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Abstract There is considerable uncertainty regarding the associations between various risk factors and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This study systematically screened and validated a wide range of potential PD risk factors from 502,364 participants in the UK Biobank. Baseline data for 1851 factors across 11 categories were analyzed through a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS). Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for PD were used to diagnose Parkinson’s Disease and identify factors associated with PD diagnosis through PheWAS. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed to assess causal relationships. PheWAS results revealed 267 risk factors significantly associated with PD-PRS among the 1851 factors, and of these, 27 factors showed causal evidence from MR analysis. Compelling evidence suggests that fluid intelligence score, age at first sexual intercourse, cereal intake, dried fruit intake, and average total household income before tax have emerged as newly identified risk factors for PD. Conversely, maternal smoking around birth, playing computer games, salt added to food, and time spent watching television have been identified as novel protective factors against PD. The integration of phenotypic and genomic data may help to identify risk factors and prevention targets for PD.

Abstract Background Glycerophospholipids (GPLs) are essential for cell membrane structure and function. Sphingomyelin and its metabolites regulate cell growth, apoptosis, and stress responses. This study aimed to investigate lipid metabolism in patients experiencing sudden sensorineural hearing loss across all frequencies (AF-SSNHL). Methods The study included 60 patients diagnosed with unilateral AF-SSNHL, among whom 30 patients had a level of hearing improvement ≥ 15 dB after 6 months of follow-up. A propensity score-matched (2:1) control group was used. Liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry based untargeted lipidomics analysis combined with multivariate statistics was performed to investigate the lipids change. The “lipidome” R package and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were utilised to assess the lipids’ structural features and the association between lipids and hearing. Results Lipidomics successfully differentiated the AF-SSNHL group from the control group, identifying 17 risk factors, mainly including phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and related metabolites. The ratios of lysophosphatidylcholine/PC, lysophosphatidylethanolamine/PE, and lysodimethylphosphatidylethanolamine/PE were upregulated, while some glycerophospholipid (GPL)-plasmalogens were downregulated in the AF-SSNHL group, indicating abnormal metabolism of GPLs. Trihexosylceramide (d34:1), PE (18:1e_22:5), and sphingomyelin (d40:3) were significantly different between responders and nonresponders, and positively correlated with hearing improvement. Additionally, the results of the WGCNA also suggested that partial GPL-plasmalogens were positively associated with hearing improvement. Conclusion AF-SSNHL patients exhibited abnormally high blood lipids and pronounced GPLs metabolic abnormalities. Sphingolipids and GPL-plasmalogens had an association with the level of hearing improvement. By understanding the lipid changes, clinicians may be able to predict the prognosis of hearing recovery and personalize treatment approaches.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common type of hearing loss worldwide. The primary mechanism is oxidative injury to the cochlea as a result of oxidative stress. Therefore, exploring antioxidant strategies is particularly important in addressing SNHL.Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is an upstream target of oxidative stress-induced damage, and the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and NF-κB pathways may be the main downstream molecular pathways, but this has not been reported in SNHL. Therefore, we investigated the molecular mechanism and role of TXNIP in oxidative stress injury induced by H2O2 in the HEI-OC1 auditory cells. To induce oxidative stress, HEI-OC1 cells were treated with H2O2. The TXNIP expression was measured by western blotting and Immunofluorescence. Intracellular TXNIP was knocked down using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Cell viability was measured by CCK8, total intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) by DCFH-DA, mitochondrial ROS by Mito-SOX, NLRP3, pro-caspase-1, total p65 NF-κB, and phospho-p65 NF-κB expression were measured by western blotting. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way analysis of variance, and p

Objective: The purpose was to explore the effects of traditional and non-traditional lipid parameters on Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL). Methods: The study included 452 patients diagnosed with SSNHL, among whom 206 patients had a level of hearing improvement ≥10 dB after one month of follow-up. A propensity score-matched (2:1) control group was used. Conditional and unconditional logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors for SSNHL. Results: Patients with SSNHL had a higher risk of concomitant hypertension and elevated atherosclerogenic lipid levels, with apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein E identified as independent risk factors for the onset of SSNHL. Additionally, the Lipid Comprehensive Index (LCI) was an independent risk factor for the degree of hearing loss. A positive linear correlation was revealed between triglyceride, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, atherogenic index, Castelli risk index, atherogenic index of plasma, LCI and hearing loss. However, no linear relationship was observed between hearing gain and any lipid parameters. When Total Cholesterol (TC) was in the range of borderline high, the treatment effect was the best. However, the statistical significance disappeared upon adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion: Patients with SSNHL exhibited markedly dysregulated lipid metabolism. Elevated serum lipid levels may be a causative factor in auditory impairment and can influence the extent of hearing loss. Promptly improving cochlear microcirculation may benefit patients with borderline elevated TC. Level of evidence: 4.

Abstract Background Temporal envelope cues are conveyed by cochlear implants (CIs) to hearing loss patients to restore hearing. Although CIs could enable users to communicate in clear listening environments, noisy environments still pose a problem. To improve speech-processing strategies used in Chinese CIs, we explored the relative contributions made by the temporal envelope in various frequency regions, as relevant to Mandarin sentence recognition in noise. Methods Original speech material from the Mandarin version of the Hearing in Noise Test (MHINT) was mixed with speech-shaped noise (SSN), sinusoidally amplitude-modulated speech-shaped noise (SAM SSN), and sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (SAM) white noise (4 Hz) at a + 5 dB signal-to-noise ratio, respectively. Envelope information of the noise-corrupted speech material was extracted from 30 contiguous bands that were allocated to five frequency regions. The intelligibility of the noise-corrupted speech material (temporal cues from one or two regions were removed) was measured to estimate the relative weights of temporal envelope cues from the five frequency regions. Results In SSN, the mean weights of Regions 1–5 were 0.34, 0.19, 0.20, 0.16, and 0.11, respectively; in SAM SSN, the mean weights of Regions 1–5 were 0.34, 0.17, 0.24, 0.14, and 0.11, respectively; and in SAM white noise, the mean weights of Regions 1–5 were 0.46, 0.24, 0.22, 0.06, and 0.02, respectively. Conclusions The results suggest that the temporal envelope in the low-frequency region transmits the greatest amount of information in terms of Mandarin sentence recognition for three types of noise, which differed from the perception strategy employed in clear listening environments.

Background. Tuberculosis (TB), a multisystemic disease with protean presentation, remains a major global health problem. Although concurrent pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) cases are commonly observed clinically, knowledge regarding concurrent PTB-EPTB is limited. Here, a large-scale multicenter observational study conducted in China aimed to study the epidemiology of concurrent PTB-EPTB cases by diagnostically defining TB types and then implementing association rules analysis. Methods. The retrospective study was conducted at 21 hospitals in 15 provinces in China and included all inpatients with confirmed TB diagnoses admitted from Jan 2011 to Dec 2017. Association rules analysis was conducted for cases with concurrent PTB and various types of EPTB using the Apriori algorithm. Results. Evaluation of 438,979TB inpatients indicated PTB was the most commonly diagnosed (82.05%) followed by tuberculous pleurisy (23.62%). Concurrent PTB-EPTB was found in 129,422 cases (29.48%) of which tuberculous pleurisy was the most common concurrent EPTB type observed. The multivariable logistic regression models demonstrated that odds ratios of concurrent PTB-EPTB cases varied by gender and age group. For PTB cases with concurrent EPTB, the strongest association was found between PTB and concurrent bronchial tuberculosis (lift = 1.09). For EPTB cases with concurrent PTB, the strongest association was found between pharyngeal/laryngeal tuberculosis and concurrent PTB (lift = 1.11). Confidence and lift values of concurrent PTB-EPTB cases varied with gender and age. Conclusions. Numerous concurrent PTB-EPTB case types were observed, with confidence and lift values varying with gender and age. Clinicians should screen for concurrent PTB-EPTB in order to improve treatment outcomes.

IntroductionThere is a high incidence of both smoking and tuberculosis (TB) in China. This study examined the risk factors for severe pulmonary TB (PTB) and positive tubercle bacilli in sputum.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective case-control study in a tertiary hospital from January 2017 to December 2018 (n = 917). The clinical and biological characteristics of patients were collected, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with smoking in terms of the severity and transmission of PTB.ResultsPositive tubercle bacilli in sputum and severe PTB were much higher in smoking patients. Together with nutrition status, heavy smoking exhibited a 284% greater risk in severe PTB. Positive tubercle bacilli in sputum was significantly associated with hypoproteinemia and smoking regardless of the status, duration, and degree.ConclusionBecause cigarette smoking was strongly and inversely associated with hypoproteinemia, we conclude that smoking plays a critical role in the severity and transmission of PTB. Smoking cessation interventions should be employed to prevent severe PTB and decrease the transmission of PTB.

ABSTRACT: Aims: A high proportion of all patients with tuberculosis (TB) present with extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), including concurrent EPTB involving more than one extrapulmonary lesion site. However, previous reports only characterized lesions of single-site EPTB cases. This study aimed to investigate epidemiological characteristics and association rules of concurrent EPTB cases in China. Methods: An observational multi-centre study of 208,214 patients with EPTB lesions was undertaken in China from January 2011 to December 2017. Multi-variable logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between gender and concurrent EPTB, and age and concurrent EPTB. Association rules were analysed for significance using the Apriori algorithm. Results: The most common EPTB lesion was tuberculous pleurisy (49.8%), followed by bronchial TB (14.8%) and tuberculous meningitis (7.6%). The most common type of concurrent EPTB was tuberculous pleurisy concurrent with tuberculous peritonitis (1.80%). In total, 22 association rules, including 20 strong association rules, were identified; among these, the highest confidence rates were found for tuberculous myelitis concurrent with tuberculous meningitis, and sacral TB concurrent with lumbar vertebral TB. The association rules of EPTB concurrent with other EPTB types were found to vary with gender and age. The confidence rate of tuberculous myelitis concurrent with tuberculous meningitis was higher in females (83.67%) than males, and was highest in patients aged 25–34 years (87.50%). Conclusions: Many types of concurrent EPTB were found. Greater awareness of concurrent EPTB disease characteristics is needed to ensure timely clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Cr(VI) is a common heavy metal pollutants present in the aquatic environment, which possess toxic and carcinogenic properties. In this study, a solvothermal reaction was used to prepare porphyrin (TCPP)-modified UiO-66-NH2 (UNT). The UNT integrated adsorption and photocatalytics in the application for dealing with Cr(VI). The photocatalytic reduction activities of UNT for Cr(VI) were investigated under visible light illumination. We found that the TCPP doping amount of 15 mg UNT (15-UNT) had a 10 times higher reduction rate of Cr(VI) than pristine UiO-66-NH2. The optimal 15-UNT photocatalyst demonstrated the highest photocatalytic activity, and Cr(VI) was completely removed within 80 min. In addition, the introduction of porphyrin not only enhanced the absorption of light but also enabled the transport of photogenerated electrons from porphyrin to UiO-66-NH2, which promoted the separation of charge carriers. Furthermore, the effects of factors such as porphyrin content, pH and light source on the photocatalytic reduction performances of UNT were also explored. Overall, this work presented a possible relationship between the crystal structures and the performance of UNT.

Parvimonas micra is an anaerobic Gram-positive coccus frequently found in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract, but rarely in the lung. Therefore, pneumonia caused by P. micra is also rare. Although there are some reports of P. micra related pneumonia due to aspiration or blood-borne infection with definite remote infection source, there are no reported cases of hematogenous P. micra pneumonia in healthy adults lacking a remote source of infection. Herein, we described the intact disease of P. micra-related pneumonia mimicking hematogenous Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia in terms of chest imagery and diagnosed via metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Interestingly, there was no clear remote pathogenic source identified in the patient. Microbiome analysis revealed dysbiosis of the oral flora possibly related to poor oral hygiene and a long history of smoking. The patient was treated with moxifloxacin for 3 months. Ultimately, computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed total resolution of the lung lesion. Clinicians need to update the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia. When antibiotic therapy is not effective, pathogen examination becomes very important. New methods of pathogen detection such as mNGS should be employed to this end. For the treatment of P. micra pneumonia, no standardized course of treatment was reported. Imaging absorption of lung infections may provide a more objective guidance for the duration of antibiotics in P. micra pneumonia.

ObjectivesThis study aims to explore the relationship between bone-turnover biomarkers and the recovery of SSNHL to provide clues for further improvements in etiological research and predictors.MethodsThe medical history, hearing thresholds, biomarkers of bone-turnover, and related hormones of 117 SSNHL patients were collected prospectively between August 2018 and December 2021. Linear correlation and logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between bone-turnover biomarkers and the prognosis of SSNHL.ResultsAge, the incidence of vertigo, pure tone average of the impaired frequencies (PTAimpairedfre), and the levels of bone turnover [including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), β-carboxy terminal crosslinked telopeptide of type 1 collagen (β-CTX), and N-terminal-midfragment of osteocalcin (N-MID)] were higher in the nonresponders than responders (P < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that the age (OR = 1.035, P = 0.027), time to treatment (OR = 1.157, P = 0.038), PTAimpairedfre (OR = 1.031, P = 0.008), and β-CTX (OR = 1.004, P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for the prognosis of SSNHL. In the women SSNHL subgroup, age, postmenopause percentage, PTAimpairedfre, the activity of ALP, levels of β-CTX, and N-MID were significantly higher in the nonresponders than the responders (P < 0.05). Compared to the men SSNHL subgroup, β-CTX has a higher correlation coefficient and predictive efficiency in the women SSNHL subgroup, and logistic regression showed that β-CTX (OR = 1.004, P = 0.004) was an independent risk factor for the women SSNHL.ConclusionsBone-turnover biomarkers are risk factors for poor prognosis in SSNHL, especially β-CTX. The differences were significant in women SSNHL, which may be related to the rapid regression of estrogen after menopause that leads to the occurrence of osteoporosis with a high conversion rate.

Photocatalytic degradation is an environmentally friendly way to eliminate environmental pollution. Exploring a photocatalyst with high efficiency is essential. In the present study, we fabricated a Bi2MoO6/Bi2SiO5 heterojunction (BMOS) with intimate interfaces via a facile in situ synthesis method. The BMOS had much better photocatalytic performance than pure Bi2MoO6 and Bi2SiO5. The sample of BMOS-3 (3:1 molar ratio of Mo:Si) had the highest removal efficiency by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) up to 75% and tetracycline (TC) up to 62% within 180 min. The increase in photocatalytic activity can be attributed to constructing high-energy electron orbitals in Bi2MoO6 to form a type II heterojunction, which increases the separation efficiencies of photogenerated carriers and transfer between the interface of Bi2MoO6 and Bi2SiO5. Moreover, electron spin resonance analysis and trapping experiments showed that the main active species were h+ and •O2− during photodegradation. BMOS-3 maintained a stable degradation capacity of 65% (RhB) and 49% (TC) after three stability experiments. This work offers a rational strategy to build Bi-based type II heterojunctions for the efficient photodegradation of persistent pollutants.

High photoelectrochemical water oxidation efficiency can be achieved through an efficient photogenerated holes transfer pathway. Constructing a photoanode semiconductor heterojunction with close interface contact is an effective tactic to improve the efficiency of photogenerated carrier separation. Here, we reported a novel photoanode p-n junction of Ti:Fe2O3/Cu2O (n-Ti:Fe2O3 and p-Cu2O), Cu2O being obtained by in situ reduction in CuAl-LDH (layered double hydroxides). The Ti:Fe2O3/Cu2O photoanode exhibits a high photocurrent density reaching 1.35 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE is about 1.67 and 50 times higher than the Ti:Fe2O3 and α-Fe2O3 photoanode, respectively. The enhanced PEC activity for the n-Ti:Fe2O3/p-Cu2O photoelectrode is due to the remarkable surface charge separation efficiency (ηsurface 85%) and bulk charge separation efficiency (ηbulk 72%) formed by the p-n junction and the tight interface contact formed by in situ reduction. Moreover, as a cocatalyst, CuAl-LDH can protect the Ti:Fe2O3/Cu2O photoanode and improve its stability to a certain extent. This study provides insight into the manufacturing potential of in situ reduction layered double hydroxides semiconductor for designing highly active photoanodes in the field of photoelectrochemical water oxidation.

Symptoms of vertigo are frequently reported and are usually accompanied by eye-movements called nystagmus. In this article, we designed a three-dimensional nystagmus recognition model and a benign paroxysmal positional vertigo automatic diagnosis system based on deep neural network architectures (Chinese Clinical Trials Registry ChiCTR-IOR-17010506). An object detection model was constructed to track the movement of the pupil centre. Convolutional neural network-based models were trained to detect nystagmus patterns in three dimensions. Our nystagmus detection models obtained high areas under the curve; 0.982 in horizontal tests, 0.893 in vertical tests, and 0.957 in torsional tests. Moreover, our automatic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo diagnosis system achieved a sensitivity of 0.8848, specificity of 0.8841, accuracy of 0.8845, and an F1 score of 0.8914. Compared with previous studies, our system provides a clinical reference, facilitates nystagmus detection and diagnosis, and it can be applied in real-world medical practices.

ObjectiveWe aimed to assess the effect of noise exposure on bottom-up and top-down attention functions in industrial workers based on behavioral and brain responses recorded by the multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG).MethodIn this cross-sectional study, 563 shipyard noise-exposed workers with clinical normal hearing were recruited for cognitive testing. Personal cumulative noise exposure (CNE) was calculated with the long-term equivalent noise level and employment duration. The performance of cognitive tests was compared between the high CNE group (H-CNE, >92.2) and the low CNE group; additionally, brain responses were recorded with a 256-channel EEG from a subgroup of 20 noise-exposed (NG) workers, who were selected from the cohort with a pure tone threshold

Objectives: Mandarin-speaking users of cochlear implants (CI) perform poorer than their English counterpart. This may be because present CI speech coding schemes are largely based on English. This study aims to evaluate the relative contributions of temporal envelope (E) cues to Mandarin phoneme (including vowel, and consonant) and lexical tone recognition to provide information for speech coding schemes specific to Mandarin.Design: Eleven normal hearing subjects were studied using acoustic temporal E cues that were extracted from 30 continuous frequency bands between 80 and 7,562 Hz using the Hilbert transform and divided into five frequency regions. Percent-correct recognition scores were obtained with acoustic E cues presented in three, four, and five frequency regions and their relative weights calculated using the least-square approach.Results: For stimuli with three, four, and five frequency regions, percent-correct scores for vowel recognition using E cues were 50.43–84.82%, 76.27–95.24%, and 96.58%, respectively; for consonant recognition 35.49–63.77%, 67.75–78.87%, and 87.87%; for lexical tone recognition 60.80–97.15%, 73.16–96.87%, and 96.73%. For frequency region 1 to frequency region 5, the mean weights in vowel recognition were 0.17, 0.31, 0.22, 0.18, and 0.12, respectively; in consonant recognition 0.10, 0.16, 0.18, 0.23, and 0.33; in lexical tone recognition 0.38, 0.18, 0.14, 0.16, and 0.14.Conclusion: Regions that contributed most for vowel recognition was Region 2 (502–1,022 Hz) that contains first formant (F1) information; Region 5 (3,856–7,562 Hz) contributed most to consonant recognition; Region 1 (80–502 Hz) that contains fundamental frequency (F0) information contributed most to lexical tone recognition.

Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level has strong relevance to microvascular disorders, which are also thought to be the current main aspect of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), so we aim to elucidate the association of the HbA1c level with the severity, types, and prognosis of SSNHL. In this study, comparative analyses based on propensity score matching of the severity, types, and prognosis of SSNHL with the HbA1c level in 116 patients diagnosed as SSNHL were conducted, where they were divided into diabetes mellitus (DM) group and non-DM group. We finally found that, among patients with SSNHL, diabetic patients had a higher HbA1c level, more severe hearing loss, and poorer prognosis than non-diabetic patients. The HbA1c level was found to be significantly correlated with the severity and types of SSNHL, while no strong relevance was found between the higher HbA1c level and the poorer prognosis of SSNHL.

Objectives: As a common otology emergency, sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has a great impact on quality of life. The diagnosis and treatment of SSNHL remain challenging. This study aims to identify and investigate the association of liver functions with SSNHL.Methods: A total of 135 SSNHL patients and 135 sex- and age-matched controls were prospectively enrolled. The baseline and clinical characteristics, along with liver function levels of participators, were collected. Linear correlation, logistic regression, and receiving operator characteristic curve analysis tests were applied to examine the association between liver function levels and SSNHL.Results: There were no differences in baseline characteristics between SSNHL and control groups. The albumin (ALB) level of the SSNHL group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.001). The logistic regression showed that the low ALB level may be a predictive factor of SSNHL with an adjusted OR of 0.809 (95% CI, 0.742–0.882, p < 0.001). By comparing the indicators of different prognosis groups, we found that the effective group had a significantly lower hearing impair onset and higher ALB (p = 0.001) and AGR (p = 0.003) levels than the ineffective group. Logistic regression revealed that the hearing level onset (OR, 0.976; 95% CI, 0.956–0.997; p = 0.026) and ALB level (OR, 1.181; 95% CI, 1.071–1.301; p = 0.001) showed strong associations with treatment outcome.Conclusions: Lower ALB levels, within the normal ranges, were associated with the occurrence and unfavorable outcome of SSNHL. However, further research on the underlying mechanisms needs to be conducted.

Objectives: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a common otological emergency, causing a measure of hearing loss and affecting the quality of life. This study aims to investigate the association of thyroid-related hormone levels with moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL.Methods: The study included 70 patients with moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Peripheral venous blood samples were taken from the participants, and their thyroid-related hormone levels were measured at admission and 1 week after treatment.Results: In moderately severe-to-profound SSNaHL patients, the concentrations of total triiodothyronine (TT3), total thyroxine (TT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (all P < 0.05) were significantly lower than in the control group. The TT3, TT4, FT3, and TSH levels were significantly higher in the effective group than in the ineffective group (all P < 0.05). Linear correlation analysis revealed that TSH level (R = 0.707, P < 0.05) elevation after treatment successfully predicted a favorable outcome of hearing recovery. Logistic regression analyses suggested low FT3 and TSH levels to be independent occurrence predictors, while the increase of TSH level may be an independent favorable outcome predictor.Conclusions: The results suggest that low FT3 and TSH levels are risk factors for moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL. By discovering the positive association between TSH elevation and hearing recovery, along with the potential novel predictors of FT3 and TSH, our study may contribute valuable insights to the research and treatment of moderately severe-to-profound SSNHL.

ObjectivesAcoustic temporal envelope (E) cues containing speech information are distributed across all frequency spectra. To provide a theoretical basis for the signal coding of hearing devices, we examined the relative weight of E cues in different frequency regions for Mandarin disyllabic word recognition in quiet.DesignE cues were extracted from 30 continuous frequency bands within the range of 80 to 7,562 Hz using Hilbert decomposition and assigned to five frequency regions from low to high. Disyllabic word recognition of 20 normal-hearing participants were obtained using the E cues available in two, three, or four frequency regions. The relative weights of the five frequency regions were calculated using least-squares approach.ResultsParticipants correctly identified 3.13–38.13%, 27.50–83.13%, or 75.00–93.13% of words when presented with two, three, or four frequency regions, respectively. Increasing the number of frequency region combinations improved recognition scores and decreased the magnitude of the differences in scores between combinations. This suggested a synergistic effect among E cues from different frequency regions. The mean weights of E cues of frequency regions 1–5 were 0.31, 0.19, 0.26, 0.22, and 0.02, respectively.ConclusionFor Mandarin disyllabic words, E cues of frequency regions 1 (80–502 Hz) and 3 (1,022–1,913 Hz) contributed more to word recognition than other regions, while frequency region 5 (3,856–7,562) contributed little.

Object: We aimed to identify the relationship between vertigo symptoms and the involvement of vestibular dysfunction in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and the contribution of audiogram classification.Methods: A total of 50 patients with unilateral SSNHL were retrospectively divided into the vertigo group and non-vertigo group depending on the presence of vertigo. The involved vestibular end organs (VEOs) were verified by a battery of vestibular function tests including video head impulse test (vHIT), cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP), and ocular VEMP (oVEMP). The correlations of audiogram configurations, initial pure-tone average (PTA), number of involved VEOs, prognosis (complete recovery rate), and vestibular functions were analyzed between the two groups. Additionally, the vestibular functions in a subgroup of profound SSNHL patients were further compared within groups with or without vertigo.Results: Significant differences in the initial audiogram configurations (p = 0.033) and the abnormal rates of the posterior semicircular canal (PSC) (p = 0.035) and oVEMP (p = 0.046) were found between the two groups. The number of involved VEOs was related to the initial PTA in the vertigo group (p = 0.002, r = 0.541) and non-vertigo group (p = 0.042, r = 0.446). The prognosis was related to the abnormal rate of cVEMP and the number of involved VEOs in both vertigo group (p = 0.008, r = 0.482; p = 0.039, r = 0.385, respectively) and non-vertigo group (p = 0.016, r = 0.520; p = 0.022, r = 0.495, respectively), and it was especially related to the audiogram configurations in the vertigo group (p < 0.001, r = 0.692). However, after classification by audiogram configurations, there was no statistical difference in the abnormal rates of all vestibular function tests or the number of involved VEOs between the profound SSNHL patients with or without vertigo.Conclusion: The relationship between the involvement of vestibular dysfunction and vertigo symptoms in patients with SSNHL was significantly different before and after audiogram classification. When evaluating the vestibular dysfunction in SSNHL patients, more attention should be paid to the audiogram configuration.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is characterized by cellular damage to the inner ear, which is exacerbated by inflammation. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a representative damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP), acts as a mediator of inflammation or an intercellular messenger according to its cellular localization. Blocking or regulating HMGB1 offers an attractive approach in ameliorating NIHL. However, the precise therapeutic intervention must be based on a deeper understanding of its dynamic molecular distribution and function in cochlear pathogenesis after acoustic trauma. Here, we have presented the spatiotemporal dynamics of the expression of HMGB1, exhibiting distribution variability in specific cochlear regions and cells following noise exposure. After gene manipulation, we further investigated the characteristics of cellular HMGB1 in HEI-OC1 cells. The higher cell viability observed in the HMGB1 knocked-down group after stimulation with H2O2 indicated the possible negative effect of HMGB1 on cellular lifespan. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that HMGB1 is involved in NIHL pathogenesis and its molecular biology has essential and subtle influences, preserving a translational potential for pharmacological intervention.

Objective: The origin of vestibular symptoms in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS) is uncertain. We used intratympanic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to confirm the labyrinthine lesions in patients with VS and to explore the features of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in these patients. Methods: In total, 66 patients diagnosed with unilateral VS were enrolled in this study and underwent intratympanic gadolinium-enhanced MRI. The borders of the vestibule and endolymph were mapped on the axial MRI images, and the area and volume of vestibule and endolymph were automatically calculated using Osirix software, and the area and volume percentage of vestibular endolymph were obtained. Results: The area and volume percentages of vestibular endolymph on the affected side were significantly larger than those on the healthy side (both p

A HPLC method has been developed for simultaneously detecting chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, senkyunolide I, senkyunolide H, coniferyl ferulate, senkyunolide A, ligustilide, and levistolide A in Angelicae Sinensis Radix through quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single-marker (QAMS) method with ferulic acid as internal standard substance. The relative analysis correction factors of each component in Angelicae Sinensis Radix have good reproducibility under different chromatography conditions. In addition, no significant difference of results was found between quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single-marker (QAMS) method and external standard method in determining content of these components of different Angelicae Sinensis Radix and its 12 kinds of preparations. As a result, the established QAMS method for Angelicae Sinensis Radix analysis with ferulic acid as internal standard substance is accurate and feasible, which could be used as an effective and economical method to control quality of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and its herbal products.

Objective. To establish a method for simultaneous determination of liquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritinin glycyrrhizin using hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance quantitative technology (1H-qNMR). Methodology. Deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide was used as the solvent, and dichloromethane was used as the internal standard. The probe temperature was 298.0 K, the pulse sequence was Zg30, the number of scans was 16, and relaxation delay (D1) was 10 s. Quantitative characteristic signal peaks were δ 4.891∼4.878 ppm, δ 8.187∼8.172 ppm, and δ 6.790∼6.776 ppm for liquiritin, isoliquiritin, and liquiritigenin, respectively. Results. The experimental result showed that the content of flavonoids in Licorice, from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, was the highest. Conclusion. In this study, a new method for determination of three flavonoids in Licorice using 1H-qNMR was established. This experimental method has the advantages of accuracy, efficiency, and economy. It lays a foundation for the study on the determination of flavonoids content in licorice by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Purpose. Slc26a4-/- mice exhibit severer defects in the development of the cochlea and develop deafness, while the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects remain unclear. Our study was to investigate the potential mechanism linking SLC26A4 deficiency to hearing loss. Materials and Methods. RNA sequencing was applied to analyze the differential gene expression of the stria vascularis (SV) from wildtype and Slc26a4-/- mice. GO and KEGG pathway analysis were performed. Quantitative RT-PCR was applied to validate the expression of candidate genes affected by Slc26a4. ELISA and immunofluorescence technique were used to detect the homocysteine (Hcy) level in serum, brain, and SV, respectively. Results. 183 upregulated genes and 63 downregulated genes were identified in the SV associated with Slc26a4 depletion. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that Slc26a4 deficiency significantly affected the expression of genes associated with cell adhesion, transmembrane transport, and the biogenesis of multicellular organisms. The SV from Slc26a4-/- mice exhibited a higher expression of Bhmt mRNAs, as well as altered homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism. Conclusions. The altered expression of Bhmt results in a dramatic change in multiple biochemical reactions and a disruption of nutrient homeostasis in the endolymph which may contribute to hearing loss of Slc26a4 knockout mouse.

To date, no widely accepted criteria exist to quantify the severity of Menière's disease (MD) by using vestibular tests. This study aimed to compare association of hearing loss and vertigo severity with association of accurate assessments of vestibular function and the vertigo severity. The severity of vertigo was documented by a comprehensive medical history with number of vertigo attacks in the past 6 months and a Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) questionnaire. The involvement of vestibular organs was verified by audio-vestibular tests in 80 definite MD patients. Correlations between DHI scores, number of vertigo attacks in the past 6 months, audio-vestibular function, and the number of involved vestibular end organs were evaluated. We show that there are no significant differences in either severity of vertigo or laboratory results across the degree of hearing loss. Furthermore, the number of involved vestibular end organs was significantly correlated with vestibulo-ocular reflex gain in anterior and posterior canal video head impulse test (vHIT), interaural asymmetry ratio in vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs), and number of vertigo attacks in the past 6 months and DHI score. The vestibulo-ocular reflex gain in the rotatory chair test (RCT) was significantly correlated with the DHI Physical scores and number of involved vestibular end organs at 0.08 Hz. These results indicate that hearing loss is a poor indicator of vertigo severity in MD whereas the number of involved vestibular end organs may serve as an objective measure for MD progress. A battery of vestibular tests targeting different sensor organs is a complementary method for evaluating inner ear deficits and may aid in “grading” the severity of MD.

Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is an inherited auditory-pigmentary syndrome characterized by deafness and pigment abnormalities. Here, we generated an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line using episomal plasmid vectors from the fibroblasts of an 8-year-old boy affected with WS, caused by a novel mutation in the SOX10 gene (NM_006941.3: c.937_947del; p.Tyr313Argfs*85), with a concurrent hotspot mutation in the GJB2 gene (NM_004004.5:c.235delC; p.Leu79Cysfs*3). The expression of pluripotency markers of the iPSC cell line was verified at both the mRNA and protein levels and the pluripotency state of the cell line was demonstrated by the capability to differentiate into all three germ layers.

Strobilurin fungicides have been widely used in agricultural fields for decades. These pesticides are designed to manage fungal pathogens, although their broad-spectrum mode of action also produces non-target impacts. Therefore, the removal of strobilurins from ecosystems has received much attention. Different remediation technologies have been developed to eliminate pesticide residues from soil/water environments, such as photodecomposition, ozonation, adsorption, incineration, and biodegradation. Compared with conventional methods, bioremediation is considered a cost-effective and ecofriendly approach for the removal of pesticide residues. Several strobilurin-degrading microbes and microbial communities have been reported to effectively utilize pesticide residues as a carbon and nitrogen source. The degradation pathways of strobilurins and the fate of several metabolites have been reported. Further in-depth studies based on molecular biology and genetics are needed to elaborate their role in the evolution of novel catabolic pathways and the microbial degradation of strobilurins. The present review summarizes recent progress in strobilurin degradation and comprehensively discusses the potential of strobilurin-degrading microorganisms in the bioremediation of contaminated environments.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious global public health problem in the present. TB also affects other sites (extrapulmonary tuberculosis, EPTB), and accounts for a significant proportion of tuberculosis cases worldwide. In order to comprehensively understand epidemiology of EBTB in China, and improve early diagnosis and treatment, we conducted a large-scale multi-center observational study to assess the demographic data and the prevalence of common EPTB inpatients, and further evaluate the prevalence of EPTB concurrent with Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and the associations between multiple EPTB types and gender-age group in China. All consecutive age≥15yr inpatients with a confirmed diagnosis of EPTB during the period from January 2011 to December 2017 were included in the study. The descriptive statistical analysis included median and quartile measurements for continuous variables, and frequencies and proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for categorical variables. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to compare the association of multiple EPTB types between age group and gender. The results showed that the proportion of 15-24 years and 25-34 years in EPTB inpatients were the most and the ratio of male: female was 1.51. Approximately 70% of EPTB inpatients were concurrent with PTB or other types of EPTB. The most common of EPTB was tuberculous pleurisy (50.15%), followed by bronchial tuberculosis (14.96%), tuberculous lymphadenitis of the neck (7.24%), tuberculous meningitis (7.23%), etc. It was found that many EPTB inpatients concurrent with PTB. The highest prevalence of EPTB concurrent with PTB was pharyngeal/laryngeal tuberculosis (91.31%), followed by bronchial tuberculosis (89.52%), tuberculosis of hilar lymph nodes (79.52%), tuberculosis of mediastinal lymph nodes (79.13%), intestinal tuberculosis (72.04%), tuberculous pleurisy (65.31%) and tuberculous meningitis (62.64%), etc. The results from EPTB concurrent with PTB suggested that females EPTB inpatients were less likely to be at higher risk of concurrent PTB (aOR = 0.819, 95%CI:0.803-0.835) after adjusted by age. As age increasing, the trend risk of concurrent PTB decreased (aOR = 0.994, 95%CI: 0.989-0.999) after adjusted by gender. Our study demonstrated that the common EPTB were tuberculous pleurisy, bronchial tuberculosis, tuberculous lymphadenitis of the neck, tuberculous meningitis, etc. A majority of patients with pharyngeal/laryngeal tuberculosis, bronchial tuberculosis, tuberculosis of hilar/mediastinal lymph nodes, intestinal tuberculosis, tuberculous pleurisy, tuberculous meningitis, etc. were concurrent with PTB. Female EPTB inpatients were less likely to be at higher risk of concurrent PTB, and as age increasing, the trend risk of concurrent PTB decreased. The clinicians should be alert to the presence of concurrent tuberculosis in EPTB, and all suspected cases of EPTB should be assessed for concomitant PTB to determine whether the case is infectious and to help for early diagnosis and treatment.

In this study, a quantitative 1H NMR method (1H-qNMR) for determining the contents of imperatorin, byakangelicin, and oxypeucedanin in A. dahurica in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been established. Dried plant material was extracted exhaustively with methanol by an ultrasonication-assisted extraction method. The 1H-qNMR measurements were performed on a 600 -MHz spectrometer with hydroquinone as the internal standard reference in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO-d6) solvent. Quantification was carried out using the 1H resonance signals at 6.55 ppm for hydroquinone and 7.68, 7.38-7.39, and 6.38-6.39 ppm for imperatorin, byakangelicin, and oxypeucedanin, respectively. The linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), precision, reproducibility, stability, and recovery of the methodology were evaluated, and results were good. The newly developed method has been applied to determine the three coumarins in A. dahurica.

This study was aimed at delineating and comparing differences in clinical characteristics and brain activity between patients with low- and high-frequency tinnitus (LFT and HFT, respectively) using high-density electroencephalography (EEG). This study enrolled 3217 patients with subjective tinnitus who were divided into LFT (frequency

Objectives. To analyze the clinical application of SoundBite bone conduction hearing aids by assessing the improvement of speech recognition and the scores of the benefit scale questionnaire for patients with single-sided deafness (SSD). Design. Nine patients aged 24 to 61 years with SSD for more than 3 months were enrolled in this study. The patients could understand and repeat Mandarin and have good compliance with the study. The measurements were evaluated before and after one month of wearing hearing aids using the pure tone audiometry threshold, speech recognition in quiet and in noise, and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) benefit scale score. Results. Pure tone audiometry results showed that the average hearing threshold of good ears and bad ears was 11.4±2.6 dB HL and 89.9±6.4 dB HL, respectively. The average hearing threshold of bad ears after wearing hearing aids was 23.5±9.0 dB HL. Statistical analysis showed that the hearing improvement for the bad ears after wearing hearing aids was significant. The speech audiometry results showed that the disyllable word recognition score of the bad ears in quiet increased significantly at 50 dB SPL by 40±12 percentage points and at 65 dB SPL by 71±15 percentage points. As for the speech recognition in noise, when the signal sound came from the bad ear side and the noise from the good ear side (SSSDNAH), the speech recognition score (SRS) significantly increased by 17±6 and 9±4 at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of -2 dB and -5 dB, respectively, after wearing the hearing aids. When the signal sound came from the front of the patient and the noise from the bad ear side (S0NSSD), the SRS scores were reduced by 5±5 and 7±5 percentage points at SNR equal to -2 dB and -5 dB, which was significantly different from that before wearing the hearing aids. When the signal and noise both came from the front of the patients (S0N0), the SRS was not significantly increased by 5±4 percentage points at SNR equal to -2 dB compared to before wearing hearing aids. However, the SRS was significantly increased by 5±2 percentage points at SNR equal to -5 dB compared to before wearing hearing aids. The average total GBI score was 31±12 for the nine patients, with an average score of 32±10, 31±8, and 30±7 for general conditions, social support, and physical health, respectively. The results of the questionnaires showed that patients’ quality of life was improved after wearing SoundBite bone conduction hearing aids. Conclusions. SoundBite bone conduction hearing aids are a good choice for patients with SSD, as it could improve the speech recognition ability of patients both in a quiet and noisy environment and improves the quality of life after wearing hearing aids.

The content of active components in traditional Chinese medicine is relatively small, and it is difficult to detect some trace components with modern analytical instruments, so good pretreatment and extraction are very important in the experiment. Graphene was introduced by a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method based on solidification of floating organic drop (DLLME-SFO) with graphene/1-dodecyl alcohol used as the extractant, and this method, combined with quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-qNMR), was used to simultaneously qualitative and quantitative osthole, columbianadin and isoimperatorin in Angelicae Pubescentis Radix. In this experiment, a magnetic stirrer was used for extraction, all NMR spectra were recorded on a Bruker Advance III 600 MHz spectrometer with dimethyl sulfoxide-d6 (DMSO-d6) as deuterated solvent and pyrazine as the internal standard. The influencing factors and NMR parameters in the extraction process were investigated and optimized. In addition, the methodology of the established method was also examined. The quantitative signals of osthole, columbianadin and isoimperatorin were at a chemical shift of δ6.25–δ6.26 ppm, δ6.83–δ6.85 ppm, and δ6.31–δ6.32 ppm. The linear ranges of osthole, columbianadin and isoimperatorin were all 0.0455–2.2727 mg/mL, and R2 were 0.9994, 0.9994 and 0.9995, respectively. The limits of detection of osthole, columbianadin and isoimperatorin were 0.0660, 0.0720, 0.0620 mg, and the limits of quantification of osthole, columbianadin and isoimperatorin were 0.2201, 0.2401, 0.2066 mg/mL. The solution had good stability and repeatability within 24 h. The recoveries of osthole, columbianadin and isoimperatorin were 102.26%, 99.89%, 103.28%, respectively. The established method is simple and easy to operate, which greatly reduces the cumbersome pretreatment of samples and has high extraction efficiency.

Background. The syndrome of maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) is typically caused by the m.3243A>G mutation and widely considered maternally inherited. In our study, we aimed to investigate the heredity way of the m.3243A>G among pedigrees with MIDD and discover novel mitochondrial DNA mutations related to atypical clinical phenotypes. Methods. Heteroplasmy levels of the m.3243A>G mutation in peripheral blood, saliva, and urine sediment of 31 individuals from 10 unrelated pedigrees were measured by pyrosequencing. Clinical evaluations including endocrinological, audiological, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations, mitochondrial function evaluation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and whole mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing were performed among the spontaneous mutant pedigrees. Results. Among the 10 unrelated MIDD pedigrees, we found that the de novo m.3243A>G mutation occurred in the family 1957 (F1957). The proband (F1957-II-1) and her son (F1957-III-1) both manifested diabetes with mild bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and abnormal brain MRI, and F1957-III-1 also complained of severe nausea and vomiting. Mitochondrial function evaluation in PBMCs revealed an increased level of ROS generation and decreased levels of ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in the two m.3243A>G carriers. Whole mtDNA sequencing also revealed a de novo heteroplasmic substitution at m.16093T>C in both the proband and her son. Conclusions. Our study showed that de novo m.3243A>G mutation accompanied by other point mutations may occur in the very early embryonic or germ cell stage without maternal inheritance, bringing about both typical and atypical clinical features.

In this study, we investigated the role of MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and rosiglitazone (RSG) in glucocorticoid resistance and glucocorticoid sensitivity, respectively, using a guinea pig model of lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). The pigs were divided into control, LPS, LPS+dexamethasone (DEX), LPS+RSG, and LPS+DEX+RSG groups. Their hearing was screened by auditory brainstem response measurement. Immunofluorescence staining was used to identify the location of MKP-1 in the inner ear. The expression levels of MKP-1 and the related proteins in the inner ear were detected using western blotting. The morphological changes in the cochlea were observed via hematoxylin-eosin staining. Severe hearing loss was observed in the LPS group, as opposed to the protection from hearing loss observed in the LPS+DEX+RSG group. A positive correlation was observed between MKP-1 expression levels and protection from hearing loss. RSG and DEX synergistically influenced inner ear inflammation. In conclusion, resistance of LPS-induced SSHL guinea pig models to glucocorticoids may result from impaired MKP-1 function in inner ear tissues, induced by glucocorticoids, impairing the inhibition of inflammation. Our findings present novel targets to develop potential therapeutics to treat inflammatory diseases of the inner ear.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are green organic solvents that have broad prospects in the extraction of effective components of traditional Chinese medicine. This work employed the quantitative analysis of multi-components by a single marker (QAMS) method to quantitatively determine the six effective components of glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritin, isoliquiritin apioside, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, and glycyrrhetinic acid in Glycyrrhiza uralensis, which was used for comprehensive evaluation of the optimal extraction process by DESs. First, Choline Chloride: Lactic Acid (ChCl-LA, molar ratio 1:1) was selected as the most suitable DES by comparing the extraction yields of different DESs. Second, the extraction protocol was investigated by extraction time, extraction temperature, liquid-to-material ratio, molar ratio, and ultrasonic power. The Box–Behnken design (BBD) combined with response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the optimal DES conditions. The result showed that the best DES system was 1.3-butanediol/choline chloride (ChCl) with the molar ratio of 4:1. The optimal extraction process of licorice was 20 mL/g, the water content was 30%, and the extraction time was 41 min. The comprehensive impact factor (z) was 0.92. At the same time, it was found that the microstructure of the residue extracted by the eutectic solvent was more severely damaged than the residue after the traditional solvent extraction through observation under an electron microscope. The DES has the characteristics of high efficiency and rapidity as an extraction solution.

Azoxystrobin is one of the most popular strobilurin fungicides, widely used in agricultural fields for decades.Extensive use of azoxystrobin poses a major threat to ecosystems. However, little is known about the kinetics and mechanism of azoxystrobin biodegradation. The present study reports a newly isolated bacterial strain, Ochrobactrum anthropi SH14, utilizing azoxystrobin as a sole carbon source, was isolated from contaminated soils. Strain SH14 degraded 86.3% of azoxystrobin (50 μg·mL−1) in a mineral salt medium within five days. Maximum specific degradation rate (qmax), half-saturation constant (Ks), and inhibition constant (Ki) were noted as 0.6122 d−1, 6.8291 μg·mL−1, and 188.4680 μg·mL−1, respectively.Conditions for strain SH14 based azoxystrobin degradation were optimized by response surface methodology. Optimum degradation was determined to be 30.2 °C, pH 7.9, and 1.1 × 107 CFU·mL−1 of inoculum. Strain SH14 degraded azoxystrobin via a novel metabolic pathway with the formation of N-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)-acetamide,2-amino-4-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-cyano-5,6-dimethyl-pyridine, and 3-quinolinecarboxylic acid,6,8-difluoro-4-hydroxy-ethyl ester as the main intermediate products, which were further transformed without any persistent accumulative product. This is the first report of azoxystrobin degradation pathway in a microorganism. Strain SH14 also degraded other strobilurin fungicides, including kresoxim-methyl (89.4%), pyraclostrobin (88.5%), trifloxystrobin (78.7%), picoxystrobin (76.6%), and fluoxastrobin (57.2%) by following first-order kinetic model. Bioaugmentation of azoxystrobin-contaminated soils with strain SH14 remarkably enhanced the degradation of azoxystrobin, and its half-life was substantially reduced by 95.7 and 65.6 days in sterile and non-sterile soils, respectively, in comparison with the controls without strain SH14. The study presents O. anthropi SH14 for enhanced biodegradation of azoxystrobin and elaborates on the metabolic pathways to eliminate its residual toxicity from the environment.

D-phenothrin is one of the most popular pyrethroid insecticides for its broad spectrum and high insecticidal activity. However, continuous use of D-phenothrin has resulted in serious environmental contamination and raised public concern about its impact on human health. Biodegradation of D-phenothrin has never been investigated and its metabolic behaviors remain unknown. Here, a novel bacterial strain P31 was isolated from active sludge, which completely degraded (100%) D-phenothrin at 50 mg⋅L-1 in 72 h. Based on the morphology, 16S rRNA gene and Biolog tests, the strain was identified as Pseudomonas fulva. Biodegradation conditions were optimized as 29.5°C and pH 7.3 by utilizing response surface methodology. Strain P31 depicted high tolerance and strong D-phenothrin degradation ability through hydrolysis pathway. Strain P31 degraded D-phenothrin at inhibition constant (Ki) of 482.1673 mg⋅L-1 and maximum specific degradation constant (qmax) of 0.0455 h-1 whereas critical inhibitor concentration remained as 41.1189 mg⋅L-1. The 3-Phenoxybenzaldehyde and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic butyl dacyl ester were identified as the major intermediate metabolites of D-phenothrin degradation pathway through high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Bioaugmentation of D-phenothrin-contaminated soils with strain P31 dramatically enhanced its degradation, and over 75% of D-phenothrin was removed from soils within 10 days. Moreover, the strain illustrated a remarkable capacity to degrade other synthetic pyrethroids, including permethrin, cyhalothrin, β-cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenpropathrin, and bifenthrin, exhibiting great potential in bioremediation of pyrethroid-contaminated environment.

Persistent use of permethrin has resulted in its ubiquitous presence as a contaminant in surface streams and soils, yet little is known about the kinetics and metabolic behaviors of this pesticide. In this study, a novel bacterial strain Acinetobacter baumannii ZH-14 utilizing permethrin via partial hydrolysis pathways was isolated from sewage sludge. Response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design of cultural conditions was used for optimization resulting in 100% degradation of permethrin (50 mg·L−1) within 72 h. Strain ZH-14 degraded permethrin up to a concentration of 800 mg·L−1. Biodegradation kinetics analysis indicated that permethrin degradation by this strain was concentration dependent, with a maximum specific degradation rate, half-saturation constant, and inhibition constant of 0.0454 h−1, 4.7912 mg·L−1, and 367.2165 mg·L−1, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 3-phenoxybenzenemethanol and 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde as the major intermediate metabolites of the permethrin degradation pathway. Bioaugmentation of permethrin-contaminated soils with strain ZH-14 significantly enhanced degradation, and over 85% of permethrin was degraded within 9 days with the degradation process following the first-order kinetic model. In addition to degradation of permethrin, strain ZH-14 was capable of degrading a large range of synthetic pyrethroids such as deltamethrin, bifenthrin, fenpropathrin, cyhalothrin, and beta-cypermethrin which are also widely used pesticides with environmental contamination problems, suggesting the promising potentials of A. baumannii ZH-14 in bioremediation of pyrethroid-contaminated terrestrial and aquatic environments.

The acceptable noise level (ANL) was defined by subtracting the background noise level (BNL) from the most comfortable listening level (MCL) (ANL = MCL − BNL). This study compared the ANL obtained through different methods in 20 Chinese subjects with normal hearing. ANL was tested with Mandarin speech materials using a loudspeaker or earphones, with each subject tested by himself or by the audiologist. The presentation and response modes were as follows: (1) loudspeaker with self-adjusted noise levels using audiometer controls (LS method); (2) loudspeaker with the subject signaling the audiologist to adjust speech and noise levels (LA method); (3) earphones with self-adjusted noise levels using audiometer controls (ES method); and (4) earphones with the subject signaling the audiologist to adjust speech and noise levels (EA method). ANL was calculated from three measurements with each method. There was no significant difference in the ANL obtained through different presentation modes or response modes sound. The correlations between ANL, MCL, and BNL obtained from each two methods were significant. In conclusion, the ANL in normal-hearing Mandarin listeners may not be affected by presentation modes such as a loudspeaker or earphones nor is it affected by self-adjusted or audiologist-adjusted response modes. Earphone audiometry is as reliable as sound field audiometry and provides an easy and convenient way to measure ANL.

This study explored whether the time-compressed speech perception varied with the degree of hearing loss in high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (HF SNHL) individuals. 65 HF SNHL individuals with different cutoff frequencies were recruited and further divided into mildly, moderately, and/or severely affected subgroups in terms of the averaged thresholds of all frequencies exhibiting hearing loss. Time-compressed speech recognition scores under both quiet and noisy conditions and gap detection thresholds within low frequencies that had normal thresholds were obtained from all patients and compared with data from 11 age-matched individuals with normal hearing threshold at all frequencies. Correlations of the time-compressed speech recognition scores with the extents of HF SNHL and with the 1 kHz gap detection thresholds were studied across all participants. We found that the time-compressed speech recognition scores were significantly affected by and correlated with the extents of HF SNHL. The time-compressed speech recognition scores also correlated with the 1 kHz gap detection thresholds except when the compression ratio of speech was 0.8 under quiet condition. Above all, the extents of HF SNHL were significantly correlated with the 1 kHz gap thresholds.

Acoustic temporal envelope (E) cues containing speech information are distributed across the frequency spectrum. To investigate the relative weight of E cues in different frequency regions for Mandarin sentence recognition, E information was extracted from 30 contiguous bands across the range of 80–7,562 Hz using Hilbert decomposition and then allocated to five frequency regions. Recognition scores were obtained with acoustic E cues from 1 or 2 random regions from 40 normal-hearing listeners. While the recognition scores ranged from 8.2% to 16.3% when E information from only one region was available, the scores ranged from 57.9% to 87.7% when E information from two frequency regions was presented, suggesting a synergistic effect among the temporal E cues in different frequency regions. Next, the relative contributions of the E information from the five frequency regions to sentence perception were computed using a least-squares approach. The results demonstrated that, for Mandarin Chinese, a tonal language, the temporal E cues of Frequency Region 1 (80–502 Hz) and Region 3 (1,022–1,913 Hz) contributed more to the intelligence of sentence recognition than other regions, particularly the region of 80–502 Hz, which contained fundamental frequency (F0) information.

Objective. In this study, we aimed to identify mt3243A > G mutation carriers in a group of Chinese elderly type 2 diabetic patients by a rapid and noninvasive diagnostic system. Methods. DNA was extracted from blood, saliva, and urine sediment samples. The mutation screening and quantitation of heteroplasmy were performed by high-resolution melting (HRM) curve and pyrosequencing, respectively. Patients with mt3243A > G mutation underwent a detailed audiometric, ophthalmologic, neurological, and cardiac examination. Results. Two patients (2/1041) carrying the mt3243A > G mutation were detected among all type 2 diabetic patients. In patient 1, the heteroplasmy was 0.8%, 2.8%, and 14.7% in peripheral blood leukocytes, saliva, and urine sediment, respectively. In patient 2, the heteroplasmy was 5.3%, 8.4%, and 37.7% in peripheral blood leukocytes, saliva, and urine sediment, respectively. Both of the two patients showed hearing impairment. Abnormal ophthalmologic conditions and hyperintensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images were showed in patient 1. Conclusion. The occurrence of mt3243 A > G mutation was 0.2% in Chinese elderly type 2 diabetic patients. Moreover, detection of mt3243 A > G mutation in urine sediment with high-resolution melting (HRM) curve and pyrosequencing is feasible in molecular genetic diagnosis.

Tonsillotomy has gained popular acceptance as an alternative to the traditional tonsillectomy in the management of sleep-disordered breathing in children. Many studies have evaluated the outcomes of the two techniques, but uncertainty remains with regard to the efficacy and complications of tonsillotomy versus a traditional tonsillectomy. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and complications of tonsillotomy versus tonsillectomy, in terms of the short- and long-term results.We collected data from electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. The following inclusion criteria were applied: English language, children, and prospective studies that directly compared tonsillotomy and tonsillectomy in the management of sleep disordered breathing. Subgroup analysis was then performed.In total, 10 eligible studies with 1029 participants were included. Tonsillotomy was shown to be advantageous over tonsillectomy in short-term measures, such as a lower hemorrhage rate, shorter operation time, and faster pain relief. In long-term follow-up, there was no significant difference in resolution of upper-airway obstructive symptoms, the quality of life, or postoperative immune function between the tonsillotomy and tonsillectomy groups. The risk ratio of SDB recurrence was 3.33 (95% confidence interval = 1.62 6.82, P = 0.001), favoring tonsillectomy at an average follow-up of 31 months.Tonsillotomy may be advantageous over tonsillectomy in the short term measures and there are no significant difference of resolving obstructive symptoms, quality of life and postoperative immune function. For the long run, the dominance of tonsillotomy may be less than tonsillectomy with regard to the rate of sleep-disordered breathing recurrence.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a novel therapeutic tool to induce a suppression of tinnitus. However, the optimal target sites are unknown. We aimed to determine whether low-frequency rTMS induced lasting suppression of tinnitus by decreasing neural activity in the cortex, navigated by high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) source analysis, and the utility of EEG for targeting treatment.In this controlled three-armed trial, seven normal hearing patients with tonal tinnitus received a 10-day course of 1-Hz rTMS to the cortex, navigated by high-density EEG source analysis, to the left temporoparietal cortex region, and to the left temporoparietal with sham stimulation. The Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess tinnitus severity and loudness. Measurements were taken before, and immediately, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the end of the interventions.Low-frequency rTMS decreased tinnitus significantly after active, but not sham, treatment. Responders in the EEG source analysis-based rTMS group, 71.4% (5/7) patients, experienced a significant reduction in tinnitus loudness, as evidenced by VAS scores. The target site of neuronal generators most consistently associated with a positive response was the frontal lobe in the right hemisphere, sourced using high-density EEG equipment, in the tinnitus patients. After left temporoparietal rTMS stimulation, 42.8% (3/7) patients experienced a decrease in tinnitus loudness.Active EEG source analysis based rTMS resulted in significant suppression in tinnitus loudness, showing the superiority of neuronavigation-guided coil positioning in dealing with tinnitus. Non-auditory areas should be considered in the pathophysiology of tinnitus. This knowledge in turn can contribute to investigate the pathophysiology of tinnitus.