Ear

Parents of 28 children and a young adult with CHARGE syndrome participated in a survey on factors related to communication development. Information was obtained using a questionnaire and a follow-up interview. Parents were asked to (1) specify their child's primary mode of communication, (2) judge the significance of the effects of physical disorders, sensory deficits, and behavior on development and communication, (3) provide lists of their child's conditions and disorders, and (4) provide information about intervention related to communication and education. Thirtynine percent of the participants (11/28) did not use symbolic language to communicate. The results suggest that factors affecting the majority of participants-physical disorders, vision loss, and hearing loss-may adversely affect communication ability. However, these factors did not preclude the development of symbolic language. Factors that were related to the development of symbolic language were success in the treatment of hearing loss with amplification, the ability to walk independently, and communication training initiated by 3 years of age. Other factors that may be related to the development of symbolic language are also discussed. ß 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Objective: Tissue hypoxia after blood loss, replantation and flap reperfusion remains a challenging task in surgery. Normovolemic hemodilution improves hemorheologic properties without increasing oxygen carrying capacity. Red blood cell transfusion is the current standard of treatment with its attendant risks. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of the chemically modified hemoglobin, MP4, to reduce skin flap necrosis and its effect on selected blood markers and kidneys. Materials and Methods: Tissue ischemia was induced in the ear of hairless mice (n=26). Hemodilution was performed by replacing one third of blood volume with the similar amount of MP4, dextran, or blood. The extent of non-perfused tissue was assessed by intravital fluorescent microscopy. Results: Of all groups, MP4 showed the smallest area of no perfusion (in percentage of the ear ± SEM: 16.3% ± 2.4), the control group the largest (22.4% ± 3.5). Leukocytes showed a significant increase in the MP4 and dextran group (from 8.7 to 13.6 respectively 15.4*10 9 /l). On histology no changes of the kidneys could be observed. Conclusion: MP4 causes an increase of leukocytes, improves the oxygen supply of the tissue and shows no evidence of renal impairment.

Objectives: To assess audiological performance, satisfaction rate, and side effects of 100 patients who have been using the middle ear implant Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) for 5 to 8 yr when compared with data collected from 3 to 18 mo postsurgery.

Background: An extract of the tropical fern Polypodium leucotomos (PL) administered orally to mice inhibits ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced skin cancer formation. UVB-induced murine skin cancers occur, in part, because of UVB-induced immunosuppression. Thus, we examined whether PL inhibits UVB-suppression of the induction of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) locally or systemically. Methods: C57BL/6 mice received standard drinking water or water-containing PL. In the local model, mice were shaved on the dorsum and exposed to 3500 J/m 2 of UVB radiation daily for 4 days. Control mice were not irradiated. After the last irradiation they were sensitized to oxazolone topically at the irradiated site. To examine the ability of PL to inhibit systemic UVB-induced immunosuppression, mice were given 10 000 J/m 2 of UVB radiation once and immunized at a non-exposed site 3 days later. Six days after immunization (in both models), mice were challenged on the ears with oxazolone and 24/48 h ear swelling assessed. Results: PL in drinking water significantly reduced the inhibition of CHS observed with exposure to UVB radiation in both the local and systemic models. Conclusions: The ability of PL to inhibit UVB radiation-induced immune suppression may explain, in part, its ability to inhibit UVR-induced skin cancer induction in mice.

In many real-world applications, unimodal biometric systems often face significant limitations due to sensitivity to noise, intraclass variability, data quality, nonuniversality, and other factors. Attempting to improve the performance of individual matchers in such situations may not prove to be highly effective. Multibiometric systems seek to alleviate some of these problems by providing multiple pieces of evidence of the same identity. These systems help achieve an increase in performance that may not be possible using a single-biometric indicator. This paper presents an effective fusion scheme that combines information presented by multiple domain experts based on the rank-level fusion integration method. The developed multimodal biometric system possesses a number of unique qualities, starting from utilizing principal component analysis and Fisher's linear discriminant methods for individual matchers (face, ear, and signature) identity authentication and utilizing the novel rank-level fusion method in order to consolidate the results obtained from different biometric matchers. The ranks of individual matchers are combined using the highest rank, Borda count, and logistic regression approaches. The results indicate that fusion of individual modalities can improve the overall performance of the biometric system, even in the presence of low quality data. Insights on multibiometric design using rank-level fusion and its performance on a variety of biometric databases are discussed in the concluding section.

This study aimed to assess the extent and implications of short-term hearing fluctuation in Meniere's disease. Thirty-six subjects diagnosed with Meniere's were recruited to measure their own hearing using in-situ audiometry via a hearing aid (Widex Diva) and a portable programmer (SP3). Self-hearing tests measuring up to 14 frequency bands were conducted three times a day over eight weeks using the expanded Sensogram TM . Twentythree ears showed low frequency fluctuation while ten fluctuated in mid frequencies with some 'double peak' audiogram configurations. Eight ears in the later stages of Meniere's, contrary to expected, also recorded fluctuation across all frequencies. Self-hearing testing Meniere's ears over eight weeks revealed great hearing fluctuation with significant changes in audiogram configuration. It suggests that as endolymphatic hydrops progresses through the cochlea, low frequency fluctuation is followed by fluctuation in the mid frequencies, leading to fluctuation across all frequencies. Use of a self-hearing test may facilitate diagnosis and hearing aid fitting for this population, as clinical audiograms may not provide accurate information of hearing fluctuation.

Low solubility of tacrolimus in carrier matrix and subsequent poor in vivo bioavailability was overcome by constructing modified nanolipid carrier (MNLC) as a novel approach. The aim of this study was to develop MNLC with enhanced drug solubility in carrier lipid matrix using lipophilic solubilizers for topical delivery. Comprehensive characterization of tacrolimus-loaded MNLC (T-MNLC) was carried out for particle size, morphology, and rheology. Lipid modification resulted in the formation of less perfect crystals offering space to accommodate the dissolved drug leading to high entrapment efficiency of 96.66%. Compatibility and mixing behavior of carrier constituents was evaluated using DSC, FT-IR, and 1 H NMR. T-MNLC displayed sufficient stability that could be attributed to possibility to reduce total lipid concentration in carrier. T-MNLC-enriched gels showed significantly higher in vitro drug release, skin permeation, and in vivo bioavailability with dermatopharmacokinetic approach in guinea pigs compared to commercial ointment, Protopic Ò as reference. Penetration-enhancing effect was confirmed using gamma scintigraphy in vivo in rats. Radioactivity remained localized in skin at the application site avoiding unnecessary biodisposition to other organs with prospective minimization of toxic effects. Skin irritation studies showed T-MNLC to be significantly less irritating than reference. Research work could be concluded as successful development of novel T-MNLC using lipophilic solubilizers to increase the encapsulation efficiency of colloidal lipid carriers with advantage of improved performance in terms of stability and skin localization.

In the recent years, the segmentation, i.e. the identification, of ear structures in Videootoscopy (VO), Computerized Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) image data has gained significantly importance in the medical imaging area, particularly those in CT and MR imaging. Segmentation is the fundamental step of any automated technique for supporting the medical diagnosis and, in particular, in biomechanics studies, to build realistic geometric models of ear structures. In this paper, a review of the algorithms used in ear segmentation is presented. The review includes an introduction to the usually biomechanical modeling approaches and also to the common imaging modalities. Afterwards, several segmentation algorithms for ear image data are described, their specificities and difficulties as well their advantages and disadvantages are identified and analyzed using experimental examples. Finally, the conclusions are presented as well as a discussion about possible trends for future research concerning the ear segmentation.

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The anti-inflammatory activity of hexane leaf extract of Aspilia africana C.D. Adams (Compositae) was evaluated in rodents using the xyleneinduced ear edema, egg albumin-and agar-induced paw edema, formaldehyde-induced arthritis, cotton pellet granuloma, gastric ulcerogenic, acetic acid-induced vascular permeability and dextran-induced in vivo leukocyte migration tests. Results showed that the extract (5 mg/ear) inhibited topical edema in the mouse ear and at 200 and 400 mg/kg (i.p.), it significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed the development of egg albumin-and agarinduced paw edema, and the global edematous response to arthritis induced by formaldehyde in rats. Oral administration of the extract (200 or 400 mg/kg) evoked a significant (P < 0.05) dose-related ulceration of the rat gastric mucosa and inhibition of vascular permeability induced by acetic acid in mice. The extract also significantly (P < 0.05) reduced total leukocyte and neutrophils counts in a non-dose-related manner. However, it significantly (P < 0.05) increased lymphocyte counts and stimulated the growth of granuloma tissues induced by subcutaneously implanted cotton pellets in rats. Phytochemical tests showed that the extract contained sterols and terpenoids. These findings suggest that the leaves of Aspilia africana possess anti-inflammatory activity in acute and certain aspects of chronic inflammation, which may derive from inhibition of prostaglandins synthesis, inhibition of increased vascular permeability, inhibition of neutrophil migration into inflamed tissues, and stimulation of lymphocyte accumulation, which may enhance tissue repair and healing. The terpenoids present in the leaves may account for the anti-inflammatory activity.

Climatic injuries, including hypothermia, hyperthermia and heat stroke, are common in many sports activities. Body core temperature (Tc) measurement for the sportsperson can influence individual performance and may help to prevent injuries. Monitoring internal body Tc accurately requires invasive methods of measurement. The mercury thermometer, most commonly used to measure oral temperature (Toral), has been almost exclusively the only instrument for measuring Tc since the 18th century. Rectal (Tre) and oesophageal temperatures (Toes) have been the most preferred measurement sites employed in thermoregulatory investigations. However, these measurement sites (Tre, Toes, Toral), and the methods used to measure Tc at these sites, are not convenient. Toral measurements are not always possible or accurate. Toes is undesirable because of the difficulty of inserting the thermistor, irritation to nasal passages and general subject discomfort. Tre is not suitable under many circumstances as it is labour intensive and has a prolonged response time. However, Tre remains the most accurately available method for monitoring Tc in thermal illness that occurs during sports activities. In addition, Tre and Toes require wire connections between the thermistor and the monitoring device. The purpose of this paper is to review the various existing methods of Tc measurements in order to focus on the breakthrough needed for a simple, noninvasive, universally used device for Tc measurement which is essential for preventing climatic injuries during sports events.

The tetrapod auditory system transmits sound through the outer and middle ear to the organ of Corti or other sound pressure receivers of the inner ear where specialized hair cells translate vibrations of the basilar membrane into electrical potential changes that are conducted by the spiral ganglion neurons to the auditory nuclei. In other systems, notably the vertebrate limb, a detailed connection between the evolutionary variations in adaptive morphology and the underlying alterations in the genetic basis of development has been partially elucidated. In this review, we attempt to correlate evolutionary and partially characterized molecular data into a cohesive perspective of the evolution of the mammalian organ of Corti out of the tetrapod basilar papilla. We propose a stepwise, molecularly partially characterized transformation of the ancestral, vestibular developmental program of the vertebrate ear. This review provides a framework to decipher both discrete steps in development and the evolution of unique functional adaptations of the auditory system. The combined analysis of evolution and development establishes a powerful cross-correlation where conclusions derived from either approach become more meaningful in a larger context which is not possible through exclusively evolution or development centered perspectives.

Beginning with the notion that good quality sound in our environment is important for adults but especially for children, in this paper I propose the following:  1. The ear, in its form and function as a receptive organ, is ideally poised to help us bring wholeness and healing into our fragmented lives.  2. There are spiritual, tonal forces that underlie the physical world and the physical body of the human being is a musical instrument for the translation of these tones.  3. Waldorf early childhood education (kindergarten through second grade), through focus on the pentatonic scale and the “mood of the fifth,” serves that end with exceptional facility.

Peripheral deafness may be inherited or acquired, congenital or lateronset, and sensorineural or conductive. The most commonly obsera,ed forms are inherited congenital sensorineural, acquired later-onset sensorineural (ototoxicity, presbycusis) and acquired later-onset conductive (chronic otitis externa/media). In most dog and cat breeds inherited congenital sensorineural deafiaess results from perinatal degeneration of the stria vascularis, the vascular bed of the outer wall of the cochlear duct, which leads to hair cell degeneration. The strial degeneration appears to result from the absence of melanocytes, but their function in this structure is unknown. Ototoxicity may restdt from any of a large number of drugs and chemicals that directly or indirectly destroy cochlear hair cells. The effects are dose-dependent and in rare cases reversible. The most commonly recognized ototoxic drugs are the aminoglycoside antibiotics. Presbycusis, the ageing-related progressive hearing loss unattributable to other causes, is sensorineurai but may also include mechanical changes in the tympanum and ossicles. Hearing aids may be accepted by some dogs as long as some residual function remains. Breeds reported to have been at/'ected by congenital sensorineural deafness are listed and those with the highest prevalence are noted. Methods for diagnosis of deafness are described.

Rectal temperature is recommended by the National Athletic Trainers&#39; Association as the criterion standard for recognizing exertional heat stroke, but other body sites commonly are used to measure temperature. Few authors have assessed the validity of the thermometers that measure body temperature at these sites in athletic settings. To assess the validity of commonly used temperature devices at various body sites during outdoor exercise in the heat. Observational field study. Outdoor athletic facilities. Fifteen men and 10 women (age = 26.5 +/- 5.3 years, height = 174.3 +/- 11.1 cm, mass = 72.73 +/- 15.95 kg, body fat = 16.2 +/- 5.5%). We simultaneously tested inexpensive and expensive devices orally and in the axillary region, along with measures of aural, gastrointestinal, forehead, temporal, and rectal temperatures. Temporal temperature was measured according to the instruction manual and a modified method observed in medical tents at local road races. We also measured foreh...

The anti-inflammatory activities of flavonols (quercetin, rutin and morin) and flavanones (hesperetin and hesperidin) were investigated in animal models of acute and chronic inflammation. Rutin was only effective in the chronic process, principally in adjuvant arthritis. On neurogenic inflammation induced by xylene, only the flavanones were effective; besides, these compounds were the most effective on subchronic process. The most important compound in reducing paw oedema induced by carrageenan was quercetin.

The hush puppy mouse mutant has been shown previously to have skull and outer, middle, and inner ear defects, and an increase in hearing threshold. The fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) gene is located in the region of chromosome 8 containing the mutation. Sequencing of the gene in hush puppy heterozygotes revealed a missense mutation in the kinase domain of the protein (W691R). Homozygotes were found to die during development, at approximately embryonic day 8.5, and displayed a phenotype similar to null mutants. Reverse transcription PCR indicated a decrease in Fgfr1 transcript in heterozygotes and homozygotes. Generation of a construct containing the mutation allowed the function of the mutated receptor to be studied. Immunocytochemistry showed that the mutant receptor protein was present at the cell membrane, suggesting normal expression and trafficking. Measurements of changes in intracellular calcium concentration showed that the mutated receptor could not activate the IP3 pathway, in contrast to the wild-type receptor, nor could it initiate activation of the Ras/MAP kinase pathway. Thus, the hush puppy mutation in fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 appears to cause a loss of receptor function. The mutant protein appears to have a dominant negative effect, which could be due to it dimerising with the wild-type protein and inhibiting its activity, thus further reducing the levels of functional protein. A dominant modifier, Mhspy, which reduces the effect of the hush puppy mutation on pinna and stapes development, has been mapped to the distal end of chromosome 7 and may show imprinting.

The objectives of this study were (1) to describe the auditory characteristics of children with autism relative to those of typically developing children and (2) to describe the test-retest reliability of behavioral auditory test measures with this population of children with autism.

Histamine plays an important role in the regulation of various immunological functions. To evaluate the role of histamine in contact hypersensitivity, contact dermatitis was induced with dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) in histidine decarboxylase knockout (HDC2/2) histamine-deficient and wild-type mice. The DNFB-induced increase of the ear thickness was significantly higher in HDC2/2 mice than in wild-type mice. Using flow cytometry, significantly lower percentages of CD4 1 Th and CD8 1 Tc cells, and significantly higher percentages of CD45R 1 B cells were observed in the regional lymph nodes in HDC2/2 mice than in wild-type mice. In the ear specimens of both groups, the majority of the infiltrating cells were neutrophils and macrophages at 24 and 48 h after challenge. Using immunohistochemistry, we observed significantly more CD45 1 leukocytes in HDC2/2 mice than in wild-type mice. The expression of Th1 (IL-2, IFN-c, TNF-a) and Th2 (IL-4) mRNAs was examined by quantitative real time RT-PCR in the ear samples. The levels of Th1 cytokine mRNAs both at 24 and 48 h after challenge and IL-4 mRNA at 48 h showed a significantly higher increase in HDC2/2 mice than in wild-type mice. These results suggest that histamine plays a negative immunoregulatory role in DNFB-induced contact hypersensitivity.

Among cochlear implant candidates there are patients who have abnormal middle and/or inner-ear conditions that make them unsuitable for implantation. Insertion of a foreign body may also be contraindicated in the setting of an existing or potential intracranial communication, or when the ear is prone to infection. Five patients presented with such unfavorable conditions. These included a Mondini dysplasia with persistent cerebrospinal fluid leak, an atretic mastoid with meningocele, chronic otitis media, a transverse petrous bone fracture, and a temporal bone adenoma. All patients underwent subtotal petrosectomies and cochlear implantations. In four cases implantation was performed concomitantly with subtotal petrosectomy, while the remaining case required a twostage procedure. No complications occurred. The technique is described in detail, and the cases and the indications for surgery are discussed. By obliterating and isolating the tympanomastoid cleft from the outer environment and utilizing the technique of subtotal petrosectomy, a broader spectrum of patients can now be implanted safely.

Background: Allergic rhinitis affects 10-40% of the population globally with a substantial health and economic impact on the community. Objective of review: To assess the effectiveness and safety of ear-acupuncture or ear-acupressure for the treatment of allergic rhinitis by reviewing randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised controlled trials. Type of review: This review followed the methods specified in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Search strategy: A total of 21 electronic English and Chinese databases were searched from their respective inceptions to April 2008. Key words used in the search included the combination of ear, auricular, acupuncture, acupressure, acupoint, allergic, allergy, rhinitis, hayfever, randomised clinical trial and their synonyms.

Drug delivery to the ear is used to treat conditions of the middle and inner ear such as acute and chronic otitis media, Ménière&#39;s disease, sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. Drugs used include antibiotics, antifungals, steroids, local anesthetics and neuroprotective agents. A literature review was conducted searching Medline (1966-2012), Embase (1988-2012), the Cochrane Library and Ovid (1966-2012), using search terms &#39;drug delivery&#39;, &#39;middle ear&#39;, &#39;inner ear&#39; and &#39;transtympanic&#39;. There are numerous methods of drug delivery to the middle ear, which can be categorized as topical, systemic (intravenous), transtympanic and via the Eustachian tube. Localized treatments to the ear have the advantages of targeted drug delivery allowing higher therapeutic doses and minimizing systemic side effects. The ideal scenario would be a carrier system that could cross the intact tympanic membrane loaded with drugs or biochemical agents for the treatment of...

Odontocete mandibles serve multiple functions, including feeding and hearing. One hypothesis is that sound enters the hearing apparatus via the pan bone of the posterior mandibles . Another viewpoint, based on computer models, suggests that sound enters primarily through the gular apparatus and the opening created by the absent medial wall of the posterior mandibles. The posterior region of each mandibular ramus has a large, hollow cavity called the mandibular foramen that contains a bulging mandibular fat body (MFB), which terminates on the bony tympanoperiotic complex. The acoustic properties of these fat bodies suggest that they refract sound. This unambiguous link between form and function has catalyzed this current study of mandibular shape. Previous studies have described odontocete mandibles using linear morphometrics and focused on multiple populations within single genera. Geometric Morphometrics (GM) is used to avoid some limitations of linear morphometric studies, using relative 3-D landmark positions instead of lengths. This technique measures shape only, excluding any scaling, rotational, and positional effects.

In many real-world applications, unimodal biometric systems often face significant limitations due to sensitivity to noise, intraclass variability, data quality, nonuniversality, and other factors. Attempting to improve the performance of individual matchers in such situations may not prove to be highly effective. Multibiometric systems seek to alleviate some of these problems by providing multiple pieces of evidence of the same identity. These systems help achieve an increase in performance that may not be possible using a single-biometric indicator. This paper presents an effective fusion scheme that combines information presented by multiple domain experts based on the rank-level fusion integration method. The developed multimodal biometric system possesses a number of unique qualities, starting from utilizing principal component analysis and Fisher's linear discriminant methods for individual matchers (face, ear, and signature) identity authentication and utilizing the novel rank-level fusion method in order to consolidate the results obtained from different biometric matchers. The ranks of individual matchers are combined using the highest rank, Borda count, and logistic regression approaches. The results indicate that fusion of individual modalities can improve the overall performance of the biometric system, even in the presence of low quality data. Insights on multibiometric design using rank-level fusion and its performance on a variety of biometric databases are discussed in the concluding section.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of past and current research regarding language and literacy development in children with mild to severe hearing impairment. A related goal is to identify gaps in the empirical literature and suggest future research directions. Included in the language development review are studies of semantics (vocabulary, novel word learning, and conceptual categories), morphology, and syntax. The literacy section begins by considering dimensions of literacy and the ways in which hearing impairment may influence them. It is followed by a discussion of existing evidence on reading and writing, and highlights key constructs that need to be addressed for a comprehensive understanding of literacy in these children. (Ear & Hearing 2007;28;740-753) Over the past decade, universal newborn hearing screening programs and advancements in sensory devices have improved the prospects for children with all degrees of hearing impairment (HI). These innovations have led to a resurgence of interest in research focused on various subpopulations of children with HI. This momentum is partly guided by practical interests, especially the need to strengthen the evidence base that guides the management of these children. Empirical study of this group also holds theoretical interest, as it allows researchers to explore the influences of auditory perception and auditory experience in foundational aspects of language and literacy development. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Dr. Julia Davis and colleagues at the University of Iowa called attention to the paucity of research on outcomes in children with mild to severe HI. As this review will show, there are still many gaps in the literature in relation to this group. Because of newborn hearing screening, we have the opportunity to close these gaps through prospective research, beginning in infancy. At this time, considerable efforts are being expended to identify these children early and to provide optimal hearing and communication services. Although there is increasing evidence that early-identified infants with HI progress in speech and language at rates that exceed later-identified peers (is need for further research documenting outcomes of this group of children. In the subsequent sections we will review the literature regarding the status of children with mild to severe HI and identify directions for future research efforts.

Objectives: 1) To describe the hearing status of the at-risk infants in the National Institutes of Health-Identification of Neonatal Hearing Impairment study sample at 8 to 12 mo corrected age (chronologic age adjusted for prematurity). 2) To describe the visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) protocol that was used to obtain monaural behavioral data for the sample.

Many pathologies afflicting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) requires it to be operated routinely by plastic or maxillofacial surgeons. 1Y3 The TMJ is an area rich in important anatomic structures, such as the parotid gland, the facial nerve, the auricular temporal nerve, and the superficial temporal vessels. Thus, the surgical approach to TMJ requires particular care during dissection, and the route used by the surgeon is anatomically complex. Thus, several approaches to the TMJ have been proposed over the years to decrease injury to the facial nerve, such as preauricular, endaural, and postauricular approaches.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for a variety of invasive and non-invasive human infections. There are over 90 serotypes of S. pneumoniae differing in their ability to adapt to the different niches within the host. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to discriminate clinical S. pneumoniae isolates recovered from either blood cultures (invasive site isolates) or other sites, including sputum, tracheal aspirate, ear, eye and skin swabs (non-invasive site isolates). Global protein expression profiles for five invasive site and six non-invasive site isolates representing five different serotypes (serotypes 4, 6, 9, 14 and 23) were obtained for each isolate and combined into a single data set using Progenesis SameSpots™ software. One-hundred and eighty six protein spots (39% of the protein spots in the dataset) differed significantly (ANOVA, p&lt;0.05) in abundance between the invasive site (101 upregulated protein spots) and non-invasive site (85 upregulated protein spo...

We investigated the pharmacological profile of the vasoconstrictive response to clonidine in the isolated rabbit ear vein, and compared the characteristics of clonidine with those of noradrenaline and moxonidine. The maximal vasoconstrictive responses to clonidine and moxonidine in the rabbit ear vein were 35.94 ± 11.18% and 88.78 ± 11.54% of the maximum response to noradrenaline, respectively. Prazosin 0.1 μM inhibited the vasoconstriction induced by lower concentrations of noradrenaline, and the concentration-dependent response curve for noradrenaline was significantly shifted to the right by 1 μM prazosin. Yohimbine (0.1 and 0.5 μM) only decreased the vasoconstrictive response to lower concentrations of noradrenaline, but did not affect the response to higher concentrations. Vasoconstrictive responses to lower but not higher concentrations of clonidine and moxonidine were inhibited by 0.1 μM yohimbine. In contrast, the same concentration of yohimbine significantly potentiated the maximal response to a high concentration of clonidine by 24.06%. In isolated rabbit ear vein pretreated with 0.1 μM yohimbine, prazosin competitively inhibited the concentration-response curve for clonidine with a pA 2 value of 8.05 ± 0.06. We conclude that clonidine acts mainly on α 2-adrenoceptors to produce vasoconstriction in the rabbit ear vein; however, in the preparation pretreated with yohimbine, the clonidine-induced vasoconstriction is mediated via α 1adrenoceptors and its maximal vasoconstriction is significantly potentiated.

The development and evolution of mechanosensory cells and the vertebrate ear is reviewed with an emphasis on delineating the cellular, molecular and developmental basis of these changes. Outgroup comparisons suggests that mechanosensory cells are ancient features of multicellular organisms. Molecular evidence suggests that key genes involved in mechanosensory cell function and development are also conserved among metazoans.

Although numerous studies have investigated the effects of single-microphone digital noise-reduction algorithms for adults with hearing loss, similar studies have not been conducted with young hearing-impaired children. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of a commonly used digital noise-reduction scheme (spectral subtraction) in children with mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing losses. It was hypothesized that the process of spectral subtraction may alter or degrade speech signals in some way. Such degradation may have little influence on the perception of speech by hearing-impaired adults who are likely to use contextual information under such circumstances. For young children who are still developing various language skills, however, signal degradation may have a more detrimental effect on the perception of speech. Sixteen children (eight 5- to 7-yr-olds and eight 8- to 10-yr-olds) with mild to moderately severe hearing loss participated in this study. A...

We report on a 13-month-old girl of first cousin parents who presented with a combination of short stature, bilateral microtia, proportionate short stature, distinctive facial features (bitemporal narrowing, long philtrum), and agenesis of the left kidney and a small right kidney. Clinical findings did not match any previously described syndromes with the anomalies seen in the patient. We performed SNP array analysis to characterize the observation as a novel syndrome and this was normal. We propose that this represents a new syndrome, likely of autosomal recessive inheritance.