PURPOSE Seroma/sialocele and haematoma formations following parotidectomy are common complications. Fibrin-sealant tissue glue (FSTG) applied to the surgical bed prior to closure has been used widely to reduce such complications at other surgical sites. We sought to evaluate a potential role in parotidectomy, examining outcomes before and after the use of FSTG was introduced in our department. METHODS Outcomes were studied retrospectively for 1 year prior to the introduction of FSTG (group A, n = 31), and prospectively for 1 year subsequently (group B, n = 29). Primary outcome measures were seroma/sialocele and haematoma rates. Secondary outcome measures of interest included the use of a surgical drain and the duration of hospital stay. Chi-squared statistics and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the outcomes between groups as appropriate. RESULTS Seroma/sialocele rates were significantly lower in group B than in group A (n = 2 [6.9%] versus n = 8 [25.8%], p = 0.01) (Fig. 1), with an absolute risk reduction of 18.9%, a relative risk reduction of 26.7%, and a number needed to treat of 5.3. Haematoma rates were similar between groups (n = 0 [0%] versus n = 1 [3.2%], p = 0.36) (Fig. 2). In group A, a surgical drain was used in 24 cases (77.4%), while no cases in group B were drained.Fig. 1Seroma ratesFig. 2Haematoma rates CONCLUSION The use of FSTG appears to significantly reduce the risk of post-parotidectomy seroma/sialocele formation and facilitates safe, drain-free daycase surgery. We hope this report will prompt other departments to consider using this technique and that our findings will help foster further appraisal in larger, prospective studies going forward.PURPOSE The advent of endoscopic otosurgery provides reduced tissue destruction with theoretically improved views, yet a quantification of the difference of exposure between microscopic and endoscopic approaches has not yet been performed in human specimens. The objective of this study was to assess the difference in views of cadaveric tympanic membranes when inspected with operating microscopes or endoscopes. METHODS A circular graduated disc was inserted into eight cadaveric external ear canals to rest against the tympanic membrane. Three independent observers assessed the maximum possible observable radius of the graduated disc in each ear using a 0° endoscope and a surgical microscope in superior, inferior, posterior, and anterior directions. RESULTS The endoscope was able to view a significantly larger mean maximum visible radius than the microscope in posterior, superior, anterior, and inferior directions. This represented a mean gain in observable distance of 19.18%. There was a smaller variation in mean maximum visible radius than the microscope. CONCLUSION The wider field of view in an endoscope compared to a microscope implies reduced surgical tissue damage is needed to provide sufficient operative exposure. Enhanced views of the attic were demonstrated by the endoscope, further indicating utility in cholesteatoma observation and surgery.PURPOSE The objectives of this study was to present wideband tympanometry (WBT) data and absorbance with normal hearing and normal middle ear status. METHODS Data were collected in 99 adult Caucasians with normal hearing and middle ear status. Energy absorbance was measured with an Interacoustics© Titan® using clicks for 1/24-octave frequency-intervals (0.226-8 kHz) with the ear canal air pressure alternated using a descending pressure sweep from + 250 to - 350 daPa. RESULTS From the wideband energy absorbance tympanograms, the mean energy absorbance tympanogram, wideband averaged tympanogram and parameters such as ear canal volume, middle ear pressure and resonance frequency were determined. CONCLUSIONS This study established a dataset containing descriptive analysis of wideband tympanograms and its derived parameters in Caucasian adults with normal hearing and normal middle ear conditions. The data presented in this study may serve as a future reference for WBT studies with Caucasian adults.INTRODUCTION Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, such as water resistance therapy (WRT), are widely used in voice therapy. However, the potential positive effects of such a therapy on vocal fold oscillation patterns in patients indicating a need for phonomicrosurgery have not yet been explored. The presented study aims to analyze the effect of WRT in patients suffering from vocal fold mass lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight participants with vocal fold mass lesions were asked to sustain a phonation on the vowel /i/ at a comfortable loudness and a fundamental frequency of 250 Hz (females) or 125 Hz (males). During phonation the subjects were simultaneously recorded with transnasal high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV, 20.000 fps), electroglottography, and audio signals. These subjects then performed a WRT (phonation in a silicone tube of 30 cm length, 5 cm below the water surface) for 10 min. Repeated measurements of sustained phonation were performed 0, 10, and 30 min after exercising. From the HSV data the glottal area waveform (GAW) was segmented and GAW parameters were computed. RESULTS During WRT there was an increase of the GAW related open quotient and closing quotient. Immediately after WRT, there was a drop of both values followed by a rise of these parameters up to 30 min after the intervention. Furthermore, there was no correlation between GAW and electroglottographical open quotients. CONCLUSIONS The effects observed after a single session of WRT on participants with vocal fold mass lesions showed a similar pattern to vocal fatigue.A set of indicators that focus only on numerical values is constructed based on remotely sensed images to assess soil moisture conditions. The quantitative evaluation of soil moisture variation in two periods is rarely referred to in the current literature. In this study, a scaled soil moisture monitoring index (SSMMI) was established to monitor the soil moisture status during 2010-2018 in the Daliuta Coal Mining Area (DCMA), China, based on SPOT-5, SPOT-6, and Sentinel-2 images. We also employed a gradient-based structural similarity (GSSIM) algorithm to quantitatively analyze the characteristics of the spatial distribution of the soil moisture in the DCMA. The optimal scale for exploring the spatial heterogeneity of the soil moisture was determined by local variance and semivariance methods. The results showed that the soil moisture decreased at a rate of 0.0213/a from 2010 to 2018.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/pqr309-bimiralisib.html  The areas with the extremely dry and dry levels, which were mainly located in the northwest, some regions of the central area, and the southeast of the DCMA, decreased from 14.