Degrees Of Deviations Research Articles

Anterior Nasal Superior Oblique Tendon Syndrome: A Case Series

PurposeTo evaluate the clinical characteristics and management of patients with an anteriorly and nasally inserted superior oblique tendon. DesignRetrospective interventional case series. MethodsInstitutional clinical records between 2020 and 2024 were retrospectively reviewed for 9 consecutive patients in whom the superior oblique (SO) tendon was inserted anterior to the equator and nasal to the superior rectus muscle. Information collected included age, sex, ocular and surgical history, preoperative and postoperative data (ophthalmologic examinations, strabismus measurements, ductions and versions), intraoperative findings, need for additional surgery, and follow-up time. ResultsAll nine patients were found to have an anomalous insertion of the SO tendon. Three were of congenital origin and six were acquired following ocular surgery. Among the acquired cases, all but one resulted from incarceration of the tendon from post-surgical scar tissue formation. The remaining acquired case was due to a prior deliberate anterior and nasal transposition of the superior oblique. This case series demonstrated varying degrees of vertical deviations, lateral incomitance, and limited depression. Repositioning the SO to its normal insertion site yielded equivocal improvement in ocular alignment. ConclusionAnterior nasal superior oblique tendon syndrome is a rare clinical entity characterized by an anti-depressor effect. Vertical deviations, hypertropia worse in downgaze, limited depression worse in adduction for congenital cases and in abduction for acquired cases, and lateral incomitance may be indicative of this anomaly. In acquired cases following surgery, additional findings may include limited depression worse in abduction, esotropia in abduction, V-pattern esotropia, and enophthalmos in downgaze. Surgical repositioning of the SO along its normal anatomical trajectory is recommended for treatment. However, outcomes may be variable and achieving a complete resolution of this syndrome can be challenging.

Performance evaluation and characterization of pre-analytical effects by sample types and storage conditions on tumor marker measurement by the point-of-care test platform IchromaTM II

Tumor markers should be measured regularly and accurately to prevent, diagnose, and monitor cancers efficiently. We aimed to characterize the pre-analytical factors effecting on the analytical performance of point-of-care test (POCT) platform IchromaTM II (Boditech Med Inc., Gangwon-do, Korea) for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and prostate specific antigen (PSA) and evaluate their consequences in clinical practice. Based on comprehensive evaluation for the analytical performance of IchromaTM II including precision, linearity, and method comparison performed according to CLSI guidelines, pre-analytical factors of sample types and conditions were extensively analyzed. A total of five sample types [serum, plasma (PL) and whole blood (WB) from EDTA tube, PL and WB from sodium heparin tube] from 40 patients were used for comparing among specimen types. Additionally, stability was assessed up to 21 h at room temperature, refrigerated for 8 days, and frozen for 16 weeks by using 4 levels of pooled patient samples which were measured in triplicate. Precision, linearity and correlation with central laboratory analyzers observed in all three tumor markers were within acceptable criteria. However, variable degrees of percent deviations were observed according to sample type and storage conditions. Only EDTA PL samples presented clinically acceptable percentage biases for all three tumor markers when stored at room temperature or refrigerated condition. Positive bias of CEA and PSA in storage duration until 16 weeks were observed when stored in frozen condition. While IchromaTM II showed an adequate analytical performance as a POCT platform with simple operating procedures for the measurement of tumor markers, clinical laboratories should be aware of stability issues when different types of blood specimens are practically utilized.

Intelligent fault diagnosis under imbalanced multivariate working conditions leveraging dynamic unsupervised domain adaptation with sample and margin regularization

Utilizing unsupervised domain adaptation for intelligent fault diagnosis (IFD) has demonstrated significant potential for ensuring the security of machinery systems. Nonetheless, the inherent imbalance attribute of collected data affects the performance of diagnostic model. Especially, for machines working under varied conditions, the acquired unlabeled data frequently exhibits diverse degrees of distributional deviations, thus further undermining the transferable model’s generalization capability. To address this challenge, we introduce a method termed Dynamic Unsupervised Imbalanced Domain Adaptation (DUIDA) for IFD. Employment of class rebalancing and label-dependent margin regularization strategies optimizes the selection of decision boundaries which counteract the distributional deviations introduced by the imbalance. In addition, by integrating a dynamic weighting mechanism, encompassing both adversarial-based and MMD-based domain adaptation, our model becomes versatile across varied UIDA tasks, assigning higher weights to fundamental faulty features. Finally, our empirical analyses on two faulty bearing datasets substantiate the efficacy and superior performance of the proposed framework across diverse operational scenarios.

Prediction of the geometry change of switch frog

The switch frog is one of the most costly infrastructure rail components and yet exhibits short service life. Due to higher wheel-rail contact pressures as the wheel travels in both directions of the frogs, the switch frog deteriorates which results in its shorter service life in comparison to other components. In the aspect of deterioration and geometry, the optimal geometry of the switch frog should be determined to achieve longer service life. This study aims to examine the geometry changes of switch frogs with respect to the influence of the vertical wear area, which is caused by the wheel-rail contact pressure. To analyze and predict the geometry changes, a mathematical model is created in relation to the vertical wear area of the cross-sections along the longitudinal axis. The analysis is based on the measurement data of 13 rigid switch frogs. The results show varying degrees of deviations between the measurement data and the model depending on the considered cross-section. However, these deviations can be narrowed by further calibrating the model with the measured data as a benchmark of accuracy. In future studies, the model needs to be improved to correspond with any initial geometry and be able to extend for the trailing move direction.

Simulation study of neutron multiplicity of plutonium samples of different shapes

In this paper, an optimized boron-coated straw tube neutron multiplicity counter is used to simulate neutron multiplicity for six different shapes of weapons-grade plutonium samples. It was found that under the point model equation, the mass simulation results for samples of different shapes showed different degrees of negative deviations with increasing mass, and the deviations increased with increasing mass. On this basis, the reasons for the deviation are analyzed and a multilayer perceptron is introduced, and three counting rates and preset qualities of samples of different qualities under six shapes are trained. The results showed that the multi-layer perceptron could better fit the relationship between the counting rates of different shapes and the preset quality. The sparrow search algorithm was introduced to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of the multilayer perceptron, and the optimized model was used to predict another four samples of different shapes. The results show that the optimized multilayer perceptron can better fit the relationship between the counting rate and the mass of samples with different shapes. When the sample mass is less than 3 kg, the relative deviation of the three counting rates for samples with four shapes to the sample mass prediction is less than 2%, which meets the requirements of neutron multiplicity measurement.

Ground-level NO2 concentration estimation based on OMI tropospheric NO2 and its spatiotemporal characteristics in typical regions of China

Although the ground-level NO2 measurement from air quality monitoring sites is relatively accurate, it is a challenge to obtain continuous spatial coverage due to the discrete distribution of sites. Thus, the tropospheric column NO2 amount from satellites with wide spatial and temporal coverage and higher resolution has been increasingly used to estimate ground-level NO2. However, most estimation methods were performed spontaneously using a simple linear model throughout the study period. These simplified models improve the efficiency of model development and enhance the generality of the model application, but they ignore the fact that contributors to changes of ground-level NO2 are not always consistent with time. This study considered the fixed and random effects of influencing factors and developed a mixed effect model (MEM) to estimate the ground-level NO2. By using the data of tropospheric NO2 in China from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2020 and other multivariate auxiliary data such as meteorological elements and terrain elevation, the reliability of daily ground-level NO2 in typical populated areas of China estimated by the MEM was evaluated. The average of monthly R2 of 10-fold CV in each study area during 2014–2020 is greater than 0.60 and the proportion of R2 greater than 0.7 is about 71%, suggesting the reliability of MEM. It is found that the ground-level NO2 distribution characteristics of each study area are more distinct, and the influential factors are also different. In addition, associated with the air quality control policies and emission reduction measures in various regions, the ground-level NO2 in each study area has shown an overall downward trend during 2014–2019. The uncertainty of daily-scale meteorological elements and boundary layer conditions can lead to varying degrees of deviations in daily-scale predictions of ground-level NO2. Validation with the station NO2 observations demonstrates that the ground-level NO2 prediction at seasonal time scale (R2 = 0.81, RMSE = 3.86 μg/m3) performs better than those at time scales of daily and monthly (R2 = 0.65, and 0.75, RMSE = 7.92, and 6.24 μg/m3). Therefore, the method of averaging can be used to improve the accuracy of ground-level NO2 predictions on individual dates. In summary, this study shows that MEM is a promising ground-level NO2 modeling method, and is effective for air pollution mapping in a large geographic region.

Parameter deviation effect study of the power generation unit on a doubly-fed induction machine-based shipboard propulsion system

To lower the difficulty of fault protection, a doubly-fed induction machine based shipboard propulsion system (DFIM-SPS) that is partially power decoupled is presented. In such an intrinsically safe SPS architecture, a synchronous generator (SG) is employed for power generation, and the accuracy of the parameters of power generation unit (PGU) plays an important role in SPS stable operation. In this paper, the PGU parameter deviations are studied to evaluate the effects on system performance. The models of salient-pole SG, type DC1A excitation system (EXS) and DFIM are illustrated first. Besides, the corresponding control scheme is explained. For the 16 important parameters of PGU, up to 40% of parameter deviations are applied to implement parameter sensitivity analysis. Then, simulation studies are carried out to evaluate the parameter deviation effects on system performance in detail. By defining three parameter deviation effect indicators (PDEIs), the effects on the PGU output variables, which are the terminal voltage and output active power, are studied. Moreover, the increasing rates of PDEIs with different degrees of parameter deviations for the key parameters are analyzed. Furthermore, the overall system performance is investigated for the two most influential PGU parameters. This paper provides some vital clues on SG and EXS parameter identification for DFIM-SPS.

Cohort Variation in U.S. Violent Crime Patterns from 1960 to 2014: An Age-Period-Cohort-Interaction Approach.

Previous research in criminology has overlooked that cohort effects on crime should be age-time-specific (Ryder in Am Sociol Rev 30(6):843-861, 1965) and consequently assumed cohort effects to be the same across the life course. The current study addresses these limitations by modeling cohort effects as the differential impacts of social change depending on age groups. With this new operationalization that is closely tied to Ryder's conceptualization, we examine both inter-cohort differences and intra-cohort dynamics in violent crime. We use the age-period-cohort-interaction (APC-I) model developed by Luo and Hodges (Sociol Methods Res 2020) to analyze the UCR age-specific arrest statistics for robbery, aggravated assaults, and homicide from 1960 to 2014. Specifically, we estimate and test two types of cohort variation: average cohort deviations and life-course dynamics. Our findings reveal varying degrees of cohort deviations at different ages. The early boomers (born between 1945 and 1954) and the late boomers (born between 1955 and 1964) demonstrate different intra-cohort dynamics of robbery arrest, and the violence epidemic cohorts' (born between 1975 and 1984) high risks of homicide arrest appear to be driven by cohort deviations at young ages. The APC-I framework introduced in this study provides new insights into the dynamic aspect of cohort effects on violent crime that have not been examined in the criminological literature. Criminological studies on cohort effects would benefit by shifting away from the problematic assumption of constant and additive cohort effects to the dynamic and interactive approach represented by the APC-I framework.

Foot function during gait and parental perceived outcome in older children with symptomatic club foot deformity.

AimsTo assess if older symptomatic children with club foot deformity differ in perceived disability and foot function during gait, depending on initial treatment with Ponseti or surgery, compared to a control group. Second aim was to investigate correlations between foot function during gait and perceived disability in this population.MethodsIn all, 73 children with idiopathic club foot were included: 31 children treated with the Ponseti method (mean age 8.3 years; 24 male; 20 bilaterally affected, 13 left and 18 right sides analyzed), and 42 treated with primary surgical correction (mean age 11.6 years; 28 male; 23 bilaterally affected, 18 left and 24 right sides analyzed). Foot function data was collected during walking gait and included Oxford Foot Model kinematics (Foot Profile Score and the range of movement and average position of each part of the foot) and plantar pressure (peak pressure in five areas of the foot). Oxford Ankle Foot Questionnaire, Disease Specific Index for club foot, Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 were also collected. The gait data were compared between the two club foot groups and compared to control data. The gait data were also correlated with the data extracted from the questionnaires.ResultsOur findings suggest that symptomatic children with club foot deformity present with similar degrees of gait deviations and perceived disability regardless of whether they had previously been treated with the Ponseti Method or surgery. The presence of sagittal and coronal plane hindfoot deformity and coronal plane forefoot deformity were associated with higher levels of perceived disability, regardless of their initial treatment.ConclusionThis is the first paper to compare outcomes between Ponseti and surgery in a symptomatic older club foot population seeking further treatment. It is also the first paper to correlate foot function during gait and perceived disability to establish a link between deformity and subjective outcomesCite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-7:384–391.

Foot function during gait and parental perceived outcome in older children with symptomatic club foot deformity

Aims To assess if older symptomatic children with club foot deformity differ in perceived disability and foot function during gait, depending on initial treatment with Ponseti or surgery, compared to a control group. Second aim was to investigate correlations between foot function during gait and perceived disability in this population. Methods In all, 73 children with idiopathic club foot were included: 31 children treated with the Ponseti method (mean age 8.3 years; 24 male; 20 bilaterally affected, 13 left and 18 right sides analyzed), and 42 treated with primary surgical correction (mean age 11.6 years; 28 male; 23 bilaterally affected, 18 left and 24 right sides analyzed). Foot function data was collected during walking gait and included Oxford Foot Model kinematics (Foot Profile Score and the range of movement and average position of each part of the foot) and plantar pressure (peak pressure in five areas of the foot). Oxford Ankle Foot Questionnaire, Disease Specific Index for club foot, Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 were also collected. The gait data were compared between the two club foot groups and compared to control data. The gait data were also correlated with the data extracted from the questionnaires. Results Our findings suggest that symptomatic children with club foot deformity present with similar degrees of gait deviations and perceived disability regardless of whether they had previously been treated with the Ponseti Method or surgery. The presence of sagittal and coronal plane hindfoot deformity and coronal plane forefoot deformity were associated with higher levels of perceived disability, regardless of their initial treatment. Conclusion This is the first paper to compare outcomes between Ponseti and surgery in a symptomatic older club foot population seeking further treatment. It is also the first paper to correlate foot function during gait and perceived disability to establish a link between deformity and subjective outcomes Cite this article: Bone Joint Open 2020;1-7:384–391.

Gender Comparisons of Asymmetric Lateralization in Neurodegenerative Disorder Patients via E-Pen Based Cognitive Assessment System

The clinical gender-dependent characteristics of visuospatial neglect between men and women have not been elucidated in Korean patients with cognitive impairment. The goal of this study was to observe the asymmetric lateralization in patients using a novel e-pen based cognitive assessment system. A total of 31 patients, 16 men and 15 women, with early stage hemispheric cerebral dysfunction were recruited for the assessment of unilateral neglect suing a novice paper-and-pencil based electronic evaluation system from a rehabilitation center of Inha University hospital in 2016. Results were assessed for degrees of deviations, and numbers of neglected lines. Degree of deviation was assessed using the positions and distances from the horizontal line centers. Effect sizes were calculated to assess proximities between the assessed results. Comparatively greater left and rightward biasness for the right-sided and left-sided horizontal lines were observed for the male patients, respectively. Moreover, greater degree of left to rightward biasness was observed as the horizontal lines shortened in both groups. However, the magnitude of biasness in female patients showed comparatively less directional bias, indicating greater prevalence for the center of mass effect in male patients. Gender difference in visuospatial neglect seems to exist with less accuracy in recognition for the bisecting center for the female and asymmetrical lateralization and magnitude of deviation for the male patients.

Context-sensitive normalization of social media text in bahasa Indonesia based on neural word embeddings

We present our work in the normalization of social media texts in Bahasa Indonesia. To capture the contextual meaning of tokens, we create a neural word embeddings using word2vec trained on over a million social media messages representing a mix of domains and degrees of linguistic deviations from standard Bahasa Indonesia. For each token to be normalized, the embeddings is used for generating candidates from vocabulary words. To select from among these candidates, we use a scoring combining their contextual similarity to the token as gauged by their proximity in the embeddings vector space with their orthographical similarity measured using the Levenshtein and Jaro-Winkler distances. For normalization of individual words, we observe that detecting whether a token actually represent an incorrectly spelled word is at least as important as finding the correct normalization. However, in the task of normalizing entire messages, the system achieves a highest accuracy of 79.59%, suggesting that our approach is quite promising and worthy of further exploration. Furthermore, in this paper we also discuss some observations we made on the use of the neural word embeddings in the processing of informal Bahasa Indonesia texts, especially in the social media.

How Do Axial Scan Orientation Deviations Affect the Measurements of Knee Anatomical Parameters Associated with Patellofemoral Instability? A Simulated Computed Tomography Study.

The purpose of this study was to detect the correlation between axial scan orientation discrepancy and the knee anatomical parameters associated with patellofemoral instability during computed tomography (CT) scanning. CT scan data of 16 knees from 16 healthy subjects were retrieved. The reslicing processes were performed to simulate different axial scan orientations generated due to leg adduction/abduction during CT scanning. Eight parameters (tibial tubercle to trochlear groove [TT-TG], tibial tubercle to posterior cruciate ligament [TT-PCL], patellar tilt, lateral trochlear inclination, sulcus angle, trochlear depth, trochlear facet asymmetry, and trochlear condyle asymmetry) of five angles (neutral zero, 4/8 degrees of adduction and 4/8 degrees abduction) were quantified. All eight parameters showed varying degrees of deviations to the different axial scan orientations. TT-TG, patellar tilt, lateral trochlear inclination, and trochlear condyle asymmetry were relatively sensitive to axial scan orientation changes, whereas TT-PCL, sulcus angle, trochlear depth, and trochlear facet asymmetry were relatively insensitive. Although the sensitivities are various, surgeons should be aware of this situation and make necessary corrections.

Acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry as objective tools for the assessment of nasal patency in nasal septal surgery

AbstractBACKGROUND.Septal deviations are usually diagnosed by a patient’s subjective complaint of nasal stuffiness and a physical examination by the otorhinolaringologist. The decision for surgery is not always based on objective measurements. Acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry are objective tools for assessment of nasal patency but is still a controversial subject. In our populations, there are no general accepted methods for screening patients for septal surgery.OBJECTIVE.To analyse the effectiveness of acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry in predicting the outcomes of septoplasty and rhinoseptoplasty and their usefulness in preoperative screening of septal deviations.MATERIAL AND METHODS.69 patients were included in this prospective study. Acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry were performed before and one year after surgery for the investigation of nasal obstruction. Several parameters were analysed before and after decongestion of the nasal mucosa. VAS (visual analogue scale) was also included for evaluation of the subjective symptom score pre- and postoperatively. After surgery, a short questionnaire was applied to investigate patients’ postoperative satisfaction.RESULTS.The mean subjective scores of nasal patency improved significantly after surgery with 77%. Several parameters of acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry were analysed with binary logistic regression, to evaluate the predictive values on the postoperative satisfaction. The preoperative decongested overall MCA (minimal cross-sectional area) on the deviation side, the decongested bilateral MCA and the decongested Flow ratio had significantly the highest impact on the postoperative satisfaction (p<0.001).CONCLUSION.Acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry as objective tools can serve as objective evidence for the efficacy of septoplasty and rhinoseptoplasty. The parameters of rhinomanometry and anterior rhinometry are useful in the preoperative screening for septal deviations and in predicting postoperative satisfaction between different degrees of nasal septal deviations.

A multi-scale extended grey target decision method that considers the value distribution information of grey numbers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a multi-scale extended grey target decision method for dealing with multi-attribute decision-making problems with interval grey numbers whose value distribution information is asymmetrical.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the whitenization weight function (WWF) was adopted to show the value distribution information of interval grey numbers. The definitions of kernel, degree of greyness, relative kernel and whitenization standard deviation of interval grey numbers were given based on the WWF. Then, the relative kernel grey target and whitenization standard deviation grey target were constructed to take full advantage of the owned decision information. Finally, the relative bull’s-eye coefficient was proposed to rank the preference order of all alternatives.FindingsThe relative bull’s-eye coefficient reflects the influence of the decision information on decision results with respect to the mean level and value distribution of attribute values. Thus, the decision-maker could set the return and risk adjustment coefficient according to their preferences and select the optimal alternative with a high expected return and low risk.Originality/valueThe paper considers the valve distribution information of interval grey numbers, and a novel definition for kernels, degrees of greyness, relative kernels and whitenization standard deviations, which are given based on the WWF. The paper not only considers the influence of mean levels of decision information over decision results, but also takes the value distribution information into account.

Auditory-perceptual Evaluation of Normal and Dysphonic Voices Using the Voice Deviation Scale

This study aims to (1) determine the cutoff values of the overall severity (OS) of vocal deviation on the visual analog scale (VAS) based on the ratings of the numerical scale (NS); and (2) verify the power of discrimination of these cutoff values according to different degrees of vocal deviation. This is a prospective study. The auditory-perceptual evaluation was performed by four speech-language pathologists who used two protocols with different scalar properties: the VAS and the 4-point NS. Vocal samples from142 women and 69 men, plus 10% of repetition, with and without vocal complaints, ranging from 19 to 60 years were included. The analyzed speaking task was the counting from 1 to 10. For both protocols, the judges rated the OS. Based on the correspondence between the two scales, the cutoff values of the OS on the VAS obtained were 35.5, 50.5, and 90.5 points. The 35.5 value corresponds to the cutoff point between normal variability and mild/moderate vocal deviations; the 50.5 value corresponds to the cutoff point between mild/moderate and moderate vocal deviations; the 90.5 value corresponds to the cutoff point between moderate and severe deviations. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the three cutoff values were 0.918, 0.948, and 0.970, respectively. The cutoff values of the OS on the VAS were obtained, and the areas under the ROC curve showed that all the three cutoff points had excellent accuracy that represents a higher power of discrimination of different degrees of vocal deviations.

Longitudinal Predictors of Aided Speech Audibility in Infants and Children.

Amplification is a core component of early intervention for children who are hard of hearing, but hearing aids (HAs) have unique effects that may be independent from other components of the early intervention process, such as caregiver training or speech and language intervention. The specific effects of amplification are rarely described in studies of developmental outcomes. The primary purpose of this article is to quantify aided speech audibility during the early childhood years and examine the factors that influence audibility with amplification for children in the Outcomes of Children with Hearing Loss study. Participants were 288 children with permanent hearing loss who were followed as part of the Outcomes of Children with Hearing Loss study. All of the children in this analysis had bilateral hearing loss and wore air-conduction behind-the-ear HAs. At every study visit, hearing thresholds were measured using developmentally appropriate behavioral methods. Data were obtained for a total of 1043 audiometric evaluations across all subjects for the first four study visits. In addition, the aided audibility of speech through the HA was assessed using probe microphone measures. Hearing thresholds and aided audibility were analyzed. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were conducted to determine whether patterns of thresholds and aided audibility were significantly different between ears (left versus right) or across the first four study visits. Furthermore, a cluster analysis was performed based on the aided audibility at entry into the study, aided audibility at the child's final visit, and change in aided audibility between these two intervals to determine whether there were different patterns of longitudinal aided audibility within the sample. Eighty-four percent of children in the study had stable audiometric thresholds during the study, defined as threshold changes <10 dB for any single study visit. There were no significant differences in hearing thresholds, aided audibility, or deviation of the HA fitting from prescriptive targets between ears or across test intervals for the first four visits. Approximately 35% of the children in the study had aided audibility that was below the average for the normative range for the Speech Intelligibility Index based on degree of hearing loss. The cluster analysis of longitudinal aided audibility revealed three distinct groups of children: a group with consistently high aided audibility throughout the study, a group with decreasing audibility during the study, and a group with consistently low aided audibility. The current results indicated that approximately 65% of children in the study had adequate aided audibility of speech and stable hearing during the study period. Limited audibility was associated with greater degrees of hearing loss and larger deviations from prescriptive targets. Studies of developmental outcomes will help to determine how aided audibility is necessary to affect developmental outcomes in children who are hard of hearing.

Metal-organic frameworks as host materials of confined supercooled liquids.

In this work, we examine the use of metal-organic framework (MOF) systems as host materials for the investigation of glassy dynamics in confined geometry. We investigate the confinement of the molecular glass former glycerol in three MFU-type MOFs with different pore sizes (MFU stands for "Metal-Organic Framework Ulm-University") and study the dynamics of the confined liquid via dielectric spectroscopy. In accord with previous reports on confined glass formers, we find different degrees of deviations from bulk behavior depending on pore size, demonstrating that MOFs are well-suited host systems for confinement investigations.

Comparação da composição bioquímica do líquido amniótico equino colhido em diferentes estágios gestacionais e no momento do parto

A viabilidade e maturidade fetais podem ser estimadas através da avaliação dos fluídos fetais em muitas espécies, no entanto a composição bioquímica do líquido amniótico durante a gestação ainda não está bem definida para a espécie equina. O objetivo deste estudo foi estabelecer e comparar o perfil bioquímico do liquido amniótico em diferentes momentos da gestação e no momento do parto para um melhor entendimento da fisiologia da gestação de equinos. Foram avaliados valores encontrados para pH, osmolaridade, glicose, uréia, creatinina, gamma-GT, sódio, potássio, cloretos e proteína total no liquido amniótico colhido de 122 éguas comparando-se os resultados encontrados entre as colheitas em terço inicial (TI), médio (TM) e final (TF) da gestação e no momento do parto (MP). As amostras colhidas nos períodos gestacionais foram realizadas em frigoríficos abatedouros. As idades gestacionais (IG), em dias, foram definidas através de fórmula de regressão sugerida por Naves et al. (2008), utilizando-se a mensuração crânio-caudal dos fetos. Devido a presença de graus variados de assimetria e desvios de um padrão Gaussiano de distribuição, o teste de Kruskal-Wallis foi usado para comparar a mediana de cada variável-resposta entre os grupos de estudo. Quando houve evidência significante de que pelo menos uma das medianas era diferente das outras, o teste de Wilcoxon foi usado para realizar comparações múltiplas entre os grupos. O método de Bonferroni foi usado para ajustar o valor-P resultante das comparações múltiplas. A análise estatística foi realizada com o procedimento PROC NPAR1WAY e significância estatística foi definida como p&lt;0,05 .pH e osmolaridade do líquido amniótico equino não sofreram alterações significantes entre os terços gestacionais e no momento do parto. Os valores encontrados para glicose foram significativamente menores nas amostras do grupo TF e MP. As concentrações de uréia tenderam ser estatisticamente diferente em pelo menos um dos grupos estudados e foi observado um padrão crescente nas concentrações de creatinina durante as fases gestacionais, enquanto que a concentração encontrada no grupo MP foi igual a concentração encontrada no grupo TF. Valores para gamma GT diferiram apenas entre os grupos TF e MP e mais estudos devem ser conduzidos sobre sua função no liquido amniótico das espécies domésticas. Os valores de sódio e cloretos não diferiram significativamente entre os grupos estudados e as concentrações de potássio diferiram apenas entre os grupos TF e MP refletindo a manutenção do equilíbrio eletrolítico do líquido amniótico equino durante a gestação. As concentrações de proteínas totais variaram de maneira heterogênea entre os grupos, porém todos estes demonstraram baixas concentrações. Concluímos que a composição bioquímica do liquido amniótico equino varia de acordo com o desenvolvimento fetal e pode ser utilizada como mensuração da viabilidade e maturidade do feto no futuro, no entanto devido ao pequeno número de estudos conduzidos e diferenças encontradas em seus resultados, outros estudos devem ser realizados para a melhor definição do perfil bioquímico do líquido amniótico equino durante as fases gestacionais e no momento do parto.

Sprachverstehen mit Hörgeräten in Abhängigkeit vom Tongehör

Speech perception is the most important social task of the auditory system. Consequently, speech audiometry is essential to evaluate hearing aid benefit. The aim of the study was to describe the correlation between pure-tone hearing loss and speech perception. In particular, pure-tone audiogram, speech audiogram, and speech perception with hearing aids were compared. In a retrospective study, 102 hearing aid users with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were included. Pure-tone loss (PTA) was correlated to monosyllabic perception at 65 dB with hearing aid and with maximum monosyllabic perception with headphones. Speech perception as a function of hearing loss can be represented by a sigmoid function. However, for higher degrees of hearing loss, substantial deviations are observed. Maximum monosyllabic perception with headphones is usually not achieved with hearing aids at standard speech levels of 65 dB. For larger groups, average pure-tone hearing loss and speech perception correlate significantly. However, prognosis for individuals is not possible. In particular for higher degrees of hearing loss substantial deviations could be observed. Speech performance with hearing aids cannot be predicted sufficiently from speech audiograms. Above the age of 80, speech perception is significantly worse.