Effects of temporal fine structure preservation on spatial hearing in bilateral cochlear implant users.

Typically, the coding strategies of cochlear implant audio processors discard acoustic temporal fine structure information (TFS), which may be related to the poor perception of interaural time differences (ITDs) and the resulting reduced spatial hearing capabilities compared to normal-hearing individuals. This study aimed to investigate to what extent bilateral cochlear implant (BiCI) recipients can exploit ITD cues provided by a TFS preserving coding strategy (FS4) in a series of sound field spatial hearing tests. As a baseline, we assessed the sensitivity to ITDs and binaural beats of 12 BiCI subjects with a coding strategy disregarding fine structure (HDCIS) and the FS4 strategy. For 250 Hz pure-tone stimuli but not for broadband noise, the BiCI users had significantly improved ITD discrimination using the FS4 strategy. In the binaural beat detection task and the broadband sound localization, spatial discrimination, and tracking tasks, no significant differences between the two tested coding strategies were observed. These results suggest that ITD sensitivity did not generalize to broadband stimuli or sound field spatial hearing tests, suggesting that it would not be useful for real-world listening.

Susceptibility to Residual Inhibition Is Associated With Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Chronicity.

Residual inhibition, that is, the temporary suppression of tinnitus loudness after acoustic stimulation, is a frequently observed phenomenon that may have prognostic value for clinical applications. However, it is unclear in which subjects residual inhibition is more likely and how stable the effect of inhibition is over multiple repetitions. The primary aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of hearing loss and tinnitus chronicity on residual inhibition susceptibility. The secondary aim was to investigate the short-term repeatability of residual inhibition. Residual inhibition was assessed in 74 tinnitus subjects with 60-second narrow-band noise stimuli in 10 consecutive trials. The subjects were assigned to groups according to their depth of suppression (substantial residual inhibition vs. comparator group). In addition, a categorization in normal hearing and hearing loss groups, related to the degree of hearing loss at the frequency corresponding to the tinnitus pitch, was made. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with susceptibility to residual inhibition. Repeatability of residual inhibition was assessed using mixed-effects ordinal regression including poststimulus time and repetitions as factors. Tinnitus chronicity was not associated with residual inhibition for subjects with hearing loss, while a statistically significant negative association between tinnitus chronicity and residual inhibition susceptibility was observed in normal hearing subjects (odds ratio: 0.63; p = .0076). Moreover, repeated states of suppression can be stably induced, reinforcing the use of residual inhibition for within-subject comparison studies.

Increased expression of integrin and receptor tyrosine kinase genes during autograft fusion in the sponge Geodia cydonium.

Recently cDNAs coding for cell surface molecules have been isolated from sponges. The molecules for alpha-integrin, galectin, and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), obtained from the marine sponge, Geodia cydonium, have been described earlier. In the present study also the cDNA for one putative beta-integrin has been identified from G. cydonium. The deduced aa sequence comprises the characteristic signatures, found in other metazoan beta-integrin molecules; the estimated size is 95,215 Da. To obtain first insights into the molecular events which proceed during autograft fusion, the expressions of these genes were determined on transcriptional and translational level. The cDNAs as well as antibodies raised against the recombinant sponge proteins alpha-integrin, RTK and galectin were used and Northern blot experiments and immunocytochemical analyses have been performed. The results show that transcription of the two subunits of an integrin receptor as well as of the RTK are strongly upregulated after grafting; levels of > 10-fold have been determined in the fusion zone of the grafts after a 10 days incubation. Immunofluorescence studies of sections through the fusion zone support these data. In contrast the transcription of the gene encoding galectin is drastically downregulated after grafting. In a parallel series of experiments the level of the heat-shock protein-70 was determined and it was found that it remained unchanged after grafting. We conclude that integrin subunits and the RTK molecule are involved in self-self recognition of sponge.

[Methods of medical outsiders from the lawyer's point of view (author's transl)]. / Arztliche Aussenseitermethoden in juristischer Sicht.

As a consequence of the widespread humbug in Medicine today the number of law suits against medical outsiders causing damage to patients is visibly increasing. Quackery is unmasked by typical features common to nearly all occult sciences. In cases of failure or doing harm to patients medical outsiders have to face indictment more than scientifically treating physicians. Sometimes there is even suspicion of deliberate cheating, if not mental disorder. Legislation is urged to bring to an end this humiliating form of quackery.