RESUMEN

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with wide-ranging effects, involving factors such as Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) infection and sebum hypersecretion. Current acne treatments are challenged by drug resistance. 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) -based photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been widely used in the clinical treatment of acne, however, the mechanism of its action remains to be elucidated. In this study, by constructing a mice ears model of P. acnes infection, we found that ALA-PDT inhibited the proliferation of P. acnes in vivo and in vitro, significantly ameliorated ear swelling, and blocked the chronic inflammatory process. In vitro, ALA-PDT inhibited lipid secretion and regulated the expression of lipid synthesis and metabolism-related genes in SZ95 cells. Further, we found that ALA-PDT led to DNA damage and apoptosis in SZ95 cells by inducing mitochondrial stress and oxidative stress. Altogether, our study demonstrated the great advantages of ALA-PDT for the treatment of acne and revealed that the mechanism may be related to the blockade of chronic inflammation and the suppression of lipid secretion by ALA-PDT.

Asunto(s)

Acné Vulgar , Ácido Aminolevulínico , Mitocondrias , Estrés Oxidativo , Fotoquimioterapia , Propionibacterium acnes , Animales , Ácido Aminolevulínico/farmacología , Ácido Aminolevulínico/uso terapéutico , Acné Vulgar/tratamiento farmacológico , Fotoquimioterapia/métodos , Estrés Oxidativo/efectos de los fármacos , Propionibacterium acnes/efectos de los fármacos , Ratones , Mitocondrias/efectos de los fármacos , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Fármacos Fotosensibilizantes/farmacología , Fármacos Fotosensibilizantes/uso terapéutico , Línea Celular , Glándulas Sebáceas/efectos de los fármacos , Glándulas Sebáceas/patología , Glándulas Sebáceas/metabolismo , Humanos , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Metabolismo de los Lípidos/efectos de los fármacos , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Oído/patología

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare audiological outcomes of atresiaplasty and Bonebridge (BB) implantation in patients with unilateral congenital aural atresia (UCAA), to guide clinical decision-making. METHODS: Twenty-seven subjects diagnosed with UCAA were included in the study. Thirteen were implanted with the BB, while 14 undergone atresiaplasty. All patients underwent pre-and post-surgery examinations, including pure-tone audiometry, sound field threshold (SFT), speech reception threshold (SRT), word recognition score (WRS), and horizontal sound source localization tests. RESULTS: (1) Postoperatively, the average SFT decreased by 11.79 ± 5.93 dB HL in the atresiaplasty group and by 24.46 ± 9.36 dB HL in the BB group, with a significantly greater decrease in the BB group compared to the atresiaplasty group (P < 0.05). (2) Both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in average disyllabic WRS postoperatively under normal ear-masking conditions, with the BB group showing a significantly higher improvement than the atresiaplasty group. (3) When the speech signal was presented from the CAA side with noise from the normal hearing side, both surgical groups exhibited a significant decrease in postoperative signal-to-noise ratio compared to preoperative levels, with improvements of 2.14 ± 2.95 dB SNR in the atresiaplasty group and 4.92 ± 5.83 dB SNR in the BB group (P < 0.05). (4) The average minimum audible angle preoperative in the atresiaplasty group was 29.71 ± 18.42°, which decreased to 18.1 ± 10.07° at 6 months postoperatively, showing a statistically significant improvement (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We concluded that both atresiaplasty and Bonebridge implantation can significantly improve speech perception under both quiet and noisy conditions in children with UCAA. BoneBridge implantation appears to provide better audiological outcomes than atresiaplasty. Atresiaplasty can significantly improve the accuracy of sound localization. No significant improvement in sound localization accuracy was observed in the short period after Bonebridge implantation. Further research should be conducted with a larger sample size and longer follow-up time.

Asunto(s)

Audiometría de Tonos Puros , Oído , Humanos , Femenino , Masculino , Niño , Resultado del Tratamiento , Oído/anomalías , Oído/cirugía , Anomalías Congénitas/cirugía , Prótesis Anclada al Hueso , Adolescente , Preescolar , Percepción del Habla/fisiología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Prueba del Umbral de Recepción del Habla , Umbral Auditivo/fisiología

RESUMEN

Photo-sono therapy (PST) is an innovative anti-vascular approach based on cavitation-induced spallation. Currently, passive cavitation detection (PCD) is the prevalent technique for cavitation monitoring during treatment. However, the limitations of PCD are the lack of spatial information of bubbles and the difficulty of integration with the PST system. To address this, we proposed a new, to the best of our knowledge, cavitation mapping method that integrates Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) with PST to visualize bubble dynamics in real time. The feasibility of the proposed system has been confirmed through experiments on vascular-mimicking phantoms and in vivo rabbit ear vessels, and the results are compared to high-speed camera observations and PCD data. The findings demonstrate that Doppler OCT effectively maps cavitation in real time and holds promise for guiding PST treatments and other cavitation-related clinical applications.

Asunto(s)

Fantasmas de Imagen , Tomografía de Coherencia Óptica , Tomografía de Coherencia Óptica/métodos , Conejos , Animales , Oído/irrigación sanguínea , Oído/diagnóstico por imagen , Terapia por Ultrasonido/métodos

RESUMEN

RATIONAL: Nickel is one of humans' most prevalent triggers of allergic contact dermatitis. However, the underlying mechanisms of this allergy still need to be fully understood. One aspect that has yet to be explored is the direct impact of common metal allergens on the skin's metabolites and lipids composition. METHOD: Our study employed matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) to analyze spatially resolved metabolic alterations induced by nickel exposure. Cross-sections of ex vivo porcine ear skin exposed to increasing nickel (II) ion concentrations (17-167 µg/cm2) were measured with an AP-SMALDI5 AF ion source coupled to Q Exactive HF Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Additionally, the penetration of nickel ions into the skin was observed through its pink complexation with dimethylglyoxime under light microscopy. RESULTS: For nickel ion concentrations up to 84 µg/cm2, most nickel ions were stopped within the stratum corneum, while only a very small proportion of nickel ions penetrated the viable epidermis and dermis. Stratum corneum locations with high nickel ion concentrations showed a decrease in arginine and ceramides. Furthermore, several phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin species were found to be downregulated in the viable epidermis and dermis due to the nickel exposure. CONCLUSION: Nickel penetrates at a trace level into the viable skin and induces severe metabolomic and lipidomic changes in the stratum corneum, epidermis, and dermis, indicating a change in the skin (barrier) function. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of nickel-induced skin allergies and provide a solid foundation for further research.

Asunto(s)

Níquel , Piel , Espectrometría de Masa por Láser de Matriz Asistida de Ionización Desorción , Animales , Porcinos , Níquel/análisis , Níquel/metabolismo , Níquel/farmacocinética , Piel/metabolismo , Piel/efectos de los fármacos , Piel/química , Espectrometría de Masa por Láser de Matriz Asistida de Ionización Desorción/métodos , Oído , Absorción Cutánea/efectos de los fármacos

RESUMEN

Neural wearables can enable life-saving drowsiness and health monitoring for pilots and drivers. While existing in-cabin sensors may provide alerts, wearables can enable monitoring across more environments. Current neural wearables are promising but most require wet-electrodes and bulky electronics. This work showcases in-ear, dry-electrode earpieces used to monitor drowsiness with compact hardware. The employed system integrates additive-manufacturing for dry, user-generic earpieces, existing wireless electronics, and offline classification algorithms. Thirty-five hours of electrophysiological data were recorded across nine subjects performing drowsiness-inducing tasks. Three classifier models were trained with user-specific, leave-one-trial-out, and leave-one-user-out splits. The support-vector-machine classifier achieved an accuracy of 93.2% while evaluating users it has seen before and 93.3% when evaluating a never-before-seen user. These results demonstrate wireless, dry, user-generic earpieces used to classify drowsiness with comparable accuracies to existing state-of-the-art, wet electrode in-ear and scalp systems. Further, this work illustrates the feasibility of population-trained classification in future electrophysiological applications.

Asunto(s)

Electroencefalografía , Dispositivos Electrónicos Vestibles , Tecnología Inalámbrica , Humanos , Electroencefalografía/instrumentación , Electroencefalografía/métodos , Tecnología Inalámbrica/instrumentación , Masculino , Adulto , Fases del Sueño/fisiología , Femenino , Oído/fisiología , Electrodos , Algoritmos , Máquina de Vectores de Soporte , Adulto Joven , Monitoreo Fisiológico/instrumentación , Monitoreo Fisiológico/métodos

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Auriculocondylar syndrome (ARCND) is an extremely rare autosomal dominant or recessive condition that typically manifests as question mark ears (QMEs), mandibular condyle hypoplasia, and micrognathia. Severe dental and maxillofacial malformations present considerable challenges in patients' lives and clinical treatment. Currently, only a few ARCND cases have been reported worldwide, but most of them are related to genetic mutations, clinical symptoms, and ear correction; there are few reports concerning the treatment of dentofacial deformities. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report a rare case of ARCND in a Chinese family. A novel insertional mutation in the guanine nucleotide-binding protein alpha-inhibiting activity polypeptide 3 (GNAI3) was identified in the patient and their brother using whole-exome sequencing. After a multidisciplinary consultation and examination, sequential orthodontic treatment and craniofacial surgery, including distraction osteogenesis and orthognathic surgery, were performed using three-dimensional (3D) digital technology to treat the patient's dentofacial deformity. A good prognosis was achieved at the 5-year follow-up, and the patient returned to normal life. CONCLUSIONS: ARCND is a monogenic and rare condition that can be diagnosed based on its clinical triad of core features. Molecular diagnosis plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of patients with inconspicuous clinical features. We present a novel insertion variation in GNAI3, which was identified in exon 2 of chromosome 110116384 in a Chinese family. Sequential therapy with preoperative orthodontic treatment combined with distraction osteogenesis and orthognathic surgery guided by 3D digital technology may be a practical and effective method for treating ARCND.

Asunto(s)

Deformidades Dentofaciales , Humanos , Masculino , Deformidades Dentofaciales/genética , Deformidades Dentofaciales/cirugía , Estudios de Seguimiento , Enfermedades del Oído/genética , Enfermedades del Oído/cirugía , Subunidades alfa de la Proteína de Unión al GTP Gi-Go/genética , Linaje , Oído/anomalías , Osteogénesis por Distracción/métodos , Mutación , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Ortognáticos , China , Pueblos del Este de Asia

RESUMEN

Fucoidan from Saccharina japonica (SJF) was isolated and characterized, and its anti-inflammatory effects on fine dust/ambient particulate matter (PM)-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes were investigated. SJF increased cell viability by reducing intracellular ROS production in PM-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes. Moreover, SJF downregulated the expression/production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IL-25, IL-33, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and TSLP) and chemokines (MDC and TARC) through modulating NF-κB/MAPK signaling in PM-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes. Extended studies investigated the impact of SJF-treated HaCaT keratinocyte culture media on HDFs. Interestingly, media from SJF-treated HaCaT keratinocytes on HDFs demonstrated a notable downregulation of the production of inflammatory mediators such as TSLP, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, and TNF-α, as well as TARC and MDC. Furthermore, the study examined the impact of SJF on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) induced ear edema in BALB/c mice and results indicated the reduced ear thickness and decreased iNOS and COX-2 expression. Our study confirmed the effectiveness of SJF in ameliorating PM-induced skin inflammation in in vitro experiments, along with the TPA-induced in vivo inflammatory model.

Asunto(s)

Citocinas , Edema , Inflamación , Queratinocitos , Material Particulado , Polisacáridos , Acetato de Tetradecanoilforbol , Animales , Ratones , Edema/tratamiento farmacológico , Edema/inducido químicamente , Queratinocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Queratinocitos/metabolismo , Polisacáridos/farmacología , Acetato de Tetradecanoilforbol/toxicidad , Humanos , Material Particulado/toxicidad , Material Particulado/efectos adversos , Citocinas/metabolismo , Inflamación/tratamiento farmacológico , Inflamación/metabolismo , Inflamación/patología , Inflamación/inducido químicamente , Fibroblastos/efectos de los fármacos , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Oído/patología , Antiinflamatorios/farmacología , Orchidaceae/química , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Células HaCaT , Algas Comestibles , Laminaria

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: To analyze anatomic variations of the temporal bone in congenital aural atresia (CAA) and their correlation with the Jahrsdoerfer score, in order to guide clinical selection of surgical treatment methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 53 patients (72 ears) with unilateral or bilateral CAA, including 34 ears with normal hearing as controls. Audiological and imaging data were collected and analyzed. We evaluated the Jahrsdoerfer score and anatomical variations, including tegmen mastoideum position, anterior sigmoid sinus displacement, and elevated jugular bulb. RESULTS: The average air conduction hearing threshold (PTA4) ranged from 0.5 to 4 kHz was 65.48 ± 8.19 dBHL, with an average Jahrsdoerfer score of 4.93 ± 2.78. In CAA group, there was a higher prevalence and severity of anterior sigmoid sinus and low position of the tegmen mastoideum (P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in incidence rates among groups with high jugular bulb (P > 0.05). Anterior sigmoid sinus and high jugular bulb showed no correlation with the Jahrsdoerfer score, while the low position of the tegmen mastoideum had a weak correlation. The Jahrsdoerfer score did not adequately predict temporal bone anatomical abnormalities in CAA patients. CONCLUSION: CAA exhibit a higher incidence and greater severity of temporal bone anatomical abnormalities compared to the control group, and the Jahrsdoerfer score inadequately assesses these abnormalities. Anomalies like low position of the tegmen mastoideum, anterior sigmoid sinus, and high jugular bulb should also be considered as independent factors influencing surgical decisions for atresiaplasty.

Asunto(s)

Oído , Hueso Temporal , Humanos , Hueso Temporal/anomalías , Hueso Temporal/diagnóstico por imagen , Hueso Temporal/cirugía , Femenino , Masculino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Adolescente , Niño , Oído/anomalías , Oído/cirugía , Adulto , Anomalías Congénitas/cirugía , Anomalías Congénitas/diagnóstico por imagen , Adulto Joven , Preescolar

RESUMEN

Objective.To determine the optimal frequency and site of stimulation for transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) to induce acute changes in the autonomic profile (heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV)) in healthy subjects (HS) and patients with heart failure (HF).Approach.We designed three single-blind, randomized, cross-over studies: (1) to compare the acute effect of left tVNS at 25 Hz and 10 Hz (n= 29, age 60 ± 7 years), (2) to compare the acute effect of left and right tVNS at the best frequency identified in study 1 (n= 28 age 61 ± 7 years), and (3) to compare the acute effect of the identified optimal stimulation protocol with sham stimulation in HS and HF patients (n= 30, age 59 ± 5 years, andn= 32, age 63 ± 7 years, respectively).Main results.In study 1, left tragus stimulation at 25 Hz was more effective than stimulation at 10 Hz in decreasing HR (-1.0 ± 1.2 bpm,p< 0.001 and -0.5 ± 1.6 bpm, respectively) and inducing vagal effects (significant increase in RMSSD, and HF power). In study 2, the HR reduction was greater with left than right tragus stimulation (-0.9 ± 1.5 bpm,p< 0.01 and -0.3 ± 1.4 bpm, respectively). In study 3 in HS, left tVNS at 25 Hz significantly reduced HR, whereas sham stimulation did not (-1.1 ± 1.2 bpm,p< 0.01 and -0.2 ± 2.9 bpm, respectively). In HF patients, both active and sham stimulation produced negligible effects.Significance.Left tVNS at 25 Hz is effective in acute modulation of cardiovascular autonomic control (HR, HRV) in HS but not in HF patients (NCT05789147).

Asunto(s)

Sistema Nervioso Autónomo , Insuficiencia Cardíaca , Frecuencia Cardíaca , Estimulación Eléctrica Transcutánea del Nervio , Estimulación del Nervio Vago , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/fisiopatología , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/terapia , Masculino , Femenino , Frecuencia Cardíaca/fisiología , Sistema Nervioso Autónomo/fisiopatología , Voluntarios Sanos , Corazón/fisiopatología , Método Simple Ciego , Oído , Anciano , Estudios Cruzados

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Investigating ear at molecule level is challenging task, since there is a lack of molecular detection by traditional diagnosis techniques such as otologic endoscopy, ear swab culture, and imaging diagnostic technique. Therefore, new development of noninvasive, highly sensitive, and convenient analytical method for investigating human ears is highly needed. RESULTS: We developed a wearable sampling device for extracting trace analytes in ear by fixing solid-phase microextraction fibers into modified earmuffs (SPME-in-earmuffs). After sampling, SPME fiber was coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for identification and quantification of extracted analytes. Enhanced detection of various analytes such as volatile metabolites, exposures, and therapeutic drugs of ears were demonstrated in this work. Particularly, sport-induced metabolic changes such as fatty acids, aldehyde compounds and oxidative produces were found from human ears using this method. Acceptable analytical performances were obtained by using this newly developed method for detecting ear medicines, e.g., low limit of detection (LOD, 0.005-0.021 ng/mL) and limit of quantification (LOQ, 0.018-0.071 ng/mL), excellent linear dynamic responses (R2 > 0.99, ranging from 0.050-8.00 ng/mL), good relative standard deviations (RSDs, 13.19 % âˆ¼ 21.40 %, n = 6) and accuracy (84.43-150.18 %, n = 6) at different concentrations. SIGNIFICANCE: For the first time, this work provides a simple, convenient, and wearable microextraction method for enhanced detection of trace volatiles in human ears. The enclosed space between ear and earmuff allows headspace SPME sampling of volatile analytes, and thus provides a new wearable method for monitoring ear metabolites and human exposures, showing potential applications in human health, disease diagnosis, and sport science.

Asunto(s)

Cromatografía de Gases y Espectrometría de Masas , Microextracción en Fase Sólida , Compuestos Orgánicos Volátiles , Dispositivos Electrónicos Vestibles , Humanos , Microextracción en Fase Sólida/métodos , Compuestos Orgánicos Volátiles/análisis , Cromatografía de Gases y Espectrometría de Masas/métodos , Oído , Límite de Detección

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Current strategies for hypertrophic scar prevention and treatment are limited. OBJECTIVE: To facilitate these efforts, a minimally invasive hypertrophic scar model was created in a rabbit ear for the first time based on previous methods used to induce ischemia. METHODS: Six New Zealand white rabbits (12 ears total) were studied. First, ischemia was achieved by ligating the cranial artery, cranial vein and central artery, while preserving the caudal artery, caudal vein and central vein, respectively. The relative level of ischemia induced at time of surgery, both baseline and maximum perfusion, was assessed with a fluorescent light-assisted angiography and demonstrated lower rates of perfusion in the ischemic ears. Following vascular injury, a 2-cm full thickness linear wound was created on the ventral ear and closed with 4 - 0 Nylon sutures under high tension. For each rabbit, one ear received a combination of ischemia and wounding with suture tension (n = 6), while the other ear was non-ischemic with wounding and suture tension alone (n = 6). RESULTS: Four weeks post-operatively, ischemic ears developed scar hypertrophy (histological scar thickness: 1.1 ± 0.2 mm versus 0.5 ± 0.1 mm, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Herein, we describe a novel, prototypical minimally invasive rabbit ear model of hypertrophic scar formation that can allow investigation of new drugs for scar prevention.

Asunto(s)

Cicatriz Hipertrófica , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Mínimamente Invasivos , Animales , Conejos , Cicatriz Hipertrófica/patología , Cicatriz Hipertrófica/etiología , Cicatriz Hipertrófica/prevención & control , Cicatriz Hipertrófica/cirugía , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Mínimamente Invasivos/métodos , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Mínimamente Invasivos/efectos adversos , Oído/cirugía , Oído/patología , Isquemia/etiología , Isquemia/cirugía , Isquemia/patología , Humanos , Cicatrización de Heridas , Técnicas de Sutura

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of marking methods on the outcomes of body composition analysis and provide guidance for the selection of marking methods in mouse body composition analysis. METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice aged 6 weeks were randomly assigned for pre- and post- ear tagging measurements. The body composition of the mice was measured using a small animal body composition analyzer, which provided measurements of the mass of fat, lean, and free fluid. Then, the mass of fat, lean and free fluid to body weight ratio was gained. Further data analysis was conducted to obtain the range and coefficient of variation in body composition measurements for each mouse. The distribution of fat and lean tissue in the mice was also analyzed by comparing the fat-to-lean ratio. RESULTS: (1) The mass of all body composition components in the ear tagging group was significantly lower than that in the control group. (2) There was a significant increase in the range and coefficient of variation of body composition measurements between the ear tagging group and the control group. (3) The fat-to-lean ratio in the ear tagging group was significantly lower than that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Ear tagging significantly lowered the results of body composition analysis in mice and higher the results of measurement error. Therefore, ear tagging should be avoided as much as possible when conducting body composition analysis experiments in mice.

Asunto(s)

Composición Corporal , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Animales , Masculino , Ratones , Oído , Tejido Adiposo

RESUMEN

Wearable in-ear electroencephalographic (EEG) devices hold significant promise for advancing brain monitoring technologies into everyday applications. However, despite the current availability of several in-ear EEG devices in the market, there remains a critical need for robust validation against established clinical-grade systems. In this study, we carried out a detailed examination of the signal performance of a mobile in-ear EEG device from Naox Technologies. Our investigation had two main goals: firstly, evaluating the hardware circuit's reliability through simulated EEG signal experiments and, secondly, conducting a thorough comparison between the in-ear EEG device and gold-standard EEG monitoring equipment. This comparison assesses correlation coefficients with recognized physiological patterns during wakefulness and sleep, including alpha rhythms, eye artifacts, slow waves, spindles, and sleep stages. Our findings support the feasibility of using this in-ear EEG device for brain activity monitoring, particularly in scenarios requiring enhanced comfort and user-friendliness in various clinical and research settings.

Asunto(s)

Oído , Electroencefalografía , Dispositivos Electrónicos Vestibles , Humanos , Electroencefalografía/instrumentación , Electroencefalografía/métodos , Estudios de Factibilidad , Ritmo alfa , Artefactos , Sueño , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto Joven , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Vigilia , Encéfalo/fisiología

RESUMEN

Poor utilization of earplugs among military personnel may be due to discomfort caused by the occlusion effect (OE). The OE occurs when an earplug occludes the ear canal, thereby changing bone conduction (BC) hearing and amplifying physiological noises from the wearer. There is a need to understand and reduce the OE in the human ear. A 3D finite element model of the human ear including a 3-chambered spiral cochlea was employed to simulate the OE caused by foam and aerogel earplugs. 90 dB sound pressure was applied at the ear canal entrance and BC sound was applied as vibration of the canal bony wall. The model reported the ear canal pressure and the displacements of the stapes footplate and cochlear basilar membrane with and without earplugs. Without BC stimulation, the foam earplug showed a greater pressure attenuation than the aerogel earplug. However, the foam earplug results were more affected by BC stimulation, with a maximum sound pressure increase of 34 dB, compared to the 21.0 dB increase with the aerogel earplug. The aerogel earplug's lower OE demonstrates its promise as an earplug material. Future work with this model will examine BC sound transmission in the cochlea.

Asunto(s)

Análisis de Elementos Finitos , Presión , Humanos , Dispositivos de Protección de los Oídos , Oído , Conducción Ósea , Modelos Biológicos

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Personal care for body organs is a well-known practice of human beings, especially those organs that need regular care to improve function or hygiene. The ear is a unique sense organ with a specific anatomical shape to perform the function of hearing and balance. OBJECTIVES: To determine healthcare practitioners' current knowledge, behavior, and attitude regarding ear care. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare practitioners at different hospitals in Najran City, Saudi Arabia, from 25th June to 30th August 2022. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among healthcare practitioners using an online survey. The questionnaire includes basic demographic characteristics (i.e. gender, speciality, and religion). It assesses the knowledge, behavior, and attitude toward ear care, and the use of mobile headphones and earrings that affect ear health. All statistical data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. RESULTS: Of the 209 healthcare practitioners involved, 60.8% were females, and 46.9% were physicians. The prevalence of self-ear cleaning was 97.6%. Of them, 33% were cleaning their ears every week. Cotton buds were the most preferred method for self-ear cleaning. The proportion of participants who injured their ears while cleaning was 8.6%. The most common treatment method to relieve ear pain was visiting a doctor (44.4%) and utilizing a painkiller (29.7%). Interestingly, respondents who injured their ears during cleaning and those who experienced wax accumulation were significantly more common among physicians. CONCLUSION: Self-ear cleaning practices are widely prevalent in this study which could be related to the lack of knowledge about ear care among healthcare practitioners. Physicians who experienced wax accumulation tend to use other methods for self-ear cleaning rather than cotton buds. Further research is needed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the population who are working in healthcare institutions.

Asunto(s)

Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Humanos , Arabia Saudita , Femenino , Masculino , Adulto , Estudios Transversales , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Persona de Mediana Edad , Personal de Salud/psicología , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Oído

RESUMEN

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) utilizes the photoacoustic effect to record both vascular and functional characteristics of a biological tissue. Photoacoustic signals have typically low amplitude that cannot be read efficiently by data acquisition systems. This necessitates the use of one or more amplifiers. These amplifiers are somewhat bulky (e.g., the ZFL-500LN+, Mini-Circuits, USA, or 351A-3-50-NI, Analog Modules Inc., USA). Here, we describe the fabrication and development process of a transducer with a built-in low-noise preamplifier that is encased within the transducer housing. This new, to the best of our knowledge, design could be advantageous for applications where a compact transducer + preamplifier is required. We demonstrate the performance of this compact detection unit in a laser scanning photoacoustic microscopy system by imaging a rat ear ex vivo and a rat brain vasculature in vivo.

Asunto(s)

Diseño de Equipo , Técnicas Fotoacústicas , Transductores , Técnicas Fotoacústicas/instrumentación , Técnicas Fotoacústicas/métodos , Animales , Ratas , Miniaturización , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Encéfalo/irrigación sanguínea , Oído/diagnóstico por imagen , Oído/irrigación sanguínea , Amplificadores Electrónicos

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: Sleep monitoring has extensively utilized electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected from the scalp, yielding very large data repositories and well-trained analysis models. Yet, this wealth of data is lacking for emerging, less intrusive modalities, such as ear-EEG. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The current study seeks to harness the abundance of open-source scalp EEG datasets by applying models pre-trained on data, either directly or with minimal fine-tuning; this is achieved in the context of effective sleep analysis from ear-EEG data that was recorded using a single in-ear electrode, referenced to the ipsilateral mastoid, and developed in-house as described in our previous work. Unlike previous studies, our research uniquely focuses on an older cohort (17 subjects aged 65-83, mean age 71.8 years, some with health conditions), and employs LightGBM for transfer learning, diverging from previous deep learning approaches. RESULTS: Results show that the initial accuracy of the pre-trained model on ear-EEG was 70.1%, but fine-tuning the model with ear-EEG data improved its classification accuracy to 73.7%. The fine-tuned model exhibited a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.05, dependent t-test) for 10 out of the 13 participants, as reflected by an enhanced average Cohen's kappa score (a statistical measure of inter-rater agreement for categorical items) of 0.639, indicating a stronger agreement between automated and expert classifications of sleep stages. Comparative SHAP value analysis revealed a shift in feature importance for the N3 sleep stage, underscoring the effectiveness of the fine-tuning process. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore the potential of fine-tuning pre-trained scalp EEG models on ear-EEG data to enhance classification accuracy, particularly within an older population and using feature-based methods for transfer learning. This approach presents a promising avenue for ear-EEG analysis in sleep studies, offering new insights into the applicability of transfer learning across different populations and computational techniques. CLINICAL IMPACT: An enhanced ear-EEG method could be pivotal in remote monitoring settings, allowing for continuous, non-invasive sleep quality assessment in elderly patients with conditions like dementia or sleep apnea.

Asunto(s)

Electroencefalografía , Cuero Cabelludo , Humanos , Electroencefalografía/métodos , Anciano , Cuero Cabelludo/fisiología , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Masculino , Femenino , Sueño/fisiología , Procesamiento de Señales Asistido por Computador , Oído/fisiología , Aprendizaje Automático , Polisomnografía/métodos

RESUMEN

Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) excels in precisely imaging a biological tissue based on absorption contrast. However, existing OR-PAMs are confined by fixed compromises between spatial resolution and field of view (FOV), preventing the integration of large FOV and local high-resolution within one system. Here, we present a non-telecentric OR-PAM (nTC-PAM) that empowers efficient adaptation of FOV and spatial resolution to match the multi-scale requirement of diverse biological imaging. Our method allows for a large-scale transformation in FOV and even surpassing the nominal FOV of the objective with minimal marginal degradation of the lateral resolution. We demonstrate the advantage of nTC-PAM through multi-scale imaging of the leaf phantom, mouse ear, and cortex. The results reveal that nTC-PAM can switch the FOV and spatial resolution to meet the requirements of different biological tissues, such as large-scale imaging of the whole cerebral cortex and high-resolution imaging of microvascular structures in local brain regions.

Asunto(s)

Microscopía , Técnicas Fotoacústicas , Técnicas Fotoacústicas/métodos , Animales , Ratones , Microscopía/métodos , Oído/diagnóstico por imagen , Oído/irrigación sanguínea , Fantasmas de Imagen

RESUMEN

Human activity recognition (HAR) technology enables continuous behavior monitoring, which is particularly valuable in healthcare. This study investigates the viability of using an ear-worn motion sensor for classifying daily activities, including lying, sitting/standing, walking, ascending stairs, descending stairs, and running. Fifty healthy participants (between 20 and 47 years old) engaged in these activities while under monitoring. Various machine learning algorithms, ranging from interpretable shallow models to state-of-the-art deep learning approaches designed for HAR (i.e., DeepConvLSTM and ConvTransformer), were employed for classification. The results demonstrate the ear sensor's efficacy, with deep learning models achieving a 98% accuracy rate of classification. The obtained classification models are agnostic regarding which ear the sensor is worn and robust against moderate variations in sensor orientation (e.g., due to differences in auricle anatomy), meaning no initial calibration of the sensor orientation is required. The study underscores the ear's efficacy as a suitable site for monitoring human daily activity and suggests its potential for combining HAR with in-ear vital sign monitoring. This approach offers a practical method for comprehensive health monitoring by integrating sensors in a single anatomical location. This integration facilitates individualized health assessments, with potential applications in tele-monitoring, personalized health insights, and optimizing athletic training regimes.

Asunto(s)

Dispositivos Electrónicos Vestibles , Humanos , Adulto , Masculino , Femenino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto Joven , Actividades Humanas , Oído/fisiología , Algoritmos , Actividades Cotidianas , Aprendizaje Automático , Aprendizaje Profundo , Monitoreo Fisiológico/instrumentación , Monitoreo Fisiológico/métodos , Movimiento (Física) , Caminata/fisiología

RESUMEN

Accurate body temperature measurement is essential for monitoring and managing safety during outdoor activities. Physical activities are an essential consideration for public health, with sports taking up an important proportion of these. Athletes' performances can be directly affected by body temperature fluctuations, with overheating or hypothermia posing serious health risks. Monitoring these temperatures allows coaches and medical staff to make decisions that enhance performance and safety. Traditional methods, like oral, axillary, and tympanic readings, are widely used, but face challenges during intense physical activities in real-world environments. This study evaluated the agreement, correlation, and interchangeability of oral, axillary, and tympanic temperature measurements in outdoor exercise conditions. Systems developed for specific placements might generate different sensor readouts. Conducted as an observational field study, it involved 21 adult participants (11 males and 10 females, average age 25.14 ± 5.80 years) that underwent the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test protocol on an outdoor court. The main outcomes measured were the agreement and correlation between temperature readings from the three methods, both before and after exercise. The results indicate poor agreement between the measurement sites, with significant deviations observed post-exercise. Although the Spearman correlation coefficients showed consistent temperature changes post-exercise across all methods, the standard deviations in the pairwise comparisons exceeded 0.67 °C. This study concluded that widely used temperature measurement methods are challenging to use during outdoor exercises and should not be considered interchangeable. This variability, especially after exercise, underscores the need for further research using gold standard temperature measurement methods to determine the most suitable site for accurate readings. Care should thus be taken when temperature screening is done at scale using traditional methods, as each measurement site should be considered within its own right.

Asunto(s)

Temperatura Corporal , Ejercicio Físico , Humanos , Masculino , Adulto , Femenino , Adulto Joven , Boca/fisiología , Oído/fisiología , Monitoreo Fisiológico/métodos , Monitoreo Fisiológico/instrumentación