The second aim was to determine extent demographic, health-related, environmental, and cognitive factors influence the change
in speech-in-noise recognition over time.\n\nDesign: Data covering 3 to 7 years of follow-up (mean: 4.9 years) of a large sample of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used (n = 1298; 3025 observations; baseline ages: 57 to 93 years). Hearing ability was measured by a digit triplet speech-in-noise test (SNT) yielding a speech reception threshold in noise (SRTn). Multilevel analyses were used to model the change in SRTn over time. First, interaction terms were used to test differences in rate of decline across subgroups. Second, for each of the following factors the authors determined the influence on the change in SRTn : age, MI-503 concentration gender, educational level, cardiovascular conditions, information processing speed, fluid intelligence, global cognitive functioning, BAY 57-1293 smoking, and alcohol use. This was done by calculating the percentage change in B-time after adding the particular factor to the model.\n\nResults: On average, respondents’ SRTn increased (i.e., deteriorated) significantly over time by 0.18 dB signal-to-noise ratio per annum. Rates were accelerated for older ages (B-time = 0.13, 0.14, 0.25, 0.27 for persons who were 57 to 65, 65 to 75,
75 to 85, and 85 to 93 years of age, respectively). Only information processing speed relevantly influenced the change in SRTn over time (17% decrease in B-time).\n\nConclusions: Decline in older persons’ speech-in-noise recognition over time accelerated for older ages. Decline in information processing speed explained a moderate proportion of the SRTn decline. This indicates the relevance of declining cognitive abilities in the ability of older persons to recognize speech in noisy environments.”
“Urea may buy AZD6094 be an important source of nitrogen in low nutrient coral reef environments because corals and other organisms can assimilate it easily and it is found throughout ocean waters. We measured the distribution and concentrations
of urea in seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish, coral formations and bottom sediments in the Upper Florida Keys Reef Tract. The flux of urea from bottom sediments was also measured. Ambient concentrations of urea in the offshore reefs were similar to the concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. Seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish and coral formations had elevated concentrations of urea that were up to eight times higher than nitrate in the system. Numerous ephemeral hotspots of urea that were 8-20 times the ambient urea concentration existed in seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish, and above sediments. Coastal areas and inland canals had high urea concentrations where urban runoff and septic effluents were prevalent, but there was no anthropogenic influence in the offshore habitats.