Prediction of Behavioral T/C Levels in Cochlear Implant Patients Based Upon Analysis of Electrode Impedances

Background Fitting cochlear implants in babies and noncooperative patients is cumbersome and time consuming. Therefore, objective parameters have been sought in order to predict the subjective threshold (T) and maximum comfort (C) levels. Measurements of the electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) have been widely used for this purpose, yet the correlation between these objective measures and the subjective T/C levels is weak to moderate. Purpose This article aims (1) to evaluate correlations between the subjective parameters of the fitting maps such as thresholds (T level) and maximum comfort levels (C level), the impedance of the electrode contacts, and the ECAP thresholds, and (2) to compare the value of the electrode impedances and the ECAP measures for prediction of the T/C levels. Research Design Case review study in a quaternary otologic referral center. Study Sample Ninety-eight consecutive CI patients were enrolled. The average age of the patients was 49 years. All patients were users of the Nucleus 24RECA (Freedom, Contour Advance-of-Stylet electrode) cochlear implant. Data Collection and Analysis Data on impedance of the electrode contacts and the behavioral T/C levels at the first fitting session (2–5 weeks after surgery) and at the 5th fitting session (4–6 months after surgery) have been retrospectively collected in 98 consecutive CI patients. Additionally, the intraoperative impedance values and the ECAP thresholds (tNRT) have been recorded. Results Impedances of electrode contacts show significant strong negative correlations with the stabilized T/C levels at 4 to 6 months after implantation and are an important predictor for the behavioral T/C levels. They can explain R 2 = 28 to 41% of the variability of the behavioral T/C levels. In multiple regression analysis electrode contact impedances can explain twice as much of the variability of the stabilized T/C levels than the tNRT values. The electrode impedances together with the tNRT values are able to explain R 2 = 37 to 40% of the global variability of the T/C levels while the tNRT thresholds solely are able to explain only R 2 = 5 to 14% of the T/C levels variability. Conclusion Impedances of electrode contacts correlate strongly with the stabilized behavioral T/C levels and may be used as an objective measure for fitting of cochlear implants.

Investigating Suicide-Related Subliminal Messages on Instagram

Background: Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds and Instagram is one of the most popular and fastest-growing social media platforms among this age group. A previous study presented preliminary evidence for suicide-related "subliminal messages" on Instagram, defined as very brief presentations of suicide-related content in video posts that users have no conscious awareness of. Aim: A systematic quantitative study was pending. Method: We conducted a quantitative content analysis of 100 Instagram video posts. A frame-by-frame coding procedure allowed for an assessment of whether suicide-related content was depicted in very brief segments, even when this content could not be consciously recognized when watched at regular speed. Results: Analysis indicates that a substantial amount of suicide-related content is presented in very brief shots. We identified 67 very brief shots that appeared in 21 video posts. Of interest, 13 of these video posts presented more than one very brief suicide-related shot. Limitation: The subjective threshold of conscious awareness differs inter-individually. This complicates the operationalization of subliminal messages. Conclusion: Subliminal messages are ethically highly problematic. There is a need for a greater awareness of possible suicide-related subliminal messages on Instagram.

Pain between Psyche and Soma in Uro-Andrology

How to define pain? One of the most accredited definition is certainly “An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage" (IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain - 1986) and World Health Organization (WHO) 1. However, what are the essential components of pain experience? Certainly many factors are involved such as, among others: Perceptual ability / suitability / subjective threshold; The "subjective" experience; Multidimensionality; Occasionally or chronicity. All these components have to be taken into consideration in the treatment of these disorders which, very often, require a multidisciplinary approach. From a clinical psychological point of view, much can also be offered at a diagnostic level, from the reception to listening to the patient's suffering, to the evaluation with standardized tests and psychophysiological analysis procedures in order to arrive at an effective personalization of treatments

A window of subliminal perception

Under labels such as unconscious processing and subliminal perception, identification of stimuli falling below the subjective threshold has been found remarkably accurate in some experiments while completely at chance in others. Here, we first demonstrate the existence of a window of subliminal perception in humans using different experimental paradigms and analysis methods. We then show that the standard signal detection theory (SDT) model is unable to accounts for this window and extend it until it is. We finally compare a range of models on empirical data. The models performing best are notable for their absence of hierarchical levels, indicating that the window could be a base property of any phenomenally conscious system. The models further explain previously incompatible findings in the literature, and they allow for estimations of peaks in subthreshold perception across the spectrum of stimulus saliency, which may be used in further studies of subliminal perception.

Geometric Accuracy Assessment for Shoreline Derived from NDWI, MNDWI, and AWEI Transformation on Various Coastal Physical Typology in Jepara Regency using Landsat 8 OLI Imagery in 2018

Landsat 8 OLI imagery and water index utilization is expected to be able to complete the shoreline data that is difficult to obtain by using terrestrial and hydrographic surveys. In fact, coastal areas in Indonesia have a variety of coastal physical typology so that each water index characteristic in obtaining shoreline data needs to be understood in order to use water index method effectively. The objectives of this study are to map the shoreline using NDWI, MNDWI, and AWEI transformations and assess the shoreline geometric accuracy on various coastal physical typology. The shoreline derived from water index is obtained from Landsat 8 OLI imagery, while the reference shoreline for accuracy assessment is obtained from visual interpretation on Planet Scope imagery. Threshold 0 and subjective threshold based on per coastal physical typology sample experiments are used to separate land-sea. The horizontal accuracy standard of the shoreline derived from water index uses the regulation from Geospatial Information Agency of Indonesia No.15 in 2014 on technical guidelines for basic map accuracy. The results consisted of 1:100,000 scale shoreline map and shoreline geometric accuracy per coastal physical typology. Based on the shoreline geometry accuracy assessment, NDWI has the lowest shoreline geometry accuracy on artificial coast (RMSE=24.13 m). MNDWI has the lowest shoreline geometry accuracy on land deposition coast (RMSE=15.84 m), marine deposition coast (RMSE=29.53 m), and volcanic coast (RMSE=10 m). AWEIsh has the lowest shoreline geometry accuracy on the organic coast (RMSE=13.47 m), while AWEI does not superior to any coastal physical typology.

Interpersonal Violence as an Intrinsic Part of The Civilizing Process

Even though Elias himself does not focus on an explicit theory on violence inThe Civilizing Process, due to his research question on pacific social processes, violence is not generally theoretically excluded. Against this backdrop, and contrary to criticisms regarding a general loss as well as a biological rather than a sociological explanation of violence, and besides theories that explain meso and macro-level violence within Elias’s framework, this article considers interpersonal micro-level violence as an intrinsic part of the civilizing process. Especially by supplementing Elias’s assumptions of drive control and self-constraint with recent neuroscientific findings, it is possible to conceptualize interpersonal micro-level violence as situational exceedance of a subjective threshold of pain. Here, despite a normative civilized frame of behavior, aggression, as a (neuro)biologically-based reactive drive, is no longer controlled by socially learned self-constraint, leading to violence as a subjectively perceived rewarding behavior and socially performed action.

The Bifocal Lens Model and Equation

Background. Brunswik’s Lens Model and lens model equation (LME) have been applied extensively in medical decision making. Clinicians often face the dual challenge of formulating a judgment of patient risk for some adverse outcome and making a yes or no decision regarding a particular risk-reducing treatment option. Objective. In this article, I examine the correlation between clinical risk judgments and treatment-related decisions, referring to this linkage as “cohesion”. A novel form of the LME is developed to decompose cohesion. The approach is “bifocal” in that it focuses on 2 sets of linked responses from the same individual. Methods. Data from 2 studies were analyzed to illustrate how individual differences in cohesion could be explained by differences in the parameters of the bifocal lens model equation (BiLME). Results. Cohesion varied because of differences in cognitive control, similarities in the judgment and decision policies, and a possible reliance on a subjective threshold value applied to the judgments to make decisions. The parameters of the BiLME accounted for individual differences in cohesion; however, their relative influences differed between the two studies. Conclusion. The BiLME links the results from two regression models—one linear and one logistic—based on the same set of cases. In its current form, the equation holds promise for understanding cognitive individual differences that could underlie practice variation. With minor modifications, it becomes possible to apply the equation to traditional, dual-system judgment analysis studies, where continuous judgments are compared with an ecology composed of dichotomous outcomes, or vice versa. In this regard, the BiLME is quite flexible and adds to the set of tools available to judgment analysts.

An objective approach for feature extraction: distribution analysis and statistical descriptors for scale choice and channel network identification

A statistical approach to LiDAR derived topographic attributes for the automatic extraction of channel network and for the choice of the scale to apply for parameter evaluation is presented in this paper. The basis of this approach is to use distribution analysis and statistical descriptors to identify channels where terrain geometry denotes significant convergences. Two case study areas with different morphology and degree of organization are used with their 1 m LiDAR Digital Terrain Models (DTMs). Topographic attribute maps (curvature and openness) for various window sizes are derived from the DTMs in order to detect surface convergences. A statistical analysis on value distributions considering each window size is carried out for the choice of the optimum kernel. We propose a three-step method to extract the network based (a) on the normalization and overlapping of openness and minimum curvature to highlight the more likely surface convergences, (b) a weighting of the upslope area according to these normalized maps to identify drainage flow paths and flow accumulation consistent with terrain geometry, (c) the standard score normalization of the weighted upslope area and the use of standard score values as non subjective threshold for channel network identification. As a final step for optimal definition and representation of the whole network, a noise-filtering and connection procedure is applied. The advantage of the proposed methodology, and the efficiency and accurate localization of extracted features are demonstrated using LiDAR data of two different areas and comparing both extractions with field surveyed networks.