A cochlear implant (CI) is a kind of surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who has severe to profound sensorineural hearing impairment. However, studies have shown that the performance in music perception for CI users has not been achieved to an ideal level. It is important to evaluate the ability to perceive music using well designed music perception test materials, in order to improve the quality of life for cochlear implant users. This paper reviewed the studies on assessing music perception ability for adult cochlear implant users from the existing literature.
Cochlear Implantation ; Cochlear Implants ; Humans ; Music ; Pitch Perception

OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to assess the ability of tone recognition performance for postlingually deafed cochlear implanted adults using no-duration tone test materials. METHOD: Sixteen cochlear implanted users have used their devices at least six months. Ten monosyllabic syllables were selected, and combined with four lexical tones which were made up of 40 tone tokens. Then, these original words were recorded using one adult male and one adult female native Beijing Mandarin speaker. The speakers were asked to record these 40 monosyllabic words multiple times, and the 80 tokens in which the durations of four tones in each monosyllabic word were within 5 ms precision were chosen as the original tone tokens. The subjects were asked to perform a four alternative forced-choice study and select the tone they had heard. RESULT: The mean score of lexical tone perception tasks for 16 cochlear implanted users is (70.7 ± 22.0)%, and Tone 4 was the easiest to perceive, while Tone 2 was the hardest for cochlear implanted subjects to perceive. Tone 1 was more often misperceived as Tone 2 relative to other tones. Tone 2 was more often misperceived as Tone 1 and 3. Tone 3 was more often misperceived as Tone 2. The tone perception performance was positively correlated with duration of hearing aid use. CONCLUSION Duration cues may impact on the ability of tone recognition performance for cochlear implant subjects, especially for tone 3. Due to the limited ability for cochlear implant subjects on pitch perception, tone l and tone 2, and tone 2 and tone 3 are most often confused with each other without duration cues. The experience of hearing aid use may benefit for postlingual deafness cochlear implant recipients on tone perception performance.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cochlear Implantation ; Cochlear Implants ; Female ; Hearing ; Hearing Aids ; Humans ; Language ; Male ; Pitch Perception ; Speech Perception ; Tongue

Objective To investigate the application of molecular absorbent recycling system (MARS) in auto liver transplantation (ALT).Methods The clinical data of 46 patients who underwent ALT in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from September 2014 to August 2015 were retrospectively studied.The patients were randomly divided into the MARS group (n =30) and the hemodialysis group (n =16).In the MARS group,20 patients were male and 10 were female with an average age of (15 ±67) years,and the median age was 46.In the hemodialysis group,8 were male and 8 were female with an average age of (22 ± 54) years.A heparinized left iliac vein was linked to a centrifugal pump of a MARS and an output tube was linked to a left jugular vein.Before the anhepatic phase,physical pretreatment was carried out by ligating the porta hepatis and inferior vena cava (IVC) to adapt the patient to the anhepatic phase.Subsequently,a bypass was established followed by ligation of the IVC.The duration of operation,length of stay in ICU after operation,one-year survival rate and hepatorenal function were studied.Results The duration of operation in the MRAS group and in the hemodialysis group was not significantly different (P ＞0.05).The length of stay in ICU after operation in the MARS group was (12.0 ±3.0) d,which was significantly shorter than that of the hemodialysis group (20.0 ± 2.0) d (P ＜ 0.05).The one-year survival rate in the MARS group was (100％),which was significantly higher than that of the hemodialysis group (93.8％,P ＜0.05).Conclusion The application of MARS in ALT shortened the length of stay in hospital and improved one-year survival rate,resulting in better outcomes than the conventional method.

Objective:To study feasibility of preparing artificial antigen by membrane coated with hapten-carrier.To compare the Emodin-BSA membrane antigen immunogenicity and specificity against the liquid antigen.Methods:Emodin-BSA-PVDF membrane was prepared by the method that BSA was coated on PVDF membrane and the BSA was coupled with Emodin-couplint agent derivative.Rats were immunized by subcutaneous implantation.The immunogenicity and antibody specificity were characterized using Emodin-CA or Chrysophanol-CA or Physcion-CA membrane immunoassay. Results: The immunogenicity of Emodin-BSA coated membrane antigen was higher than Emodin-BSA liquid antigen;the specificity for three anthraquinones was almost the same(P>0.05). Conclusion:Emodin antiserum generated using Emodin-BSA coated membrane antigen has a high immunogenicity and specificity to Emodin.The results show it is feasible that membrane coated with hapten-carrier is used as artificial antigen.

[Objective]To summarize Professor CHU Haoran's understanding and treatment experience on diarrhea type irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-D).[Methods]Through clinical study with teachers,consulting ancient books and combining modern literature research,summarize the understanding and treatment ideas of Professor CHU for IBS-D,clarify the basic diagnosis and treatment rules of the disease,and provide a clinical medical case as evidence.[Results]Professor CHU believes that disordered movement of Qi in the middle-Jiao is the core pathomechanism of IBS-D.He advocates for the treatment principle of"ascending Qi mechanism,regulating the middle-Jiao,and nourishing vital energy".The acupoint Tianshu(ST25)is considered the focal point,complemented by Zhongwan(CV12),Zhangmen(LR13),Shangjuxu(ST37),Dachangshu(BL25),and Zusanli(ST36)to regulating the middle-Jiao.This is paired with the needling technique of"Dragon and Tiger battle"to assist in facilitating the flow of Qi in the middle-Jiao.A key selection is"Baihui(DU20)-Neiguan(PC6)"to regulate the clear Qi,comb the mind and spirit located in the head,and elevate the overall movement of Qi.Additionally,"Guanyuan(RN4)-Zusanli(ST36)"are used to firm the foundation and cultivate the primal Qi,supplementing the innate vital energy.In a case study,the patient was diagnosed with syndrome differentiation of spleen and stomach deficiency,with concurrent restlessness of the heart spirit and signs of deficient Yang Qi.Professor CHU treated the patient by using the method of raising the clear Qi,managing the middle-Jiao,and nourishing vital energy,supplementing the postnatal to nourish the prenatal while calming the spirit,resulting in significant effects.[Conclusion]In clinical practice,Professor CHU modifies acupoints according to syndrome differentiation.By integrating groups of acupoints,he facilitates the beneficial ascent and descent of Qi within the middle-Jiao,creating a distinctive"regulating the middle and restoring the vital energy"diagnostic and treatment system for IBS-D,which provides a new approach to the clinical treatment of IBS-D.

Objective:To investigate the esophageal microecology in patients with esophageal carcinoma (EC), and to compare the difference in esophageal flora between patients with esophageal cancer and healthy people.Methods:From July 2018 to July 2019, at Taihe Hospital, 82 EC patients and 20 age-and gender-matched healthy controls during the same period were selected. The pathology of EC were divided into poorly differentiated (8 cases), moderately differentiated (9 cases) and well differentiated cancers (13 cases) according to the degree of differentiation. The esophageal tissue samples of EC patients and healthy individuals were collected. Sample DNA was extracted and the V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequencing was performed by lllumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing platform. Alpha-diversity analysis and principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) were performed, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) was used to screen different species. The random forest model was verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the esophageal bacterial phenotype was predicted by BugBase database. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis H test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for statistical analysis. Results:The Chao1 index of the EC patients was higher than that of healthy controls (362.51(284.29, 646.13) vs. 284.83(244.31, 344.74)), and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=-2.857, P=0.004). The results of PCoA showed that the distance between samples of EC patients and healthy control samples was relatively close, and there was no significant difference in the composition of microecology between the two groups ( P>0.05). The abundance of esophageal Cyanobacteria and Verrucomicrobia of EC patients were both higher than those of healthy controls (0.2% vs. 0.1%, 0.4% vs. 0), while the abundances of esophageal Proteobacteria, SR1 and TM7 phylum of EC patients were lower than those of healthy controls (21.9% vs. 34.2%, 0.1% vs. 0.2%, 0.2% vs. 0.5%), and the differences were statistically significant ( Q=0.090, 0.077, 0.010, 0.026 and 0.001, all P<0.05). The abundances of Clostridia, Elostridiales, Pasteurella, Pasteurellaceae, Eikenella, Actinobacillus and Haemophilus in poorly differentiated patients, moderately differentiated and higher differentiated patients were 28.3%, 24.2% and 17.0%, 28.3%, 24.2% and 17.0%, 3.2%, 0.3% and 5.0%, 3.2%, 0.3% and 5.0%, 0, 1.5% and 0.1%, 0.5%, 0 and 0.7%, 1.3%, 0.2% and 3.9%, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( Q=0.579, 0.557, 0.390, 0.711, 0.768, 0.768 and 0.768, all P<0.05). LEfSe analysis showed that the abundances of Fusobacterium, Ruminococcus, Odorbacterium and S24_7 of EC patients were higher than those of healthy controls (21.5% vs. 11.7%, 0.5% vs. 0.1%, 0.1% vs. 0 and 0 vs. 0), and the differences were statistically significant (LDA=2.591, 2.379, 2.790 and 2.927, all P<0.05). The ROC curve confirmed that the random forest model was reliable and the AUC value was 0.92. BugBase database phenotypic prediction showed that the phenotype of esophageal bacteria related to biofilm formation, pathogenic potential, mobile elements, oxygen demand (aerobic, anaerobic and facultative bacteria), and oxidative stress tolerance of EC patients were more abundant than those of healthy controls (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The esophageal flora of patients with esophageal cancer has changed. Fusobacterium, Ruminococcus, Odoribacterium and S24_7 may be potential biomarkers of esophageal flora.

[Objective]To investigate the chemical compositions,antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Jiangshan Polygonatum sibiricum alcoholic extract(PSAE)in vitro.[Methods]The chemical compositions of PSAE were identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q/TOF-MSE),its antioxidant activity was studied,and in vitro experiments were conducted to determine its effect on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced THP-1 cells.Molecular docking was further used to validate the results.[Results]PSAE contained 17 chemical compositions,including 5 flavonoids,5 saponins,3 lignans,1 phenolic acid,1 steroid and 2 other compositions.In vitro experiments showed that PSAE possessed great antioxidant activity.Besides,PSAE could increase the viability of LPS-induced THP-1 cells,significantly decrease the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)in cell supernatants and the expression of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3),apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD(ASC)and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(Caspase-1).Molecular docking results showed that 16 of the 17 chemical compositions detected in PSAE had good docking activities with the core targets of NLRP3,ASC and Caspase-1.[Conclusion]PSAE has great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities,and the main active compositions may be flavonoids and saponins.

Animals ; Biocatalysis ; Cattle ; Enteropeptidase ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Humans ; Models, Molecular ; Oryzias ; metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Substrate Specificity

Objective:To explore the effect of spontaneous breathing during induction of general anesthesia on atelectasis in patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of gastrointestinal tumors.Methods:A total of 60 patients aged 18-60 years scheduled for laparoscopic resection of gastrointestinal tumors under general anesthesia in the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from October 2021 to August 2022 were selected. The body mass index was 18.5-28.0 kg/m 2 and the American Society of Anesthesiology grade wasⅠ-Ⅱ. All patients were divided into the spontaneous breathing group (group S, 30 cases) and the controlled breathing group (group C, 30 cases) according to the random number table method. Patients in group S received 0.2-0.3 mg/kg etomidate (pumping at the speed of 200 ml/h) and 2 μg/kg remifentanil (slowly injected more than 30 s) for anesthesia induction; patients in group C received 0.2-0.3 mg/kg etomidate and 2 μg/kg remifentanil (slowly injected more than 30 s) and 0.2 mg/kg cisatracurium. After bispectral index (BIS) decreased to 80, the patients had no response to the language stimulation; and then the mask was used to closely fit the face and maintain spontaneous breathing in group S; patients in group C received manual positive pressure ventilation. Atelectasis scores were collected immediately after endotracheal intubation (T 1) and 15 min after transferring to the recovery room (T 3), and oxygenation index (OI) was collected 5 min after endotracheal intubation (T 2) and at T 3. The postoperative pulmonary complication (PPC) on the 3rd day after the operation was recorded. Results:A total of 56 patients were finally enrolled, 27 cases in group S and 29 cases in groups C. Compared with group C, the atelectasis score of group S at T 1 and T 3 decreased [T 1: (2.4±0.8) scores vs. (4.2±0.7) scores, t = -9.12, P < 0.001; T 3: (8.2±1.8) scores vs. (10.5±1.6) scores, t = -4.96, P < 0.001]. The OI increased at T 2 and T 3 in group S [T 2: (334±11) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) vs. (323±13) mmHg, t = 3.45, P = 0.001; T 3: (362±23) mmHg vs. (347±25) mmHg, t = 2.31, P = 0.025]. The incidence of PPC was 20.7% (6/29) and 18.5% (5/27), respectively in group C and group S on the 3rd day after the operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.04, P = 0.838). Conclusions:Maintaining spontaneous breathing during induction of general anesthesia can reduce atelectasis caused by general anesthesia and improve oxygenation for patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of gastrointestinal tumors.

Objective To prepare diosmin suppository and establish a method for its quality control.Methods Diosmin was used as active ingredient.Polyethylene glycol 6000, polyethylene glycol 400 and glycerol were chosen as substrates.Fusion method was applied to prepare the diosmin suppository.The appearance, content uniformity, weight variation and melting time of suppository were evaluated.Results The diosmin suppository has brown color with good hardness at room temperature.The content uniformity, weight variation, melting time and dissolution rate meet the requirements of quality control.Conclusion The diosmin suppository prepared by this method was satisfied the quality requirements of suppository and serves as a new formulation of diosmin.