Objective To study the impact of tympanic membrane opening on respiratory-driven middle ear pressure in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET),using a simplified in vitro model.Methods CT imaging data from a PET patient(with full-length eustachian tube opening observed during a Valsalva maneuver followed by breath-holding)were used to design a simplified eustachian tube model.Two simplified in vitro models of the eusta-chian tube were constructed using silicone-based 3D printing technology and connected to a pressure controller and pressure sensors.The pressure controller was activated to introduce negative-pressure airflow into the nasopharyn-geal model to simulate respiratory-induced middle ear pressure fluctuations.A hemostat was used to alternately open and close the external interface of the middle ear chamber,simulating conditions of an open and intact tympanic membrane,while middle ear pressure was continuously monitored using pressure sensors.Results In the first mod-el,with-800 mbar negative pressure applied at the nasopharynx,the middle ear pressure stabilized between-3.9 mbar and-4.3 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-7.9 mbar and-8.2 mbar with intact tym-panic membrane.In the second model,under the same pressure setting,middle ear pressure stabilized between-2.7 mbar and-3.1 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-5.0 mbar and-7.7 mbar with intact tympanic membrane.Conclusion This study,based on a simplified in vitro model,demonstrates that tympanic membrane opening can effectively reduce respiratory-driven pressure in the middle ear.This phenomenon may partly explain the clinical efficacy of tympanostomy tube insertion in certain PET patients.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of modified endoscopic autologous cartilage eustachian tube pharyngeal orifice tuboplasty(MEACETT)in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET).Meth-ods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 27 patients(30 ears)diagnosed with PET who underwent MEACETT.Autologous cartilage was used through the incision at the posterior end of the inferior turbi-nate and filled into the lateral wall of the pharyngeal orifice of the eustachian tube.Without affecting the movement function of the eustachian tube during swallowing,the collapse of the pharyngeal orifice was fully filled.Before and after the surgery,the visual analogue scale(VAS),the eustachian tube dysfunction questionnaire-7(ETDQ-7)and hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)was used for assessment to evaluate the surgical efficacy.Results There was no significant difference in depression scores before and after surgery(P＞0.05).However,postopera-tive anxiety scores,ETDQ-7 scores,and VAS scores were significantly lower than preoperative scores(P＜0.05).Among the 27 patients,9 showed significant symptom relief,13 exhibited partial relief,and 5 had no significant change compared to preoperative symptoms.The overall response rate of the treatment(significant relief and partial relief)was 81.48％(22/27).All surgeries were successfully performed.Except for secretory otitis media occurring in 2 cases,no major complications were observed.Conclusion MEACETT demonstrates significant symptom relief in PET patients,with high surgical safety and low complication rates,making it worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the R value in tubomanometry(TMM)for the di-agnosis of patulous eustachian tube(PET).Methods The clinical data of 58 patients with PET and 65 controls were retrospectively analyzed.TMM was performed on both groups under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar respectively.The diagnostic efficacy of the R value for PET was evaluated through receiver operating char-acteristic(ROC)curves.Results In the control group,the average R values under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 0.86±0.50,0.76±0.41,and 0.68±0.34 respectively.In contrast,the corresponding R values in the PET group were significantly lower,which were 0.56±0.38,0.50±0.36,and 0.46±0.38 respec-tively.According to the ROC curve analysis,the areas under the curve(AUC)at these pressures were 0.62,0.74,and 0.74 respectively.The specificity and sensitivity of the R value under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 76.90％and 54.30％,74.60％and 68.10％,86.90％and 54.30％,respectively.Under pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar,the incidence rates of R＞1 in the control group and the PET group were 29.23％(38/130)and 12.77％(12/94)(x2=8.69,P=0.003),20.00％(26/130)and 6.38％(6/94)(x2=7.20,P=0.007),10.00％(13/130)and 3.19％(3/94)(x2=2.87,P=0.09)respectively.Conclusion Although the low R value in TMM reflects the presence of PET to some extent,it does not provide adequate sensitivity and specificity to serve as an independent diagnostic criterion for PET.

Objective To study the impact of tympanic membrane opening on respiratory-driven middle ear pressure in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET),using a simplified in vitro model.Methods CT imaging data from a PET patient(with full-length eustachian tube opening observed during a Valsalva maneuver followed by breath-holding)were used to design a simplified eustachian tube model.Two simplified in vitro models of the eusta-chian tube were constructed using silicone-based 3D printing technology and connected to a pressure controller and pressure sensors.The pressure controller was activated to introduce negative-pressure airflow into the nasopharyn-geal model to simulate respiratory-induced middle ear pressure fluctuations.A hemostat was used to alternately open and close the external interface of the middle ear chamber,simulating conditions of an open and intact tympanic membrane,while middle ear pressure was continuously monitored using pressure sensors.Results In the first mod-el,with-800 mbar negative pressure applied at the nasopharynx,the middle ear pressure stabilized between-3.9 mbar and-4.3 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-7.9 mbar and-8.2 mbar with intact tym-panic membrane.In the second model,under the same pressure setting,middle ear pressure stabilized between-2.7 mbar and-3.1 mbar with tympanic membrane opening,and between-5.0 mbar and-7.7 mbar with intact tympanic membrane.Conclusion This study,based on a simplified in vitro model,demonstrates that tympanic membrane opening can effectively reduce respiratory-driven pressure in the middle ear.This phenomenon may partly explain the clinical efficacy of tympanostomy tube insertion in certain PET patients.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of modified endoscopic autologous cartilage eustachian tube pharyngeal orifice tuboplasty(MEACETT)in patients with patulous eustachian tube(PET).Meth-ods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 27 patients(30 ears)diagnosed with PET who underwent MEACETT.Autologous cartilage was used through the incision at the posterior end of the inferior turbi-nate and filled into the lateral wall of the pharyngeal orifice of the eustachian tube.Without affecting the movement function of the eustachian tube during swallowing,the collapse of the pharyngeal orifice was fully filled.Before and after the surgery,the visual analogue scale(VAS),the eustachian tube dysfunction questionnaire-7(ETDQ-7)and hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)was used for assessment to evaluate the surgical efficacy.Results There was no significant difference in depression scores before and after surgery(P＞0.05).However,postopera-tive anxiety scores,ETDQ-7 scores,and VAS scores were significantly lower than preoperative scores(P＜0.05).Among the 27 patients,9 showed significant symptom relief,13 exhibited partial relief,and 5 had no significant change compared to preoperative symptoms.The overall response rate of the treatment(significant relief and partial relief)was 81.48％(22/27).All surgeries were successfully performed.Except for secretory otitis media occurring in 2 cases,no major complications were observed.Conclusion MEACETT demonstrates significant symptom relief in PET patients,with high surgical safety and low complication rates,making it worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the R value in tubomanometry(TMM)for the di-agnosis of patulous eustachian tube(PET).Methods The clinical data of 58 patients with PET and 65 controls were retrospectively analyzed.TMM was performed on both groups under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar respectively.The diagnostic efficacy of the R value for PET was evaluated through receiver operating char-acteristic(ROC)curves.Results In the control group,the average R values under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 0.86±0.50,0.76±0.41,and 0.68±0.34 respectively.In contrast,the corresponding R values in the PET group were significantly lower,which were 0.56±0.38,0.50±0.36,and 0.46±0.38 respec-tively.According to the ROC curve analysis,the areas under the curve(AUC)at these pressures were 0.62,0.74,and 0.74 respectively.The specificity and sensitivity of the R value under nasopharyngeal pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar were 76.90％and 54.30％,74.60％and 68.10％,86.90％and 54.30％,respectively.Under pressures of 30,40,and 50 mbar,the incidence rates of R＞1 in the control group and the PET group were 29.23％(38/130)and 12.77％(12/94)(x2=8.69,P=0.003),20.00％(26/130)and 6.38％(6/94)(x2=7.20,P=0.007),10.00％(13/130)and 3.19％(3/94)(x2=2.87,P=0.09)respectively.Conclusion Although the low R value in TMM reflects the presence of PET to some extent,it does not provide adequate sensitivity and specificity to serve as an independent diagnostic criterion for PET.

Objective To construct and verify a nomogram model for predicting social urinary control recovery in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) immediately after extubation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 64 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and treated by a single surgeon. The immediate urinary control status of the patients after removal of the catheter was evaluated, and LASSO regression was used for feature screening. Multiple Logistic regression was performed on the selected features to determine independent risk factors and establish a predictive model. And the discriminability, calibration, and clinical practicality of the model were evaluated using receiver operating curve (ROC), Hosmer Lemeshow test and calibration curve, and clinical decision curve (DCA) analysis. Results The variables in the outcome prediction model include D'Amico grading and distance of the levator muscle. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.742 (95%CI, 0.500 to 0.913, P < 0.001), indicating that the model had good discriminability. The calibration curve indicated that the model had good calibration ability. The DCA curve showed good clinical practicality. Conclusion The clinical predictive model developed inthis study can predict the recovery of immediate social urinary control in patients with RARP after surgery, which can further quantify the probability of achieving immediate social continence.

Objective To analyze the effects of vesicoprostatic muscle(VPM)reconstruction on the early urinary control recovery and safety of patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy(RARP).Methods A total of 128 patients who underwent RARP in our hospital during Sep.1,2021 and Aug.31,2023 were enrolled and divided into the non-reconstruction group(n=64)and reconstruction group(n=64)using random number table method.The reconstruction group received Montsouris+VPM reconstruction surgery,while the non-reconstructive group underwent Montsouris surgery only.Urinary control and perioperative data were collected with telephone interview,outpatient follow-up and inpatient records.The two groups were matched using overlap weighting and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate urinary incontinence rates at 1,2 and 3 months after extubation.Early urinary control(3 months after extubation),operation time,intraoperative bleeding,positive rate of incision margin,and incidence of early postoperative complications(＜30 days)(Clavien-Dindo scale)were compared between the two groups.Results The recovery rate of urinary control at 1,2 and 3 months after extubation was significantly higher in the reconstruction group than that in the non-reconstruction group(33.9％vs.11.2％;46.7％vs.16.1％;70.6％vs.45.6％,P＜0.05),but the positive rate of resection margin was lower(16.1％vs.41.7％,P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in operation time,intraoperative bleeding and early postoperative complications between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion VPM reconstruction can improve urinary control recovery in RARP patients early after extubation without increasing the risk of surgery.

The correlation between hearing loss (HL) and physical performance in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) remains poorly investigated. This study explored the association between HL and physical performance in patients on MHD. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2020 and April 2021 in seven hemodialysis centers in Shanghai and Suzhou, China. The hearing assessment was performed using pure-tone average (PTA). Physical performance was assessed using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), handgrip strength, and gait speed. Results: Finally, 838 adult patients (male, 516 [61.6%]; 61.2 ± 2.6 years) were enrolled. Among them, 423 (50.5%) had mild to profound HL (male, 48.6% and female, 53.4%). Patients with HL had poorer physical performance than patients without HL (p < 0.001). TUGT was positively correlated with PTA (r = 0.265, p < 0.001), while handgrip strength and gait speed were negatively correlated with PTA (r = –0.356, p < 0.001 and r = –0.342, p < 0.001, respectively). Physical performance in patients aged <60 years showed significant dose-response relationships with HL. After adjusting for confounders, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for HL across the TUGT quartiles (lowest to highest) were 1.00 (reference), 1.15 (0.73–1.81), 1.69 (1.07–2.70), and 2.87 (1.69–4.88) (p for trend = 0.005). Conclusion: Lower prevalence of HL was associated with a faster TUGT and a stronger handgrip strength in patients on MHD.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of pressure tolerance threshold (PTO) in evaluating the effect of local anesthesia in patients undergoing transperineal prostate biopsy.Methods:Patients who underwent periprostatic nerve block prostate biopsy in Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from March 2022 to October 2023 were prospectively enrolled.Inclusion criteria: ① suspicious prostate nodules detected by digital rectal examination, any prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value; ② transrectal prostate ultrasound (TRUS) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing suspicious lesions, any PSA; ③ the PSA >10 ng/ml; ④PSA 4-10 ng/ml, suspicious free/total PSA or suspicious PSA density. Inclusion was required if one of these criteria was met. Exclusion criteria: ① previous history of prostate biopsy or prostate surgery; ② severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases or coagulation disorders; ③ severe urinary tract infection; ④ taking analgesics within 24 hours before surgery; ⑤ unable to complete the pain score or refused to cooperate; ⑥ rectal stenosis or other rectal lesions detected by digital rectal examination.The PTO of all patients was measured by the same physician using a tenderness measuring instrument before puncture. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the pain during the operation. According to the VAS score, the patients were divided into mild pain group (VAS score 0-3 points) and moderate to severe pain group (VAS score 4-10 points). The clinical data of the two groups were compared. The correlation between PTO and VAS score was further analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of PTO to predict pain during puncture was drawn, and the optimal cut-off value of PTO was calculated by the maximum Youden index.Results:A total of 304 patients were enrolled in this study, including 184 patients in the mild pain group and 120 patients in the moderate to severe pain group.There were no significant differences in age [69 (63, 73) years old vs. 69 (61, 74) years old], body mass index[24.0(22.9, 25.0)kg/m 2 vs. 23.9(22.8, 24.7)kg/m 2], PSA[14.6(10.5, 25.1)ng/ml vs. 14.0(10.5, 20.7)ng/ml], and hypertension[59.8%(110/184) vs.64.2%(77/120)]between the mild pain group and the moderate to severe pain group ( P> 0.05), while there were significant differences in PTO[(6.69±1.20)kgf/cm 2 vs.(5.13±0.92)kgf/cm 2], number of puncture needles[19(18, 22)needles vs. 22(20, 24)needles], prostate volume[36.5(26.6, 52.5)ml vs. 63.2(47.4, 89.4)ml], diabetes[35.3%(65/184) vs. 23.3%(28/120)], and major trauma experience[37.5%(69/184) vs.15.8%(19/120)] ( P<0.05). There was a high correlation between PTO and VAS score ( r=0.689, P<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that when PTO was 5.99 kgf/cm 2, the accuracy of predicting moderate to severe pain during prostate biopsy was the highest. The AUC was 0.848, the Youden index was 0.675, the sensitivity and specificity were 89.2% and 78.3%, respectively. Conclusions:PTO can evaluate the effect of local anesthesia in patients undergoing transperineal prostate biopsy.PTO can be measured before surgery in patients undergoing transperineal prostate biopsy. When the patient's PTO is ≥5.99 kgf/cm 2, the patient's pain tolerance is better and the local anesthesia effect is feasible.When the patient's PTO is less than 5.99 kgf/cm 2, the patient's pain tolerance is poor, so the patient could be recommended to undergo spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia to reduce the pain during prostate biopsy.