Morphological Deviations Research Articles

A Review of Horticulturally Desirable Characters in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae): Variable and Deviating Vegetative and Reproductive Morphologies Useful in Breeding Programmes

Variation and deviations in reproductive morphological characters, especially in flower colour and the occurrence of single vs double flowers, in species and hybrids from which cultivars have been selected in Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) have given rise to the establishment of a multi-million € horticultural enterprise based on, inter alia, K. blossfeldiana and hybrid material of which it is one parent. Kalanchoes are mostly made available for the trade in material grown indoors. More recently, the breeding of kalanchoes as a source of long-lasting cut flowers, as well as incorporating vegetative, not only reproductive, variation into hybrid offspring have received increasing attention. Vegetative characters of horticultural interest are mostly those of the leaves (colour, maculation, shape). Especially given the ease with which kalanchoes, including nothospecies and cultivars, respond to cultivation outdoors in places where water for irrigation is at a premium, material other than K. blossfeldiana-derived cultivars has recently seen an upsurge in popularity. In the family Crassulaceae as a whole, deviations in leaf morphology, such as surface carunculations, is best known among representatives of other crassuloid genera, including Echeveria (Crassulaceae subfam. Sempervivoideae). Such deviations, too, have given rise to the selection and description of numerous horticulturally popular cultivars, for example derived from E. gibbiflora. The development of leaf carunculations is for the first time reported from K. neglecta and K. nyikae, which are endemic to southern and East Africa, respectively. We provide a review of variable and deviating vegetative and reproductive morphologies in Kalanchoe species, nothospecies, and cultivars popular among plant breeders.

The Splicing Variant TFIIIA-7ZF of Viroid-Modulated Transcription Factor IIIA Causes Physiological Irregularities in Transgenic Tobacco and Transient Somatic Depression of “Degradome” Characteristic for Developing Pollen

Viroids are small, non-coding, pathogenic RNAs with a significant ability of adaptation to several basic cellular processes in plants. TFIIIA-7ZF, a splicing variant of transcription factor IIIA, is involved in replication of nuclear-replicating viroids by DNA-dependent polymerase II. We overexpressed NbTFIIIA-7ZF from Nicotiana benthamiana in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) where it caused morphological and physiological deviations like plant stunting, splitting of leaf petioles, pistils or apexes, irregular branching of shoots, formation of double-blade leaves, deformation of main stems, and modification of glandular trichomes. Plant aging and senescence was dramatically delayed in transgenic lines. Factors potentially involved in viroid degradation and elimination in pollen were transiently depressed in transgenic leaves. This depressed “degradome” in young plants involved NtTudor S-like nuclease, dicers, argonoute 5, and pollen extracellular nuclease I showing expression in tobacco anthers and leaves. Analysis of the “degradome” in tobacco leaves transformed with either of two hop viroids confirmed modifications of the “degradome” and TFIIIA expression. Thus, the regulatory network connected to TFIIIA-7ZF could be involved in plant pathogenesis as well as in viroid adaptation to avoid its degradation. These results support the hypothesis on a significant impact of limited TFIIIA-7ZF on viroid elimination in pollen.

Three-dimensional printing of clinical scale and personalized calcium phosphate scaffolds for alveolar bone reconstruction

ObjectiveAlveolar bone defects can be highly variable in their morphology and, as the defect size increases, they become more challenging to treat with currently available therapeutics and biomaterials. This investigation sought to devise a protocol for fabricating customized clinical scale and patient-specific, bioceramic scaffolds for reconstruction of large alveolar bone defects. MethodsTwo types of calcium phosphate (CaP)-based bioceramic scaffolds (alginate/β-TCP and hydroxyapatite/α-TCP, hereafter referred to as hybrid CaP and Osteoink™, respectively) were designed, 3D printed, and their biocompatibility with alveolar bone marrow stem cells and mechanical properties were determined. Following scaffold optimization, a workflow was developed to use cone beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging to design and 3D print, defect-specific bioceramic scaffolds for clinical-scale bone defects. ResultsOsteoink™ scaffolds had the highest compressive strength when compared to hybrid CaP with different infill orientation. In cell culture medium, hybrid CaP degradation resulted in decreased pH (6.3) and toxicity to stem cells; however, OsteoInk™ scaffolds maintained a stable pH (7.2) in culture and passed the ISO standard for cytotoxicity. Finally, a clinically feasible laboratory workflow was developed and evaluated using CBCT imaging to engineer customized and defect-specific CaP scaffolds using OsteoInk™. It was determined that printed scaffolds had a high degree of accuracy to fit the respective clinical defects for which they were designed (0.27 mm morphological deviation of printed scaffolds from digital design). SignificanceFrom patient to patient, large alveolar bone defects are difficult to treat due to high variability in their complex morphologies and architecture. Our findings shows that Osteoink™ is a biocompatible material for 3D printing of clinically acceptable, patient-specific scaffolds with precision-fit for use in alveolar bone reconstructive procedures. Collectively, emerging digital technologies including CBCT imaging, 3D surgical planning, and (bio)printing can be integrated to address this unmet clinical challenge.

Airway changes after fixed functional appliance treatment in children with and without morphologic deviations of the upper spine: A 3-dimensional CBCT study

Functional appliances (FA) have a positive effect on the upper airway volume and minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) in children. An association between morphologic deviations of the upper spine (MDUS) and reduced treatment response was found in appliances used to treat adults with obstructive sleep apnea. This study aimed to: (1) compare airway changes after FA treatment in children with and without MDUS and controls; (2) identify if MDUS causes a smaller upper airway. Pretreatment and posttreatment cone-beam computed tomography scans were included from 21 children with MDUS and 42 without MDUS treated with a fixed FA, along with a pair-matched control group (matched for chronological age, skeletal age, gender, and mandibular inclination) who received orthodontic treatment for minor malocclusions without an FA. The influence of MDUS on changes in upper airway volume and MCA were evaluated with 3-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography scans using standardized, previously validated methods and mixed-effects linear regression. There was a significantly increased volume and MCA in the FA groups with and without MDUS compared with control (P= 0.003 and P= 0.049) and in the FA group without MDUS compared with the MDUS group (P= 0.008 and P= 0.011) after treatment. There was no significant pretreatment difference in airway dimensions between the MDUS and non-MDUS FA groups. The airway response with fixed FA is significantly reduced in MDUS children. MDUS caused no significant pretreatment airway differences in children. However, MDUS may be important in predicting airway changes in FA treatment.

Quality of ejaculate of male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), vaccinated with GamCovidVac (Sputnik V)

Background: New coronavirus infection (Covid-19) in patients with diabetes type 2 mellitus (DM) often has severe clinical course and manifestation. This comorbidity is a reasonable indication for vaccination. Male patients are often concerned about the vaccination impact on their fertility, so the current research of this issue seems to be essential and relevant.Aims: To evaluate the quality of ejaculate in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, vaccinated by GamCovidVac (Sputnik V).Materials and Methods: The pilot observational prospective study included 30 males with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The study continued from February 2021 till June 2021. The research design involved medical history analysis, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) tests, total testosterone level in blood measurement, semen analysis (sperm count test). Group comparison was performed by Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. The differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05.Results: After vaccination 19 patients (63%) demonstrated a temperature rise which lasted for 2 days; 26 patients (87%) complained of tenderness in the injections site which lasted up to 5 days. Though a few patients reported general somatic side effects after the vaccination, there have been no statistically significant deviations in sperm count, viability, function and morphology. The levels of glycated hemoglobin and total testosterone remained unchanged.Conclusion: The study revealed no negative impact of GamCovidVac on ejaculate quality, total testosterone level and compensation of carbohydrate metabolism.

INFLUENCE OF WIRE-EDM PARAMETERS ON SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUPERALLOY MONEL 400

Progressive development in the industrial field leads to the increasing demand for superalloys with enhanced mechanical properties, such as toughness, hardness, ductility, damping strength, tensile strength and improved surface finish. Monel 400, one of such superalloys, with the majority of its application in aerospace and marine fields demands a good super finish. There arises the need for some nonconventional processes like WEDM. This process is more effective to obtain complex shapes to close tolerance. This research focuses on clear understanding of the machining strategies with proper parametric combinations to achieve an improved surface finish, subsequently reducing the time and expense involved in the superfinishing procedure. The surface qualities of the selected samples are validated with the help of roughness profile and topography images. This study has proven that the increasing input current and wire feed rate (WFR) consistently decreases the surface roughness (SR; [Formula: see text] of the specimen. This paper also explains the effect of topographic parameters and microstructure over the resulting SR. In addition, the consistent contribution of WFR and input current toward the lower SR is established. The relationship between morphological behavior and parametric deviations is evaluated. A significant correlation found to exist between the rate of wire feed and the height parameters of SR such as [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], etc.

On the superior temporal gyrus by R.L. Heschl: English translation of “Über Die Vordere Quere Schläfenwindung Des Menschlichen Großhirns”

This perspective accompanies a translation of R.L. Heschl's “Über Die Vordere Quere Schläfenwindung Des Menschlichen Großhirns”, which translates to “On the anterior transverse temporal gyrus of the human cerebrum”. The original manuscript reports an anatomical description of the transverse temporal gyrus, Heschl's gyrus, in humans. Within this description, Heschl reports a detailed description of a particular morphological shape deviation, one in which the superior temporal gyrus is split. Here, we contextualize the significance of said diverging morphology for modern neuroscience, specifically for but not limited to auditory human neuroimaging, accompanied by the full English translation of the original manuscript. Statement of SignificanceThis perspective accompanies a translation of R.L. Heschl's “Über Die Vordere Quere Schläfenwindung Des Menschlichen Großhirns”, which translates to “On the anterior transverse temporal gyrus of the human cerebrum”. The original manuscript reports an anatomical description of the transverse temporal gyrus, Heschl's gyrus, in humans. Within this description, Heschl reports a detailed description of a particular morphological shape deviation, one in which the superior temporal gyrus is split. Here, we contextualize the significance of said diverging morphology for modern neuroscience, specifically for but not limited to auditory human neuroimaging, accompanied by the full English translation of the original manuscript.

The podocyte-specific knockout of palladin in mice with a 129 genetic background affects podocyte morphology and the expression of palladin interacting proteins.

Proper and size selective blood filtration in the kidney depends on an intact morphology of podocyte foot processes. Effacement of interdigitating podocyte foot processes in the glomeruli causes a leaky filtration barrier resulting in proteinuria followed by the development of chronic kidney diseases. Since the function of the filtration barrier is depending on a proper actin cytoskeleton, we studied the role of the important actin-binding protein palladin for podocyte morphology. Podocyte-specific palladin knockout mice on a C57BL/6 genetic background (PodoPalldBL/6-/-) were back crossed to a 129 genetic background (PodoPalld129-/-) which is known to be more sensitive to kidney damage. Then we analyzed the morphological changes of glomeruli and podocytes as well as the expression of the palladin-binding partners Pdlim2, Lasp-1, Amotl1, ezrin and VASP in 6 and 12 months old mice. PodoPalld129-/- mice in 6 and 12 months showed a marked dilatation of the glomerular tuft and a reduced expression of the mesangial marker protein integrin α8 compared to controls of the same age. Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis showed significantly more podocytes with morphological deviations like an enlarged sub-podocyte space and regions with close contact to parietal epithelial cells. Moreover, PodoPalld129-/- of both age showed a severe effacement of podocyte foot processes, a significantly reduced expression of pLasp-1 and Pdlim2, and significantly reduced mRNA expression of Pdlim2 and VASP, three palladin-interacting proteins. Taken together, the results show that palladin is essential for proper podocyte morphology in mice with a 129 background.

The effect of steam sterilization on different 3D printable materials for surgical use in veterinary medicine

BackgroundDifferent 3D-printed materials polyactic acid (PLA), polyamide (PA), polycarbonates (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and GreenTEC Pro®I have been considered for surgical templates, but there is a sparity of data about how these materials are affected by steam sterilization. The aim of the current study was to test if and how these materials change morphologically when high temperature, pressure and humidity are applied during the steam sterilization process. The overall aim is to create patient-specific sawing templates for performing corrective osteotomies. After the designing process, test-specimens with five different materials: PLA, PC, ABS, PA and GreenTEC Pro® were 3D-printed in two filling grades (30 and 100%). The FDM method was used for printing. After 3D-printing, the test-specimens were steam sterilized with a standard program lasting 20 min, at a temperature of 121 °C and a pressure of 2–3 bar. In order to measure the deviation of the printed model, we measured the individual test-specimens before and after steam sterilization using a sliding gauge.ResultsPC, PA and ABS showed great morphological deviations from the template after 3D-printing and steam sterilization (> 1%) respectively. ABS proved unsuitable for steam sterilization. PLA and GreenTEC Pro® demonstrated fewer morphological deviations both before and after sterilization. Therefore, we decided to perform a second test just with PLA and Green-TEC Pro® to find out which material has the highest stability and is probably able to be used for clinical application. The smallest deviations were found with the GreenTEC Pro® solid body. After autoclaving, the specimens showed a deviation from the planned body and remained below the 1% limit.ConclusionSteam sterilization causes morphological deviations in 3D printed objects. GreenTEC Pro® seems to be a suitable material for clinical use, not only for intraoperative use, but also for precise modeling. Microbiological examination, as well as biomechanical tests, should be performed to further assess whether intraoperative use is possible.

Comparing C2=O and C2=S Barbiturates: Different Hydrogen-Bonding Patterns of Thiobarbiturates in Solution and the Solid State.

Carbonyl-centered hydrogen bonds with various strength and geometries are often exploited in materials to embed dynamic and adaptive properties, with the use of thiocarbonyl groups as hydrogen-bonding acceptors remaining only scarcely investigated. We herein report a comparative study of C2=O and C2=S barbiturates in view of their differing hydrogen bonds, using the 5,5-disubstituted barbiturate B and the thiobarbiturate TB as model compounds. Owing to the different hydrogen-bonding strength and geometries of C2=O vs. C2=S, we postulate the formation of different hydrogen-bonding patterns in C2=S in comparison to the C2=O in conventional barbiturates. To study differences in their association in solution, we conducted concentration- and temperature-dependent NMR experiments to compare their association constants, Gibbs free energy of association ∆Gassn., and the coalescence behavior of the N-H‧‧‧S=C bonded assemblies. In Langmuir films, the introduction of C2=S suppressed 2D crystallization when comparing B and TB using Brewster angle microscopy, also revealing a significant deviation in morphology. When embedded into a hydrophobic polymer such as polyisobutylene, a largely different rheological behavior was observed for the barbiturate-bearing PB compared to the thiobarbiturate-bearing PTB polymers, indicative of a stronger hydrogen bonding in the thioanalogue PTB. We therefore prove that H-bonds, when affixed to a polymer, here the thiobarbiturate moieties in PTB, can reinforce the nonpolar PIB matrix even better, thus indicating the formation of stronger H-bonds among the thiobarbiturates in polymers in contrast to the effects observed in solution.

A Novel Fabricating Method of Micro Lens-on-Lens Arrays with Two Focal Lengths.

Micro lens-on-lens array (MLLA) is a novel 3D structure with unique optical properties that cannot be fabricated accurately and quickly by existing processing methods. In this paper, a new fabricating method of MLLAs with two focal lengths is proposed. By introducing the soft lithography technology, nano-imprint technology and mask alignment exposure technology, MLLAs with high precisions can be obtained. A MLLA is successfully fabricated with two focal lengths of 58 μm and 344 μm, and an experiment is carried out. The results show that the MLLA has excellent two-level focusing and imaging abilities. Furthermore, the fabricated profiles of the MLLA agree well with the designed profiles, and the morphology deviation of the MLLA is better than 2%, satisfying the application requirements. The results verify the feasibility and validity of the novel fabricating method. By adjusting mask patterns and processing parameters, MLLAs with both changeable sizes and focal lengths can be obtained.

Optimization of permeable membrane microchannel heat sinks for additive manufacturing

The design freedom brought by additive manufacturing (AM) can be leveraged in the design of microchannel heat sinks to improve their cooling performance. The permeable membrane microchannel (PMM) heat sink geometry was inspired by the ability of powder bed AM processes to fabricate partially porous metal parts having small internal flow features on the order of the powder size. The design routes coolant through a parallel array of thin permeable membranes arranged in a single-layer-manifold configuration. The permeable membranes provide effective heat exchange surfaces and the manifold configuration yields a low flow resistance across the PMM heat sink, all incorporated in a single layer by the use of AM. Past work has introduced the PMM heat sink concept, but the optimal geometric feature sizes were not explored or identified. The n current study is first to explore design optimization of the PMM heat sink to identify target feature sizes for AM fabrication, assessment of the conditions under which the PMM geometry outperforms other standard microchannel heat sink designs, and inspection of the ability of metal 3D printing process to produce the optimal features. To this end, a reduced-order PMM heat sink model is developed, a gradient-based-multi-objective optimization is performed to identify the optimal feature sizes for different coolants (water and 48/52 water/ethylene glycol mixture) at different flow rates (100–500 mL/min), footprint areas (49–900 mm2), and channel heights (0.5–2.5 mm). The optimization results are benchmarked against an optimized straight microchannel (SMC) heat sink design. Optimized PMM designs offer up to 68% lower thermal resistance at a set pressure drop compared to optimized SMC designs. A pair of SMC and PMM heat sinks optimized for the same operating conditions are 3D printed using direct-metal-laser-sintering (DMLS) of AlSi10Mg. X-ray microtomography is used to characterize the geometry of the 3D-printed parts. The model identifies that optimal membrane gap sizes on the order of ~ 10 s μm are required for the PMM to realize performance advantages compared to SMC heat sinks under the same operating conditions. The performance is predicted to be highly sensitive to this pore size, and even though DMLS is shown to produce parts with gaps as small as 26.7 µm, morphological deviations between the design and as-printed part are shown to lead to noticeable performance differences. Albeit excellent performance potential reinforced by this work, these findings call for further AM process development to ensure reliable, as-predicted PMM heat sinks to realize this potential.

Analysis of Inter-particle Contact Parameters of Garlic Cloves Using Discrete Element Method

PurposeThe discrete element method (DEM) can be used in agricultural fields such as crop sowing, harvesting, and crop transportation. Nevertheless, modeling complex crops as appropriately shaped particles remains challenging. The modeling of particles and the calibration of input parameters are important for simulating the realistic behaviors of particles using the DEM.MethodsIn this study, particle models representing the morphological characteristics and size deviations of garlic cloves were proposed. Additionally, the coefficients of friction were analyzed as the contact parameters of the particles based on the heap formation experiments and simultations of the swing-arm method using 150 garlic cloves.ResultsThe simulation results were analyzed that the residual number of particles, a bulk property that can be measured simply in the experiment, is related to the coefficients of friction. In the heap formation experiments with low particle counts, the bulk properties were more clearly differentiated by the residual number of particles than the angle of repose. Moreover, the bulk properties similar to the actual garlic could not be expressed as a spherical particle model. Thus, an equation for predicting the residual number of particles was derived for the non-spherical garlic clove particle model. Five sets of coefficients of friction were presented using the prediction equation, and all the simulation results were close to the actual residual number of particles and angle of repose of the garlic.ConclusionsAlthough the sizes of garlic cloves have a wide distribution, appropriate inter-particle contact parameters could be predicted. Therefore, the calibration process of the DEM can be shortened using the proposed prediction equation for the residual number of particles with non-spherical particles.

Four new genera of the Ceratonotus group (Copepoda, Harpacticoida), including the description of two new species

In the framework of an ongoing extensive phylogenetic evaluation of the Ceratonotus group (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Cletodidae), Poropsyllus menzelae gen. et sp. nov. from the sublittoral of south-western Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean Sea) and Paratouphapleura aaroni gen. et sp. nov. from the western Weddell Sea (Antarctica) are described. Both new species fit the autapomorphies of the Ceratonotus group but cannot be assigned to any of the genera so far known. Instead, each new species presents a set of derived characters that justify their placement in new genera, Poropsyllus gen. nov. and Paratouphapleura gen. nov., respectively. Furthermore, a comparison of the species placed in Ceratonotus Sars revealed that because of exclusive morphological deviations, Ceratonotus concavus Conroy-Dalton, C. steiningeri George, C. tauroides George, and C. vareschii George should be excluded from Ceratonotus and transferred to a new monophylum, Tauroceratus gen. nov. Likewise, Polyascophorus monoceratus George, Wandeness & Santos is characterized by several apomorphies that justify its transfer from Polyascophorus to a new taxon, Pseudopolyascophorus gen. nov. The Ceratonotus group is therefore increased to 31 species assigned to 13 genera. The systematic modifications conducted and resulting phylogenetic consequences are discussed in detail.

Spreading of point‐source liquid spills in a thin rectangular packed bed under simulated marine conditions

AbstractTwo‐dimensional visualizations of point‐source liquid spills in porous media were performed in a flat rectangular packed bed, emplaced on a robotized hexapod, to emulate roll/pitch marine oscillations. The extent to which the directional modulation of liquid gravity and the moving‐bed inertial forces affect the liquid spills was the study's central aim. Spill morphology deviations were dictated by gravity force oscillations, while Coriolis/Euler/centrifugal forces were confined to secondary roles. Multiple gravity‐driven liquid branching with departures from the longitudinal direction, not only boosted wetting but also symmetrized the developing spills while suppressing the wall‐biased liquid influx, which impaired inclined beds. Wetting exhibited asymmetric sigmoidal deceleratory transients, reminiscent of many physicochemical transformations with skewed activation energy distribution. The parameters describing the dispersive kinetics and allied activation energy distribution of wetting—analogized to a phase change transition—were interpreted in terms of hexapod kinematic parameters.

CONTENT ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN LITERATURE (POETRY) IN THE 2013 CURRICULUM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT BOOK IN SHAPING CHILDREN'S PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS: AN OVERVIEW OF STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

Literary work is the result of an author's imagination through the medium of language. One form of literary works is poetry. As a literary work, poetry is bound to lines and stanzas. In this study, we discussed the problem of how the content of children's literature (poetry) contained in the 2013 curriculum thematic book of elementary school in shaping the students’ personality characteristics viewed from stylistic analysis. The purpose of the study was to determine the stylistics of children's poetry contained in the 2013 curriculum thematic books of elementary school. The type of this research was qualitative research using descriptive method. This research was in the form of a documentation study, which analyzed the forms of poetry contained in the thematic books of elementary school. Thus, the object of this research was these forms of poetry. Based on the results of data analysis, it was found that the children's poetry contained in elementary school students' books used several sound elements, such as rhyme, alliteration, assonance, anaphora, epanalepsis, mesodiplosis, and onomatopoeia. Meanwhile, the use of diction found in the book was in the form of Arabic diction. Then, the use of images was in the form of images of sight, hearing, smell, and taste while the figures of speech used in this book were personification, hyperbole, metaphor, and simile. Then, it was also found several language deviation, such as morphological, syntactic, and graphological deviations. The forms of children's poetry contained in the thematic books of elementary school weredesigned in accordance with the characteristics of children's poetry. This was seen from the way the elements of sound, diction, figure of speech, images, and language deviations are used.

P–603 Atretic eggs - frequency and factors which increase their production

Abstract Study question To investigate the factors which are associated with higher number and share of atretic oocites (AO) such as quintative ovarian reserve, gonadotropin doses, age, BMI, smoking, pelvic surgery. Summary answer: There are convincing data that factors as advanced age, overweight, smoking and pelvic surgery are related to higher share of AO, while stimulation doses not. What is known already Atretic eggs are cells that have different deviations in morphology - dark or granular cytoplasm, cytoplasmic fragments, dark area of ​​the pellucid, large perivithelial space, abnormalities in shape and are usless. There is no consensus on the reasons for their formation. Studies demonstrate that combined estimation of the quantitative and qualitative reserve of the ovary is difficult, the transformation of primordial follicles into antral takes months in which the cohort of antral follicles and gametes changes. There are speculations of the likely negative impact of lifestyle factors t like smikong, obesity, age. Other blame higher doses of gonadotropins. Study design, size, duration This is a 3 year retrospective study on 2721 IVF/ICSI cycles of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with long or antagonist protocols. The mean number and share of AO of all oocites retrieved were calculated in order to investigate there relation to factors like ovarian reserve, gonadotropin doses, age, BMI, smoking, history of pelvic surgery. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Depending on the factors investigated, the study groups were formed as follows: = ovarian reserve - <5antral folicles (AF)(n = 307), 5–10AF(n = 994), > 10AF(n = 584) = stimulation doses –1500E (n = 365),1500–3000Е(n = 790), 3000–4500(n = 264), > 4500Е(n = 34) = age - ≤ 30(n = 391), 31–34(n = 467), 35–39(n = 679),≥ 40(n = 412) = BMI - <18.5(n = 109), 18.5–24.9(n = 668), 24.9–30(n = 277), >30(n = 111) = smoking - (n = 431), nonsmoking (n = 286) = pelvic surgery - (n = 572), without surgery (n = 630). Main results and the role of chance Regarding the ovarian reserve the mean number of AO rises significantly (Н=59.7, р<0.0001) in paralel with the rise of all oocites retrieved, but the shre of AO stays same in each group (Н=0.39, р=0.828). As regard of the influence of doses of gonadotropins on the share of AO, there is no difference related to the increase of doses (Н=1.69; p = 0.640) - it is comparable,15–20%. The findings concerning age are interesting - the total number of eggs retrieved by age expectedly decreases but the share of AO is same between groups (Н=4.8, р=0.185), around 20%. At the same time in the group of women with only AO retrieved, t43,1% are above 40 years. Overweight and smoking are strongly related to the higher share of AO in obese and smoking women - (Н=11.4; р=0.010) and (U = 54 342; p = 0.005) respectively. In addition among women with only AO, 73,9% are smoking (c2 =5.26; р=0.022). Regarding the influence of pelvic surgery on quality of eggs, data shows higher share of AO among operated one is18% (U = 165815; p = 0.012), probably due to inflammatory processes in the pelvis. Limitations, reasons for caution It is possible same women to be prsent in different study groups. Wider implications of the findings: Increse of stimulation gonadotropins increse the number of eggs retrieved and respectively the chances for pregnancy without compromising the quality of eggs. An increase in the share of AO are related to age, overweight, smoking,pelvic surgery in in the pelvis. These findings suggest preventive measures to preserve women’s fertility potential. Trial registration number Not aplicable

Elongated styloid process syndrome with prolongation of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage: A case report

IntroductionElongated styloid process syndrome represents a group of symptoms, such as recurrent throat pain and neck pain, caused by elongation of the styloid process. We report a case of elongated styloid process syndrome with prolongation of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage.Case presentationA 50-year-old man was referred to our clinic with the chief complaint of discomfort on the right side of his neck. He had no history of any disease. Extraoral findings indicated pain during neck rotation. Computed tomography showed prolongation of the styloid process beyond the mandibular plane and close to the hyoid. Moreover, prolongation of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage was detected. The discomfort during rotation of the neck was due to the stimulation by the styloid process. Styloid resection was performed using the extraoral approach under general anesthesia.ConclusionDiscomfort in the neck was resolved after operation.

The relationship between the direction and degree of nasal septal deviation and nasal bone morphology

Background& aim: Many previous studies proved that nasal septal deviation has an important effect on the development of the bones of the nose, as well as morphology and other features of facial bones. Assessment of the morphology of the nose helps in obtaining favorable surgical outcomes. We designed this work to discover the association between nasal morphology and nasal septum deviation. Patients & methods: This study included 120 patients over 18 years old with symptomatic nasal septum deviation who were exposed to CT scanning of the nose and paranasal sinuses. The following parameters were assessed; direction of nasal deviation and its angle in addition to nasal morphology; internasal angle of the nose, the nasal bone length, and the thickness of intermediate and lateral nasal bone on the two sides. Results: Studied patients’ mean age was 38.08 ± 17.27 years and the majority (70%) of them were males. Out of studied patients, 64 (53.3%) patients had deviated septum toward the right side while in 56 (46.7%) patients it deviated to the left side. It was observed that there were no important differences between types of deviation direction as regarding age, sex, and deviation angle (P= 0.41, 0.09, and 0.61, respectively). Both sexes had insignificant differences as regarding nasal morphology with exception of significantly higher internasal angle (60.33 ± 8.15 vs. 56.19 ± 9.52 degree; P= 0.02), and left intermediate osteotomy thickness (1.92 ± 0.35 vs. 1.77 ± 0.41mm; P= 0.04) in males’ patients. Severe deviation was presented in 19 (15.8%) patients. Conclusion: This work concludes that deviation of the septum of the nose might influence the morphology of the nasal bones as the length of nasal bone; thickness and lateral osteotomy thickness on the same side of the deviation were altogether more prominent than on the contralateral.

Dental follicle cell differentiation towards periodontal ligament-like tissue in a self-assembly three-dimensional organoid model.

Periodontitis remains an unsolved oral disease, prevalent worldwide and resulting in tooth loss due to dysfunction of the periodontal ligament (PDL), a tissue connecting the tooth root with the alveolar bone. A scaffold-free three-dimensional (3D) organoid model for in vitro tenogenesis/ligamentogeneis has already been described. As PDL tissue naturally arises from the dental follicle, the aim of this study was to investigate the ligamentogenic differentiation potential of dental follicle cells (DFCs) in vitro by employing this 3D model. Human primary DFCs were compared, in both two- and three-dimensions, to a previously published PDL- hTERT cell line. The 3D organoids were evaluated by haematoxylin and eosin, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole and F-actin staining combined with detailed histomorphometric analyses of cell-row structure, angular deviation and cell density. Furthermore, the expression of 48 tendon/ligament- and multilineage-related genes was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, followed by immunofluorescent analyses of collagen 1 and 3. The results showed that both cell types were successful in the formation of scaffold-free 3D organoids. DFC organoids were comparable to PDL-hTERT in terms of cell density; however, DFCs exhibited superior organoid morphology, cell-row organisation (p < 0.0001) and angular deviation (p < 0.0001). Interestingly, in 2 dimensions as well as in 3D, DFCs showed significantly higher levels of several ligament- related genes compared to the PDL-hTERT cell line. In conclusion, DFCs exhibited great potential to form PDL-like 3D organoids in vitro suggesting that this strategy can be further developed for functional PDL engineering.