Asignificant Difference Research Articles

Ruta angustifolia Essential oil: Behavioral and Insecticidal Effects against Larvae and Adults of Tribolium castaneum.

The study aims to evaluate the behavioraland insecticidal effects ofRutaangustifoliaEO (RAEO) against larvae and adults of a major pest insectTribolium castaneum.RAEO exhibited a strong repellency against both adults and larvae where percentages as high as 74 and 72% of PR (Percentage of Repellency) were recorded respectively, at 0.47 µL/cm2 after 2h. Regarding the antifeedant bioassay, no feeding deterrence was recorded in adults while an increase in appetite was registered in larvae exhibiting -80% of FDI recorded at 0.2 µL/pellet. In terms of feeding preference, the response significantly depended on thedevelopmental stage(F=97.19, P<0.05) and larvae were attracted to treated pellets recording percentages of 84 and 73% of PI (Preference index) after 5 and 30 min at 0.05 µL/pellet; on the other hand, adults expressed a repulsive behavior at 0.2 µL/pellet with a PI of -81.1 (20min),and -69.2% (30 min). Regarding topical application toxicity, asignificant difference wasobserved between larvae and adults (p<0.05 F=174.56). The study promotes the use ofRAEO as a repellent andbioinsecticide for the control of larvae and adults of T. castaneum.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Ameliorate Selenium Stress and Increase Antioxidant Potential of Zea mays in Seleniferous Soil.

The indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores were isolated from rhizosphere soil associated with maize plants grown in natural selenium-impacted agricultural soils present in north-eastern region of Punjab, India (32°46' N, 74°46' N), with selenium concentration ranging from 2.1 to 6.1 mg kg-1 dry weight, and their role in plant growth promotion, mitigation of selenium stress and phytochemical and antioxidant potential of host maize plants in natural seleniferous soil were examined. Soils with selenium content between 2 and 200 mg kg-1 and producing plants with 45 mg selenium kg-1 dry weight are considered seleniferous soils. AMF inoculum consisting of indigenous AMF spores multiplied in pot cultures were inoculated to maize seeds at the time of sowing alongside control maize seeds in a total of 12 plots (6 replicates) made in seleniferous agricultural fields and sampled at maturity, i.e. 3 months. Asignificant difference was observed in plant growth parameters between control and AMF-inoculated maize plants. AMF-inoculated plants had 24.0 cm and 101.1 cm higher root and shoot length along with 27.2 g, 119.4 g and 28.1 g higher root, shoot and maize cob biomass in comparison to control plants. Se uptake studies through measurement of the emission spectrum of piazselenol complex by fluorescence spectrometry revealed that AMF inoculation led to 6.3 µg g-1 more selenium accumulation in mycorrhizal maize roots in comparison to control roots but lesser translocation to shoots and seeds, i.e. 17.17 µg g-1 and 19.58 µg g-1 lesser. AMF increased total phenolic content by 13 µg GAE mg-1 and total flavonoid content by 13.4 µg QE mg-1 in inoculated maize plants when compared to control plants. Antioxidant studies revealed that AMF inoculation also led to significant rise in enzyme activities by a difference of 115 and 193 EU g-1 in catalase, 140 and 93 EU g-1 in superoxide dismutase, 15 and 37 EU g-1 in ascorbate peroxidase and 19.8 and 23.6% higher DPPH radical scavenging activities, respectively, in shoots and roots of plants with AMF inoculation. The findingsof this study imply that AMF inoculated to maize plants in seleniferous field boost their plant growth and phytochemical and antioxidant properties, as well as minimize Se bioaccumulation in shoots and seeds of plants inoculated with AMF in comparison to control plants.

Improved radiological imaging of congenital aural atresia using flat-panel volume CT. German version

Precise preoperative radiological evaluation of aural atresia is of utmost importance for surgical planning. Until now, multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has been used but it cannot adequately visualize small structures such as the stapes. Flat-panel volume CT (fpVCT) with its secondary reconstructions (fpVCTSECO) offers ahigh-resolution visualization of the middle ear. New otosurgical planning software also enables detailed 3D reconstruction of the middle ear anatomy. Evaluation of the use of fpVCTSECO in combination with an otosurgical planning software for amore accurate diagnosis and treatment of congenital aural atresia. Sevenpatients with congenital aural atresia underwent preoperative MSCT (600 µm slice thickness) and corresponding fpVCT (466 µm slice thickness). In addition, fpVCTSECO (99 µm slice thickness) were reconstructed. The Jahrsdoerfer and Siegert grading scores were determined and their applicability in the abovementioned imaging modalities was evaluated. In addition, the malleus incus complex was analyzed in 3D rendering. Imaging with fpVCTSECO enabled reliable visualization of the abnormalities, in particular the ossicular chain. Asignificant difference in the Siegert grading score was found. In addition, the malleus-incus complex could be visualized better in 3D. The introduction of new imaging techniques and surgical planning techniques into the diagnostic concept of aural atresia facilitates the identification of malformed anatomy and enables systematic analysis. This combination can also help to more accurately classify the pathology and thus increase the safety and success of the surgical procedure.

Effect of various active reminders via mobile phone on cooperation of orthodontic teenage patients regarding oral hygiene and ClassII elastics use : Athree-month follow-up prospective cohort study.

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to assess the impact of reminders via mobile phone, such as text messages or video/multimedia images, on orthodontic patients' cooperation with regard to oral hygiene and the use of ClassII intermaxillary elastics. The study included 124 orthodontic patients aged 12-20years (mean age14.06 ± 2.0 years, 63females and 61males). The patients were divided into two groups: group1 (n = 56) was evaluated for oral hygiene, while group2 (n = 68) was evaluated for the use of ClassII intermaxillary elastics. Each main group was divided into three subgroups: text message group, video message group, and control group. Specific messages were sent to the participants in the study groups twice aweek for 12weeks. Data were collected at the beginning of the study (T0), after 6weeks (T1), and 12weeks (T2) and compared to determine the impact of the reminders. Oral hygiene was evaluated using plaque and gingival index scores, and the use of ClassII elastics was evaluated using digital model measurements. Between-subject comparisons were performed using Kruskal-Wallis or one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). For within-subject comparisons (T0-T1, T1-T2, and T0-T2 time intervals), one-way repeated measures ANOVA or Friedman test was performed. There was no significant difference between the control group (1.49 ± 0.22) and the message groups (video: 1.58 ± 0.34 and text: 1.51 ± 0.28) in terms of plaque index scores and gingival index (control: 1.56 ± 0.26, text: 1.51 ± 0.36, video: 1.52 ± 0.26) scores. However, in the intragroup comparison, it was observed that both plaque index scores and gingival index scores at T0, T1, and T2 increased for both the study and control groups. While there was no difference between the subgroups in overjet measurement at T0 (control: 3.46 ± 1.20, video: 3.34 ± 1.20, text: 2.73 ± 1.03; p = 0.51), there was asignificant difference at T2 (control: 2.62 ± 0.85, video: 2.32 ± 1.41, text: 1.48 ± 0.72, p < 0.01). Mobile active reminders had no effect on improving oral hygiene. Despite repeated reminders, hygiene worsened over time. The use of ClassII elastics seemed to have increased as aresult of the mobile reminders.

Radiological changes in the thymus in patients who have had COVID-19 and in vaccinated persons who have not had COVID-19: a CT study.

There are very few and limited studies on the role of the thymus in COVID-19 infection. It is known that thymus morphology changes in individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 although they do not have active infection. Our study aims to evaluate these differences in detail. This research was conducted in atotal of 141 people, 75women and 66men. The research consisted of three groups: unvaccinated persons who have had the disease (n = 49), vaccinated persons who have not had the disease (n = 37), and unvaccinated persons who have not had the disease (control group, n = 55). In the study, the thymus volume, structure, and fat content were investigated and the differences between groups were evaluated. Thymus volume was greatest (0.43 ± 0.11) in the vaccinated group that had not had the disease and smallest (0.15 ± 0.07) in the unvaccinated group that had had the disease, and asignificant difference was found between the groups. Thymus steatosis was seen mostly in the unvaccinated group that had had the disease (72%; p = 0.04). The diffuse nodular pattern was only present in the diseased group. This research is the first study in the literature to date on the effect of COVID-19 and vaccines on the thymus. In addition to the acute consequences of the virus, the possibility of negative symptoms after COVID-19 should also be kept in mind, especially in unvaccinated people. Further studies are needed to confirm the results reported herein.

Does surgeon or hospital volume influence outcome in dedicated colorectal units?-AViennese perspective.

Aclear relationship between higher surgeon volume and improved outcomes has not been convincingly established in rectal cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of individual surgeon's caseload and hospital volume on perioperative outcome. We retrospectively analyzed 336 consecutive patients undergoing oncological resection for rectal cancer at two Viennese hospitals between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020. The effect of baseline characteristics as well as surgeons' caseloads (low volume: 0-5cases per year, high volume > 5cases per year) on postoperative complication rates (Clavien-Dindo Classification groups of < 3 and ≥ 3) were evaluated. No differences in baseline characteristics were found between centers in terms of sex, smoking status, or comorbidities of patients. Interestingly, only 14.7% of surgeons met the criteria to be classified as high-volume surgeons, while accounting for 66.3% of all operations. There was asignificant difference in outcomes depending on the treating center in univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis (odds ratio (OR) = 2.403, p = 0.008). Open surgery was associated with lower complication rates than minimally invasive approaches in univariate analysis (OR = 0.417, p = 0.003, 95%CI = 0.232-0.739) but not multivariate analysis. This indicated that the center's policy rather than surgeon volume or mode of surgery impact on postoperative outcomes. Treating center standards impacted on outcome, while individual caseload of surgeons or mode of surgery did not independently affect complication rates in this analysis. The majority of rectal cancer resections are performed by asmall number of surgeons in Viennese hospitals.

Predictive value of immature granulocyte percentage and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in terms of prognosis in the course of acute pancreatitis.

We aimed to investigate the role and importance of immature granulocyte percentage and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in the etiology, diagnosis and follow-up of acute pancreatitis (AP) in patients tentatively diagnosed with AP in the emergency department. We evaluated these factors alongside other established markers proven effective in the diagnosis and follow-up of AP. Atotal of 139 patients with atentative diagnosis of acute pancreatitis who were hospitalized and followed up in the gastroenterology clinic in 2021‒2022 were included in the study. In addition, acontrol group, consisting of 139 individuals admitted to the clinic for various other reasons, was established. The cases were also compared with the control group in terms of NLR, ICG and IG%. There was asignificant difference in the NLR, IGC and IG% measurements between the patients in the AP group and the control group. In all three markers, the average values of the patient group were higher than those of the control group. Furthermore, asignificant difference in IGC and IG% blood measurements was noted between sub-groups of patients categorized based on the severity of acute pancreatitis, particularly the patients with severe pancreatitis exhibited higher mean IGC and IG% blood measurements compared to those with mild or moderate pancreatitis. IGC and IG% values emerged as superior indicators to other acute-phase reactants for detecting inflammation, determining its severity, and establishing prognosis in acute pancreatitis. While the N/L ratio remains an important parameter in acute pancreatitis, our findings indicate that it was not significantly superior to other investigated markers in terms of prognosis (Tab. 5, Ref. 35).

Children with Congenital Heart Diseases Exhibit Altered Deep Gray Matter Structures.

Children with congenital heart diseases (CHDs) have an increased risk of developing neurologic deficits, even in the absence of apparent brain pathology. The aim of this work was to compare quantitative macro- and microstructural properties of subcortical gray matter structures of pediatric CHD patients with normal appearing brain magnetic resonance imaging to healthy controls. We retrospectively reviewed children with coarctation of the aorta (COA) and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) admitted to our hospital. We identified 24pediatric CHD patients (17COA, 7HLHS) with normal-appearing brain MRI. Using an atlas-based approach, the volume and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were determined for the thalamus, caudate, putamen, pallidum, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, cerebral white matter, cerebral cortex, and brainstem. Multivariate statistics were used to compare the extracted values to reference values from 100 typically developing children without any known cardiac or neurological diseases. Multivariate analysis of covariance using the regional ADC and volume values as dependent variables and age and sex as co-variates revealed asignificant difference between pediatric CHD patients and healthy controls (p < 0.001). Post-hoc comparisons demonstrated significantly reduced brain volumes in most subcortical brain regions investigated and elevated ADC values in the thalamus for children with CHD. No significant differences were found comparing children with COA and HLHS. Despite normal appearing brain MRI, children with CHD exhibit wide-spread macro-structural and regional micro-structural differences of subcortical brain structures compared to healthy controls, which could negatively impact neurodevelopment, leading to neurological deficits in childhood and beyond.

Changes in biomarkers levels from gingival crevicular fluid in pre- and postmenopausal women undergoing orthodontic treatment : Asystematic review.

This study aimed to verify whether there is adifference in biomarker levels in the gingival crevicular fluid between premenopausal and postmenopausal women undergoing orthodontic treatment. As eligibility criteria, prospective or retrospective observational studies evaluating women undergoing orthodontic treatment(P), comparing postmenopausal (E)and premenopausal(C) women, and analyzing differences in gingival crevicular fluid biomarkers (O)were included. An electronic search was conducted in seven databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, The Cochrane Library, Embase, and EBSCO: Dentistry & Oral Science) and one grey literature source (Google Scholar). All databases were searched from September 2022 to March 2023. After duplicate exclusion and data extraction, the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was applied to assess the quality and risk of bias, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to verify the certainty of evidence. Three case-control studies that analyzed receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa‑B ligand (RANKL), osteopontin (OPN), and interleukin (IL)-17A levels were included. One study reported asignificant difference for RANKL and another for OPN levels. A third study reported that there was a higher expression of IL17‑A in the postmenopausal group. However, the small number of articles limits our systematic review. The heterogeneity and imprecision in the study results cast doubt on the findings' internal validity. The studies reported alterations in biomarker levels but differed in their conclusions. Therefore, further studies must include other types of bone and inflammatory biomarkers in female patients who are pre- or postmenopausal and undergoing orthodontic treatment. The review was registered at the Open Science Framework ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Q9YZ8 ).

End-of-life care in the emergency department-Indications for admission and spectrum of care-State of the art

Emergency departments (EDs) and ED observation units provide care for awide range of medical emergencies, serving patients of all ages and conditions. This includes palliative care for patients who are rapidly deteriorating. However, there is limited knowledge about the incidence, reasons for ED visits, modes of arrival, symptoms, leading diagnoses, and the emergency care provided to these patients until the time of death. This retrospective, exploratory study was conducted at the 754-bed Kliniken Maria Hilf academic teaching hospital in Moenchengladbach, Germany. It included patients who died in the ED resuscitation rooms or ED observation unit between 1st of July 2018 and 30th of June 2023. We utilized routine data to analyze the reasons for ED visits, modes of arrival, symptoms, diagnoses and the medical care provided. We also examined differences between oncologic and non-oncologic patients as well as between those requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and those who did not. The study was approved by an ethics committee and categorical data were analyzed using the χ2-test with Yates correction. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant due to the exploratory nature of the study. During the study period 168,328 patients were treated in the ED, with 43% admitted to the hospital. Of these, 262 died in the ED or ED observation unit. The primary mode of arrival was emergency medical services for 234 patients (89%). The most common symptoms were impaired consciousness (n = 198; 76%) and dyspnea (n = 83; 32%), among arange of others. Comparing non-oncologic (n = 214) and oncologic patients (n = 48), the former showed significantly higher rates of impaired consciousness (174/214 vs. 24/48; p = 0.0001), while dyspnea was more prevalent in oncologic patients (57/214 vs. 26/48; p = 0.0002). Among patients who underwent CPR (n = 147) and those who did not (n = 115), no statistical differences were found in levels of consciousness but asignificant difference in dyspnea (prior to cardiac arrest) was noted (31/147 vs. 52/115; p = 0.0001). Palliative status was documented in 88cases (34%), with palliative care initiated in only 58 (21%). Only three patients (1%) were receiving specialized outpatient palliative care (SAPV). The most common medical interventions were invasive ventilation (n = 160; 61%), opioid administration (n = 145; 55%), CPR (n = 143; 55%), and crystalloid administration (n = 90; 34%). Structured communication with relatives occurred in 188 cases (72%). The incidence of death in alarge German ED was approximately one patient per week. These patients typically presented with symptoms common in critically ill non-trauma cases. The low incidence of SAPV patients (1%) suggests its potential to reduce ED admissions. Oncologic patients were aminority, possibly due to effective outpatient care and lower mortality within the first 24 h after ED admission. Emergency palliative care in the ED could alleviate the burden on intensive care units. Training ED staff in acute palliative care and establishing procedural standards for such care are essential to maintain high-quality treatment, given the frequency of palliative cases in the ED.

Emotional Intelligence and Empathy among Ophthalmologists

Background: Emotional intelligence and empathy plays a key role in coping with varying situations in dailylife.Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine emotional intelligence and empathy amongophthalmologists.Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at the College of Ophthalmology &amp; Allied VisionSciences from 1st June 2022 till 31st December 2022. After the ethical approval of the study, a Google form was developed which included Schutte‘s scale (Emotional Intelligence) and Davis‘s Interpersonal index (Empathy) questions in addition to those related to basic demographic information. A sample size of 19 was calculated and sampling was done by non-probability convenient sampling. The proforma was sent via social media application (WhatsApp) to study participants. A total of 39 ophthalmologists including residents and faculty members of either gender responded to be part of the study. A comparison of emotional intelligencescores was done by applying Independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA.Results: A total of 39 ophthalmologists participated in the study with a mean age of 35.31 ± 9.83 years. The Emotional Appraisal‖ mean score was found to be highest in post-graduate residents (p = 0.05) and the meanscores of the sub-scale ―Non-Verbal Communication‖ was highest in faculty (Assistant professor or above in designation) followed by Postgraduate resident (PGR), (p=0.04). Comparison of empathy scores revealed asignificant difference in the sub-scales of the Davis scale ―Perspective taking‖ (p = 0.04) and Personal distress (p=0.03) between the male and female participants.Conclusion: Among ophthalmologists, postgraduate residents were better in terms of emotional intelligence than faculty who had better skills with regards to non-verbal communication.

Unexplained subfertility: active or conservative management?

Unexplained subfertility (UEI) describes a couple whose standard subfertility workout consider acceptable but unable to conceived. This retrospective study was conducted in the Advanced Reproductive Centre, UKM Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, from January 2016 to December 2019. The data of 268 UEI couples were obtained from the clinical database. Women aged 21-45 years old was included and further divided into four groups according to the female partner's age and subfertility duration: group A (age <35 years and subfertility <2 years), group B (age <35 years and subfertility >2 years), group C (age >35 years and subfertility <2 years), and group D (age >35 years and subfertility <2 years). All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 22.0 for Windows. A total of 255 cases were included in this study. The mean age of the women was 32.9±4.04 years, and the mean subfertility duration was 5.04±2.9 years. A total of 51 (20 %) cases underwent timed sexual intercourse, 147 (57.6 %) cases had intrauterine insemination (IUI), whereas 57 (22.4 %) cases opted for invitro fertilization (IVF). A total of 204 cases underwent active management (IUI/IVF), which showed asignificant difference (p<0.05). Out of eight clinical pregnancies, half of them were from group B. Active management in younger women with ashorter subfertility duration revealed a better pregnancy outcome. Otherwise, individualized treatment should be considered in selecting a suitable treatment plan.

Influence of selected management factors on strategic planning process in secondary schools in Lagos state

For quality education delivery, quality assessment and suitable policy environment to achieve the goal of secondary schools’ education, principals should transform their schools through development and appropriate implementation of strategic plans. This study investigated influence of selected management factors on strategic planning process in secondary schools in Education District VI Area of Lagos State. Three research questions and one hypothesis were generated for the study. The study employed descriptive survey design. A sample of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents was used. Instrument tagged “Management factors and strategic planning Questionnaire” (MFSPQ) was used to elicit information from respondents. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) of 0.81 was obtained as the reliability coefficient. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, standard deviation t-test statistical methods). The findings showed that constraint of financial practices, personnel, inability to establish school implementation team, among others affect implementing their schools’ strategic plans by 59.2%. Analyses revealed that there is a significant difference between urban and rural schools in terms of the problems they encounter in the implementation of strategic plan (t= -.689, df = 118, p&lt;0.05).The study recommended among others that schools’ management and educational stakeholders should carry out a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis and identify strategic issues affecting the schools; All stakeholders such as SBMC, Principals and staff should be trained in the art of preparation, implementation and continuous evaluation of strategic plans. Government should also assist the rural schools with necessary facilities to enhance the procedure for strategic plans.

Dental caries experience and salivary total protein concentration in relation to electronic cigarette smoking

The study was conducted among college students in Al-Najaf City/Iraq, where it included evaluating dental caries experience, salivary flow rate, salivary pH and salivary total protein concentration in relation to electronic cigarette smoking. A cross-sectional method was used to compare dental caries experience, salivary flow rate, salivary pH and total protein concentration of 40 electronic cigarette smokers and 40 non-smokers considered a control group. SPSS version 22 was used to analyze the data, and statistical significance was determined at p &gt;0.05. The results showed no significant difference in the dental caries experience between the two groups except DMFT. The result was significant, but there was a significant difference between the groups' salivary flow rate and pH. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference in the salivary total protein concentration of the groups. This study concluded that electronic cigarettes had potentially detrimental effects on oral health and selected physicochemical properties of saliva. Keywords: Electronic Cigarette, Dental Caries Experience, Salivary Flow Rate, Salivary pH, Total Protein.

Seed Treatment of Okra with Humic Acid to Control Pathogen of Damping-Off Fusarium Solani.

The study was conducted in the fields of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences for the 2022 season, University of Baghdad / Al-Jadriya. The study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of soaking the okra seeds of the Hissainawya and Batra varieties with 0.05% Humic acid for 12 hours in controlling the disease of rot, damping off, and root rot caused by the fungus Fusarium solani. The results showed the effectiveness of soaking treatment with Humic acid in reducing the disease incidence with damping off and root rot of okra seeds of the Hissainawya variety when planted in soil contaminated with the pathogen. In comparison, it reached 25% compared to the pathogen treatment only, which amounted to 75% in field conditions after 30 days of sowing. The average infection ratio and severity in okra plants after 70 days of sowing the Hissainawya variety in treating soaking with Humic acid. Besides, the soil spraying after 40 days of sowing in soil contaminated with the pathogen was 26.67 and 41.67%, respectively, with a significant difference from the treatment of the pathogen F. solani, which amounted to 55.67 and 58.33%, respectively. Finally, treating okra seeds of Hissainawya and Batra varieties with Humic acid had a significant effect on increasing plant height and dry weight, in general. Moreover, the Hissainawya variety responded more to the treatment of soaking with Humic acid compared to the treatment of soaking seeds for the Batra variety in field conditions. Key words: Fusarium solani, Humic acid, Soaking seeds, okra.

Effect of foliar fertilization (FULARTAL) on the growth and yield of three wheat cultivars

: A field experiment was carried out in the Experimental Field of Field Crops Department of the College of Agriculture - University of Baghdad during the winter of 2019-2020. To study the effect of foliar fertilization (FULARTAL) on the growth and yield of three wheat cultivars. A factorial experiment was applied by designing complete randomized plots with three replications. The first factor included cultivars (Abu-Ghraib, Fateh, Sham 6) symbolized by (F1, F2, F3); the second factor included three levels of fertilizer (0, 2, 4) l ha-1 , and the following symbols were taken (M0, M1, M2). The results showed there were significant differences between the levels of factors in the studied traits. There was a significant difference between cultivars, as Abu-Ghraib (F1) outperformed in some features, including plant height, tillers number, and spikes number by giving the highest averages at (107.77 cm, 434.00 spikes. m2 and 383.88 spikes. m2 ). Sham 6 cultivar (F3) showed the highest average in the flag leaf area, spike length, and the number of days from planting until 50% of flowering appeared (37.11 cm2 , 9.55 cm and 110.33 days). The concentration of 4 l ha-1 (M2) gave the highest average in the trait: plant height, tillers number, flag leaf area, spike length, and spikes number, reaching (109.89 cm, 430.89 tillers. m², 36.11 cm², 9.41 cm and 382.44 spikes m2 ). The concentration of 2 l ha-1 (M1) gave the least days from planting until 50% of flowering appeared (107.89 days). Keywords: FULARTAL fertilizer; wheat; growth and yield characteristics; foliar fertilizers.

Extended preoperative speech audiometric diagnostics for cochlear implant treatment

For severe hearing loss and even profound deafness, cochlear implants (CIs) have become the treatment of choice. For establishment of the CI indication, the preoperative Freiburger monosyllabic word recognition (EV) at 65 dB SPL in free field with ahearing aid (EVHG65) and the maximal understanding (mEV) without ahearing aid with headphones results are important. The goal of this retrospective study was to analyse the correlation of word recognition with ahearing aid at 80 dB SPL (EVHG80) and mEV. This represents an extension to measuring EVHG65 compared to mEV and to pure-tone audiometry (4FPTA). In this study, word recognition with and without ahearing aid was retrospectively analysed for 661ears. Inclusion criterium was CI implantation at alater date. During preoperative CI diagnostics, an mEV of 0% was found in334 ears. The EVHG65 for 485ears and the EVHG80 for 335ears were also 0%. The EV with hearing aid was found to worsen with increasing 4FPTA at both sound pressure levels, although this effect was smaller at 80 dB SPL than at 65 dB SPL. Including only ears with mEV > 0 % (N = 260 ears), astronger correlation between EVHG80 and mEV with adifference of (-4.0 ± 16.4%) in comparison to EVHG65 and mEV with adifference of (-18.3 ± 16.7%) is seen. This shows asignificant difference between mEV and EVHG80 compared to mEV and EVHG65. At asound pressure level of 65 dB SPL, EV with hearing aid often does not show the accordance with mEV specified by hearing aid and CI guidelines. The EVHG80 correlates better with mEV than EVHG65. For clinical diagnosis it is rational to measure speech discrimination with hearing aid at levels higher than 65 dB SPL.

Periarticular knee osteotomies for pre-arthritic deformities in the frontal plane : Indications and surgical techniques

Currently, periarticular knee joint osteotomies are an integral part of the treatment of early arthritic deformities in the knee joint. Analysis of the deformity is performed with astandardized full-leg standing x‑ray of both legs, as well as alateral x‑ray of the knee joint that includes 2/3 of the proximal tibial shaft. An MRI examination of the knee joint is obtained to assess the articular cartilage, the ligaments and menisci. Torsion angle measurements with the CT/MRT supplement the diagnostics if necessary. Knowledge of normal physiological values and their standard deviations of the mechanical leg axis and the joint angles around the knee is obligatory. The osteotomy is performed as close as possible to the femoral and/or tibial deformity. Postsurgical deformities including pathological patella position or asignificant difference in leg length must be prevented. Adescription of proximal tibia opening or closing wedge osteotomies based on the nomenclature of the joint angles by Paley is presented. The indications for the various osteotomy techniques in the coronary plane are discussed in detail.

Imbalanced Multiclass Medical Data Classification based on Learning Automata and Neural Network

Data classification in the real world is often faced with the challenge of data imbalance, where there is asignificant difference in the number of instances among different classes. Dealing with imbalanced data isrecognized as a challenging problem in data mining, as it involves identifying minority-class data with ahigh number of errors. Therefore, the selection of unique and appropriate features for classifying data withsmaller classes poses a fundamental challenge in this research. Nowadays, due to the widespread presenceof imbalanced medical data in many real-world problems, the processing of such data has gained attentionfrom researchers. The objective of this research is to propose a method for classifying imbalanced medicaldata. In this paper, the hypothyroidism dataset from the UCI repository is used. In the feature selection stage,a support vector machine algorithm is used as a cost function, and the wrapper algorithm is employed asa search strategy to achieve an optimal subset of features. The proposed method achieves high accuracy,reaching 99.6% accuracy for data classification through the optimization of a neural network using learningautomata.

Correlation between frontal X-ray parameters of the hip joint and sagittal vertebral-pelvic profile in patients with cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND:Posture disorders and spinal deformity in the sagittal plane (kyphotic deformity of the thoracic region and lumbar hyperlordosis in combination with pelvic inclination) are quite common in patients with cerebral palsy. However, their relationship with the frontal indicators of the hip joint is not reported in the scientific literature.&#x0D; AIM:To reveal the relationship between the radiographic frontal indicators of the hip joint and the indicators of the spinal-pelvic sagittal balance in patients with cerebral palsy.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS:Atransverse study of the X-ray parameters of the hip joints in the frontal plane and sagittal vertebral-pelvic profile was performed in 46 patients with cerebral palsy aged 515 (mean age, 8.2 3.6) years.&#x0D; RESULTS:Asignificant difference from the norm was found in the following parameters: cervical-diaphyseal angle, pelvic tilt angle, pelvic tilt angle, sacral tilt angle, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and sagittal vertical axis deviation (p 0.05). The Sharp angle, migration index, Wiberg angle, and thoracic kyphosis were normal. Measurements of the frontal radiographic parameters of the right and left hip joints do not differ significantly from each other. The pelvic tilt showedapositive and strong correlation with pelvic tilt (p= 0.71).Apositive and moderate correlation was found determined betweenasequential chain of related elements of the axial skeleton, namely, sacral inclination-lumbar lordosis (p= 0.66) and lumbar lordosis-thoracic kyphosis (p= 0.41). The deviation of the sagittal vertical axis negatively correlated with lumbar lordosis (p= 0.69) and thoracic kyphosis (p= 0.38). The results demonstrateanegative and weak correlation between SDA and sacral tilt (p= 0.40).&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS:The results of this study indicateacorrelation between the inclination of the sacrum and the lumbar spine in patients with cerebral palsy, which confirms the main theories of the formation of excessive lumbar lordosis of the spine in these patients and allows us to develop pathogenetic preventive measures against spinal deformities. In this study, we failed to identifyasignificant relationship between the frontal radiographic parameters of the hip joint and sagittal pelvic-vertebral profile. However, hip joint instability inachild with cerebral palsy can playasignificant role in the occurrence and development of sagittal spinal deformities.