The correlation between tinnitus-specific and quality of life questionnaires to assess the impact on the quality of life in tinnitus patients

IntroductionSubjective tinnitus is often associated with a reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The HRQoL represents the impact of tinnitus on an individual's life by addressing the physical, social, and psychological domains of 1. A limited amount of studies has investigated the association between tinnitus and HRQoL questionnaires. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between tinnitus-specific and HRQoL questionnaires in order to shorten fulfilling questionnaires, as it is often time-consuming.Material and methodEighty-five patients with tinnitus as primary complaint completed five questionnaires, including one general, two tinnitus-specific, and two generic HRQoL questionnaires: Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire (TSCHQ), Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), short version of World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), and the eight-item Short-Form (SF-8). Four simple linear regression models were used to analyze the relationship between the THI and TFI and the WHOQOL-BREF and SF-8.ResultsA negative and strong correlation was found between the tinnitus questionnaires and the SF-8. More than half of the variability in the SF-8 scores could be explained by the TFI and THI, respectively 50.6 and 54.4% (all p < 0.001). A strong negative regression was also found between the WHOQOL-BREF and the THI and TFI with a decrease in the determination coefficient of approximately 10% compared with the SF-8. The weakest correlation (regression coefficient of 0.628, p < 0.001) was observed between the WHOQOL-BREF and the TFI, indicating that the WHOQOL-BREF mean score explained 39.4% of the TFI. When looking at the subdomain scores, a strong correlation was observed between the QoL subdomain of the TFI and a combination of the physical and psychological subdomain of the WHOQOL-BREF (r = −0.627, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe QoL subdomain of the TFI gives good information about the physical and psychological health. Thus, the TFI is suitable to assess both tinnitus severity and the HRQoL. The coefficients of determination of the WHOQOL-BREF were significantly lower compared to the SF-8, suggesting that the WHOQOL-BREF provides more specific information about HRQoL. If more specific information on HRQoL, such as “environment” and “social relationships”, is required, it is recommended to use the WHOQOL-BREF

An investigation into the sample preparation procedure and analysis of cyanoacrylate adhesives using capillary electrophoresis

In this study, the trace acid profile of cyanoacrylate adhesives was studied using capillary electrophoresis. Liquid–liquid extraction was employed as the sample preparation step before separation by capillary electrophoresis. The solubility of the adhesives was investigated using various organic solvents, e.g. hexane and dichloromethane, and chloroform was determined to be the optimum solvent as it enabled the full dissolution of the adhesive. A comprehensive stability study was performed over a 3-year period and results indicate that the adhesives were stable for 2 years after which their stability and performance degraded

Energy autonomous systems : future trends in devices, technology, and systems

The rapid evolution of electronic devices since the beginning of the nanoelectronics era has brought about exceptional computational power in an ever shrinking system footprint. This has enabled among others the wealth of nomadic battery powered wireless systems (smart phones, mp3 players, GPS, …) that society currently enjoys. Emerging integration technologies enabling even smaller volumes and the associated increased functional density may bring about a new revolution in systems targeting wearable healthcare, wellness, lifestyle and industrial monitoring applications

Allele-Specific HLA Loss and Immune Escape in Lung Cancer Evolution

Immune evasion is a hallmark of cancer. Losing the ability to present neoantigens through human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loss may facilitate immune evasion. However, the polymorphic nature of the locus has precluded accurate HLA copy-number analysis. Here, we present loss of heterozygosity in human leukocyte antigen (LOHHLA), a computational tool to determine HLA allele-specific copy number from sequencing data. Using LOHHLA, we find that HLA LOH occurs in 40% of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and is associated with a high subclonal neoantigen burden, APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis, upregulation of cytolytic activity, and PD-L1 positivity. The focal nature of HLA LOH alterations, their subclonal frequencies, enrichment in metastatic sites, and occurrence as parallel events suggests that HLA LOH is an immune escape mechanism that is subject to strong microenvironmental selection pressures later in tumor evolution. Characterizing HLA LOH with LOHHLA refines neoantigen prediction and may have implications for our understanding of resistance mechanisms and immunotherapeutic approaches targeting neoantigens. Video Abstract [Figure presented] Development of the bioinformatics tool LOHHLA allows precise measurement of allele-specific HLA copy number, improves the accuracy in neoantigen prediction, and uncovers insights into how immune escape contributes to tumor evolution in non-small-cell lung cancer

Enantioselective Complexation of Amino Acids by 6A-Deoxy-6A-hydroxyethylamino- β -Cyclodextrin and its Metallo-Derivatives in Aqueous Solution

Enantioselectivity towards several amino acids by metallo-6A-deoxy-6A-hydroxyethylamino-β-cyclodextrins (metallo- β CDea’s) was investigated by potentiometric titration of the various amino acid/metallo- β CDea systems with NaOH solution. It was shown that the cyclodextrin derivative is capable of distinguishing between enantiomers of amino acid species in the presence of certain metal ions (Co, Ni, Cu and Zn). Ni- β CDea complexes show the most enantioselectivity,whereas for Cu and Co2C-_CDea complexes less selectivity is observed. As expected, Zn- β CDea complexes exhibit no enantioselectivity. Stability and selectivity, however, do not go hand in hand, since the most stable complexes are formed with Cu2C. Several factors play a role in determining stability and selectivity in binary and ternary complexes and further study is required to gain a more comprehensive understanding of these

Druggists and pharmacists as gatekeepers: Sales routines and compliance with sales protocols for over-the-counter naproxen 275 mg medicines in the Netherlands

Objectives Since for the sales of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, prescribing physicians are not involved, and written instructions on/in the medicine boxes are inefficient, druggists and pharmacists are important gatekeepers in preventing customers’ accidents. In this study we investigated the sales routines, and compliance with sales protocols, in order to evaluate that gatekeeper's function. Methods By means of the mystery shopping method, 228 pharmacies and drugstores in The Netherlands were visited and a naproxen 275 mg medium-risk medicine was requested for a (fictitious) patient who was suffering from severe back pains. According to the sales protocols the vendors should never sell the requested medicine, because the mystery shoppers only gave an answer to one of the four mandatory sales protocol questions. Furthermore, the requested medicine is not the right or best choice for back pains. Four different scenarios were used in a 2 × 2 design (8-year-old patient vs. 25-year-old patient, and 1 box with 12 pills vs. 3 boxes with 12 pills). Results Of the drugstores and pharmacies only 16.7% complied with the sales protocols and did not sell the specific (or comparable) medicine, after asking all four mandatory questions (or already after one, two or three questions). Most vendors (83.3%) did not comply and sold the requested medicine, a comparable medicine, or even a more risky medicine after no question at all (or after asking some or even all four questions). Although both score low, pharmacists show better compliance (23.9%) than druggists (10.1%). Conclusions When it comes to OTC medicines, druggists and pharmacists largely commit sloppy sales. The expected gatekeeping function of pharmacists and druggists is very limited, and customers might be in danger of inappropriate medicine selection, quantity and usage. We call for thorough evaluation of the over-the-counter system, improvement of the educational programs for medicine providers, and national campaigns to inform the public

Arthroscopy of the sternoclavicular joint: an anatomic evaluation of structures at risk

Recently, arthroscopy of the sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) has been described in clinical setting. The aim of this study is to examine the accessibility and safety of the SCJ by arthroscopy in a cadaveric model. An inferolateral and superomedial portal to the SCJ was created in 20 cadaveric specimens. After debridement, the specimens were dissected with a needle positioned in the portal tracts. The distance between the needles and bony landmarks, tendons and ligaments were measured. The integrity of the posterior capsule was evaluated macroscopically. In eight specimens, after anterior dissection, the needles were replaced by K-wires that perforated the posterior capsule to evaluate the distance to the neurovascular structures behind the SCJ. Both portals were found to be safe while allowing good access to the joint. The superomedial portal went through the tendon of the sternocleidomastoideus muscle and the inferolateral portal through the pectoralis major muscle. The portals entered the capsule medial and lateral to the anterior sternoclavicular ligament. The posterior capsule was never perforated during debridement. The perforating K-wires, however, usually perforated either a major vein or artery, but were at a safe distance from the vagal nerve. In this cadaver study, arthroscopy of the sternoclavicular joint could be used as a minimally invasive procedure allowing debridement of the joint without damaging the posterior capsule of the joint. If the capsule is inadvertently be breached, a major risk of neurovascular damage exists. We advise to have a backup of a cardiothoracic surgeon when performing this procedure

Phosphorylation of NEUROG3 Links Endocrine Differentiation to the Cell Cycle in Pancreatic Progenitors

During pancreatic development, proliferating pancreatic progenitors activate the proendocrine transcription factor neurogenin 3 (NEUROG3), exit the cell cycle, and differentiate into islet cells. The mechanisms that direct robust NEUROG3 expression within a subset of progenitor cells control the size of the endocrine population. Here we demonstrate that NEUROG3 is phosphorylated within the nucleus on serine 183, which catalyzes its hyperphosphorylation and proteosomal degradation. During progression through the progenitor cell cycle, NEUROG3 phosphorylation is driven by the actions of cyclin-dependent kinases 2 and 4/6 at G1/S cell-cycle checkpoint. Using models of mouse and human pancreas development, we show that lengthening of the G1 phase of the pancreatic progenitor cell cycle is essential for proper induction of NEUROG3 and initiation of endocrine cell differentiation. In sum, these studies demonstrate that progenitor cell-cycle G1 lengthening, through its actions on stabilization of NEUROG3, is an essential variable in normal endocrine cell genesis