Quantification of methane and carbon dioxide surface emissions from a metropolitan landfill based on quasi-continuous eddy covariance measurement.

The Sudokwon landfill (SL) in the Seoul metropolitan area, South Korea, is among the world's largest landfills, striving to curtail landfill gas (LFG) emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Since 2005, the SL Management Corporation (SLC) has measured LFG emissions (i.e.

Comparison of the 3D-Exoscope and Operating Microscope in Mastoidectomy.

Objectives: The operating microscope (OM) commonly used in ear surgeries has several disadvantages, including a low depth of field, a narrow field of view, and unfavorable ergonomic characteristics. The exoscope (EX) was developed to overcome these disadvantages. Herein, we compared OM and EX during mastoidectomy and found out the feasibility of the EX.

The Korean Version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (K-OCS) Normative Study.

Objective: To generate a Korean version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (K-OCS) and obtain cutoff scores that determine the impairment of each subdomain. Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) negatively impacts the rehabilitation process and independence in daily life. Its obscure manifestations require effective screening for appropriate rehabilitation.

Clinical characteristics of persistent postural-perceptual dizziness and its visual subtype in Korean patients: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic functional vestibular disorder for which the Bárány Society has established diagnostic criteria. This nationwide multicenter study aims to investigate the clinical features of individuals with definite PPPD and clinical variant PPPD who do not fully meet the diagnostic criteria, with a particular focus on visual exaggeration.

Methods: Between September 2020 and September 2021, a total of 76 individuals with definite PPPD and 109 individuals with clinical variant PPPD who did not meet all three exacerbating factors outlined in Criterion B were recruited from 18 medical centers in South Korea.

Hair Cell Regeneration: From Animals to Humans.

Cochlear hair cells convert sound into electrical signals that are relayed via the spiral ganglion neurons to the central auditory pathway. Hair cells are vulnerable to damage caused by excessive noise, aging, and ototoxic agents. Non-mammals can regenerate lost hair cells by mitotic regeneration and direct transdifferentiation of surrounding supporting cells.

The Effectiveness of Salvage Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Following Combined Steroid Therapy for Refractory Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objective: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is an accepted treatment option for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), but it is still recommended in combination with corticosteroids. We investigated the efficacy of salvage HBOT in refractory SSNHL that does not respond to corticosteroid combination therapy.

Methods: Eighty-four patients were included, who had unilateral SSNHL with an improvement of pure-tone average (PTA) less than 10 dB after using intratympanic plus systemic corticosteroids (combined therapy) as the initial therapy.

Prospective Study of Nonsurgical Auricular Correction According to Timing of Treatment.

Background: Many studies recommend nonsurgical auricular correction during the early postnatal period, when cartilage plasticity is high; however, many patients are not eligible for the procedure. This study compared different timings of nonsurgical auricular correction to investigate benefit after the optimal period for correction.

Methods: In this prospective study, 53 ears from 35 patients with congenital auricular anomaly were assigned to 2 groups according to age at correction: the early group, with correction within 2 weeks of birth, and the late group, with correction 8 weeks after birth.

Differences in the metabolomic profile of the human palatine tonsil between pediatrics and adults.

Palatine tonsils (PT) are B cell-predominant lymphoid organs that provide primary immune responses to airborne and dietary pathogens. Numerous histopathological and immunological studies have been conducted on PT, yet no investigations have been conducted on its metabolic profile. We performed high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabolic profiling in 35 pediatric and 28 adult human palatine tonsillar tissue samples.

Effects of Particulate Matter Exposure on the Eustachian Tube and Middle Ear Mucosa of Rats.

Objectives: Particulate matter (PM) is a risk factor for various diseases. Recent studies have established an association between otitis media (OM) and PM exposure. To confirm this relationship, we developed a novel exposure model designed to control the concentration of PM, and we observed the effects of PM exposure on the Eustachian tube (ET) and middle ear mucosa of rats.

Outcomes of Endoscopic Tympanoplasty for Large Perforations: A Multicenter Retrospective Study in South Korea.

Objectives: Endoscopic tympanoplasty (ET) provides minimally invasive transcanal access to the middle ear and improves middle ear visibility for the treatment of tympanic membrane (TM) perforations. However, the literature on surgical outcomes for large TM perforations is lacking and limited to small series. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits of ET for large TM perforations.

Three-dimensional imaging performance of photoelectrochemical cells.

A photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell produces hydrogen energy using solar energy and an electrochemical reaction. In the hydrogen production process with water decomposition, electrons move from the anode to the cathode, and by measuring the current value at this time, the PEC cell can generate hydrogen and function as an image sensor at the same time. Due to the characteristics of the PEC cell that can perform both functions simultaneously, it can be applied as a device that can detect and respond to the surrounding environment without the need for an observation system such as a camera.

Phenolic compounds in common buckwheat sprouts: composition, isolation, analysis and bioactivities.

Phenolic compounds in common buckwheat sprouts (CBSs) have gained research interest because of their multiple health benefits. Phenolic acids, flavanones, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins are important bioactive components of CBS that exhibit biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, and immunomodulatory effects. The isolation and quantitative and qualitative analyses of these phenolic compounds require effective and appropriate extraction and analytical methods.

Patulous eustachian tube after balloon eustachian tuboplasty in a post-radiation patient.

Background: Balloon eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is a minimally invasive surgical treatment that is effective and safe for obstructive eustachian tube dysfunction. However, BET complications include excessive widening of the eustachian tube, causing a patulous eustachian tube (PET). Herein, we report a case of PET following BET in a patient who underwent radiation therapy and reviewed the literature on considerations for reducing complications after BET.

The Optimized Protocol of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the optimal protocol of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) according to various treatment settings for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

Methods: A 112 patients with SSNHL were enrolled in this prospective study. All patients were treated with systemic steroid therapy, intratympanic steroid therapy, and HBOT.

Clinical features and prognosis of severe-to-profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Purpose: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an otologic emergency. Despite multiple efforts to clarify the factors affecting the prognosis of severe-to-profound SSNHL, various studies showed inconsistent results and lack of clinical significance. Therefore, we examined the clinical features and outcomes of severe-to-profound SSNHL.

Integral imaging using a MoS Schottky diode.

We report the performance of a MoS Schottky diode on three-dimensional (3D) integral imaging. The MoS Schottky diode has asymmetric Pt electrodes for the Schottky contact and Ti/Au electrodes for the ohmic contact. Such a Schottky diode exhibits an excellent rectification ratio of 10, a broad spectral photoresponse in the 450-700 nm range, an almost ideal linearity of 1, and a wide linear dynamic range of 106 dB.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Neurofeedback and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Patients: Pilot Study.

Insomnia is a common disease that negatively affects patients both mentally and physically. While insomnia disorder is mainly characterized by hyperarousal, a few studies that have directly intervened with cortical arousal. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a neurofeedback protocol for reducing cortical arousal on insomnia compared to cognitive-behavioral treatment for insomnia (CBT-I).

A multicenter, randomized, active-controlled, clinical trial study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of navigation guided balloon Eustachian tuboplasty.

To assess the safety and efficacy of navigation-guided balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) compared to medical management (MM) alone in patients with chronic Eustachian tube dilatory dysfunction (ETD). This is a prospective, multicenter, 1:1 parallel-group, randomized controlled trial (RCT). It aims to assess the efficacy of navigation-guided BET compared to MM alone in patients with chronic ETD.

Near-Infrared Self-Powered Linearly Polarized Photodetection and Digital Incoherent Holography Using WSe/ReSe van der Waals Heterostructure.

Polarization-sensitive photodetection has attracted considerable attention as an emerging technology for future optoelectronic applications such as three-dimensional (3D) imaging, quantum optics, and encryption. However, traditional photodetectors based on Si or III-V InGaAs semiconductors cannot directly detect polarized light without additional optical components. Herein, we demonstrate a self-powered linear-polarization-sensitive near-infrared (NIR) photodetector using a two-dimensional WSe/ReSe van der Waals heterostructure.

Effects of cigarette smoke on Haemophilus influenzae-induced otitis media in a rat model.

Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) is a factor that could delay or worsen the recovery of otitis media (OM) by causing inflammatory swelling of the Eustachian tube (ET). However, despite the suggested relationship, little is known about the association between OM and CS. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of CS on the development, progression, and recovery of OM, as well as the histological and molecular changes caused by CS exposure, by using a rat model of OM infected with non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi).