Measurements of normal inner ear on computed tomography in children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss

The objective of this study is to use standardized measurements of the inner ear to see whether there are subtle bony malformations in children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) whose temporal bone computed tomography (CT) are grossly normal. The study includes 45 ears with congenital SNHL and grossly normal temporal bone CT scans and 45 ears with normal inner ear structures and normal hearing. Standardized measurements of the inner ear structures were made on axial temporal bone CT scans. Student's t test was performed to compare the measurements of the two groups. There were significant differences in the measurements of the bony island width of the superior semicircular canal, bony island width of the lateral semicircular canal and maximal height of cochlea between two groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, standardized measurements of bony labyrinth of inner ear on temporal bone CT can identify subtle abnormalities of inner ear in patients with congenital SNHL having grossly normal radiological images

Effects of jet plate size and plate spacing on the stagnation Nusselt number for a confined circular air jet impinging on a flat surface

This work deals with the effects of jet plate size and plate spacing (jet height) on the heat transfer characteristics for a confined circular air jet vertically impinging on a flat plate. The jet after impingement was restricted to flow in two opposite directions. A constant surface heat flux of 1000 W/m(2) was arranged. Totally 88 experiments were performed. Jet orifices individually with diameter of 1.5, 3, 6 and 9 mm were adopted. Jet Reynolds number (Re) was in the range 10,000-30,000 and plate spacing-to-jet diameter ratio (H/d) was in the range 1-6. Eleven jet plate width-to-jet diameter ratios (W/d = 4.17-41.7) and seven jet plate length-to-jet diameter ratios (L/d = 5.5-166.7) were individually considered. The measured data were correlated into a simple equation. It was found that the stagnation Nusselt number is proportional to the 0.638 power of the Re and inversely proportional to the 0.3 power of the H/d. The stagnation Nusselt number was also found to be a function of exp[-0.044(W/d) - 0.01 I(L/d)]. Through comparisons among the present obtained data and documented results, it may infer that, for a jet impingement, the impingement-plate heating condition and flow arrangement of the jet after impingement are two important factors affecting the dependence of the stagnation Nusselt number on H/d. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Preliminary report of associated factors in wound infection after major head and neck neoplasm operations - does the duration of prophylactic antibiotic matter?

The aim of this study was to investigate whether an extended course of prophylactic antibiotic could reduce the wound infection rate in a subtropical country. Fifty-three consecutive cases scheduled to receive major head and neck operations were randomised into one-day or three-day prophylactic antibiotic groups. Thirteen cases (24.5 per cent) developed wound infections after operations. The duration of prophylactic antibiotic was not related to the surgical wound infection. However, pre-operative haemoglobulin less than 10.5 g/dl (odds ratio: 7.24, 95 per cent confidence interval: 1.28-41.0) and reconstruction with a free flap or pectoris major myocutaneous flap during the operation (odds ratio: 11.04, 95 per cent confidence interval: 1.17-104.7) were associated factors significantly influencing post-operative wound infection. Therefore, one day of prophylactic antibiotic was effective in major head and neck procedures but should not be substituted for proper aseptic and meticulous surgical techniques

Visual screening of oral cavity cancer: The role of otolaryngologists

Objectives. Because most screening was done by dentists, the purpose of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the effectiveness of oral visual screening by otolaryngologists. In addition, we wanted to determine which group of enrolled patients was at potential risk of contracting oral cancer. Methods: All male patients age >= 18 years who visited our clinic received oral mucosal screening. Basic data, including personal habits, were also obtained. A multivariate logistic regression model was devised to determine relevant risk factors for developing oral cancer. Results. A total of 5,825 patients were enrolled in this study. Positive findings were found in 226 patients (3.9%. One hundred seventy-two patients received biopsy and 131 patients were proven to have oral cancer (sensitivity rate: 76.2%). The results showed that those who smoked, consumed alcohol, and chewed betel quid on a regular basis were most likely to contract oral cancer (odds ratio = 49.81, 95% confidence interval = 29.38-84.42). Conclusions: The otolaryngologists involved in this study successfully performed the oral screening. The sensitivity and specificity rates were both satisfactory. We suggest that those who are habitual cigarette smokers, alcohol consumers, and betel quid chewers should receive oral mucosal screening regularly so that potential oral cancer can be detected as early as possible

Glycodendrimers: versatile tools for nanotechnology

Combining nanotechnology with glycobiology has triggered an exponential growth of research activities in the design of novel functional bionanomaterials (glyconanotechnology). More specifically, recent synthetic advances towards the tailored and versatile design of glycosylated nanoparticles namely glyconanoparticles, considered as synthetic mimetics of natural glycoconjugates, paved the way toward diverse biomedical applications. The accessibility of a wide variety of these structured nanosystems, in terms of shapes, sizes, and organized around stable nanoparticles have readily contributed to their development and applications in nanomedicine. In this context, glycosylated gold-nanoparticles (GNPs), glycosylated quantum dots (QDs), fullerenes, single-wall natotubes (SWNTs), and self-assembled glycononanoparticles using amphiphilic glycopolymers or glycodendrimers have received considerable attention to afford powerful imaging, therapeutic, and biodiagnostic devices. This review will provide an overview of the most recent syntheses and applications of glycodendrimers in glycoscience that have permitted to deepen our understanding of multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions. Together with synthetic breast cancer vaccines, inhibitors of bacterial adhesions to host tissues including sensitive detection devices, these novel bionanomaterials are finding extensive relevance