scholarly journals Task-Induced Mental Fatigue and Motivation Influence Listening Effort as Measured by the Pupil Dilation in a Speech-in-Noise Task

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Defne Alfandari Menase ◽  
Michael Richter ◽  
Dorothea Wendt ◽  
Lorenz Fiedler ◽  
Graham Naylor
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Pupil Dilation ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Heavy Load ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Load Sequence

Objectives: Listening effort and fatigue are common complaints among individuals with hearing impairment (HI); however, the underlying mechanisms, and relationships between listening effort and fatigue are not well understood. Recent quantitative research suggests that the peak pupil dilation (PPD), which is commonly measured concurrent to the performance of a speech-in-noise task as an index of listening effort, may be informative of daily-life fatigue, but it remains unknown whether the same is true for task-induce fatigue. As fatigue effects are known to manifest differently depending on motivation, the main aim of the present study was to experimentally investigate the interactive effects of task-induced fatigue and motivation on the PPD. Design: In a pre-/post- fatigue within-subject design, 18 participants with normal hearing (NH) engaged in a 98-trial-long speech-in-noise task (i.e., a load sequence, approximately 40 min. long), which either excluded or included additional memory demands (light vs. heavy load sequence). Before and after the load sequence, baseline pupil diameter (BPD) and PPD were measured during shorter probe blocks of speech-in-noise tasks. In these probe blocks, if participants correctly repeated more than 60% of the keywords, they could win vouchers of either 20 or 160 Danish krones worth (low incentive vs. high incentive). After each probe block, participants reported their invested effort, tendency for quitting, and perceived performance. Results: The BPD in anticipation of listening declined from pre- to post-load sequence, suggesting an overall decrease in arousal, but the decline did not scale with the magnitude of the load sequence, nor with the amount of monetary incentive. Overall, there was larger pre- to post-load sequence decline in PPD when the load sequence was heavy and when the monetary incentives were low. Post-hoc analyses showed that the decline in PPD was only significant in the heavy-load sequence-low reward condition. The speech-in-noise task performance, self-reported effort, and self-reported tendency to quit listening did not change with the experimental conditions. Conclusions This is the first study to investigate the influence of task-induced fatigue on BPD and PPD. Whereas BPD was not sensitive to the magnitude of previous load sequence and monetary incentives, the decline in PPD from pre- to post- load sequence was significant after the heavy load sequence when the offered monetary incentives were low. This result supports the understanding that fatigue and motivation interactively influence listening effort.

scholarly journals Adsorption Studies on Magnetic Nanoparticles Functionalized with Silver to Remove Nitrates from Waters

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1757
Author(s):  
Yesica Vicente-Martínez ◽  
Manuel Caravaca ◽  
Antonio Soto-Meca ◽  
Miguel Ángel Martín-Pereira ◽  
María del Carmen García-Onsurbe
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Nanoparticles ◽  
Nitrate Content ◽  
Adsorption Efficiency ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Dependent Behavior ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Naoh Solution ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Interference Studies

This paper presents a novel procedure for the treatment of contaminated water with high concentrations of nitrates, which are considered as one of the main causes of the eutrophication phenomena. For this purpose, magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with silver (Fe3O4@AgNPs) were synthesized and used as an adsorbent of nitrates. Experimental conditions, including the pH, adsorbent and adsorbate dose, temperature and contact time, were analyzed to obtain the highest adsorption efficiency for different concentration of nitrates in water. A maximum removal efficiency of 100% was reached for 2, 5, 10 and 50 mg/L of nitrate at pH = 5, room temperature, and 50, 100, 250 and 500 µL of Fe3O4@AgNPs, respectively. The characterization of the adsorbent, before and after adsorption, was performed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Nitrates can be desorbed, and the adsorbent can be reused using 500 µL of NaOH solution 0.01 M, remaining unchanged for the first three cycles, and exhibiting 90% adsorption efficiency after three regenerations. A deep study on equilibrium isotherms reveals a pH-dependent behavior, characterized by Langmuir and Freundlich models at pH = 5 and pH = 1, respectively. Thermodynamic studies were consistent with physicochemical adsorption for all experiments but showed a change from endothermic to exothermic behavior as the temperature increases. Interference studies of other ions commonly present in water were carried out, enabling this procedure as very selective for nitrate ions. In addition, the method was applied to real samples of seawater, showing its ability to eliminate the total nitrate content in eutrophized waters.

scholarly journals Experimental Study on the Water Selective Dense Membrane under an Absolute Pressure Difference with Simplified Test Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1710
Author(s):  
Jinwook Lee ◽  
Hyo-Sun Kim ◽  
Donik Ku ◽  
Jihun Lim ◽  
Minkyu Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Methods ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Coefficient Of Performance ◽  
Absolute Pressure ◽  
Air Conditioner ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Performance Factors ◽  
Dense Membrane ◽  
Before And After

Membrane-based vacuum dehumidification technology is currently being actively studied. In most studies, the performance of the membrane-based systems is evaluated under the assumption that the membrane can achieve ideal separation, which results in ideal coefficient of performance (COP) values. However, the performance factors for membranes vary depending on the experimental conditions and measurement methods. Therefore, relevant values can only be calculated if the data are measured in an environment close to that of the application conditions. The cup measurement method is a simple method to measure the permeability, however, there are limitations regarding adding variables during the experiment. To overcome these limitations, a new experimental device was constructed that combines pressurized cell with the cup method. Using the device, the performance of polyethylene-amide-bonded dense membranes was evaluated under conditions where absolute pressure differentials occurred before and after the membrane, such as in air conditioner dehumidification systems.

scholarly journals Effect of Speech-to-Noise Ratio and Luminance on a Range of Current and Potential Pupil Response Measures to Assess Listening Effort

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 233121652110093
Author(s):  
Patrycja Książek ◽  
Adriana A. Zekveld ◽  
Dorothea Wendt ◽  
Lorenz Fiedler ◽  
Thomas Lunner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Growth Curve Analysis ◽  
Listening Effort ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Hearing Research ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Noise Test ◽  
Noise Ratio

In hearing research, pupillometry is an established method of studying listening effort. The focus of this study was to evaluate several pupil measures extracted from the Task-Evoked Pupil Responses (TEPRs) in speech-in-noise test. A range of analysis approaches was applied to extract these pupil measures, namely (a) pupil peak dilation (PPD); (b) mean pupil dilation (MPD); (c) index of pupillary activity; (d) growth curve analysis (GCA); and (e) principal component analysis (PCA). The effect of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR; Data Set A: –20 dB, –10 dB, +5 dB SNR) and luminance (Data Set B: 0.1 cd/m2, 360 cd/m2) on the TEPRs were investigated. Data Sets A and B were recorded during a speech-in-noise test and included TEPRs from 33 and 27 normal-hearing native Dutch speakers, respectively. The main results were as follows: (a) A significant effect of SNR was revealed for all pupil measures extracted in the time domain (PPD, MPD, GCA, PCA); (b) Two time series analysis approaches (GCA, PCA) provided modeled temporal profiles of TEPRs (GCA); and time windows spanning subtasks performed in a speech-in-noise test (PCA); and (c) All pupil measures revealed a significant effect of luminance. In conclusion, multiple pupil measures showed similar effects of SNR, suggesting that effort may be reflected in multiple aspects of TEPR. Moreover, a direct analysis of the pupil time course seems to provide a more holistic view of TEPRs, yet further research is needed to understand and interpret its measures. Further research is also required to find pupil measures less sensitive to changes in luminance.

Degradation of Amaranth azo dye in water by heterogeneous photo-Fenton process using FeWO4 catalyst prepared by microwave irradiation

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric da Cruz Severo ◽  
Chayene Gonçalves Anchieta ◽  
Vitória Segabinazzi Foletto ◽  
Raquel Cristine Kuhn ◽  
Gabriela Carvalho Collazzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Azo Dye ◽  
Fenton Reaction ◽  
Catalytic Properties ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Fenton Process ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Treatment Efficiency ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Decolorization Efficiency ◽  
Central Composite

FeWO4 particles were synthesized by a simple, rapid and facile microwave technique and their catalytic properties in heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction were evaluated. This material was employed in the degradation of Amaranth azo dye. Individual and interactive effects of operational parameters such as pH, dye concentration and H2O2 dosage on the decolorization efficiency of Amaranth dye were evaluated by 23 central composite design. According to characterization techniques, a porous material and a well-crystallized phase of FeWO4 oxide were obtained. Regarding the photo-Fenton reaction assays, up to 97% color and 58% organic carbon removal were achieved in the best experimental conditions. In addition, the photo-Fenton process maintained treatment efficiency over five catalyst reuse cycles to indicate the durability of the FeWO4 catalyst. In summary, the results reveal that the synthesized FeWO4 material is a promising catalyst for wastewater treatment by heterogeneous photo-Fenton process.

Differences In The Reading Comprehension Ability Of Students In The PQ4R Learning Model For Indonesian Language Subjects

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-282
Author(s):  
Puji Rahmawati ◽  
Hamdiah Susanti ◽  
Yulia Deodata Selestin ◽  
Amin Mustajab
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Comprehension Ability ◽  
Written Test ◽  
Reading Comprehension Skills ◽  
Reading Comprehension Ability

The purpose of this research is to determine students' reading comprehension skills before and after using the PQ4R learning model. This research was motivated by preliminary studies, which showed that students' reading comprehension skills are still low in conventional learning models. This is a quantitative research consisting of a one-group pretest-posttest research design. Data were obtained from 22 students of state elementary school 03 Sontas using a written test of 6 (six) questions. The research showed differences in students' reading comprehension skills before and after learning using the PQ4R model.

Heat Transfer in Reciprocating Planar Curved Tube With Piston Cooling Application

2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyy Woei Chang ◽  
Yao Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Local Heat Transfer ◽  
Local Heat ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Nusselt Numbers ◽  
Curved Tube ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Cooling Passage ◽  
Piston Cooling

This paper describes an experimental study of heat transfer in a reciprocating planar curved tube that simulates a cooling passage in piston. The coupled inertial, centrifugal, and reciprocating forces in the reciprocating curved tube interact with buoyancy to exhibit a synergistic effect on heat transfer. For the present experimental conditions, the local Nusselt numbers in the reciprocating curved tube are in the range of 0.6–1.15 times of static tube levels. Without buoyancy interaction, the coupled reciprocating and centrifugal force effect causes the heat transfer to be initially reduced from the static level but recovered when the reciprocating force is further increased. Heat transfer improvement and impediment could be superimposed by the location-dependent buoyancy effect. The empirical heat transfer correlation has been developed to permit the evaluation of the individual and interactive effects of inertial, centrifugal, and reciprocating forces with and without buoyancy interaction on local heat transfer in a reciprocating planar curved tube.

scholarly journals Effects of alternating blood flow restricted training and heavy-load resistance training on myofiber morphology and mechanical muscle function

2020 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 1523-1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Hansen ◽  
J. Ratzer ◽  
J. L. Nielsen ◽  
C. Suetta ◽  
A. Karlsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Flow ◽  
Resistance Training ◽  
Domain Size ◽  
Load Resistance ◽  
Heavy Load ◽  
Low Load ◽  
Fiber Size ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Myonuclear Domain ◽  
First Time

The present data demonstrate that periodically substituting heavy-load resistance training (HL-RT) with low-load blood flow restricted resistance training (BFR-RT) leads to similar gains in type II myofiber CSA and muscle strength as achieved by HL-RT alone. Furthermore, we have for the first time evaluated myonuclear content and myonuclear domain size before and after training intervention across separate fiber size clusters and found no within-cluster changes for these parameters with training.

Caffeine counteracts the ergogenic action of muscle creatine loading

1996 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 452-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Vandenberghe ◽  
N. Gillis ◽  
M. Van Leemputte ◽  
P. Van Hecke ◽  
F. Vanstapel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intermittent Exercise ◽  
Creatine Supplementation ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Caffeine Intake ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Exercise Fatigue ◽  
Voluntary Contractions

This study aimed to compare the effects of oral creatine (Cr) supplementation with creatine supplementation in combination with caffeine (Cr+C) on muscle phosphocreatine (PCr) level and performance in healthy male volunteers (n = 9). Before and after 6 days of placebo, Cr (0.5 g x kg-1 x day-1), or Cr (0.5 g x kg-1 x day-1) + C (5 mg x kg-1 x day-1) supplementation, 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the gastrocnemius muscle and a maximal intermittent exercise fatigue test of the knee extensors on an isokinetic dynamometer were performed. The exercise consisted of three consecutive maximal isometric contractions and three interval series of 90, 80, and 50 maximal voluntary contractions performed with a rest interval of 2 min between the series. Muscle ATP concentration remained constant over the three experimental conditions. Cr and Cr+C increased (P < 0.05) muscle PCr concentration by 4-6%. Dynamic torque production, however, was increased by 10-23% (P < 0.05) by Cr but was not changed by Cr+C. Torque improvement during Cr was most prominent immediately after the 2-min rest between the exercise bouts. The data show that Cr supplementation elevates muscle PCr concentration and markedly improves performance during intense intermittent exercise. This ergogenic effect, however, is completely eliminated by caffeine intake.

scholarly journals Number Head Together (NHT) in Teaching Writing in EFL Classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Hidayatul Hamdiah ◽  
Nik Mohd Rahimi Nik Yusoff
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Vocational High School ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Tenth Graders ◽  
Writing Test ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The Mean

This article focused on the effectiveness of Number Head Together in teaching writing in the EFL Classroom. The aim of the study was to improve EFL students’ writing. This study was quantitative research and used an experimental design. The population was 30 students and the sample was 15 students. Purposive sampling was used in determining the sample of the study. The writing test was the instrument used to collect the data. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test to test the hypothesis. The students' instrument was an essay-informed descriptive text. Furthermore, the researchers used pre and post to compare scores before and after implied Number Head Together. The mean score of the pre-test was 49.06 at p = 1.364 and the post-test was 78.40 at p = 1.576 which was higher than 0.05 (as the standard significance level in SPSS). This value showed the differences before and after implementing Number Head Together. Hence, it can be concluded that Number Head Together was significantly effective in teaching writing in the tenth graders of Public Vocational High School (SMKN) 1 Janapria, Indonesia. However, The student's writing improves because in grouping the students able to help each other. Keywords:  Number Head Together (NHT), EFL Classroom,  Teaching Writing

scholarly journals Electro-haptic hearing: Speech-in-noise performance in cochlear implant users is enhanced by tactile stimulation of the wrists

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Fletcher ◽  
Amatullah Hadeedi ◽  
Tobias Goehring ◽  
Sean R Mills
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implant ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Tactile Stimulation ◽  
Electrical Signal ◽  
Noise Performance ◽  
Speech In Noise ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Real World Application ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Stimulation Of

Cochlear implant (CI) users receive only limited sound information through their implant, which means that they struggle to understand speech in noisy environments. Recent work has suggested that combining the electrical signal from the CI with a haptic signal that provides crucial missing sound information (“electro-haptic stimulation”; EHS) could improve speech-in-noise performance. The aim of the current study was to test whether EHS could enhance speech-in-noise performance in CI users using: (1) a tactile signal derived using an algorithm that could be applied in real time, (2) a stimulation site appropriate for a real-world application, and (3) a tactile signal that could readily be produced by a compact, portable device. We measured speech intelligibility in multi-talker noise with and without vibro-tactile stimulation of the wrist in CI users, before and after a short training regime. No effect of EHS was found before training, but after training EHS was found to improve the number of words correctly identified by an average of 8.3 %-points, with some users improving by more than 20 %-points. Our approach could offer an inexpensive and non-invasive means of improving speech-in-noise performance in CI users.

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