Revisiting Age-Related Normative Hearing Levels in Korea.

Background: Hearing level reference values based on the results of recent audiometry have not been established for the general population of South Korea. This study aimed to evaluate the mean hearing levels of each age group and to measure the annual progression of hearing loss.

Methods: We used the database of the eighth and ninth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2020 to 2022, and included participants with normal tympanic membranes and without occupational noise exposure.

Prediction of hearing recovery with deep learning algorithm in sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

This study aimed to establish a deep learning-based predictive model for the prognosis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Data from 1108 patients with SSNHL between January 2015 and May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients underwent standardized treatment protocols including high-dose steroid therapy and hearing outcomes were assessed after three months using Siegel's criteria and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) classification.

Physical Inactivity and Sedentariness in Older Hearing Loss patients: Restoration With Hearing Aids.

Objectives: Hearing loss causes numerous functional deficits. However, few studies have been conducted to assess the association between hearing loss and physical inactivity. This study aimed to evaluate the physical activity and sedentary behavior of hearing loss patients and their relation with the use of hearing aids.

Long-term follow-up results of facial nerve schwannoma with good facial nerve function: a multicenter study.

Purpose: Facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) are rare intracranial tumors, and the optimal management of these tumors remains unclear. We investigated the long-term follow-up results of FNS with good facial nerve function.

Methods: At nine medical centers in the Korean Facial Nerve Study Group, 43 patients undergoing observation periods longer than 12 months for FNS with good facial nerve function (House-Brackmann grade ≤ II) were enrolled, and clinical and radiographic data were obtained for these cases.

Assessing the accuracy and reliability of application-based audiometry for hearing evaluation.

Pure-tone audiometry (PTA) is the gold standard for assessing hearing loss. However, traditional PTA tests require specialized equipment, trained personnel, and a soundproof environment. Recently, smartphone-based PTA tests have been developed as an alternative method for hearing assessment.

Focal stimulation of retinal ganglion cells using subretinal 3D microelectrodes with peripheral electrodes of opposite current.

Unlabelled: Subretinal prostheses have been developed to stimulate survived retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), indirectly following the physiological visual pathways. However, current spreading from the prosthesis electrode causes the activation of unintended RGCs, thereby limiting the spatial resolution of artificial vision. This study proposes a strategy for focal stimulation of RGCs using a subretinal electrode array, in which six hexagonally arranged peripheral electrodes surround a stimulating electrode.

Diabetes Mellitus and Acute Facial Palsy: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Introduction: Acute facial palsy, characterized by sudden hemifacial weakness, significantly impacts an individual's quality of life. Despite several predisposing factors identified for acute facial palsy, the specific relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and acute facial palsy has not been comprehensively explored in recent studies. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of acute facial palsy in patients with DM using a nationwide population sample cohort.

Findings of Intravenous Gadolinium Inner Ear Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Acute Low-Tone Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objectives: Acute low-tone sensorineural hearing loss (ALHL) is thought to have a different etiology from that of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. We hypothesized that endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in the inner ear organ contributes to ALHL, even in patients without vertigo. This study investigated the presence of EH in ALHL and compared the clinical characteristics of patients with or without EH.

A content analysis of YouTube videos on tinnitus in South Korea.

More people use the internet for medical information, especially YouTube. Nevertheless, no study has been conducted to analyze the quality of YouTube videos about tinnitus in Korea. This study aims to review the contents and quality of YouTube videos on tinnitus.

Infiltrative fibrous lesion of the facial nerve mimicking a facial nerve tumor.

Purpose: To report three cases of facial nerve lesions that were clinically expected to be facial nerve tumors but showed fibrotic infiltration without any apparent signs of a specific tumor on histopathological findings. We also aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of these cases.

Methods: Medical records of patients who underwent surgery for facial nerve lesions were reviewed.

Possible Existence of Cochlear Synaptopathy in Patients Completely Recovered from Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Cochlear synaptopathy refers to a subclinical hearing pathology which could potentially explain hearing difficulties within the normal hearing threshold; it is also called "hidden hearing loss". We hypothesized that a temporary threshold shift in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) also affects the function in the synapse. The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of cochlear synaptopathy in patients who had completely recovered from unilateral SSNHL Nineteen patients who had completely recovered from ISSNHL from January 2018 to June 2021 were assessed.

Long-termrecording performance of flexible penetrating microelectrode arrays.

. Neural interfaces are an essential tool to enable the human body to directly communicate with machines such as computers or prosthetic robotic arms. Since invasive electrodes can be located closer to target neurons, they have advantages such as precision in stimulation and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in recording, while they often exhibit unstable performance in long-termimplantation because of the tissue damage caused by the electrodes insertion.

Purple corn extract alleviates 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis-like phenotypes in BALB/c mice.

(Poaceae), also known as purple corn, is an annual herbaceous plant that is grown as food for human consumption in a variety of forms, including cooking oils and sweeteners in processed food and beverage products. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a novel purple corn extract, FB801, might have an anti-atopic dermatitis (AD) effect on AD-like skin lesions induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) in BALB/c mice. Topical sensitization (1%) and challenge (0.

Vestibular mapping assessment in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of semicircular canal (SCC) and otolith organ dysfunction by vestibular mapping, and to determine the clinical implications of treatment outcomes in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 135 consecutive patients diagnosed with ISSNHL from January 2016 to December 2020. Patients underwent video-head impulse tests (vHIT) for each SCC, cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential test for the saccules, ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential test for the utricles, and hearing tests.

Expression of an immunocomplex consisting of Fc fragment fused with a consensus dengue envelope domain III in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Objectives: To explore Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an expression platform for dengue oral immune complex vaccine development.

Results: Molecular engineering was applied to create a fusion gene construct (scEDIII-PIGS) consisting of a yeast codon optimized sequence encoding for a synthetic consensus dengue envelope domain III (scEDIII) followed by a modified IgG Fc domain (PIGS). Northern blot showed transcription of the target gene, with a temporal expression pattern similar to those from previous work.

Ab-interno surgical technique for the implantation of a wireless subretinal prosthesis in mini-pigs.

We sought to describe the surgical techniques required in the ab-interno method to implant subretinal prostheses in mini-pigs and suggest tips to facilitate optimal outcomes. During vitrectomy, the use of valved trocar cannulas was essential to stabilize the detached retina and implanted chip. As a first step in retinal detachment, a 23-gauge cannula with very small amount of viscoelastic material was used to establish the retinal hole and promote retinal detachment.

A Microfluidic System for Stable and Continuous EEG Monitoring from Multiple Larval Zebrafish.

Along with the increasing popularity of larval zebrafish as an experimental animal in the fields of drug screening, neuroscience, genetics, and developmental biology, the need for tools to deal with multiple larvae has emerged. Microfluidic channels have been employed to handle multiple larvae simultaneously, even for sensing electroencephalogram (EEG). In this study, we developed a microfluidic chip capable of uniform and continuous drug infusion across all microfluidic channels during EEG recording.

Heat dissipative mechanical damping properties of EPDM rubber composites including hybrid fillers of aluminium nitride and boron nitride.

As highly integrated electronic devices and automotive parts are becoming used in high-power and load-bearing systems, thermal conductivity and mechanical damping properties have become critical factors. In this study, we applied two different fillers of aluminium nitride (AlN) and boron nitride (BN), having polygonal and platelet shapes, respectively, into ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber to ensure improved thermo-mechanical properties of EPDM composites. These two different shapes are considered advantageous in providing effective pathways of phonon transfer as well as facilitating sliding movement of packed particles.

Sappanchalcone, a flavonoid isolated from Caesalpinia sappan L., induces caspase-dependent and AIF-dependent apoptosis in human colon cancer cells.

The present study examined the apoptotic effects and the underlying mechanism of sappanchalcone, a major bioactive compound isolated from Caesalpinia sappan L. on human colon cancer cells. To achieve this, we used two different colon cancer cell lines, namely HCT116 (as wild-type p53 cells) and SW480 (as p53-mutant cells) cells.

Fabrication of Subretinal 3D Microelectrodes with Hexagonal Arrangement.

This study presents the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) microelectrodes for subretinal stimulation, to accommodate adjacent return electrodes surrounding a stimulating electrode. For retinal prosthetic devices, the arrangement of return electrodes, the electrode size and spacing should be considered together, to reduce the undesired dissipation of electric currents. Here, we applied the hexagonal arrangement to the microelectrode array for the localized activation of retinal cells and better visual acuity.

Surgical Outcomes and Efficacy of Isthmusectomy in Single Isthmic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Preliminary Retrospective Study.

The optimal extent of surgery needed for isthmic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is not well-defined, although total thyroidectomy is usually recommended. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of isthmusectomy in the surgical treatment of isthmic PTC. We retrospectively studied 121 patients who underwent thyroidectomy with or without central neck dissection (CND) for single isthmic PTC from January 2003 to June 2019.

Effect of Diabetes on the Prognosis of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical implications of diabetes for the management of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Transformation of 2D Planes into 3D Soft and Flexible Structures with Embedded Electrical Functionality.

Three-dimensional (3D) structures composed of flexible and soft materials have been in demand for implantable biomedical devices. However, the fabrication of 3D structures using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) techniques has limitations in terms of the materials and the scale of the structures. Here, a technique to selectively bond polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and parylene-C by plasma treatment is reported, with which two-dimensional structures that are fabricated using MEMS techniques are turned into 3D structures by the inflation of selectively non-bonded patterns.