Objective To explore the role of ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) and unilateral centrifugation subjective visual vertical (UC-SVV) tests in evaluating the utricular function of patients with Meniere’s disease (MD) at different clinical stages. Methods A total of 97 unilateral MD patients at Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from July 2019 to September 2021 were selected. All patients underwent oVEMP, UC-SVV, and pure tone audiometry tests. MD patients were classified into clinical stages 1, 2, 3, and 4, with stages 1 and 2 defined as early stage and stages 3 and 4 as late stage. The results of utricular function tests (abnormal rates of oVEMP, UC-SVV, and oVEMP＋UC-SVV) were compared among patients at different stages. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between utricular function and clinical staging. Results Among the 97 MD patients, the abnormal rate of oVEMP was 66.0% (64/97), and the abnormal rate of UC-SVV was 55.7% (54/97). The abnormal rates of oVEMP and oVEMP＋UC-SVV in early-stage patients were significantly lower than those in late-stage patients (P＜0.05), while the difference in UC-SVV abnormal rates between the two groups was not statistically significant. Intra-group comparisons showed that the abnormal rate of oVEMP＋UC-SVV in stage 1 patients was significantly lower than that in stage 2 patients (P＜0.05), without significant difference in the other indices. There were no significant differences among the three indices in stages 3 and 4 patients. Spearman correlation test results indicated that the abnormal rate of oVEMP (r＝0.336, P＝0.001) and the abnormal rate of oVEMP＋UC-SVV (r＝0.301, P＝0.003) were weakly positively correlated with clinical staging, while there was no correlation between the abnormal rate of UC-SVV and clinical staging (r＝0.022, P＝0.832). Conclusions Both oVEMP and UC-SVV tests can assess utricular function in MD patients at different clinical stages. Their combination is helpful of early-stage (stages 1 and 2) MD diagnosis.

Objective To identify the hemodynamic characteristics of frontal polar cortex(FPC)in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus,and to study the short-term efficacy of multielement integration sound(MIS)treatment,and its effects on FPC oxyhemoglobin(HbO).Methods Fifty patients with chronic subjective tinnitus(tinnitus group)and 50 subjects without tinnitus matching their age,sex and education level(control group)were collected from June 2023 to Oc-tober 2023.The tinnitus group and control group received MIS treatment for 15 minutes,respectively.Tinnitus handicap inventory(THI)and visual analogue scale(VAS)scores were collected before and after treatment in tinnitus group.Func-tional near infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS)was used to measure the 8-minute average HbO concentration in the frontal cortex of both groups before and after treatment.The changes of HbO concentration before and after treatment were compared be-tween the two groups.The correlation between clinical features and HbO was analyzed.Results The VAS score of the tin-nitus group decreased after short-term MIS treatment.The HbO concentration of FPC in tinnitus group was higher than that in control group before treatment.The HbO concentration of FPC in tinnitus group was decreased by MIS short-term treatment.The difference of HbO concentration before and after treatment(ΔHbO)was positively correlated with the difference of VAS score before and after treatment(ΔVAS)in the tinnitus group.Conclusion The hemodynamics of the frontal polar cortex in chronic subjective tinnitus patients is different from that of in non-tinnitus control group.MIS can change the hemodynamics of the frontal polar cortex in chronic subjective tinnitus patients.The frontal polar cortex may be the site of MIS.

Objective:To study the feasibility of detecting vertical semicircular canal function and to analyze the three-dimensional(3D)characteristics and normal reference value in healthy young people.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study conducted from January to June 2024. A three-axis rotating chair was used to perform vertical sinusoidal rotation on 52 healthy young adults (26 males and 26 females, aged 18-40 years) in the left anterior-right posterior (LARP) and right anterior-left posterior (RALP) semicircular canal planes. For each plane, nystagmus was induced with six combinations of different angles and velocity front and back rotation angles of ±30°,±60°,±90°, and velocities of 40°/s and 80°/s, the slow phase velocity (SPV) and their symmetry of 3D nystagmus were analyzed. SPSS 20.0 was used to compare the statistical differences in these two parameters across different stimulation protocols.Results:There were no spontaneous nystagmus in the 52 subjects, and all tests were finished. Except the combinations of (±30°-40°/s), three components of nystagmus were induced stably in the rest of the stimulations. The SPVs of vertical components were no statistically insignificant ( P>0.05), and some horizontal or torsion components were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The 95% reference range of the symmetry was≤25% in the vertical and≤30% in the torsional component of the nystagmus except for (±30°-80°/s), the symmetry was 32.2% and 49.2% respectively. The trend changes of the three components were consistent, among which the vertical and torsional components induced by (±60°-80°/s) and (±90°-80°/s) were the best, the SPV value of the vertical components was higher in the latter group than the former apart from the front RALP, while no significant difference was found in the torsional components ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The (±90°-80°/s) combination is the optimal method to detect the function of vertical semicircular canal in 3D chair test. When observing torsional component, the combining scheme of (±60°-80°/s) and (±90°-80°/s) is better. Considering tolerance, the (±60°-80°/s) combination is recommended.

Objective To identify the hemodynamic characteristics of frontal polar cortex(FPC)in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus,and to study the short-term efficacy of multielement integration sound(MIS)treatment,and its effects on FPC oxyhemoglobin(HbO).Methods Fifty patients with chronic subjective tinnitus(tinnitus group)and 50 subjects without tinnitus matching their age,sex and education level(control group)were collected from June 2023 to Oc-tober 2023.The tinnitus group and control group received MIS treatment for 15 minutes,respectively.Tinnitus handicap inventory(THI)and visual analogue scale(VAS)scores were collected before and after treatment in tinnitus group.Func-tional near infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS)was used to measure the 8-minute average HbO concentration in the frontal cortex of both groups before and after treatment.The changes of HbO concentration before and after treatment were compared be-tween the two groups.The correlation between clinical features and HbO was analyzed.Results The VAS score of the tin-nitus group decreased after short-term MIS treatment.The HbO concentration of FPC in tinnitus group was higher than that in control group before treatment.The HbO concentration of FPC in tinnitus group was decreased by MIS short-term treatment.The difference of HbO concentration before and after treatment(ΔHbO)was positively correlated with the difference of VAS score before and after treatment(ΔVAS)in the tinnitus group.Conclusion The hemodynamics of the frontal polar cortex in chronic subjective tinnitus patients is different from that of in non-tinnitus control group.MIS can change the hemodynamics of the frontal polar cortex in chronic subjective tinnitus patients.The frontal polar cortex may be the site of MIS.

Objective:To study the feasibility of detecting vertical semicircular canal function and to analyze the three-dimensional(3D)characteristics and normal reference value in healthy young people.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study conducted from January to June 2024. A three-axis rotating chair was used to perform vertical sinusoidal rotation on 52 healthy young adults (26 males and 26 females, aged 18-40 years) in the left anterior-right posterior (LARP) and right anterior-left posterior (RALP) semicircular canal planes. For each plane, nystagmus was induced with six combinations of different angles and velocity front and back rotation angles of ±30°,±60°,±90°, and velocities of 40°/s and 80°/s, the slow phase velocity (SPV) and their symmetry of 3D nystagmus were analyzed. SPSS 20.0 was used to compare the statistical differences in these two parameters across different stimulation protocols.Results:There were no spontaneous nystagmus in the 52 subjects, and all tests were finished. Except the combinations of (±30°-40°/s), three components of nystagmus were induced stably in the rest of the stimulations. The SPVs of vertical components were no statistically insignificant ( P>0.05), and some horizontal or torsion components were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The 95% reference range of the symmetry was≤25% in the vertical and≤30% in the torsional component of the nystagmus except for (±30°-80°/s), the symmetry was 32.2% and 49.2% respectively. The trend changes of the three components were consistent, among which the vertical and torsional components induced by (±60°-80°/s) and (±90°-80°/s) were the best, the SPV value of the vertical components was higher in the latter group than the former apart from the front RALP, while no significant difference was found in the torsional components ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The (±90°-80°/s) combination is the optimal method to detect the function of vertical semicircular canal in 3D chair test. When observing torsional component, the combining scheme of (±60°-80°/s) and (±90°-80°/s) is better. Considering tolerance, the (±60°-80°/s) combination is recommended.

Objective:To investigate the first aid management, doctors′ command of first aid knowledge of private dental clinics in Zhangjiakou city and the influencing factors, for references in strengthening the emergency management level of these clinics and the emergency capacity of doctors.Methods:Customized questionnaire was used in a survey of 192 doctors in 64 private dental clinics in the city from June to September in 2019, and 172 valid responses were recovered. The questionnaire covered such aspects as basics of these doctors, first-aid training received and first-aid knowledge command, as well as first-aid management of these clinics. Enumeration data were indicated with frequency number and percentage, while measurement data were indicated with ± s. Univariate analysis of first-aid knowledge scoring was made with Mann-Whitney U test. Results:The first-aid knowledge of dental doctors in private dental clinics in Zhangjiakou was poor, scoring 51.8±14.6 points in general, and those scoring above 60 points accounted for merely 19.3%. The proportion of dental doctors participating in first-aid knowledge training and emergency drill was low. Only 7.8% of the private dental clinics in Zhangjiakou had complete rescue equipment. Scoring of the dental doctors participating in emergency drill and emergency knowledge training was higher than those without such experiences, with the difference being statistically significant( P<0.001). Conclusions:Private dental clinics should regularly arrange their staff to participate in first-aid training and emergency drills; prepare an emergency plan, equip rescue facilities and first-aid medication; dental doctors should strengthen their study of first-aid knowledge.

Objective To detect the expression of SOX9 in urinary bladder carcinoma and explore its possible role in the occurrence and development of urinary bladder carcinoma.Methods Pathological samples of 80 patients who received surgery due to urinary bladder carcinoma in the Urinary Surgery Department of Huadou People'S Hospital were collected for the study.Carcinoma tissues from 60 cases were used as the research group,and benign tissues from another 20 cases were used as the control group.The expressions level of SOX9 were detected in the research subjects of the 2 groups by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB).Results Positive immunostainings of SOX9 were observed in the nucleus of carcinoma cells,while the SOX9 positive immunostainings in benign tissues could be noticed in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the surrounding gland epithelial cells.The expression level of SOX9 in bladder carcinoma was higher as compared with that of the benign tissue surrounding carcinoma,and the expression level of SOX9 in bladder carcinoma was higher than that of the benign tissues surrounding carcinoma.Statistical significance could be seen in the expression level of SOX9,when comparisons were made between carcinoma tissue and non-carcinoma tissue(P ＜ 0.001).However,clinical pathological grading seemed to have no association with age and gender(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The expression level of SOX9 elevated in bladder carcinoma,and significant differences could be seen in the expressed levels of carcinoma and benign tissues,which might be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of bladder carcinoma.