11-point Numerical Scale Research Articles

The Zwicker's psychoacoustic annoyance models for noise-induced discomfort in the electric vehicle cabin

Acoustic comfort has become an essential feature with the rapid development of the electric vehicle (EV) industry. As a representative nonlinear model, Zwicker's psychoacoustic annoyance (PA) model and a series of modified ones are established to evaluate the acoustic comfort of different products. However, whether these PA models apply to the noise-induced discomfort in the EV cabin remains uncertain. We investigated the psychoacoustic metrics and subjective discomfort of the EV cabin noise running at various speeds from 10-110km/h under four typical road conditions, i.e., asphalt, concrete, gravel, and bump. Thirty subjects rated the discomfort caused by 16 noise stimuli on the standardized 0-10 point numerical scale. The correlation and partial correlation analysis confirmed that the loudness of EV cabin noise dominated, and roughness and sharpness significantly influenced the discomfort. We identified that the original Zwicker's PA model performed well in evaluating the discomfort caused by the EV cabin interior noise and proposed a modified Zwicker's PA model that would be appropriate. Keywords: Electric vehicle, Cabin noise, Psychoacoustic annoyance, Noise discomfort, Sound quality

Cognitive screening in HTLV-1-infected people using a self-perceived memory score and auditory P300.

The HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is the most common neurological manifestation associated with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection. Although cognitive impairment has been highlighted in the spectrum of HTLV-1 neurological manifestations, it may go unnoticed in those who do not spontaneously report it. We aimed at evaluating the applicability of a self-perceived memory score (SMS) and the cognitive event-related potential (P300) for early detection of cognitive impairment in HTLV-1-infected people. The SMS was measured by a 0-10 point numeric scale combined with a sad-happy face rating scale. The higher the number, the better was the SMS. The P300 was obtained through an oddball paradigm with a mental counting task. The participants were 15 (21.4%) individuals with HAM/TSP, 20 (28.6%) HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers, and 35 (50%) seronegative controls. We found that SMS (p < 0.001) and P300 latency (p < 0.001) got progressively worse from the seronegative controls to the asymptomatic carriers and then to the HAM/TSP. The results that indicated cognitive impairment were SMS < 7.2 points and P300 latency > 369.0ms. The HAM/TSP group showed the highest prevalence of altered P300 (80%) and SMS (87%). Interestingly, the asymptomatic group also presented significantly higher prevalence of altered SMS (60%) and P300 (35%) when compared to controls (< 10%). The frequency of cognitive impairment was 16 times higher in the HTLV-1 asymptomatic group and 69 times higher in the HAM/TSP group when compared to controls. The use of SMS in the medical consultation was a useful and easy-to-apply method to screen HTLV-1-infected subjects for everyday memory complaints.

Seasonal influenza vaccination among cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland.

IntroductionIn the era of the COVID-19 pandemic overlapping with the influenza season, the number of infections with the abovementioned viruses may result in overload in the healthcare system, difficulties in the diagnosis of respiratory diseases, poorer access to appropriate therapy, and increased mortality.Aim of the studyThe aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the decision to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza in cancer patients.Material and methodsAn anonymous survey prepared by the authors was made available to patients at the Chemotherapy Department at the Greater Poland Cancer Center. The survey covered 236 respondents, both female (67.4%, n = 159) and male (32.6%, n =77). A 0–10 point numerical scale was used to assess the fear of coronavirus infection and the influenza. Data were collected from June 8 to September 30, 2020. The survey included 25 questions. The patients were informed by physicians about the voluntary and anonymous nature of the survey, to which they gave their oral consent. IBM SPSS Statistics 26 was used for the analysis.ResultsThe vast majority of patients (69.5%, n = 164) have never been vaccinated against influenza and 30.5% (n = 72) have been vaccinated at least once in the past. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost ¼ of the patients (24.6%, n = 58) stated that they wanted to be vaccinated against influenza. Only 33.5% (n = 79) of the respondents believed that the influenza vaccine was effective.ConclusionsAction is needed to increase the percentage of cancer patients who will be regularly vaccinated against the influenza. The COVID-19 pandemic may raise the interest of cancer patients in influenza vaccination.

Palliative Hypofractionated Radiotherapy in Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck

Introduction: A significant proportion of patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC) are unsuitable for radical treatment and we aim to evaluate the acute toxicity, symptom relief and disease response after palliative hypo fractionated radiotherapy in such patients.&#x0D; Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from November 2014 to November 2015 at the Department of Radiation Oncology, B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur in 30 patients with stage III or stage IV HNSCC who received radiotherapy of 30 Gy in 10 fractions over two weeks. Pain, dysphagia, insomniaand dyspnoea at presentation were assessed using 11 point numerical scale. Acute treatment toxicities we reassessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) at the end of two weeks. After six weeks of completion of radiotherapy, percentage of symptom relief and disease response based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) were recorded. A few patients were selected for further curative radiotherapy.&#x0D; Results: Common symptoms were pain (86.7%) and dysphagia (50%). Two-third of patients with pain and dysphagia, and about 90% patients with dyspnoea and insomnia had more than 75% symptom relief. An objective response rate of 70% and disease progression of 13.3% were observed. Acute radiation toxicities were acceptable with no grade 3 or 4 toxicities. It was observed that 46.3% of patients had mucositis, 13.3% had dysphagia, and 6.7 % had hoarseness and dermatitis each.&#x0D; Conclusion: Palliative radiotherapy is a suitable modality of treatment for patients with advanced HNSCC for symptom relief and tumour control, with acceptable toxicity.

ПОПЕРЕДЖЕННЯ КАРДІОРЕСПІРАТОРНИХ ПОРУШЕНЬ ПІД ЧАС НАЗОТРАХЕАЛЬНОЇ ІНТУБАЦІЇ ПАЦІЄНТІВ ЗА ЗБЕРЕЖЕНОЇ СВІДОМОСТІ З ВИКОРИСТАННЯМ ТЕРМІНАЛЬНОЇ АНЕСТЕЗІЇ ТА АТАРАЛГЕЗІЇ

Проаналізовані результати комбінованої анестезії (термінальної анестезії слизової оболонки та атаралгезії) у 75 пацієнтів за «тяжких» дихальних шляхів, яким проводили назотрахеальну інтубацію (НТІ) за збереженої свідомості та спонтанного дихання в операційних та палатах інтенсивної терапії. В усіх пацієнтів застосована техніка НТІ наосліп. Адекватність анестезії при здійсненні НТІ аналізували за показниками гемодинаміки, пульсоксиметрії, електрокардіографії. Після операції проводили опитування пацієнтів з метою оцінки суб’єктивних відчуттів за десятибальною нумеричною шкалою болю (Numeric Pain Scale). Відзначена задовільна переносність НТІ пацієнтами.

Prevalence of common claw lesions of lameness in cattle and buffaloes of central Punjab region of India

Prevalence of lameness was estimated in crossbred lactating cattle (337) and Murrah buffaloes (82) from 7 organised dairy farms and 100 lactating cattle and 51 lactating buffaloes from 50 unorganised (backyard) farms from different villages of Ludhiana district of Punjab. Gait of each animal was first assessed on a 5- point numerical scale on the day of observation. Clinical lameness was significantly more in crossbred cattle (8.92%) as compared to buffaloes (2.26%) and was more on organised farms (9.31%) as compared to unorganised farms (1.99%). Each animal was then examined for any claw lesion before and after removing sliver of 1mm from the solar surface. Most of the lesions were observed in hind claws [OR:1.17] except sole avulsions (OR:0.25) and white line fissures (OR:0.37) which were more evident in fore claws. Heel erosions (45.44%), sole haemorrhages (2.26%), white line haemorrhages and under run soles (4.56%) were predominant lesions of lameness in organised dairy farms especially crossbred cattle suggesting claw horn disruption as the possible aetiology. Sole avulsions (37.37%), white line fissures (13.37%), overgrown hooves (10.53%) and overgrown soles (6.75%) were more frequent on unorganised farms suggesting poor hoof synthesis due to trace mineral deficiency. Overgrown hoofs were more frequent in buffaloes. Sole avulsions were observed for the first time in this study.

Perceptual Quality Assessment of Screen Content Images.

Research on screen content images (SCIs) becomes important as they are increasingly used in multi-device communication applications. In this paper, we present a study on perceptual quality assessment of distorted SCIs subjectively and objectively. We construct a large-scale screen image quality assessment database (SIQAD) consisting of 20 source and 980 distorted SCIs. In order to get the subjective quality scores and investigate, which part (text or picture) contributes more to the overall visual quality, the single stimulus methodology with 11 point numerical scale is employed to obtain three kinds of subjective scores corresponding to the entire, textual, and pictorial regions, respectively. According to the analysis of subjective data, we propose a weighting strategy to account for the correlation among these three kinds of subjective scores. Furthermore, we design an objective metric to measure the visual quality of distorted SCIs by considering the visual difference of textual and pictorial regions. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed SCI perceptual quality assessment scheme, consisting of the objective metric and the weighting strategy, can achieve better performance than 11 state-of-the-art IQA methods. To the best of our knowledge, the SIQAD is the first large-scale database published for quality evaluation of SCIs, and this research is the first attempt to explore the perceptual quality assessment of distorted SCIs.

FRI0457 Is the inflammatory reaction an essential part of recovery after muscle injury?

BackgroundEccentric muscle contraction causes a microtrauma induced inflammatory reaction with muscle pain peaking 24 to 48 hours after exercise (delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS). The use of NSAIDs seems...

SAT0368 Multicentered, randomized study of safety and efficacy of whole-body vibration as add-on to standard pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women

BackgroundPreclinical studies showed that low-magnitude mechanical stimuli at a high frequency induce bone formation in rats [1]. But clinical studies in osteoporosis using whole body vibration (WBV) with bone mineral...

Evaluation of the quality of life of clients with chronic ischemic pain

The evaluation of quality of life (QOL) faced with chronic ischemic pain involves the clients in their subjectivity and multidimensionality. This descriptive study aimed to evaluate the quality of life of clients who presented chronic ischemic pain. A total of 100 clients of hospital institutes participated in the study. The instrument used to assess pain was an 11 point numerical scale, and to assess the quality of life, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-abbreviated questionnaire. The arithmetic mean for chronic pain was 5.59 ± 3.16 points. The means for quality of life were: in the physical domain, 44.75 ± 16.98; in the overall domain, 50.0 ± 22.40; in the environment, 55.06 ± 13.51, in the psychological, 56.21 ± 17.19 and in the social domain, 68.33 ± 21.84. Thus, the physical domain was, among the areas analyzed, the one which presented a greater impact on the quality of life of the clients with chronic ischemic pain.

Use of a target-controlled infusion system for propofol does not improve subjective assessment of anaesthetic depth by inexperienced anaesthesiologists*

Target-controlled infusion, via the calculated effect compartment concentrations, may help anaesthesiologists to titrate anaesthetic depth and to shorten recovery from anaesthesia. In this prospective, randomized clinical study, we compared the performance of six inexperienced anaesthesiologists with <1 yr of training when using target- or manually controlled infusion of propofol, combined with manual dosing of fentanyl. Ninety-two premedicated ASA I-III patients undergoing minor elective urological or gynaecological surgery were assigned to the manual- or target-controlled infusion group. Bispectral index was recorded in a blinded manner. Subjective assessment of anaesthetic depth on a 10 point numerical scale (1 = very deep anaesthesia, 10 = awake) was asked at regular intervals and the correlation with the blinded bispectral index was analysed using the prediction probability, PK. The propofol concentration profile was calculated post hoc. Propofol administration was similar in both groups with no significant difference for the administered amount and concentrations of propofol. Recovery times were also not different. In both groups, a large percentage of the bispectral index data points recorded during surgery showed bispectral index values below the recommended value of 40, but in the target-controlled infusion group there were significantly less bispectral index values above the recommended upper limit of 60 (2.5% vs. 5.1%). A target-controlled infusion system does not help inexperienced anaesthesiologists to assess anaesthetic depth or to shorten recovery times, but may reduce episodes of overly light anaesthesia and thus help to prevent awareness.

A Preliminary Protocol for Multi-Professional Centers for the Determination of Signs and Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders

The objective of the present study was to test a protocol for the quantification of the frequency and severity of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) according to patient perception during two phases of investigation. The protocol was developed based on the signs and symptoms most frequently reported in the literature and on the circumstances in which they produce discomfort. Eighty-four patients diagnosed with TMD by functional examination of the masticatory system responded to the protocol questions and indicated the severity of signs and symptoms using an eleven point numerical scale (Phase 1). Forty-two patients were fitted with an occlusal splint (treated group) and the remaining participants did not use a splint (control group). The protocol questions were asked after 50 days of treatment (Phase 2). Based on the results of nonparametric statistical analysis, the incidence of signs and symptoms was high in Phase 1 and significant, with no difference between the groups, whereas the treated and control groups differed in Phase 2. A comparison between Phases 1 and 2 showed that only the treated group presented a reduction in the severity of signs and symptoms. The study showed that using this protocol, it is possible to define the frequency and severity of symptoms as well as the effect of the treatment. The advantage of this protocol is that it would complement the data obtained using clinical examination with information provided by the patient in a measurable manner.

Esomeprazole for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial*

Postoperative nausea and vomiting still represents a major problem after surgery. Although risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting and procedures to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting have been described, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting remains high. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential role of the proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting after elective surgery. In a randomized, double-blind trial, ASA I-III patients at high risk for postoperative nausea and vomiting received esomeprazole tablets 3 x 40 mg or matching placebo the evening before surgery, 2 h preoperatively and 24 h postoperatively. Total intravenous anaesthesia with propofol and remifentanil without nitrous oxide (FiO2 0.5) was used. Patients were interviewed using a standardized postoperative nausea and vomiting questionnaire at discharge from the post-anaesthesia care unit, 6 h and 24 h later. The severity of nausea was estimated on a 0-100 point numerical scale (0 = no nausea, 100 = maximum nausea). The incidence of vomiting was similar in the esomeprazole (n = 45) and the placebo (n = 48) groups (64.4% vs. 60.5%, P > 0.05). The average nausea score was 17.8 with esomeprazole and was 18.7 with placebo (P > 0.05). Only 24.7% of all patients (esomeprazole 24.4%, placebo 25.0%) did not experience any nausea or vomiting. There is no evidence that prophylactic esomeprazole reduces the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting or the degree of postoperative nausea.

The influence of lower face vertical proportion on facial attractiveness

This study investigated the influence of changing lower face vertical proportion on the attractiveness ratings scored by lay people.Ninety-two social science students rated the attractiveness of a series of silhouettes with normal, reduced or increased lower face proportions. The random sequences of 10 images included an image with the Eastman normal lower face height relative to total face height [lower anterior face height/total anterior face height (LAFH/TAFH) of 55 per cent], and images with LAFH/TAFH increased or decreased by up to four standard deviations (SD) from the Eastman norm. All the images had a skeletal Class I antero-posterior (AP) relationship. A duplicate image in each sequence assessed repeatability. The participants scored each image using a 10 point numerical scale and also indicated whether they would seek treatment if the image was their own profile. The profile image with normal vertical facial proportions was rated by the lay people as the most attractive. Attractiveness scores reduced as the vertical facial proportions diverged from the normal value. Images with a reduced lower face proportion were rated as significantly more attractive than the corresponding images with an increased lower face proportion. Images with a reduced lower face proportion were also significantly less likely to be judged as needing treatment than the corresponding images with an increased lower face proportion.

Randomized, multi-center study of oral once-a-day AVINZA® (morphine sulfate extended-release capsules) vs. twice daily OxyContin® (oxycodone hydrochloride controlled-release) for the treatment of chronic moderate to severe low back pain

This 8-week randomized, parallel-group, multi-center study will evaluate the efficacy of oral once daily AVINZA vs. twice daily OxyContin in patients 30–70 years old requiring opioid therapy for chronic moderate to severe low back pain. Inclusion criteria include a diagnosis of chronic pain; prior sub-optimal analgesic response to treatment with other medications including NSAIDS, acetaminophen and/or prior intermittent immediate release opioid analgesics; currently not taking sustained release opioids (SROs) for pain; and demonstration of a baseline pain intensity score of >4 on an 11 point numerical scale (0= no pain; 10= pain as bad as you can imagine).

Relationships between rating scales, question stem wording, and community responses to railway noise

Two series of social surveys on community responses to railway noise were carried out in Japan to evaluate the relationships between two verbal scales and a numeric scale, and those among four base descriptors. In the first survey, two types of questionnaires were prepared in which a 0–10- point numeric scale was used in combination with either a four-point or a five-point verbal scale. The key questions concerned annoyance, activity disturbance and related effects caused by railway noise. Community responses were compared on the basis of the dose–response relationships. Regarding the percentages of respondents who answered, “highly annoyed,” it was found that there were no systematic differences between the two verbal scales. It was also found that the extent of noise annoyance rated on the four-point or five-point verbal scale corresponded with that rated on the 11-point numeric scale by percentages of scale steps. In the second survey, four types of questionnaires were prepared, each using one of the four base descriptors. Community responses to general noise annoyance among the four base descriptors were compared. No systematic differences were found among the four base descriptors.

魚肉抽出液の流動複屈折の強さと沈降分析結果との関係

The measurement of streaming birefringence (SB) of 0.6M KCl extracts was made with a simple SB detector on about 140 fish meats having various histories. The intensity of SB detected was scored by a 6 point numerical scale, Using the technique described in this paper, SB was detected in the actomyosin solution, but not in the myosin solution. As the intensity of SB was not related to the protein contents of the extracts, the relationships between the intensity of SB and the results of sedimentation analysis of the extracts were examined. The SB increased as the sedimentaion coefficients S20 of the actomyosin was reduced. A good correlation was also found between intensity of SB and the height of the actomyosin peak on the ultracentrifuge pattern.