A floating-gate field-effect transistor memory device based on organic crystals with a built-in tunneling dielectric by a one-step growth strategy.

A floating-gate organic field-effect transistor (FG-OFET) memory device is becoming a promising candidate for emerging non-volatile memory applications due to the advantages of its sophisticated data-storage mechanism and reliable long-term data retention capacity. However, a conventional FG-OFET memory device suffers from complex fabrication technologies and poor mechanical flexibility, which limits its practical applications. Here, we propose a facile one-step liquid-surface drag coating strategy to fabricate a layered stack of 2,8-difluoro-5,11-bis(triethylsilylethynyl) anthradithiophene (Dif-TES-ADT) crystals and high-quality insulating polymer polystyrene (PS). The liquid surface enhances the spreading area of an organic solution and facilitates the unidirectional growth of organic crystals. In the bilayer-structured blend, the bottom PS polymer and the top Dif-TES-ADT semiconductor serve as a tunneling dielectric and an active memory layer of an FG-OFET memory device, respectively. Consequently, a flexible FG-OFET memory device with a large memory window of 41.4 V, a long retention time of 5000 s, and a high current ON/OFF ratio of 105 could be achieved, showing the best performance ever reported for organic thin film-based FG-OFET memory devices. In addition, multi-level data storage (3 bits per cell) can be achieved by tuning the gate voltage magnitude. Our work not only provides a general strategy for the growth of high-quality organic crystals, but also paves the way towards high-performance flexible memory devices.

Isolation and Culture of Primary Cochlear Hair Cells from Neonatal Mice.

Cochlear hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system. These cells are located in the organ of Corti, the sensory organ responsible for hearing, within the osseous labyrinth of the inner ear. Cochlear hair cells consist of two anatomically and functionally distinct types: outer and inner hair cells. Damage to either of them results in hearing loss. Notably, as inner hair cells cannot regenerate, and damage to them is permanent. Hence, in vitro cultivation of primary hair cells is indispensable for investigating the protective or regenerative effects of cochlear hair cells. This study aimed to discover a method for isolating and cultivating mouse hair cells. After manual removal of the cochlear lateral wall, the auditory epithelium was meticulously dissected from the cochlear modiolus under a microscope, incubated in a mixture consisting of 0.25% trypsin-EDTA for 10 min at 37 °C, and gently suspended in culture medium using a 200 µL pipette tip. The cell suspension was passed through a cell filter, the filtrate was centrifuged, and cells were cultured in 24-well plates. Hair cells were identified based on their capacity to express a mechanotransduction complex, myosin-VIIa, which is involved in motor tensions, and via selective labeling of F-actin using phalloidin. Cells reached >90% confluence after 4 d in culture. This method can enhance our understanding of the biological characteristics of in vitro cultured hair cells and demonstrate the efficiency of cochlear hair cell cultures, establishing a solid methodological foundation for further auditory research.

[Recent progress in vestibular prosthesis].

Bilateral vestibulopathy（BVP） is one of the common diseases in the vestibular nervous system, with an incidence rate of about 4%-7% in the population, which can lead to a variety of body dysfunctions. At present, there are two main treatment methods for BVP. One is vestibular rehabilitation. However, only part of BVP patients can finally benefit from vestibular rehabilitation, and most patients will remain with permanent vestibular dysfunction. Benefiting from the maturity of cochlear implant technology, European and American countries took the lead in the development of vestibular prosthesis（VP） technology to restore the vestibular function in patients with BVP. This review will focus on the development history, principles, future applications and the related research progress of VP in China.

ABO blood type correlates with risk and protective factors for chronic suppurative otitis media.

BACKGROUND: ABO blood type associated with differentiated onset of infectious diseases. AIMS/OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether people with different blood types were vulnerable in developing chronic otitis media (CSOM) and if the risk and protective factors varied among them. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was a case-control study that included 206 participants in the case group and 210 in the control group. Stratified analysis for blood type was adopted. RESULTS: Patients with different blood types were insignificantly different in the incidence of CSOM. Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI, OR = 21.81, 95% CI: 4.80-99.06), socioeconomic status (OR = 3.02, 95% CI: 1.35-6.74), and were risk factors in blood type A. In blood type B, smoking and urban residence were risk factors. The OR (95% CI) were 11.42 (2.77-47.08), and 0.14 (0.03-0.65). Urban residence, BMI and blood calcium increase, male gender were protective factors for different blood types. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Our study identified the risk and protective factors for CSOM among different blood types. The findings might provide new insights into taking precautions against CSOM in people of different blood types.

Towards toxic and narcotic medication detection with rotated object detectors.

Background: Recent years have witnessed the advancement of deep learning vision technologies and applications in the medical industry. Intelligent devices for specific medication management could alleviate workload of medical staff by providing assistance services to identify drug specifications and locations. Methods: In this work, object detectors based on the you only look once (YOLO) algorithm are tailored for toxic and narcotic medication detection tasks in which there are always numerous of arbitrarily oriented small bottles. Specifically, we propose a flexible annotation process that defines a rotated bounding box with a degree ranging from 0° to 90° without worry about the long-short edges. Moreover, a mask-mapping-based non-maximum suppression method has been leveraged to accelerate the post-processing speed and achieve a feasible and efficient medication detector that identifies arbitrarily oriented bounding boxes. Results: Extensive experiments have demonstrated that rotated YOLO detectors are highly suitable for identifying densely arranged drugs. Six thousand synthetic data and 523 hospital collected images have been taken for training of the network. The mean average precision of the proposed network reaches 0.811 with an inference time of less than 300 ms. Conclusions: This study provides an accurate and fast drug detection solution for the management of special medications. The proposed rotated YOLO detector outperforms its YOLO counterpart in terms of precision.

Regulation of Hippo/YAP signaling pathway ameliorates cochlear hair cell injury by regulating ferroptosis.

Cisplatin, which is effective for the treatment of solid tumors, also can induce cochlear hair cell damage. Therefore, this study was intended to explore how Hippo/YAP signaling pathway affects the cochlear hair cell injury by regulating ferroptosis. After cisplatin induction, or LAT1-IN-1 (YAP activator) and verteporfin (YAP inhibitor) treatment or transfection, the viability of HEI-OC1 cells was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The iron level and the levels of oxidative stress markers (ROS, MDA and 4-HNE) were analyzed by iron assay kit, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) assay kits, respectively. The expression of ferritin light chain (FTL) in HEI-OC1 cells was detected by immunofluorescence and protein expressions of yes associated protein (YAP,) phosphorylated YAP (p-YAP), transferrin receptor (TFRC), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) in HEI-OC1 cells were detected by western blot. The transcription of FTL and TFRC by YAP1 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The transfection efficiency of small interfering RNA (si-RNA) specific to FTL (siRNA-FTL) and TFRC (siRNA-TFRC) was confirmed by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR). As a result, cisplatin inhibited the viability of HEI-OC1 cells by increasing free Fe2+ level and decreasing FTL level. LAT1-IN-1 promoted the viability of cisplatin-induced HEI-OC1 cells by suppressing oxidative stress level, free Fe2+ level, ferroptosis and increasing FTL level, while the effect of verteporfin was the opposite. YAP1 transcriptionally regulated the expression of FTL and TFRC. Inhibition of FTL suppressed the viability of cisplatin-induced HEI-OC1 cells by increasing oxidative stress level, free Fe2+ level, ferroptosis and decreasing FTL level, while the effect of TFRC inhibition was the opposite. In conclusion, YAP1 ameliorated cochlear hair cell injury by upregulating FTL and TFRC to suppress ferroptosis.

Regulation of PPARγ/CPT-1 expression ameliorates cochlear hair cell injury by regulating cellular lipid metabolism and oxidative stress.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of PPARγ/CPT-1 regulation on cisplatin-induced cochlear hair cell injury. The viability, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential of cisplatin-induced HEI-OC1 cells were determined by CCK-8 assay, TUNEL and JC-1 staining, respectively. The oxidative stress and lipid metabolism were detected by the assay kits of MDA, ROS, SOD, CAT, TG and FFA. The transfection efficiency of overexpression (OV)-PPARG and OV-CPT1A was examined by RT-qPCR and the expressions of apoptosis- and lipid metabolism-related proteins were detected by western blot. As a result, cisplatin with varying concentrations (5, 10, 30 µM) suppressed the viability, promoted the apoptosis and hindered the mitochondrial function of HEI-OC1 cells, accompanied with up-regulated expressions of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 and down-regulated expression of Bcl-2. The oxidative stress was aggravated and lipid metabolism was inhibited by cisplatin (5, 10, 30 µM) induction, evidenced by the increased levels of MDA, ROS, TG, FFA and the decreased levels of SOD and CAT. Overexpression of PPARG or CPT1A could improve the viability, mitochondrial function, lipid metabolism and suppress the oxidative stress and apoptosis of cisplatin-induced HEI-OC1 cells. In conclusion, up-regulation of PPARG or CPT1A ameliorated cochlear hair cell injury by improving cellular lipid metabolism and inhibiting oxidative stress.

Effectiveness of galvanic vestibular evoked myogenic potential for evaluation of Meniere's disease

Abstract Objectives: Although the cause of Meniere's disease (MD) is not fully understood, endolymphatic hydrops is widely believed to be responsible for MD. Previous studies have used Air-Conducted Sound (ACS)-induced Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMPs) to evaluate otolithic function in patients with MD. However, the use of Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation-VEMPs (GVS-VEMPs) with other vestibular tests in MD has been rare. This study aimed to explore the application of galvanic VEMPs in assessing MD. Methods: Normal individuals and patients with unilateral definite MD were included in this retrospective study. All participants underwent pure tone audiometry. Ocular and cervical VEMPs induced by GVS, and ACS were recorded. The characteristic parameters of VEMPs (n1 latency, p1 latency, amplitude, and AR) were analyzed. Results: The provocation rates of GVS-VEMPs did not differ between MD patients and control individuals. Compared with ACS, GVS could evoke potentials with longer latencies. MD patients presented GVS-VEMPs with lower amplitudes and ACS-cVEMP with shorter latencies and had a higher response rate in GVS-oVEMP. However, no differences or correlations were found in the characteristic parameters of GVS-VEMPs among the different stages of MD. Conclusions: GVS is as effective as ACS for inducing VEMP, and GVS-VEMP recording can detect retrolabyrinthine degeneration in MD. Further research is needed to assess the utility of GVS-VEMP in the evaluation of MD severity. Level of evidence: Level 4.

Vestibular dysfunction in pediatric patients with cochlear implantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Vestibular dysfunction may delay the achievement of balance and perception milestones in pediatric patients after cochlear implantation (CIM). Methods: A strategic literature search was done following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched the PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to July 2022. Studies were included on the otoliths, semicircular canals, and balance function changes in children after CIM. Two reviewers independently assessed the level of evidence, methodological limitations, risk of bias, and characteristics of the cases. Matched pre- and postoperative vestibular functional test data, including ocular and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP and cVEMP), caloric test, video head impulse test (vHIT), and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test 2 (BOT-2), were used to calculate the relative risk of vestibular disorders. Subgroup analyses were performed according to surgical approach, CIM device status, and etiology. Results: Twenty studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for the meta-analysis. We observed significant vestibular dysfunction in pediatric patients with CIM. The results showed a statistically significant increase in abnormal cVEMP response (RR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.87, 2.58, P < 0.0001), abnormal oVEMP response (RR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.50, 2.94, P < 0.0001), and abnormal caloric test results (RR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.20, 2.19, P = 0.0018) after implantation. Statistically significant differences were not found in the vHIT test results of all three semicircular canals before and after the operation (P > 0.05). Regarding static and dynamic balance, we found significantly poorer BOT-2 scores in children with CIM than in the normal group (mean difference = -7.26, 95% CI = -10.82, -3.70, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: The results showed that vestibular dysfunction might occur after CIM in pediatric patients. Some children experience difficulties with postural control and balance. Our results suggest that a comprehensive evaluation of vestibular function should be performed before and after CIM.

Thermo-sensitive Sacrificial Microsphere-based Bioink for Centimeter-scale Tissue with Angiogenesis.

Centimeter-scale tissue with angiogenesis has become more and more significant in organ regeneration and drug screening. However, traditional bioink has obvious limitations such as balance of nutrient supporting, printability, and vascularization. Here, with "secondary bioprinting" of printed microspheres, an innovative bioink system was proposed, in which the thermo-crosslinked sacrificial gelatin microspheres encapsulating human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) printed by electrospraying serve as auxiliary component while gelatin methacryloyl precursor solution mixed with subject cells serve as subject component. Benefiting from the reversible thermo-crosslinking feature, gelatin microspheres would experience solid-liquid conversion during 37°C culturing and form controllable porous nutrient network for promoting the nutrient/oxygen delivery in large-scale tissue and accelerate the functionalization of the encapsulated cells. Meanwhile, the encapsulated HUVECs would be released and attach to the pore boundary, which would further form three-dimensional vessel network inside the tissue with suitable inducing conditions. As an example, vascularized breast tumor tissue over 1 cm was successfully built and the HUVECs showed obvious sprout inside, which indicate the great potential of this bioink system in various biomedical applications.

Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in 3-month-old infants: Comparative characteristics and feasibility for infant vestibular screening.

Objective: We compared the characteristics of air-conducted sound cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (ACS-cVEMP) and bone-conducted vibration cVEMP (BCV-cVEMP) among 3-month-old infants with normal hearing and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), and healthy adults to explore the feasibility and optimal strategies for infant vestibular screening. Methods: 29 infants (58 ears) were divided into two groups according to hearing (group I: normal hearing ears; group II: SNHL ears), 20 healthy adults were defined as group III. The results of response rate, P13 and N23 latency, P13-N23 interval, amplitudes, and corrected interaural asymmetry ratio (IAR) were recorded and compared among three groups. Results: The response rates of ACS-cVEMP in three groups were 88.89, 62.00, 100%, respectively. The P13 and N23 latencies, and P13-N23 interval did not differ significantly between group I and II (p = 0.866, p = 0.190, p = 0.252). A significant difference was found between group I and III (p = 0.016, p < 0.001, p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in raw or corrected amplitude between group I and II (p = 0.741, p = 0.525), while raw and corrected amplitudes in group III were significantly larger than group I (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). For BCV-cVEMP, the response rates in three groups were 100, 86.36, 100%, respectively, No significant difference existed in the P13 and N23 latency, or P13-N23 interval between group I and II (p = 0.665, p = 0.925, p = 0.806), however, P13 and N23 latencies were significantly longer in group III than group I (p < 0.001, p = 0.018), but not in P13-N23 interval (p = 0.110). There was no significant difference in raw or corrected amplitude between group I and II (p = 0.771, p = 0.155) or in raw amplitude between group I and III (p = 0.093), however, a significant difference existed in corrected amplitude between group I and III (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Compared with adults, 3-month-old infants with normal hearing presented with equivalent response rates, shorter P13 and N23 latencies, smaller corrected amplitudes, and a wider IAR range for both ACS and BCV-cVEMP. SNHL infants had equivalent response rates of BCV-cVEMP, lower response rates of ACS-cVEMP than normal hearing infants. When responses were present, characteristics of ACS and BCV-cVEMP in SNHL infants were similar with normal hearing infants. ACS combined with BCV-cVEMP are recommended to improve the accuracy of vestibular screening.

Bilateral Dysfunction of Otolith Pathway in Patients With Unilateral Idiopathic BPPV Detected by ACS-VEMPs.

Objective: To observe the functional status of the otolith pathway in patients with unilateral idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) by combining air-conducted sound elicited cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (ACS-cVEMP) and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (ACS-oVEMP). Methods: One hundred and eighty patients with BPPV were recruited for conventional cVEMP and oVEMP tests. The abnormal rates of VEMPs were compared between BPPV patients and control participants. Results: The abnormal rates of cVEMP and oVEMP in BPPV patients were 46.7% (84/180) and 57.2% (103/180) in affected ears, respectively, and 45.0% (81/180) and 56.7% (102/180) in unaffected ears, respectively; both were significantly higher than the abnormal rates of cVEMP and oVEMP in normal control ears. Compared with normal subjects, the cVEMP response rate was lower in affected and unaffected ears in BPPV patients. The abnormal rates of cVEMP and oVEMP were 48.1% (76/158) and 57.6% (91/158) in patients with posterior semicircular canal BPPV, and 36.4% (8/22) and 54.5% (12/22) in lateral semicircular canal BPPV. There was no significant difference in VEMP abnormalities between posterior semicircular canal BPPV and lateral semicircular canal BPPV. Conclusion: The prevalence of abnormal cVEMPs and oVEMPs in both affected and unaffected ears of patients with BPPV was significantly higher than that observed in the control group. The pathological mechanism of unilateral idiopathic BPPV may be associated with bilateral degeneration of otolith pathways.

Combining Phenotypes of Nucleotide Excision Repair Pathway to Predict the Risk of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas in a Chinese Population.

Background: Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is pivotal in the development of smoking-related malignancies. Nine core genes (XPA, XPB, XPC, XPD, XPF, XPG, ERCC1, DDB1, and DDB2) are highly involved in the NER process. We combined two phenotypes of NER pathway (NER protein and NER gene mRNA expression) and evaluated their associations with the risks of the head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in a Chinese population. Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 337 HNSCC patients and 285 cancer-free controls by measuring the expression levels of nine core NER proteins and NER gene mRNA in cultured peripheral lymphocytes. Results: Compared with the controls, cases had statistically significantly lower protein expression levels of XPA (P < 0.001) and lower mRNA expression levels of XPA and XPB (P = 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). After dividing the subjects by controls' medians of expression levels, we found an association between increased risks of HNSCCs and low XPA protein level (P trend = 0.031), as well as low mRNA levels of XPA and XPB (P trend = 0.024 and 0.001, respectively). Subsequently, we correlated the two phenotypes and found associations between the NER mRNA and protein levels. Finally, the sensitivity of the expanded model with protein and mRNA expression levels, in addition to demographic variables, on HNSCCs risk was significantly improved. Conclusions: Combining two phenotypes of NER pathway may be more effective than the model only including one single phenotype for the assessment of risks of HNSCCs.

[Otitis media with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis].

Objective:To analyze clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of otitis media with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody（ANCA） -associated vasculitis（OMAAV）. Methods:This study reported three OMAAV patients and discussed the diagnosis and treatment of OMAAV combined with the recent literature. Results:Two males and one female were included. The age of these three patients ranged from 56 to 72 years. Their characteristics were as follows: ①tympanic membrane with granulation and bloody secretions in two patients; ②progressive bone-conducted hearing loss within a short period of time; ③facial palsy in two patients; ④the laboratory test of ANCA is positive; ⑤conventional treatment of otitis media is ineffective, while glucocorticoid combined with immunosuppressive therapy is effective. Conclusion:OMAAV is a rare disease and prone to misdiagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants are critical. Invasive tests and surgery during the active phase of OMAAV may aggravate symptoms and should be avoided.

[Characteristics of air-conducted and bone-conducted vibration cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential in preschool children].

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of air-conducted sound cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential （ACS-cVEMP） and bone-conducted vibration cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential （BCV-cVEMP） in healthy preschool children, and to provide the normal reference range of VEMP for preschool children in China. Methods:Forty-four normal-hearing children （88 ears） aged 3-7 years were recruited to undergo ACS-cVEMP and BCV-cVEMP determination. These children were divided into two groups according to age: 3-4 years old group （ 17 cases, 34 ears） and 5-7 years old group （ 27 cases, 54 ears）. The response rates and waveform parameters were recorded and analyzed statistically using SPSS 18.0 software. Results:The response rates of ACS-cVEMP, BCV-cVEMP in 44 normal-hearing children （88 ears） were 96.59％（85/88） and 97.73％（86/88） respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups （P > 0.05）. The response rates of ACS-cVEMP in 3-4 year old group and 5-7 year old group were 94.12% （32/34） and 98.15% （53/54） respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups（P>0.05）; The response rates of BCV-cVEMP in 3-4 year old group and 5-7 year old group were 94.12% （32/34） and 100.00%（54/54） respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups （P>0.05）. Compared with the 5-7 year old group, the latency of p1 and n1 in the 3-4 year old group was shorter （P<0.05） and the amplitude was higher （P<0.05）, and there was no significant difference in other parameters （P>0.05）. There was no statistical difference in threshold, n1, p1 latency, n1-p1 wave interval, n1-p1 amplitude, and amplitude asymmetry ratio of BCV-cVEMP between the two groups （P>0.05）. Conclusion:ACS-cVEMP and BCV-cVEMP can be elicited in most preschool children, and cVEMP is a feasible method to detect vestibular function in children.

The correlation between the body shape and otolithic function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the typical pattern of changes of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) and explore the relationship between VEMPs and the anthropometry factors in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: Patients diagnosed as OSA after overnight polysomnography (PSG) tests were enrolled as the study group. Healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group. Anthropometry data of the body shape and VEMPs results were collected completely. The correlation analysis was conducted among those parameters. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients with OSA who were diagnosed in the Therapy Center of Sleep-disordered Breathing in our hospital and sex- and age-matched healthy controls as well. Significant changes in ocular and cervical VEMPs (oVEMP and cVEMP) in the study group were observed, which were reduced response rates, elevated thresholds, decreased amplitudes, and prolonged first wave latencies. In oVEMP, the first wave (n1) latency was significantly correlated with weight, body mass index (BMI), neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, and apnea hypopnea index (AHI). In a tentative application, combined use of BMI and oVEMP n1 latency increased the detection rate during OSA screening prior to PSG. CONCLUSION: OSA can negatively affect function of otolithic organs and their pathways. The first wave latency of the VEMPs waveform may be another important parameter to define peripheral nervous system lesions caused by systemic diseases as OSA.

Analyzing the influence of COVID-19 epidemic on the employment intention of resident physicians in China.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the effects and influencing factors of the COVID-19 epidemic on the employment intention of resident physicians in China. METHODOLOGY: 409 questionnaires were statistically analyzed after removing the missing values. We used the Chi-Square test for single-factor analysis and logistic regression analysis for multivariate analysis. The questions include the residents' employment intention and their willingness to engage in epidemic-related subspecialties and participate in epidemic-related work. RESULTS: Residents of severe and high-risk epidemic regions had much lower employment intentions than those of stable epidemic regions (OR = 1.917, 95% CI: 1.024, 3.591, p = 0.042). The higher the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score, the more susceptible was the resident's employement intention (OR = 1.085, 95% CI: 1.044, 1.128, p < 0.001). Residents from severe and high-risk epidemic regions were more willing to participate in clinical work (OR = 4.263, 95% CI: 1.892, 9.604, p < 0.001), and the higher the CES-D score, the lower was the proportion of residents willing to choose clinical work (OR = 0.941, 95% CI: 0.893, 0.992, p = 0.023). Residents from severe epidemics and high-risk provinces were less willing to participate in respiratory medicine (χ2 = 5.070, p = 0.027) and critical care medicine (χ2 = 7.046, p = 0.011). Compared to residents with bachelor's degrees, residents with master's and doctoral degrees were less willing to participate in isolation wards (OR = 1.831, 95% CI: 1.122, 2.990, p = 0.016). Residents in epidemic-related current rotation departments were less willing to go to Wuhan as volunteers (OR = 2.197, 95% CI: 1.110, 4.347, p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 outbreak had a negative impact on the job intentions of Chinese residents in general.

B81 Bone Vibrator-Induced Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials: Normal Values and the Effect of Age.

Objective: To define the normal values and examine the influence of aging on B81 bone vibrator-induced cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (B81-cVEMPs) and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (B81-oVEMPs). Methods: Seventy healthy subjects, divided into seven groups according to their ages, were enrolled in this study. The 4-9-, 10-19-, 20-29-, 30-39-, 40-49-, 50-59-, and 60-70-year-old participants were divided into groups I-VII, respectively. B81-cVEMP and B81-oVEMP were recorded in each group. Results: The B81-cVEMP response rates for groups I-VII were 100, 100, 100, 100, 95, 95, and 75%, respectively, with significant differences only between groups I-VI and group VII (p = 0.047, p < 0.05). The B81-oVEMP response rates for groups I-VII were 100, 100, 100, 100, 70, 65, and 40%, respectively, with significant differences only between groups I-IV and groups V-VII (p = 0.020, p = 0.008, p = 0.000; p < 0.05). The threshold, P13, and N23 latencies of B81-cVEMP positively correlated with age (r = 0.756, p = 0.000; r = 0.357, p = 0.003; r = 0.316, p = 0.009; p < 0.05). The raw amplitudes and corrected amplitudes negatively correlated with age (r = -0.641, p = 0.000; r = -0.609, p = 0.000, p < 0.05). For B81-oVEMP, the corrected amplitudes negatively correlated with age (r = -0.638, p = 0.000, p<0.05), but the threshold and N10 latency positively correlated with age (r = 0.768, p = 0.000; r = 0.334, p = 0.009, p < 0.05). Moreover, the interaural asymmetry ratio did not significantly correlate with age for B81-cVEMP and B81-oVEMP. Conclusion: As age increased, the B81-cVEMP response rate decreased, the thresholds increased, P13 and N23 latencies were prolonged, and the raw amplitude and corrected amplitude decreased. The B81-oVEMP response rate and corrected amplitude decreased, the thresholds increased, and N10 latency was prolonged with age. These changes are probably due to the occurrence of morphological and functional changes in the vestibular system with aging. Therefore, we suggest establishing different reference values according to different age groups when evaluating the VEMP results in patients with vestibular diseases.

The advantages of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials induced by bone-conducted vibration in patients with otitis media.

BACKGROUND: At present, there is no consensus on the optimal methods for the diagnosis of vestibular dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: To explore the advantages of bone-conducted vibration (BCV) related vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty patients with otitis media volunteered for VEMP examination. They were randomly selected with air-conducted sound and BCV stimulation VEMPs assessed in both ears. RESULTS: The provocation rate of BCV-VEMPs was significantly higher than that of air-conducted sound VEMPs. Among 50 affected ears, there was no significant difference in the provocation rate of BCV-VEMPs between patients with air-bone conduction gaps lower or higher than 20 dB. There was no significant difference in the provocation rate of BCV-VEMPs between both ears in 30 patients with unilateral otitis media and the comparison of BCV-oVEMP parameters made no significant difference in amplitude, N1 latency, P1 latency, or N1-P1 duration, except for the threshold. A comparison of BCV-cVEMP parameters between affected and healthy ears revealed no significant difference between groups in terms of threshold, amplitude, N1 latency, P1 latency, or n1-p1 duration. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: BCV-VEMPs may be stably induced in patients with conductive hearing loss.