Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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The population of young adults who are hearing impaired increases yearly, and a device that enables convenient hearing screening could help monitor their hearing. However, background noise is a critical issue that limits the capabilities of such a device. Therefore, this study evaluated the effectiveness of commercial active noise cancellation (ANC) headphones for hearing screening applications in the presence of background noise. In particular, six confounders were used for a comprehensive evaluation. ⋯ This study confirmed the effectiveness of ANC headphones for young adult hearing screening applications in the presence of background noise. Furthermore, the statistical results confirmed that as confounding variables, noise type, noise level, hearing screening frequency, ANC headphone model, and sex all affect the effectiveness of the ANC function. These findings suggest that ANC is a potential means of helping users obtain high-accuracy hearing screening results in the presence of background noise. Moreover, we present possible directions of development for ANC headphones in future studies.
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Cochlear implantation (CI) has become the standard treatment for patients with severe-to-profound hearing loss. To date, an estimated 750,000 individuals spanning the entire lifecycle have benefited from this life-changing technology. Traditionally, the device is not "activated" for 3 to 4 weeks after surgery. ⋯ Very early activation is safe and beneficial in patients with cochlear implants. Many CI centers believe that such a process can lead to improvements in both patient-centered and fiscally responsible care. Although not ideal for all patients, cochlear implant programs may consider this option for their patients.
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In patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer (PCa), preoperative prediction of extraprostatic extension (EPE) can facilitate patient selection for nerve-sparing procedures. Since both multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and prostate health index (PHI) have shown promise for the diagnosis and prognostication of PCa, we investigated whether a combination of mpMRI and PHI evaluations can improve the prediction of EPE after RP. ⋯ The combination of PHI and mpMRI may better predict the EPE preoperatively, facilitating preoperative counseling and tailoring the need for nerve-sparing RP.
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Iron is a vital trace element for energy production and oxygen transportation; importantly, it is essential to athletic performance. Maintaining iron balance is tightly controlled at systemic and cellular levels. This study aimed to determine serum iron tests, hepcidin levels, and cellular iron import and export activities in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in ultramarathon runners to elucidate the association of systemic inflammation response and iron metabolism. ⋯ Iron homeostasis and systemic inflammatory response are closely interconnected. Cellular iron import and export mRNA activities in PBMCs were acutely inhibited during an ultramarathon.
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To date, few reports have investigated the genetic alterations and clinicopathological features among gastric cancer (GC) patients with no tumor recurrence, early recurrence, and late recurrence following curative surgery. ⋯ PIK3CA amplifications were more common in diffuse-type GC with early recurrence, whereas ARID1A mutations were more common in patients with single-site recurrence. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy might be helpful for these patients.