Age-related hearing loss accelerates the decline in fast speech comprehension and the decompensation of cortical network connections

Patients with age-related hearing loss face hearing difficulties in daily life.The causes of age-related hearing loss are complex and include changes in peripheral hearing,central processing,and cognitive-related abilities.Furthermore,the factors by which aging relates to hearing loss via changes in audito ry processing ability are still unclear.In this cross-sectional study,we evaluated 27 older adults(over 60 years old) with age-related hearing loss,21 older adults(over 60years old) with normal hearing,and 30 younger subjects(18-30 years old) with normal hearing.We used the outcome of the uppe r-threshold test,including the time-compressed thres h old and the speech recognition threshold in noisy conditions,as a behavioral indicator of auditory processing ability.We also used electroencephalogra p hy to identify presbycusis-related abnormalities in the brain while the participants were in a spontaneous resting state.The timecompressed threshold and speech recognition threshold data indicated significant diffe rences among the groups.In patients with age-related hearing loss,information masking(babble noise) had a greater effect than energy masking(speech-shaped noise) on processing difficulties.In terms of resting-state electroencephalography signals,we observed enhanced fro ntal lobe(Brodmann’s area,BA11) activation in the older adults with normal hearing compared with the younger participants with normal hearing,and greater activation in the parietal(BA7) and occipital(BA19) lobes in the individuals with age-related hearing loss compared with the younger adults.Our functional connection analysis suggested that compared with younger people,the older adults with normal hearing exhibited enhanced connections among networks,including the default mode network,sensorimotor network,cingulo-opercular network,occipital network,and frontoparietal network.These results suggest that both normal aging and the development of age-related hearing loss have a negative effect on advanced audito ry processing capabilities and that hearing loss accele rates the decline in speech comprehension,especially in speech competition situations.Older adults with normal hearing may have increased compensatory attentional resource recruitment represented by the to p-down active listening mechanism,while those with age-related hearing loss exhibit decompensation of network connections involving multisensory integration.

Successful Reposition of an Incarcerated Gravid Uterus by Instrument:A Case Report and Literature Review

Incarcerated gravid uterus is a rare obstetric condition that contributes to pregnancy-related adverse outcomes,especially if the uterus remains incarcerated and the condition goes undiagnosed until delivery.An effective diagnosis of this condition is benefited from pelvic examination combined with imaging methods and based on suspected symptoms.We present a case of ultrasound-assisted instrument reposition of an incarcerated gravid uterus at mid-gestation and discuss its clinical characteristics,diagnosis,imaging features,and treatment.We believe that once manual reduction fails,the use of instruments will undoubtedly be a better choice.

Influence of carbon content on wear resistance and wear mechanism of Mn13Cr2 and Mn18Cr2 cast steels

By means of impact abrasion tests, micro-hardness tests, and worn surface morphology observation via SEM, a comparison research based upon different impact abrasive wear conditions was conducted in this research to study the influence of different carbon contents(1.25 wt.%, 1.35 wt.%, and 1.45 wt.%) on the wear resistance and wear mechanism of water-quenched Mn13Cr2 and Mn18Cr2 cast steels. The research results show that the wear resistance of the Mn18Cr2 cast steel is superior to that of the Mn13Cr2 cast steel under the condition of the same carbon content and different impact abrasive wear conditions because the Mn18Cr2 cast steel possesses higher worn work hardening capacity as well as a more desirable combination of high hardness and impact toughness than that of the Mn13Cr2 cast steel. When a 4.5 J impact abrasive load is applied, the wear mechanism of both steels is that plastic deformation fatigue spalling and micro-cutting coexist, and the former dominates. When the carbon content is increased, the worn work hardening effect becomes increasingly dramatic, while the wear resistance of both steels decreases, which implies that an increase in impact toughness is beneficial to improving the wear resistance under severe impact abrasive wear conditions. Under the condition of a 1.0 J impact abrasive load, the wear mechanism of both steels is that plastic deformation fatigue spalling and micro-cutting coexist, and the latter plays a leading role. The worn work hardening effect and wear resistance intensify when the carbon content is increased, which implies that a higher hardness can be conducive to better wear resistance under low impact abrasive condition.

Rational distribution of Ru nanodots on 2D Ti_(3−x)C_(2)T_(y)/g-C_(3)N_(4)heterostructures for boosted photocatalytic H_(2)evolution

Incorporating metal nanodots(NDs)into heterostructures for high charge separation and transfer capacities is one of the most effective strategies for improving their photocatalytic activities.However,controlling the space distribution of metal NDs for optimizing charge transport pathways remains a significant challenge,particularly in two-dimensional(2D)face-to-face heterostructures.Herein,we develop a simple targeted self-reduction strategy for selectively loading Ru NDs onto the Ti_(3−x)C_(2)T_(y)(TC)surface of 2D TC/g-C_(3)N_(4)(CN)heterojunction based on the reductive Ti vacancy defects creatively increased during the preparation of TC/CN by reducing calcination.Notably,the optimized Ru/TC/CN photocatalyst exhibits an outstanding H_(2)evolution rate of 3.21 mmol·g^(−1)·h^(−1)and a high apparent quantum efficiency of 30.9%at 380 nm,which is contributed by the unidirectional transfer of the photogenerated electrons from CN to Ru active sites(CN→TC→Ru)and the suppressed backflow of electrons from Ru sites to CN,as revealed by comprehensive characterizations and density functional theory(DFT)calculations.This work provides a novel strategy for synthesizing the highly efficient photocatalysts with a controllable charge transfer paths,which will boost the development of photocatalysis.

An ultra-highly active nanozyme of Fe,N co-doped ultrathin hollow carbon framework for antibacterial application

In recent years, nanozymes have received more and more attention, but the low activity limits the development of nanozymes. Therefore, the design and development of efficient nanozymes is still a major challenge for researchers. Herein, the Fe,N co-doped ultrathin hollow carbon framework(Fe,N-UHCF) exhibit ultra-high peroxidase-like activity. The specific activity of Fe,N-UHCF nanozyme is as high as 36.6 U/mg,which is much higher than almost all of other reported nanozymes. In practical applications, the Fe,N-UHCF show good antibacterial effects.