Effects of Age on Long Term Memory for Degraded Speech.

Prior research suggests that acoustical degradation impacts encoding of items into memory, especially in elderly subjects. We here aimed to investigate whether acoustically degraded items that are initially encoded into memory are more prone to forgetting as a function of age. Young and old participants were tested with a vocoded and unvocoded serial list learning task involving immediate and delayed free recall.

ECCMID 2016: addressing the burden of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

26th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), 9-12th April 2016, Amsterdam, The Netherlands The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) is the annual scientific meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology. ECCMID 2016, held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, was attended by over 11,600 clinical microbiologists and infectious disease physicians from more than 120 countries. The Congress offered an essential opportunity to learn more about the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of healthcare-associated infections, especially those caused by Clostridium difficile.

Forward-Masked Frequency Selectivity Improvements in Simulated and Actual Cochlear Implant Users Using a Preprocessing Algorithm.

Frequency selectivity can be quantified using masking paradigms, such as psychophysical tuning curves (PTCs). Normal-hearing (NH) listeners show sharp PTCs that are level- and frequency-dependent, whereas frequency selectivity is strongly reduced in cochlear implant (CI) users. This study aims at (a) assessing individual shapes of PTCs in CI users, (b) comparing these shapes to those of simulated CI listeners (NH listeners hearing through a CI simulation), and (c) increasing the sharpness of PTCs using a biologically inspired dynamic compression algorithm, BioAid, which has been shown to sharpen the PTC shape in hearing-impaired listeners.

The effect of the arthroscopic augmentation of the subscapularis tendon on shoulder instability and range of motion: A biomechanical study.

Background: Anterior shoulder dislocation is common. The treatment of recurrence with glenoid bone defect is still considered controversial. A new arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation has recently been described that functions to decrease the anterior translation of the humeral head.

Long-term efficiency of infliximab in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: real life data confirm the potential for dose reduction.

Objective: To analyse the treatment outcome of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the European AS infliximab cohort (EASIC) study after a total period of 8 years with specific focus on dosage and the duration of intervals between infliximab infusions.

Methods: EASIC included patients with AS who had received infliximab for 2 years as part of the ASSERT trial. After that period, rheumatologists were free to change the dose or the intervals of infliximab.

Antimicrobials: a global alliance for optimizing their rational use in intra-abdominal infections (AGORA).

Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are an important cause of morbidity and are frequently associated with poor prognosis, particularly in high-risk patients. The cornerstones in the management of complicated IAIs are timely effective source control with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Empiric antimicrobial therapy is important in the management of intra-abdominal infections and must be broad enough to cover all likely organisms because inappropriate initial antimicrobial therapy is associated with poor patient outcomes and the development of bacterial resistance.

Origins of thalamic and cortical projections to the posterior auditory field in congenitally deaf cats.

Crossmodal plasticity takes place following sensory loss, such that areas that normally process the missing modality are reorganized to provide compensatory function in the remaining sensory systems. For example, congenitally deaf cats outperform normal hearing animals on localization of visual stimuli presented in the periphery, and this advantage has been shown to be mediated by the posterior auditory field (PAF). In order to determine the nature of the anatomical differences that underlie this phenomenon, we injected a retrograde tracer into PAF of congenitally deaf animals and quantified the thalamic and cortical projections to this field.

Lung clearance index for monitoring early lung disease in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Patients with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) and a PI-ZZ genotype are at high risk to develop severe emphysema during adulthood. However, little is known about early stages of emphysema and disease manifestation in other PI-types. Spirometry is commonly used for monitoring although early manifestation of emphysema is suspected within the peripheral airways that are not accessible by forced expiratory manoeuvres.

Comparison of Audiological Results Between a Transcutaneous and a Percutaneous Bone Conduction Instrument in Conductive Hearing Loss.

Objectives: In conductive, mixed hearing losses and single-sided-deafness bone-anchored hearing aids are a well-established treatment. The transcutaneous transmission across the intact skin avoids the percutaneous abutment of a bone-anchored device with the usual risk of infections and requires less care.In this study, the audiological results of the Bonebridge transcutaneous bone conduction implant (MED-EL) are compared to the generally used percutaneous device BP100 (Cochlear Ltd.

Optimization of a Spectral Contrast Enhancement Algorithm for Cochlear Implants Based on a Vowel Identification Model.

Speech intelligibility achieved with cochlear implants (CIs) shows large variability across different users. One reason that can explain this variability is the CI user's individual electrode nerve interface which can impact the spectral resolution they can achieve. Spectral resolution has been reported to be related to vowel and consonant recognition in CI listeners.

Evaluation of Tigecycline Efficacy and Post-Discharge Outcomes in a Clinical Practice Population with Complicated Intra-Abdominal Infection: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Background: The utility of tigecycline as compared with other antibiotic therapies in the treatment of patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) and the short- and long-term outcomes of a large cohort of severely ill patients were examined. We provide the first published data on post-discharge events for these patients.

Methods: Retrospective data for the cIAI cohort were obtained from a large clinical database.

Neurocognitive factors in sensory restoration of early deafness: a connectome model.

Progress in biomedical technology (cochlear, vestibular, and retinal implants) has led to remarkable success in neurosensory restoration, particularly in the auditory system. However, outcomes vary considerably, even after accounting for comorbidity-for example, after cochlear implantation, some deaf children develop spoken language skills approaching those of their hearing peers, whereas other children fail to do so. Here, we review evidence that auditory deprivation has widespread effects on brain development, affecting the capacity to process information beyond the auditory system.

Spectral contrast enhancement improves speech intelligibility in noise for cochlear implants.

Spectral smearing causes, at least partially, that cochlear implant (CI) users require a higher signal-to-noise ratio to obtain the same speech intelligibility as normal hearing listeners. A spectral contrast enhancement (SCE) algorithm has been designed and evaluated as an additional feature for a standard CI strategy. The algorithm keeps the most prominent peaks within a speech signal constant while attenuating valleys in the spectrum.

Indication of direct acoustical cochlea stimulation in comparison to cochlear implants.

The new implantable hearing system Codacs™ was designed to close the treatment gap between active middle ear implants and cochlear implants in cases of severe-to-profound mixed hearing loss. The Codacs™ actuator is attached to conventional stapes prosthesis during the implantation and thereby provides acoustical stimulation through a stapedotomy to the cochlea. Cochlear implants (CIs) on the other hand are an established treatment option for profoundly deaf patients including mixed hearing losses that are possible candidates for the Codacs™.

The importance of source control in the management of severe skin and soft tissue infections.

Purpose Of Review: Recent studies mainly deal with the relevance of antibiotics in the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) with or without sepsis. The impact of surgical source control for severely ill patients with sepsis is underrepresented in the literature. This review tries to add new information on this topic.

MAPK-Activated Protein Kinases (MKs): Novel Insights and Challenges.

Downstream of MAPKs, such as classical/atypical ERKs and p38 MAPKs, but not of JNKs, signaling is often mediated by protein kinases which are phosphorylated and activated by MAPKs and, therefore, designated MAPK-activated protein kinases (MAPKAPKs). Recently, novel insights into the specificity of the assembly of MAPK/MAPKAPK hetero-dimeric protein kinase signaling complexes have been gained. In addition, new functional aspects of MKs have been described and established functions have been challenged.

Electrophoretic deposition of ligand-free platinum nanoparticles on neural electrodes affects their impedance in vitro and in vivo with no negative effect on reactive gliosis.

Background: Electrodes for neural stimulation and recording are used for the treatment of neurological disorders. Their features critically depend on impedance and interaction with brain tissue. The effect of surface modification on electrode impedance was examined in vitro and in vivo after intracranial implantation in rats.

Large-scale Survey of the Impact of Complementary Medicine on Side-effects of Adjuvant Hormone Therapy in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background/aim: The present clinical investigation was performed to confirm the benefit of complementary medicine in patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant hormone therapy (HT).

Patients And Methods: The patients (n=1561) were treated according to international guidelines. All patients suffered from arthralgia and mucosal dryness induced by the adjuvant HT.

Deeper Cochlear Implant Electrode Insertion Angle Improves Detection of Musical Sound Quality Deterioration Related to Bass Frequency Removal.

Background: Cochlear implant (CI) electrode arrays typically do not reach the most apical regions of the cochlea that intrinsically encode low frequencies. This may contribute to diminished implant-mediated musical sound quality perception. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of varying degrees of apical cochlear stimulation (measured by angular insertion depth) on musical sound quality discrimination.

Electro-Mechanical Stimulation of the Cochlea by Vibrating Cochlear Implant Electrodes.

Introduction: Electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) of the cochlea uses the preserved residual low-frequency hearing for acoustic stimulation in combination with electrical stimulation. The acoustic low-frequency component is amplified and high-frequency hearing is enhanced by a cochlear implant (CI). In this work, the feasibility of EAS by the floating mass transducers (FMTs) firmly attached to the implanted electrode was investigated and the achieved stapes displacement was compared with sound stimulation.

Cerebral glucose metabolism in adults with neurofibromatosis type 1.

Previous studies with positron emission tomography (PET) and the glucose analog F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) suggest reduced cerebral glucose metabolism in NF1 specifically in the thalamus. The latter is distinguished by extensive neural circuitry connections which makes thalamic hypoactivity in NF1 an interesting finding. Yet it is not very well confirmed, since previous studies were limited by small sample size and/or poorly matched control groups.

WSES guidelines for management of Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients.

In the last two decades there have been dramatic changes in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), with increases in incidence and severity of disease in many countries worldwide. The incidence of CDI has also increased in surgical patients. Optimization of management of C difficile, has therefore become increasingly urgent.

Subdural Hematoma and Oral Anticoagulation: A Therapeutic Dilemma from the Neurosurgical Point of View.

Background: Oral anticoagulation is a common prophylactic therapy for several diseases with a high thromboembolic risk. Such medication harbors a possible hemorrhage risk, with a special risk for subdural hematoma (SDH). The safety and efficacy of resumption of oral anticoagulation versus long-term discontinuation has not been fully clarified in patients who experienced SDH while under treatment with oral anticoagulation.

Weight-based antibiotic dosing in a real-world European study of complicated skin and soft-tissue infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

We aimed to characterize real-world dosing of weight-based intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy in patients hospitalized for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) complicated skin and soft-tissue infections (cSSTIs). This was a subgroup analysis of a retrospective chart review that captured data from 12 European countries. The study included patients ≥18 years old, hospitalized with an MRSA cSSTI between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2011 and discharged alive by 31 July 2011.

Comparison of vancomycin and linezolid in patients with peripheral vascular disease and/or diabetes in an observational European study of complicated skin and soft-tissue infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Suboptimal antibiotic penetration into soft tissues can occur in patients with poor circulation due to peripheral vascular disease (PVD) or diabetes. We conducted a real-world analysis of antibiotic treatment, hospital resource use and clinical outcomes in patients with PVD and/or diabetes receiving linezolid or vancomycin for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus complicated skin and soft-tissue infections (MRSA cSSTIs) across Europe. This subgroup analysis evaluated data obtained from a retrospective, observational medical chart review study that captured patient data from 12 European countries.