Book Summary: Hyperacusis and Disorders of Sound Intolerance: Clinical and Research Perspectives is a professional resource for audiology practitioners involved in the clinical management of patients who suffer from sound tolerance concerns. The text covers emerging assessment and intervention strategies associated with hyperacusis, disorders of pitch perception, and other unusual processing deficits of the auditory system. In order to illustrate the patients perspectives and experiences with disorders of auditory processing, cases are included throughout. This collection of diagnostic strategies and tools, evidence-based clinical research, and case reports provides practitioners with avenues for supporting patient management and coping. It combines new developments in the understanding of auditory mechanisms with the clinical tools developed to manage the effects such disorders exert in daily life. Topics addressed include unusual clinical findings and features that influence a patient s auditory processing such as their perceptual accuracy, recognition abilities, and satisfaction with the perception of sound. Hyperacusis is covered with respect to its effects, its relation to psychological disorders, and its management. Hyperacusis is often linked to trauma or closed head injury and the text also considers the management of patients with traumatic brain injury as an opportunity to illustrate the effectiveness of interprofessional care in such cases. Interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, self-efficacy training, and hearing aid use are reported in a way that enhances clinicians' ability to weave such strategies into their own work, or into their referral system. Hyperacusis and Disorders of Sound Intolerance illuminates increasingly observed auditory-related disorders that challenge students, clinicians, physicians, and patients. The text elucidates and reinforces audiologists contributions to polytrauma and interprofessional care teams and provides clear definitions, delineation of mechanisms, and intervention options for auditory disorders.

Abandoned agricultural lands in the Intermountain West are plagued by dense, persistent non-native vegetation. Targeted restoration tools are required to remove the competitive advantage of these non-natives while also removing the soil legacies they leave behind. Activated carbon (AC) is one such tool, with the ability to disrupt the mechanisms of allelopathy, positive plant-soil feedbacks, and altered nutrient cycling commonly used by non-native species. Previous studies have shown the success of high concentrations of AC in native plant community restoration on a small scale. Here, our goals are twofold: first, to test AC effectiveness in restoring desirable plant communities on a larger scale, and secondly, to identify the primary mechanism, allelopathy versus microbial changes, through which AC impacts native and non-native species. A large scale AC treatment in Methow Valley, Washington tested the effectiveness of AC restoration at a large scale and tested five concentrations and two types of AC to determine lowest effective application. Following treatment, sites were monitored for vegetation cover for three years. The large-scale application produced similar results to the previous study at a 1000 g/m2 application rate, with a 28% increase in the ratio of desirable:undesirable species cover and a decrease to 25% undesirable species cover. However, the effectiveness of AC concentrations below 1000 g/m2 cannot yet be determined and may require a longer time scale and additional monitoring to assess restoration success. A greenhouse experiment was performed, which used native and non-native species common to the study site, grown in pairs in sterilized and live AC-treated soils to separate AC effects on allelopathy from that of microbial interactions. Both native and non-native species experienced a 25% decreased biomass in AC-treated live soils, with a minimal decrease in A- treated sterile soils for native species and no effect in AC-treated sterile soils for non-native species. Overall, AC live soils produced a positive effect on relative abundance; the ratio of native to non-native biomass was highest in AC-treated live soils. From these results, it is concluded that the primary pathway through which AC works is changes in the plant-microbial interactions of both native and non-native species.

Η πιθανή επίδραση της μεταβλητότητας της ροής της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας στη νέφωση, στην ατμοσφαιρική κατακρήμνιση και συνεπώς στο πλανητικό ισοζύγιο ακτινοβολίας έχει εγείρει μια έντονη έρευνα τα τελευταία χρόνια. Επιχειρείται μια κριτική ανασκόπηση των εργασιών στις οποίες έχει μελετηθεί η σχέση μεταξύ γαλαξιακών κοσμικών ακτίνων και ατμοσφαιρικών διεργασιών και το ενδιαφέρον επικεντρώνεται σε αυτές που αφορούν στην επίδραση των βραχυχρόνιων μεταβολών της γαλαξιακής κοσμικής ροής στα νέφη και την ατμοσφαιρική κατακρήμνιση. Η συσχέτιση μεταξύ των επεισοδίων βροχόπτωσης και της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας είναι πολύ μικρή για να αποδείξει άμεση επίδραση των κοσμικών ακτίνων στην ατμόσφαιρα. Συνεπώς, σκοπός αυτής της μελέτης είναι να ερευνήσει τη συσχέτιση μεταξύ των επεισοδίων βροχόπτωσης και των μειώσεων της γαλαξιακής κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας σε ημερήσια βάση. Η μεθοδολογία που υιοθετείται παρέχει έναν χρήσιμο τρόπο διαχωρισμού του σήματος της γαλαξιακής κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας από άλλες πιθανές εξωτερικές και εσωτερικές επιδράσεις στην ατμοσφαιρική κατακρήμνιση. Η βασικότερη μέριμνα αυτής της μελέτης είναι ο προσδιορισμός ενός προτύπου επιβεβαίωσης του ορίου μείωσης και της χρονικής περιόδου της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας που θεωρείται ως μείωση Forbush, αφού και στη βιβλιογραφία η μείωση Forbush ορίζεται μάλλον αυθαίρετα. Η μείωση του ρυθμού ατμοσφαιρικής κατακρήμνισης κατά τη διάρκεια των μειώσεων Forbush είναι σύμφωνη με τα αποτελέσματα της ερευνητικής εργασίας και άλλων επιστημόνων. Τέλος, εκτιμάται ένας πιθανός μηχανισμός μικροφυσικής των νεφών που ερμηνεύει τη συμπεριφορά των μειώσεων Forbush για τα πολύ έντονα επεισόδια βροχόπτωσης. Η πειραματική μελέτη των θεμελιωδών μικροφυσικών αλληλεπιδράσεων μεταξύ της κοσμικής ακτινοβολίας και των νεφών και η ανάπτυξη νέας τεχνολογίας οργάνων θα βοηθήσει στην κατανόηση του φυσικού μηχανισμού κοσμικές ακτίνες - νέφη - κλίμα. / The possible influence of variability of the cosmic ray flux on cloud cover, on precipitation and thus on the radiation budget of the planet, has stimulated a lively investigation during the recent years. We attempt a critical review cites of those papers studying the relation between galactic cosmic rays and atmospheric processes and we focus on those which pertain the influence of short - term changes of galactic cosmic flux on clouds and precipitation. The correlation between precipitation events and cosmic rays is very low to prove the direct influence of cosmic rays in the atmosphere. Consequently, the scope of this study is to investigate the correlation between precipitation events and galactic cosmic ray decreases on a diurnal basis. The methodology adopted provides a useful way to dissociate the signal of galactic cosmic rays from other possible external and internal influences on precipitation. The basic concern of this study is the determination of a model to confirm the limit of cosmic ray decrease and the corresponding time of occurrence assumed as a Forbush decrease, since this decrease is arbitrarily defined in literature. The determined decrease of precipitation rate during the Forbush decreases is in accordance to the results of other scientists. Finally, we estimate a possible cloud microphysical mechanism which may interpret the impact of Forbush decreases for the heavy precipitation events. The experimental study of the fundamental microphysical interactions between cosmic rays and clouds and the development of new instrumentation will help to understand the physical mechanism cosmic rays – clouds – climate.

Orientador: Anderson Campos Fauth / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-28T23:49:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vasconcelos_DeboraNunesBarrosde_M.pdf: 12164737 bytes, checksum: b673ae31e92a75895beeb827173604e6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Desde os lançamentos dos satélites científicos, o estudo do Sol e a influência dos seus eventos nà Terra tem sido aprofundado constantemente devido as possíveis consequências no clima da Terra e a danos nos sistemas de comunicações. Entretanto, os detectores embarcados nos satélites tem limitações que não permitem medições de energias das partículas energéticas solares superiores a algumas centenas de MeV. Neste trabalho é descrita a construção, instalação e montagem do telescópio de múons, em Campinas-SP, denominado Muonca, para detecção dessas partículas da radiação cósmica secundária, originadas na atmosfera principalmente por interações de prótons. O principal objetivo deste experimento é a detecção de eventos solares transientes numa faixa de energia superior àquela operada pelos satélites. O fato do telescópio estár dentro, e próximo da região central, da Anomalia Magnética do Atlântico Sul, permite uma melhor detecção de partículas carregadas provenientes do espaço externo, pois o fluxo de partículas nessa região é maior. Foram construídos quatro detectores de partículas utilizando placas de cintilador plástico e tubos fotomultiplicadores que em conjunto formam os telescópios de múons do Muonca. Esses telescópios detectam múons verticais e inclinados a 45 graus vindos da direção Leste e da direção Oeste. Após a montagem do telescópio, a sua caracterização de eficiência de contagem foi realizada o seu valor é de (96,8 ± 0,4)%. O coeficiente barométrico foi medido, sendo seu valor igual a ? =(0,22 ± 0,04)%/mbar, condizente com outros experimentos de múons. Dados de 01 de abril de 2014 até 31 de janeiro de 2015 foram analisados e o mês de setembro de 2014 foi estudado detalhadamente. Neste mês foram um evento de decréscimo de Forbush da ordem de 1%. Os resultados do Muonca foram comparados com os resultados do monitor de nêutrons McMurdo o qual detectou o mesmo evento. Uma análise utilizando os resultados do satélite GOES15 da NASA mostrou que este Forbush foi originada por três CMEs, sendo que duas dessas ejeções foram associadas a flares de classe M4.6 e X1.6. O experimento Muonca foi construído com sucesso e está operando continuamente, permitindo o estudo da física solar através da detecção de múons no solo terrestre / Abstract: Since the launch of scientific satellites to study the Sun and the influence of their events on Earth has been constantly deepened because of the possible consequences in Earth's climate and the damage to the communications systems. However embedded in the satellite detectors have limitations relating to measurements of energies of the solar energetic particles larger than a few hundred MeV. This work describes the construction, installation and assembling of the muon telescope in Campinas-SP, called Muonca, to detect these particles of secondary cosmic radiation, originated in the atmosphere mainly by proton interactions. The main objective of this experiment is the detection of solar transient events in a higher energy that operated by satellites. The fact that the telescope be within, and near the central region of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly, allows better detection of charged particles coming from outer space because the flux of particles in this region is higher. Four particle detectors, using plastic scintillator and photomultiplier tubes, which together form the muon telescopes Muonca were constructed. These telescopes detect vertical and inclined at 45 degrees muons coming from the East and West direction. After mounting the telescope, its counting efficiency was measured and its value is (96,8 ± 0,4)%. The barometric coefficient was measured, and its value of ? =(0,22 ± 0,04)%/mbar was obtained, beeing consistent with other muon experiments. Data from April 1st 2014 to January 31th 2015 were analyzed and September 2014 has been studied in detail. In this month the Muonca detected a Forbush decrease of the order of 1%. The results of Muonca were compared with the results of McMurdo neutron monitor which detected the same event. An analysis using the results of GOES15 NASA satellite showed that this Forbush originated three CMEs, and two of those ejections were associated with flares of M4.6 and x1.6 class. The Muonca experiment was successfull constructed and is operating continuously, allowing the study of solar physics through the muon detection in terrestrial soil / Mestrado / Física / Mestra em Física / 2012/1139485 / 2011/50193-4 / CAPES / FAPESP

The functional capacity of patients with coronary artery disease is often limited by breathlessness. The intensity of breathlessness is primarily determined by respiratory muscle effort, which increases as the pressures generated by the inspiratory muscles approach maximum capacity. Exercise training can potentially decrease breathlessness by inducing adaptations that reduce the ventilatory demand and increase the maximum capacity of the respiratory muscles. This study examines the extent to which the physiological adaptations occurring with exercise training contribute to reductions in breathlessness in patients with coronary artery disease. The pre- and post-training results were compared in 21 patients participating in the McMaster University Cardiac Rehabilitation program. Respiratory parameters were measured at rest and during a progressive maximal exercise test. The intensity of breathlessness was measured by psychophysical techniques using the Borg scale. Following training, the capacity to generate maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and maximum inspiratory flow (Vimax) improved by 22%, 18% and 5%, respectively, with no significant change in vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second and maximum expiratory flow. Exercise capacity improved by 14%, with an 11% decrease in the maximum intensity of breathlessness experienced. Although maximum ventilation (Ve) did not change significantly, Ve per unit workload decreased by 10% and breathlessness per unit Ve decreased by 13%. At the highest similar workload between the 2 tests (850 kpm), breathlessness decreased by 34%, with a 19% reduction in Ve. Breathing frequency, mean inspiratory flow (Vt/Ti), inspiratory flow generated during exercise in relation to maximum inspiratory flow (Vi%max), and time of inspiration in relation to total duty cycle (Ti%Ttot) decreased significantly by 20%, 15%, 20% and 4%, respectively. The decreases in breathlessness were significantly related to the reduction in ventilation associated with training. A significant decrease in breathlessness remained after removing the variance accounted for by Ve, reflecting the improvements in respiratory muscle performance. The decreases in breathlessness were better correlated with improvements in the dynamic measure of Vimax than the static measure of MIP. The decreases in breathlessness were best correlated to the changes in Vi%max, which accounts for decreases in ventilatory demand and increases in respiratory muscle performance. Decreases in breathlessness primarily occurred in patients who achieved a training effect. Exercise training decreases breathlessness in patients with coronary artery disease largely through decreases in Ve, with improvements in respiratory muscle performance contributing to a lesser degree. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.