Prospective Assessment of Safety, Tolerance, and Perceptions of Awake Airway and Esophageal Dilation.

Objective: An increasing number of laryngeal and esophageal procedures are being performed as "awake" procedures (non-general anesthesia), with some under local anesthesia, including in clinic. While high tolerance and safety profiles have been reported for various laryngeal procedures, few studies directly assess tolerability of awake dilation procedures of the upper esophagus (UE) and laryngotracheal airway (LTA).

Study Design: Prospective, open-label.

Update on the Treatment of Salivary Gland Carcinomas.

Salivary gland carcinoma is a rare form of head and neck carcinoma, but it comprises a variety of subsites and histologic subtypes that each present with unique clinical courses and management challenges. Preoperative work-up generally consists of fine-needle aspiration cytology and MRI. However, because of the large variety of subtypes, there are often challenges obtaining a histologic diagnosis before surgery.

Resonant Band Hybridization in Alloyed Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterobilayers.

Bandstructure engineering using alloying is widely utilized for achieving optimized performance in modern semiconductor devices. While alloying has been studied in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, its application in van der Waals heterostructures built from atomically thin layers is largely unexplored. Here, heterobilayers made from monolayers of WSe (or MoSe) and MoWSe alloy are fabricated and nontrivial tuning of the resultant bandstructure is observed as a function of concentration x.

Does Catastrophizing Predict Response to Treatment in Patients With Vestibular Disorders? A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Determine levels of catastrophizing in patients with vestibular disorders and prospectively evaluate their relationship with patient-reported outcome measures.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary care neurotology vestibular disorders clinic.

Differences in Hearing, Balance, and Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Petroclival Versus Nonpetroclival Posterior Fossa Meningiomas.

Objective: To compare hearing, tinnitus, balance, and quality-of-life treatment outcomes of petroclival meningioma and nonpetroclival cerebellopontine angle meningioma cohorts.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study of 60 patients with posterior fossa meningiomas, 25 petroclival and 35 nonpetroclival, who were treated at a single tertiary care center between 2000 and 2020.

Intervention: A survey battery that included the Hearing Effort of the Tumor Ear, Speech and Spatial Qualities of Hearing, Tinnitus Functional Index, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and Short Form Health Survey.

Treated large posterior fossa vestibular schwannoma and meningioma: Hearing outcome and willingness-to-accept brain implant for unilateral deafness.

Background/objective: To compare functional hearing and tinnitus outcomes in treated large (~ 3 cm) vestibular schwannoma (VS) and posterior fossa meningioma cohorts, and construct willingness-to-accept profiles for an experimental brain implant to treat unilateral hearing loss.

Methods: A two-way MANOVA model with two independent variables (tumor type; time from treatment) and three dependent variables (hearing effort of tumor ear; abbreviated Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing scale (SSQ12); Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI)) was used to analyze data from VS ( = 32) and meningioma ( = 50) patients who were treated at a tertiary care center between 2010 and 2020. A query to probe acceptance of experimental treatment for hearing loss relative to expected benefit was used to construct willingness-to-accept profiles.

Can Imaging Predict Hearing Outcomes in Children With Cochleovestibular Nerve Abnormalities?

Objectives/hypothesis: To identify the imaging characteristics associated with better hearing outcomes found in cochleovestibular nerve (CVN) abnormalities treated with hearing aids and/or cochlear implantation (CI).

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Methods: A retrospective review was undertaken of 69 ears with CVN abnormalities seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) treated at a tertiary referral academic center analyzing the clinical features, imaging characteristics, and hearing data.

Vestibular and auditory manifestations of migraine.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this narrative review is to discuss current literature about vestibular migraine and other cochleovestibular symptoms related to migraine.

Recent Findings: Vestibular migraine affects 2.7% of the US population.

Extending INR testing intervals in warfarin patients at a multi-center anticoagulation clinic.

Warfarin has been used as an anticoagulant by millions of patients due to its effectiveness, availability, and low cost. Evidence on the safe extension of international normalized ratio (INR) testing frequency remains an area of interest, especially during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to safely extend INR testing intervals in patients throughout a multisite, system-wide anticoagulation clinic.

Efficacy of endoscopic sinus surgery alone versus in combination with neurosurgical intervention for the treatment of pediatric subdural empyema.

Objectives: To compare treatment outcomes for sinogenic subdural empyema (SE) between those managed with initial endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) alone versus those treated with a combination of ESS and craniotomy over the last decade at our institution. To better characterize subdural empyema with regard to presentation, causative pathogens, and treatment course.

Methods: Retrospective single-center chart review to identify and evaluate pediatric SE patients between 2009 and 2019.

The Role of the Pharmacist in Optimizing Cancer Immunotherapy: A Retrospective Study of Nivolumab Adverse Events.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an emerging treatment in cancer therapy for prolonging life, minimizing symptoms, and selectively targeting cancer. Program death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, such as nivolumab, fall within this class, enabling the patient's immune system to detect and destroy cancer. The introduction of ICIs is changing cancer therapy, with new drugs and new toxicities-an evolving area encountered by pharmacists.

Interplay between spin proximity effect and charge-dependent exciton dynamics in MoSe/CrBr van der Waals heterostructures.

Semiconducting ferromagnet-nonmagnet interfaces in van der Waals heterostructures present a unique opportunity to investigate magnetic proximity interactions dependent upon a multitude of phenomena including valley and layer pseudospins, moiré periodicity, or exceptionally strong Coulomb binding. Here, we report a charge-state dependency of the magnetic proximity effects between MoSe and CrBr in photoluminescence, whereby the valley polarization of the MoSe trion state conforms closely to the local CrBr magnetization, while the neutral exciton state remains insensitive to the ferromagnet. We attribute this to spin-dependent interlayer charge transfer occurring on timescales between the exciton and trion radiative lifetimes.

The Genetics of Variation of the Wave 1 Amplitude of the Mouse Auditory Brainstem Response.

This is the first genome-wide association study with the Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel (HDMP) to define the genetic landscape of the variation in the suprathreshold wave 1 amplitude of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) both pre- and post-noise exposure. This measure is correlated with the density of the auditory neurons (AN) and/or the compliment of synaptic ribbons within the inner hair cells of the mouse cochlea. We analyzed suprathreshold ABR for 635 mice from 102 HMDP strains pre- and post-noise exposure (108 dB 10 kHz octave band noise exposure for 2 h) using auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave 1 suprathreshold amplitudes as part of a large survey (Myint et al.

Abnormal cochleovestibular anatomy and imaging: Lack of consistency across quality of images, sequences obtained, and official reports.

Objectives: There are significant variations across centers on how to acquire and interpret imaging of children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss and cochleovestibular abnormalities. This study assesses the quality of imaging, sequences included, and accuracy of official radiology reports, to determine if these children are being assessed appropriately.

Methods: This study is retrospective review of CTs and MRIs from 40 pediatric patients diagnosed with profound sensorineural hearing loss and cochleovestibular structure/nerve abnormalities presenting to a tertiary referral academic center.

Characterizing Posterior Neck Masses: A Single-Institution Retrospective and Systematic Review.

Objective: Posterior neck masses are a relatively poorly characterized entity. The authors attempt to further characterize the anatomy and pathology of the posterior neck by way of a combined single-institution retrospective chart review and systematic review of the literature.

Methods: A single-institution retrospective chart review was undertaken for all patients undergoing excision of a posterior neck mass between January 1, 2012, and January 1, 2017.

End of life planning in parkinsonian diseases.

Introduction: The utilization of advance directives in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian disorders (APD) and their caregivers requires further investigation. This study determined the utilization rates of four forms of advance directives: living will, durable power of attorney, durable power of attorney for healthcare, and medical orders in these individuals. We hypothesized that having a neurodegenerative parkinsonian disorder or exposure to these disorders would increase the likelihood of having advance directives.

Talking with young children about concussions: an exploratory study.

Background: Concussion education for children early in their participation in organized sport may help shape lasting attitudes about concussion safety. However, existing programming and research focus on older ages.

Methods: Qualitative interviews about concussions were conducted with twenty children between the ages of six and eight.

Screening Utility of the King-Devick Test in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease Dementia.

The King-Devick (K-D) test is a 1 to 2 minute, rapid number naming test, often used to assist with detection of concussion, but also has clinical utility in other neurological conditions (eg, Parkinson disease). The K-D involves saccadic eye and other eye movements, and abnormalities thereof may be an early indicator of Alzheimer disease (AD)-associated cognitive impairment. No study has tested the utility of the K-D in AD and we sought to do so.

A comparison of educational interventions to improve prescribing by junior doctors.

Background: Prescribing is a complex task with potential for many types of error to occur. Despite the introduction of a standard national medication chart for Australian hospital inpatients in 2006, simple prescribing errors are common.

Aim: To compare the effect of quality improvement initiatives on the rate of simple prescribing errors.

New mononuclear Cu(II) complexes and 1D chains with 4-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole.

The crystal structures of two mononuclear Cu(II) NH2trz complexes [Cu(NH2trz)4(H2O)](AsF6)2 (I) and [Cu(NH2trz)4(H2O)](PF6)2 (II) as well as two coordination polymers [Cu(μ2-NH2trz)2Cl]Cl∙H2O (III) and [Cu(μ2-NH2trz)2Cl] (SiF6)0.5∙1.5H2O (IV) are presented.

Failed less invasive lumbar spine surgery as a predictor of subsequent fusion outcomes.

Purpose: It is not uncommon for patients to undergo less invasive spine surgery (LISS) prior to succumbing to lumbar fusion; however, the effect of failed LISS on subsequent fusion outcomes is relatively unknown. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients who suffered failed LISS would afford inferior subsequent fusion outcomes when compared to patients who did not have prior LISS.

Methods: After IRB approval, registry from a spine surgeon was queried for consecutive patients who underwent fusion for intractable low back pain.

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2-augmented transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for the treatment of chronic low back pain secondary to the homogeneous diagnosis of discogenic pain syndrome: two-year outcomes.

Study Design: A retrospective observational study.

Objective: To assess clinical outcomes, perioperative complications, revision surgery rates, and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2)-related osteolysis, heterotopic bone, and unexplained postoperative radiculitis (BMPP) in a group of patients treated with BMP-2-augmented transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (bTLIF) for the homogeneous diagnosis of discogenic pain syndrome (DPS) and to put forth the algorithm used to make the diagnosis.

Summary Of Background Data: There is a paucity of literature describing outcomes of TLIF for the homogeneous diagnosis of DPS, an old but controversial member of the lumbar degenerative disease family.

Contaminant profiles in Southeast Asian immigrants consuming fish from polluted waters in northeastern Wisconsin.

Recent immigrants to the USA from Southeast Asia may be at higher risk of exposure to fish-borne contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p, p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (DDE) and methylmercury (MeHg) because of their propensity to engage in subsistence fishing. Exposure to contaminants was assessed in men and women of Hmong descent living in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the Fox River and lower Green Bay are contaminated with PCBs, and to a lesser extent with mercury. Serum samples from 142 people were analyzed for PCBs and p,p'-DDE by capillary column gas chromatography with electron capture detection (ECD).

Prediction of the spin transition temperature in Fe(II) one-dimensional coordination polymers: an anion based database.

One-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers of formula [Fe(NH(2)trz)(3)]A.nH(2)O, {A = TiF(6)(2-), n = 0.5 (1) and n = 1 (2); A = ZrF(6)(2-), n = 0.