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Objective(s): The ADHEAR is a novel non-implantable bone conduction hearing system, in which audio processor is connected directly to the skin via a special Adhesive Adapter that is placed behind the ear. It is intended for treatment of patients with conductive hearing loss. The ojbective of this acute clinical study was to assess the audiological efficacy with this hearing. Material and Methods: Material of this study consists of five native Polish adults with uni- or bilateral conductive hearing loss. Unaided and two aided conditions with the ADHEAR and the BC device on softband will be compared using the following tests: (1) Sound field audiometry with warble tones. (2) Speech in quiet by determining the word recognition score and speech reception threshold (SRT50) in sound field with Polish monosyllables. (3) Speech in noise by determining the SRT50 in sound field using the Polish Matrix Test with speech and noise coming from the front. Results and Conclusions: Preliminary results of pilot tests showed comparable performance between the ADHEAR and a bone conduction hearing device on a softband. The new bone conduction hearing device ADHEAR as a nonimplantable solution could be a good alternative to the other bone conduction hearing devices and shows comparable audiological benefit in patients with pure conductive hearing loss. It seems that the ADHEAR can be a good solution for patients with small mastoids, especially for babies and children, who are waiting for surgical procedure or are not suitable for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was based on a three-factor experiment carried out since 1980 on a loamy sand (Albic Luvisol) in which arable crops were grown in two 4-years rotations: RotA (grain maize, winter wheat, spring barley and silage maize) and RotB [grain maize, winter wheat plus mustard green manure (GM), spring barley and grass-clover ley (GCL)]. The soil in RotB with an increased input of OM (GM and 1-year GCL) accumulated significantly larger amounts of soil organic carbon and soil microbial biomass C, had higher activities of dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase enzymes and gave significantly higher winter wheat grain yields compared to the soil in RotA. However, in the absence of liming, the soil in RotB, contrary to that in RotA, became more acidic, had reduced activity of alkaline phosphatase and lower contents of Ca and Mg, and contained a diminished proportion of the >0.5 mm macroaggregates fraction. These soil deteriorative effects of crop rotations delivering larger amounts of OM have not been reported so far. In both rotations FYM applied once per 4-year rotation at 40 Mg ha−1 improved all the tested soil properties and had mitigating effects on the negative changes found in the soil of RotB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]