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A FDA clinical trial was carried out to evaluate the potential benefit of cochlear implant (CI) use for adults with unilateral moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. Subjects were 20 adults with moderate-to-profound unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and normal or near-normal hearing on the other side. A MED-EL standard electrode was implanted in the impaired ear. Outcome measures included: (a) sound localization on the horizontal plane (11 positions, −90° to 90°), (b) word recognition in quiet with the CI alone, and (c) masked sentence recognition with the target at 0° and the masker at −90°, 0°, or 90°. This battery was completed preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after CI activation. Normative data were also collected for 20 age-matched control subjects with normal or near-normal hearing bilaterally. The CI improved localization accuracy and reduced side bias. Word recognition with the CI alone was similar to performance of traditional CI recipients. The CI improved masked sentence recognition when the masker was presented from the front or from the side of normal or near-normal hearing. The binaural benefits observed with the CI increased between the 1- and 3-month intervals but appeared stable thereafter. In contrast to previous reports on localization and speech perception in patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, CI benefits were consistently observed across individual subjects, and performance was at asymptote by the 3-month test interval. Cochlear implant settings, consistent CI use, and short duration of deafness could play a role in this result.

Purpose: Three experiments were carried out to evaluate the low-frequency pitch perception of adults with unilateral hearing loss who received a cochlear implant (CI). Method: Participants were recruited from a cohort of CI users with unilateral hearing loss and normal hearing in the contralateral ear. First, low-frequency pitch perception was assessed for the 5 most apical electrodes at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after CI activation using an adaptive pitch-matching task. Participants listened with a coding strategy that presents low-frequency temporal fine structure (TFS) and compared the pitch to that of an acoustic target presented to the normal hearing ear. Next, participants listened with an envelope-only, continuous interleaved sampling strategy. Pitch perception was compared between coding strategies to assess the influence of TFS cues on lowfrequency pitch perception. Finally, participants completed a vocal pitch-matching task to corroborate the results obtained with the adaptive pitch-matching task. Results: Pitch matches roughly corresponded to electrode center frequencies (CFs) in the CI map. Adaptive pitch matches exceeded the CF for the most apical electrode, an effect that was larger for continuous interleaved sampling than TFS. Vocal pitch matches were variable but correlated with the CF of the 3 most apical electrodes. There was no evidence that pitch matches changed between the 1- and 12-month intervals. Conclusions: Relatively accurate and asymptotic pitch perception was observed at the 1-month interval, indicating either very rapid acclimatization or the provision of familiar place and rate cues. Early availability of appropriate pitch cues could have played a role in the early improvements in localization and masked speech recognition previously observed in this cohort.

Purpose: The Minimum Speech Test Battery (MSTB) for adults was introduced in 1996 (Nilsson et al., 1996) and subsequently updated in 2011 (Advanced-Bionics et al., 2011). The MSTB has been widely used by clinicians as a guide for cochlear implant (CI) candidacy evaluations and to document post-operative speech recognition performance. Due to changes in candidacy over the past 10 years, a revision to the MSTB was needed. Method: In 2022, the Institute for Cochlear Implant Training (ICIT) recruited a panel of expert CI audiologists to update and revise the MSTB. This panel utilized a modified Delphi consensus process to revise the test battery and to improve its applicability considering recent changes in CI care. Results: This resulted in the MTSB--Version 3 (MSTB-3), which includes test protocols for identifying not only traditional CI candidates but also possible candidates for electric--acoustic stimulation and patients with single-sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss. The MSTB-3 provides information that supplements the earlier versions of the MSTB, such as recommendations of when to refer patients for a CI, recommended patient-reported outcome measures, considerations regarding the use of cognitive screeners, and sample report templates for clinical documentation of pre- and post-operative care. Electronic versions of test stimuli, along with all the materials described above, will be available to clinicians via the ICIT website (https://www.cochlearimplanttraining.com). Conclusion: The goal of the MSTB-3 is to be an evidence-based test battery that will facilitate a streamlined standard of care for adult CI candidates and recipients that will be widely used by CI clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measured the psychosocial development of college students with and without learning disabilities using the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Inventory. Found significant differences between groups in terms of their academic autonomy and mature interpersonal relationships. (EV)

A multiple case study investigation is reported in which emotions and performance were assessed within the probabilistic individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF) model (Kamata, Tenenbaum, & Hanin, 2002) to develop idiosyncratic emotion-performance profiles. These profiles were incorporated into a psychological skills training (PST) intervention, with a focus on three emotional dimensions, that is, arousal, pleasantness, and functionality, and several psychological strategies employed during practice and competition. Two female varsity golfers at a major Division I university in the Southeast participated in the case study during the Spring 2002 season. The PST intervention resulted in enhanced emotional self-regulation skills and improved golf performance. Directions for future research into the IZOF model and implications for practical application of the model are discussed. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

Results show that the erythromycin biosynthetic gene (ery) cluster of Saccharopolyspora erythraea is composed of four major polycistronic transcriptional units with the largest 35kb long. The data for seven ery cluster promoter transcription start sites are also presented.

Research was conducted to examine the development of an electrotransformation protocol that is applicable to all strains of Saccharopolyspora erythraea. The method was also used for the introduction of DNA into other actinomycetes which includes Streptomyces rimosus, Saccharopolyspora hirsuta and Streptomyces lividans. The protocol appears to have general utility for the molecular genetic manipulation of this class of filamentous microorganisms.

During the past year, the SLD collaboration completed the construction and began the operation of a new vertex detector (VXD3) employing 307 million pixels. This detector, based on 96 CCDs of 13 [cm.sup.2] area each, is an upgrade of the original vertex detector of SLD (VXD2), made possible by advances in the technology of CCD detectors. Its improved impact parameter resolution, larger solid angle coverage and virtually error0free track linking will enhance the SLD measurement of the polarization-enhanced forward-backward asymmetry for band c- quarks, increase the precision of the measurement of the b-fraction in hadronic Z decays, and open the possibility to observe [Mathematical Expression Omitted]-mixing. Full separation of primary, secondary and tertiary vertices is accessible. A description of the mechanics and electronics of VXD3 are presented along with results from the first data.

Transposon mutagenesis is a new molecular tool that is increasingly being used in bacterial genetics research. In a study of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G20, site-specific insertion of transposon Tn7 into sites identified in other gram-negative bacteria created a mutation in the tnsD gene. Inactivation of this gene resulted in the transposition of a derivative of Tn7. Other transposons which exhibited this activity were the derivatives of Tn5 but not wild-type Tn5.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To identify barriers to and opportunities for referral among children who could be considered for cochlear implantation. Study Design: Retrospective review. Methods: Audiological and medical records were reviewed on all children who had diagnostic or hearing aid care through a statewide healthcare system over 5‐year span to identify children who met newly established clinical cochlear implant (CI) referral criteria. Data were collected for 869 potential CI candidates regarding demographic, socio‐economic, audiological, medical, and family factors that may influence referral. A binomial logistic regression was completed to investigate the potential contributions of these predictors toward referral for a CI evaluation. Results: Children who met traditional candidacy criteria of severe‐to‐profound bilateral hearing loss were referred at very high rates, while nontraditional candidates were referred less frequently. Factors influencing referral included race, age, insurance source, hearing thresholds, audiologist, physician, and family request. Conclusions: Results suggest that bilateral traditional candidates are being referred at high percentages; however, current practices and trends in pediatric cochlear implantation should be shared with families and providers to increase referral rates for nontraditional candidates. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:E2904–E2910, 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/hypothesis: Speech recognition with a cochlear implant (CI) tends to be better for younger adults than older adults. However, older adults may take longer to reach asymptotic performance than younger adults. The present study aimed to characterize speech recognition as a function of age at implantation and listening experience for adult CI users.Study Design: Retrospective review.Methods: A retrospective review identified 352 adult CI recipients (387 ears) with at least 5 years of device listening experience. Speech recognition, as measured with consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) words in quiet and AzBio sentences in a 10-talker noise masker (10 dB signal-to-noise ratio), was reviewed at 1, 5, and 10 years postactivation.Results: Speech recognition was better in younger listeners, and performance was stable or continued to improve through 10 years of CI listening experience. There was no indication of differences in acclimatization as a function of age at implantation. For the better performing CI recipients, an effect of age at implantation was more apparent for sentence recognition in noise than for word recognition in quiet.Conclusions: Adult CI recipients across the age range examined here experience speech recognition benefit with a CI. However, older adults perform more poorly than young adults for speech recognition in quiet and noise, with similar age effects through 5 to 10 years of listening experience.Level Of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:2106-2111, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background To compare the efficacy and safety of budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort®) with formoterol (Oxis®) in the treatment of patients with acute asthma who showed evidence of refractoriness to short-acting β2-agonist therapy. Methods In a 3 hour, randomized, double-blind study, a total of 115 patients with acute asthma (mean FEV1 40% of predicted normal) and a refractory response to salbutamol (mean reversibility 2% of predicted normal after inhalation of 400 μg), were randomized to receive either budesonide/formoterol (320/9 μg, 2 inhalations at t = -5 minutes and 2 inhalations at 0 minutes [total dose 1280/36 μg]) or formoterol (9 μg, 2 inhalations at t = -5 minutes and 2 inhalations at 0 minutes [total dose 36 μg]). The primary efficacy variable was the average FEV1 from the first intake of study medication to the measurement at 90 minutes. Secondary endpoints included changes in FEV1 at other timepoints and change in respiratory rate at 180 minutes. Treatment success, treatment failure and patient assessment of the effectiveness of the study medication were also measured. Results FEV1 increased after administration of the study medication in both treatment groups. No statistically significant difference between the treatment groups was apparent for the primary outcome variable, or for any of the other efficacy endpoints. There were no statistically significant between-group differences for treatment success, treatment failure or patient assessment of medication effectiveness. Both treatments were well tolerated. Conclusion Budesonide/formoterol and formoterol provided similarly rapid relief of acute bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma who showed evidence of refractoriness to a short-acting β2-agonist.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Results from a prospective trial demonstrated better speech recognition for cochlear implant (CI) recipients implanted with a long lateral wall electrode array compared to subjects with a short array after 1 year of listening experience. As short array recipients may require an extended adaptation period, this study investigated whether differences in speech recognition continued through 4 years of CI use. Study Design Long‐term follow‐up of a prospective randomized trial. Methods: Subjects were randomized to receive a MED‐EL medium (24 mm) or standard (31.5 mm) array. Linear mixed models compared speech recognition between cohorts with word recognition in quiet and sentence recognition in noise at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 months postactivation. Postoperative imaging and electric frequency filters were reviewed to assess the influence of frequency‐to‐place mismatch and angular separation between neighboring contacts, a metric associated with peripheral spectral selectivity. Results: Long (31.5 mm) array recipients demonstrated superior speech recognition out to 4 years postactivation. There was a significant effect of angular separation between contacts, with more closely spaced contacts associated with poorer speech recognition. There was no significant effect of mismatch, yet this may have been obscured by changes in frequency filters over time. Conclusions: Conventional MED‐EL CI recipients implanted with 31.5‐mm arrays experience better speech recognition than 24‐mm array recipients, initially and with long‐term listening experience. The benefit conferred by longer arrays in the present cohort can be partially attributed to more widely spaced electrode contacts, presumably a result of reduced channel interaction. Level of Evidence: 2 Laryngoscope, 131:892–897, 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/Hypothesis: To evaluate speech perception outcomes and hearing preservation after cochlear implantation in patients with Meniere's disease (MD). Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: Fifty‐one adult patients, accounting for a total of 63 implants, with MD treated at a tertiary care center were included in the study. Patients with unaided preoperative air‐conduction thresholds ≤80 dB at 250 Hz were included in hearing preservation analyses. The primary outcome measure was Consonant‐Nucleus‐Consonant (CNC) score. Hearing preservation was assessed as follows: 1) maintenance of functional hearing, defined as a postoperative unaided air‐conduction threshold ≤80 dB at 250 Hz and 2) low‐frequency pure‐tone average (LFPTA) shift. Results: Speech perception scores improved significantly postimplantation; specifically, the CNC mean score was 9% preoperatively and increased to 57% by 1 year postoperatively (P <.001). Eighteen ears were included in hearing preservation analysis; the mean preoperative LFPTA was 65 dB (standard deviation [SD] = 10). The mean postoperative LFPTA at activation was 93 dB (SD = 21), and at 1 year was 102 dB (SD = 11). Twenty‐seven percent of patients achieved short‐term functional hearing preservation, whereas the longer‐term outcomes were less favorable (11%). Conclusions: Speech perception scores improve after implantation in patients with MD. Hearing preservation is possible in patients with MD, albeit at lower rates than reported non‐MD populations. Our data suggest that there can be degradation in acoustic hearing over time. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prospective clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of cochlear implantation in adults with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL). Twenty subjects with mild-to-moderate hearing loss in the better ear and moderate-to-profound hearing loss in the poorer ear underwent cochlear implantation of the poorer hearing ear. Subjects were evaluated preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-activation. Preoperative performance was evaluated unaided, with traditional hearing aids (HAs) or with a bone-conduction HA. Post-activation performance was evaluated with the cochlear implant (CI) alone or in combination with a contralateral HA (bimodal). Test measures included subjective benefit, word recognition, and spatial hearing (i.e., localization and masked sentence recognition). Significant subjective benefit was reported as early as the 1-month interval, indicating better performance with the CI compared with the preferred preoperative condition. Aided word recognition with the CI alone was significantly improved at the 1-month interval compared with preoperative performance with an HA and continued to improve through the 12-month interval. Subjects demonstrated early, significant improvements in the bimodal condition on the spatial hearing tasks compared with baseline preoperative performance tested unaided. The magnitude of the benefit was reduced for subjects with AHL when compared with published data on CI users with normal hearing in the contralateral ear; this finding may reflect significant differences in age at implantation and hearing sensitivity across cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the influence of cochlear implant (CI) use on subjective benefits in quality of life in cases of asymmetric hearing loss (AHL).Study Design: Prospective clinical trial.Setting: Tertiary academic center.Subjects and Methods: Subjects included CI recipients with AHL (n = 20), defined as moderate-to-profound hearing loss in the affected ear and mild-to-moderate hearing loss in the contralateral ear. Quality of life was assessed with the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) pragmatic subscales, which assess binaural benefits. Subjective benefit on the pragmatic subscales was compared to word recognition in quiet and spatial hearing abilities (ie, masked sentence recognition and localization).Results: Subjects demonstrated an early, significant improvement (P < .01) in abilities with the CI as compared to preoperative abilities on the SSQ pragmatic subscales by the 1-month interval. Perceived abilities were either maintained or continued to improve over the study period. There were no significant correlations between results on the Speech in Quiet subscale and word recognition in quiet, the Speech in Speech Contexts subscale and masked sentence recognition, or the Localization subscale and sound field localization.Conclusions: CI recipients with AHL report a significant improvement in quality of life as measured by the SSQ pragmatic subscales over preoperative abilities. Reported improvements are observed as early as 1 month postactivation, which likely reflect the binaural benefits of listening with bimodal stimulation (CI and contralateral hearing aid). The SSQ pragmatic subscales may provide a more in-depth insight into CI recipient experience as compared to behavioral sound field measures alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The goal of this work was to evaluate the lowfrequency hearing preservation of long electrode array cochlear implant (CI) recipients. Method: Twenty-five participants presented with an unaided hearing threshold of ≤ 80 dB HL at 125 Hz preoperatively in the ear to be implanted. Participants were implanted with a long (31.5-mm) electrode array. The unaided hearing threshold at 125 Hz was compared between the preoperative and postoperative intervals (i.e., initial CI activation, and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after activation). Results: Eight participants maintained an unaided hearing threshold of ≤ 80 dB HL at 125 Hz postoperatively. The majority (n = 5) demonstrated aidable low-frequency hearing at initial activation, whereas 3 other participants experienced an improvement in unaided low-frequency hearing thresholds at subsequent intervals. Conclusions: CI recipients can retain residual hearing sensitivity with fully inserted long electrode arrays, and low-frequency hearing thresholds may improve during the postoperative period. Therefore, unaided hearing thresholds obtained within the initial weeks after surgery may not reflect later hearing sensitivity. Routine measurement of postoperative unaided hearing thresholds--even for patients who did not demonstrate aidable hearing thresholds initially after cochlear implantation--will identify CI recipients who may benefit from electric--acoustic stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, approximately 10,000 persons in the United States, typically young adults (New Mobility, 1996), seriously injure their spinal cords and become permanently paralyzed. Through advances in medical treatment, most [...], This exploratory study examined the extent that the life satisfaction of persons with traumatic spinal cord injuries is linked to perceived control, verbal communication skills, satisfaction with personal assistance, marital status and handicap. A convenience sample of 158 individuals with such injuries responded to a self report questionnaire. Eighty-nine percent of the respondents chose to use a World Wide Web based form. Although bivariate analyses revealed life satisfaction was significantly related to perceived control, communication skills, satisfaction with personal assistance, marital status, and handicap; perceived control and marital status were the strongest predictors of life satisfaction. The implications of these findings for policy makers, health care providers, and families dealing with rehabilitation are explored.