communicate efficiently, and leading to isolation, psychological strain, and functional decline (LaForge, Spector, Sternberg, 1992; Yueh, Shapiro, MacLean, Shekelle, 2003. Communication limitations impinge on the person directly, as well as the family, friends, and social circle. Reports on hearing loss among adults indicate that less than 25% of people who can benefit from amplification are actually using hearing aids, and that people diagnosed with a hearing loss delay seeking amplification by about seven years (Kochkin, 1997. Often, family members are the driving force behind a person with a hearing loss who decides to seek help. Adult hearing screening programs might have a positive effect on raising public awareness on hearing loss and its implications, and shortening delay time for intervention. There is no routine hearing screening for the adult population in Cyprus. The health system provides hearing tests for beneficiaries upon physician recommendation or self-referral. The Cyprus pilot adult hearing screening program (ΑΠΑΣ- EVERYONE- Greek acronym for Screening- Intervention-Hearing-Participation to Life screened hearing in retired adults.

Vibroplasty in mixed and conductive hearing loss: comparison of different coupling methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Vyskocil, Erich; Riss, Dominik; Honeder, Clemens; Arnoldner, Christoph; Hamzavi, Jafar-Sasan; Baumgartner, Wolf-Dieter; Flak, Stefan; Gstoettner, Wolfgang

2014-06-01

To evaluate modified coupling techniques of the Vibrant Soundbridge system in patients with mixed and conductive hearing loss and to compare it with conventional vibroplasty. Retrospective study. Two different groups were evaluated: 1) nine cases of conventional incus vibroplasty in comparison with 2) nine patients with modified coupling of the floating mass transducer. In the modified coupling approach, the vibrant floating mass transducer was attached to 1) the stapes/oval window, 2) the round window, or 3) the drilled promontory bone (promontory fenestration window). In three patients, an additional ossiculoplasty was performed. Preoperative and postoperative aided and unaided pure-tone and free-field audiometry and Freiburg monosyllabic word test were used to assess hearing outcome. Functional hearing gain obtained in patients with mixed and conductive hearing loss who underwent modified coupling was 39 dB. Patients with pure sensorineural hearing loss who received conventional incus coupling showed a functional hearing gain of 25 dB. Average functional gain was 41 dB in the oval window group, 45 dB in the round window group, and 30 dB in the promontory fenestration window group. Word recognition test revealed an average improvement of 51% and 21% in the modified and in the conventional approach, respectively. Modified vibroplasty is a safe and effective treatment for patients with conductive and mixed hearing loss. Coupling the floating mass transducer to the promontory bone (promontory fenestration window) is a viable option in chronically disabled ears if oval and round window coupling is not possible. 4. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' legislative activities and the Joint Medical Library Association/Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Legislative Task Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Zenan, Joan S

2003-04-01

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' (AAHSL's) involvement in national legislative activities and other advocacy initiatives has evolved and matured over the last twenty-five years. Some activities conducted by the Medical Library Association's (MLA's) Legislative Committee from 1976 to 1984 are highlighted to show the evolution of MLA's and AAHSL's interests in collaborating on national legislative issues, which resulted in an agreement to form a joint legislative task force. The history, work, challenges, and accomplishments of the Joint MLA/AAHSL Legislative Task Force, formed in 1985, are discussed.

Legislative amendments and informal politics in the European Union

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cross, James P.; Hermansson, Henrik

2017-01-01

the Commission’s proposals and the final legislative outcome passed by the European Union. It does so by implementing minimum edit distance algorithms to measure changes between legislative proposals and outcomes. The findings suggest that legislative amendments are determined by the formal and informal...... institutional structures in which negotiations take place and characteristics of the proposal itself. Our conclusions contribute to the ongoing debate on the nature and distribution of legislative powers in the European Union....

21 CFR 60.44 - Hearing procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... RESTORATION Due Diligence Hearings § 60.44 Hearing procedures. The due diligence hearing shall be conducted in accordance with this part, supplemented by the nonconflicting procedures in part 16. During the due diligence... requesting a hearing under part 16. The standard of due diligence set forth in § 60.36 will apply in the due...

Hearing testing in the U.S. Department of Defense: Potential impact on Veterans Affairs hearing loss disability awards.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, J T; Swan, A A; Swiger, B; Packer, M; Pugh, M J

2017-06-01

Hearing loss is the second most common disability awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to former members of the U.S. uniformed services. Hearing readiness and conservation practices differ among the four largest uniformed military services (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy). Utilizing a data set consisting of all hearing loss claims submitted to the VA from fiscal years 2003-2013, we examined characteristics of veterans submitting claims within one year of separation from military service. Our results indicate that having a hearing loss disability claim granted was significantly more likely for men, individuals over the age of 26 years at the time of the claim, individuals most recently serving in the U.S. Army, and those with at least one hearing loss diagnosis. Importantly, individuals with at least one test record in the Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System-Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC) system were significantly less likely to have a hearing loss disability claim granted by the VA. Within the DOEHRS-HC cohort, those with at least one threshold shift or clinical hearing loss diagnosis while on active duty were more than two and three times more likely to have a hearing loss disability claim granted, respectively. These findings indicate that an established history of reduced hearing ability while on active duty was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of an approved hearing loss disability claim relative to VA claims without such a history. Further, our results show a persistent decreased rate of hearing loss disability awards overall. These findings support increased inclusion of personnel in DoD hearing readiness and conservation programs to reduce VA hearing loss disability awards. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Hearing Impaired Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Doin E., Ed.; And Others

1980-01-01

The issue of Directions contains 11 articles on assessment of hearing impaired individuals. Entries have the following titles and authors: "Classroom Assessment Techniques for Hearing Impaired Students--A Literature Review" (B. McKee, M. Hausknecht); "Informal Assessment of Hearing Impaired Students In the Classroom" (B. Culhane, R. Hein);…

43 CFR 4.1373 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 4.1373 Section 4.1373 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior DEPARTMENT HEARINGS AND APPEALS PROCEDURES Special Rules Applicable to Surface Coal Mining Hearings and Appeals Review of Osm Decisions Proposing to...

43 CFR 4.1383 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 4.1383 Section 4.1383 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior DEPARTMENT HEARINGS AND APPEALS PROCEDURES Special Rules Applicable to Surface Coal Mining Hearings and Appeals Review of Office of Surface Mining...

78 FR 21632 - Investigative Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-11

... NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD Investigative Hearing On January 7, 2013, about 1021 eastern... Part 129. The investigative hearing is being held to discuss the Boeing 787 battery and battery charger... goals of this hearing will be to gather additional information on the selection of the lithium ion (Li...

49 CFR 209.209 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 209.209 Section 209.209 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD SAFETY ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES Compliance Orders § 209.209 Hearing. (a) When a respondent... and the respondent fail to agree upon an acceptable consent order, the hearing officer designated by...

Educational Policy Making in the State Legislature: Legislator as Policy Expert.

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Sue Wells; Geske, Terry G.

1997-01-01

Examines the legislator's role as education policy expert in the legislative policymaking process. In a study of Louisiana state legislators, analysis of variance was used to determine expert legislators' degree of influence in formulating educational policy, given differences in policy types, information sources, and legislators' work roles.…

Factors associated with hearing loss in a normal-hearing guinea pig model of Hybrid cochlear implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Chiemi; Nguyen-Huynh, Anh; Loera, Katherine; Stark, Gemaine; Reiss, Lina

2014-10-01

The Hybrid cochlear implant (CI), also known as Electro-Acoustic Stimulation (EAS), is a new type of CI that preserves residual acoustic hearing and enables combined cochlear implant and hearing aid use in the same ear. However, 30-55% of patients experience acoustic hearing loss within days to months after activation, suggesting that both surgical trauma and electrical stimulation may cause hearing loss. The goals of this study were to: 1) determine the contributions of both implantation surgery and EAS to hearing loss in a normal-hearing guinea pig model; 2) determine which cochlear structural changes are associated with hearing loss after surgery and EAS. Two groups of animals were implanted (n = 6 per group), with one group receiving chronic acoustic and electric stimulation for 10 weeks, and the other group receiving no direct acoustic or electric stimulation during this time frame. A third group (n = 6) was not implanted, but received chronic acoustic stimulation. Auditory brainstem response thresholds were followed over time at 1, 2, 6, and 16 kHz. At the end of the study, the following cochlear measures were quantified: hair cells, spiral ganglion neuron density, fibrous tissue density, and stria vascularis blood vessel density; the presence or absence of ossification around the electrode entry was also noted. After surgery, implanted animals experienced a range of 0-55 dB of threshold shifts in the vicinity of the electrode at 6 and 16 kHz. The degree of hearing loss was significantly correlated with reduced stria vascularis vessel density and with the presence of ossification, but not with hair cell counts, spiral ganglion neuron density, or fibrosis area. After 10 weeks of stimulation, 67% of implanted, stimulated animals had more than 10 dB of additional threshold shift at 1 kHz, compared to 17% of implanted, non-stimulated animals and 0% of non-implanted animals. This 1-kHz hearing loss was not associated with changes in any of the cochlear measures

Nuclear Regulatory legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-06-01

This compilation of statutes and material pertaining to nuclear regulatory legislation through the 97th Congress, 2nd Session, has been prepared by the Office of the Executive Legal Director, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with the assistance of staff, for use as an internal resource document

Practical considerations for a second-order directional hearing aid microphone system

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Stephen C.

2003-04-01

First-order directional microphone systems for hearing aids have been available for several years. Such a system uses two microphones and has a theoretical maximum free-field directivity index (DI) of 6.0 dB. A second-order microphone system using three microphones could provide a theoretical increase in free-field DI to 9.5 dB. These theoretical maximum DI values assume that the microphones have exactly matched sensitivities at all frequencies of interest. In practice, the individual microphones in the hearing aid always have slightly different sensitivities. For the small microphone separation necessary to fit in a hearing aid, these sensitivity matching errors degrade the directivity from the theoretical values, especially at low frequencies. This paper shows that, for first-order systems the directivity degradation due to sensitivity errors is relatively small. However, for second-order systems with practical microphone sensitivity matching specifications, the directivity degradation below 1 kHz is not tolerable. A hybrid order directive system is proposed that uses first-order processing at low frequencies and second-order directive processing at higher frequencies. This hybrid system is suggested as an alternative that could provide improved directivity index in the frequency regions that are important to speech intelligibility.

Hearing regulates Drosophila aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

Versteven, Marijke; Vanden Broeck, Lies; Geurten, Bart; Zwarts, Liesbeth; Decraecker, Lisse; Beelen, Melissa; Göpfert, Martin C; Heinrich, Ralf; Callaerts, Patrick

2017-02-21

Aggression is a universal social behavior important for the acquisition of food, mates, territory, and social status. Aggression in Drosophila is context-dependent and can thus be expected to involve inputs from multiple sensory modalities. Here, we use mechanical disruption and genetic approaches in Drosophila melanogaster to identify hearing as an important sensory modality in the context of intermale aggressive behavior. We demonstrate that neuronal silencing and targeted knockdown of hearing genes in the fly's auditory organ elicit abnormal aggression. Further, we show that exposure to courtship or aggression song has opposite effects on aggression. Our data define the importance of hearing in the control of Drosophila intermale aggression and open perspectives to decipher how hearing and other sensory modalities are integrated at the neural circuit level.

Binaural Interference and the Effects of Age and Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Mussoi, Bruna S S; Bentler, Ruth A

2017-01-01

The existence of binaural interference, defined here as poorer speech recognition with both ears than with the better ear alone, is well documented. Studies have suggested that its prevalence may be higher in the elderly population. However, no study to date has explored binaural interference in groups of younger and older adults in conditions that favor binaural processing (i.e., in spatially separated noise). Also, the effects of hearing loss have not been studied. To examine binaural interference through speech perception tests, in groups of younger adults with normal hearing, older adults with normal hearing for their age, and older adults with hearing loss. A cross-sectional study. Thirty-three participants with symmetric thresholds were recruited from the University of Iowa community. Participants were grouped as follows: younger with normal hearing (18-28 yr, n = 12), older with normal hearing for their age (73-87 yr, n = 9), and older with hearing loss (78-94 yr, n = 12). Prior noise exposure was ruled out. The Connected Speech Test (CST) and Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) were administered to all participants bilaterally, and to each ear separately. Test materials were presented in the sound field with speech at 0° azimuth and the noise at 180°. The Dichotic Digits Test (DDT) was administered to all participants through earphones. Hearing aids were not used during testing. Group results were compared with repeated measures and one-way analysis of variances, as appropriate. Within-subject analyses using pre-established critical differences for each test were also performed. The HINT revealed no effect of condition (individual ear versus bilateral presentation) using group analysis, although within-subject analysis showed that 27% of the participants had binaural interference (18% had binaural advantage). On the CST, there was significant binaural advantage across all groups with group data analysis, as well as for 12% of the participants at each of the two

Predicting hearing thresholds and occupational hearing loss with multiple-frequency auditory steady-state responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Ruey-Fen; Ho, Chi-Kung; Lu, Sheng-Nan; Chen, Shun-Sheng

2010-10-01

An objective investigation is needed to verify the existence and severity of hearing impairments resulting from work-related, noise-induced hearing loss in arbitration of medicolegal aspects. We investigated the accuracy of multiple-frequency auditory steady-state responses (Mf-ASSRs) between subjects with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) with and without occupational noise exposure. Cross-sectional study. Tertiary referral medical centre. Pure-tone audiometry and Mf-ASSRs were recorded in 88 subjects (34 patients had occupational noise-induced hearing loss [NIHL], 36 patients had SNHL without noise exposure, and 18 volunteers were normal controls). Inter- and intragroup comparisons were made. A predicting equation was derived using multiple linear regression analysis. ASSRs and pure-tone thresholds (PTTs) showed a strong correlation for all subjects (r = .77 ≈ .94). The relationship is demonstrated by the equationThe differences between the ASSR and PTT were significantly higher for the NIHL group than for the subjects with non-noise-induced SNHL (p tool for objectively evaluating hearing thresholds. Predictive value may be lower in subjects with occupational hearing loss. Regardless of carrier frequencies, the severity of hearing loss affects the steady-state response. Moreover, the ASSR may assist in detecting noise-induced injury of the auditory pathway. A multiple linear regression equation to accurately predict thresholds was shown that takes into consideration all effect factors.

29 CFR 1905.26 - Hearings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT OF 1970 Hearings § 1905.26 Hearings. (a) Order of proceeding. Except as may... 29 Labor 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Hearings. 1905.26 Section 1905.26 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR RULES OF...

19 CFR 207.24 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hearing. 207.24 Section 207.24 Customs Duties... EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES Final Determinations, Short Life Cycle Products § 207.24 Hearing. (a) In general. The Commission shall hold a hearing concerning an investigation before making a final...

22 CFR 16.12 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Hearing. 16.12 Section 16.12 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE PERSONNEL FOREIGN SERVICE GRIEVANCE SYSTEM § 16.12 Hearing. (a) Appearances and... reasonable number of agency representatives, are entitled to be present at the hearing. The Grievance Board...

45 CFR 32.5 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 32.5 Section 32.5 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE WAGE GARNISHMENT § 32.5 Hearing. (a) In general. Upon timely written request of the debtor, the Secretary shall provide a hearing...

46 CFR 203.5 - Types of hearings.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Types of hearings. 203.5 Section 203.5 Shipping MARITIME... CERTAIN HEARINGS UNDER THE MERCHANT MARINE ACT, 1936, AS AMENDED § 203.5 Types of hearings. (a) Oral... seeking the oral evidentiary hearing. (b) Hearing on Submission of Written Evidence and Argument: If, upon...

The learning hearing aid: common-sense reasoning in hearing aid circuits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijkstra, T.M.H.; Ypma, A.; Vries, de B.; Leenen, J.R.G.M.

2007-01-01

This article discusses how hearing aid engineers have applied the Bayesian probability theory approach to the problem of hearing aid fitting. Currently more an art than a science, it is likely that probability theory will play a large role in future generations of fitting software used by dispensing

Identifying hearing loss by means of iridology.

Science.gov (United States)

Stearn, Natalie; Swanepoel, De Wet

2006-11-13

Isolated reports of hearing loss presenting as markings on the iris exist, but to date the effectiveness of iridology to identify hearing loss has not been investigated. This study therefore aimed to determine the efficacy of iridological analysis in the identification of moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss in adolescents. A controlled trial was conducted with an iridologist, blind to the actual hearing status of participants, analyzing the irises of participants with and without hearing loss. Fifty hearing impaired and fifty normal hearing subjects, between the ages of 15 and 19 years, controlled for gender, participated in the study. An experienced iridologist analyzed the randomised set of participants' irises. A 70% correct identification of hearing status was obtained by iridological analyses with a false negative rate of 41% compared to a 19% false positive rate. The respective sensitivity and specificity rates therefore came to 59% and 81%. Iridological analysis of hearing status indicated a statistically significant relationship to actual hearing status (P iridology were not comparable to those of traditional audiological screening procedures.

Narrative competence among hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children: analytical cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Dezani Soares

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Oral narrative is a means of language development assessment. However, standardized data for deaf patients are scarce. The aim here was to compare the use of narrative competence between hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analytical cross-sectional study at the Department of Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. METHODS: Twenty-one moderately to profoundly bilaterally hearing-impaired children (cases and 21 normal-hearing children without language abnormalities (controls, matched according to sex, age, schooling level and school type, were studied. A board showing pictures in a temporally logical sequence was presented to each child, to elicit a narrative, and the child's performance relating to narrative structure and cohesion was measured. The frequencies of variables, their associations (Mann-Whitney test and their 95% confidence intervals was analyzed. RESULTS: The deaf subjects showed poorer performance regarding narrative structure, use of connectives, cohesion measurements and general punctuation (P < 0.05. There were no differences in the number of propositions elaborated or in referent specification between the two groups. The deaf children produced a higher proportion of orientation-related propositions (P = 0.001 and lower proportions of propositions relating to complicating actions (P = 0.015 and character reactions (P = 0.005. CONCLUSION: Hearing-impaired children have abnormalities in different aspects of language, involving form, content and use, in relation to their normal-hearing peers. Narrative competence was also associated with the children's ages and the school type.

Legislative policy in Brazil : limits and possibilities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De, Paula F.

2018-01-01

This doctoral thesis discusses the limits and possibilities for developing a new legislative-regulatory policy in Brazil, understood as a public policy whose purpose is to improve the process of drafting legislation and regulation and to increase the quality of rules. It considers the

Tradition and change in power industry legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baur, J.F.; Boerner, B.; Friauf, K.H.; Salzwedel, J.; Selmer, P.

1986-01-01

On September 24-25, 1985 the 15th conference of the Institute for Energy Law took place in Cologne. This book contains five of the lectures held at the conference. They deal with the following subjects: Constitutional restrictions of autonomous energy policy of the Land governments; compulsory connection to and use of district heating; is there any necessity for amending the anti-trust law for reasons of energy policy; environmental law - planning law - gaps in the legislation concerning the energy sector; Energy Industry Law - are there legislative deficiencies, or is it an adequate, correct legislative instrument. (HSCH) [de

Low empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (pre)adolescents compared to normal hearing controls

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Netten, A.P.; Rieffe, C.; Theunissen, S.C.P.M.; Soede, W.; Dirks, E.; Briaire, J.J.; Frijns, J.H.M.

2015-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the level of empathy in deaf and hard of hearing (pre)adolescents compared to normal hearing controls and to define the influence of language and various hearing loss characteristics on the development of empathy. Methods The study group (mean age

Hearing Loss in Cryptococcal Meningitis Survivors

OpenAIRE

Lofgren, Sarah; Montgomery, Martha; Yueh, Nathan; Namudde, Alice; Rhein, Joshua; Abassi, Mahsa; Musubire, Abdu; Meya, David; Boulware, David

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Hearing loss is a known complication cryptococcal meningitis (CM); however, there is a paucity of data. We aimed to describe hearing loss in CM survivors. Methods We assessed hearing via audiometry 8 and 18 weeks after diagnosis of CM in Kampala, Uganda from 2015-2016. We measured at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 Hz. Normal hearing was defined as minimum hearing level at 25 cm H2O 113 24 (71%) 28 (45%) 0.017 Average Opening Pressure >20 cm H20 96 34 (81%) 43 (61%) 0.025 Quantitative Cultur...

Evidence and argument in policymaking: development of workplace smoking legislation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bero Lisa A

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background We sought to identify factors that affect the passage of public health legislation by examining the use of arguments, particularly arguments presenting research evidence, in legislative debates regarding workplace smoking restrictions. Methods We conducted a case-study based content analysis of legislative materials used in the development of six state workplace smoking laws, including written and spoken testimony and the text of proposed and passed bills and amendments. We coded testimony given before legislators for arguments used, and identified the institutional affiliations of presenters and their position on the legislation. We compared patterns in the arguments made in testimony to the relative strength of each state's final legislation. Results Greater discussion of scientific evidence within testimony given was associated with the passage of workplace smoking legislation that provided greater protection for public health, regardless of whether supporters outnumbered opponents or vice versa. Conclusion Our findings suggest that an emphasis on scientific discourse, relative to other arguments made in legislative testimony, might help produce political outcomes that favor public health.

Copyright, Crime and Computers: New Legislative Frameworks for Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement

OpenAIRE

Urbas, Gregor

2012-01-01

This paper considers intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement from the perspective of criminal law, and in particular, drawing on recent Australian legislative reforms concerning copyright, cybercrime, covert investigations, mutual assistance and extradition, prosecution and sentencing options, as well as proceeds of crime recovery. The complex interaction of these laws suggests that the field of IPR enforcement offers numerous investigative, prosecutorial and judicial options beyond ...

Externalization versus Internalization of Sound in Normal-hearing and Hearing-impaired Listeners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ohl, Björn; Laugesen, Søren; Buchholz, Jörg

2010-01-01

The externalization of sound, i. e. the perception of auditory events as being located outside of the head, is a natural phenomenon for normalhearing listeners, when perceiving sound coming from a distant physical sound source. It is potentially useful for hearing in background noise......, but the relevant cues might be distorted by a hearing impairment and also by the processing of the incoming sound through hearing aids. In this project, two intuitive tests in natural real-life surroundings were developed, which capture the limits of the perception of externalization. For this purpose...

Neonatal Hearing screening in tafila

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rashed, K.A.

2007-01-01

To measure the true prevalence of hearing impairment in neonates in Tafila, Jordan. This retrospective study was carried out at Prince Zeid Hospital, Taflia, Jordan through analysis of data of all births from January 2005 and January 2006. Transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) were measured via the application of echoprobe to both ears. There were two groups of births that were analysed statistically. Hearing impaired neonates were those with two fails or more in each ear. Normal ones were those with 3 pass or more. Of the 1788 babies in the study group, 1622 (90.7%) were enrolled in the study with 9.3% loss rate. 1512 babies were examined on the 2 day of birth, 2 of them had hearing impairment with a rate of 1.2/1000. 110 babies were screened on the day of discharge from the nursery, one of them with hearing defect with a rate of 5.9/1000. Thus, true prevalence of hearing impaiment or failure was 1.7/1000. We conclude that screening for hearing impairment in the neonatal period is easy, informative and the true prevalence of hearing impairment in Tafila is similar to that in different parts of the world. (author)

Definition of fluctuant hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, J J

1975-06-01

In summary, fluctuant hearing loss is defined as a disorder of the inner ear characterized by fullness, roaring tinnitus, and fluctuations in hearing. It is believed to be caused by an inadequate absorption of endolymph from the endolymphatic sac, with or without one or more metabolic disorders, that interferes with the delicate balance between the production and absorption of endolymph and thus produces cochlear hydrops. This triad of fullness, roaring tinnitus, and fluctuant hearing loss resulting from cochlear hydrops is much more common than the quadrad of true turning vertigo, fullness, roaring tinnitus, and fluctuant hearing loss due to vestibular and cochlear hydrops known as Meniere's disease. Although patients with fluctuant hearing loss only may eventually develop vertigo as the chief complaint and then be said to have Meniere's disease, it is remarkable how many patients continue to suffer mainly from cochlear symptoms at all times. It would appear, because of the greater frequency of fluctuant hearing loss than in Meniere's disease, that the cochlear labyrinth is more susceptible to hydrops than the vestibular labyrinth. For the purposes of diagnosis and treatment it is very useful to separate patients into those with fluctuant hearing loss and those with Meniere's disease.

Hearing and the cochlea

Science.gov (United States)

... like structure that contains the receptor organ for hearing. The cochlea contains the spiral organ of Corti, which is the receptor organ for hearing. It consists of tiny hair cells that translate ...

Moral autonomy in Australian legislation and military doctrine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Adams

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Australian legislation and military doctrine stipulate that soldiers ‘subjugate their will’ to government, and fight in any war the government declares. Neither legislation nor doctrine enables the conscience of soldiers. Together, provisions of legislation and doctrine seem to take soldiers for granted. And, rather than strengthening the military instrument, the convention of legislation and doctrine seems to weaken the democratic foundations upon which the military may be shaped as a force for justice. Denied liberty of their conscience, soldiers are denied the foundational right of democratic citizenship and construed as utensils of the State. This article critiques the idea of moral agency in Australian legislation and military doctrine and is concerned with the obligation of the State to safeguard the moral integrity of individual soldiers, so soldiers might serve with a fully formed moral assurance to advance justice in the world. Beyond its explicit focus on the convention of Australian thought, this article raises questions of far-reaching relevance. The provisos of Australian legislation and doctrine are an analogue of western thinking. Thus, this discussion challenges many assumptions concerning military duty and effectiveness. Discussion will additionally provoke some reassessment of the expectations democratic societies hold of their soldiers.

'Pivotal politics' in US energy and climate legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skodvin, Tora

2010-01-01

In the 110th Congress (2007-2008) legislation related to climate change was introduced at a faster pace than in any previous Congress, yet it did not result in a corresponding increase in enacted climate-related laws. A pertinent example of the political infeasibility of climate policy change in the 110th Congress is the case of tax credit extensions for production of renewable energy. While this issue in itself was uncontroversial, the extensions were only adopted in the 11th hour, after innumerable failed attempts. With an analytical point of departure in Krehbiel's theory of pivotal politics, this paper seeks to identify pivotal legislators in the case of the tax credit extensions and discusses how changes in the composition of pivotal legislators in the 111th Congress (2009-2010) may impact the prospects of moving climate legislation more generally. The analysis indicates that a majority of the legislative pivots in the case of tax credit extensions were Republican senators representing coal-producing states. In the case of climate change, however, the regional dimension is likely to be more significant for Democratic voting behaviour. Thus, the opportunity space for climate legislation in the 111th Congress remains narrow even with a reinforced Democratic majority in Congress.

Environmental Legislation in China: Achievements, Challenges and Trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhilin Mu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Compared to the environmental legislation of many developed countries, China’s environmental legislation was initiated late, beginning in 1979, but nevertheless has obtained considerable achievements. As many as thirty environmental laws have provided rules regarding prevention and control of pollution, resource utilization, and ecological protection in China. However, China’s environmental legislation still faces a series of challenges and problems, including that the sustainable development concept has not yet been fully implemented, as well as presence of gaps and non-coordination phenomena between laws and regulations, unclear responsibility, imperfect system design, imbalance between rights and obligations, higher impacts resulted from the GDP-centralized economy, lack of operability and instruments in the legal content, as well as difficulty of public participation. In contrast, China’s environmental legislation has improved, as a result of learning from experience in developed countries and introducing innovations stimulated by domestic environmental pressure. Looking into the future, increased attention to environmental protection and ecological consciousness paid by China’s new leaders will bring a valuable opportunity to China’s further development concerning environmental legislation. In the future, there are prospects for the gradual improvement of legal approaches, continuous improvements of legislation to mitigate environmental problems, and more opportunities to strengthen public participation can be predicted.

49 CFR 107.321 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hearing. 107.321 Section 107.321 Transportation... PROCEDURES Enforcement Compliance Orders and Civil Penalties § 107.321 Hearing. (a) To the extent practicable, the hearing is held in the general vicinity of the place where the alleged violation occurred or at a...

Colombian mining legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza Delgado, Eva Isolina

2004-01-01

The paper makes a historical recount of the mining legislation in Colombia, it is about the more relevant aspects of the Code of Mines, like they are the title miner, obligations, economic aspects, integration of mining areas and of the benefits contemplated in the law 685 of 2001

Binaural Hearing Ability With Bilateral Bone Conduction Stimulation in Subjects With Normal Hearing: Implications for Bone Conduction Hearing Aids.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeitooni, Mehrnaz; Mäki-Torkko, Elina; Stenfelt, Stefan

The purpose of this study is to evaluate binaural hearing ability in adults with normal hearing when bone conduction (BC) stimulation is bilaterally applied at the bone conduction hearing aid (BCHA) implant position as well as at the audiometric position on the mastoid. The results with BC stimulation are compared with bilateral air conduction (AC) stimulation through earphones. Binaural hearing ability is investigated with tests of spatial release from masking and binaural intelligibility level difference using sentence material, binaural masking level difference with tonal chirp stimulation, and precedence effect using noise stimulus. In all tests, results with bilateral BC stimulation at the BCHA position illustrate an ability to extract binaural cues similar to BC stimulation at the mastoid position. The binaural benefit is overall greater with AC stimulation than BC stimulation at both positions. The binaural benefit for BC stimulation at the mastoid and BCHA position is approximately half in terms of decibels compared with AC stimulation in the speech based tests (spatial release from masking and binaural intelligibility level difference). For binaural masking level difference, the binaural benefit for the two BC positions with chirp signal phase inversion is approximately twice the benefit with inverted phase of the noise. The precedence effect results with BC stimulation at the mastoid and BCHA position are similar for low frequency noise stimulation but differ with high-frequency noise stimulation. The results confirm that binaural hearing processing with bilateral BC stimulation at the mastoid position is also present at the BCHA implant position. This indicates the ability for binaural hearing in patients with good cochlear function when using bilateral BCHAs.

45 CFR 1386.90 - Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice of hearing or opportunity for hearing. 1386.90 Section 1386.90 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) OFFICE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PROGRAM...

Hearing aid fitting for visual and hearing impaired patients with Usher syndrome type IIa.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartel, B P; Agterberg, M J H; Snik, A F; Kunst, H P M; van Opstal, A J; Bosman, A J; Pennings, R J E

2017-08-01

Usher syndrome is the leading cause of hereditary deaf-blindness. Most patients with Usher syndrome type IIa start using hearing aids from a young age. A serious complaint refers to interference between sound localisation abilities and adaptive sound processing (compression), as present in today's hearing aids. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of advanced signal processing on binaural hearing, including sound localisation. In this prospective study, patients were fitted with hearing aids with a nonlinear (compression) and linear amplification programs. Data logging was used to objectively evaluate the use of either program. Performance was evaluated with a speech-in-noise test, a sound localisation test and two questionnaires focussing on self-reported benefit. Data logging confirmed that the reported use of hearing aids was high. The linear program was used significantly more often (average use: 77%) than the nonlinear program (average use: 17%). The results for speech intelligibility in noise and sound localisation did not show a significant difference between type of amplification. However, the self-reported outcomes showed higher scores on 'ease of communication' and overall benefit, and significant lower scores on disability for the new hearing aids when compared to their previous hearing aids with compression amplification. Patients with Usher syndrome type IIa prefer a linear amplification over nonlinear amplification when fitted with novel hearing aids. Apart from a significantly higher logged use, no difference in speech in noise and sound localisation was observed between linear and nonlinear amplification with the currently used tests. Further research is needed to evaluate the reasons behind the preference for the linear settings. © 2016 The Authors. Clinical Otolaryngology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prevalence and risk factors of noise-induced hearing loss among liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder infusion workers in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shu-Ju; Chang, Chin-Kuo

2009-12-01

We assessed the exposure levels of noise, estimated prevalence, and identify risk factors of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) among male workers with a cross-sectional study in a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder infusion factory in Taipei City. Male in-field workers exposed to noise and administrative controls were enrolled in 2006 and 2007. Face-to-face interviews were applied for demographics, employment history, and drinking/smoking habit. We then performed the measurements on noise levels in field and administration area, and hearing thresholds on study subjects with standard apparatus and protocols. Existence of hearing loss > 25 dBHL for the average of 500 Hz, 1 kHz, and 2 kHz was accordingly determined for NIHL. The effects from noise exposure, predisposing characteristics, employment-related factors, and personal habits to NIHL were estimated by univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. A total of 75 subjects were involved in research and 56.8% of in-field workers had NIHL. Between the in-field and administration groups, hearing thresholds on the worse ear showed significant differences at frequencies of 4 k, 6 k, and 8 kHz with aging considered. Adjusted odds ratio for field noise exposure (OR=99.57, 95% CI: 3.53, 2,808.74) and frequent tea or coffee consumption (OR=0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.51) were found significant. Current study addressed NIHL in a specific industry in Taiwan. Further efforts in minimizing its impact are still in need.

First experiences with NORM regulations in the Austrian legislation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dauke, Michael; Katzlberger, C.; Haider, W.; Ringer, W.

2008-01-01

Full text: This paper gives a brief overview of important aspects of the recently implemented NORM ordinance in the Austrian Radiation Protection Legislation. It describes first experiences from pilot studies and dose assessments in this field. The field of application of this ordinance is defined by a list of work activities which might cause a significant increase in the exposure of workers and of members of the public. This list includes work activities, which potentially increase the exposure due to radon or uranium, thorium and their progenies and work activities, where residues with elevated levels of natural radionuclides may lead to a significant increase in the exposure of workers and the public. The first level of a dose assessment is the determination of activity concentrations in materials. It is assumed that the dose of workers does not exceed 1 mSv per year, if the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides are below 1 Bq/g. A notification of the workplace to the radiation protection authority is sufficient in this case. Otherwise a detailed dose assessment considering all relevant exposure pathways has to be performed as well as radiation protection measures and organisational measures, if needed. If the results of the dose assessment show higher levels than 6 mSv per year, radiation protection measures like personal dosimeters and periodical medical examination and reporting to the radiation protection authority are obligatory. A similar dose assessment procedure has to be applied for residues. The residues are allowed to be disposed as conventional waste, as long as the dose assessment shows a dose lower than 1 mSv per year. Otherwise the residues have to be treated as radioactive waste. Only accredited or certified institutions may perform authorised dose assessments. The Austrian Agency for Food and Health Safety performed pilot studies in this field for getting more experience in the field of dose assessment and to get an overview of the

Monitor, a Vibrotactile Aid for Environmental Perception: A Field Evaluation by Four People with Severe Hearing and Vision Impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parivash Ranjbar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Monitor is a portable vibrotactile aid to improve the ability of people with severe hearing impairment or deafblindness to detect, identify, and recognize the direction of sound-producing events. It transforms and adapts sounds to the frequency sensitivity range of the skin. The aid was evaluated in the field. Four females (44–54 years with Usher Syndrome I (three with tunnel vision and one with only light perception tested the aid at home and in traffic in three different field studies: without Monitor, with Monitor with an omnidirectional microphone, and with Monitor with a directional microphone. The tests were video-documented, and the two field studies with Monitor were initiated after five weeks of training. The detection scores with omnidirectional and directional microphones were 100% for three participants and above 57% for one, both in their home and traffic environments. In the home environment the identification scores with the omnidirectional microphone were 70%–97% and 58%–95% with the directional microphone. The corresponding values in traffic were 29%–100% and 65%–100%, respectively. Their direction perception was improved to some extent by both microphones. Monitor improved the ability of people with deafblindness to detect, identify, and recognize the direction of events producing sounds.

Monitor, a vibrotactile aid for environmental perception: a field evaluation by four people with severe hearing and vision impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjbar, Parivash; Stenström, Ingeborg

2013-01-01

Monitor is a portable vibrotactile aid to improve the ability of people with severe hearing impairment or deafblindness to detect, identify, and recognize the direction of sound-producing events. It transforms and adapts sounds to the frequency sensitivity range of the skin. The aid was evaluated in the field. Four females (44-54 years) with Usher Syndrome I (three with tunnel vision and one with only light perception) tested the aid at home and in traffic in three different field studies: without Monitor, with Monitor with an omnidirectional microphone, and with Monitor with a directional microphone. The tests were video-documented, and the two field studies with Monitor were initiated after five weeks of training. The detection scores with omnidirectional and directional microphones were 100% for three participants and above 57% for one, both in their home and traffic environments. In the home environment the identification scores with the omnidirectional microphone were 70%-97% and 58%-95% with the directional microphone. The corresponding values in traffic were 29%-100% and 65%-100%, respectively. Their direction perception was improved to some extent by both microphones. Monitor improved the ability of people with deafblindness to detect, identify, and recognize the direction of events producing sounds.

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' legislative activities and the Joint Medical Library Association/Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Legislative Task Force

OpenAIRE

Zenan, Joan S.

2003-01-01

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' (AAHSL's) involvement in national legislative activities and other advocacy initiatives has evolved and matured over the last twenty-five years. Some activities conducted by the Medical Library Association's (MLA's) Legislative Committee from 1976 to 1984 are highlighted to show the evolution of MLA's and AAHSL's interests in collaborating on national legislative issues, which resulted in an agreement to form a joint legislative task forc...

Genes and Hearing Loss

Science.gov (United States)

... ENTCareers Marketplace Find an ENT Doctor Near You Genes and Hearing Loss Genes and Hearing Loss Patient ... mutation may only have dystopia canthorum. How Do Genes Work? Genes are a road map for the ...

Noise and Hearing Protection

Science.gov (United States)

... ENTCareers Marketplace Find an ENT Doctor Near You Noise and Hearing Protection Noise and Hearing Protection Patient ... it is. How can I tell if a noise is dangerous? People differ in their sensitivity to ...

7 CFR 3.77 - Hearing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Hearing. 3.77 Section 3.77 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture DEBT MANAGEMENT Federal Salary Offset § 3.77 Hearing. (a) If an employee timely files a petition for a hearing under section 3.75, USDA shall select the time, date, and location for...

The influence of hearing aids on the speech and language development of children with hearing loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomblin, J Bruce; Oleson, Jacob J; Ambrose, Sophie E; Walker, Elizabeth; Moeller, Mary Pat

2014-05-01

IMPORTANCE Hearing loss (HL) in children can be deleterious to their speech and language development. The standard of practice has been early provision of hearing aids (HAs) to moderate these effects; however, there have been few empirical studies evaluating the effectiveness of this practice on speech and language development among children with mild-to-severe HL. OBJECTIVE To investigate the contributions of aided hearing and duration of HA use to speech and language outcomes in children with mild-to-severe HL. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An observational cross-sectional design was used to examine the association of aided hearing levels and length of HA use with levels of speech and language outcomes. One hundred eighty 3- and 5-year-old children with HL were recruited through records of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and referrals from clinical service providers in the general community in 6 US states. INTERVENTIONS All but 4 children had been fitted with HAs, and measures of aided hearing and the duration of HA use were obtained. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Standardized measures of speech and language ability were obtained. RESULTS Measures of the gain in hearing ability for speech provided by the HA were significantly correlated with levels of speech (ρ179 = 0.20; P = .008) and language: ρ155 = 0.21; P = .01) ability. These correlations were indicative of modest levels of association between aided hearing and speech and language outcomes. These benefits were found for children with mild and moderate-to-severe HL. In addition, the amount of benefit from aided hearing interacted with the duration of HA experience (Speech: F4,161 = 4.98; P < .001; Language: F4,138 = 2.91; P < .02). Longer duration of HA experience was most beneficial for children who had the best aided hearing. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The degree of improved hearing provided by HAs was associated with better speech and language development in children

OI Issues: Hearing Loss

Science.gov (United States)

... signals normally to the brain. In addition, hearing losses are classified according to the degree of severity: • Mild, • Moderate, • Severe, • Profound. Hearing losses are also classified according to the sound frequency ...

Hearing Loss: Screening Newborns

Science.gov (United States)

... of this page please turn JavaScript on. Feature: Hearing Loss Screening Newborns Past Issues / Spring 2015 Table ... deafness, which account for most cases. Screening Newborns' Hearing Now Standard In 1993, children born in the ...

Terrorism and anti-terror legislation - the terrorised legislator? A comparison of counter-terrorism legislation and its implications on human rights in the legal systems of the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, and France

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oehmichen, Anna

2009-01-01

The thesis deals with the history of terrorism and counter-terrorism legislation, focussing on the legislation in the UK, Spain, Germany and France, in the last 30 years, and analysing its compatibility with national and European human rights standards.

Sexual orientation, gender identity and non-discrimination - The Albanian labor legislation and its effects on employment and vocational training potentials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albana Shtylla

2013-01-01

The Constitution of the Republic of Albania, the Albanian labour legislation and the legislation generally, are inspired in accordance with the non-discrimination principles, objectives and definitions of international acts, promoting and expressing protection of human rights and freedoms in general, and in particular in the field of employment and vocational training. This paper will analyze, if the sexual orientation, is one of the causes of discrimination for employment and vocational training, in Albanian legislation, especially how it is expressed this issue on the Constitution of the Republic of Albania, the Albanian Labour Code, the Albanian law “On the protection against discrimination” ect.

Autopsy issues in German Federal Republic transplantation legislation until 1997.

Science.gov (United States)

Schweikardt, Christoph

2014-01-01

This article analyzes the relevance of autopsy issues for German Federal Republic transplantation legislation until 1997 against the background of legal traditions and the distribution of constitutional legislative powers. It is based on Federal Ministry of Justice records and German Parliament documents on transplantation legislation. Transplantation and autopsy legislation started with close ties in the 1970s. Viewing transplantation legislation as relevant for future autopsy regulation contributed to the decision to stall transplantation legislation, because the interests of the federal government and the medical profession converged to avoid subsequent restrictions on the practice of conducting autopsies and procuring tissues for transplantation. Sublegal norms were insufficient for the prosecution of the organ trade and area-wide transplantation regulation after the reunification of Germany. In contrast to autopsy issues, legislative power for transplantation issues was extended to the federal level by an amendment to the constitution, allowing decision making for Germany as a whole.

Legislation on violence against women: overview of key components.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz-Barreda, Gaby; Vives-Cases, Carmen

2013-01-01

This study aimed to determine if legislation on violence against women (VAW) worldwide contains key components recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the United Nations (UN) to help strengthen VAW prevention and provide better integrated victim protection, support, and care. A systematic search for VAW legislation using international legal databases and other electronic sources plus data from previous research identified 124 countries/territories with some type of VAW legislation. Full legal texts were found for legislation from 104 countries/territories. Those available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish were downloaded and compiled and the selection criteria applied (use of any of the common terms related to VAW, including intimate partner violence (IPV), and reference to at least two of six sectors (education, health, judicial system, mass media, police, and social services) with regard to VAW interventions (protection, support, and care). A final sample from 80 countries/territories was selected and analyzed for the presence of key components recommended by PAHO and the UN (reference to the term "violence against women" in the title; definitions of different types of VAW; identification of women as beneficiaries; and promotion of (reference to) the participation of multiple sectors in VAW interventions). Few countries/territories specifically identified women as the beneficiaries of their VAW legislation, including those that labeled their legislation "domestic violence" law ( n = 51), of which only two explicitly mentioned women as complainants/survivors. Only 28 countries/territories defined the main forms of VAW (economic, physical, psychological, and sexual) in their VAW legislation. Most highlighted the role of the judicial system, followed by that of social services and the police. Only 28 mentioned the health sector. Despite considerable efforts worldwide to strengthen VAW legislation, most VAW laws do not incorporate the key

Gaze Patterns in Auditory-Visual Perception of Emotion by Children with Hearing Aids and Hearing Children

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Yifang Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigated eye-movement patterns during emotion perception for children with hearing aids and hearing children. Seventy-eight participants aged from 3 to 7 were asked to watch videos with a facial expression followed by an oral statement, and these two cues were either congruent or incongruent in emotional valence. Results showed that while hearing children paid more attention to the upper part of the face, children with hearing aids paid more attention to the lower part of the face after the oral statement was presented, especially for the neutral facial expression/neutral oral statement condition. These results suggest that children with hearing aids have an altered eye contact pattern with others and a difficulty in matching visual and voice cues in emotion perception. The negative cause and effect of these gaze patterns should be avoided in earlier rehabilitation for hearing-impaired children with assistive devices.

Predictors of flourishing among children with hearing loss.

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Nabors, Laura; Odar Stough, Cathleen; Merianos, Ashley; Peugh, James

2016-12-01

To examine parent report of flourishing in children with hearing impairments compared to children without hearing impairments, and to explore whether school engagement and bullying related to child flourishing. Participants were 655 children with hearing impairments and 44, 618 children without hearing impairments who were 10-17 years of age. Caregivers completed telephone interviews about their child's functioning for the National Survey of Children's Health. Children without hearing loss had higher parent-reported flourishing compared to children with hearing loss when controlling for child demographics (i.e., race, age, sex). School engagement was positively related to flourishing of children with hearing loss. Bullying behaviors were not related to flourishing of children with hearing loss. Improving school engagement may increase flourishing of children with hearing loss, which is critical given that children with hearing loss experience lower flourishing than children without hearing loss. Examining the relationships among other risk and resilience factors and flourishing for children with hearing loss will provide information for interventions to enhance the adaptation of these children. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can You Hear What I Think? Theory of Mind in Young Children With Moderate Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Netten, Anouk P; Rieffe, Carolien; Soede, Wim; Dirks, Evelien; Korver, Anna M H; Konings, Saskia; Briaire, Jeroen J; Oudesluys-Murphy, Anne Marie; Dekker, Friedo W; Frijns, Johan H M

The first aim of this study was to examine various aspects of Theory of Mind (ToM) development in young children with moderate hearing loss (MHL) compared with hearing peers. The second aim was to examine the relation between language abilities and ToM in both groups. The third aim was to compare the sequence of ToM development between children with MHL and hearing peers. Forty-four children between 3 and 5 years old with MHL (35 to 70 dB HL) who preferred to use spoken language were identified from a nationwide study on hearing loss in young children. These children were compared with 101 hearing peers. Children were observed during several tasks to measure intention understanding, the acknowledgement of the other's desires, and belief understanding. Parents completed two scales of the child development inventory to assess expressive language and language comprehension in all participants. Objective language test scores were available from the medical files of children with MHL. Children with MHL showed comparable levels of intention understanding but lower levels of both desire and belief understanding than hearing peers. Parents reported lower language abilities in children with MHL compared with hearing peers. Yet, the language levels of children with MHL were within the average range compared with test normative samples. A stronger relation between language and ToM was found in the hearing children than in children with MHL. The expected developmental sequence of ToM skills was divergent in approximately one-fourth of children with MHL, when compared with hearing children. Children with MHL have more difficulty in their ToM reasoning than hearing peers, despite the fact that their language abilities lie within the average range compared with test normative samples.

Hearing Conservation Self-Study #12350

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chochoms, Michael [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-08-09

Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States (US). From 22 to 30 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, and 25% of these workers will develop permanent hearing loss. Hearing loss from noise is slow and painless, and you can have a disability before you notice it. This course presents the hazards associated with workplace noise, the purpose and elements of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Hearing Conservation Program (HCP), and controls that are available to reduce your exposure to hazardous levels of noise.

Legislative processes in transition : comparative study of the legislative processes in Finland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom as a source of inspiration for enhancing the efficiency of the Dutch legislative process

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Voermans, W.; Napel, H.-M. ten; Diamant, M.; Groothuis, M.; Steunenberg, B.; Passchier, R.; Pack, S.

2012-01-01

The main research question of the current study is when whether the efficiency of the Dutch legislative procedure for parliamentary acts indeed constitutes a problem, in particular if compared to the achievements of legislative processes in several other European countries and, if that turns out to

Buying a Hearing Aid

Science.gov (United States)

... the aids? Start using your hearing aids in quiet surroundings, gradually building up to noisier environments. Then eventually work up to wearing your hearing aids all waking hours. Keep a diary to help you remember your ...

Bone-anchored hearing aids in conductive and mixed hearing losses: why do patients reject them?

Science.gov (United States)

Siau, Richard T K; Dhillon, Baljeet; Siau, Derrick; Green, Kevin M J

2016-10-01

This study aimed to report the bone-anchored hearing aid uptake rate and the reasons for their rejection by patients with conductive and mixed hearing losses. A retrospective review was performed of 113 consecutive patients with unilateral or bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss referred to the Greater Manchester bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) programme between September 2008 and August 2011. 98 (86.7 %) patients were deemed audiologically suitable for BAHA implantation. Of these, 38 (38.8 %) had BAHA implanted; 60 (61.2 %) patients declined. Of those who declined, 27 (45 %) cited anxiety over surgery, 18 (30 %) cited cosmetic reasons, 16 (26.7 %) perceived limited benefit from the device and six (10 %) preferred conventional hearing aids. Our study highlights a 38.8 % BAHA uptake rate in audiologically suitable patients. The main reasons cited for rejection of BAHA were anxiety over surgery and cosmetic concerns. It is important that clinicians address these early during consultation with prospective BAHA recipients and avoid rushing to implant these patients with a bone-anchored hearing aid.

Communication between hearing impaired and normal hearing students: a facilitative proposal of learning in higher education

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Krysne Kelly de França Oliveira

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: There has been an increase in the number of hearing impaired people with access to higher education. Most of them are young people from a different culture who present difficulties in communication, inter-relationship, and learning in a culture of normal hearing people, because they use a different language, the Brazilian Sign Language - LIBRAS. Objective: The present study aimed to identify the forms of communication used between hearing impaired and normal hearing students, verifying how they can interfere with the learning process of the first. Methods: A qualitative study that used the space of a private university in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará state, Brazil, from February to April 2009. We carried out semi-structured interviews with three hearing impaired students, three teachers, three interpreters, and three normal hearing students. The content of the speeches was categorized and organized by the method of thematic analysis. Results: We verified that the forms of communication used ranged from mime and gestures to writing and drawing, but the most accepted by the hearing impaired students was LIBRAS. As a method of communication, it supports the learning of hearing impaired students, and with the mediation of interpreters, it gives them conditions to settle in their zones of development, according to the precepts of Vygotsky. Conclusion: Thus, we recognize the importance of LIBRAS as predominant language, essential to the full academic achievement of hearing impaired students; however, their efforts and dedication, as well as the interest of institutions and teachers on the deaf culture, are also important for preparing future professionals.

Chinese Writing of Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Students and Normal-Hearing Peers from Complex Network Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Huiyuan; Liu, Haitao

2016-01-01

Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals usually face a greater challenge to learn to write than their normal-hearing counterparts. Due to the limitations of traditional research methods focusing on microscopic linguistic features, a holistic characterization of the writing linguistic features of these language users is lacking. This study attempts to fill this gap by adopting the methodology of linguistic complex networks. Two syntactic dependency networks are built in order to compare the macroscopic linguistic features of deaf or hard-of-hearing students and those of their normal-hearing peers. One is transformed from a treebank of writing produced by Chinese deaf or hard-of-hearing students, and the other from a treebank of writing produced by their Chinese normal-hearing counterparts. Two major findings are obtained through comparison of the statistical features of the two networks. On the one hand, both linguistic networks display small-world and scale-free network structures, but the network of the normal-hearing students' exhibits a more power-law-like degree distribution. Relevant network measures show significant differences between the two linguistic networks. On the other hand, deaf or hard-of-hearing students tend to have a lower language proficiency level in both syntactic and lexical aspects. The rigid use of function words and a lower vocabulary richness of the deaf or hard-of-hearing students may partially account for the observed differences.

New protein sources and food legislation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belluco, Simone; Halloran, Afton Marina Szasz; Ricci, Antonia

2017-01-01

Growing global food demand has generated a greater interest in the consumption of new and diversified protein sources. Novel foodstuffs represent a challenge for food law as they need proper safety assessments before obtaining market permission. The case of edible insects and European law is a good...... representation of this issue because a selection of food grade insect species may be available on the European market in the coming years. However, European legislation does not explicitly address edible insects. Consequently, this has left a grey area, allowing different interpretations of the legislation among....... Particular attention will be paid to the evolution of legislation and to the experiences of both EU and non-EU countries. In recent years, a number of different stakeholders have supported the legalization of edible insect consumption in Europe, but market permission is just the first step towards a new...

Benefit of Analog, Programmable and Digital Hearing Aids

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Jamileh Fatahi

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: As the hearing aid technology progressively promotes toward replacing analog hearing aids with digital and programmable ones, comparison of the patient satisfaction of those kinds of hearing aids by means of a valuable tool seems so necessary. So, the aim of this study was to compare self-reported benefit of analog, digitally controlled programmable and digital hearing aids for reducing disability caused by hearing impairment in mild to severe sensorineural hearing impaired persons. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 90 persons with mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss dividing into three groups: 43 subjects were fitted with digital, 15 with programmable, 32 with analog hearing aids. After pure tone audiometry, Abbreviated profile of hearing aid benefit (APHAB was completed before and one month after using hearing aids to determine the benefit of them. Results: Global APHAB mean scores for digital, programmable and analog hearing aids were 49.05, 33.19 and 39.53, respectively. Ease of Communication subscale mean scores were 53.46 for digitals, 37.66 for programmables and 39.09 for analogs. Background noise subscale mean scores for digital programmable and analog hearing aids were 46.36, 25.53 and 35.31, respectively. Global and also both subscale mean scores showed significant difference between digital hearing aids and programmable and analog ones. There was no significant difference between reverberation subscale mean scores of three groups. Conclusion: It seems digital hearing aids may be more beneficial to reduce disability caused by hearing loss than analog and programmable hearing aids are.

DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW. CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BETWEEN THE STATUS OF NEGATIVE LEGISLATOR AND THE STATUS OF POSITIVE CO-LEGISLATOR

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Marieta Safta

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The study wants to emphasize that Constitutional Courts belonging to the European model depart from their traditional role as ”negative legislator” – which refers to the effect of their acts consisting in removal from the legal system of those rules contrary to the Basic Law -, becoming, to a certain extent, a ”positive legislator”. Official interpreters of the Constitution, Constitutional Courts assume, sometimes, a role of co-legislators, creating provisions they deduct from the Constitution - when controlling the absence of legislation or legislative omissions -, and revealing the content of constitutional and even infraconstitutional rules accordingly with the Constitution in their case-law, whose effects are nothing but specific forms of „impulse” or „coercion” of the legislator to proceed in a certain sense, and whose continuous development guides the evolution of the entire legal system. Case – law selected presents ways in which the Constitutional Court of Romania is associated to law-making activity. Without minimizing in any way its traditional role as "negative legislator", the study refers mainly to acts and situations that give expression to the creative role of the Constitutional Court of Romania.

40 CFR 24.14 - Scheduling the hearing; pre-hearing submissions by the parties.