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Respectful and trusting family-professional partnerships can positively influence the health care of children with intellectual and developmental disability. This article describes a creative interdisciplinary educational approach that includes family members and preservice professionals as partners, and evaluates the perceived impact of this approach on the learners. The majority of survey respondents rated the impact of including family members in a 9-month interdisciplinary training program as co-learners, educators, and mentors as having a very high impact. Including family members in interdisciplinary educational activities, provides preservice learners invaluable opportunity to experience true family-professional partnerships. Recommendations are provided for education of preservice learners through a partnering process that fully includes family, self-advocacy, and professional disciplines, and targets family-centered inclusive services as an outcome.

Improving relations between fishermen and scientists is becoming increasingly important as fisheries scientists and managers work towards incorporating fishermen in research efforts and management decisions. The history of fishermen’s resentment towards scientists and scientific institutions, particularly in New England, illustrates significant obstacles towards such efforts. Understanding the dynamics of fishermanscientist relations, then, is imperative to furthering the success of participatory efforts. However, little research has been conducted to better understand the quality of fisherman-scientist relationships, and the factors that affect them. The purpose of this study is to explore the quality of fisherman-scientist relations from the perspective of commercial fishermen in Maine, and investigate influencing factors. Eighteen lobstermen from three ports in Maine were interviewed during Fall 2013 to better understand fisherman-scientist relations. Respondents were asked about their personal characteristics, their experiences interacting with scientists, and their general perceptions of fisherman-scientist relations, relationship trends, and fishery conditions. Interviews were transcribed and coded according to grounded theory. Two categories of comments relating to fisherman-scientist relations emerged: relationship context and relationship quality indicators. Six relationship quality indicators emerged: trust, receptivity, communication, influence, satisfaction and commitment. Four factors influencing trust also emerged: competence, integrity, credibility and accountability. Results indicate that commercial fishermen in Maine tend to perceive fishermanscientist relations in a negative manner. Fishermen’s homeport, education attainment and perception of resource health tend to have substantial effect on perceptions of the fisherman-scientist relationship. Results also suggest that relationship context is a potentially significant determinant of relationship quality. It was also found that trust was the relationship quality indicator most frequently mentioned, followed by receptivity, communication and influence. Of trust factors, competence was mentioned by all respondents, suggesting that fishermen’s perceptions of scientists’ competence is likely the most substantial factor affecting trust. Findings provide scientists and managers in Maine and elsewhere valuable insight into improving relationships with fishermen, and subsequently improving participatory research efforts.

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The interaction of audition and cognition has been of interest to researchers and clinicians, especially as the prevalence of hearing loss and cognitive decline increases with advancing age. Cognitive screening tests are commonly used to assess cognitive status in individuals reporting changes in memory or function or to monitor cognitive status over time. These assessments are administered verbally, so performance may be adversely affected by hearing loss. Previous research on the impact of reduced audibility on cognitive screening test scores has been limited to older adults with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) or young adults with normal hearing and simulated audibility loss. No comparisons have been conducted to determine whether age-related SNHL and its impact on cognitive screening tests is successfully modeled by audibility reduction.The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of reduced audibility on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a common bedside cognitive screening instrument, by comparing performance of cognitively normal older adults with SNHL and young adults with normal hearing.A 1:1 gender-matched case–control design was used for this study.Thirty older adults (60–80 years old) with mild to moderately severe SNHL (cases) and 30 young adults (18–35 years old) with normal hearing (controls) served as participants for this study. Participants in both groups were selected for inclusion if their cognitive status was within normal limits on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.Case participants were administered a recorded version of the MMSE in background noise at a signal-to-noise ratio of +25-dB SNR. Control participants were administered a digitally filtered version of the MMSE that reflected the loss of audibility (i.e., threshold elevation) of the matched case participant at a signal-to-noise ratio of +25-dB SNR. Performance on the MMSE was scored using standard criteria.Between-group analyses revealed no significant difference in the MMSE score. However, within-group analyses showed that education was a significant effect modifier for the case participants.Reduced audibility has a negative effect on MMSE score in cognitively intact participants, which contributes to and confirms the findings of earlier studies. The findings suggest that observed reductions in score on the MMSE were primarily due to loss of audibility of the test item. The negative effects of audibility loss may be greater in individuals who have lower levels of educational attainment. Higher levels of educational attainment may offset decreased performance on the MMSE because of reduced audibility. Failure to consider audibility and optimize communication when administering these assessments can lead to invalid results (e.g., false positives or missed information), misdiagnosis, and inappropriate recommendations for medication or intervention.

Purpose One purpose of this study was to evaluate the improvement in speech recognition obtained with use of 2 different remote microphone technologies. Another purpose of this study was to determine whether a battery of audiometric measures could predict benefit from use of these technologies. Method Sentence recognition was evaluated while 17 adults used each of 2 different hearing aids. Performance was evaluated with and without 2 different remote microphone systems. A variety of audiologic measures were administered to determine whether prefitting assessment may predict benefit from remote microphone technology. Results Use of both remote microphone systems resulted in improvement in speech recognition in quiet and in noise. There were no differences in performance obtained with the 2 different remote microphone technologies in quiet and at low competing noise levels, but use of the digital adaptive remote microphone system provided better speech recognition in the presence of moderate- to high-level noise. The Listening in Spatialized Noise–Sentence Test Prescribed Gain Amplifier (Cameron & Dillon, 2010) measure served as a good predictor of benefit from remote microphone technology. Conclusions Each remote microphone system improved sentence recognition in noise, but greater improvement was obtained with the digital adaptive system. The Listening in Spatialized Noise–Sentence Test Prescribed Gain Amplifier may serve as a good indicator of benefit from remote microphone technology.

Objective: To evaluate wideband amplification and non-linear frequency compression (NLFC) as a means to improve speech recognition for children with mild/moderate hearing loss. Design: Randomized within-subject design with repeated measures across test conditions. Study sample: Eleven children with mild to moderate hearing loss were evaluated with: (1) Phonak BTE without NLFC, (2) Phonak BTE with NLFC, and (3) Oticon BTE with wideband response extending to 8000 Hz. Results: Use of NLFC provided better detection and recognition of high-frequency stimuli (e.g. /sh/ and /s/). No difference in performance between conditions was observed for speech recognition when measured with the University of Western Ontario (UWO) plurals test and the UWO distinctive features difference test. Finally, there were no differences between conditions on the BKB-SIN test. Conclusions: Children with mild to moderate hearing loss have good access to high-frequency phonemes presented at fixed levels (e.g. 50 to 60 dBA) with both wideband and NLFC technology. Similarly, sentence recognition in noise was similar with wideband and NLFC. Adaptive test procedures that probe performance at lower input levels showed small but significant improvements in the detection and recognition of the phonemes /s/ and /sh/ with NLFC condition when compared to the NLFC Off and wideband conditions.

Objective: Previous research shows that children using cochlear implants experience significant difficulty with speech perception in noisy listening situations. There are several types of input signal processing available for the cochlear implant sound processor; however, there is a paucity of research to support this technology for children. The primary objective of this study was to examine the potential benefits of 2 types of input signal processing, adaptive dynamic range optimization (ADRO) as compared with autosensitivity (ASC) plus ADRO for children using Cochlear Corporation implants. Research Design: Cross-sectional repeated-measures design. Setting: Outpatient nonprofit foundation providing audiology services and auditory-verbal therapy. Patients: Eleven children, aged 4 years 4 months to 12 years, with unilateral or bilateral Cochlear Limited implants. All children used their cochlear implant(s) for at least 1 year, had no additional disabilities, were enrolled in preschool or elementary school, and had age-appropriate receptive and expressive language. Intervention: All children used Cochlear Limited cochlear implants with either the Nucleus Freedom or Nucleus 5 cochlear implant sound processor. Performance was assessed while these children used ADRO-only input processing and ASC+ADRO input processing. Main Outcome Measures: Speech perception of PBK-50 monosyllabic words in quiet and BKB-SIN sentences in noise was measured for each child. In the noise conditions, children were using the ADRO-only or ASC+ADRO input signal processing strategies. The data in quiet were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and the conditions in noise were compared using a 1-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: All children demonstrated word recognition in quiet at or above 90% correct. In noise, sentence-perception performance in the ASC+ADRO condition was significantly better than that in the ADRO-alone condition. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest substantial benefit from combining 2 types of input signal processing, ASC and ADRO, for children with unilateral and bilateral cochlear implants. Specifically, signal processing to adjust the sensitivity of the sound processor microphone automatically has substantial positive effects on speech-perception thresholds in noise. Key Words: ChildrenVCochlear implantsVNoiseV Speech recognition. Otol Neurotol 32:533Y538, 2011.

Objective: To assess the reliability of duration of treatment time measured by physiotherapy staff in early-stage stroke patients. Design: Comparison of physiotherapy staff’s recording of treatment sessions and video recording. Setting: Rehabilitation stroke unit in a general hospital. Subjects: Thirty-nine stroke patients without trunk control or who were unable to stand with an erect trunk without the support of two therapists recruited to a randomized trial evaluating the Oswestry Standing Frame. Twenty-six physiotherapy staff who were involved in patient treatment. Main measures: Contemporaneous recording by physiotherapy staff of treatment time (in minutes) compared with video recording. Statistical analysis: Intraclass correlation with 95% confidence interval and the Bland and Altman method for assessing agreement by calculating the mean difference (standard deviation; 95% confidence interval), reliability coefficient and 95% limits of agreement for the differences between the measurements. Results: The mean duration (standard deviation, SD) of treatment time recorded by physiotherapy staff was 32 (11) minutes compared with 25 (9) minutes as evidenced in the video recording. The mean difference (SD) was —6 (9) minutes (95% confidence interval (CI) —9 to —3). The reliability coefficient was 18 minutes and the 95% limits of agreement were —24 to 12 minutes. Intraclass correlation coefficient for agreement between the two methods was 0.50 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.73). Conclusions: Physiotherapy staff’s recording of duration of treatment time was not reliable and was systematically greater than the video recording.

DISTRIBUCION Y ABUNDANCIA RELATIVA DE AVES RAPACES DURANTE EL INVIERNO EN PAISAJES AGRICOLAS Y DE HUMEDALES EN EL SUR DE FLORIDA Investigamos la distribucion y abundancia relativa de las aves rapaces entre ambientes agricolas y naturales con base en censos realizados a lo largo de una autopista de cuatro carriles en el sur de Florida durante los inviernos de 1998–2003, sin incluir el de 2001–02. Registramos la presencia de acuerdo al tipo de cobertura, el uso de tipos de percha y la densidad de rapaces a lo largo de la carretera, ademas de la riqueza y diversidad de especies en cada tipo de cobertura. Cathartes aura, Circus cyaneus, Buteo jamaicensis y Falco sparverius fueron mas abundantes en los paisajes agricolas que en los ambientes naturales, mientras que Coragyps atratus, Pandion haliaetus y Buteo lineatus fueron registrados con mayor frecuencia en los ambientes naturales. Encontramos un sesgo significativo en el tipo de percha: las lineas electricas y los postes fueron empleados mas frecuentemente ...

The Brucella melitensis 16M genome was examined for proteins in excess of 100 amino acids and for immunogenicity-associated genes. One subset of 32 annotated genes or open reading frames was identified, and each of these were cloned into the eukaryotic vector pcDNA3.1. Purified recombinant plasmids were used to intramuscularly (i.m.) immunize BALB/c mice. After challenge with B. melitensis 16M strain, two protective antigens were found: the periplasmic protein, bp26, and the chaperone protein, trigger factor (TF). Protective efficacy was confirmed with DNA vaccines for these two B. melitensis proteins and, when combined, protection against wild-type challenge was significantly enhanced. Both proteins were found to be immunogenic since elevated serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies without a specific IgG subclass bias were induced subsequent to i.m. DNA immunization. Antigen-restimulation assays revealed that bp26 and TF stimulated gamma interferon and only bp26 induced interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, and IL-6 cytokines as measured by cytokine enzyme-linked immunospot assay. These collective results suggest that both bp26 and TF are excellent candidates for use in future vaccination studies against brucellosis.

Background: Standing is believed to have benefits in addressing motor and sensory impairments after stroke. One device to facilitate standing for severely disabled patients is the Oswestry Standing Frame. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Oswestry Standing Frame for severely disabled stroke patients. Design: A single centre, randomized controlled trial. Setting: An inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit. Subjects: Patients were recruited if they had a clinical diagnosis of stroke, were medically stable and unable to achieve any score on the Trunk Control Test or unable to stand in mid-line without the assistance of two therapists. Intervention: The intervention (n=71) and control (n=69) groups both received usual stroke unit care but the intervention group also received a minimum of 14 consecutive days' treatment using the standing frame. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI). Secondary measures included the Barthel Index; the Rivermead Motor Assessment; the balanced sitting and sitting to standing components of the Motor Assessment Scale; the Trunk Control Test and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Blind assessment was undertaken at baseline, six weeks, 12 weeks and six months post stroke. Information on resource use was also collected. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between groups in any of the outcome measures or for resource use. Mann-Whitney U-tests for the RMI change from baseline scores to six weeks, 12 weeks and six months post stroke were p=0.310; p=0.970 and p=0.282, respectively. Conclusion: Use of the Oswestry Standing Frame did not improve clinical outcome or provide resource savings for this severely disabled patient group.

Background: There is a paucity of published studies examining how children with hearing loss understand speech over the telephone. Previous studies on adults with hearing aids have suggested that adults with bilateral hearing aids experience significant difficulty recognizing speech on the telephone when listening with one ear, but the provision of telephone input to both ears substantially improved speech understanding. Purpose: The objectives of this study were to measure speech recognition in quiet and in noise for a group of older children with hearing loss over the telephone and to evaluate the effects of binaural hearing (e.g., DuoPhone) on speech recognition over the telephone. Research Design: A cross-sectional, repeated-measures design was used in this study. Study Sample: A total of 14 children, ages 6–14 yr, participated in the study. Participants were obtained using convenience sampling from a nonprofit clinic population. Intervention: Speech recognition in quiet and in noise with binaural versus monaural telephone input was compared in pediatric participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Monosyllabic word recognition was assessed in quiet and classroom noise set at 50 dBA in conditions with monaural and binaural (DuoPhone) telephone input. Results: The children’s speech recognition in quiet and in noise was significantly better with binaural telephone input relative to monaural telephone input. Conclusions: To obtain optimal performance on the telephone, the following considerations may apply: (1) use of amplification with binaural streaming capabilities (e.g., DuoPhone), (2) counseling of family and children on how to best use the telephone, (3) provision of telecoil with microphone attenuation for improved signal-to-noise ratio, and (4) use of probe tube measures to verify the appropriateness of the telephone programs.

This well-organised, concise book provides important information in a pithy question-and-answer format. Six chapters cover frequently asked questions about Audiology by topic, including: (1) psycho...

Background: Previous research has suggested that use of nonlinear frequency compression (NLFC) can improve audibility for high-frequency sounds and speech recognition of children with moderate to profound high-frequency hearing loss. Furthermore, previous studies have generally found no detriment associated with the use of NLFC. However, there have been no published studies examining the effect of NLFC on the performance of children with cookie-bite audiometric configurations. For this configuration of hearing loss, frequency-lowering processing will likely move high-frequency sounds to a lower frequency range at which a greater degree of hearing loss exists. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of wideband amplification and NLFC on high-frequency audibility and speech recognition of children with cookie-bite audiometric configurations. Research Design: This study consisted of a within-participant design with repeated measures across test conditions. Study Sample: Seven children, ages 6–13 yr, with cookie-bite audiometric configurations and normal hearing or mild hearing loss at 6000 and 8000 Hz, were recruited. Intervention: Participants were fitted with Phonak Nios S H2O III behind-the-ear hearing aids and Oticon Safari 300 behind-the-ear hearing aids. Data Collection: The participants were evaluated after three 4-to 6-wk intervals: (1) Phonak Nios S H2O III without NLFC, (2) Phonak Nios S H2O III with NLFC, and (3) Oticon Safari 300 with wideband frequency response extending to 8000 Hz. The order in which each technology was used was counterbalanced across participants. High-frequency audibility was evaluated by assessing aided thresholds (dB SPL) for warble tones and the high-frequency phonemes /sh/ and /s/. Speech recognition in quiet was measured with the University of Western Ontario (UWO) Plurals Test, the UWO Distinctive Features Difference (DFD) Test, and the Phoneme Perception Test vowel-consonant-vowel nonsense syllable test. Sentence recognition in noise was evaluated with the Bamford-Kowal-Bench Speech-In-Noise (BKB-SIN) Test. Analysis: Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to analyze the data collected in this study. The results across the three different conditions were compared. Results: No difference in performance across conditions was observed for detection of high-frequency warble tones and the speech sounds /sh/ and /s/. No significant difference was seen across conditions for speech recognition in quiet when measured with the UWO Plurals Test, the UWO-DFD Test, and the Phoneme Perception Test vowel-consonant-vowel nonsense syllable test. Finally, there were also no differences across conditions on the BKB-SIN Test. Conclusions: These results suggest that NLFC does not degrade or improve audibility for and recognition of high-frequency speech sounds as well as sentence recognition in noise when compared with wideband amplification for children with cookie-bite audiometric configurations.

Background: Previous research supports the use of frequency modulation (FM) systems for improving speech recognition in noise of individuals with cochlear implants (CIs). However, at this time, there is no published research on the potential speech recognition benefit of new digital adaptive wireless radio transmission systems. Purpose: The goal of this study was to compare speech recognition in quiet and in noise of CI recipients while using traditional, fixed-gain analog FM systems, adaptive analog FM systems, and adaptive digital wireless radio frequency transmission systems. Research Design: A three-way repeated-measures design was used to examine performance differences among devices, among speech recognition conditions in quiet and in increasing levels of background noise, and between users of Advanced Bionics and Cochlear CIs. Study Sample: Seventeen users of Advanced Bionics Harmony CI sound processors and 20 users of Cochlear Nucleus 5 sound processors were included in the study. Data Collection and Analysis: Participants were tested in a total of 32 speech-recognition-in noise-test conditions, which included one no-FM and three device conditions (fixed-gain FM, adaptive FM, and adaptive digital) at the following signal levels: 64 dBA speech (at the location of the participant) in quiet and 64 dBA speech with competing noise at 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80 dBA noise levels. Results: No significant differences were detected between the users of Advanced Bionics and Cochlear CIs. All of the radio frequency system conditions (i.e., fixed-gain FM, adaptive FM, and adaptive digital) outperformed the no-FM conditions in test situations with competing noise. Specifically, in conditions with 70, 75, and 80 dBA of competing noise, the adaptive digital system provided better performance than the fixed-gain and adaptive FM systems. The adaptive FM system did provide better performance than the fixed-gain FM system at 70 and 75 dBA of competing noise. At the lower noise levels of 50, 55, 60, and 65 dBA, no significant differences were detected across the three systems, and no significant differences were found across the quiet conditions. In all conditions, performance became poorer as the competing noise level increased. Conclusions: In high levels of noise, the adaptive digital system provides superior performance when compared to adaptive analog FM and fixed-gain FM systems.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to compare speech recognition in quiet and in noise for cochlear implant recipients using two different types of personal frequency modulation (FM) systems (directly coupled [direct auditory input] versus induction neckloop) with each of two sound processors (Cochlear Nucleus Freedom versus Cochlear Nucleus 5). Two different experiments were conducted within this study. In both these experiments, mixing of the FM signal within the Freedom processor was implemented via the same scheme used clinically for the Freedom sound processor. In Experiment 1, the aforementioned comparisons were conducted with the Nucleus 5 programmed so that the microphone and FM signals were mixed and then the mixed signals were subjected to autosensitivity control (ASC). In Experiment 2, comparisons between the two FM systems and processors were conducted again with the Nucleus 5 programmed to provide a more complex multistage implementation of ASC during the preprocessing stage. DESIGN This study was a within-subject, repeated-measures design. Subjects were recruited from the patient population at the Hearts for Hearing Foundation in Oklahoma City, OK. Fifteen subjects participated in Experiment 1, and 16 subjects participated in Experiment 2. Subjects were adults who had used either unilateral or bilateral cochlear implants for at least 1 year. RESULTS In this experiment, no differences were found in speech recognition in quiet obtained with the two different FM systems or the various sound-processor conditions. With each sound processor, speech recognition in noise was better with the directly coupled direct auditory input system relative to the neckloop system. The multistage ASC processing of the Nucleus 5 sound processor provided better performance than the single-stage approach for the Nucleus 5 and the Nucleus Freedom sound processor. CONCLUSIONS Speech recognition in noise is substantially affected by the type of sound processor, FM system, and implementation of ASC used by a Cochlear implant recipient.

Patients in an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) are at increased fall risk. However, little IRF research has focused on fall risk. Purpose The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine differences between 35 patients who fell and 35 who did not during their IRF stay . Method The following admission data were compared: age, gender, diagnosis, Morse Fall Scale score, and 18 Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Independent t-tests were conducted for age and FIM scores, Mann–Whitney test was conducted for Morse scores, and chi-square tests were conducted for gender and diagnosis to examine differences between fallers and nonfallers. Findings There were no significant differences between groups for age, gender, diagnosis, or Morse scores. However, there were significant differences for 12 FIM items, and FIM Motor, Cognitive, and Total scores. Findings The results suggest that the Morse Scale may not be the most appropriate tool for assessing fall risk in an IRF. Conclusions and clinical relevance Decisions about fall risk should consider admission FIM scores.

Electronic medical procedures are being used aboard the International Space Station. These XML-based procedures provide the ability to link in multi-modal information that offers the astronaut more information than the original paper counter-parts. Writing XMLbased procedures is difficult using traditional word processing systems. Instead, an easy to use drag and drop editor, called PrIDE, was developed so that physicians themselves, rather than procedure writers, are able to develop procedures more quickly and consistently than has been done in the past. We are now realizing many of the other benefits of these XMLbased procedures. I. Introduction STRONAUTS currently use the International Procedure Viewer (IPV) to view operational and medical procedures while in space. Medical procedures were the most recent addition to the collection of documents viewable by IPV and we are just now taking advantage of the benefits of modeling medical procedures in IPV’s XML format. Prior to using XML, medical procedures were written in Microsoft Word. But due to a redesign of the medical kits that were to be used in space, many of the medical procedures needed major overhauls. This led to the desire to rewrite them so they could be viewable using IPV. However, writing procedures directly in IPV’s XML format is not feasible. For operational procedures, there were a limited number of experts who used a licensed commercial tool and their knowledge of XML to convert Word documents to IPV’s XML format. The procedure author would create the initial procedure in Word, then the XML expert would translate that to XML. After making the translation, they would return the IPV documents to the procedure author and they would go through one or more rounds of negotiations to make the procedure look as close to the Word document as possible. When writing the medical procedures, the authors are expected to follow the Operations Data File (ODF) standards. The ODF is a one-hundred-and-fifty-page document that specifies all of the formatting standards for NASA documents that are to be used aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It includes details such as how far to tab over specific items, when to italicize, bold or underline, and a large list of symbols that take the place of words in commanding sequences. The procedure author bears the burden of ensuring that the document conforms to this large volume of standards. This takes a significant amount of time. And since Word is a free style word processing system and the authors are human, some medical procedures conformed to these standards better than others. Another issue that came up was in the maintenance of procedures. It was common for a medical kit to be removed or updated for a specific flight. When this would happen, it would affect all of the procedures that called out a piece of hardware from the affected medical kit. It was a manual process to respond to this. The authors of the various procedures would be notified of the update, and they would have to remember which procedures that might be affected. It was a similar situation when a procedure was deleted or renamed. The process relied on the memories

To evaluate non-linear frequency compression (NLFC) as a means to improve speech recognition for children with moderate to moderately-severe hearing loss following a six-month acclimatization period.Within subject design with repeated measures across test conditions.Fifteen children, ages 5 to 13 years, with moderate to moderately-severe high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss were fitted with Phonak Nios, micro-sized, BTE hearing aids and evaluated after two six-week intervals with and without NLFC and again after a six-month period of consecutive NLFC use.Using repeated measures analyses, the six-month results were compared to data that was collected following six-week trials with and without NLFC hearing aids (Wolfe et al, in press). Improvements seen with NLFC in the initial study (Wolfe et al, in press) were maintained or significantly increased in the present study. When compared to the six-week data, aided non-sense syllable speech recognition thresholds in quiet and speech recognition in noise were significantly better at the six-month interval.These results suggest that NLFC improves audibility for and recognition of high-frequency speech sounds for children with moderate to moderately-severe hearing loss. In many cases, improvements found with NLFC increased with a longer period of acclimatization to the technology.

Highly resolved solutions of the flow over both sharp cone and blunt-nosed hypersonic bodies are found using computational fluid dynamics. Linear stability analysis is performed to analyze these flows for conditions which lead to amplification of naturally occurring disturbances in the boundary layer. Through comparison of the sharp cone and blunt body axisymmetric flows, the stabilizing effect of nose bluntness is demonstrated. For a geometry of interest, a three-dimensional flow is solved, and a linear stability analysis is performed in a flow symmetry plume. The results of this analysis show that the boundary layer is stable, but that it is less stable than what is predicted by the axisymmetric solution. Finally, comparisons with the results of an experimental correlation are used to show that crossflow transition in the three-dimensional flow is unlikely. (Author)