National Acoustic Laboratories

Ultrasound techniques are widely used for monitoring chemical reactions and characterizing liquids. While the speed of sound in pure fatty acid esters (methyl and ethyl) is reasonably well established, the influence of molar ratio and alcohol type on the speed of sound in biodiesel across different frequencies remains unexplored. This study investigates the ultrasonic characterization of soybean biodiesel produced using different alcohols and molar ratios at frequencies of 1 MHz, 5 MHz, 7.5 MHz, and 10 MHz. The speed of sound in biodiesel samples was measured using the pulse–echo technique, with the expanded uncertainty determined at a 95 % confidence level. The results show that biodiesel samples produced with different alcohols at the same molar ratio exhibit distinct speed of sound values. Additionally, biodiesel synthesized at a 6:1 molar ratio demonstrated the lowest speed of sound. The findings confirm that ultrasound effectively differentiates biodiesel samples based on speed-of-sound measurements. This study highlights ultrasound as a promising technique for identifying biodiesel production pathways, offering a non-invasive and efficient analytical tool for quality assessment.

Although the benefits of hearing devices in children with bilateral hearing loss are well established, evidence in unilateral hearing loss (UHL) remains limited. This study aimed to (i) examine whether device fitting influences the relationship between linguistic input and communication outcomes (language and functional listening) in young children with UHL, and (ii) assess whether consistency of device use affects this relationship. A longitudinal study included 43 device-fitted and 61 non-fitted children with UHL at 12 mo (mean worse-ear hearing level: 80.9 versus 86.7 dB HL), and a subset of 26 and 15, respectively, at 3 yrs. Linguistic input (adult word count [AWC], conversational turn count [CTC]), nonlinguistic input, and child vocalizations were measured using Language ENvironment Analysis. Language was assessed with the Australian English Developmental Vocabulary Inventory at 12 mo, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and Preschool Language Scales at 3 yrs, and child vocalization count at both ages. Functional listening was assessed using the Parent Evaluation on Aural/Oral Performance (PEACH) questionnaire. Linear regression examined whether device fitting influenced the associations between linguistic input and communication outcomes. Similar regression analyses were completed in fitted children to assess the influence of consistency of device use on the relationship between linguistic input and communication outcomes. Linguistic and nonlinguistic input did not differ by device status. In cross-sectional analyses, better language abilities were found in children with higher CTC at both 12 mo and 3 yrs. Better functional listening abilities were found in children with higher CTC at 12 mo. A similar but not significant trend existed at 3 yrs. Associations between outcomes (except child vocalization count) and AWC were all nonsignificant. The nature of the association between AWC or CTC and communication outcomes did not vary between the fitted and not-fitted children in any of these analyses. Likewise, consistency of device use did not influence the association between linguistic input and communication outcomes. In longitudinal analyses, CTC increased with age similarly in both groups, however, no associations were evident between early linguistic input and later communication outcomes. Similar to children with bilateral hearing loss, better communication outcomes in children with UHL are associated with increased two-way conversations with caregivers. There was no evidence that device fitting or consistency in device use affected this association. Outcomes underscore the importance of interactive communication between caregivers and children, regardless of fitting status.

Research suggests that early detection of hearing loss, coupled with prompt and appropriate treatment, can significantly alleviate its negative impacts. Routinely collected real-world data, such as those from electronic health records data, provide an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the management of hearing loss. This project aims to create the HEaring Impairment Data Infrastructure (HEIDI) data lake by assembling datasets from general practice (GP), audiology clinic registries, and cohort studies to investigate hearing-impaired patients' care pathways. This study seeks to answer key research questions such as "How do patients with hearing loss navigate the care pathway from general practice clinics to audiology clinics?". The HEIDI data lake will be hosted in a secure research environment at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, that complies with Australian legal and ethical requirements to protect patient privacy. Afterwards, new integrated datasets will be built through data linkage of hearing and GP datasets. Finally, the HEIDI data warehouse will be developed and used as a stand-alone dataset for future research. Descriptive and predictive analytics will be undertaken to answer our research questions with the data warehouse. Descriptive analysis will include both conventional and advanced statistical techniques and visualisation that will help us understand the journey of patients with hearing loss. Machine learning strategies such as deep neural networks, support vector machines, and random forests for predictive analytics will also be employed to identify participants that could benefit from proactive management by their GP and determine the effect of interventions through the patient's journey (e.g., referrals to specialist) on outcomes (e.g., adherence to the intervention). The findings will be disseminated widely through academic journals, conferences and other presentations.

This umbrella review aims to summarize the major benefits of hearing aid usage in adults by synthesizing findings from published review articles. A comprehensive search of databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, was conducted. The search was limited to English-language review articles published between 1990 and 2023, focusing on hearing aid outcomes in at least 5 adults (aged ≥18 years). Two researchers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles, and conducted a quality assessment using the Joanna Briggs Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses. A third researcher was involved in discussions with the 2 researchers to resolve conflicts during the screening and quality assessment stages. Eleven articles were included in this review. There were three systematic reviews with meta-analysis and eight systematic reviews without meta-analysis. The quality assessment indicated that articles scored between 6 and 11 out of a total of 11 criteria. Three articles met all quality criteria. Study participants tended to be middle-aged (≥40 years) or older adults (≥65 years). Participant gender was less clear as this was not consistently reported but appeared to favor men. This umbrella review found that speech perception, communication function, hearing handicap, and self-assessed hearing aid benefit were consistently positively associated with hearing aid use in the analysis of included studies. Hearing handicap was the most frequently reported outcome with evidence from four different studies supporting its mitigation with hearing aid use. There was insufficient evidence in terms of benefit on balance, cognitive function, depression, tinnitus, loneliness, and social isolation. There was conflicting evidence on the impact of hearing aid use on quality of life. Among eligible studies, there were no reports of negative impacts of hearing aid use. There are a number of potential benefits associated with hearing aid use. However, this review found that there was a clear lack of high-quality evidence and limited use of robust study design to support the benefits of hearing aids on other outcomes such as quality of life and cognition. Inconsistent use and interpretation of various outcome measures makes it difficult to produce homogenous data which is needed to make more conclusive statements about the benefits of hearing aids.

Abstract Background Despite early identification of deafness through universal newborn hearing screening, deaf and hard of hearing children can still face inequitable challenges in their development and life opportunities. Large scale registries, collecting standardised information including all individuals in a population with the relevant condition, can reveal variations in practices, processes, and outcomes, and identify targets for improvement. For childhood deafness, where practices, processes and outcomes all span multiple service sectors, data linkage is the only possible way to bring data together. Data linkage also minimises the burden and costs of data entry by service providers, increasing future sustainability of large-scale data for research. Methods and Design: The Australian National Child Hearing Health Outcomes Registry (ANCHOR) program has been established to connect and collect child hearing health information to drive research and service delivery improvements. Its vision is to give all deaf and hard of hearing children the best opportunities to reach their full potentials. The ANCHOR program aims to map Australia’s child hearing-specific services and datasets nationally and by state; create a single cross-state data system spanning two states for future national extension; develop a Core Outcome Set to measure what matters to children, young people, families, and services; and evaluate the costs and benefits of developing and maintaining ANCHOR. The ANCHOR program brings together expertise in child hearing health, education, lived experience, and research, with its guiding principle centred around community engagement. Discussion If successful, ANCHOR will provide a national platform to facilitate population-based research for deaf and hard of hearing children, a pathway to national reporting of developmental and educational outcomes, and a national child evidence base for future hearing policies, service delivery models, and supports. Ultimately, ANCHOR will drive research to improve models of service delivery and equity of access for deaf and hard of hearing children and their families, in particular those from deaf and Aboriginal and Torres Islander communities. This paper provides an overview of the established and evolving methodologies of the ANCHOR program to achieve its aims.

Pathology affecting the long head of the biceps tendon (LHB) is a common cause of shoulder pain. When conservative treatment fails to resolve symptoms, surgical treatment is the modality of choice. The literature describes many arthroscopic and open techniques using different implants. However, no consensus exists on which procedure yields the greatest improvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of arthroscopic suprapectoral biceps tenodesis for treating isolated LHB pathology. We present a case series of 23 patients with isolated LHB pathology who were treated with arthroscopic suprapectoral tenodesis between 2016 and 2022. All surgeries were performed by the same senior surgeon, and patients were assessed preoperatively and one year after the procedure, using the simple shoulder test (SST), Constant score (CS), and visual analog scale (VAS) by the senior surgeon. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, with significance defined as p < 0.05. The CS improved from 68.52 (SD = 1.59) to 98 (SD = 7.1; p < 0.001), the SST improved from 8.78 (SD = 0.998) to 11.21 (SD = 0.42; p < 0.001), and the VAS improved from 8.26 (SD = 0.54) to 0 (SD = 0; p < 0.001) at one-year follow-up. No complications were reported postoperatively or during the follow-up period. Arthroscopic suprapectoral biceps tenodesis significantly improved outcomes at one-year follow-up and can be considered an effective and safe choice when treating LHB pathology.

Children with early-identified unilateral hearing loss (UHL) might be at risk for delays in early speech and language, functional communication, psychosocial skills, and quality of life (QOL). However, a paucity of relevant research prohibits strong conclusions. This study aimed to provide new evidence relevant to this issue. Participants were 34 children, ages 9;0 to 12;7 (years;months), who were identified with UHL via newborn hearing screening. Nineteen children had been fitted with hearing devices, whereas 15 had not. Assessments included measures of speech perception and intelligibility; language and cognition; functional communication; psychosocial abilities; and QOL. As a group, the children scored significantly below the normative mean and more than one standard deviation below the typical range on speech perception in spatially separated noise, and significantly below the normative mean on written passage comprehension. Outcomes in other aspects appear typical. There was however considerable within participant variation in the children's degree of hearing loss over time, raising the possibility that this pattern of results might change as children get older. The current study also revealed that participants with higher levels of nonverbal ability demonstrated better general language skills and better ability to comprehend written passages. By contrast, neither perception of speech in collocated noise nor fitting with a hearing device accounted for unique variance in outcome measures. Future research should, however, evaluate the fitting of hearing devices using random assignment of participants to groups in order to avoid any confounding influence of degree of hearing loss or children's past/current level of progress.