instruction:
In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
question:
Context: Although successful cochlear implantation of patients with deafness following meningitis is expected, long-term stability of electrical current requirements has not been systematically evaluated. This study evaluated changes in programming for patients deafened by bacterial meningitis and stability of auditory performance over time.', 'In this retrospective descriptive study, cochlear implant (CI) stimulation mode and performance of 14 patients deafened by meningitis were compared with those of an age-matched control group of patients deafened by other causes.', 'There were no significant differences in mean performance between the meningitis group and control group (P > 0.05). However, the postmeningitis group required progressively higher stimulation levels and higher programming modes over time as compared to the control group.\Question: Do changes in programming over time in postmeningitis cochlear implant users?
answer:
Even with deafness accompanied by labyrinthine ossification attributed to meningitis, neural elements were present and could be stimulated. Because increasing levels of stimulation were required over time, postmeningitic children with CIs, and those with cochlear ossification in particular, may need frequent programming adjustments to maintain performance.


question:
Context: Although uncommon, hearing loss after spinal anesthesia has been described. Vestibulocochlear dysfunction after spinal anesthesia in which 22-gauge and 25-gauge Quincke needles were used was investigated to determine if needle size affected hearing.', 'Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II, aged 20 to 40 years, who were undergoing lower extremity surgery under spinal anesthesia were randomized into 2 groups. After intravenous hydration, 3 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine was administered for spinal anesthesia, which was performed with a 22-gauge Quincke needle in group I (n=30) patients and a 25-gauge Quincke needle in group II (n=30) patients. Before surgery and 2 days after surgery, pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry were performed. Preoperative and postoperative hearing data were obtained in the right and left ears for every frequency. Headache, nausea, and vomiting and cranial nerve III, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII function were assessed on postoperative day 2.', 'Demographic data were not different between the groups. No hypoacousis was noted at any frequency during the entire testing period in either group. Two patients from group I experienced postdural puncture headache on postoperative day 3, and neither had hearing loss. No patient had cranial nerve dysfunction.\Question: Does hearing loss occur in young patients undergoing spinal anesthesia?
answer:
We were unable to induce hearing loss in young patients undergoing spinal anesthesia by injecting the anesthetic with a 22-gauge or a 25-gauge Quincke needle.


question:
Context: Skeletal myoblasts fuse to form functional syncytial myotubes as an integral part of the skeletal muscle. During this differentiation process, expression of proteins for mechanical and electrical integration is seized, which is a major drawback for the application of skeletal myoblasts in cardiac regenerative cell therapy, because global heart function depends on intercellular communication.', 'Mechanically preconditioned engineered tissue constructs containing neonatal mouse skeletal myoblasts were transplanted epicardially. A Y-chromosomal specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was undertaken up to 10 weeks after transplantation to confirm the presence of grafted cells. Histologic and electrophysiologic analyses were carried out 1 week after transplantation.', 'Cells within the grafted construct expressed connexin 43 at the interface to the host myocardium, indicating electrical coupling, confirmed by sharp electrode recordings. Analyses of the maximum stimulation frequency (5.65 ± 0.37 Hz), conduction velocity (0.087 ± 0.011 m/s) and sensitivity for pharmacologic conduction block (0.736 ± 0.080 mM 1-heptanol) revealed effective electrophysiologic coupling between graft and host cells, although significantly less robust than in native myocardial tissue (maximum stimulation frequency, 11.616 ± 0.238 Hz, P\xa0<\xa0.001; conduction velocity, 0.300 ± 0.057 m/s, P\xa0<\xa0.01; conduction block, 1.983 ± 0.077 mM 1-heptanol, P\xa0<\xa0.001).\Question: Does preconditioning of skeletal myoblast-based engineered tissue constructs enable functional coupling to myocardium in vivo?
answer:

Although untreated skeletal myoblasts cannot couple to cardiomyocytes, we confirm that mechanical preconditioning enables transplanted skeletal myoblasts to functionally interact with cardiomyocytes in vivo and, thus, reinvigorate the concept of skeletal myoblast-based cardiac cell therapy.