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Aim: Complex anal fistula represents a burden for patients, and its management is a challenge for surgeons. Video‐assisted anal fistula treatment (VAAFT) is one sphincter‐sparing technique. However, data on its long‐term effectiveness are scant. We aimed to explore the outcomes of VAAFT in a retrospective cohort of patients referred to a tertiary centre. Method: Consecutive adult patients with a minimum of 2 years' follow‐up after VAAFT were reviewed. Patients were followed up to 5 years postoperatively. Failure was defined as incomplete healing of the external orifice(s) during the first 6 months. Recurrence was defined as new radiologically and/or clinically confirmed onset of the fistula after primary healing. A generalized linear model was fitted to evaluate the association between failure and sociodemographic characteristics. Predictors of recurrence were determined in a subgroup analysis of patients found to be free from disease at 6 months postoperatively. Results: Overall, 106 patients (70% male; mean age 41 years) were reviewed. Of these 86% had a previous seton placement. Fistulas were either high trans‐sphincteric (74%), suprasphincteric (12%) or extrasphincteric (13%). Eight (7%) patients experienced postoperative complications, none of which required reintervention. Mean follow‐up was 53 ± 13.2 months. VAAFT failed in 14 (13%) patients. The overall recurrence rate ranged from 29% at 1 year to 63% at 5 years. Multiple external orifices, suprasphincteric fistula, younger age, previous surgery and higher complexity of the fistulous tract were independent risk factors for recurrence. Conclusion: VAAFT is a safe sphincter‐sparing technique. The initially high success rate decreases over time and relates to a higher degree of complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: High-altitude (HA) affects sensory organ response, but its effects on the inner ear are not fully understood. The present scoping review aimed to collect the available evidence about HA effects on the inner ear with focus on auditory function. Methods: The scoping review was conducted following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis extension for scoping reviews. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were systematically searched to identify studies conducted in the last 20 years, which quantified in healthy subjects the effects of HA on auditory function. Results: The systematic search identified 17 studies on a total population of 888 subjects (88.7% male, age: 27.8 ± 4.1 years; median sample size of 15 subjects). Nine studies were conducted in a simulated environment and eight during real expeditions at HA. To quantify auditory function, six studies performed pure tone audiometry, four studies measured otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and eight studies measured auditory evoked responses (AER). Study protocols presented heterogeneity in the spatio-temporal patterns of HA exposure, with highly varying maximal altitudes and exposure durations. Conclusion: Most studies reported a reduction of auditory function with HA in terms of either elevation of auditory thresholds, lengthening of AER latencies, reduction of distortion-product and transient-evoked OAEs. Future studies in larger populations, using standardized protocols and multi-technique auditory function evaluation, are needed to further characterize the spatio-temporal pattern of HA effects along the auditory pathways and clarify the pathophysiological implications and reversibility of the observed changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of face masks has been recommended or enforced in several situations; however, their effects on physiological parameters and cognitive performance at high altitude are unknown. Methods Eight healthy participants (four females) rested and exercised (cycling, 1 W/kg) while wearing no mask, a surgical mask or a filtering facepiece class 2 respirator (FFP2), both in normoxia and hypobaric hypoxia corresponding to an altitude of 3000 m. Arterialised oxygen saturation (SaO2), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO2), heart and respiratory rate, pulse oximetry (SpO2), cerebral oxygenation, visual analogue scales for dyspnoea and mask's discomfort were systematically investigated. Resting cognitive performance and exercising tympanic temperature were also assessed. Results Mask use had a significant effect on PaCO2 (overall +1.2 ± 1.7 mmHg). There was no effect of mask use on all other investigated parameters except for dyspnoea and discomfort, which were highest with FFP2. Both masks were associated with a similar non-significant decrease in SaO2 during exercise in normoxia (−0.5 ± 0.4%) and, especially, in hypobaric hypoxia (−1.8 ± 1.5%), with similar trends for PaO2 and SpO2. Conclusions Although mask use was associated with higher rates of dyspnoea, it had no clinically relevant impact on gas exchange at 3000 m at rest and during moderate exercise, and no detectable effect on resting cognitive performance. Wearing a surgical mask or an FFP2 can be considered safe for healthy people living, working or spending their leisure time in mountains, high-altitude cities or other hypobaric environments (e.g. aircrafts) up to an altitude of 3000 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in gustatory sensitivity, nutritional habits, circulating levels of modulators, anthropometric measures, and metabolic assays may be involved in overweight (OW) development. The present study aimed at evaluating the differences in these aspects between 39 OW (19 female; mean age = 53.51 ± 11.17), 18 stage I (11 female; mean age = 54.3 ± 13.1 years), and 20 II (10 female; mean age = 54.5 ± 11.9) obesity participants when compared with 60 lean subjects (LS; 29 female; mean age = 54.04 ± 10.27). Participants were evaluated based on taste function scores, nutritional habits, levels of modulators (leptin, insulin, ghrelin, and glucose), and bioelectrical impedance analysis measurements. Significant reductions in total and subtests taste scores were found between LS and stage I and II obesity participants. Significant reductions in total and all subtests taste scores were found between OW and stage II obesity participants. Together with the progressive increase in plasmatic leptin levels, insulin, and serum glucose, decrease in plasmatic ghrelin levels, and changes in anthropometric measures and nutritional habits along with body mass index, these data for the first time demonstrated that taste sensitivity, biochemical regulators, and food habits play a parallel, concurring role along the stages evolving to obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) may lead to modifications on metabolism and body composition. Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) demonstrated its effectiveness in ameliorating balance function and several other daily-living aspects. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate metabolic composition, by means of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and daily activity, with the use of a wrist-worn movement tracker, in UVH participants before and after VR, and to compare data with a healthy control group (CG) of adults. Methods: 46 UVH and 60 CG participants underwent otoneurological testing, self-report and performance questionnaires, BIA, and wore a device tracking daily movement and energy expenditure for one full day; this was performed before and after VR. Results: UVH participants demonstrated a significant (p = 0.008) increase in muscle mass after VR, and, when compared to CG, no differences were present with respect to visceral fat and muscle mass. UVH adults reported a significant increase in energy expenditure spent in movement (p = 0.008) and during the day (p = 0.009), daily number of strides (p = 0.009) and calories spent in sweeping (p = 0.009) and stairing (p = 0.008). Conclusions: Results from this study show that VR provided an improvement of metabolic function and body composition of people with UVH, possibly by contrasting structural modifications in neural pathways stemming from the vestibular nuclei and connected to autonomous function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversation Rebuilding (CR) help students formulate acceptable utterances in a foreign language by starting with rough approximations, using words students know, and zeroing in on utterances a native speaker might produce. This article examines how this technique can be implemented in intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) and describes a prototype ITS based on CR. (PEN)

Objective: To evaluate the differences in olfactory sensitivity, nutritional habits, levels of modulators of feeding and smell, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measures and metabolic assays between two groups of participants with stage I and II obesity and reciprocal relationships between these parameters.Methods: Eighteen participants with stage I (11 female; mean age = 54.3 ± 13.1 years) and 20 participants with stage II (10 female; mean age = 54.5 ± 11.9) obesity underwent a food frequency questionnaire and Sniffin' Sticks® test battery, anthropometric parameters, and BIA measurements as well as metabolic assays (including plasma levels of leptin, insulin, ghrelin, glucose, insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1] and usual laboratory parameters).Results: The stage II obesity participants demonstrated significant higher levels of insulin and leptin and lower levels of ghrelin and IGF-1, a reduction in odor identification (OI) and in total olfactory score, and an increase in visceral and total fat percentage. Among a mosaic of multiple correlations, ghrelin was found to positively correlate with OI and leptin negatively with odor discrimination.Conclusion: The present study expands the notions positing the olfactory perception - and its connections with metabolic cues, foods habits and BIA measures - changes across the two most important obesity stages. This could ameliorate clinical and research deepening of obesity-related olfactory behavior with possible consequences on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of onset and development of obesity, thus opening possible future strategies involving multidisciplinary contributions.Level Of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 132:2028-2035, 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We present the outcomes and the recurrences of 848 patients with pilonidal disease (PD) treated by biopsy punch excision (BPE) and we weigh our results against progressively obtained operative experience. BPE is a modified 'merged' version of both the Bascom 'pit picking' procedure and the Gips procedure. It employs biopsy punches of different calibre, depending on whether treatment is in the natal cleft (calibre as small as possible) or lateral (larger calibre punches or even small incision). Sometimes this procedure is referred to as the Bascom–Gips procedure. Methods: In all, 848 consecutive patients with PD were treated from January 2011 until December 2016 (sex 622 [73.4%] men and 226 [26.6%] women; median age 26.2 years, mean age 24.6 ± 28.99 [range 14–55] years, men 25.1 years, women 24.8 years). Of these 848 patients, 287 were operated in 2011–2012, 301 in 2013–2014 and 260 in 2015–2016. The recurrence rates were recorded 12, 24 and 60 months after surgery both cumulatively and by examining the outcomes of the three biennia individually (years of treatment 2011–2012 or group A, 2013–2014 or group B, 2015–2016 or group C). Results: The mean operating time was 34 ± 24.45 min. Postoperative complications included early (<24 h; n = 22 or 2.6%) and delayed (>24 h; n = 26 or 3.1%) postoperative bleeding. Postoperative fluid collections (<2 weeks) occurred in 83/848 patients (9.8%) and included haematoma (n = 25) and seroma (n = 58). Full recovery was obtained after a mean of 21 ± 12.72 days and work/school/university activities were resumed after a mean of 4 ± 12.02 days. Twelve‐, 24‐ and 60‐month follow‐ups were possible in 725 (85.5%), 682 (80.4%) and 595 (70.2%) patients out of 848. An overall significant (ꭓ2 = 16.87, P = 0.0002) difference was found in the recurrence rates: 59 recurrences/725 patients (or 8.1%) after 1 year, 89 recurrences/682 patients (or 13.0%) after 2 years and 98 recurrences/595 (or 16.4%) after 5 years. However, when subgrouping patients in three 24‐month subsets, the recurrence rates showed a steady and progressive decrease in the three biennia 2011–2012 (group A), 2013–2014 (group B) and 2015–2016 (group C) at 12‐, 48‐ and 60‐month follow‐ups. Recurrences after 12 months were 29/225 (12.9%), 19/285 (6.7%) and 11/215 (5.1%) (ꭓ2 = 8.53, P = 0.014) in groups A, B and C respectively; after 24 months, 36/226 (15.9%), 31/242 (12.8%) and 22/214 (10.2%) (ꭓ2 = 2.38, P = 0.30 N.S.) in groups A, B and C respectively; after 60 months, 38/194 (19.5%), 36/215 (16.7%) and 24/186 (12.9%) (ꭓ2 = 2.23, P = 0.32) in groups A, B and C respectively. Conclusions: BPE is an effective, disease‐targeted, minimally invasive and inexpensive way to treat PD. Its results are influenced by the experience of the team involved, especially regarding early recurrences/failure of surgery. At least 5‐year follow‐ups are needed to ascertain the outcome of surgery for PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the cervical range of motion (CROM) and clinical parameters in patients affected by myogenous temporomandibular disorders (TMD), cervicogenic dizziness (CGD), both TMD and CGD (TMD/CGD), and a group of healthy subjects (HS). CROM degrees, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-17), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Jaw Functional Limitation Scale 20 (JFLS-20) scores were compared between 46 TMD patients, 49 CGD subjects, 43 TMD/CGD patients, and 98 HS. TMD/CGD and CGD patients demonstrated significantly lower CROM degrees and higher DHI, TSK-17, and HADS values when compared to TMD patients. TMD/CGD and TMD patients demonstrated higher JFLS-20 values when compared to CGD and HS. Significant negative correlations were found in TMD/CGD and TMD patients between JFLS-20 and CROM in flexion and extension. Present findings demonstrated a relation between spine movement impairment and TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distal gastrectomy for benign gastroduodenal peptic disease has become rare, but it still represents a widely adopted procedure for advanced and, in some countries, even for early distal gastric cancer. Survival rates following surgery for gastric malignancy are constantly improving, hence the residual mucosa of the gastric stump is exposed for a prolonged period to biliopancreatic reflux and, possibly, to Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. Biliopancreatic reflux and HP infection are considered responsible for gastritis and metachronous carcinoma in the gastric stump after oncologic surgery. For gastrectomy patients, in addition to eradication treatment for cases that are already HP positive, endoscopic surveillance should also be recommended, for prompt surveillance and detection in the residual mucosa of any metaplastic-atrophic-dysplastic features following surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indirect core body temperature (CBT) monitoring from skin sensors is gaining attention for in-field applications thanks to non-invasivity, portability, and easy probe positioning. Among skin sensors, heat-flux devices, such as the so-called Double Sensor (DS), have demonstrated reliability under various experimental and clinical conditions. Still, their accuracy at low ambient temperatures is unknown. In this randomized cross-over trial, we tested the effects of cold temperature exposition on DS performance in tracking CBT. Methods: Twenty-one participants were exposed to a warm (23.2±0.4°C) and cold (−18.7±1.0°C) room condition for 10min, following a randomized cross-over design. The accuracy of the DS to estimate CBT in both settings was assessed by quantitative comparison with esophageal (reference) and tympanic (comparator) thermometers, using Bland–Altman and correlation analyses (Pearson’s correlation coefficient, r, and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient, CCC). Results: In the warm room setting, the DS showed a moderate agreement with the esophageal sensor [bias=0.09 (−1.51; 1.69) °C, r=0.40 ( p=0.069), CCC=0.22 (−0.006; 0.43)] and tympanic sensor [bias=2.74 (1.13; 4.35) °C, r=0.54 (p<0.05), CCC=0.09 (0.008; 0.16)]. DS accuracy significantly deteriorated in the cold room setting, where DS temperature overestimated esophageal temperature [bias=2.16 (−0.89; 5.22) °C, r=0.02 (0.94), CCC=0.002 (−0.05; 0.06)]. Previous exposition to the cold influenced temperature values measured by the DS in the warm room setting, where significant differences (p<0.00001) in DS temperature were observed between randomization groups. Conclusion: DS accuracy is influenced by environmental conditions and previous exposure to cold settings. These results suggest the present inadequacy of the DS device for in-field applications in low-temperature environments and advocate further technological advancements and proper sensor insulation to improve performance in these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Posturography power spectra (PS) implementation has been proven to discriminate between sensory inputs detriment of vestibular and proprioceptive origin. OBJECTIVE: To deepen the role of posturography testing in the diagnostic route of dizzy conditions, by comparing two groups of patients –93 affected by cervicogenic dizziness (CGD) and 72 by unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) –with a group of 98 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects, serving as control group (CON). METHODS: All participants underwent otoneurological testing including video head impulse test (vHIT) and posturography testing with PS analysis. They also filled in Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaires. RESULTS: UVH and CGD patients were found to have significant increase in vestibular- and proprioceptive-related PS values when compared with CON. Receiver operating characteristic curves found PS values to reliably discriminate both groups from CON. Positive and negative correlations were respectively found between vestibular-/proprioceptive-related PS domain and DHI in both groups and between PS and vHIT scores in UVH patients. CONCLUSIONS: PS analysis demonstrated to be useful in differentiating CGD and UVH patients each other and when compared to CON, to objectively represent perceived symptoms filled along the DHI scale and to corroborate the rate of vestibular deficit in UVH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate how self-report and posturographic measures could be affected in patients with cervicogenic dizziness undergoing sustained natural apophyseal glides. Design: Randomised controlled single-blind study. Setting: Tertiary rehabilitation centre. Subjects: Patients affected by cervicogenic dizziness, diagnosed by applying accepted criteria. Forty-one patients (19 male, 22 female: mean age 44.3 ± 14.8 years) receiving treatment, and 39 patients (18 male, 21 female: mean age 43.8 ± 13.9 years) receiving placebo were included in the study. Interventions: The treatment group underwent sustained natural apophyseal glides, while the placebo was constituted by a detuned laser. Both groups received their interventions six times over 4 weeks. Main measures: Outcomes were tested by means of self-report measures such as perceived dizziness, neck disability, anxiety and depression. Also, cervical range of motion and posturography testing with power spectra frequency were analysed. Results: When compared to placebo, treated patients demonstrated a significant decrease in perceived dizziness (post-treatment total Dizziness Handicap Inventory score 20.5 ± 5.3 as compared to 26.2 ± 6 baseline), neck disability and pain (Neck Disability Index and Neck Pain Index post-treatment scores 12.5 ± 4.3 and 45.6 ± 15.1, respectively, as compared to baseline scores of 15.1 ± 4.8 and 62.5 ± 14.3), as well as significant improvement in cervical range of motion and some posturographic parameters. Conclusion: Sustained natural apophyseal glides may represent a useful intervention in reaching short-term beneficial effects in patients with cervicogenic dizziness, with respect to self-perceived symptoms, proprioceptive integration and cervical range of motion improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate sleep behavior and its relation to otoneurological parameters in a group of patients with chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH) without self‐reported sleep disturbances when compared with healthy subjects serving as a control group (CG). Methods: Fifty‐one patients affected by UVH underwent a retrospective clinical and instrumental otoneurological examination, a 1‐week actigraphy sleep analysis, and a series of self‐report and performance measures (SRM/PM). A CG of 60 gender‐ and age‐matched healthy subjects was also enrolled. A between‐group analysis of variance was performed for each variable, while correlation analysis was performed in UVH patients between otoneurological, SRM/PM, and actigraphy measure scores. Results: When compared with CG subjects, UVH patients were found to be spending less time sleeping and taking more time to go from being fully awake to asleep, based on actigraphy‐based sleep analysis. Also, SRM/PM depicted UVH patients to have poor sleep quality and to be more prone to an evening‐type behavior. Correlations were found between vestibular‐related functionality indexes and subjective sleep quality, as well as between longer disease duration and reduced sleep time. Conclusion: For the first time, a multiparametric sleep analysis was performed on a large population‐based sample of chronic UVH patients. While a different pattern in sleep behavior was found, the cause is still unclear. Further research is needed to expand the extent of knowledge about sleep disruption in vestibular disorders. Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 131:2341–2347, 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate posturography measurements, and their association with other clinical tests used for cervicogenic dizziness diagnosis, in a cohort of subjects suffering from cervicogenic dizziness, compared with healthy subjects. Ninety-three cervicogenic dizziness patients and 98 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects underwent video-Head impulse test, posturography testing, evaluation of cervical spine movements by means of cervical range of motion goniometer and self-report and performance measures, including Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Neck Disability Index, Neck Pain Intensity, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Cervicogenic dizziness patients demonstrated significant increases in classical posturography parameters (i.e., surface and length) and in power spectra values within middle and high-frequency interval depicting balance control alterations especially due to proprioceptive integration changes. Furthermore, decreases in degrees of cervical range of motion and increases of self-report and performance measures – highlighting significant complaints of subjective feeling of dizziness – were found in these patients when compared with healthy subjects. Multiple correlations were found between posturography testing and cervical range of motion and Dizziness Handicap Inventory as well as between different self-report and performance measures in cervicogenic dizziness patients. The implementation of posturography – including power spectra analysis - coupled with appropriate exclusion of other disorders, may represent a useful tool in improving cervicogenic dizziness assessment in terms of cost, time consumption and correlation with other measurements. Uncertainties in diagnostic assessment of cervicogenic dizziness reflect doubts regarding the causes underpinning the symptoms of imbalance, unsteadiness, and disorientation. Posturography measurement is a low-cost, time-sparing technique and its implementations have proven to be useful in detecting significant alterations in body sway during perturbating situations. Implementation of power spectra analysis on posturography testing may represent a useful tool in improving cervicogenic dizziness assessment also in terms of rehabilitative treatment follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, entitled "Dizziness in patients with cognitive impairment", the authors further evaluated the degree of relationship between the impairment in Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the impairment in different neuropsychological domains. In a recent interesting work, Lee et al. compared the changes in different neuropsychological tests in two groups of patients affected by cognitive impairment with or without postural instability [[3]]. Furthermore, the study showed significantly higher DHI scores in patients with postural instability compared to patients without postural instability. [Extracted from the article]

Since cervical joint position error (JPE) and visual dependency (VD) may reflect altered ascending inputs from the neck receptors, the aim of the present study was to test how these parameters may be impacted by those clinical parameters in cervicogenic dizziness (CGD) patients when compared with healthy subjects participants. 93 subjects participants fulfilling inclusion criteria for CGD and 98 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects volunteers – undergoing cervical relocation and rod and disc test to evaluate JPE and VD, respectively – were compared to each other. Cervical range of motion (CROM), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Neck pain intensity (NPI), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-17) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were also collected in both groups When compared to healthy participants, CGD patients were found to have a higher degree of JPE in right (p = 0.008, mean difference, MD: 2.88) and left (p = 0.006, MD: 2.55) rotation as well as in extension (p = 0.011, MD: 2.31), flexion (p = 0.009, MD: 2.35) and mean value (p = 0.001, MD: 2.53) and higher degrees of error in CCW at +40° and −40° (p = 0.012, MD: 0.85 and p = 0.016, MD: 0.82, respectively) and CW at +40° and −40° (p = 0.018, MD: 0.83 and p = 0.015 MD: 0.81, respectively). CGD patients also demonstrated a significant reduction in degrees of CROM in active flexion (p = 0.011, MD: −34.63), extension (p = 0.018, MD: −21.67), left (p = 0.012, MD: −28.29) and right (p = 0.009, MD: −28.52) rotation, and left (p = 0.02, MD: −7.29) and right (p = 0.021, MD: −5.05) lateral flexion. Furthermore, these patients demonstrated higher scores in total DHI (p = 0.007, MD: 25.17) (and relative DHI-P, DHI-F, DHI-E; p = 0.009, MD: 11.4; p = 0.014, MD: 8.73 and p = 0.018, MD: 5.03, respectively), in TSK-17 (p = 0.017, MD: 17.56), and HADS, both in anxiety (p = 0.022, MD: 4.62) and depression (p = 0.02, MD: 7.31) subscale. A possible common physiopathological background may impact on processes involved in both the JPE and VD behaviour, entangled in a vicious circle with the impaired subjective clinical and quality of life perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advancements are opening the possibility of prolonged monitoring of physiological parameters under daily-life conditions, with potential applications in sport science and medicine, and in extreme environments. Among emerging wearable technologies, in-ear devices or hearables possess technical advantages for long-term monitoring, such as non-invasivity, unobtrusivity, good fixing, and reduced motion artifacts, as well as physiological advantages related to the proximity of the ear to the body trunk and the shared vasculature between the ear and the brain. The present scoping review was aimed at identifying and synthesizing the available evidence on the use and performance of in-ear monitoring of physiological parameters, with focus on applications in sport science, sport medicine, occupational medicine, and extreme environment settings. Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were systematically searched to identify studies conducted in the last 10 years and addressing the measurement of three main physiological parameters (temperature, heart rate, and oxygen saturation) in healthy subjects. Thirty-nine studies were identified, 24 performing temperature measurement, 12 studies on heart/pulse rate, and three studies on oxygen saturation. The collected evidence supports the premise of in-ear sensors as an innovative and unobtrusive way for physiological monitoring during daily-life and physical activity, but further research and technological advancement are necessary to ameliorate measurement accuracy especially in more challenging scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evaluating postural function in patients with otosclerosis by assessing otoneurological function and balance-related quality of life before and 6 weeks after surgical treatment. Correlations between and clinical features were investigated.Methods: Thirty-three patients affected by otosclerosis underwent otoneurological examination, video Head Impulse Test (vHIT), and static posturography before and after stapedotomy. Quality of life and dizziness-related handicap were screened by means of validated questionnaires. Correlation analysis was performed in order to discover possible relations with audiological pre- and postoperative parameters.Results: A significant improvement in posturographic parameters was found. Correlation analysis yielded a negative correlation between preoperative bone conduction auditory threshold and both vHIT scores and postural performance improvement, evaluated by spectral analysis. Moreover, a positive correlation was also found between improvements in posturographic scores and quality-of-life questionnaires.Conclusion: The study results demonstrated an improvement in postural function and self-reported measures in a cohort of patients with otosclerosis 6 weeks after stapedotomy. The inverse correlation with preoperative auditory levels may reflect lesser chance for balance restoration in cases with worse sensorineural function. Possible implications for daily activities and overall quality of life were suggested by improved self-report questionnaire results.Level Of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:2448-2454, 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to outline an age-dependent range of posturography measures obtained from healthy children. One hundred and fifty healthy 4-18-year-old children underwent video Head Impulse Test and static posturography testing. Surface, length and power spectra values were compared between each group of pupils and 32 healthy adults. As well as a significant (p < 0.025) increase in surface and length, when compared to healthy adults, increased values within the low/middle frequency domain and within the high frequency domain were also observed in 4-13 and 4-7-year-old children, respectively. In conclusion, although the nature of postural control development remains largely undetermined, this study represents a first attempt to outline an age-dependent normal range of the relative contribution of inputs in typically developing children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "combined" biopsy punch excision to treat pilonidal disease - a video vignette I Dear Sir, i Understanding of the nature, aetiology and treatment of pilonidal disease (PD) dramatically evolved in 1980 when John Bascom proved that PD is caused by ingrown hair [[1]]. Bascom described a targeted "see and treat" procedure to remove PD, and later Moshe Gips introduced the use of biopsy punches [[2]]. [Extracted from the article]