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This study explores the impact of an action-oriented environmental education course on students' environmental awareness, with 53 college students divided into experimental (N = 27) and control (N = 26) groups. Both groups participated in similar learning activities; however, the experimental group further recorded the amount of waste discharged into the environment by people around them for one and a half months (2 days/week). Students in the experimental group showed a significant difference in six of seven environmental awareness dimensions after this course. These results confirm that an action-oriented environmental education course has a positive effect on changing an individual's awareness of the environment.

Background: To elucidate the role of balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis with obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), we evaluated the results of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) with and without BET in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with obstructive ETD. Methods: This randomized controlled trial conducted in a single‐institution tertiary care center setting included 50 patients diagnosed with primary chronic rhinosinusitis and obstructive ETD between July 2018 and June 2022. Twenty‐five patients were prospectively enrolled for combined ESS/BET. The control group (25 patients) underwent ESS alone. Outcome measurements of the Sinonasal Outcome Test 22, modified Lund–Kennedy score, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire‐7 (ETDQ‐7), and serial Eustachian tube function test results were analyzed 3 months postoperatively. Results: The improvement (12.60 ± 6.50) in the ETDQ‐7 score in the BET group was significantly higher than that in the control group (6.60 ± 5.58). The ratio of improvement in the ETDQ‐7 score was also significantly higher in the BET than in the control group (92% vs. 68%, p = 0.034). Logistic regression analysis showed that performing BET (odds ratio [OR]: 5.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–28.79, p = 0.048) and a low post‐modified Lund–Kennedy score (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.04–0.54, p = 0.004) were significantly associated with ETDQ‐7 score improvement. Conclusion: Combined BET/ESS could decrease otologic symptoms and improve Eustachian tube function. BET may be an appropriate adjunctive procedure for treating chronic rhinosinusitis with obstructive ETD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is a common disorder causing ear pressure, pain, and hearing loss. Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is an emerging technique for dilating the Eustachian tube and treating ETD. Whether adding myringotomy improves BET efficacy is controversial. Methods: This retrospective study included 95 ETD patients undergoing BET alone (n = 44) or BET with myringotomy (BET + M; n = 51) between June 2020 and August 2021 at a single medical center. The primary outcome was the change in ETDQ-7 symptom scores from baseline to 6 months after treatment. Secondary outcomes included audiometry, endoscopy, Valsalva maneuver, and complications. Results: The ETDQ-7 scores improved significantly after treatment in both groups (p < 0.001), without significant between-group differences (p = 0.417). No significant differences occurred in the audiometry, endoscopy, and Valsalva results or in most complications between groups. One BET + M patient had a persistent tympanic membrane perforation. Conclusions: Both BET alone and BET + M effectively and safely improved the subjective and objective ETD outcomes. However, adding myringotomy did not further improve the outcomes over BET alone, while it incurred risks such as persistent perforation. BET alone may sufficiently treat ETD without requiring myringotomy in this cohort. Further randomized controlled trials should identify optimal candidates for BET alone versus combined approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]