Present Differences Research Articles

가상현실 게임 내 시각 및 촉각적 요소가 게임 사용자의 경험에 미치는 영향

This study measured the effect of visual and tactile elements in Virtual Reality (VR) games on game user experience. We conducted an experiment with 44 participants in a VR shooter game. We manipulated the visual complexity, perspective, and controller weight of the game environment. We found that the rate of first-person perspective usage was higher when the visual complexity of the shooter game was high. We also found that there were significant differences in presence and flow according to visual complexity, with higher presence when the visual complexity was low and higher flow when the visual complexity was high. Weight, a tactile factor, did not have a significant effect on user experience. These findings suggest that in future VR game development, developers should consider the amount of information in the game and use a third-person perspective along with a first-person perspective for effective development.

가상현실 게임 내 시각 및 촉각적 요소가 게임 사용자의 경험에 미치는 영향

This study measured the effect of visual and tactile elements in Virtual Reality (VR) games on game user experience. We conducted an experiment with 44 participants in a VR shooter game. We manipulated the visual complexity, perspective, and controller weight of the game environment. We found that the rate of first-person perspective usage was higher when the visual complexity of the shooter game was high. We also found that there were significant differences in presence and flow according to visual complexity, with higher presence when the visual complexity was low and higher flow when the visual complexity was high. Weight, a tactile factor, did not have a significant effect on user experience. These findings suggest that in future VR game development, developers should consider the amount of information in the game and use a third-person perspective along with a first-person perspective for effective development.

EFFECT OF IMMERSION TEMPERATURE VARIATION OF SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE 4% AS A DELIPIDATION AGENT ON QUALITY OF COLON TISSUE PREPARATIONS

Background: Adipose or fatty tissue will interfere with the maturation process of the tissue, causing the tissue to become hard, difficult to cut and interfere with the staining of the preparation. Therefore, the adipose tissue needs to be diluted through the delipidation stage. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of variations in the immersion temperature of colonic tissue using SLS 4% for 6 hours on the quality of the tissue preparations produced and the presence of differences in the quality of the preparations produced.
 Method: This research method uses a quasi-experimental type of research using data obtained from measuring the level of clarity and quality of tissue preparations and then processed statistically using the Paired Sample T-Test . The samples used in this study are the remaining samples in the form of colonic tissue that are no longer used by the Anatomical Pathology Laboratory of Cibabat Hospital. The colonic tissues used is as many 15 units. The parameters used are a 4% SLS clarity rate, and the quality of colonic tissues preparations that are observed microscopically and using ImageJ software.
 Result: The results of the Paired Sample T-Test obtained a value of t = -1.740, df = 14 and gave a p-value much smaller than 0.05. The results of the study showed that there was an influence of temperature variations on the quality of colonic tissue preparations and there were differences in the quality of the colonic tissue preparations produced.
 Conclusion: Colonic tissues that are immersed using a 4% SLS at 60°C provide a more optimal quality preparation compared to colonic tissue at 4% room temperature SLS immersion and tissues that do not go through delipidation.The research suggestion is to conduct further research to obtain optimal time, temperature and concentration in SLS as a delipidation agent so that good quality preparations are obtained but do not eliminate fat completely.

Salivary levels of five microorganisms of root caries in nursing home elderly: a preliminary investigation

BackgroundStreptococcus, Bifidobacteria, Lactobacillus and Actinomyces are acidogenic aciduria that may be associated with root caries (RC). The aim of the study was to analyze Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), Streptococcus sobrinus (S. sobrinus), Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp. and Actinomyces naeslundii (A. naeslundii) in the saliva of nursing home elderly, to assess the correlation between bacterial composition and RC for five putative catiogenic organisms.MethodsIn this study, we collected 43 saliva samples and divided into two groups: the root caries group (RCG, n = 21) and the caries-free group (CFG, n = 22). Bacterial DNA was extracted from the saliva samples. The presence and abundance of the five microorganisms were detected by Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Spearman correlation test was performed to evaluate the relationship between the numbers of root decayed filled surfaces (RDFS) and root caries index (RCI) and salivary levels of the bacteria.ResultsThe salivary levels of S. mutans, S. sobrinus, Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. were significantly higher in RCG than in CFG (p < 0.05). RDFS and RCI (RDFS/RCI) were positively associated with salivary levels of S. mutans, S. sobrinus and Bifidobacterium spp. (r = 0.658/0.635, r = 0.465/0.420 and r = 0.407/0.406, respectively). No significant differences in presence and amounts of A. naeslundii was observed between the two groups (p > 0.05).ConclusionS. mutans, S. sobrinus and Bifidobacterium spp. in saliva appear to be associated with RC in the elderly. Taken together, the findings indicate that specific salivary bacteria may be involved in the progression of RC.

PRESCRIPTION OF SINGLE-PILL ANTIHYPERTENSIVE COMBINATION THERAPY

Objective: The need for polytherapy is common among people affected by arterial hypertension (AH). A single-pill combination is a response to decreased medication adherence, especially in elderly people often suffering from more than one disease, which tends to improve blood pressure control and cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of use of a single-pill antihypertensive combination (SPC) therapy and possible differences in presence of comorbidities. Design and method: 324 hypertensive participants on pharmacological treatment were included in this research, of which 51.2% were men, and with an overall median age of 64 years (IQR = 17). For each participant undergoing 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement, data about pharmacological therapy, weight, height and comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) were obtained from their most recent medical records combined with self reports. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Results: 148 (45.7%) participants were prescribed a SPC. Participants taking a SPC had lower presence of CKD (23.7% with CKD vs. 76.3% without CKD, p&lt;0.001). No significant difference was found in the presence of DM (p = 0.496). Another interesting finding was more frequent use of SPC therapy among patients with higher BMI (p = 0.029). Conclusions: The results show that less than half of the participants in our study were prescribed an SPC. From this we can conclude that more attention should be paid to educating people about the options for antihypertensive treatment and simplifying therapy regimen. Another point we should highlight is the limited availability of SPCs in the treatment of hypertension in patients suffering from CKD.

Demographic differences in presence across seven studies

Demographic differences in presence across seven studies

Comparison between micro-anchor skin dressing and liquid bonding agent for elective knee arthroscopy portal closure.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate outcomes of elective knee arthroscopy portal closure comparing two skin closure techniques. This was a randomised controlled trial including healthy volunteers aged ≥18 years undergoing elective knee arthroscopy that used two portals. At the time of surgery, each patient's two arthroscopy portal closures were randomised to one of two closure techniques; the first technique used approximation of the skin with a micro-anchor skin dressing (BandGrip Inc., US), while the second closure technique used an absorbable suture (Biosyn Monofilament, Medtronic) and a liquid bonding agent skin closure (Dermabond, Ethicon Inc., US). Postoperative complications and patient-reported outcomes were evaluated at the first visit after knee arthroscopy and at six weeks postoperatively. A total of 38 patients (76 portals) were enrolled in this study. No patients reported wound complications of either portal; thus, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in wound complication rates between the skin closure techniques. Survey questions regarding any difference in appearance and cosmesis between the closure techniques' portal sites were responded to by 15 patients, all of whom indicated no difference in appearance between the portal sites. There was also no statistically significant difference between the two closure techniques with regards to appearance. There was no significant difference in presence of wound complications or appearance between skin closure with the micro-anchor skin dressing and the absorbable suture/liquid bonding agent skin closure.

Sex-specific analysis of clinical features and outcomes in staphylococcal periprosthetic joint infections managed with two-stage exchange arthroplasty.

Background: Differences in susceptibility and response to infection between males and females are well established. Despite this, sex-specific analyses are under-reported in the medical literature, and there is a paucity of literature looking at differences between male and female patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Whether there are sex-specific differences in presentation, treatment tolerability, and outcomes in PJI has not been widely evaluated. Methods: We undertook a retrospective case-matched analysis of patients with staphylococcal PJI managed with two-stage exchange arthroplasty. To control for differences other than sex which may influence outcome or presentation, males and females were matched for age group, causative organism category (coagulase-negative staphylococci vs. Staphylococcus aureus), and joint involved (hip vs. knee). Results: We identified 156patients in 78pairs of males and females who were successfully matched. There were no significant baseline differences by sex, except for greater use of chronic immunosuppression among females (16.4 % vs. 4.1 %; ). We did not detect any statistically significant differences in outcomes between the two groups. Among the 156 matched patients, 16 recurrent infections occurred during a median follow-up time of 2.9 (IQR 1.5-5.3) years. The 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 16.1 % for females, compared with 8.8 % for males ( ). Conclusions: Success rates for PJI treated with two-stage exchange arthroplasty are high, consistent with previously reported literature. This retrospective case-matched study did not detect a significant difference in outcome between males and females with staphylococcal PJI who underwent two-stage exchange arthroplasty.

MP13-13 WOLF 24F VS. STORZ 28F LASER SCOPE FOR HOLMIUM LASER ENUCLEATION OF THE PROSTATE (HOLEP): INTERIM ANALYSIS OF A PROSPECTIVE RCT

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP13-13 WOLF 24F VS. STORZ 28F LASER SCOPE FOR HOLMIUM LASER ENUCLEATION OF THE PROSTATE (HOLEP): INTERIM ANALYSIS OF A PROSPECTIVE RCT Nick Dean, Matthew Lee, Mark Assmus, Jenny Guo, Jessica Helon, and Amy Krambeck Nick DeanNick Dean More articles by this author , Matthew LeeMatthew Lee More articles by this author , Mark AssmusMark Assmus More articles by this author , Jenny GuoJenny Guo More articles by this author , Jessica HelonJessica Helon More articles by this author , and Amy KrambeckAmy Krambeck More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003233.13AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is routinely performed with a 24, 26, or a 28 French (F) laser scope. Proponents of the 28F scope state that larger sheath size allows for superior flow and visibility leading to a more efficient operation and better hemostasis. Those utilizing the 24F scope suggest the smaller size is less traumatic, resulting in a lower incidence of urethral strictures and temporary incontinence. We sought to compare outcomes of HoLEP using the 24F and 28F laser scope. METHODS: From May 2022 to October 2022, we prospectively randomized 59 patients with prostates 200 cm3 or less undergoing HoLEP 1:1 to either a 24F or 28F laser scope. IRB approval (STU00215646) and registry with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05308017) was obtained. The primary outcome was differences in surgical duration between groups (mins). Secondary outcomes included surgeon scope evaluation (flow rate, visualization, and intra-operative complications) and post-operative patient outcomes. RESULTS: There was no difference in demographics and prostate features between patients randomized to 28F (n=30) versus 24F (n=29) (p>0.05). Intra-operative variables including procedure, enucleation, and morcellation time (s), as well as OR specimen weight (g), and enucleation efficiency (g/min) were not different between groups (all p>0.05). The 28F scope was associated with improved surgeon-graded flow and visualization (p<0.01); however, there was no difference in intra-operative complications (p=0.48). Successful same day catheter removal occurred in 48/54 (89%) patients with no statistical difference between groups (24F 81% versus 28F 96% p=0.09). Time to complete continence was statistically shorter in the 24F group (5.8 versus 15.2 days, p=0.04). Time to resolution of hematuria (5.0 versus 6.4 days, p=0.33) and dysuria (4.8 versus 4.0 days, p=0.65) was not different between groups. There were no differences in presence of hematuria, incontinence, and dysuria between groups at one and three-month patient surveys. There were no major complications (CD>3b), urethral strictures, or bladder neck contractures in either group during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The 28F laser scope was associated with improved surgeon gradings. There were no statistically significant differences in intra-operative or post-operative outcomes at 1 and 3-month follow up due to scope size; however, in the immediate postoperative period the 24F scope may lead to earlier return of continence. Source of Funding: Richard Wolf © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e178 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Nick Dean More articles by this author Matthew Lee More articles by this author Mark Assmus More articles by this author Jenny Guo More articles by this author Jessica Helon More articles by this author Amy Krambeck More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Часткова перев’язка ворітної вени печінки: морфологічна оцінка результатів моделювання допечінкової форми портальної гіпертензії

Portal hypertension is an increase in pressure in the hepatic portal vein system. The most common animal model of prehepatic portal hypertension in use today is partial ligation of the hepatic portal vein in rats but existing studies focus on determining the short-term effects of partial ligation of the hepatic portal vein. Purpose - to evaluate the model of prehepatic portal hypertension by means of a histological study of partial portal vein ligation influence on liver tissue. Materials and methods. Male Wistar rats (n=45), aged 6 weeks and weighing 150±15 grams, were included in the study. The animals were divided into 3 groups: the Group 1 - partial ligation of the portal vein of the liver was performed (formation of stenosis; n=15), the Group 2 - ligation of the portal vein of the liver without its obstruction was performed (pseudo-operated; n=15), the Group 3 - a control group (intact animals, n=15). The rats were withdrawn from the experiment six months after the operation. For histological examination, liver fragments were taken, after standard preparation of the preparations, photographed with an OLYMPUS BX51 light microscope and examined with a PEM-125k electron microscope. The obtained microphotographs were processed and analyzed using the biomedical image processing software ImageJ v.1.50 (National Institutes of Health, USA). Digital data were analyzed in Graphpad Prizm v. 8.3 (Graphpad, USA) statistical package. Results. In rats of the Group 1 the presence of large droplet and total fatty dystrophy of hepatocytes in the center of the lobules was established. The development of connective tissue with the formation of centro-central and porto-central septa was observed. The prolonged effect of partial ligation of the portal vein most closely corresponded to the picture of zonal fatty parenchymal dystrophy of the liver and balloon degeneration of hepatocytes with subsequent fibrosis development. In animals of the Group 1, the distribution of the specific number of hepatocyte nuclei differed from the normal one (p=0.0124), the presence of differences in this indicator between the animals of the three groups was established (p&lt;0.005). Histological examination of the liver of the Group 2 rats revealed preservation of the histological structure of the organ, with moderate changes. Rats of the Group 3 showed normal histoarchitectonics of the organ. Conclusions. The homogeneity of changes in the liver and their reproducibility indicate the stability of the developed model and its suitability for further development of treatment methods. The experiments with laboratory animals were provided in accordance with all bioethical norms and guidelines. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Agromorphological Characterization of Maize Hybrids and Estimation of Genetic Parameters in Mid-Hills of Far-West Nepal

The experiment was laid out in alpha-lattice design with two replicates of each genotype which comprised twenty-three heat-tolerant maize hybrids received from CIMMYT-Mexico and three check varieties. These treatment genotypes were evaluated at the Agronomy farm, Gokuleshwor College, Baitadi, Nepal, during the spring season of 2021. ZH191065 and ZH191158 were found to be the tallest (307.2 cm) and the shortest (227.6 cm) genotypes, respectively. High heritability (&gt;60%) with high genetic advances in most traits, ensures the predominance difference of the genetic components observed among accessions. The presence of differences among genotypes showed that selection is possible by evaluating the days of 50% anthesis, days of 50% silking, anthesis-silking interval, number of ears per plant, number of grains per row, number of rows per cob, cob length, cob diameter, and grain yield; most of these evaluated morphological traits were found highly correlated with grain yield of varieties, suggesting that indirect selection achieves improvement for high yield. Based on yield ranks, ZH 19782, ZH 19961, and DKC 9108 could be promoted as potential higher-yielding heat-tolerant maize hybrids for Nepal.

Pain associated psychological distress is more strongly associated with shoulder pain and function than tear severity in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair

Psychological distress has been associated with declining shoulder function in patients with rotator cuff tears (RCTs). Thus, we aimed to 1) evaluate the absence or presence of differences in shoulder pain, function, or pain-associated psychological distress in patients with increasing RCT severity and 2) assess whether psychological distress is associated with shoulder pain and function while adjusting for RCT severity. Consecutive patients who underwent rotator cuff repair and completed the optimal screening for prediction of referral and outcome (OSPRO) survey from 2019 to 2021 were included. OSPRO is composed of 3 domains that estimate pain associated psychological distress (negative mood, negative coping, and positive coping). Demographics, tear characteristics, and three patient reported outcomes (PRO), including the visual analog scale (VAS), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) were collected. Patients were analyzed with analysis of variance and chi-square tests and stratified based on severity of RCTs into three groups: partial-thickness, small-to-medium full-thickness, and large-to-massive full-thickness tear. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between OSPRO scores and PROs, adjusting for severity of RCT. Eighty-four patients were included: 33 (39%) had partial-thickness, 17 (20%) had small-to-medium full-thickness, and 34 (41%) had large-to-massive tears. Regarding PROs and psychological distress, there were no significant differences amongst the three cohorts. In contrast, multiple significant associations between psychological distress and PROs were found. Within the negative coping domain, fear avoidance dimensions demonstrated the strongest correlation to PROs: fear-avoidance behavior for physical activity (ASES Beta-0.592, P<.001; VAS 0.357, P<.001) and work (ASES Beta-0.442, P<.001; VAS 0.274, P=.015). Several other dimensions within the negative coping, negative mood, and positive coping domains also demonstrated significant associations to PROs. These findings suggest that in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, preoperative psychological distress can more strongly influence patient perception of shoulder pain and diminished shoulder function than RCT severity.

Correcting for Extreme Response Style: Model Choice Matters.

Extreme response style (ERS), the tendency of participants to select extreme item categories regardless of the item content, has frequently been found to decrease the validity of Likert-type questionnaire results. For this reason, various item response theory (IRT) models have been proposed to model ERS and correct for it. Comparisons of these models are however rare in the literature, especially in the context of cross-cultural comparisons, where ERS is even more relevant due to cultural differences between groups. To remedy this issue, the current article examines two frequently used IRT models that can be estimated using standard software: a multidimensional nominal response model (MNRM) and a IRTree model. Studying conceptual differences between these models reveals that they differ substantially in their conceptualization of ERS. These differences result in different category probabilities between the models. To evaluate the impact of these differences in a multigroup context, a simulation study is conducted. Our results show that when the groups differ in their average ERS, the IRTree model and MNRM can drastically differ in their conclusions about the size and presence of differences in the substantive trait between these groups. An empirical example is given and implications for the future use of both models and the conceptualization of ERS are discussed.

Chinese American and Non-Hispanic White Breast Cancer Patients' Knowledge and Use of BRCA Testing.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Chinese American women. Knowing the BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) gene mutation status can improve breast cancer patients' health outcomes by guiding targeted treatment towards preventing breast cancer recurrence and other BRCA-related cancers. Nevertheless, it is unclear if there is a disparity in knowledge and use of BRCA testing among Chinese American breast cancer patients. This cross-sectional study investigated the possible presence of differences in the knowledge and the use of BRCA testing between Chinese American and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) breast cancer patients. We surveyed 45 Chinese American and 48 NHW adult breast cancer patients who had been diagnosed with breast cancer within the previous two years through telephone interviews. The results showed that race was not statistically related to the use of BRCA testing. BRCA testing utilization was associated with family history (p < 0.05) and age (p < 0.05). However, Chinese American participants' understanding of BRCA testing was significantly lower than that of NHW participants (p = 0.030). Our findings suggest that a disparity exists in BRCA testing knowledge between Chinese American and NHW breast cancer patients. Genetic education and counseling are needed to improve BRCA testing knowledge and uptake among Chinese American breast cancer patients.

Effect of Focal vs Extended Irreversible Electroporation for the Ablation of Localized Low- or Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer on Early Oncological Control

Focal ablative irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a therapy that treats only the area of the tumor with the aim of achieving oncological control while reducing treatment-related functional detriment. To evaluate the effect of focal vs extended IRE on early oncological control for patients with localized low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer. In this randomized clinical trial conducted at 5 centers in Europe, men with localized low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer were randomized to receive either focal or extended IRE ablation. Data were collected at baseline and at regular intervals after the procedure from June 2015 to January 2020, and data were analyzed from September 2021 to July 2022. Oncological outcome as indicated by presence of clinically significant prostate cancer (International Society of Urological Pathology grade ≥2) on transperineal template-mapping prostate biopsy at 6 months after IRE. Descriptive measures of results from that biopsy included the number and location of positive cores. A total of 51 and 55 patients underwent focal and extended IRE, respectively. Median (IQR) age was 64 years (58-67) in the focal ablation group and 64 years (57-68) in the extended ablation group. Median (IQR) follow-up time was 30 months (24-48). Clinically significant prostate cancer was detected in 9 patients (18.8%) in the focal ablation group and 7 patients (13.2%) in the extended ablation group. There was no significant difference in presence of clinically significant prostate cancer between the 2 groups. In the focal ablation group, 17 patients (35.4%) had positive cores outside of the treated area, 3 patients (6.3%) had positive cores in the treated area, and 5 patients (10.4%) had positive cores both in and outside of the treated area. In the extended group, 10 patients (18.9%) had positive cores outside of the treated area, 9 patients (17.0%) had positive cores in the treated area, and 2 patients (3.8%) had positive cores both in and outside of the treated area. Clinically significant cancer was found in the treated area in 5 of 48 patients (10.4%) in the focal ablation group and 5 of 53 patients (9.4%) in the extended ablation group. This study found that focal and extended IRE ablation achieved similar oncological outcomes in men with localized low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Because some patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer are still candidates for active surveillance, focal therapy may be a promising option for those patients with a high risk of cancer progression. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01835977.

Utilization of Biotechnology, Neurotransmitter and Cytogenetic Indices in Selecting Pigeon Breeds

Investigations into LDH-A and DR-D4 genes polymorphism, neurotransmitter values and cytogenetic indices of 3 sexed pigeon breeds; non-racing pigeons, (wild rock), racing long distances pigeons (Jan Aarden) and racing short distances pigeons (Janssen) have been performed. The long-distances pigeon showed the highest brain neurotransmitters concentration (p<0.001) among pigeon breeds. Both LDH-A and DR-D4 genes polymorphism indicate the presence of different biodiversity values among pigeon breeds. The variations appeared on the position length 389bp for LDH-A polymorphism, and on two positions length of 418bp and 524bp for DR-D4 polymorphism of long distances male pigeon indicate the presence of unique diversity and overall differences in the amino acids structure in this breed. The protein sequence of both genes showed that in the position of 60 for LDH-A gene the amino acid K (lys) was converted to E (glu), while, in the positions of 117 and 153 for DR-D4 gene the amino acid R (arg) and L (leu) were converted to S (ser) and F (phe) only in long distances male pigeon compared to the other breeds. Moreover, there were slight differences in cytogenetic indices detected among the three pigeon breeds. It can be concluded that both DR-D4 and LDH-A genes polymorphism and neurotransmitters estimations in the brain tissue of racing pigeon would be useful indices for the differentiation and genetic characterization of pigeon breeds and provide a foundation for developing sustainable genetic improvement and conservation programs of the breeding and selecting racing pigeon breeders.

What do we talk about, when we talk about single-crystal termination-dependent selectivity of Cu electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction? A data-driven retrospective.

We mine from the literature experimental data on the CO2 electrochemical reduction selectivity of Cu single crystal surfaces. We then probe the accuracy of a machine learning model trained to predict faradaic efficiencies for 11 CO2 reduction reaction products, as a function of the applied voltage at which the reaction takes place, and the relative amounts of non equivalent surface sites, distinguished according to their nominal coordination. A satisfactory model accuracy is found only when discriminating data according to their provenance. On one hand, this result points at a qualitative agreement across reported experimental CO2 reduction reactions trends for single-crystal surfaces with well-defined terminations. On the other, this finding hints at the presence of differences in nominally identical catalysts and/or CO2 reduction reaction measurements, which result in quantitative disagreement between experiments.

Incidence and prevalence of oral candidal colonization in patients with cleft lip and palate.

This study aims to assess and compare the incidence and rate of oral candidal colonization in patients with cleft lip and palate and collate it with healthy individuals. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the factors that may affect the incidence, rate, and polycolonity of colonization of oral Candida species in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) as compared to healthy individuals. The current prospective study involved the collection and assessment of oral samples from 50 CLP patients and compared it with oral samples from 50 healthy individuals. Colonies of Candida albicans and other Candida species were identified by using germ tube test and differential chromogenic media. Assessment of the distribution trend of various Candida species and their variation based on age, gender, type of cleft, number of surgeries, and oral hygiene status were recorded. A highly significant (P value < 0.001) statistical difference was seen in the oral carriage rate of Candida species between the two groups with values more in the study group (60.75 ± 71.43) than in controls (1.62 ± 2.22). Individually comparing the different Candida species, significant difference in presence of C albicans (P value = 0.004), C parapsilosis (P value = 0.015), and C dubliensis (P value = 0.027) was seen as compared to other species. In the context of the type of cleft and the presence of Candida species Candida albicans was the most prevalent in patients with the cleft alveolus (60.0% n = 15), unilateral CLP (66.7% n = 8), and bilateral CLP (100.0% n = 3) respectively. Nonsignificant variation in prevalence was seen in the various fungal species based on an individual's gender and oral hygiene and the number of surgeries status was observed. The anatomical alteration in the oral cavity of patients with CLP contributes to the high incidence and prevalence of Candida species.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ СВОЙСТВ НЕРВНЫХ ПРОЦЕССОВ И ВНИМАНИЯ У ПОДРОСТКОВ НА СЕВЕРЕ

The quality of education, which is the main task of secondary education, depends on the functional state of the central nervous system, on the level of development of cognitive functions of the student’s body. The teenage period is characterized by the stress of the functional state of the body due to the restructuring of hormonal and nervous regulation mechanisms. The change and formation of the properties of nervous processes at this age leads to activation or, conversely, to a decrease in cognitive functions, to a change in behavioral and emotional-motivational systems of the brain. The purpose of this work is to study the features of nervous processes, the functional state of the central nervous system according to the parameters of sensorimotor reaction and the main properties of attention in adolescents, depending on gender, during the period of educational activity in the North. The object of the study was teenagers, students of grades 7-8 of secondary schools in Yakutsk, in the number of 58 people (30 girls, 28 boys), whose average age is 13.96 ± 0.11 years. To assess the functional state of the central nervous system and the characteristics of the properties of nervous processes, the method of simple visual-motor reaction (PMR) and choice reaction (RV) was used using the hardware and software complex “NS-Psychotest” (Ivanovo, Neurosoft). The main properties of attention (volume of attention, distribution and switchability of attention) were investigated using the technique of the red-black tables of Schulte-Platonov at the agro-industrial complex “NS-Psychotest” (LLC “Neurosoft”, Ivanovo, Russia). The results of our research showed that more than half of the adolescents of all the studied groups have a low level of functional state, which indicates the presence of a process of inhibition in the central nervous system; a state of fatigue; a decrease in mental performance and cognitive activity. The presence of differences in gender identity was revealed. Thus, in adolescents, there are gender differences in all parameters of a simple visual-motor reaction, the predominance of inertia of nervous processes in girls and the predominance of imbalance of nervous processes in boys. The presence of significant gender differences is also noted in such properties of attention as the volume and distribution of attention.

Clone Size By Conventional Cytogenetics in Myelodysplastic Syndromes Correlates with Clinical Features and Outcomes

Introduction Chromosomal abnormalities are detected in 30-40% of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients (pts) using conventional karyotyping of 20 metaphases. Conventional cytogenetics remain crucial for risk stratification and certain cytogenetic abnormalities are MDS defining. The Revised international prognostic scoring system (IPSS-R) and its new molecular version (IPSS-M) account for conventional cytogenetic abnormalities regardless of the number of metaphases those abnormalities are detected among (dichotomous assignment). We aimed to assess correlation of "clone size by conventional cytogenetics” defined as percentage of metaphases where chromosome abnormalities are detected with certain clinical features and outcomes in MDS. Methods We retrieved cases from Moffitt MDS database with cytogenetics of interest (i.e. del5q, del20q, del7q/-7, chromosome 3 (ch3), trisomy 8 (+8) and complex karyotype). Inclusion for this study required presence of at least 10 metaphase analysis of chromosome abnormalities by conventional cytogenetics at time of diagnosis or prior to any therapy. We assessed clinical features of interest and outcomes based on % of cells/metaphases harboring the chromosome abnormality using G-banding "conventional cytogenetics clone size". Results This study included 1096 pts, 151 with isolated del5q, 134 pts with del20q, 113 pts with del7q/-7, 38 pts with isolated ch3, 163 pts with +8, and 497 pts had complex karyotype. Detailed disease baseline characteristics, molecular/cytogenetic data, risk stratification and outcomes of all those cohorts were available and reviewed. Among 151 isolated del 5q, pts with >75% metaphases harboring del5q had more severe anemia (hgb < 8.0 g/dl), 29% compared to 10%,12%, and 18% for pts with <25%, 25-50, and 51-75% metaphases, respectively (p .03). Among pts who were treated with lenalidomide (n=98), there was a trend for higher response rate among pts with >75% del5q metaphases (61% vs 46%; p=.09). There was no difference in presence of TP53-m based on % of metaphases harboring del5q. We identified 134 pts with del20q, pts with >75% del20q metaphases had more thrombocytopenia (< 100 u/l), 65% compared to 42%, 26%, and 42% for pts with <25%, 25-50, and 51-75% metaphases, respectively (p .005). For 163 pts with +8, the median OS was 59 months (mo) for pts with <25% +8 detected metaphases compared to 36 mo for those >25%. (p=.05) For 113 pts with del7q/-7, the median OS was worse for -7 (n= 81) compared to del7q (n=32); (18.5 vs 29 mo, p =.024). The median OS was 98 mo for del7q/-7 with <25% metaphases compared to 18 mo for those > 25% metaphases, p=.009. There was no difference in response to hypomethylating agents based on 25% cutoff. We had 38 pts with isolated ch3 abnormality, the median OS was 122 mo for 2 pts with <25% metaphases compared to 24 mo for those >25%, p=.09. Finally, among 497 pts with complex karyotype, the median OS was 20 mo for those with <25% metaphases compared to 12 mo for >25% (p=.01). There was no difference in presence of TP53-m based on % of metaphases. Conclusions The number of cells harboring chromosome abnormalities in MDS using regular karyotyping "clone size by conventional cytogenetics” strongly correlated with clinical features and outcomes. A 25% cut off should be examined in context of IPSS-R and IPSS-M scoring for cytogenetic risk rather than dichotomous assignment to risk group. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal