Auditive identification of signal-processed environmental sounds: Monitoring the environment

The goal of the present study was to compare six transposing signal-processing algorithms based on different principles (Fourier-based and modulation based), and to choose the algorithm that best enables identification of environmental sounds, i.e. improves the ability to monitor events in the surroundings. Ten children (12–15 years) and 10 adults (21–33 years) with normal hearing listened to 45 representative environmental (events) sounds processed using the six algorithms, and identified them in three different listening experiments involving an increasing degree of experience. The sounds were selected based on their importance for normal hearing and deaf-blind subjects. Results showed that the algorithm based on transposition of 1/3 octaves (fixed frequencies) with large bandwidth was better (p<0.015) than algorithms based on modulation. There was also a significant effect of experience (p<0.001). Adults were significantly (p<0.05) better than children for two algorithms. No clear gender difference was observed. It is concluded that the algorithm based on transposition with large bandwidth and fixed frequencies is the most promising for development of hearing aids to monitor environmental sounds.     

The Need for Health Promotion in Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Objectives : This review paper provides a rationale for using health promotion to help reduce morbidity and mortality due to oral cancers by identifying barriers to prevention and early detection of these cancers and discussing strategies for change. Methods : A literature review of the following areas was conducted: epidemiology of and risk factors for oral cancers; knowledge, opinions, and practices of health care providers and the public regarding prevention, early detection, and control of oral cancers; and policies and regulations that either enhance or act as barriers to the prevention and early detection of oral cancers. Results : Overall, the public is ill-informed about risk factors for and signs and symptoms of oral cancers and relatively few US adults have had an oral cancer examination. Further, health care providers are remiss in providing oral cancer examinations and detecting early oral cancers. Conclusion : To achieve the 13 oral cancer objectives contained in "Healthy People 2000," health care providers and the public must know the risk factors for these cancers as well as their signs and symptoms. Further, health care providers need to provide oral cancer examinations routinely and competently. Equally important, the public needs to know that an examination for oral cancer is available and that they can request one routinely. Thus, a vigorous agenda that includes education, policy, and research initiatives is needed to enhance oral cancer prevention and early detection.     

Worldwide prevalence of human papillomavirus among pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the causative agent of cervical cancer and a suspected agent for ovarian and endometrial cancers in women. It is associated with adverse outcomes during pregnancy. To date, there is no estimate of the prevalence of HPV infection in pregnant women at the regional and global levels. This study evaluated the global prevalence of HPV infection based on all observational studies that had reported the prevalence of HPV among pregnant women between January 1980 and December 2021 in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and SciELO databases. We utilised a random-effect model to determine the global prevalence and related risk factors of HPV infection. Between-studies heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistic. Moreover, subgroup and meta-regression analyses were employed to assess the source of heterogeneity and the relationship between HPV prevalence and socio-demographic factors, respectively. Among 144 eligible studies comprising 189 datasets, the overall prevalence rates of HPV at the 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated as 30.38% (26.88%–33.99%), 17.81% (9.81%–27.46%), 32.1% (25.09%–39.67%), 2.26% (0.1%–8.08%) and 25.5% (23.3%–27.8%) in cervico-vaginal, placenta, serum, amniotic fluid and urine samples, respectively. The highest prevalence rates were estimated for countries in the African region, while countries in the European and Eastern Mediterranean regions showed the lowest prevalence rates. HPV-16 and -18 were the most prevalent isolated strains. The pregnant women living with HIV and those with pregnancy disorders had significantly higher prevalence rates than general pregnant women (p < 0.05). The younger ages for first intercourse and pregnancy, multiple lifetime sexual partners, and lower education levels were primary risk factors for HPV infection. In conclusion, although the overall HPV prevalence varied markedly based on sampling sites and geographical locations, the highest prevalence rates were observed in less-developed countries. Our findings imply that implementing behavioural and therapeutic interventions as well as vaccination programs are crucial to prevent and reduce the current burden of HPV infection among pregnant women.