Objective To contrastively study the effects of NERC-300 high frequency welding device and ultrasonic scalpel in rat partial hepatectomy.Methods Forty-eight rats were divided into the experimental group and control group(n=24).The experimental group applied NERC-300 high frequency welding instrument for conducting partial hepatectomy,while the control group used ultrasonic scalpel.The survival rate,operation time,bleeding volume,working temperature,extent of hepatic thermal damage and change of liver function on 1,3,7 d were compared between the two groups.Results The liver function recovery on 3 d in the experimental group was superior to the control group (P＜0.05).The intra-operative working temperature in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The thermal damage range in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The survival rate,operation time,bleeding volume and liver function change on 1,7 d had no statistical differences between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion NERC-300 high frequency welding device is safe and effective for partial hepatectomy in rat.

Purpose To evaluate the function of swallowing by examining the relative motion of the hyoid bone and larynx(HL)via ultrasonography,and to explore the value of HL motion ratio in the evaluation of stroke with pharyngeal dysphagia.Materials and Methods A total of 43 stroke patients with dysphagia(dysphagia group)and 43 healthy adults(healthy control group)from June 2021 to April 2022 in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled.The displacement and motion time of HL were measured by ultrasonography when the participants swallowed 5 ml water.The median flow tracking algorithm was implemented in Python language to measure the displacement of the hyoid bone,the movement time of the hyoid bone,the displacement of the larynx and the movement time of larynx,and then HL movement ratio was calculated,respectively.The differences in ultrasonography measurements between the two groups were compared,and the influencing factors of stroke with dysphagia were screened out via Logistic regression analysis.Then the receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn,the area under curve and the cut-off value,sensitivity and specificity were calculated subsequently.Results The larynx motion time(static phase),the larynx displacement(elevation phase)and the HL motion ratio were significantly related to swallowing in healthy participants,with significant differences between the two groups(t=4.97,6.38,6.17,P<0.05).The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that the HL motion ratio was the influencing factor of stroke with dysphagia(OR>1,P<0.05).The optimal cut-off value of the HL motion ratio for the diagnosis of dysphagia was 0.58,leading to a sensitivity of 86.0%,a specificity of 93.0%and the area under curve of 0.967,respectively.Conclusion Ultrasonography can quantitatively evaluate the motion of the HL during swallowing,and the HL motion ratio can be considered as a parameter for the evaluation of stroke with dysphagia,providing new insights for clinical diagnosis of dysphagia.

Objective:This study investigates the effect of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), frequency, and bandwidth on horizontal sound localization accuracy in normal-hearing young adults.Methods:From August 2022 to December 2022, a total of 20 normal-hearing young adults, including 7 males and 13 females, with an age range of 20 to 35 years and a mean age of 25.4 years, were selected to participate in horizontal azimuth recognition tests under both quiet and noisy conditions. Six narrowband filtered noise stimuli were used with central frequencies (CF) of 250, 2 000, and 4 000 Hz and bandwidths of 1/6 and 1 octave. Continuous broadband white noise was used as the background masker, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was 0, -3, and -12 dB. The root-mean-square error (RMS error) was used to measure sound localization accuracy, with smaller values indicating higher accuracy. Friedman test was used to compare the effects of SNR and CF on sound localization accuracy, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the impact of the two bandwidths on sound localization accuracy in noise.Results:In a quiet environment, the RMS error in horizontal azimuth in normal-hearing young adults ranged from 4.3 to 8.1 degrees. Sound localization accuracy decreased with decreasing SNR: at 0 dB SNR (range: 5.3-12.9 degrees), the difference from the quiet condition was not significant ( P>0.05); however, at -3 dB (range: 7.3-16.8 degrees) and -12 dB SNR (range: 9.4-41.2 degrees), sound localization accuracy significantly decreased compared to the quiet condition (all P<0.01). Under noisy conditions, there were differences in sound localization accuracy among stimuli with different frequencies and bandwidths, with higher frequencies performing the worst, followed by middle frequencies, and lower frequencies performing the best, with significant differences (all P<0.01). Sound localization accuracy for 1/6 octave stimuli was more susceptible to noise interference than 1 octave stimuli (all P<0.01). Conclusions:The ability of normal-hearing young adults to localize sound in the horizontal plane in the presence of noise is influenced by SNR, CF, and bandwidth. Noise with SNRs of ≥-3 dB can lead to decreased accuracy in narrowband sound localization. Higher CF signals and narrower bandwidths are more susceptible to noise interference.

Objective:To evaluate auditory spatial discrimination capabilities in patients with mild to moderately severe symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and to compare the impact of different psychophysical testing methods on Minimum Audible Angle (MAA) and test duration.Methods:A total of 105 symmetrical SNHL patients aged from 18 to 60 years old were enrolled from April to July 2023, including 56 males and 49 females. They were divided into three groups based on PTA: mild, moderate, and moderately severe hearing loss, with 35 individuals in each group. Additionally, a control group of 35 individuals with normal hearing was tested, including 18 males and 17 females. Participants underwent four distinct psychophysical discrimination tests: the block up-down, 1-up/1-down, 1-up/2-down, and 1-up/3-down procedures. We recorded the MAA and test duration for each. We employed repeated measures of ANOVA to compare the MAA and test duration across different methods and groups, and Pearson′s correlation to assess the relationship between MAA and degree of hearing loss.Results:MAA of sound localization in patients with symmetrical SNHL was significantly positively correlated with the degree of hearing loss ( r=0.59, P<0.01). Significant deterioration in MAA was observed as hearing loss progressed to the moderate level (PTA≥35 dBHL, P<0.01). The testing methods significantly influenced MAA and testing duration ( F=24.02, P<0.01; F=75.56, P<0.01) and the 1-up/1-down method was the quickest, averaging only (0.69±0.32) mins. Conclusions:The horizontal plane auditory spatial discrimination abilities in patients with symmetrical SNHL is impaired progressively with increasing hearing loss, notably beyond moderate hearing loss levels. Different psychophysical methods influence both MAA and test duration, the quicker 1-up/1-down method is recommended for assessing MAA in symmetrical SNHL patients.