Sex-Specific Prevalence, Demographic Characteristics, and Risk Factors of Tinnitus in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of any and chronic tinnitus among female and male individuals from varied Hispanic/Latino backgrounds and to estimate associations between risk factors for chronic tinnitus. Method: Our analysis used cross-sectional baseline data collected from 2008 to 2011 from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Prevalence estimates and multivariable logistic regression were conducted using survey methodology. Participants included 15,768 adults (8,229 women and 7,539 men) aged 18–76 years. The primary outcome of interest was chronic tinnitus, defined as self-reported tinnitus lasting ≥ 5 min at a time and at least once per week. We hypothesized that after adjusting for covariates, the risk factors of depressed and anxious symptoms, smoking history, hypertension, and noise exposure history would be associated with higher odds of chronic tinnitus. Results: Unstratified prevalence for any tinnitus was 32.9%, and for chronic tinnitus, it was 12.1%. Sex-stratified results demonstrated that 2,995 female individuals (36.4%) and 2,187 male individuals (29.0%) reported any tinnitus, and of these, 1,043 female individuals (12.7%) and 870 male individuals (11.5%) reported chronic tinnitus. In the fully adjusted model, depressed and anxious symptoms as well as recreational noise exposure were associated with higher odds of chronic tinnitus in female individuals (odds ratios [ ORs ] = 1.06, confidence interval [CI; 1.04, 1.07]; 1.02, CI [1.01, 1.04]; and 1.40, CI [1.20, 1.62]) and in male individuals ( OR s = 1.06, CI [1.03, 1.08]; 1.05, CI [1.02, 1.08]; and 1.30, CI [1.05, 1.65]). Current smoking was a risk factor for chronic tinnitus in male individuals ( OR = 1.53, CI [1.16, 2.02]). Conclusions: Prevalence of any and chronic tinnitus in the HCHS/SOL baseline cohort is higher than that reported in previous studies, particularly among female individuals. Understanding risk factors associated with tinnitus is important for the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate public health programs that consider sex differences and promote lifestyle modifications known to lower the odds of experiencing tinnitus.

Survey and Design Consistency Evaluation in Two-Lane Rural Road Segments

The present research proposes a time and cost-effective methodology to survey and perform a design consistency evaluation in two-lane rural road segments. The implementation of the proposed methodology carried out in Central Greece and more particularly along the national road Volos-Karditsa, from the local community Mikrothives up to the entrance of the Volos municipal unit. The road survey methodology, the process of creating the terrain model as well as the cross-check between the designed road with the requirements included in the Greek Road Design Guidelines Manual-Chapter X, are analytically presented. Similar checks are also performed for the sight distance throughout the road segments aiming to enable the rehabilitation of existing rural roads and enhance their safety level. The design of the road was followed by the execution of an experiment with the participation of a motorcycle rider aiming at the recording of his trajectory throughout the road which was then compared with its geometry. The experiment carried out by exploiting an instrumented vehicle and GPS technology. Several conclusions were drawn regarding the encroachment of the centerline and the deviation from the theoretical trajectory in the middle of the travelled way. Subsequently, the proposed methodology provides a reliable and simple solution of surveying and evaluating a 2-lane rural road in safety terms.

Measuring the acceptability of EQ-5D-3L health states for different ages: a new adaptive survey methodology

Background Acceptable health and sufficientarianism are emerging concepts in health resource allocation. We defined acceptability as the proportion of the general population who consider a health state acceptable for a given age. Previous studies surveyed the acceptability of health problems separately per EQ-5D-3L domain, while the acceptability of health states with co-occurring problems was barely explored. Objective To quantify the acceptability of 243 EQ-5D-3L health states for six ages from 30 to 80 years: 1458 health state–age combinations (HAcs), denoted as the acceptability set of EQ-5D-3L. Methods In 2019, an online representative survey was conducted in the Hungarian general population. We developed a novel adaptive survey algorithm and a matching statistical measurement model. The acceptability of problems was evaluated separately per EQ-5D-3L domain, followed by joint evaluation of up to 15 HAcs. The selection of HAcs depended on respondents’ previous responses. We used an empirical Bayes measurement model to estimate the full acceptability set. Results 1375 respondents (female: 50.7%) were included with mean (SD) age of 46.7 (14.6) years. We demonstrated that single problems that were acceptable separately for a given age were less acceptable when co-occurring jointly (p < 0.001). For 30 years of age, EQ-5D-3L health states of ‘11112’ (11.9%) and ‘33333’ (1%), while for 80 years of age ‘21111’ (93.3%) and ‘33333’ (7.4%) had highest and lowest acceptability (% of population), respectively. Conclusion The acceptability set of EQ-5D-3L quantifies societal preferences concerning age and disease severity. Its measurement profiles and potential role in health resource allocation needs further exploration.

Music Recommender System Using ChatBot

In this era of technological advances, text-based music recommendations are much needed as they will help humans relieve stress with soothing music according to their moods. In this project, we have implemented a chatbot that recommends music based on the user's text tone. By analyzing the tone of the text expressed by the user, we can identify the mood. Once the mood is identified, the application will play songs in the form of a web page based on the user's choice as well as his current mood. In our proposed system, themain goal is to reliably determine a user's mood based on their text tone with an application that can be installed on the user's desktop. In today's world, human computer interaction (HCI) plays a crucial role, and the most popular concept in HCI is recognition of emotion from text. As part of this process, the frontal view of the user's text is used to determine the mood. The extraction of text tone from the user's text is anotherimportant aspect. We have used IBM Analyser to check the text tone of the user and to predict the mood based on the text of the user, and Last.FM API to recommend songs based on themood of the user. Keywords: Introduction, Product-Architecture, Tone Analyzer, Music Classification Based on Mood, Acoustic Analysis, Experiment, Future/Current Use, Importance, Background, Literature Survey, Methodology, Equations, Planning, Tools and Technology, Conclusion.

Developing Domains and Items about Self-Management among Elderly People with Chronic Disease

Lifestyle is considered as a key factor that affects one’s health and quality of life, and it has become the focus of increasing research interest worldwide. Objectives: We aimed to determine the areas of self-management necessary as part of occupational therapy for elderly people suffering from chronic diseases living in local communities, as well as elements to be included in each area. Method: Delphi survey methodology was utilized. Participants answered three surveys, and we derived the mean, standard deviation, and content validity ratios for each domain and item. Results: We derived 13 domains and 68 items about self-management, derived the fit and importance of 1 domain and 23 items, and finally derived 12 domains and 54 items. Conclusion: The program developed using this research can become a systematic and evidence-based intervention and provide an opportunity for self-management to the target population.

Characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres through a model-unbiased spectral survey methodology

Context. Collecting a large variety of exoplanetary atmosphere measurements is crucial to improve our understanding of exoplanets. In this context, it is likely that the field would benefit from broad species surveys, particularly using transit spectroscopy, which is the most successful technique of exoplanetary atmosphere characterization so far. Aims. Our goal is to develop a model-unbiased technique using transit spectroscopy to analyze every qualified atomic spectral line in exoplanetary transit data, and search for relative absorption, that is, a decrease in the flux of the line when the planet is transiting. Methods. We analyzed archive data from HDS at Subaru, HIRES at Keck, UVES at VLT, and HARPS at LaSilla to test our spectral survey methodology. It first filtered individual lines by relative noise levels. It also corrected for spectral offsets and telluric contamination. Our methodology performed an analysis along time and wavelength. The latter employed a bootstrap corroboration. Results. We highlight the possible detections of Mn I and V II in HD 209459b data taken by HDS at Subaru (5.9σ at 5916.4 Å, 5.1σ at 6021.8 Å). The previous detection of Ca I in the same planet is classified as inconclusive by our algorithm, but we support the previous detection of Sc II (3.5σ at 6604.6 Å). We also highlight the possible detection of Ca I, Sc II, and Ti II in HD 189733 data taken by UVES at VLT (4.4σ at 6572.8 Å, 6.8σ at 6604.6 Å, and 3.5σ at 5910.1 Å), in addition to the possible detection of Al I in WASP-74b data taken by UVES at VLT (5.6σ at 6696.0 Å).

Using State Workforce Data to Report Graduate Outcomes

Survey methodology is the dominant approach among universities in the United States for reporting employment outcomes for recent graduates. However, past studies have shown that survey methodology may yield upwardly biased results, which can result in overreporting of employment rates and salary outcomes. This case study describes the development and application of an alternative reporting methodology, by which state wage records are analyzed to determine employment and salary outcomes for recent graduates. Findings at Western Washington University suggest the significant sample sizes that can be achieved using wage record methodology may provide a more reliable option than survey methodology for accurately reporting graduate outcomes.

Geophysical prospection for late Holocene burials in coastal environments: Possibilities and problems from a pilot study in South Australia

Geophysical techniques have been widely employed for the noninvasive location of burial sites in archaeological and forensic investigations. This approach has met with varying degrees of success, depending on factors such as equipment choice, survey methodology, burial type, and geological setting. This paper reports the results of a multitechnique geophysical survey carried out immediately prior to the salvage excavation of two Indigenous burials from an eolian dune in coastal South Australia. Ground-penetrating radar was not successful in defining the location of the burials owing to the disturbed nature of the local stratigraphy. Magnetic field intensity and apparent magnetic susceptibility surveys identified discrete anomalies that coincided with the location of skeletal material revealed during excavation, which we hypothesize to be due to burning or ochre use during funerary practices. Despite the spatial association of these features, subsequent laboratory analyses of the mineralogy and magnetic properties of sediments collected from the site failed to find a definite cause of the anomalies. Nevertheless, the association between them and the primary interment locations has implications for archaeological surveys carried out in the Australian coastal zone, as it highlights the potential of magnetic field intensity and apparent magnetic susceptibility geophysical techniques undertaken with a more refined survey methodology to afford a noninvasive, culturally appropriate means through which to detect Indigenous burials. This approach may prove particularly useful in areas with disturbed stratigraphy where ground-penetrating radar is less effective.

A new approach to investigating shipwreck sites in littoral envirornments: Multi-technique geophysical investigations of Port Elliot, South Australia

A bipartite geophysical survey methodology has been developed in order to locate archaeological sites in littoral environments and to gain precise information on their location, size and physical properties. The initial reconnaissance phase establishes the presence of prospective anomalies with limited time and budget. The second phase provides comprehensive information on the anomaly as context for further investigation if necessary. This approach was tested at Port Elliot, South Australia to locate the remains of the cutter Lapwing. An anomaly discovered during reconnaissance phase investigations proved inconsequential in phase two, and follow-up work was not carried out. This outcome demonstrates the benefits of using this approach in terms of money and time saved.