Olfactory Impairment and Mortality

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Olfactory Impairment and Mortality via JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery Current Issue The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the world's attention to olfactory impairment (OI). As a cardinal symptom of the many early variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we have never seen such global attention toward one of our most important senses. Although the prevalence of OI has increased dramatically with COVID-19, OIs have long been a significant health concern. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the median length of time from onset of OI to evaluation by a clinician was 13 months, with many individuals waiting up to 3 years before seeking evaluation. During that time, patients did not receive treatment or counseling, compounding the potential associations of OI with patient health. View on Web

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Effects of Masker Envelope Fluctuations on the Temporal Effect

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Effects of Masker Envelope Fluctuations on the Temporal Effect via JARO - Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology via MedWorm.com This study tests the hypothesis that small or absent temporal effects for narrowband maskers are due to the inherent temporal envelope fluctuations of Gaussian noise. Temporal effects were measured for narrowband noise maskers with fluctuating ( "fluctuating maskers") and flattened ("flattened maskers") temporal envelopes as a function of masker level (Exp. I) and in the presence of fluctuating and flattened precursors (Exp. II). The temporal effect was absent for fluctuating narrowband maskers and as large as ~ 7 dB for flattene d narrowband maskers. The AC-coupled power of the temporal envelopes of precursors and maskers accounted for 94 % of the variance in probe detection thresholds measured with fluctuating and flattened precursors and maskers. These results suggest that m... View on Web

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Effects of 3,3 ′-Iminodipropionitrile on Hair Cell Numbers in Cristae of CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J Mice

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Effects of 3,3 ′-Iminodipropionitrile on Hair Cell Numbers in Cristae of CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J Mice via JARO - Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology via MedWorm.com This study examines absolute hair cell numbers in the cristae of C57BL/6J mice and CBA/CaJ mice from weaning to adulthood as well as the dose required for 3,3 ′-iminodiproprionitrile (IDPN)-injury of the cristae in C57BL/6J mice and CBA/CaJ mice, the two mouse strains most commonly used by inner ear researchers. In cristae of CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J mice, no loss of hair cells was observed up to 24 weeks. In both strains, dose-dependent loss of hair cells was observed 7 days after IDPN treatment of 2-month-old mice (IC50 = 16.1 mmol/kg in C57BL/6J mice vs. 25.21 mmol/kg in CBA/CaJ mice). Four-month-old C57BL/6J mice exposed to IDPN developed dose-dependent vestibular dysfunction as indicated by increased activity and circling behavior in open field tests and by failure to swim 7 da... View on Web

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Association of APACHE‐II Scores With 30‐Day Mortality After Tracheostomy: A Retrospective Study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Association of APACHE‐II Scores With 30‐Day Mortality After Tracheostomy: A Retrospective Study via The Laryngoscope An APACHE-II score of 30 and above is a potentially useful clinical indicator of increased risk of mortality within 30 days of tracheostomy in patients with ventilator-dependent respiratory failure (VDRF). This tool may prove a valuable resource for ICU physicians, surgeons, and families who are considering tracheostomy for patients with VDRF. Objective The objective of this study was to assess whether the Acute Physiology, Age, Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE-II) score is a reliable predictor of 30-day mortality in the setting of adult patients with ventilator-dependent respiratory failure (VDRF) who undergo tracheostomy. Methods This is a retrospective, single-institution study. Potential subjects were identified using the current procedural terminology codes for the tracheostomy procedure and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes for VDRF. APACHE-II scores were retrospectively calculated. Tracheostomies were performed in our population over an 18-month period (November 2018 through April 2020). Our study population did not include patients with novel coronavirus. The primary outcome was mortality at 30 days after tracheostomy. Results A total of 238 patients with VDRF who had a tracheostomy were included in this study. Twenty-eight (11.8%) patients died within 30 days of tracheostomy. The mean (standard deviation) APACHE-II score was 22.5 (10.2) for patients who died within 30 days of tracheostomy and 19.8 (7.4) for patients living within 30 days of tracheostomy (p = 0.30). Patients with APACHE-II scores greater than or equal to 30 showed higher odds of death within 30 days of tracheostomy (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.14–7.89, p = 0.03). Conclusion An APACHE-II score of 30 and above is associated with mortality within 30 days of tracheostomy in patients with VDRF. APACHE-II scores may be a promising tool for assessing risk of mortality in patients with VDRF after tracheostomy. Level of Evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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The Optimized Protocol of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader The Optimized Protocol of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss via The Laryngoscope When HBOT (10 sessions) was combined with corticosteroids as the initial therapy for SSNHL, a higher pressure (1.5 ATA vs. 2.5 ATA) provided better treatment result; however, increasing the duration (1 h vs. 2 h) did not result in a significant difference. The addition of 1.5 ATA HBOT showed similar results to the treatment without HBOT in our previous study. Objective This study aimed to determine the optimal protocol of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) according to various treatment settings for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Methods A 112 patients with SSNHL were enrolled in this prospective study. All patients were treated with systemic steroid therapy, intratympanic steroid therapy, and HBOT. According to the pressure and duration of HBOT (10 sessions in total), the patients were divided into three groups: group 1, 2.5 atmospheres absolute (ATA) for 1 h; group 2, 2.5 ATA for 2 h; and group 3, 1.5 ATA for 1 h. The pure-tone average (PTA), word discrimination score (WDS), and mean gain were compared. Results A total of 105 patients completed the 3-month follow-up, and 6 patients were excluded. Differences among groups were found in PTA, WDS, and mean gain. In the post-hoc analysis, group 3 had significantly lower WDS and mean gain than groups 1 and 2; however, group 2 showed no significant differences from group 1. The proportion of patients with hearing recovery after treatment was significantly higher in group 1 (57.6%) and group 2 (58.8%) than in group 3 (31.3%). Conclusions When HBOT (10 sessions) was combined with corticosteroids as the initial therapy for SSNHL, a higher pressure (1.5 ATA vs. 2.5 ATA) provided better treatment results; however, increasing the duration (1 h vs. 2 h) under 2.5 ATA did not result in a significant difference. Therefore, HBOT for SSNHL may be performed at 2.5 ATA for 1 h in 10 sessions. Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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Working with animals: Implications for employees’ compassion, awe, prosocial behavior, and task performance

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Working with animals: Implications for employees' compassion, awe, prosocial behavior, and task performance via Personnel Psychology Abstract Human-animal work represents a collaboration between humans and animals to achieve work goals, and is common in the domains of healthcare, therapy, entertainment, and education. Although the scopes and types of human-animal work is diversifying and increasing, organizational scholars have yet to explore its impacts on employees. Drawing from the models of compassion and mind perception theories, we first develop a theoretical model pertaining to the development of compassion as a result of human-animal work. In a study with zookeepers (Study 1), we find that human-animal work evokes the emotion of compassion, which in turn is positively associated with employee prosocial behavior and task performance. These mediated effects are moderated by how employees perceive animals – employees are more likely to experience compassion, and in turn become more prosocial and work better when they generally perceive animals to be able to experience emotions and bodily sensations. Furthermore, two follow-up studies (i.e., Studies 2 and 3) with employees who engage in human-animal work in Hong Kong and the United States reveal that working with animals evokes awe in addition to compassion, and provides insight into their resultant impact on prosocial behavior and task performance. We end by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of this work. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved View on Web

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Effects of Cortical Stimulation on Feedback‐Dependent Vocal Control in Non‐Human Primates

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Effects of Cortical Stimulation on Feedback‐Dependent Vocal Control in Non‐Human Primates via The Laryngoscope Objectives Hearing plays an important role in our ability to control voice, and perturbations in auditory feedback result in compensatory changes in vocal production. The auditory cortex (AC) has been proposed as an important mediator of this behavior, but causal evidence is lacking. We tested this in an animal model, hypothesizing that AC is necessary for vocal self-monitoring and feedback-dependent control, and that altering activity in AC during vocalization will interfere with vocal control. Methods We implanted two marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) with bilateral AC electrode arrays. Acoustic signals were recorded from vocalizing marmosets while altering vocal feedback or electrically stimulating AC during random subsets of vocalizations. Feedback was altered by real-time frequency shifts and presented through headphones and electrical stimulation delivered to individual electrodes. We analyzed recordings to measure changes in vocal acoustics during shifted feedback and stimulation, and to determine their interaction. Results were correlated with the location and frequency tuning of stimulation sites. Results Consistent with previous results, we found electrical stimulation alone evoked changes in vocal production. Results were stronger in the right hemisphere, but decreased with lower currents or repeated stimulation. Simultaneous stimulation and shifted feedback significantly altered vocal control for a subset of sites, decreasing feedback compensation at some and increasing it at others. Inhibited compensation was more likely at sites closer to vocal frequencies. Conclusions Results provide causal evidence that the AC is involved in feedback-dependent vocal control, and that it is sufficient and may also be necessary to drive changes in vocal production. Level of Evidence N/A Laryngoscope, 2022 View on Web

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