Feasibility of Easy to Use and Inexpensive Three-Dimensional Printed Educational Model of Temporal Bone: Practiced Without Drilling.

Objective: Three-dimensional (3D) printed temporal bone model draws great attention as a promising alternative for conventional cadaveric model in education of otologic surgery. However, its high price and requirement for specialized tools hinder widespread use. We devised a simple educational model based on lattice structure to overcome these problems and compared it with a commercial model.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals prolonged neurodegeneration in the hippocampus of adult C57BL/6N mouse deafened by noise.

Introduction: Several studies have reported a significant correlation between noise-induced hearing loss and cognitive decline. However, comprehensive analyses of this relationship are rare. This study aimed to assess the influence of hearing impairment on cognitive functions by analyzing organ samples in the afferent auditory pathway of deafened mice using mRNA sequencing.

Comparison of hearing outcomes in patients with congenital aural atresia managed with canaloplasty and bone conduction hearing devices.

Background: Treatment options for congenital aural atresia (CAA) include canaloplasty and implantation of an osseointegrated bone conduction device (OBCD). Few studies have compared hearing outcomes in these two treatment methods.

Objectives: Hearing outcomes and revision surgery rates were compared in CAA patients managed by canaloplasty and surgically implanted OBCD.

Outcome of cochlear implantation in the worse ear of post-lingual asymmetric hearing loss: elucidation of prognostic markers.

Background: Specific correlations between the outcomes of cochlear implantation (CI) and hearing thresholds of the both ears in post-lingual asymmetric hearing loss (AHL) patients were not clear.

Aims/objectives: To identify the variables influencing the outcome of CI in post-lingual AHL patients.

Method: We included 18 adult subjects who had CI in the worse ear due to post-lingual AHL with average hearing asymmetry of 36 dB.

Associations between Particulate Matter and Otitis Media in Children: A Meta-Analysis.

Particulate matter (PM), a primary component of air pollution, is a suspected risk factor for the development of otitis media (OM). However, the results of studies on the potential correlation between an increase in the concentration of PM and risk of developing OM are inconsistent. To better characterize this potential association, a meta-analysis of studies indexed in three global databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library) was conducted.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Cochlear Fistulas Caused by Chronic Otitis Media with Cholesteatoma.

Objectives: To analyze the clinical characteristics of cochlear fistulas (CFs) and propose a new fistula classification system with regard to the cochlea.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted between January 2008 and December 2015 to identify patients who had undergone surgery for cholesteatoma with an associated CF. The following data were collected: preoperative symptoms, findings of temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT), fistula stage, cholesteatoma classification, surgical technique, and pre- and postoperative pure-tone audiometry.

Outcomes of Peptide Vaccine GV1001 Treatment in a Murine Model of Acute Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is primarily caused by damage to cochlear hair cells, associated with synaptopathy. The novel cell-penetrating peptide GV1001, an antitumor agent, also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and is otoprotective in a murine model of kanamycin-induced ototoxicity. Here, we explored whether GV1001 attenuated NIHL, and the underlying mechanism at play.

Natural Course of Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis and Optimal Timing of Permanent Treatment.

Importance: Permanent surgical treatment for unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) should be performed when further neural recovery is improbable. Conservative delay of the surgical procedure may cause unnecessary deterioration of the patient's quality of life. Knowledge of the natural course of UVFP is important for better management and counseling.

Nasopharyngeal Width and Its Association With Sleep-Disordered Breathing Symptoms in Children.

Objectives: Although adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the main cause of sleep-disordered breathing in children, surrounding anatomic factors, such as the width of the nasopharynx, can affect upper airway patency. However, there have been no reports of the association of nasopharyngeal width with sleep-disordered breathing in children. This study was undertaken to measure nasopharyngeal width in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing and to investigate the clinical implications of this factor.

Involvement of the Internal Auditory Canal in Subjects With Cochlear Otosclerosis: A Less Acknowledged Third Window That Affects Surgical Outcome.

Objective: To investigate the effects of cavitating lesions involving the internal auditory canal (IAC) in subjects with cochlear otosclerosis with regard to poststapedotomy hearing outcome.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Cochlear Implantation in Postlingually Deaf Adults is Time-sensitive Towards Positive Outcome: Prediction using Advanced Machine Learning Techniques.

Given our aging society and the prevalence of age-related hearing loss that often develops during adulthood, hearing loss is a common public health issue affecting almost all older adults. Moderate-to-moderately severe hearing loss can usually be corrected with hearing aids; however, severe-to-profound hearing loss often requires a cochlear implant (CI). However, post-operative CI results vary, and the performance of the previous prediction models is limited, indicating that a new approach is needed.

Association of Coffee Consumption with Hearing and Tinnitus Based on a National Population-Based Survey.

Coffee is the one of the most common beverages worldwide and has received considerable attention for its beneficial health effects. However, the association of coffee with hearing and tinnitus has not been well studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of coffee with hearing and tinnitus based on a national population-based survey.

Corrigendum: A Quantitative Electroencephalography Study on Cochlear Implant-Induced Cortical Changes in Single-Sided Deafness with Tinnitus.

[This corrects the article on p. 210 in vol. 11, PMID: 28572760.

Comparison of Free-Beam- and Fiber-Type CO Laser Delivery Systems in Stapes Surgery.

Background And Objectives: A free-beam-type CO laser, which use a micromanipulator mounted on a microscope as the delivery system, has the merit of not being affected by hand tremor at the time of shooting. However, this delivery system has several disadvantages, including a restricted operation range and a risk of incorrect focusing. A fiber-type CO laser uses a hand-held delivery system and has the opposite merits and demerits.

A Quantitative Electroencephalography Study on Cochlear Implant-Induced Cortical Changes in Single-Sided Deafness with Tinnitus.

The mechanism of tinnitus suppression after cochlear implantation (CI) in single-sided deafness (SSD) is not fully understood. In this regard, by comparing pre- and post-CI quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG), we explored cortical changes relevant to tinnitus improvement. In SSD patients who underwent CI, qEEG data were collected: (1) before CI, (2) 6 months post-operatively with CI-on, and (3) 30 min after CI-off and source-localized cortical activity/functional connectivity analyses were performed.

The mechanism behind the selective metal nanoscale etch method for precise metal nanopatterning.

This paper reports for the first time the exact mechanism of the selective metal nanoscale etch method (SMNEM), which is a simply controllable and cost-effective approach for metal nanoscale etching and size reduction. This method is based on the galvanic displacement, Kirkendall effect, and selective etching. The size reduction is linearly controlled by the galvanic displacement in the early stage (1 min).

Microenvironment-controlled encapsulation (MiCE) process: effects of PLGA concentration, flow rate, and collection method on microcapsule size and morphology.

Purpose: To evaluate the real-time effects of formulation and instrumental variables on microcapsule formation via natural jet segmentation, a new microencapsulation system termed the microenvironment-controlled encapsulation (MiCE) process was developed.

Methods: A modified flow cytometer nozzle hydrodynamically focuses an inner drug and outer polymer solution emanating from a coaxial needle assembly into a two-layer compound jet. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent resulted in formation of reservoir-type microcapsules by interfacial phase separation induced at the boundary between the PLGA solution and aqueous sheath.