Amount Of Deficiency Research Articles

Trace elements: Clinical perspectives in the critically ill

Trace elements are required in minute quantities in the diet but play a vital role in a wide variety of functions, such as co-factors in antioxidant reactions and normal immune function to DNA and protein synthesis and skeletal and tissue remodelling and repair. Critically ill patients are at risk of trace element deficiency or excess, due to changes in intake, absorption, metabolism or excretion. Deficiency or excess can lead to a wide range of cellular and organ dysfunction that may be seen in patients with an acute or critical illness, including cardiomyopathy, impaired glucose tolerance and reduced oxygen delivery. In addition, various diseases, such as systemic inflammation and renal and intestinal failure, and intensive care treatments, such as parenteral nutrition, renal replacement therapy and diuretics, can increase the likelihood of deficient or excessive amounts of micronutrient levels. This narrative review discusses sources and normal physiology of trace element handling and how this may be impaired in critically ill patients. It then discusses various conditions seen in critically ill patients that may be caused or exacerbated by abnormal trace element status and the current evidence around whether supplementation is of benefit in particular critical illnesses.

Manganese oxide-doped graphitic carbon nitride-based 2D material as nanozyme for the colorimetric sensing of ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid is a key player in the human body, pharmaceutical industry, and food industry. It is involved in many physiological processes, and its deficiency or excess amount is linked to many pathological conditions, which makes it essential to monitor its concentration. In the current work, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and manganese oxide-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4@MnO2) were synthesized through the pyrolysis process. Various characterization techniques, including spectroscopic, diffraction, thermal, and imaging methods, were employed to analyse the material's structural, compositional, and morphological properties. The surface chemical state of the material through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that manganese was present in its tetravalent state, anchoring with nitrogen in the two-dimensional g-C3N4. The synthesized g-C3N4@MnO2 demonstrated intrinsic peroxidase-like activity visualized through the naked eye by the transformation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to oxiTMB and confirmed through a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The detection of ascorbic acid was performed through the peroxidase inhibitory action of the analyte through a chromogenic substrate, which reduced the oxiTMB to a colorless form. Under the optimized conditions, the sensor system was able to detect the analyte in the linear range of 1–80 µM with a 0.16 μM LOD, 0.53 µM LOQ, and an R2 value of 0.9982. The sensor system, along with its sensitivity and linearity, was very selective in the presence of various potential interfering species. The sensor was successfully employed for the sensing of ascorbic acid in real samples with excellent reproducibility. The proposed sensor can be used in diagnosis, pharmaceutical applications, and the food industry.

Rekomendasi Kualitas Pupuk Terhadap Jenis Tanah Dengan Menggunakan Metode Fuzzy ANP

The world's need for palm oil (Crude Palm Oil/CPO) continues to increase every day. In one hectare of oil palm plants that are 8-10 years old with a production of 25 tons of FFB per year, the required nutrients are 193 kg Nitrogen, 26 kg Phosphorus, 251 kg Potassium and 61 kg Magnesium. To meet the needs of these nutrients, maintenance is carried out in applying fertilizer. Fertilizer determination is carried out by competent experts in the field. These expert recommendations provide accurate fertilizer choices, just that Sometimes it takes a long time to determine fertilizer recommendations, there are no experts on-site experts or high maintenance costs.To overcome the problem of determining palm oil fertilizer quickly and precisely to increase palm oil production through computerization, a system was built Determination of fertilizer on soil type using the Fuzzy ANP method. Criteria used are the amount of fertilizer, plant age, rainfall/year and nutrient deficiency (leaf color), input value Crips from each of these criteria will later be used to determine each suitability alternatives on each criterion. This system will be built on a web basis. The accuracy results carried out in this research obtained accuracy in the case study of coconut plants palm oil using the F-ANP Method is 82.6%

Determination of Daily Fluid Intake Levels and Affecting Factors of Elderly Individuals Living at Home

Background/Aims: In this study, it was aimed to determine the daily fluid intake and the factors affecting the fluid intake of elderly individuals living at home. Methods: This descriptive study collected data from a total of 91 elderly individuals. The sociodemographic characteristics form, daily fluid intake determination form, Edmonton Vulnerability Scale, Katz Activities of Daily Living Scale, and Perceived Well-being Scale were used to collect data. For the fluid consumption status, the body surface area of the elderly individuals, the amount of fluid they should take daily, and the amount of fluid consumption deficiency were calculated. Results: It was determined that the elderly individuals consumed an average of 1247.25 ± 428.71 milliliters of fluid per day and the average daily fluid deficit was 1065.60 ± 417.91 milliliters. It has been determined that elderly individuals are in the middle-frail border, semi-dependent in activities of daily living, and their well-being is low. In addition, it has been determined that elderly individuals do not want to go to the toilet frequently, have the most constipation problems due to lack of fluid consumption, and consume the most liquid between meals. Conclusion: It has been determined that elderly individuals consume half as much fluid as they should daily are in the moderate fragility limit, are semi-dependent in daily living activities, and have low well-being. It has been determined that elderly individuals who use less than four drugs, live with their spouse, have been hospitalized before, and do not have a chronic disease consume more fluids.

Scrutinizing Clinical Biomarkers in a Large Cohort of Patients with Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Infections.

Standard clinical markers can improve tick-borne infection (TBI) diagnoses. We investigated immune and other clinical biomarkers in 110 patients clinically diagnosed with TBIs before (T0) and after antibiotic treatment (T2). At T0, both the initial observation group and patients without seroconversion for tick-borne pathogens exhibited notably low percentages and counts of CD3 percentage (CD3%), CD3+ cells, CD8+ suppressors, CD4 percentage (CD4%), and CD4+ helper cells, with the latter group showing reductions in CD3%, CD3+, and CD8+ counts in approximately 15-22% of cases. Following treatment at the T2 follow-up, patients typically experienced enhancements in their previously low CD3%, CD3+ counts, CD4%, and CD4+ counts; however, there was no notable progress in their low CD8+ counts, and a higher number of patients presented with insufficient transferrin levels. Moreover, among those with negative serology for tick-borne infections, there was an improvement in low CD3% and CD3+ counts, which was more pronounced in patients with deficient transferrin amounts. Among those with CD57+ (n = 37) and CD19+ (n = 101) lymphocyte analysis, 59.46% of patients had a low CD57+ count, 14.85% had a low CD19 count, and 36.63% had a low CD19 percentage (CD19%). Similar findings were observed concerning low CD57+, CD19+, and CD19% markers for negative TBI serology patients. Overall, this study demonstrates that routine standard clinical markers could assist in a TBI diagnosis.

Structural, morphological, magnetic and electrical properties of La0.8Na0.2-x □ x MnO3 (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) manganites.

La0.8Na0.2-x □ x MnO3 (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) manganites were successfully synthesized using the solid-state route. X-ray diffraction was performed to check the samples' purity and phase structure. Scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals a decrease in the average grain size with an increase in the deficiency amount. Analysis of the temperature dependence of magnetization proved the presence of ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition in all the studied samples. The magnetization derivative (d2 M/dT 2) curves demonstrated a decrease in the transition temperature with an increase in the deficiency amount. Such experimental observations can be correlated with bandwidth evolution, which affected double-exchange interactions. It can be equally accounted for by the average grain size decrease. In this regard, the experimental measurements of effective paramagnetic moments revealed the existence of ferromagnetic correlations within the paramagnetic phase. Notably, different electrical findings were addressed. Indeed, the frequency dependence of electrical conductivity displayed the coexistence of two frequency slopes reflecting the presence of Jonscher's double power law for all the studied samples. A significant decrease in conductivity values was observed when the deficiency amount increased. This experimental observation could be assigned to the decrease in the grain size (conductor region). Such assumption was confirmed by the evolution of the grain boundary resistance with deficiency level. Indeed, a significant mounting in the grain boundary resistance values was obtained presenting the increase of the resistive region for x = 0.15. It is worth noting that the Curie temperature for the x = 0.10 sample was found to be close to room temperature (T C = 297 K). These findings make the La0.8Na0.1□0.1MnO3 compound a powerful candidate for many technological applications.

A DMSO-assisted iridium(III) complex as a luminescent "turn-on" sensor for selective detection of L-histidine and bacterial imaging.

Histidine (His) is a semi-essential amino acid and a unique key neurotransmitter involved in numerous physiological processes. An excessive or deficient amount of His in the body can lead to various related diseases. However, since the chemical structures of L-His and its metabolites (such as histamine (Ha), imidazole-4-acetate (ImA), etc.) are very similar, simple and efficient selective detection of L-His and its related metabolites is of great importance but remains a great challenge. Herein, we successfully designed and synthesized a DMSO-assisted iridium(III) complex (Ir1-DMSO), which can be applied as a "turn-on" photoluminescence (PL) probe for the selective detection and quantification of L-His/Ha. More importantly, Ir1-DMSO exhibited good sensitivity, high selectivity, and anti-interference capability for L-His/Ha/His-containing proteins, which is advantageous due to its simple fabrication and low technical demands. This was attributed to the reaction of Ir1-DMSO with imidazole and amino groups of L-His/Ha. Furthermore, we show the utility of Ir1-DMSO as a PL imaging agent in cultures of E. coli and S. aureus. Considering its diversity of composition and structural flexibility, it can be extended to other solvents and Ir-ligand complexes for various analyses based on specific molecular recognition sensing platforms.

Asterias forbesi-Inspired SERS Substrates for Wide-Range Detection of Uric Acid.

Uric acid (UA), the final metabolite of purine, is primarily excreted through urine to maintain an appropriate concentration in the bloodstream. However, any malfunction in this process can lead to complications due to either deficiency or excess amount of UA. Hence, the development of a sensor platform with a wide-range detection is crucial. To realize this, we fabricated a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate inspired by a type of starfish with numerous protrusions, Asterias forbesi. The Asterias forbesi-inspired SERS (AF-SERS) substrate utilized an Au@Ag nanostructure and gold nanoparticles to mimic the leg and protrusion morphology of the starfish. This substrate exhibited excellent Raman performance due to numerous hotspots, demonstrating outstanding stability, reproducibility, and repeatability. In laboratory settings, we successfully detected UA down to a concentration of 1.16 nM (limit of detection) and demonstrated selectivity against various metabolites. In the experiments designed for real-world application, the AF-SERS substrate detected a broad range of UA concentrations, covering deficiencies and excesses, in both serum and urine samples. These results underscore the potential of the developed AF-SERS substrate as a practical detection platform for UA in real-world applications.

Applying an alternating current to strontium titanate minimizes the change in oxidation state caused by flash sintering

This study estimated the amount of oxygen deficiency in SrTiO3 polycrystals that were flash sintered under direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) electric fields, mainly by using the fine structural change of the Ti L23-edges collected by electron energy-loss spectroscopy. The DC electric field corresponded to formation of the maximum amount of oxygen deficiency at approximately δ = 0.07 as SrTiO3−δ, which corresponds to a lattice expansion of roughly 0.1% as a lattice constant of SrTiO3. Furthermore, the oxygen deficiency was distributed unevenly. The formation of dislocation networks in DC-flash-sintered SrTiO3 polycrystals might be related to the lattice strain field caused by this nonuniform oxygen deficiency. In contrast, an AC electric field did not correspond to the oxygen deficiency of SrTiO3, which is similar to the results in thermally sintered SrTiO3 polycrystals.

FIB 4 Score (Liver Fibrosis) and Attending Level of Vitamin D in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Millions of people around the world are affected by chronic hepatitis C (HCV), which is a global health issue. It is a major contributor to chronic liver conditions such as cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver fibrosis. For optimal therapy and intervention, prompt identification of liver fibrosis is essential. The rate of hepatic fibrosis progression in HCV-infected patients varies substantially. Objective: To evaluate the vitamin D level and liver fibrosis degree by non-invasive Fib 4 score among chronic hepatitis patients. Methods: This Cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, from August 2020 to September 2022. 65 participants were recruited through a non-probability sampling technique. Results: Study findings show that 21.9% of the patients have low risk for advanced fibrosis, whereas 9.2% have an Intermediate risk for advanced fibrosis, and 69.2% have a high risk for advanced fibrosis. Moreover, findings also revealed that among 65 patients, 66.2% have a deficient amount of Vitamin D, whereas 16.9% have an insufficient amount of Vitamin D level and 16.9% have a sufficient amount of vitamin D. Furthermore, the findings also showed significant association based on p-value (0.001) between Age and Fib4 score of the participant. Conclusions: In conclusion, the study revealed that a significant proportion of chronic hepatitis C patients were at high risk for advanced fibrosis, while vitamin D deficiency/ insufficiency were prevalent among the majority of the patients.

Correlation between physical properties and electrochromic performances of DC magnetron sputtered a-WOx thin films

Tungsten oxide thin films were grown on different substrates by the conventional process of direct current magnetron sputtering. A series of amorphous WOx (a-WOx) films, with variable stoichiometry and porosity, were achieved with different total pressure (Pt) induced by oxygen flow rate (Q(O2)) variation. The objective of this study is to determine the couple (Q(O2); Pt) necessary to achieve optimal electrochromic performances of WOx and also study the correlation between physical properties and electrochromic performances. The WOx films optical transmittance evolved from opaque to transparent with the increase of Q(O2). A degradation of films refractive index and the increase of their porosity, both mainly due to the increase of Pt, were observed. The Raman spectroscopy indicated the presence of different W valence states in the as deposited a-WOx films. They all contain W4+, but W6+ were found only into transparent or semi-transparent films. A weak peak of W5+ was observed into the semi-transparent film. Electrical properties studied by Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor structures showed a decrease of the oxide capacitance when Q(O2) and Pt increase. The WOx transparent and optically reversible films, deposited with lower values of (Q(O2); Pt), i.e., Q(O2) = 4.5 sccm and 6 sccm, and Pt = 1.13 Pa and 1.37 Pa, respectively, exhibited the highest values of WOx/Si interface traps average density and positive ions density (Nss). The positive Nss reflects the oxygen deficiency amount in the films. These films were resistive to the discoloration process but showed the highest coloration efficiency CE632nm = 44.4 cm2/C and 42.2, respectively. Their coloration times were tc = 19 s and 22 s, and their discoloration times were td = 180 s and 75 s, respectively. They exhibited the highest optical modulation close to Δ T632nm = 76 %.

Effect of antimony doping on the structural, optical, and optoelectrical properties of aluminum sulfide thin films synthesized by the electrodeposition method

In this research, undoped aluminum sulfide (Al2S3) and with various antimony (Sb) doping concentrations of 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, and 8.0 wt% were synthesized by an electrodeposition method. The α-Al2S3 phase of the hexagonal crystal structure was revealed using x-ray diffraction analysis. The crystallographic parameters of the electrodeposited thin films, for example crystallite size (D), dislocation density (δ), and microstrain (ε) were determined. The transmittance and reflectance spectra were further analyzed for linear, dispersion, optoelectrical, and nonlinear optical properties. The overall optical results were changed with various Sb doping concentrations, owing to the natural formation, and the dependence upon the amount of sulfur or sulfur deficiency in the undoped and Sb-doped Al2S3 thin films. Furthermore, the investigation of major charge carriers in the electrodeposited thin film revealed that the pure Al2S3 exhibited a p-type semiconductor, and the films were altered to be an n-type semiconductor after Sb doping. This demonstration can confirm that this kind of thin film is suitable for promising linear, and nonlinear optoelectronic devices. However, further improvement is required for certain applications in all optical switching or wavelength/photon energy conversions.

The role of oxygen vacancies in the performance of LiMn2O4 spinel cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Oxygen vacancies, known to have unavoidable existence in a spinel LiMn2O4 material, play an essential role in its physicochemical and electrochemical properties. However, the function mechanism of oxygen vacancies and its influence on electrochemical properties have been poorly understood so far. Hence, we investigate the role of oxygen vacancies in the spinel LiMn2O4 material by controlling the annealing atmosphere. The relative amount of oxygen deficiency in the samples prepared under oxygen and air atmospheres is 0.098 and 0.112, respectively. Impressively, the relative oxygen deficiency of the sample increased from 0.112 to 0.196 after re-annealing with nitrogen. However, the conductivity of the material changes from 2.39 to 10.3 mS m-1, but the ion diffusion coefficient is significantly reduced from ∼10-12 to ∼10-13 cm2 s-1, resulting in a decrease in the initial discharge capacity from 136.8 to 85.2 mA h g-1. In addition, we attempted to use the nitrogen-sample annealing again under oxygen, which can significantly reduce the conductivity (from 10.3 to 6.89 mS m-1), and the discharge capacity also increased by 40% of the original. Therefore, the effect of the mechanism of the interaction of the oxygen vacancies on the material electronic conductivity, lithium-ion diffusion coefficient and electrochemical properties provides a basis for the objective treatment of oxygen vacancies in spinel structured materials.

Enhanced CO2 response of La1-xFeO3-δ perovskites with A-site deficiency synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis

Measuring the CO 2 concentration is the base of carbon accounting which aims to abate the greenhouse gas emission. This paper pays attention to developing sensitive material for CO 2 detection in vehicle exhaust. For this purpose, La 1-x FeO 3-δ nanoparticles with A-site deficiency were synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). The dynamic response of the prototype CO 2 sensors was evaluated by checking the gas-mixture with 5%–15% CO 2 . It was observed that the amount of A-site deficiency would obviously affect the performance of the material. La 0.95 FeO 3-δ sensor exhibits the highest response (S = 3.38) and a relatively short response time (t 90 = 114s) among the serial La 1-x FeO 3-δ sensors (x = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.1). The improvement of the response might be attributed to the increase of oxygen vacancies and the higher valence of B-site cations caused by the introduction of A-site deficiency. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited good selectivity against NH 3 , NO, NO 2 and CO, as well as good repeatability. However, water vapor is still a disturbance in the response. The response at 40% RH and 80% RH are 2.11 and 1.73, respectively. Finally, the sensing mechanism based on the participation of the oxygen vacancies was discussed.

Cobalt availability in the soil plant and animal food chain: a study under a peri-urban environment.

Cobalt metal is considered as an essential trace element for the animals. Present investigation was undertaken in the peri-urban area to analyze the cobalt availability in animal food chain by using different indices. Cow, buffalo and sheep samples along with forage and soil samples were collected from the three different sites of District Jhang and analyzed through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Cobalt values differed in soil samples as 0.315-0.535 mg/kg, forages as 0.127-0.333 mg/kg and animal samples as 0.364-0.504 mg/kg. Analyzed cobalt concentration in soil, forage and animal samples was found to be deficient in concentration with respect to standard limits. Soil showed the minimum cobalt level in Z. mays while maximum concentration was examined in the forage C. decidua samples. All indices examined in this study has values lesser than 1, representing the safer limits of the cobalt concentration in these samples. Enrichment factor (0.071-0.161 mg/kg) showed the highly deficient amount of cobalt enrichment in this area. Bio-concentration factor (0.392-0.883) and pollution load index (0.035-0.059 mg/kg) values were also lesser than 1 explains that plant and soil samples are not contaminated with cobalt metal. The daily intake and health risk index ranged from 0.00019-0.00064 mg/kg/day and 0.0044-0.0150 mg/kg/day respectively. Among the animals, cobalt availability was maximum (0.0150 mg/kg/day) in the buffaloes that grazed on the C. decidua fodder. Results of this study concluded that cobalt containing fertilizers must be applied on the soil and forages. Animal feed derived from the cobalt containing supplements are supplied to the animals, to fulfill the nutritional requirements of livestock.

La0.3Sr0.7Ti0.3Fe0.7O3-δ-Based Electrodes for Symmetrical Solid Oxide Fuel Cells by A-Site Deficiency Manipulation

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) with symmetric configuration have received widespread attention for their potential immunity toward resisting coking and sulfur poisoning. A key requirement for electrodes in the development of symmetric solid oxide fuel cells is the high electrocatalytic activity in both oxidizing and reducing atmospheres. Herein we report a facile method to improve the electrochemical performance of La0.3Sr0.7Ti0.3Fe0.7O3-δ- (LSTF-) based perovskite electrode material by introducing the deficiency in the A-site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results demonstrated that A-site deficient LSTF exsolves a small amount of Fe0 metallic particles and layer perovskite Sr2TiO4, which exhibits high electrical conductivity in H2 atmosphere, while at the same time the exsolution is reversible. The polarization resistances (Rp) of (La0.3Sr0.7)0.95Ti0.3Fe0.7O3-δ (LSTF-5%) are 0.032 and 0.110 Ω cm2 in air and wet H2 (containing 3% H2O), respectively, at 800 °C. The power density of the electrolyte-supported SSOFCs with LSTF-5% as symmetrical electrode reaches up to 431.8 mW cm–2 at 800 °C in wet H2/air. And the LSTF-5% symmetrical cell also exhibits excellent electrochemical performance and high stability for electrochemically reducing pure CO2. Therefore, LSTF-5% perovskite can act as an excellent electrode material in a symmetrical SOFC. The results in this paper also indicate that an appropriate amount of A-site deficiency on LSTF perovskite can lead to an increase in oxygen vacancy concentration and better electrochemical performance.

One Stone, Two Birds: A Peptide-Au(I) Infinite Coordination Supermolecule for the Confederate Physical and Biological Radiosensitization in Cancer Radiation Therapy.

Over half of cancer patients are subjected to radiotherapy, but owing to the deficient amount of reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), a fair number of them suffer from radiotherapy resistance and the subsequent short-term survival opportunity. To overcome it, many successes have been achieved in radiosensitizer discovery using physical strategy and/or biological strategy, but significant challenges remain regarding developing clinically translational radiosensitizers. Herein, a peptide-Au(I) infinite coordination supermolecule termed PAICS is developed that combined both physical and biological radiosensitization and possessed pharmaceutical characteristics including adequate circulatory stability, controllable drug release, tumor-prioritized accumulation, and the favorable body eliminability. As expected, monovalent gold ion endowed this supermolecule with high X-ray absorption and the subsequent radiosensitization. Furthermore, a peptide targeting CRM1, is assembled into the supermolecule, which successfully activates p53 and apoptosis pathway, thereby further sensitizing radiotherapy. As a result, PAICS showed superior ability for radiotherapy sensitization in vivo and maintained a favorable safety profile. Thus, the PAICS reported here will offer a feasible solution to simultaneously overcome both the pharmaceutical obstacles of physical and biological radiosensitizers and will enable the development of a class of nanomedicines for tumor radiotherapy sensitization.

Microextrusion Printing of Hierarchically Structured Thick V2O5 Film with Independent from Humidity Sensing Response to Benzene.

The process of V2O5 oxide by the combination of sol-gel technique and hydrothermal treatment using heteroligand [VO(C5H7O2)2-x(C4H9O)x] precursor was studied. Using thermal analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and infra-red spectroscopy (IR), it was found that the resulting product was VO2(B), which after calcining at 300 °C (1 h), oxidized to orthorhombic V2O5. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results for V2O5 powder showed that it consisted of nanosheets (~50 nm long and ~10 nm thick) assembled in slightly spherical hierarchic structures (diameter ~200 nm). VO2 powder dispersion was used as functional ink for microextrusion printing of oxide film. After calcining the film at 300 °C (30 min), it was found that it oxidized to V2O5, with SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results showing that the film structure retained the hierarchic structure of the powder. Using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), the work function value for V2O5 film in ambient conditions was calculated (4.81 eV), indicating a high amount of deficiencies in the sample. V2O5 film exhibited selective response upon sensing benzene, with response value invariable under changing humidity. Studies of the electrical conductivity of the film revealed increased resistance due to high film porosity, with conductivity activation energy being 0.26 eV.

Foliar P Application Cannot Fully Restore Photosynthetic Capacity, P Nutrient Status, and Growth of P Deficient Maize (Zea mays L.).

The essential plant nutrient phosphorus (P) is key for numerous structures and processes in crops and its deficiency can severely restrict yield and quality. As soil P availability for plant uptake is often limited, foliar P application can be an alternative means of supplying P to the plants during the growth period. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of foliar P application on photosynthetic parameters, P nutritional status, and growth of P deficient maize over time. Plants of Zea mays L. cv. Keops were grown with deficient and sufficient amounts of P in hydroponics. Foliar P treatments were applied to P deficient plants and several physiological parameters were monitored for 21 days. The variables measured were leaf gas exchange parameters, SPAD values, foliar P absorption, re-translocation rates, and plant biomass production. Foliar P application significantly increased CO2-assimilation and SPAD values and additionally enhanced biomass production in all plant components. Elemental analysis revealed increased tissue P concentrations following foliar P application compared to P deficient plants. While increased growth of P-deficient plants was steadily promoted by foliar P spraying for the entire experimental period, the positive effect on CO2 assimilation and P concentration was transient and vanished some days after the foliar treatment. P deficiency markedly impaired the efficiency of physiological processes of maize plants. As a conclusion, foliar P fertilisation improved physiological and agronomical plant parameters over time, but failed to restore plant functionality of P deficient maize plants during a prolonged experimental period.

Maxillary vertical alveolar ridge augmentation using sandwich osteotomy technique with simultaneous versus delayed implant placement: A proof of principle randomized clinical trial.

The sandwich osteotomy technique usually requires high surgical skills and prolonged intraoperative time and had some technical drawbacks with a subsequent deficient amount of vertical bone gain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the final vertical bone gain using sandwich osteotomy with simultaneous versus delayed implant placement in the anterior maxilla. This study included 16 patients having multiple missing maxillary anterior teeth with a vertically deficient alveolar ridge. Patients were randomly assigned into two equal groups. Both groups were treated using sandwich osteotomy with interpositional particulate bovine bone graft. In the study group (8 patients, 17 implants), the transport mobilized bone segment was fixed in position using simultaneous implant placement. Whereas in the control group (8 patients, 18 implants), micro-plates and screws were used, followed by a second-stage surgery for plates removal and delayed implant placement. Radiographic assessment included 4months postoperative mean of vertical gain in alveolar ridge height, taken from cross-sectional cuts of cone beam CT. The mean vertical bone gain in the study group was 4.04 ± 0.59 mm compared to 3.86 ± 0.52 mm in the control group with no statistically significant difference (p= 0.518). The mean value of bone gain percentage in the study group was 33.02% compared to 31.75% in the control group, with no statistically significant difference (p= 0.656). The sandwich osteotomy technique with simultaneous implant placement is a reliable method for vertical ridge augmentation that eliminates the need for a secondary surgery.