Nonparametric Statistical Methods Research Articles

Addressing practical aspects of the nuclear criticality safety evaluations with frequentist statistics

General guidelines for Criticality Safety Evaluations (CSE) and regulatory requirements on the Nuclear Criticality Safety are well established nowadays. However, the expert knowledge is often still required in practice. Such situation is typical for the CSE methodologies grounded on the frequentist statistic inference and involving tolerance limits estimations and hypothesis testing. In this respect, various sensitivity tests are illustrated in the given paper to enhance understanding of the statistical assessments, in application to conventional CSE for Light Water Reactor (LWR) fuel configurations, when relatively small validation samples are generally available. It is further discussed that for rare situations with very small validation data samples, both parametric and non-parametric statistical methods have drawbacks: unreliability of normality tests for the first case and large non-parametric margins historically recommended for the second case. For such specific situations, an additional safety margin named “Normality Margin” is proposed in this work, towards compensation of the lack of knowledge of the underlying hypothetical probability distribution describing the criticality validation results.

An enhanced two‐quantile Wilks methodology for engineering uncertainty analysis

AbstractComplex computational engineering uncertainty analyses have become more prevalent. When input parameters of such engineering models are uncertain, the output metric's uncertainty distribution is of an unknown parametric form. Since Wilks' method, named after the seminal paper by SS Wilks in 1941 entitled “Determination of sample sizes for setting tolerance limits”, is a nonparametric statistical procedure, it has received renewed interest, in particular in nuclear and chemical safety engineering. Unfortunately, the prevailing Wilks' method applied relies on arbitrary specification of order statistics' ranks with undue influence on the sample size recommendations that follow. Herein, a novel modification of Wilks' method involving two quantiles is proposed resolving that arbitrary rank selection. Together with a confidence level to be exceeded, these quantiles uniquely determine the parameters of an order statistics' beta distribution which drive the selection of symmetric tolerance limits. The modified procedure is demonstrated in two illustrative engineering uncertainty analysis examples drawn from the nuclear and chemical engineering domains.

Quality of Life of Elementary School Students with Type 1 Diabetes in a Developing Country during the COVID Pandemic.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a condition that affects all aspects of life, and thus is closely related to the quality of life itself. Dealing with it during the COVID-19 pandemic is a big challenge. A case-control study conducted in Montenegro at the end of 2021 included 87 elementary school students with T1D and 248 of their peers as controls matched by gender. Standardized questionnaires were distributed to participants (Peds-QL Generic core 4.0 questionnaire for all participants and Peds-QL Diabetes Module 3.2 only for cases). Based on them, the results of obtained scores were measured and compared using non-parametric statistical methods in relation to gender, region and type of household. Children with T1D reported lower quality of life comparing to matching controls with lower scores in almost all domains. Differences in the same domains among patients and their classmates were also observed in the different gender subgroups, environment type subgroups and in the central region. Results of the study provide insights to prioritizing actions for children with diabetes care as well as for public healthcare planning.

Engineering UPF and comfort parameters of knitted fabrics and validation using statistical techniques

PurposeThe thermophysiological comfort of fabrics is prerequisite as customers covet adequate moisture, heat management-supported and UV protective clothing that measure up to their levels of activities and environmental conditions. Hitherto, scant tasks have been reported with the purpose of engineering both comfort and UV protection simultaneously. From that vantage point, the objective of this work is to develop a model for optimum UPF, air permeability, water-vapour resistance, thermal resistance, thermal absorptivity and areal density of knitted fabrics.Design/methodology/approachWeft knitted fabrics of various compositions were investigated. UPF was tested using the Labsphere UV transmittance analyser. The FX 3300 (Textest instruments) air permeability tester was used to test air permeability. Thermal comfort and water-vapour resistance were evaluated using the Alambeta and Permetest instruments, respectively. Based on image processing, the porosity was measured. Fabrics thickness and areal density were measured according to standard methods. Furthermore, parametric and non-parametric statistical test methods were applied to the data for analysis.FindingsLinear regression was substantiated by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Then multiple linear regression of porosity and thickness together on UPF and comfort parameters were visually depicted by virtue of 3D linear plots. Residual analysis with quantile-quantile and probability plots, advocated the tests using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The result was validated by comparison with experimental data tested. The samples gave satisfactory relative errors and were supported by the z-test method. All tests indicated failure to reject the null hypothesis.Originality/valueThe predictive models were embedded into an interactive computer program. Fabric thickness and porosity are the inputs needed to run the program. It will predict the optimum UPF, areal density and thermophysiological comfort parameters. In a nutshell, knitters may use the program to determine optimum structural parameters for diverse permutations of UPF and thermophysiological comfort parameters; scilicet high UV protection together with low thermal insulation combined with low water-vapour resistance and high air permeability.

Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis: A propensity score analysis.

Although early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (EESCC) with cirrhosis is a relatively rare clinical phenomenon, the management of EESCC in cirrhotic patients continues to be a challenge. To evaluate the feasibility, safety, efficacy and long-term survival outcomes of endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD) for treating EESCC in patients with cirrhosis. This was a single-center retrospective cohort study. We examined 590 EESCC patients who underwent ESTD between July 14, 2014, and May 26, 2021, from a large-scale tertiary hospital. After excluding 25 patients with unclear lesion areas or pathological results, the remaining 565 patients were matched at a ratio of 1:3 by using propensity score matching. A total of 25 EESCC patients with comorbid liver cirrhosis and 75 matched EESCC patients were ultimately included in the analysis. Parametric and nonparametric statistical methods were used to compare the differences between the two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to create survival curves, and differences in survival curves were compared by the log-rank test. Among 25 patients with liver cirrhosis and 75 matched noncirrhotic patients, there were no significant differences in intraoperative bleeding (P = 0.234), 30-d post-ESTD bleeding (P = 0.099), disease-specific survival (P = 0.075), or recurrence-free survival (P = 0.8196). The mean hospitalization time and costs were significantly longer (P = 0.007) and higher (P = 0.023) in the cirrhosis group than in the noncirrhosis group. The overall survival rate was significantly lower in the cirrhosis group (P = 0.001). ESTD is technically feasible, safe, and effective for patients with EESCC and liver cirrhosis. EESCC patients with Child-Pugh A disease seem to be good candidates for ESTD.

Impairment of social cognitive functions in the patients with acute ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND. Cognitive impairment is common after a stroke. However, the condition of social cognitive functions, in particular theory of mind, in this group of patients has been studied insufficiently.
 AIM. To study the frequency and predictors of the development of the social cognitive disorders based on theory of mind impairment in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
 MATERIAL AND METHODS. Theory of mind impairment was assessed using Reading the Mind in the Eyes test in the acute period of ischemic stroke. National Institutes of Health Stroke scale was used to assess the severity of neurological deficit, modified Rankin scale the degree of disability, Delirium Severity Rating Scale the symptoms of delirium, Buss Perry aggressiveness scale severity of aggressive behavior, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale cognitive deficit. The severity of cortical atrophy was evaluated by computed tomography of the brain. The study included 86 patients, 53 males and 33 females. The average age of patients was 64 years. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 21 software package. Nonparametric statistics methods were used. Binary data were compared using the chi-square parameter, categorical data were compared using the MannWhitney test.
 RESULTS. Seventy percent of patients suffered from the impairment of social cognitive functions. Independent predictors of the impairment of theory of mind according to linear regression analysis were cognitive dysfunction according to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (p=0.0001) and the severity of cortical atrophy on computed tomography of the brain (p=0.001).
 CONCLUSION. Social cognitive impairment is registered in a substantial number of patients in acute period of stroke; its predictors include general cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy of the brain.

Acute and chronic effects of cross fit training on the kinetics of the IGF-I / IGFBPs system in young adults

The components of the IGF-I/IGFBPs system constitute a group of growth factors that are directly related to somatic and tissue growth in many species, and exercise programs are related to this anabolic function. The aim of this study was to verify the kinetics of the IGF-I/IGFBPs system in young adults during a CrossFit training program. Eight young adults were evaluated before and after the execution of a standardized training session (Acute effect), during the initial, intermediate and final phases of the CrossFit training program (Chronic effect). To analyze the kinetics of the IGF-I/IGFBPs system throughout the training program, two non-parametric statistical methods were used: the Kruskall-Wallis test for one factor and the Wilcoxon test. The significance level adopted was 0.05. No significant changes were found in the concentrations of IGF-I (p=0.73) and IGFBP-3 (p=0.23) between the initial, intermediate and final phases of the training program. There were also no significant differences in the IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations between the pre and post training sessions in the initial, intermediate and final phases. Even though the standard session was classified between

Sums of amplitudes analysis – A new non-parametric classification method for time series deviation evaluation in pharmaceutical processes

The evaluation of various types of data and the understanding of their properties is the backbone of scientific work. Time series data are abundant in the investigation of manufacturing processes. Since they result from measurements of parameters over time, time series have distinctive statistical characteristics. Focused on bulk solid dosing, the authors illustrate the potential for misinterpretations if these characteristics are ignored in data evaluation. The sums of amplitudes analysis (SAA) is developed, based on discrete Fourier transformations as a novel non-parametric statistical method for description of time series. Subsequently, the authors use the SAA to investigate bulk solid dosing data. In this process, artifications of data of external catch scales, commonly used for the evaluation of bulk solid dosing, are found, and discussed. • Quantification of the systematic information in pharmaceutics related time series. • Description of artefacts in powder dosing evaluations. • Fourier based non-parametric time series evaluation.

Gender-Specific Renal Function and Urinary Syndrome in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis of Alcoholic Etiology: Observational Study

Background. Gender has now been proven to have a significant impact on the development, course and outcome of a large number of diseases, including alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol consumption is one of the leading risk factors for various diseases. Alcohol-related diseases cause 10% of all deaths worldwide among young and middle-aged people. The occurrence of renal dysfunction in cirrhosis of the liver is an integral part of the natural course of the disease. At the moment, the diagnosis of gender-specific renal dysfunction that occurs against the background of liver cirrhosis is essential for the development of effective treatment strategies and the improvement of survival.Objectives. The study is aimed at identifying the features of the gender-specific renal function and urinary syndrome in patients with liver cirrhosis of alcoholic etiology and assessing the comprehensive prognostic significance of the indicators of common urine analysis in the diagnosis of renal dysfunction.Methods. An observational study was carried out using data from medical records of 158 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (95 men and 63 women), aged 36 to 72 years, who were inpatients between February 2016 and March 2020. Physical examination and laboratory diagnostic data were taken into account. Binary predictors of renal dysfunction progression in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis were determined based on the analysis of descriptive statistics. Statistical data processing was performed using computer program Statistica 10 (StatSoft, Inc., USA) and standard Microsoft Excel software package (Microsoft Office 2016). Non-parametric statistical methods were used to describe the results. Quantitative results were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test; comparison of two samples by a qualitatively defined feature was performed by means of the Fisher angular transformation method. Differences were considered significant at p ˂ 0.05. A multilayer neural network function from the Statistica 10 Neural Networks software was used to construct a classification scheme for renal dysfunction (yes/no). Neural network performance was assessed using descriptive and inductive statistics, calculating sensitivity, specificity, performing ROC analysis and constructing cumulative gains charts.Results. A renal function test revealed a significant decrease in glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.029) and a significant increase in urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (p < 0.0001) in women with alcoholic liver cirrhosis as compared with men. Women are also reported to have a high incidence of proteinuria, leukocyturia and bacteriuria. According to ROC-analysis, the urinalysis indicators have a high prognostic significance in identifying renal dysfunction in men and women with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (AUROC = 0.902 and sensitivity 81.82%, AUROC = 0.881 and sensitivity 75.00%, respectively).Conclusion. Renal dysfunction develops earlier and occurs twice as often in women with alcoholic cirrhosis than in men of the same age. The application of a neural network mechanism to predict renal dysfunction in men and women with alcoholic liver cirrhosis according to the indicators of urinalysis provides a high prognostic ability.

An Uncertainty-Driven Proactive Self-Healing Model for Pervasive Applications

The ever-increasing demand for services of end-users in the Internet of Things (IoT) often causes great congestion in the nodes dedicated to serving their requests. Such nodes are usually placed at the edge of the network, becoming the intermediates between the IoT infrastructure and Cloud. Edge nodes offer many advantages when adopted to perform processing activities that are realized close to end-users, limiting the latency in the provision of responses. In this article, we attempt to solve the problem of the potential overloading of edge nodes by proposing a mechanism that always keeps free space in their queue to host high-priority processing tasks. We introduce a proactive, self-healing mechanism that utilizes the principles of Fuzzy Logic, in combination with a non-parametric statistical method that reveals the trend of nodes’ loads as depicted by the incoming tasks and their capability to serve them in the minimum possible time. Through our approach, we manage to ensure the uninterrupted service of high-priority tasks, taking into consideration the demand for tasks as well. Based on this approach, we ensure the fastest possible delivery of results to the requestors while keeping the latency for serving high-priority tasks at the lowest possible levels. A set of experimental scenarios is adopted to evaluate the performance of the suggested model by presenting the corresponding numerical results.

Effectiveness of Evidence-based Nursing Intervention on communication and Social skill among Autism Spectrum Disorder Children and Quality of life of the parents

Objective: Evidence based intervention is an effective method for improving autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children on socialization, communication and quality of life of the parents may have an effect on the brain activity. This aim of this study is to find the effectiveness of picture exchange communication system (PECS) and parent implemented intervention (PII) among ASD children and quality of life of the parents. Methods: Sixty ASD Children who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected and assigned into control (n=30) and experimental (n=30) groups. Experimental group received evidence-based intervention with PECS and PII for 6 months, whereas the control group received routine care. The children were assessed for social relationship and reciprocity (SRR), speech language communication (SLC) and Quality of life of the parents before and after the intervention. For the experimental group a 3-month post intervention along with Quality of life of the parents were also assessed. Parametric and nonparametric statistical methods were used. Results: The data showed that male, nuclear family and birth order above one was more among ASD. Two-way RM ANOVA showed significant difference among groups and tests (p<0.001), and interaction of groups with tests (p<0.001). Experimental post-test-2 i.e., after 6 months showed significant improvement in SRR, SLC and Quality of life of parents compared with control group. Conclusion: The present study shows that the PECS and PII as nursing strategy can improve ASD children socialization, communication and quality of life of the parents.

Treatment of Patients after Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation - Combined Use of a High-Density Map and Robotic Navigation

Objectives and Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is still associated with higher recurrence rate. This is prospective study of Redo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) combined with remote magnet navigation. We have done high density mapping and in retrospective Analysis we tried to find criteria for better Ablation success. Materials and Methods: 50 patients (male 36, female 14) with indication for Redo-PVI ware included. A 20 polig multielectrode catheter was used for mapping. Mapping data were collected bevor and after ablation and processed in terms of low-voltage areas bipolar (3 groups: 0.05-0.15 mV, 0.15-0.25 mV, 0.25-0.5 mV) and change in unipolar amplitude at the ablation lesions. The primary endpoint (symptom freedom at 12 months) was evidenced by follow-up examinations at 3, 6,9,12 months. Non-parametric statistical methods were used for variables with non-normal distributions. Trends in success rates were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier methodology and compared using a log-ranking test. Results: In all analysed low-voltage bipolar groups occurs a change in the distribution after ablation in patients with AF. There are 3 parameters which related with endpoint: area of bipolar signals 0.05-0.15 mV (Me +32%, [95% CI: -10% to +167%], p<0.001), the unipolar amplitude at the applied ablation lesions (Me -0.45mV [95% CI: -0.15 to -1], p<0,001) and unipolar amplitude at the attached ablation lesions (lower amplitude was with recurrence associated, p=0.004). According to ROC analysis and logistic regression: failure to meet all 3 criteria accompanied with a 67% probability of symptomatic recurrence, if all 3 criteria are met, it is expected to have an approximately 81% success rate within the 12 months. Conclusion: Analysis of a high-density map including 3 criteria, help us to improve ablation success.

КОМП'ЮТЕРНА МОДЕЛЬ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ІНФОРМАТИВНОСТІ КРИТЕРІЮ СТЬЮДЕНТА

The state of technical objects can be checked by comparing the average values ​​of samples of measurements of their parameters. Non-parametric statistics allow you to draw statistical conclusions, in particular, to evaluate distribution characteristics and test statistical hypotheses, without, as a rule, weakly justified assumptions that the distribution function of the sample elements belongs to one or another parametric family. For example, it is widely believed that statistical data often follow a normal distribution. Meanwhile, the analysis of practical results, in particular, measurement errors, always leads to the same conclusion - in the vast majority of cases, real distributions differ significantly from normal ones. In the tasks of non-destructive testing, technical diagnostics and monitoring of the state of objects, non-parametric statistics are the basis for research and decision-making about suitability or quality. Despite the large number of publications dedicated to research on specific issues of the use of non-parametric statistics methods, the internal structure of this scientific direction remains an actual problem even at the present time. Most often, in practice, the problem of belonging of samples to one general population is solved. One of the main verification criteria is the Student criterion. But, in order to use them, it is necessary to check samples for "normality". Uncritical use of the normality hypothesis often leads to significant errors, for example, when rejecting the results of observations (outliers), during statistical quality control, and in other cases. If the samples are short (n⩽20), and the measurements are normal random variables, then classical mathematical statistics suggests solving this problem with a modified Student's test [1]. The power of this criterion is no worse than the classic Student's criterion. This is especially evident with short samples (n≤20). In this article, by conducting computational experiments, the informativeness of the modified and classic Student's criterion was compared. The study was conducted for samples of random variables with three distribution laws - logistic, exponential and Rayleigh. The result showed that the modified Student's test has more power than the classical test. But, as expected, both criteria are sensitive to the symmetry of the distribution law - the greater its asymmetry, the greater the error of accepting the null hypothesis.

Relationship between collaboration and normalized scientific impact in South American public universities

The relationship between international collaboration and scientific impact is studied in the context of South American universities. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the strength of this relationship using nonparametric statistical methods. The records are the 244,300 papers published in journals indexed in Scopus (2011–2020) by researchers affiliated to 10 South American public universities and extracted with Scival support. There is a marked trend of collaborative work, since 93% of publications were collaborative at institutional, national or international level, with a higher percentage of international collaboration. A refined analysis of the geographic collaboration of publications in Q1 journals further evidences the frequency of international collaboration. In the top 4 collaborating partner institutions for each university, the presence of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique of France (CNRS) is observed, followed by the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (Conicet). It is proven that there is a statistically significant relationship (p < .01) in each of the 10 universities between collaboration (number of countries) and normalized impact (FWCI). The results confirmed the hypothesis of this study and the authors provide practical recommendations for science policy makers and researchers, including the promotion of strategic collaboration between different institutional sectors of society to increase the impact of publications.

Grants and Funding for the Processes of Decarbonization in the Scope of Sustainability Development—The Case from Poland

The study aimed to determine how the public perceives the directions of decarbonization to develop a sustainable energy strategy for Poland. The political challenge is to use dedicated funds and grants to move from the energy market to low-carbon technology. For sustainable development, governments must implement an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and socially acceptable policy. The risk of social acceptance plays a vital role in Poland, especially in Silesia, influencing the decarbonization process. The study’s main objective was to identify socio-economic features that affect the assessment of the decarbonization process in Poland, assuming that respondents used central or local funds to carry out this process. The authors deepened the multidisciplinary aspect of the analysis of decarbonization, mainly pointing to social issues, which was presented in the article. The study was conducted using the “snowball” method on a group of 444 socially diverse people. They were based on non-parametric statistical methods: Chi-square, Mann–Whitney U, and the Kruskal–Wallis test, which showed that the most effective factors in the decarbonization process are subsidies used by local governments. Moreover, it was found that people with higher education give less support to the centralization of funds for decarbonization, though they perceive that local funds provide a greater chance of success for decarbonization processes. This study fills the gap in social sciences.

Parameters of Functional Lateral Organization of Students of Medical University with Different Levels of Physical Fitness

INTRODUCTION: One of the parameters of the functional reserves of the human body is the level of physical fitness, which depends not only on the improvement of various methods used in the education of students in physical culture, but also on the individual characteristics of students, including parameters of their functional lateralization.&#x0D; AIM: To establish the character of the interrelations between the parameters of functional lateralization and the parameters of physical fitness in medical university students.&#x0D; MATERIALS AND METHODS: Functional lateralization was determined by both the conventional test methods and by the method of neuro-energo mapping in 120 practically healthy medical university students of male gender aged 18 to 23 years. Physical fitness was assessed in conventional tests for determination of strength fitness, speed-strength fitness, speed endurance. All the data were processed using non-parametric statistical methods and correlation and cluster analysis.&#x0D; RESULTS: Based on the criterion of physical fitness, young men were divided to two groups: a group with a relatively high level of speed and strength endurance and flexibility (cluster 1, n = 71), and a group with a relatively high level of strength fitness (cluster 1, n = 49). Both the integral (coefficient of lateral organization profile CLOP) and partial parameters (manual and sensory asymmetry) of the functional lateralization were higher in the representatives of cluster 2, with this, the analysis of changes of the permanent potential level (method of neuro-energo mapping) in functional tests showed only an emerging tendency in the differences between the clusters. Also, in cluster 1, weak (r 0.3, р 0.05) negative relationships between the parameters of functional lateralization were found in behavioral tests, and between changes in the permanent potential level of the left and right cerebral hemispheres (TdTs lead) in load tests. In the representatives of the second cluster, no correlations were found.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: The results of the performed comprehensive analysis evidence, in the authors opinion, the differences in the central-peripheral relationships in the systemic organization of physiological functions that determine non-uniform physical fitness in young men with a relatively high level of speed-strength endurance and flexibility (cluster 1) and those with a relatively high level of strength fitness (cluster 2).

Оценка зависимости скорости лизиса эритроцитов от количества микросфероцитов при наследственном сфероцитозе

INTRODUCTION: Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is a disease, which belongs to congenital membranopathies and runs with hemolytic anemia of different severity. In patients with HS, morphologically transformed erythrocytes — microspherocytes — appear in blood in different quantities. Erythrocyte lysis rates in patients with HS are significantly higher than in individuals with no hematologic diseases in history, however, there are no studies demonstrating the relationship between the amount of microspherocytes and erythrocyte lysis rates. AIM: Was to establish correlation between erythrocyte lysis rates and the amount of microspherocytes in patients with HS. MATERIALS AND MATERIALS: Study material was venous blood of 15 patients with HS (the main group) and of 14 “healthy” individuals (control group). Venous blood was taken into test tubes with K3EDTA as an anticoagulant for calculation of morphometric parameters of erythrocytes, and into test tubes with Li-heparin for determination of erythrocyte lysis rates. Morphometric parameters of erythrocytes were calculated using VideoTesT-Morphologia hardware and software complex. For each erythrocyte, average surface area, average diameter, thickness and sphericity index were determined Erythrocyte lysis rate was determined with use of glycerol reagent (glycerol test) on Vitalon-400 semi-automatic biochemical analyzer, and was assessed by reduction of optical density of the incubation medium and expressed as the difference between the initial and final optical densities multiplied by 1 000 (standard units). Statistic data processing was carried out using parametric and non-parametric statistical methods, and Spearman correlation analysis was performed by Spearman method using Sigma-Plot 11.0 software. RESULTS: Erythrocyte lysis in glycerol test occurred faster in patients with HS than in “healthy” persons due to instability of membrane of microspherocytes which make a significant proportion of erythrocytes in peripheral blood of patients with HS. CONCLUSIONS: A proportional dependence was established between the amount of microspherocytes and increase in the rate of erythrocyte lysis, which indicates their instability typical of HS. This dependence permits to use the automated glycerol test with graphic record of erythrocyte lysis rate for detection of microspherocytes in blood of patients with HS, when morphometric hardware and software complex is not available in clinical diagnostic laboratories.

Effect of sustainable tourism marketing on brand building

Tourism organizations need to adapt marketing innovation in organizing their affairs and following up on their employees, not neglecting the role of guidance and counseling, and enjoying certain characteristics and policies. Therefore, this study explores the impact of sustainable tourism marketing on brand building. It basically identifies the extent of the impact of sustainable tourism marketing on the culture of the tourism organization, The study adopted the questionnaire as a measurement tool to measure the perceptions of 80 leaders in Iraqi airline (chairman, members of the board of directors, managing director, and heads of departments) in. International Airport in Baghdad. A number of nonparametric statistical methods were used to analyze using SPSS. The study found that the deportation of sustainable tourism marketing and innovative marketing values had influential relations with the culture of the tourism organization. It is also found that market segmentation variable with its dimensions has received high but varying levels of importance. Likely, social responsibility had a high level of importance; it represented a tool for coordinating marketing efforts that work at multiple and diverse levels to do business.

Blood Levels Of Hormones, Cytokines And Leukocyte Content Versus Hypertrophic Scar Laser Treatment Outcome

The goal was to identify the changes in blood levels of hormones, cytokines, and the number of leukocytes associated with the success of laser treatment of hypertrophic scars. Material and Methods — The lipid, hormonal, cytokine and leukocyte composition of blood was studied in 15 women with normotrophic scars (Group 1) and 30 women with hypertrophic scars (Group 2). Blood was taken before treatment on days 5-7 of the menstrual cycle, followed by laser treatment. The clinical parameters of scars were assessed before treatment and 3 months after it, and two subgroups were identified: with a successful treatment outcome (2a) and with an unsuccessful outcome (2b). A retrospective analysis of blood composition was performed in each subgroup. The data were processed using the methods of nonparametric statistics. The differences were considered statistically significant at p&lt;0.05. Results — At a successful treatment outcome, the clinical parameters of scars were associated with low estradiol level, high progesterone content and high number of segmented neutrophils. These changes create conditions for scar hypertrophy, but retain the body’s capability of responding to the treatment by inflammatory process with normotrophic scarring. At an unsuccessful treatment outcome, the scar hypertrophy was restored under conditions of low blood content of luteinizing hormone, and high levels of growth hormone and transforming growth factor β. Conclusion — Features of changes in the blood levels of hormones, cytokines, and leukocyte content are associated with the success of laser treatment of hypertrophic scars.

The Influence of rhBMP-7 Associated with Nanometric Hydroxyapatite Coatings Titanium Implant on the Osseointegration: A Pre-Clinical Study.

Background: Bioceramic nanometer coatings have been regarded as potential substitutes for plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings, and the association with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is an attempt to achieve faster osseointegration to hasten oral rehabilitation. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7) on the osseointegration of titanium implants coated with a thin film surface of hydroxyapatite (HA). Methods: Two implants (n = 24) were placed in each white New Zealand rabbits’ femur (n = 6). Implants were placed in the right femur after standard instrumentation (A and B) and in the left femur after an over-instrumentation (C and D), preventing bone-implant contact. The distal implants were installed associated with rhBMP-7 (groups B [regular instrumentation] and D [over-instrumentation]) and, also, in the absence of without BMP (control groups A [regular instrumentation] and C [over-instrumentation]). After 4 weeks, the animals were euthanized. The bone blocks containing the implants were embedded in methyl methacrylate and sectioned parallel to the long axis of the implant, which were analyzed by image segmentation. The data were analyzed using a nonparametric statistical method. Results: We observed that Group A had a mean bone formation of 35.6% compared to Group B, which had 48.6% (p > 0.05). Moreover, this group showed 28.3% of connective tissue compared to Group A, with 39.3%. In the over-instrumented groups, rhBMP-7 (Group D) showed an enhanced and significant increase in bone formation when compared with the group without rhBMP-7 (Group C). Conclusion: We concluded that the association of rhBMP-7 to thin nanostructure HA-coated implants promoted greater new bone area than the same implants in the absence of rhBMP-7, mainly in cases of over-instrumented implant sites.