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Agriculture drought is a recurrent phenomenon that affects most parts of Sahel regions. With the advent of various satellite data, drought risk assessment has become more accessible, but the challenge lies in choosing a well-defined time scale. This study aims to contribute to agricultural drought monitoring, based on the calculation of composite indices using the MODIS sensor in the Senegalese Groundnut basin. The approach is based upon vegetation condition and health (VCI, VHI) and temperature (TCI) indices. Subsequently, those indices were evaluated based upon crop yield data, and a Holt-Winter forecasting was performed to determine the driest month in 2020-2021. Here we show that all investigated communes are sensitive to drought, especially Keur-Samba Gueye (in July, September, and October). Based on its significant correlation with VCI and TCI (R²>0.57), VHI was proven to be a reliable water stress indicator. Our approach demonstrates the Groundnut basin’s vulnerability to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the costliest natural disasters, effecting many aspects of human livelihoods. This study assessed drought conditions in Cambodia from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data during 2000 to 2019 using the Vegetation Health Index. The results verified with the satellite soil moisture indicated close agreement between these two datasets. The drought areas were concentrated in the country's central plains, with the larger drought area particularly observed for 2016. Roughly 31.3% of rice-growing area was affected by severe drought during the dry season in this abnormal year (2016), compared to that of 26.1% in a normal year (2017). The results of drought probability calculated for the entire study period indicated that 63 and 17 districts were associated with droughts in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. This study demonstrated the potential application of MODIS data for decadal drought assessment over rice cultivated areas, which was important for crop and water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: The frequency of operations, age at onset, gender and subtype of the human papilloma virus (HPV) may be used as factors to predict voice disability. Objectives: Patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) are characterized by morbid consequences due to a lifelong repetitive influence on voice and breathing ability and the need for recurrent surgical treatments. The aim of the study was to measure the quality of voice and life using evaluated and validated questionnaires in a northern Sweden RRP population. Methods: A total of 27 consecutive patients with RRP (age 21-71 years, median 47 years) were evaluated 3 months postoperatively (CO2 laser treatment) using the voice handicap index (VHI) and SF-36 questionnaires to assess the impact on life and voice in an RRP population. The values were compared to historical normative data, VHI ≤ 20. Results: Patients that underwent more than one operation per year were younger ( p = 0.028) than those treated less frequently. The mean VHItotal score in patients with RRP was 39.3, indicating a statistically significant impairment of voice quality ( p < 0.001) as compared with normal subjects. Voice dysfunction was observed in 21 patients (78%). Significantly lower values than the normal population regarding the quality of life in patients with RRP were obtained in the domain of social functioning ( p = 0.029). Females, patients with frequent surgical treatment sessions and patients with the high-risk HPV types scored significantly lower in several domains of the quality of life assessment as compared with normal subjects. The results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the VHI (VHI-Arab) were investigated. Possible effects of participant-inherent factors (i.e. age, sex) on participant (77 females, 35 males) responses were also investigated. Results showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha r > 0.857 for all scores). Test-retest reliability was found to be strong ( r > 0.87 for all scores). Validity results indicated significant moderate correlations between total VHI score and responses to severity ( r = 0.521, P = 0.015) and satisfaction ( r = 20.556, P = 0.009) questions. VHI-Arab was found to be unaffected by age ( P > 0.10 for all scores) or sex ( P > 0.05). This study produced a valid and reliable instrument for measuring participation restriction in Arabic-speaking individuals with voice disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The association between vocal communication and personality was studied in 82 female voice patients with a mean age of the 39.3 years (range 18–65 years). Study design: The relation between type-D personality (Type-D Scale-16), psychosomatic symptoms (Symptom Check List–90) and the biopsychosocial impact of the voice problem (Voice Handicap Index) was assessed. Results: The findings indicate that type-D voice patients are relatively more handicapped by their voice problem, predominantly in the emotional domain, and have a relatively higher level of psychosomatic symptoms compared to non-type-D patients. Conclusions: Apparently, the well-being of females with a voice problem is more at risk in type-D than in non-type-D personalities. These results lead to the suspicion that voice patients with a type-D personality are especially at risk because they are prone to be involved in a circular negatively reinforcing process. This process influences the vocal problem in such a way that a detrimental course of vocal communication possibly occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) improves the motor difficulties experienced by patients with Parkinson's disease (PD); however, the effects on speech are variable. In this study, patients rated their current post-surgery speech difficulties using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) and used the same measure to retrospectively rate their pre-surgery speech. Scores pre- and post-surgery were also available on the UPDRS-III, and the patients' intelligibility was assessed by an independent listener. A control group of non-surgical patients with PD (medical group) also completed the VHI for comparison. VHI scores deteriorated equally in the two groups. However, the variability of the change scores in the surgical group was significantly greater than in the medical group. The correlation between the changes in the VHI and UPDRS scores for the surgical group was not significant. Correlations between the VHI scores and intelligibility were significant both before and after surgery, suggesting that patients accurately perceive their difficulties. The findings confirm the variability in the speech difficulties of patients following STN-DBS. The patients' ability to use the VHI offers a means of assessing the effects of their speech on their quality-of-life, and may be clinically useful post-STN-DBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]