Definition of a coordinate system for multi-modal images of the temporal bone and inner ear.

Purpose: The position and orientation of the head is maintained to be relatively similar during the CT / MR imaging process. However, the position / orientation dissimilarities present in the resulting images between patients, or between different scans of the same patient, do not allow for direct comparison of the images themselves or features / metrics extracted from them. This paper introduces a method of defining a coordinate system which is consistent between patients and modalities (CT and MR) for images of the temporal bone, using easily identifiable landmarks within the semicircular canals.

Impact of Thickness-Dependent Nanophotonic Effects on the Optical Response of Color Centers in Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Among a broad diversity of color centers hosted in layered van der Waals materials, the negatively charged boron vacancy (V) center in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is garnering considerable attention for the development of quantum sensing units on a two-dimensional platform. In this work, we investigate how the optical response of an ensemble of V centers evolves with the hBN thickness in a range of a few to hundreds of nanometers. We show that the photoluminescence intensity features a nontrivial evolution with thickness, which is quantitatively reproduced by numerical calculations taking into account thickness-dependent variations of the absorption, radiative lifetime, and radiation pattern of V centers.

Nonlinear spin-orbit coupling in optical thin films.

Tunable generation of vortex beams holds relevance in various fields, including communications and sensing. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of nonlinear spin-orbit interactions in thin films of materials with second-order nonlinear susceptibility. Remarkably, the nonlinear tensor can mix the longitudinal and transverse components of the pump field.

Optically Active Spin Defects in Few-Layer Thick Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Optically active spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are promising quantum systems for the design of two-dimensional quantum sensing units offering optimal proximity to the sample being probed. In this Letter, we first demonstrate that the electron spin resonance frequencies of boron vacancy centers (V_{B}^{-}) can be detected optically in the limit of few-atomic-layer thick hBN flakes despite the nanoscale proximity of the crystal surface that often leads to a degradation of the stability of solid-state spin defects. We then analyze the variations of the electronic spin properties of V_{B}^{-} centers with the hBN thickness with a focus on (i) the zero-field splitting parameters, (ii) the optically induced spin polarization rate and (iii) the longitudinal spin relaxation time.

Trans-mastoid plugging of superior semicircular canal dehiscence: long-term follow-up.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of trans-mastoid plugging of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD), focusing on complicated cases.

Methods: In this cohort study, we included all patients who underwent trans-mastoid plugging of SSCD between 2009 and 2019. We evaluated the symptoms (autophony, sound-/pressure-induced vertigo, disequilibrium, aural fullness and pulsatile tinnitus) before and 1 year after surgery in the medical records.

Cochlear implantation in advanced otosclerosis: utility of pre-operative radiological assessment in predicting intra-operative difficulty and final electrode position.

Objective: This study aimed to determine if pre-operative radiological scoring can reliably predict intra-operative difficulty and final cochlear electrode position in patients with advanced otosclerosis.

Method: A retrospective cohort study of advanced otosclerosis patients who underwent cochlear implantation ( 48, 52 ears) was compared with a larger cohort of post-lingually deaf adult patients ( 1414) with bilateral hearing loss and normal cochlear anatomy. Pre-operative imaging for advanced otosclerosis patients and final electrode position were scored and correlated with intra-operative difficulty and speech outcomes.

On-Chip Electrostatic Actuation of a Photonic Wire Antenna Embedding Quantum Dots.

A photonic wire antenna embedding individual quantum dots (QDs) constitutes a promising platform for both quantum photonics and hybrid nanomechanics. We demonstrate here an integrated device in which on-chip electrodes can apply a static or oscillating bending force to the upper part of the wire. In the static regime, we achieve control over the bending direction and apply at will tensile or compressive mechanical stress on any QD.

Performance of the nanopost single-photon source: beyond the single-mode model.

We present a detailed analysis of the physics governing the collection efficiency and the Purcell enhancement of the nanopost single-photon source. We show that a standard single-mode Fabry-Pérot model is insufficient to describe the device performance, which benefits significantly from scattering from the fundamental mode to radiation modes. We show how the scattering mechanism decouples the collection efficiency from the Purcell enhancement, such that maximum collection efficiency is obtained off-resonance.

Developing an Evidence-Based Surgical Curriculum: Learning from a Randomized Controlled Trial of Surgical Rehearsal in Virtual Reality.

Background: Surgical rehearsal - patient-specific preoperative surgical practice - can be provided by virtual reality simulation. This study investigated the effect of surgical rehearsal on cortical mastoidectomy performance and procedure duration.

Methods: University students (n=40) were randomized evenly into a rehearsal and control group.

Young Adolescent Perceptions of School Climate and Self-Efficacy: The Intersectionality of Race and Gender.

The researchers investigated adolescent perceptions of school climate and academic self-efficacy over time for a group of Grade 7 through Grade 9 students. We followed 717 students in an ethnically diverse school district in a small town in northern Ohio from fall 2009 to spring 2011. Four waves of data collected in surveys each fall and spring included measures of perceptions of school climate and academic self-efficacy.

Electrocochleographic Patterns Predicting Increased Impedances and Hearing Loss after Cochlear Implantation.

Objectives: Different patterns of electrocochleographic responses along the electrode array after insertion of the cochlear implant electrode array have been described. However, the implications of these patterns remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of the study was to correlate different peri- and postoperative electrocochleographic patterns with four-point impedance measurements and preservation of residual hearing.

Automatic analysis of cochlear response using electrocochleography signals during cochlear implant surgery.

Cochlear implants (CIs) provide an opportunity for the hearing impaired to perceive sound through electrical stimulation of the hearing (cochlear) nerve. However, there is a high risk of losing a patient's natural hearing during CI surgery, which has been shown to reduce speech perception in noisy environments as well as music appreciation. This is a major barrier to the adoption of CIs by the hearing impaired.

Diagnostic Value of Lactate Dehydrogenase and Uric Acid as Screening Tools for Malignancies in Children.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and uric acid (UA) in children undergoing evaluation for possible malignancies.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of patients aged 0 to 18 years presenting to an urban, tertiary care, pediatric hospital between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2016. Patients were included if they had an LDH and/or UA level drawn, and they were excluded if they had a known cancer diagnosis.

Deconstructing adolescent ethnicity: A longitudinal analysis of ethnic-racial identity development and self-categorization.

Background: The study of adolescent perceptions of their ethnicity/race has been investigated from an ethnic-racial identity (measurement) perspective or through an ethnic-racial classification lens.

Aims: This study examines both, as it explores change in adolescents' ethnic-racial self-categorization; change in strength of ethnic-racial identity (ERI); and the relationship between change in self-categorization and strength of ERI. In so doing, it contributes to theorizing about the content and process of ERI formation.

Clinical Characteristics of Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis With and Without Subperiosteal Abscesses in the Acute Care Setting.

Background: Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO) is a common pediatric disease that can progress to involve nearby structures leading to complications including subperiosteal abscesses (SPAs). Those with SPAs, in particular, often require surgical intervention for complete treatment. Staphylococcus aureus remains one of the most common causes of AHO.

Materials used for mastoid obliteration and its complications: a systematic review.

Objective: The objectives of this review are to identify the types of materials with their associated complications and respective considerations when used to obliterate the mastoid cavity.

Methods: A systematic search was performed across PubMed, Embase, Medline and Cochrane databases from January 2009 to January 2020 for randomized controlled trials and observational studies of patients that underwent mastoid obliteration. Studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were screened and scored according to the MINORS and relevance scores to determine final inclusion.

Tailoring the properties of quantum dot-micropillars by ultrafast optical injection of free charge carriers.

We review recent studies of cavity switching induced by the optical injection of free carriers in micropillar cavities containing quantum dots. Using the quantum dots as a broadband internal light source and a streak camera as detector, we track the resonance frequencies for a large set of modes with picosecond time resolution. We report a record-fast switch-on time constant (1.

Electrocochleography triggered intervention successfully preserves residual hearing during cochlear implantation: Results of a randomised clinical trial.

Background: Preservation of natural hearing during cochlear implantation is associated with improved speech outcomes, however more than half of implant recipients lose this hearing. Real-time electrophysiological monitoring of cochlear output during implantation, made possible by recording electrocochleography using the electrodes on the cochlear implant, has shown promise in predicting hearing preservation. Sudden drops in the amplitude of the cochlear microphonic (CM) have been shown to predict more severe hearing losses.

Automated assessment of cortical mastoidectomy performance in virtual reality.

Introduction: Cortical mastoidectomy is a core skill that Otolaryngology trainees must gain competency in. Automated competency assessments have the potential to reduce assessment subjectivity and bias, as well as reducing the workload for surgical trainers.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate an automated competency assessment system for cortical mastoidectomy.

Broad Diversity of Near-Infrared Single-Photon Emitters in Silicon.

We report the detection of individual emitters in silicon belonging to seven different families of optically active point defects. These fluorescent centers are created by carbon implantation of a commercial silicon-on-insulator wafer usually employed for integrated photonics. Single photon emission is demonstrated over the 1.

Surgical approach to the facial recess influences the acceptable trajectory of cochlear implantation electrodes.

Purpose: To provide practical guidance to the operative surgeon by mapping the location, where acceptable straight-line virtual cochlear implant electrode trajectories intersect the facial recess. In addition, to investigate the influence of facial recess preparation, virtual electrode width and surgical approach to the cochlea on these available trajectories.

Methods: The study was performed on imaging data from eight cadaveric temporal bones within the University of Melbourne Virtual Reality (VR) Temporal Bone Surgery Simulator.

Inducing micromechanical motion by optical excitation of a single quantum dot.

Hybrid quantum optomechanical systems interface a macroscopic mechanical degree of freedom with a single two-level system such as a single spin, a superconducting qubit or a single optical emitter. Recently, hybrid systems operating in the microwave domain have witnessed impressive progress. Concurrently, only a few experimental approaches have successfully addressed hybrid systems in the optical domain, demonstrating that macroscopic motion can modulate the two-level system transition energy.

Deciphering the Influence of Electrolytes on the Energy Storage Mechanism of Vertically-Oriented Graphene Nanosheet Electrodes by Using Advanced Electrogravimetric Methods.

Electrolyte composition is a crucial factor determining the capacitive properties of a supercapacitor device. However, its complex influence on the energy storage mechanisms has not yet been fully elucidated. For this purpose, in this study, the role of three different types of electrolytes based on a propylene carbonate (PC) solution containing tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAClO), lithium perchlorate (LiClO) and butyltrimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTFSI) ionic liquid on vertically-oriented graphene nanosheet electrodes has been investigated.

Intraoperative Observational Real-time Electrocochleography as a Predictor of Hearing Loss After Cochlear Implantation: 3 and 12 Month Outcomes.

Objective: A decrease in intracochlear electrocochleographic (ECochG) amplitude during cochlear implantation has been associated with poorer postoperative hearing preservation in several short-term studies. Here, we relate the stability of ECochG during surgery to hearing preservation at 3- and 12-months.

Methods: Patients with hearing ≤80-dB HL at 500 Hz were implanted with a slim-straight electrode array.