Acoustic analysis of the effect of personal protective equipment on speech understanding: lessons for clinical environments.

Objective: The use of various types of filtering facepiece class 3 (FFP3) mask have become commonplace since the Covid-19 outbreak. These have been evaluated in terms of efficacy regarding aerosol filtration but less emphasis has been placed on the acoustic effects of such masks and their consequences for clinical communication.

Design: A microphone 65 cm from a sound-producing Head and Torso Simulator (wearing the masks) was used to measure attenuation via a tone sweep.

Development and evaluation of a novel protective device for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in the COVID-19 pandemic: the EBOX.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, aerosol-generating procedures such as upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) have been considered high risk. We designed a novel acrylic box (endoscopy box (EBOX)) with the intention of limiting aerosol and droplet spread during such procedures. We evaluated clinical utility, impact on the endoscopy team and also assessed the impact of the EBOX on macroscopic droplet spread from a simulated cough during UGIE.

Unilateral crosstalk cancellation in normal hearing participants using bilateral bone transducers.

It is possible to psychophysically measure the phase and level of bone conducted sound at the cochleae using two bone transducers (BTs) [Mcleod and Culling (2019). J. Acoust Soc.

Psychoacoustic measurement of phase and level for cross-talk cancellation using bilateral bone transducers: Comparison of methods.

Two bone-conduction hearing aids (BCHAs) could deliver improved stereo separation using cross-talk cancellation. Sound vibrations from each BCHA would be cancelled at the contralateral cochlea by an out-of-phase signal of the same level from the ipsilateral BCHA. A method to measure the level and phase required for these cancellation signals was developed and cross-validated with an established technique that combines air- and bone-conducted sound.

Neck Muscle Mass Index as a Predictor of Post-Laryngectomy Wound Complications.

Objective: We investigated the relationship between paravertebral muscle cross-sectional area (PVM CSA) at the third vertebra (C3) level using computerized tomography (CT) neck images and its relationship with complications after total laryngectomy.

Design: Retrospective analysis of 60 advanced laryngeal cancer patients who underwent total laryngectomy was performed. The cross-sectional areas of paravertebral neck muscles using neck CT at C3 level images obtained preoperatively were analyzed.

Measurements of inter-cochlear level and phase differences of bone-conducted sound.

Bone-anchored hearing aids are a widely used method of treating conductive hearing loss, but the benefit of bilateral implantation is limited due to interaural cross-talk. The present study measured the phase and level of pure tones reaching each cochlea from a single, mastoid placed bone transducer on normal hearing participants. In principle, the technique could be used to implement a cross-talk cancellation system in those with bilateral bone conductors.

Trismus following different treatment modalities for head and neck cancer: a systematic review of subjective measures.

The aim of this review was to compare systematically the subjective measure of trismus between different interventions to treat head and neck cancer, particularly those of the oropharynx. Using The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines, Six databases were searched for the text using various terms which include "oropharyngeal/head and neck cancer", "trismus/mouth opening" and the various treatment modalities. Included in the review were clinical studies (> or =10 patients).