Efficacy of virtual reality pure-tone audiometry in training of hearing test for audiologist.

Background And Objectives: The immersive virtual reality (VR) simulator is advantageous because it is cost-effective, realistic, can be controlled directly by the user, and can be integrated into education and training in otorhinolaryngology. The present study explored the feasibility of incorporating VR pure-tone audiometry (PTA) into an audiologist training curriculum, and assessed audiology experts' willingness to use a VR PTA.

Materials And Methods: A total of 31 audiologists (16 skilled audiologists and 15 undergraduate students) participated in the study, using a developed VR PTA application with a Meta Quest 2 device.

The Role of Cacao Powder in Enhancing Skin Moisture and Reducing Wrinkles: A 12-Week Clinical Trial and In Vitro Study.

Skin aging is driven by a combination of internal and external mechanisms, with ultraviolet (UV) radiation being a prominent external factor contributing to photoaging. Photoaging manifests through several signs, including decreased skin hydration, diminished elasticity, coarse wrinkles, and dyspigmentation. Cacao beans, known for their flavonoids and polyphenols, offer potential anti-aging benefits.

Lactitol Alleviates Loperamide-Induced Constipation in Sprague Dawley Rats by Regulating Serotonin, Short-Chain Fatty Acids, and Gut Microbiota.

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of lactitol on constipation caused by loperamide in Sprague Dawley rats, with a particular emphasis on its underlying mechanisms and potential health advantages. The lactitol effectively improved fecal parameters, intestinal tissue structure, and the expression of constipation-related gene expression and proteins. Lactitol alleviated fecal weight and water content altered by loperamide and enhanced gastrointestinal transit.

Effect of Sugar-Free Jelly on Glycemic Metabolism and Its Potential Health Benefits in Non-Diabetic Adults.

Excessive sugar consumption provides energy but has little nutritional value, contributing to the prevalence of obesity. Hence, "sugar-free" products using artificial or natural sweeteners, including sugar alcohols, have become popular. Accordingly, safety concerns and curiosity have arisen.

Association of Central Auditory Processing Dysfunction With Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease.

Objective: To investigate whether central auditory processing dysfunction measured by the dichotic digit test-1 digit (DDT1) is present in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) individuals who are cognitively normal (CN) older adults with the cerebral beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and to explore the potential of the DDT1 as a screening test for preclinical AD.

Study Design: Cross-sectional design.

Setting: A prospective observational cohort study.

Status of the Newborn Hearing Screening in the 4-Months Age National Infant Health Checkup in Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Background: The aims of this study are to review data on 4-months age National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children (NHSPIC) using a National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database, and to analyze the newborn hearing screening (NHS) results and related characteristics of the 4-months NHSPIC for 7 years in South Korea.

Methods: We analyzed a NHIS database of infants who had participated in the 4-month age NHSPIC from 2010 to 2016. According to the results of hearing questionnaires and physical examination, we analyzed the outcomes of NHS and related infantile and socioeconomic factors.

Enhanced Dichotic Listening and Temporal Sequencing Ability in Early-Blind Individuals.

Several studies have reported the better auditory performance of early-blind subjects over sighted subjects. However, few studies have compared the auditory functions of both hemispheres or evaluated interhemispheric transfer and binaural integration in blind individuals. Therefore, we evaluated whether there are differences in dichotic listening, auditory temporal sequencing ability, or speech perception in noise (all of which have been used to diagnose central auditory processing disorder) between early-blind subjects and sighted subjects.

Aggregation-Enhanced Photoluminescence and Photoacoustics of Atomically Precise Gold Nanoclusters in Lipid Nanodiscs (NANO).

The authors designed a structurally stable nano-in-nano (NANO) system highly capable of bioimaging via an aggregation-enhanced NIR excited emission and photoacoustic response achieved based on atomically precise gold nanoclusters protected by linear thiolated ligands [Au(SC H), = 4-16] encapsulated in discoidal phospholipid bicelles through a one-pot synthesis. The detailed morphological characterization of NANO is conducted using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, small/wide angle X-ray scattering with the support of molecular dynamics simulations, providing information on the location of Au nanoclusters in NANO. The photoluminescence observed for NANO is 20-60 times more intense than that of the free Au nanoclusters, with both excitation and emission wavelengths in the near-infrared range, and the photoacoustic signal is more than tripled.

Status of early hearing detection and intervention in South Korea: a nationwide population-based study of national infant health checkup.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of early hearing detection and intervention after newborn hearing screening (NHS) in South Korea. A retrospective review of Korean national health insurance service data of all infants receiving the 4-month old national infant health checkup between 2010 and 2016 from a nationwide population-based database was conducted. Based on the results of the NHS-administered hearing questionnaires as part of the national infant health checkup, individuals were classified into "pass" (1,730,615 infants) or "refer" (10,941 infants) groups.

Rate of chronic otitis media operations and cholesteatoma surgeries in South Korea: a nationwide population-based study (2006-2018).

The aim of this study was to estimate the total number and rate of chronic otitis media (COM) operations and cholesteatoma surgeries in South Korea, using a nationwide survey which analysed a 13-year trend (2006-2018). This study also analysed the trend of COM operations and cholesteatoma surgeries according to year, sex, and age using a nationwide population-based database, and the 13-year trend was analysed according to age groups. This study used nationwide data from the National Health Information Database (NHID), which is a government-affiliated agency under the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare that supervises all medical activities in Korea.

Development of the Jordanian Arabic early speech perception test.

Introduction: The Early Speech Perception (ESP) test has been previously used to assess speech perception skills in young hearing-impaired children. As the Arabic language is known to be diglossic, the purpose of this study was to develop a Colloquial Jordanian Arabic version (JAESP) of the ESP test and to check its usefulness.

Methods: The JAESP test encompasses four categories: detection of speech sounds, speech pattern perception, disyllabic word identification, and monosyllabic word identification.

Impact of hearing loss on the performance of auditory processing measured by questionnaires in Korean adolescents.

Increasing use of personal listening devices has been accompanied by increase in the prevalence of hearing loss (HL) among youth in Korea, as in other countries. Auditory processing disorder (APD) is one of the main factors affecting academic achievement at school. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of HL in students attending general middle- and high schools and compare the findings with the APD survey results.

Apparatus to Measure Subnanometer Fluctuation of Giant Unilamellar Vesicle Membranes.

The design, calibration, and performance of an apparatus are described to study the nanometer-scale thermal or driven fluctuations of free-standing vesicle membranes using a design resembling the position detection system of optical tweezers except for the laser power lower by orders of magnitude to avoid trapping. Over four decades of frequency, 1-10,000 Hz, it reports membrane fluctuation amplitudes 0.01-100 nm by measuring scattering of a laser beam as it passes membranes (∼1 μm cross-section) suspended in the aqueous medium.

WHO implementation workshop on guidelines on procedures and data requirements for changes to approved biotherapeutic products, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 25-26 June 2019.

The first global workshop on implementation of the WHO guidelines on procedures and data requirements for changes to approved biotherapeutic products adopted by the WHO Expert Committee in 2018 was held in June 2019. The workshop participants recognized that the principles based on sound science and the potential for risk, as described in the WHO Guidelines on post-approval changes, which constitute the global standard for product life-cycle management are providing clarity and helping national regulatory authorities in establishing guidance while improving time-lines for an efficient regulation of products. Consequently, the regulatory situation for post-approval changes and guideline implementation is changing but there is a disparity between different countries.

Biologically-active unilamellar vesicles from red blood cells.

We demonstrate a method to prepare giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with biologically-active protein activity, by mixing erythrocyte (red blood cell) membrane extract with phospholipids and growing their mixture in a porous hydrogel matrix. This presents a pathway to retain protein biological activity without prior isolation and purification of the protein, though only the activity of the membrane protein GLUT1 is investigated to date. Using the cascade enzymatic reaction glucose oxidase and horseradish peroxidase to assay glucose concentration specifically within the GUV interior, we show that glucose is internalized by GLUT1 whereas adding cytochalasin B, a GLUT1 inhibitor, blocks glucose transport.

Prevalence of severe-profound hearing loss in South Korea: a nationwide population-based study to analyse a 10-year trend (2006-2015).

To estimate prevalence of severe-profound hearing loss (HL) in South Korea, and analyse a 10-year trend of HL according to age, sex, and region by using a nationwide population-based database. Retrospective review from Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2006 to 2015. The degree of severe-profound HL was classified into six grades, based mostly on HL worse than 60 dB HL for both ears.

The Diverse Range of Possible Cell Membrane Interactions with Substrates: Drug Delivery, Interfaces and Mobility.

The cell membrane has gained significant attention as a platform for the development of bio-inspired nanodevices due to its immune-evasive functionalities and copious bio-analogs. This review will examine several uses of cell membranes such as (i) therapeutic delivery carriers with or without substrates (i.e.

Effects of Membrane Defects and Polymer Hydrophobicity on Networking Kinetics of Vesicles.

The kinetics of clustering unilamellar vesicles induced by inverse Pluronics [poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide), PO-EO-PO] was investigated via experiments and molecular dynamic simulations. Two important factors for controlling the networking kinetics are the membrane defects, presumably located at the interfacial region between two lipid domains induced by acyl chain mismatch, and the polymer hydrophobicity. As expected, the clustering rate increases significantly with increasing bilayer defects on the membrane where the insertion of PPO is likely to take place because of the reduced energy barrier for the insertion of PO.

Nanoparticle puzzles and research opportunities that go beyond state of the art.

We present an overview of current progress and research challenges in the field of nanoparticle assembly, touching on the following topics: (1) historical perspective; (2) consideration of what is a nanoparticle; (3) contrast between nanoparticle self-assembly and top-down construction; (4) opportunities for nanoparticles with more intelligent sub-structures; (5) opportunities for nanoparticle systems cued to interact subtly in space and time. In this personal and subjective account, certain holy grails for nanoparticle science and technology are identified.

Unique effects of the chain lengths and anions of tetra-alkylammonium salts on quenching pyrene excimer.

Pyrene (Py) excimer, through its unique fluorescence quenching, exhibits high sensitivity and high selectivity in detecting specific electron-deficient molecules, providing a potential platform for sensing technology, optical switch, and probing hydrophobicity of molecular environment. In solution state, its quenching mechanism has been well-studied. However, there remain many unknown properties regarding the quenching mechanism of the solid-state Py excimer.

Association of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) promoter polymorphisms with overweight/obesity in a Korean population.

Objective: Obesity is characterized by the activation of an inflammatory process leading to an increase in proinflammatory cytokines and adipokines. This study was designed to investigate the genetic association between tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) polymorphisms and the risk of obesity in the Korean population.

Methods: Three single nucleotide polymorphisms [G-238A (rs361525), C-857T (rs1799724), and C-863A (rs1800630)] in the promoter region of TNF-α gene were analyzed in 123 control [body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 23] and 208 overweight/obese (BMI ≥ 23) subjects.

Selective attention to pitch amid conflicting auditory information: context-coding and filtering strategies.

An auditory Eriksen-flanker task was used to study how conflicting information interferes with selective attention to task-relevant differences in pure-tone frequency. Across the observation intervals of the discrimination task, the relevant frequency differences between target tones were positive, but within an observation interval, they could appear to be small or negative relative to conflicting differences in flanker tones leading or trailing the target. Being correct required attending to the between-target and ignoring the target-flanker pitch relation (across and within observation-interval, respectively).

Aging impairs the ability to ignore irrelevant information in frequency discrimination tasks.

Age effects on the ability to ignore irrelevant auditory information were studied using frequency discrimination threshold (FDT) tasks. FDTs were determined in an unmasked condition with target tones in isolation, and in two backward-masked conditions with a nontarget masking tone presented 20 to 240 ms after the target. One masked condition included irrelevant variability in the masker frequency, but the other did not.

Lower antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E) and trace minerals (Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe And Se) status in patients with cerebrovascular disease.

The management of antioxidant micronutrient status in patients with chronic diseases may be an important step in controlling disease progression and preventing deterioration in patient quality of life. The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant micronutrient status and lipid profiles of cerebrovascular disease (CbVD) patients and to compare this information with an evaluation of normal healthy subjects. A total of 57 male subjects (26 patients with CbVD and 31 healthy subjects) and 65 female subjects (32 patients with CbVD and 33 healthy subjects) were included in this cross-sectional study.