Prevention of artificial dental plaque formation in vitro by plant extracts.

Aims: A number of previous studies have shown that plant extracts can inhibit formation of dental plaque. The ability of extracts of Rosmarinus officianalis L., Salvia officianalis L.

Measurements of stapes velocity in live human ears.

Sound-induced stapes velocity (Vs) was measured intraoperatively in 14 patients undergoing cochlear implantation. All 14 patients had no history of middle-ear pathology, and their ossicular chains appeared normal on intraoperative inspection and palpation. The magnitude of the mean Vs (normalized by simultaneously-measured ear-canal sound pressure) was stiffness-dominated at frequencies below 1 kHz, increased up to approximately 4 kHz, and then decreased at higher frequencies.

Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma: a review of the literature.

Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma is a relatively rare and aggressive malignancy of the nose and paranasal sinuses. It is often difficult to distinguish from other poorly differentiated sinonasal malignancies. Since it was first described in 1986, advances have been made in the understanding of the histology and immunohistochemical markers of sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, but the treatment options and prognosis remain poor.

The antibacterial activity of plant extracts containing polyphenols against Streptococcus mutans.

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of commercially available and 70% aqueous propanone (P70) extracts from plants chosen for polyphenol content on Streptococcus mutans and other bacteria were determined using a standard susceptibility agar dilution technique to investigate their potential use as anticariogenic agents. The effects on adhesion of S. mutans to glass were also studied.

Effects of low doses of lactitol on faecal microflora, pH, short chain fatty acids and gastrointestinal symptomology.

Background: Lactitol (4-beta-D: -galactopyranosyl-D: -glucitol) is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener. Previous studies have shown that it has a beneficial effect on intestinal microflora.

Aims Of The Study: To determine whether low doses of lactitol had beneficial effects without eliciting adverse gastrointestinal symptoms.

Differential penetration of ototopicals and water through tympanostomy tubes.

Objective: To evaluate the penetration of ototopicals and water through tympanostomy tubes (TT) using a physical model.

Study Design: An in vitro model was created to measure the ability of various solutions to penetrate a variety of TT.

Methods: A TT was placed through a perforation (myringotomy) in a silastic sheet (tympanic membrane) fixed between the ends of two 1 mL syringes.

Facial nerve stimulation after cochlear implantation.

Objectives: This study was designed to compare the incidence and nature of facial nerve stimulation (FNS) in patients receiving cochlear implants (CI) manufactured by Cochlear Corporation, Advanced Bionics Corporation, and MedEl.

Study Design: Retrospective chart review at a tertiary referral center.

Methods: The charts of 600 patients who received CIs from 1993 to 2003 with at least 1 year of follow-up were reviewed for significant FNS (FNS on at least 1 channel at functional stimulation levels).

Evaluation of Chromocult coliform agar for the detection and enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae from faecal samples from healthy subjects.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of Chromocult agar medium for isolation and enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae from human faecal samples, to compare it to MacConkey agar and to evaluate its usefulness as a possible alternative selective medium in human faecal studies. The medium was shown to be effective in identifying Escherichia coli and coliforms in faeces without the need for extensive accompanying biochemical tests for confirmation of identity. A positive correlation (r=0.

Differential effects of UTP, ATP, and adenosine on ciliary activity of human nasal epithelial cells.

The purinergic regulation of ciliary activity was studied using small, continuously superfused explants of human nasal epithelium. The P2Y(2) purinoceptor (P2Y(2)-R) was identified as the major purinoceptor regulating ciliary beat frequency (CBF); UTP (EC(50) = 4.7 microM), ATP, and adenosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) elicited similar maximal responses, approximately twofold over baseline.

Complications of neck dissection.

Neck dissection is a surgical procedure used in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer. The neck dissection involves excising the lymph nodes in specified regions of the neck with or without removing the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the internal jugular vein, and the spinal accessory nerve. The removal of cervical lymph nodes not only aids in staging the malignancy but also treats the nodal disease and dictates further treatment such as radiation therapy.

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence: a new cause of vertigo.

There are many known causes of vertigo, but many cases remain unexplained. Sound-induced, pressure-induced, or positional vertigo caused by bony dehiscence of the superior semicircular canal into the middle cranial fossa is a newly described etiology of vertigo. Three case studies of patients with CT evidence and surgical confirmation of bony dehiscence of the superior semicircular canal with variable presentations are described.

Otolaryngologic manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the abnormal retrograde flow of gastric contents into the esophagus. While disorders of the esophagus related to GERD are fairly well characterized, supraesophageal symptoms may be nonspecific and easily missed. Fewer than half of the patients with otolaryngologic complications of reflux exhibit the classic findings of heartburn and regurgitation.