Rhinitis is a common chronic respiratory disease that severely affects patients' quality of life and may lead to serious complications, underscoring the need for rapid and portable diagnostic tools to support routine monitoring and clinical management. Here, we introduce a multiscale material platform based on colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) for the construction of electrochemical immunosensors enabling the rapid detection of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and neutrophil myeloperoxidase (MPO), two clinically relevant biomarkers of rhinitis. The platform leverages specific antigen–antibody recognition coupled with the electrical transduction properties of CQDs, resulting in significant improvement of detection sensitivity. To ensure translational applicability, we systematically examined key factors associated with real clinical samples, including hemolysis, storage duration, and preservation conditions in serum, and verified the method's reliability through spiked recovery experiments. More over, the immunosensor was successfully applied to the detection of ECP and MPO in patient-derived nasal secretion samples, exhibiting strong concordance with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results. Collectively, this work demonstrates that the CQD-based material platform offers a robust and clinically validated strategy for protein biomarker detection, and highlights its strong potential for home-based diagnostics, providing valuable support for the early diagnosis and management of rhinitis.
To examine literacy learning in bilingual contexts, this study assessed phonological processing skills in a sample of bilingual students, both with and without dyslexia. It also aimed to determine whether the stage of literacy acquisition affects phonological skills in bilingual children with and without dyslexia. The participants were 113 Catalan/Spanish bilinguals, aged 8 to 14 years, attending middle and upper primary school, as well as early secondary school. The study assessed accuracy in the following phonological processing skills: phonological awareness (using phonemic awareness tests), phonological recoding (through a pseudo-word reading task), and phonological memory (using a pseudo-word repetition task). Overall, the results showed differences between students with and without dyslexia across all tasks, but no differences were found between the two languages studied. Results by educational stage revealed that differences in the phonemic awareness task diminished with age, while differences in pseudo-word reading persisted. Additionally, differences were observed among middle and secondary school participants without dyslexia, with better accuracy in the phonemic awareness task in Spanish. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies and the transparency and opacity of the languages involved.
Uzair Chilwan, Smita Caren Mathias, Asif Maitheen
et al.
Abstract Objective Speech language pathologists (SLPs) play a crucial role while dealing with tracheostomized patients, particularly in addressing communication impairments and dysphagia. However, in India, there is a lack of standardized guidelines for SLPs in the treatment of tracheostomy patients, resulting in variations in clinical practices and patient care. Methods An online survey was conducted among 106 experienced SLPs in India. The survey included questions pertaining to various aspects of assessment and treatment in tracheostomized patients. Survey data were analyzed to identify the level of consensus among SLPs in these areas. Results The survey results revealed varying levels of consensus among SLPs in most of the domains. Most responses fell within the moderate to low consensus range, indicating a lack of standardized practices. Conclusions The study highlights the lack of standardized guidelines among SLPs in India when it comes to tracheostomy patient care. Hence, the study recommends collaboration among relevant organizations to enhance knowledge sharing and standardize clinical guidelines to improve the overall quality of care for tracheostomy patients in India.
Ryan C. Higgins, Kaeli Samson, Duncan Works
et al.
ABSTRACT Objective The purpose of this study is to better understand the prognostic implications for a patient's hospital course, chances for ventilator liberation and decannulation, functional status, and mortality based on the indication for tracheostomy. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed at a single tertiary‐care institution for 106 adult patients who underwent a tracheostomy from January 2022 to March 2023 and were followed for 6 months post‐tracheostomy placement. Demographics, clinical intervals, and clinical outcomes were compared based on the indication for tracheostomy: Airway Obstruction or Ventilator‐Dependent Respiratory Failure (VDRF). Results In the study group, 29 patients received a tracheostomy for airway obstruction, and 77 patients received a tracheostomy for VDRF. The VDRF group had more than three times longer hospital stays, more than three times the duration from first intubation to tracheostomy placement, six times the duration of mechanical ventilation post‐tracheostomy, and increased rates of hospital mortality (23.4% vs. 3.4%) and mortality at 6 months post‐tracheostomy placement (42.4% vs. 10.5%) compared to the Airway Obstruction group (p's < 0.05). The VDRF group was less likely to be discharged home (6.5% vs. 44.8%). At discharge, the majority of patients were liberated from mechanical ventilation (82.8%) and speaking (77.0%). Most surviving patients were not decannulated during their admission (65.5%). There were no significant differences in diet or time interval to decannulation. Conclusion Our analysis suggests that consideration of clinical indicators pertaining to tracheostomy placement may facilitate improved conversations with patients, families, and healthcare teams regarding the nuances of the functional and logistical course after receiving a tracheostomy. Level of Evidence 3.
Marwa Mahmoud Saleh, Eman Talaat Fekry Farag, Maha Hussein Boshnaq
et al.
Abstract Background Egyptian cluster substitution has not been targeted in Arabic phonology research. The clusters in the Egyptian language are bi-consonantal and word-final. They have a phonotactic prevalence of /r/ within the two consonants of the cluster. Their final position is also challenging for children during phoneme acquisition. This study adds important structure to the phonological development of Colloquial Egyptian Arabic (CEA) and to the Arabic phonological development in general. The aim is to analyze the substitutional phonological processes of consonant clusters (types and consonant position) used by Egyptian children before cluster acquisition and how they relate to singletons. Methods The study was applied to 150 typically developing (TD) monolingual Arabic Egyptian children, 30 to 48 months. They were divided into three age groups, 6-month interval each. Cluster substitution was assessed using the Egyptian Monosyllabic Consonant Cluster Test (EMCCT). The test contains 50 monosyllabic words commonly used in the Egyptian language, with word-final consonant clusters. Results Devoicing was the commonest cluster substitution process produced by Egyptian children (99.3%), followed by interdental sigmatism (48.7%) and lateralization of /r/ sound (34%). Substitution occurred in both consonants of the cluster but more commonly in the final one (C2). Conclusions Substitution in Egyptian clusters was affected by both place and manner of articulation of the substituted phoneme. It bore resemblance to the substitution of singletons. The final consonant of the cluster (C2) offered a preferred location for substitution. The pattern and position of cluster substitution present a rich addition to the field of Egyptian phonological development.
ABSTRACT Objective Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a frequently encountered condition that is often idiopathic but may be precipitated by infection. Neuroinvasive disease resulting from West Nile virus (WNV) is a rare cause of SSNHL, typically affecting immunocompromised patients and generally associated with minimal hearing recovery. We present a case of an immunocompetent woman who was diagnosed with SSNHL in the setting of a WNV infection and showed significant hearing improvement. Methods Case report and literature review. Results A 55‐year‐old immunocompetent female presented to our Otolaryngology office after several visits to the emergency department for worsening disequilibrium and new onset bilateral hearing loss. An audiogram demonstrated bilateral SNHL. After a thorough inpatient evaluation for hematologic, oncologic, immunologic, and infectious etiologies, CSF and serum IgG and IgM antibodies to WNV were elevated. The patient was managed conservatively and, at follow‐up, endorsed significant hearing improvement that was reflected on her repeat audiogram. Conclusion SSNHL in patients with neuroinvasive WNV is extremely rare, with only a small number of previously reported cases. WNV should be considered as a cause of SSNHL in the US, especially during the late summer and fall months. Patients should be counseled on the variable prognosis of the hearing loss, and early discussions regarding cochlear implantation should be pursued for patients without significant recovery of profound hearing loss. Level of Evidence: IV
Autophagy and apoptosis have a complex interplay in the early embryo development. The development of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in addition to Corti’s organ in the mammalian cochlea remains crucial in the first two-week postnatal period. To investigate the roles of apoptosis and autophagy in the development of SGNs, light microscopy was used to observe the morphological changes of SGNs. The number of SGNs was decreased from P1 to P7 and plateaued from P10 to P14. Immunohistochemistry results revealed positive expression of cleaved-caspase3, bcl-2, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3-II (LC3-II), Beclin1, and sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/P62) in SGNs. The apoptotic bodies and autophagosomes and autolysosomes were also identified by transmission electron microscopy at P1 and P7. Real-time PCR and western blotting results revealed that the apoptotic activity peaked at P7 and the autophagy activity was gradually upregulated along with the development. Taken together, our results for the first time showed that autophagy and apoptosis in SGNs play distinct roles during specific developmental phases in a time-dependent manner.
Lars Bramsløw, Marianna Vatti, Rikke Rossing
et al.
People with hearing impairment find competing voices scenarios to be challenging, both with respect to switching attention from one talker to the other, as well as maintaining attention. With the Danish competing voices test (CVT) presented here, the dual-attention skills can be assessed. The CVT provides sentences spoken by three male and three female talkers, played in sentence pairs. The task of the listener is to repeat the target sentence from the sentence pair based on cueing either before or after playback. One potential way of assisting segregation of two talkers is to take advantage of spatial unmasking by presenting one talker per ear after application of time-frequency masks for separating the mixture. Using the CVT, this study evaluated four spatial conditions in 14 moderate-to-severely hearing-impaired listeners to establish benchmark results for this type of algorithm applied to hearing-impaired listeners. The four spatial conditions were as follows: summed (diotic), separate, the ideal ratio mask, and the ideal binary mask. The results show that the test is sensitive to the change in spatial condition. The temporal position of the cue has a large impact, as cueing the target talker before playback focuses the attention toward the target, whereas cueing after playback requires equal attention to the two talkers, which is more difficult. Furthermore, both applied ideal masks show test scores very close to the ideal separate spatial condition, suggesting that this technique is useful for future separation algorithms using estimated rather than ideal masks.
Dmitry I. Nechaev, Olga N. Milekhina, Alexander Ya Supin
Rippled-spectrum stimuli are used to evaluate the resolution of the spectro-temporal structure of sounds. Measurements of spectrum-pattern resolution imply the discrimination between the test and reference stimuli. Therefore, estimates of rippled-pattern resolution could depend on both the test stimulus and the reference stimulus type. In this study, the ripple-density resolution was measured using combinations of two test stimuli and two reference stimuli. The test stimuli were rippled-spectrum signals with constant phase or rippled-spectrum signals with ripple-phase reversals. The reference stimuli were rippled-spectrum signals with opposite ripple phase to the test or nonrippled signals. The spectra were centered at 2 kHz and had an equivalent rectangular bandwidth of 1 oct and a level of 70 dB sound pressure level. A three-alternative forced-choice procedure was combined with an adaptive procedure. With rippled reference stimuli, the mean ripple-density resolution limits were 8.9 ripples/oct (phase-reversals test stimulus) or 7.7 ripples/oct (constant-phase test stimulus). With nonrippled reference stimuli, the mean resolution limits were 26.1 ripples/oct (phase-reversals test stimulus) or 22.2 ripples/oct (constant-phase test stimulus). Different contributions of excitation-pattern and temporal-processing mechanisms are assumed for measurements with rippled and nonrippled reference stimuli: The excitation-pattern mechanism is more effective for the discrimination of rippled stimuli that differ in their ripple-phase patterns, whereas the temporal-processing mechanism is more effective for the discrimination of rippled and nonrippled stimuli.
Shadman Nemati, Houshang Gerami, Zahra Karimi
et al.
Background: Aging is a natural and physiological process. Moreover, balance disorders frequently occur in the elderly and cause many morbidities in this population.
Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate balance disorders and their related factors in the healthy elderly population of the rural areas of Guilan province, in the north of Iran.
Materials & Methods: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 425 individuals over 65 years old were selected by random cluster sampling method from the villages of Rasht, the capital city of Guilan province. After obtaining written consent, the subjects were examined for balance disturbance through gait and balance adjusted scale (GABS) index. The obtained results were reported as frequency. We applied the Mann-Whitney U test and non-parametric regression analysis for non-normally distributed dependent variables. The obtained data were analyzed in software version 18.
Results: The Mean±SD score of GABS was 10.07±8.00 [median (IQR):7(10.5)]. A total of 425 individuals were selected, but 413 completed the research (218 males and 195 females). In total, 73.1% of the subjects reported at least one disorder among the investigated parameters, and 45.2% mentioned a disorder in at least one of the studied parameters in medical history. By modified GABS; 42.2% of the subjects reported disorders in at least one of the investigated parameters.
Conclusion: Nearly half of the elderly population in the rural areas of the north of Iran suffer from balance disorder. This data was obtained by their medical history and physical examinations.
Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system
Abstract Background The complex anatomy of the head and neck creates a formidable challenge for surgical reconstruction. However, good functional reconstruction plays a vital role in the quality of life of patients undergoing head and neck surgery. Precision medical treatment in the field of head and neck surgery can greatly improve the prognosis of patients with head and neck tumors. In order to achieve better shape and function, a variety of modern techniques have been introduced to improve the restoration and reconstruction of head and neck surgical defects. Digital surgical technology has great potential applications in the clinical treatment of head and neck cancer because of its advantages of personalization and accuracy. Case presentation Our department has identified the value of modern digital surgical techniques in the field of head and neck surgery and has explored its utility, including CAD/CAM technology and VR technology. We have achieved good results in the reconstruction of head and neck surgical resection defects. Conclusion In this article, we share five typical cases from the department of head and neck surgery where the reconstruction was performed with the assistance of digital surgical technology.
Objectives To analyze laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) as an acidic, nonacidic, or mixed type according to 24-hour multi-channel intraluminal impedance (MII) pH monitoring and the clinical characteristics of each type. Methods Ninety patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent 24-hour MII pH monitoring as a diagnostic tool. Eighty-three patients were diagnosed with LPR. The patients were classified into three groups according to the pH of the hypopharyngeal probe: the acid reflux group, nonacid reflux group, and mixed reflux group. Subjective symptoms and objective findings were evaluated based on patients’ responses to the Short Form 12 Survey (SF-12), LPR health-related quality of life (LPR-HRQOL), reflux symptom index, and reflux finding score. Results The results of each group were compared. As a result, 34 patients were classified into the nonacid reflux group and 49 into the mixed reflux group. There were no patients classified as having acid reflux alone. There was no significant difference between the two groups when comparing the reflux symptom index, reflux finding score, LPR-HRQOL, or the mental component score of the SF-12. However, the physical component score of the SF-12 was higher in the nonacid reflux group (P=0.018). The DeMeester composite score (P=0.015) and total number of LPR events (P=0.001) were lower in the nonacid reflux group than in the mixed reflux group. Conclusion In conclusion, no LPR patient had only acid reflux. The nonacid reflux LPR patients showed similar clinical characteristics and findings compared to the mixed reflux group, but exhibited significantly fewer LPR episodes.
Erol ŞENTÜRK, Selahattin TUĞRUL, Yavuz Selim YILDIRIM
et al.
Objective:Systemic absorption of steroids is reasonable because of the lipophilic nature of steroids and high vascularity of the middle ear mucosa. To date, however, of the clinical trials designed to investigate this subject, to the best of our knowledge, none has been based on objective methods. This study aims to demonstrate whether the intratympanic administration of dexamethasone has any systemic effects.Methods:Seventeen patients had a total of five sessions of intratympanic dexamethasone treatment scheduled for every other day. The mean fasting blood glucose, serum cortisol, serum adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and arterial blood pressure values of the patients were checked at each session before and after drug application.Result:There were no statistically significant differences identified between the pre- and post-treatment fasting blood glucose, serum cortisol, serum ACTH, and mean arterial blood pressure.Conclusion:This study shows that intratympanic steroids have no noticeable systemic steroidal side effects and are therefore safe to use; however, caution should be taken with patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, and they should be closely monitored.
Inner ear hair cells are mechanosensory receptors that perceive mechanical sound and help to decode the sound in order to understand spoken language. Exposure to intense noise may result in the damage to the inner ear hair cells, causing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Particularly, the outer hair cells are the first and the most affected cells in NIHL. After acoustic trauma, hair cells lose their structural integrity and initiate a self-deterioration process due to the oxidative stress. The activation of different cellular death pathways leads to complete hair cell death. This review specifically presents the current understanding of the mechanism exists behind the loss of inner ear hair cell in the auditory portion after noise-induced trauma. The article also explains the recent hair cell protection strategies to prevent the damage and restore hearing function in mammals.
The presence and absence of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) as well as DPOAE amplitudes were compared between college music majors and a control group of nonmusic majors. Participants included 28 music majors and 35 nonmusic majors enrolled at a university with ages ranging from 18-25 years. DPOAEs and hearing thresholds were measured bilaterally on all the participants. DPOAE amplitudes were analyzed at the following f2 frequencies: 1,187 Hz, 1,500 Hz, 1,906 Hz, 2,531 Hz, 3,031 Hz, 3812 Hz, 4,812 Hz, and 6,031 Hz. Significantly more music majors (7/28) than nonmusic majors (0/35) exhibited absent DPOAEs for at least one frequency in at least one ear. Both groups of students reported similar histories of recreational and occupational noise exposures that were unrelated to studying music, and none of the students reported high levels of noise exposure within the previous 48 h. There were no differences in audiometric thresholds between the groups at any frequency. At DPOAE f2 frequencies from 3,031 Hz to 6,031 Hz, nonsignificantly lower amplitudes of 2-4 dB were seen in the right ears of music majors versus nonmajors, and in the right ears of music majors playing brass instruments compared to music majors playing nonbrass instruments. Given the greater prevalence of absent DPOAEs in university music majors compared to nonmusic majors, it appears that early stages of cochlear damage may be occurring in this population. Additional research, preferably longitudinal and across multiple colleges/universities, would be beneficial to more definitively determine when the music students begin to show signs of cochlear damage, and to identify whether any particular subgroups of music majors are at a greater risk of cochlear damage.