OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of hearing loss on perception of vowel slices. METHODS: Fourteen listeners aged 20-27 participated; ten (6 males) had hearing within normal limits and four (3 males) had moderate-severe sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Stimuli were six naturally-produced words consisting of the vowels /i a u ae epsilon / in a /b V b/ context. Each word was presented as a whole and in eight slices: the initial transition, one half and one fourth of initial transition, full central vowel, one-half central vowel, ending transition, one half and one fourth of ending transition. Each of the 54 stimuli was presented 10 times at 70 dB SPL (sound press level); listeners were asked to identify the word. Stimuli were shaped using signal processing software for the listeners with SNHL to mimic gain provided by an appropriately-fitting hearing aid. RESULTS: Listeners with SNHL had a steeper rate of decreasing vowel identification with decreasing slice duration as compared to listeners with normal hearing, and the listeners with SNHL showed different patterns of vowel identification across vowels when compared to listeners with normal hearing. CONCLUSION: Abnormal temporal integration is likely affecting vowel identification for listeners with SNHL, which in turn affects vowel internal representation at different levels of the auditory system.
Hearing Aids ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing* ; Phonetics ; Speech Perception

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is an increasing concern in the South Pacific. We estimate, based on reported figures, that the prevalence of HIV infection in women attending antenatal clinics in Fiji in 2003 was 0.04%. The number of children born to HIV-positive mothers is small, though perinatal transmission appears to be high. Fiji's preliminary strategies for prevention of perinatal transmission have been significant, but require ongoing support and implementation.
Fiji ; Prevalence aspects ; Human Females ; HIV Infections ; HIV