Combined balloon Eustachian tuboplasty/endoscopic sinus surgery for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and Eustachian tube dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate the role of balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis with obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), we evaluated the results of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) with and without BET in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with obstructive ETD. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial conducted in a single-institution tertiary care center setting included 50 patients diagnosed with primary chronic rhinosinusitis and obstructive ETD between July 2018 and June 2022. Twenty-five patients were prospectively enrolled for combined ESS/BET. The control group (25 patients) underwent ESS alone. Outcome measurements of the Sinonasal Outcome Test 22, modified Lund-Kennedy score, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 (ETDQ-7), and serial Eustachian tube function test results were analyzed 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The improvement (12.60 ± 6.50) in the ETDQ-7 score in the BET group was significantly higher than that in the control group (6.60 ± 5.58). The ratio of improvement in the ETDQ-7 score was also significantly higher in the BET than in the control group (92% vs. 68%, p = 0.034). Logistic regression analysis showed that performing BET (odds ratio [OR]: 5.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-28.79, p = 0.048) and a low post-modified Lund-Kennedy score (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.04-0.54, p = 0.004) were significantly associated with ETDQ-7 score improvement. CONCLUSION: Combined BET/ESS could decrease otologic symptoms and improve Eustachian tube function. BET may be an appropriate adjunctive procedure for treating chronic rhinosinusitis with obstructive ETD.

Examining the normality assumption of a design-comparable effect size in single-case designs.

What Works Clearinghouse (WWC, 2022) recommends a design-comparable effect size (D-CES; i.e., gAB) to gauge an intervention in single-case experimental design (SCED) studies, or to synthesize findings in meta-analysis. So far, no research has examined gAB's performance under non-normal distributions. This study expanded Pustejovsky et al. (2014) to investigate the impact of data distributions, number of cases (m), number of measurements (N), within-case reliability or intra-class correlation (ρ), ratio of variance components (λ), and autocorrelation (ϕ) on gAB in multiple-baseline (MB) design. The performance of gAB was assessed by relative bias (RB), relative bias of variance (RBV), MSE, and coverage rate of 95% CIs (CR). Findings revealed that gAB was unbiased even under non-normal distributions. gAB's variance was generally overestimated, and its 95% CI was over-covered, especially when distributions were normal or nearly normal combined with small m and N. Large imprecision of gAB occurred when m was small and ρ was large. According to the ANOVA results, data distributions contributed to approximately 49% of variance in RB and 25% of variance in both RBV and CR. m and ρ each contributed to 34% of variance in MSE. We recommend gAB for MB studies and meta-analysis with N ≥ 16 and when either (1) data distributions are normal or nearly normal, m = 6, and ρ = 0.6 or 0.8, or (2) data distributions are mildly or moderately non-normal, m ≥ 4, and ρ = 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6. The paper concludes with a discussion of gAB's applicability and design-comparability, and sound reporting practices of ES indices.

Otoprotection against aminoglycoside- and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity focusing on the upstream drug uptake pathway.

Aminoglycoside- and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity, which is a significant issue owing to the widespread use of these drugs in clinical practice, involves the entry of aminoglycosides and cisplatin into the endolymph and hair cells via specific channels or transporters, followed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and hair cells apoptosis. Current strategies focalize primarily on interference with downstream ROS effects; however, recent evidence has demonstrated that inhibiting the uptake of aminoglycosides and cisplatin by hair cells is another promising strategy for tackling the upstream drug uptake pathway. With advances in structural biology, the conformations of certain aminoglycoside and cisplatin channels and transporters, such as the mechanoelectrical transduction channel and organic cation transporter-2, have been largely elucidated. These channels and transporters may become potential targets for the introduction of new otoprotective strategies. This review focuses on the strategies for inhibiting ototoxic drugs uptake by auditory hair cells and provides potential targets for recent developments in the field of otoprotection. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of these proteins could help identify the molecules that inhibit the uptake of aminoglycosides and cisplatin by hair cells. Integrating upstream drug uptake pathway targets and MD simulations may help dissect molecular mechanisms and develop novel otoprotective strategies for aminoglycoside- and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

Beyond quantity of experience: Exploring the role of semantic consistency in Chinese character knowledge.

Most printed Chinese words are compounds built from the combination of meaningful characters. Yet, there is a poor understanding of how individual characters contribute to the recognition of compounds. Using a megastudy of Chinese word recognition (Tse et al., 2017), we examined how the lexical decision of existing and novel Chinese compounds was influenced by two properties of individual characters: family size (the number of distinct words that embed a character) and family semantic consistency (the average semantic relatedness between a character and all words containing it). Results revealed that both variables influence word and nonword processing: Words are recognized more quickly and accurately when they contain characters that occur frequently across different words and that make consistent meaningful contributions to those words, while nonwords containing those types of characters are rejected more slowly. These findings suggest that the learning of individual characters is based not only on the quantity of experience with them but also on the reliability of the semantic information they communicate. In addition, readers are able to generalize character knowledge acquired from previous word experiences to their daily encounters with familiar and unfamiliar words. We close by discussing how word experience shapes character knowledge when different ways of calculating family properties are considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Otoprotective Effects of Fucoidan Reduce Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity in Mouse Cochlear UB/OC-2 Cells.

Cisplatin is a widely used standard chemotherapy for various cancers. However, cisplatin treatment is associated with severe ototoxicity. Fucoidan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide mainly derived from brown seaweeds, and it shows multiple bioactivities such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. Despite evidence of the antioxidant effects of fucoidan, research on its otoprotective effects remains limited. Therefore, the present study investigated the otoprotective effects of fucoidan in vitro using the mouse cochlear cell line UB/OC-2 to develop new strategies to attenuate cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. We quantified the cell membrane potential and analyzed regulators and cascade proteins in the apoptotic pathway. Mouse cochlear UB/OC-2 cells were pre-treated with fucoidan before cisplatin exposure. The effects on cochlear hair cell viability, mitochondrial function, and apoptosis-related proteins were determined via flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, and fluorescence staining. Fucoidan treatment reduced cisplatin-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species production, stabilized mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibited mitochondrial dysfunction, and successfully protected hair cells from apoptosis. Furthermore, fucoidan exerted antioxidant effects against oxidative stress by regulating the Nrf2 pathway. Therefore, we suggest that fucoidan may represent a potential therapeutic agent for developing a new otoprotective strategy.

Hemispheric lateralization of semantic processing before and after aripiprazole treatment in first-episode psychosis or ultra-high risk state.

Whether aberrant language-related lateralization can be improved after antipsychotic treatment in drug-free patients with first-episode psychosis or ultra-high risk state is little known. We aimed to investigate the improvement in lateralization of semantic processing after antipsychotic treatment and associated clinical and cognitive changes. Twenty-one drug-free patients with first-episode psychosis or ultra-high risk state underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging with a semantic task, neuropsychological testing, and clinical assessments with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale before and after 6 weeks of aripiprazole treatment. A lateralization index of the region of interest, i.e., inferior frontal gyrus, was calculated and correlated with the behavioral indices of the semantic task, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores, and language-related neuropsychological test scores. After treatment, the lateralization index of the inferior frontal gyrus was significantly increased, which was related to reduced activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus. The increase in the lateralization index was significantly associated with the increase in verbal fluency score. A higher baseline accuracy of the semantic task was associated with a higher post-treatment lateralization index of the inferior frontal gyrus and greater improvement of the total score and positive subscore of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Our findings indicated aripiprazole treatment significantly increased semantic processing-related lateralization in the inferior frontal gyrus in drug-free patients with first-episode psychosis or ultra-high risk state. A higher baseline accuracy might predict a higher post-treatment lateralization index and greater symptom improvement.

A Counting Stroop Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study on the Effects of ORADUR-Methylphenidate in Drug-Naive Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objective: Methylphenidate is effective in reducing the clinical symptoms of patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ORADUR®-methylphenidate is a new extended-release preparation of methylphenidate. This study aimed at identifying brain regions with activation changes and their correlations with neuropsychological functions after treatment with ORADUR-methylphenidate in children with ADHD. Methods: We recruited drug-naive children with ADHD and age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children. They were all scanned with the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the counting Stroop task at baseline, and those with ADHD had the second fMRI assessment after 8-week treatment with ORADUR-methylphenidate. The Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP) and Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CCPT) were used to assess the attention performance of the ADHD (before and after treatment) and TD groups. Results: ORADUR-methylphenidate significantly decreased inattention (Cohen d = 2.17) and hyperactivity-impulsivity (Cohen d = 0.98) symptoms. We found less activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) in the pre-treatment ADHD children than TD children and greater treatment-induced activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC). There was no significant difference between the post-treatment ADHD and TD groups. However, the treatment-related activations in the dACC, rDLPFC, and rIFG were significantly correlated with CCPT and RVP measures. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that ORADUR-methylphenidate increased brain activations in the dACC, rDLPFC, and rIFG in children with ADHD, associated with improved focused attention, reduced impulsivity, and enhanced inhibition control. Activities of these brain regions might be biomarkers for the treatment effectiveness of methylphenidate for ADHD. Clinical Trials Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02450890.

Comparison Benefit between Hydrogen Peroxide and Adrenaline in Tonsillectomy: A Randomized Controlled Study.

This study aimed to further evaluate the benefit of topical hemostasis agents in tonsillectomy. We compared the clinical effects of topical application between hydrogen peroxide and adrenaline in tonsillectomy. Overall, 60 patients (120 tonsils) were prospectively enrolled for tonsillectomy between February 2018 and December 2020. The patients were randomly assigned to either the hydrogen peroxide or adrenaline group. Then, tonsillectomy was performed using hydrogen peroxide as a hemostatic agent on the assigned side, while adrenaline was applied to the other side. All procedures were performed by a surgeon who was blinded to the randomization. The outcome measurements of operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative pain, and hemorrhage events were analyzed. The intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in the hydrogen peroxide group than in the adrenaline group (9.99 ± 4.51 mL vs. 13.87 ± 6.32 mL; p = 0.0). The median operation time was also significantly lower in the hydrogen peroxide group (8.02 ± 3.59 min vs. 9.22 ± 3.88 min; p = 0.019). Meanwhile, the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were significantly higher in the hydrogen peroxide group (4.98 ± 1.94 vs. 4.27 ± 1.97; p = 0.001). The topical application of hydrogen peroxide as a hemostatic agent effectively decreases the operation time and intraoperative blood loss. Thus, hydrogen peroxide can be used as a routine hemostatic agent for bleeding control in tonsillectomy.

Modified dual Mach-Zehnder interferometers with new locating algorithm for intrusion detection.

A new type of dual Mach-Zehnder interferometer (DMZI) scheme is presented to eliminate the polarization induced fading usually encountered in fiber-optic intrusion detection systems that use DMZIs. With such a new optical scheme, two identical signal waveforms with only a time delay that corresponds to the location of intrusion can always be obtained without using a polarization control loop. In the study, we also present a new algorithm for locating the intrusion-induced disturbance on the fiber. The experiments carried out in our lab have demonstrated that locating errors of <26 m can be obtained with the presented system used for detecting an intrusion point on a 250 meter long fiber cable. Also, the proposed DMZI system has been tested for years without changing any optical components except the laser type and the length of the sensing fiber. Notably, the thresholds for determining the intrusion have never been altered since the laser type was changed in 2018. In addition, detections of the clockwise and counter-clockwise signals have maintained a condition of high interference visibility, and the locating capability has remained at the same level.

Approaching precision public health by automated syndromic surveillance in communities.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel physician surveillance in communities has played an important role in detecting early signs of epidemics. The traditional approach is to let the primary care physician voluntarily and actively report diseases to the health department on a weekly basis. However, this is labor-intensive work, and the spatio-temporal resolution of the surveillance data is not precise at all. In this study, we built up a clinic-based enhanced sentinel surveillance system named "Sentinel plus" which was designed for sentinel clinics and community hospitals to monitor 23 kinds of syndromic groups in Taipei City, Taiwan. The definitions of those syndromic groups were based on ICD-10 diagnoses from physicians. METHODS: Daily ICD-10 counts of two syndromic groups including ILI and EV-like syndromes in Taipei City were extracted from Sentinel plus. A negative binomial regression model was used to couple with lag structure functions to examine the short-term association between ICD counts and meteorological variables. After fitting the negative binomial regression model, residuals were further rescaled to Pearson residuals. We then monitored these daily standardized Pearson residuals for any aberrations from July 2018 to October 2019. RESULTS: The results showed that daily average temperature was significantly negatively associated with numbers of ILI syndromes. The ozone and PM2.5 concentrations were significantly positively associated with ILI syndromes. In addition, daily minimum temperature, and the ozone and PM2.5 concentrations were significantly negatively associated with the EV-like syndromes. The aberrational signals detected from clinics for ILI and EV-like syndromes were earlier than the epidemic period based on outpatient surveillance defined by the Taiwan CDC. CONCLUSIONS: This system not only provides warning signals to the local health department for managing the risks but also reminds medical practitioners to be vigilant toward susceptible patients. The near real-time surveillance can help decision makers evaluate their policy on a timely basis.

Tympanoplasty With or Without Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty for Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media With Obstructive Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To further elucidate the role of balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) in tympanoplasty, we conducted a study to compare the outcomes of tympanoplasty with and without BET for the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) with obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction (OETD). STUDY DESIGN: Case control study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 70 ears diagnosed with CSOM (tubotympanic type) and OETD were included in this study. Thirty-five patients were prospectively enrolled for BET and tympanomastoidectomy between February 2018 and June 2019. Thirty-five control subjects were matched by sex and age and retrospectively enrolled for tympanomastoidectomy between July 2016 and January 2018. INTERVENTIONS: BET, tympanomastoidectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The graft take rate, hearing levels, and Eustachian tube function test results. RESULTS: The graft take success rate was higher in the BET group (80.0%; 28/35) than in the control group (68.6%; 24/35). However, the difference was not statistically significant. The average air-bone gap (ABG) improvement was 10.93 ±â€Š7.70 dB in the BET group and 7.11 ±â€Š8.08 dB in the control group, with a statistically significant between-group difference (p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that BET can objectively and subjectively improve the Eustachian tube function, with a slight but significant improvement in ABG despite the lack of a clinically significant improvement overall. However, it does not affect the graft take rate. In summary, BET could be used as an adjunctive procedure in the treatment of CSOM with OETD.

Association Between Atopic Dermatitis and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

is missing (Short communication).

Modified transcanal cochlear implantation in CHARGE syndrome: A case report.

RATIONALE: Cochlear implantation (CI) in CHARGE syndrome is technically challenging because of the anatomical anomalies. This case aims to report a successful case of CI in CHARGE syndrome by using the modified transcanal approach with external auditory canal (EAC) obliteration. PATIENT CONCERNS: The 3-year-old girl presented at the outpatient department with bilateral hearing loss and nasal obstruction since birth. DIAGNOSIS: The patient had bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, patent ductus arteriosus, atresia of the choanae, middle and inner ear anomalies, and growth retardation, fulfilling the criteria for typical CHARGE syndrome. High resolution temporal bone computed tomography scan revealed a poorly developed mastoid cavity, cochlear dysplasia, hypoplastic semicircular canals, ossicular chain malformation, and sigmoid sinus engorgement. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a narrow internal auditory canal and a hypoplastic cochlear nerve. INTERVENTIONS: Modified transcanal approach with external auditory canal obliteration OUTCOMES:: CI was successfully done and there are no intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred after 1 year of follow up. LESSONS: The modified transcanal approach is a reasonable and safer option for CI in CHARGE syndrome.

Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Boron-Substituted Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films.

Atomic doping is the most fundamental approach to modulating the transport properties of carbon nanotubes. In this paper, we demonstrate the enhanced thermoelectric properties of boron-substituted single-walled carbon nanotube (B-SWCNT) films. The developed two-step synthesis of large quantities of B-SWCNTs readily enables the measurements of thermoelectricity of bulk B-SWCNT films. Complementary structural characterization implies the unique configuration of boron atoms at the doping sites of SWCNTs, successfully enabling carrier doping to SWCNTs. The developed boron substitution, in combination with chemical doping, is found to substantially improve the thermoelectric properties.

In Situ Investigation of Defect-Free Copper Nanowire Growth.

The fabrication and placement of high purity nanometals, such as one-dimensional copper (Cu) nanowires, for interconnection in integrated devices have been among the most important technological developments in recent years. Structural stability and oxidation prevention have been the key issues, and the defect control in Cu nanowire growth has been found to be important. Here, we report the synthesis of defect-free single-crystalline Cu nanowires by controlling the surface-assisted heterogeneous nucleation of Cu atomic layering on the graphite-like loop of an amorphous carbon (a-C) lacey film surface. Without a metal-catalyst or induced defects, the high quality Cu nanowires formed with high aspect ratio and high growth rate of 578 nm/s. The dynamic study of the growth of heterogeneous nanowires was conducted in situ with a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The study illuminates the new mechanism by heterogeneous nucleation control and laying the groundwork for better understanding of heterosurface-assisted nucleation of defect-free Cu nanowire on a-C lacey film.

Observation of Resistive Switching Behavior in Crossbar Core-Shell Ni/NiO Nanowires Memristor.

The crossbar structure of resistive random access memory (RRAM) is the most promising technology for the development of ultrahigh-density devices for future nonvolatile memory. However, only a few studies have focused on the switching phenomenon of crossbar RRAM in detail. The main purpose of this study is to understand the formation and disruption of the conductive filament occurring at the crossbar center by real-time transmission electron microscope observation. Core-shell Ni/NiO nanowires are utilized to form a cross-structure, which restrict the position of the conductive filament to the crosscenter. A significant morphological change can be observed near the crossbar center, which results from the out-diffusion and backfill of oxygen ions. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy demonstrate that the movement of the oxygen ions leads to the evolution of the conductive filament, followed by redox reactions. Moreover, the distinct reliability of the crossbar device is measured via ex situ experiments. In this work, the switching mechanism of the crossbar core-shell nanowire structure is beneficial to overcome the problem of nanoscale minimization. The experimental method shows high potential to fabricate high-density RRAM devices, which can be applied to 3D stacked package technology and neuromorphic computing systems.

Magnetic patterning: local manipulation of the intergranular exchange coupling via grain boundary engineering.

Magnetic patterning, with designed spatial profile of the desired magnetic properties, has been a rising challenge for developing magnetic devices at nanoscale. Most existing methods rely on locally modifying magnetic anisotropy energy or saturation magnetization, and thus post stringent constraints on the adaptability in diverse applications. We propose an alternative route for magnetic patterning: by manipulating the local intergranular exchange coupling to tune lateral magnetic properties. As demonstration, the grain boundary structure of Co/Pt multilayers is engineered by thermal treatment, where the stress state of the multilayers and thus the intergranular exchange coupling can be modified. With Ag passivation layers on top of the Co/Pt multilayers, we can hinder the stress relaxation and grain boundary modification. Combining the pre-patterned Ag passivation layer with thermal treatment, we can design spatial variations of the magnetic properties by tuning the intergranular exchange coupling, which diversifies the magnetic patterning process and extends its feasibility for varieties of new devices.