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Background. The Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire (BMRQ) questionnaire investigates the main facets of music experience that could explain the variance observed in how people experience reward associated with music. Currently, only English and Spanish versions of this questionnaire are available. The objective of this study is to validate a French version of the BMRQ. Methods. The original BMRQ was translated and adapted into an international French version. The questionnaire was then administered through an online survey aimed at adults aged over 18 years who were fluent in French. Statistical analyses were performed and compared to the original English and Spanish version for validation purposes. Results. A total of 1,027 participants completed the questionnaire. Most responses were obtained from France (89.4%). Analyses revealed that congruence values between the rotated loading matrix and the ideal loading matrix ranged between 0.88 and 0.96. Factor reliabilities of subscales (i.e., Musical Seeking, Emotion Evocation, Mood Regulation, Social Reward and Sensory-Motor) also ranged between 0.88 and 0.96. In addition, reliability of the overall factor score (i.e., Music reward) was 0.91. Finally, the internal consistency of the overall scale was 0.85. The factorial structure obtained in the French translation was similar to that of the original Spanish and English samples. Conclusion. The French version of the BMRQ appears valid and reliable. Potential applications of the BMRQ include its use as a valuable tool in music reward and emotion research, whether in healthy individuals or in patients suffering from a wide variety of cognitive, neurologic and auditory disorders.

Native bees augment pollination services in the Northern Hemisphere, especially cultivated apple crops, yet Southern Hemisphere contexts are poorly known. We observed the foraging behaviour of 69 354 invertebrate flower visitors in Australian orchards (two regions, 3 years) to assess the efficacy of pollination service (Peff). Native stingless bees and introduced honey bees were the most abundant visitors and most efficacious pollinators (Tetragonula Peff = 6.16; Apis Peff = 13.02), with Tetragonula becoming important service providers above 22°C. However, visits by tree-nesting stingless bees decreased with distance from native forest (less than 200 m) and their tropical/subtropical distribution precludes pollination service in other major Australian apple-producing regions. More broadly distributed native allodapine and halictine bees transferred the most pollen per-visit, but their low abundances reduce efficacies (Exoneura Peff = 0.03; Lasioglossum Peff = 0.06), resulting in a general dependence on honey bees. This reliance is a burden of biogeography, since key Northern Hemisphere pollinators of apple (Andrena, Apis, Bombus, Osmia) do not naturally occur in Australasia—where there is only 15% generic overlap with Central Asian bees sympatric with wild apple distributions (cf. Palaearctic 66% and Nearctic 46% generic overlaps). The historical biogeography of bees therefore drives an extreme dependence on one introduced species for apple pollination in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supporting and promoting invertebrate diversity within agricultural ecosystems has numerous benefits, including the provision of pollination services. Many insects, including wild pollinators, require floral resources for food and structural habitat for nesting. To support pollinators, research studies and agri‐environment schemes have sought to supplement floral resources, but little is known about the value of different types of nesting habitat enhancements (e.g., trap‐nests or bee hotels). We deployed eight replicates of each of three types (bamboo reed, hardwood block and sand/cement brick) of trap‐nests at five orchards in two apple and cherry growing regions (Bilpin and Orange) in Australia. Both reed and hardwood block trap‐nests attracted a diverse array of invertebrates, such as ants, wasps, spiders and bees, including a cleptoparasitic bee species (Thyreus sp.) not previously recorded in the region. Interestingly, two taxa of native bees (Megachile [Megachile] and Megachile [Eutricharaea]) used the artificial nests and were also observed visiting apple crops. There were significantly more native bees using trap‐nests in Orange (n = 65), where orchards are surrounded by agricultural landscapes, than in Bilpin (n = 2), where orchards are surrounded by native forests. Our findings show that artificial nest enhancements are used by native bees, as well as other nontarget invertebrate taxa, some of which can be predators of bees (ants, wasps, and spiders). Nesting habitat augmentation thus has potential to be used as a conservation tool, especially in areas where nesting sites are limited. However, future studies should also consider measures to reduce colonization by non‐target taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-flowering plants can experience an array of interactions, ranging from facilitation to competition, the direction and strength of which are often dependent on the relative abundance and diversity of the plant species involved and the foraging behavior of their pollinators. Understanding interactions between plant–pollinator networks and how they change over time is particularly important within agricultural systems, such as apples, that flower en masse and that also contain non-crop co-flowering species both within the farm and the surrounding landscape. We determined the degree of overlap between pollinator networks on two varieties of apple (Granny Smith and Pink Lady) and co-flowering plant species within orchards and the wider vegetation matrix in two apple-growing regions (Orange and Bilpin) in Australia. We surveyed plant–pollinator interactions at key stages of the cropping cycle: before mass flowering; during king, peak and late blooms; and, finally, once apple flowering had finished. Overall, we found considerable overlap in the flower visitor assemblage on apples and co-flowering species within the orchard. The introduced honeybee (Apis mellifera) was the most frequent flower visitor to all three vegetation types at all times in Orange. However, in Bilpin, both a native stingless bee (Tetragonula carbonaria) and A. mellifera were highly frequent visitors, both on- and off-crop. Numerous native bees, flies and Lepidoptera also commonly visited apple and co-flowering species within orchards in both locations. We found that native-bee and honeybee visitation to apple flowers was positively correlated with co-flowering species richness (within the orchard and the wider matrix); however, visitation by native bees decreased as the area of co-flowering species in the surrounding landscape increased. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining diverse co-flowering plant communities within the local landscape to increase and support a wide variety of pollinators in horticultural production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/Hypothesis: To determine the impact of vestibular schwannoma (VS) position relative to the internal auditory canal (IAC) on postoperative facial nerve function and extent of surgical resection. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: Retrospective review of patients undergoing resection of large (≥25 mm) VSs. Outcome measures included early (≤1 month) facial function, long‐term (≥1 year) facial function and extent of resection. Tumor measurements included the greatest dimension, dimension anterior to the IAC axis, dimension posterior to the IAC axis, and a ratio of posterior‐to‐anterior dimension (PA ratio). Results: A total of 127 patients met inclusion criteria. In early follow‐up, 60% patients had good (House‐Brackmann I–II), and 40% patients had poor (House‐Brackmann III–VI) facial function. In long‐term follow‐up, 71% patients had good, and 29% patients had poor facial function. A total of 72% of patients underwent gross total resection (GTR) of their tumors. Patients with good facial function had significantly larger PA ratios than patients with poor function both early and long term; however, greatest dimension was the more clearly significant independent predictor of facial outcomes. A larger PA ratio was observed in patients in whom GTR was achieved, but this association was potentially confounded by surgeon preferences and was not statistically significant after controlling for surgical site. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that VS position relative to the IAC axis can be used along with tumor size to predict postoperative facial outcomes. A greater proportion of tumor posterior to the IAC axis was associated with significantly better facial outcomes. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 132:1093–1098, 2022 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine whether simple mobility assessments can predict functional limitations and length of hospitalization after acoustic neuroma (AN) resection.Study Design: Prospective case series.Methods: A prospective clinical study of adult patients undergoing AN resection by either the translabyrinthine, retrosigmoid, or middle fossa approach was conducted at a tertiary center. Preoperative mobility assessments included the functional gait assessment (FGA) and the 10-m walk (10 MW). Postoperatively, the Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AMPAC, at 48 hours), FGA, and 10 MW (at 1 week) were obtained. Demographic and medical data were collected.Results: One hundred and thirty-eight patients were analyzed (mean age: 48.3 years, 68.8% female). Mean length of stay (LOS) was 3.1 days. The translabyrinthine approach was most commonly performed (48.6%). On regression analyses, preoperative FGA (P = 0.03) and 48-hour postoperative AM-PAC (P < 0.001) independently predicted LOS, even after accounting for age, gender, body mass index, and tumor size. On receiver operating characteristic analysis, a preoperative FGA cut score of 25.5 predicted a protracted hospital stay (>4 days) with a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 50% (area under curve: 68.5).Conclusion: This study demonstrated that preoperative mobility assessments can predict functional limitations and LOS after AN resection. These objective tools can be used by clinicians to manage expectations and guide preoperative counseling in patients considering surgery.Level Of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:644-648, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flies (Diptera) are one of the most important groups of insect pollinators. Families Bombyliidae (bee flies) and Syrphidae (hover flies) are globally distributed with aproximately 5000 and 6200 described species, respectively. Many studies have attempted to quantify Syrphidae diversity in natural and agricultural environments, due to their perceived value as pollinators, decomposers of organic waste and agents of pest control. However, to date, there have been only two studies of Syrphidae communities in Australia, both of which focused on arable crops. Meanwhile, there have been very few studies of Bombyliidae diversity and none in Australia, despite the fact that bombyliid diversity can be high, far exceeding that of Syrphidae in some ecosystems. We aimed to learn more about Australia's anthophilous Diptera and their diversity in agricultural and native ecosystems. Using a combination of pan trapping and observation plot surveys, we assessed bombyliid and syrphid diversity at Bilpin, New South Wales, Australia, an important horticultural area within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Five syrphid species made up 62% of all individuals collected, while 22 species made up the remaining 32%, including nine species of Bombyliidae. The hover fly Melangyna viridiceps alone accounted for a third of all captured specimens. The larvae of the five most commonly encountered species are all aphidophagous. As such, aphidophagous species appear to be numerically dominant, and this is consistent with previous studies in south‐east Australian agroecosystems. M. viridiceps and Triglyphus fulvicornis were frequent visitors to flowering fruit trees and may therefore contribute to the pollination of these crops. However, most visited flowers were introduced weeds or escaped crop plants. The maintenance of diverse floral resources, which may include weeds, is important for sustaining populations of aphidophagous Syrphidae, which may contribute to both pollination and pest control. As a consequence, we recommend a more tolerant approach to weed management in orchards to better facilitate the ecosystem services provided by Diptera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern imaging techniques allow early detection of small vestibular schwannomas (VSs) with minimal or no hearing impairment. While controversy surrounds the management of these tumors, given their benign nature and unpredictable natural history, microsurgical excision is the only modality that offers the opportunity to cure the tumor and preserve hearing. Hearing preservation in VS surgery may be accomplished via the middle fossa or retrosigmoid approaches. Appropriate patient selection and surgical approach is critical in achieving the best hearing outcomes. This article highlights the preoperative assessment, patient selection and prognostic factors, intraoperative monitoring of hearing, and surgical approaches to optimize hearing preservation during VS removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tophaceous gout of the middle ear is a rare occurrence that presents as a granular white-colored mass. It is frequently misdiagnosed as cholesteatoma or tympanosclerosis in patients who otherwise may not manifest any clinical or biochemical signs of gout. While uncommon, it can lead to clinically significant disease such as conductive hearing loss. The present report describes 2 cases of middle ear gouty tophi initially mistaken for another entity. Both patients underwent surgery, and the diagnosis of gout was revealed after final histopathological analysis. A review of the literature is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives (1) To compare the accuracy of 2 previously validated mobile-based hearing tests in determining pure tone thresholds and screening for hearing loss. (2) To determine the accuracy of mobile audiometry in noisy environments through noise reduction strategies. Study Design Prospective clinical study. Setting Tertiary hospital. Subjects and Methods Thirty-three adults with or without hearing loss were tested (mean age, 49.7 years; women, 42.4%). Air conduction thresholds measured as pure tone average and at individual frequencies were assessed by conventional audiogram and by 2 audiometric applications (consumer and professional) on a tablet device. Mobile audiometry was performed in a quiet sound booth and in a noisy sound booth (50 dB of background noise) through active and passive noise reduction strategies. Results On average, 91.1% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 89.1%-93.2%) and 95.8% (95% CI, 93.5%-97.1%) of the threshold values obtained in a quiet sound booth with the consumer and professional applications, respectively, were within 10 dB of the corresponding audiogram thresholds, as compared with 86.5% (95% CI, 82.6%-88.5%) and 91.3% (95% CI, 88.5%-92.8%) in a noisy sound booth through noise cancellation. When screening for at least moderate hearing loss (pure tone average >40 dB HL), the consumer application showed a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5% and 95.9%, respectively, and the professional application, 100% and 95.9%. Overall, patients preferred mobile audiometry over conventional audiograms. Conclusion Mobile audiometry can correctly estimate pure tone thresholds and screen for moderate hearing loss. Noise reduction strategies in mobile audiometry provide a portable effective solution for hearing assessments outside clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/hypothesis: Trigeminal sensation (TS) within the nasal cavity is important for the perception of nasal airflow. The objective of this study is to examine whether impaired TS contributes to the sensation of nasal obstruction in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).Study Design: Prospective case-control study conducted in a tertiary referral rhinology clinic.Methods: Cases consisted of CRS patients with subjective nasal obstruction, not previously treated with oral corticoids. Controls consisted of patients without CRS. Neither group demonstrated obvious anatomical obstructions. Both groups underwent peak nasal inspiratory flows (PNIF), olfactory testing (quick eight-item odor identification test), and trigeminal testing (lateralization task using eucalyptol and odorless solvent).Results: A total of 28 subjects (14 CRS patients and 14 controls) were recruited. Analyses revealed no statistical differences in age (P = .93), gender (P = .47), or PNIF (P = .82) between the two groups, but they differed in Lund-Mackay scores (P < .001). There was no significant difference in olfactory testing (P = .15). CRS patients had significantly lower scores on trigeminal lateralization testing than controls (P = .007). Linear regression revealed that Lund-Mackay scores contributed a significant amount of variance to trigeminal lateralization scores, controlling for age and sex (F = 5.93, P = .004, R(2) = 0.43).Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate that patients with CRS have lower TS than healthy controls. Our results suggest defective TS could play a role in the sensation of nasal obstruction in CRS.Level Of Evidence: 3b. Laryngoscope, 126:E174-E178, 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of the pretreatment inflammatory markers platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with HNSCC at McGill University Health Center from 2000 to 2011 (273 patients were retained). Hematologic parameters were recorded within 4 weeks of diagnosis. Mortality and recurrence rates were compared according to various PLR and NLR thresholds. Results Of the total patients, 20.5% died and 11.0% had disease recurrence. PLR >170 was associated with higher mortality ( p = .008). The subgroup with a combination of PLR >170 and NLR ≤3.0 was associated with higher T classification and highest mortality (43%). NLR above 4.2 predicted higher rates of recurrence ( p < .0001). The NLR/PLR combination was at least as good as TNM staging in predicting survival. Conclusion PLR is an independent predictor of mortality; NLR is an independent predictor of recurrence in HNSCC. These parameters might be used to identify advanced stages rapidly and economically. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 103-110, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Predicting locoregional metastasis in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) is a challenge for thyroid cancer surgeons. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has been shown to be an effective predictive tool. To our knowledge, primary tumor (T) classification has yet to be studied with regard to SLNB. We hypothesized that larger primary tumors would correlate with the rate of malignancy in SLNBs. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients operated for WDTC at the McGill Thyroid Cancer Center over a 36-month period. Patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy and SLNB for WDTC were included in this study. Results: A total of 311 patients were included and separated into two groups (236 negative and 75 positive SLNBs). Among patients with negative SLNBs, 65% had T1 primary tumors, 17% T2, 16% T3, and 2% T4, whereas 18% of patients with positive SLNBs had T1 primary tumors, 5% T2, 45% T3, and 32% T4 ( p<0.001). Patients under the age of 45 years had a higher rate of positive SLNs (36% in those <45 years vs. 17% in those ≥45 years; p<0.001). Conclusions: Age (<45 years) and higher T category were found to be associated with a higher rate of positive SLNBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Determine the prevalence of asthma in children who underwent rigid bronchoscopy (RB) for a suspected foreign body aspiration (sFBA) in the tracheobronchial tree, and to identify characteristics of patients who could benefit from a trial of anti‐asthma treatment prior to undergoing a diagnostic bronchoscopy. Method: Retrospective chart review of children with sFBA in the tracheobronchial tree who underwent RB at the Montreal Children's Hospital (2001‐2009). Patient characteristics such as delay between initial choking episode and first otolaryngology evaluation, clinical findings, radiologic findings, bronchoscopic findings, and history of asthma were analyzed. Results: A total of 55 children underwent a RB for sFBA. Foreign bodies (FB) were found in 36 of these, one of which was asthmatic (2.78%, P <. 05). In the 19 children who had a negative bronchoscopy (no FB), four were asthmatics (21.1%, P <. 05). The mean time from the suspected initial choking event to the first otolaryngology evaluation was 27 days in asthmatics (range, 5 hours‐90 days; median, 14 days), whereas it was 7.2 days in nonasthmatics (range, 0.5 hours‐120 days; median, 16 hours). Otherwise, clinical and radiological findings were not significantly different in the asthmatic and non‐asthmatic groups. Conclusion: Asthmatic children with sFBA are significantly more likely to have a negative bronchoscopy than non‐asthmatics, especially when there is a delay between the suspected choking episode and the first otolaryngology evaluation. Therefore, a trial of anti‐asthma treatment prior to performing a diagnostic bronchoscopy in this subgroup of patients is justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a cohort study which suggests that there is no significant difference found in survival of laryngeal cancer patients with or without cartilage sclerosis after computerized tomography (CT) scan. It states the primary radiation therapy was used for the treatment of laryngeal cancer patients. It states that Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional-hazards regression were used for univariate and multivariate analyses during the study.

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This article discusses political aspects and themes of identity in Maltese theater. The author notes how Malta's autonomy has affected Maltese drama and discusses the history of Maltese theater, including its role as an element of cultural celebrations such as Carnival and how European influence and British colonialism introduced theater to Malta. She discusses how the use of the Maltese language in plays spurred the development of Maltese national identity and comments on the popularity of opera among different social classes of Malta. Maltese theater companies included the Maleth company and L-Indipendenza. The author notes the contributions of playwright Francis Ebejer to Maltese theater.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue including one on abused undocumented immigrant women in the U.S. who self-petition for legal status under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), another on problems of abused immigrant women and a content analysis of newspaper articles about intimate partner homicides.