Smirnov Test Research Articles

Readability Analysis of Turkish Patient Informing Texts about Teeth Whitening on the Internet: Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: Considering that the texts presented on the internet will be read by people of very different education levels, it is important to examine the readability of these texts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the readability analysis of Turkish patient information texts about teeth whitening on the internet. Method: A Google search using the term “Teeth Whitening” revealed the top 100 websites. Turkish patient information texts on the 86 websites included in this study were evaluated according to the Atesman Readability Index. The information texts originated from dentists, specialist dentists, private health institutions, university hospitals, and newspapers. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and descriptive statistics were used for statistical evaluation. Statistical significance level was accepted as P < .05. Results: Atesman Readability Index score was 59.08 ± 8.14. According to the findings obtained in the research, 0% of the websites examined were rated as very easy, 7% as easy, 86% as moderately difficult, 5.8% as difficult, and 1.2% as very difficult. When the readability levels of the texts were examined according to grade levels, the following was found: 43% were grades 11th–12th , 43% grades 9th–10th, 7% grades 7th–8th, and 5.8% grade associate degree. Conclusion: The readability of Turkish texts on teeth whitening on the internet was found to be of medium difficulty. When creating texts for the internet about teeth whitening, it would be beneficial to make them easier to read by using readability programs before they are published. Keywords: Access to information, dentists, internet, teeth whitening

T-Scan Novus System Application—Digital Occlusion Analysis of 3D Printed Orthodontics Retainers

(1) Background: This study aims to evaluate the occlusal force distribution across different quadrants during the placement of orthodontic retainers fabricated using a biocompatible material via digital design. (2) Materials and Methods: A cohort of 21 patients in the retention phase following orthodontic treatment was included in this study. Intraoral scans were obtained using Trios color (3Shape). For retainer fabrication, the splint studio module of the 3Shape design software was utilized. Occlusal evaluation was performed using T-Scan Novus (Tekscan). The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Wilcoxon signed ranks test, and Mann–Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. (3) Results: The digital design set evenly distributed contacts on all occluding surfaces. These contacts, uniform in area, turned out to be uneven in pressure: right distal—37.14%, right frontal—11.4%, left frontal—11.46%, and left distal—39.99%. (4) Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that the digital design workflow has the capability to achieve uniform contact distribution by area. However, despite the achievement of uniform contact distribution, the study found that there was an unequal distribution of occlusal forces. Specifically, the distal sections of the teeth experienced significantly higher loading compared to the frontal sections.

Assessment of the applicability of large‐scale climate ensemble simulations for analysing future extreme rainfall

AbstractExtreme rainfall events are a major cause of natural disasters and have been projected to increase in frequency and intensity under future climate change scenarios. Previous studies have used outputs of climate model simulations to evaluate changes in future extreme rainfall, but results have been uncertain due to the use of only a limited number of climate simulations. To address this issue, this study aims to evaluate the applicability of the d4PDF database (Database for Policy Decision‐Making for Future Climate Change), produced through large‐scale climate ensemble simulations, for analysing changes in extreme rainfall values between historical and future climatic conditions. A large‐scale sample size of the d4PDF allows the investigation of high‐magnitude rainfalls with long return periods. To utilize the d4PDF as a large‐scale sample for estimating extreme rainfall, the homogeneity between ensembles was assessed using the t test and Mann–Whitney U test, and the historical extreme rainfall with the d4PDF dataset was validated through comparison with observed data and using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. It was confirmed that the d4PDF ensembles could be used as a large‐scale sample, and the historical rainfall series of the d4PDF showed a similar distribution pattern to the observed rainfall series. Subsequent investigation of extreme rainfall for future ensembles during 2051–2110 indicated an increase by 20%–30% compared to historical climatic conditions in South Korea due to climate change. The results demonstrate the applicability of large‐scale climate ensemble simulations, such as d4PDF, for analysing changes in extreme rainfall and suggest that such information can be used to counter future extreme rainfall‐related disasters. Therefore, this study contributes to the knowledge gap in this area and highlights the need for further assessment and utilization of large‐scale climate ensemble simulations for future climate change research.

Association between phase angle of bioelectrical impedance analysis and nutritional parameters in older adults

Introduction: Phase angle (PhA) is a Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameter representing an indicator of cellular health and has been suggested as a biomarker of nutritional status. Objective: To evaluate the association between PhA and nutritional parameters in older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with community-dwelling older adults. Body mass index (BMI), arm muscle circumference (AMC), calf circumference (CC), body fat percentage (BF%), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM), serum albumin, mini-nutritional assessment (MNA), and PhA were assessed. Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, chi-square test, and Poisson regression models were performed. Results: 144 participants were included in the study, and most of them were female, aged ≥80 years, and underweight. Most older adults with lower PhA were women, aged range 80–89 years, and with reduced ASMM (p<0.05). PhA presented a significant correlation with age (r=–0.417; p<0.001), ASMM (r=0.427; p<0.001), AMC (r=0.195; p=0.019) and BF% (r=–0.223; p=0.007). Older adults with lower PhA present reduced ASMM (PR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.04–1.50), and hypoalbuminemia (PR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.11–2.03). Conclusion: PhA is related to commonly nutritional indicators used in clinical practice and could be an important biomarker of muscle mass reserves in community-living older adults of both sexes.

Comparison of Static Balance Performance and Plantar Selected Parameters of Dominant and Non-dominant Leg in Active Adolescent’s Female With Ankle Pronation

Background and Aims One of the most important structural abnormalities in the foot is the decrease in the height of the medial longitudinal arch when bearing body weight, which causes deformity in the ankle and its pronation. The present study aims to compare static balance, posture, and selected plantar parameters in adolescent girls with ankle pronation and healthy peers. Methods This is quasi-experimental and causal-comparative study. Participants were 32 active healthy adolescent girls and 32 adolescent girls with ankle pronation aged 14-17 years. The NewYork digital test was used to assess their posture. The Chippaux-Smirak index (CSI) was used to evaluate their foot arch, and the navicular drop test was used to determine the amount of foot pronation. Romberg test (with eyes closed) was used to assess their static balance. Kolmogorov Smirnov test was used to check the normality of data distribution. Independent t-test was used to compare selected plantar parameters and static balance of two groups, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the postural abnormalities of the two groups. The data analysis was done in SPSS v. 22 software. The significance level was set at 0.05 Results Among postural abnormalities, the prevalence of forward head (1.1%), uneven shoulders (3.6%), lordosis (8.3%), kyphosis (1.6%), knee varus (0.8%), knee valgus (0.12%), heel valgus (6.2%) and heel varus (%1.2) were higher in girls with ankle pronation. There was significant difference between the two groups in the navicular drop of dominant foot (P=0.00) and non-dominant foot (P=0.03), the CSI of dominant foot (P=0.00) and non-dominant foot (P=0.03), and Romberg balance test score (P=0.00). Conclusion Adolescent girls with ankle pronation have more abnormalities compared to their healthy peers. The mechanical changes in their posture increased the development of lordosis, heel valgus, navicular drop, and CSI, and reduced their balance in them.

K2 Optical Emission from OJ 287 and Other γ-Ray Blazars on Hours-to-weeks Timescales from 2014 to 2018

We present second observations by K2 of OJ 287 and seven other γ-ray active galactic nuclei (AGNs) obtained in 2017–2018, second and third observations of the lobe-dominated, steep-spectrum quasar 3C 207, and observations of nine additional blazars not previously observed with K2. The AGNs were observed simultaneously with K2 and the Fermi Large Area Telescope for 51–81 days. Our full sample, observed in 2014–2018, contained 16 BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs), nine flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), and four other γ-ray AGNs. Twelve BL Lacs and seven FSRQs exhibited fast, jagged light curves, while four BL Lacs and two FSRQs had slow, smooth light curves. Some objects changed their red-noise character significantly between repeated K2 observations. The optical characteristics of OJ 287 derived from the short-cadence K2 light curves changed between observations made before and after the predicted passage of the suspected secondary supermassive black hole through the accretion disk of the primary supermassive black hole. The average slopes of the periodogram power spectral densities of the BL Lacs’ and FSRQs’ light curves differed significantly, by ≈12%, with the BL Lac slopes being steeper, and a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test with a p-value of 0.039 indicates that these samples probably come from different populations; however, this result is not as strongly supported by power spectral response (PSRESP) analyses. Differences in the origin of the jets from the ergosphere or accretion disk in these two classes could produce such a disparity, as could different sizes or locations of emission regions within the jets.

Comparison between quadratus lumborum and transversus abdominus plane blocks for analgesia in abdominal surgeries

Background Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Aim The aim was to compare ultrasound (US)-guided quadratus lumborum block and transversus abdominis plane block in abdominal surgeries as regards duration of analgesia, postoperative opioid consumption, and visual analog scale score. Patients and methods A randomized-controlled trial study was carried out at Alexandria University Hospital on 40 American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA)-I and II adult patients scheduled for elective abdominal surgery. The recorded data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software package version 20.0. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to verify the normality of distribution. Quantitative data were described using range (minimum and maximum), mean, SD, and median. Significance of the obtained results was judged at the 5% level. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups as regards age, sex, heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, and complications. There was a highly significant difference between the two groups as regards duration of analgesia, visual analog score value, and the opioid analgesic requirements. Conclusion US-guided quadratus lumborum block is superior to US-guided transversus abdominis plane block for control of postoperative pain in abdominal surgeries in terms of pain scores, duration of analgesia, and total analgesic consumption.

Comparison of Diaphragmatic Stretch and Manual Diaphragmatic Release Technique Along with Chest Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation in Mild-to-moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Diaphragmatic stretch technique, manual diaphragmatic release technique, and chest proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) have been suggested as an alternative method for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of diaphragmatic stretch and manual diaphragmatic release technique along with chest PNF on peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), exercise capacity, dyspnea, chest expansion, and inspiratory pressure in mild-to-moderate COPD participants. Settings and Design: A randomized clinical trial took place on 30 subjects with COPD. Materials and Methods: Subjects were divided into two groups, of which Group A received a diaphragmatic stretch technique with chest PNF and Group B received a manual diaphragmatic release technique with chest PNF. Six-day intervention protocol was given to the participants of both the groups and PEFR, maximum inspiratory pressure, chest expansion, exercise capacity, and dyspnea were assessed before the intervention and after 6 days of intervention. Statistical Analysis: Normality of all continuous data was checked using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Independent t-test was used to analyze the parameters between Group A and Group B. Comparison of difference in pre and post within group was done using independent t-test. Results: Data analyzed in Group A as well as in B, when compared within the group, showed highly significant improvements. When compared between the groups, both the groups showed no difference. Conclusion: The study concluded that there was statistical significance in improvement of PEFR, exercise capacity, dyspnea, chest expansion, and inspiratory pressure within both the groups, but significant changes were not seen between groups. Hence, diaphragmatic stretch and manual release technique along with chest PNF can be used as an alternative/adjunct for the treatment of COPD.

Non-pharmacological Intervention to Reduce Sleep Disturbance Among Elderly: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Objectives This study aims to assess the effect of music therapy (MT) and sleep hygiene (SH) education on sleep disorders of the elderly in Urmia, Iran. Methods & Materials This is a randomized controlled clinical trial. Participants were 150 older adults referred to health centers in Urmia, Iran. They were divided into three groups of SH+MT, SH, and control using the block randomization method. To measure their sleep quality, the standard Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used. The intervention was conducted for two months. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS software, version 21. To know the baseline difference in the qualitative variables among the three groups, chi-square test was used. Kolmogorov Smirnov test was used to check the normality of data distribution and then one-way ANOVA test was used to compare the seven dimensions of PSQI among the three groups. Results The comparison of seven PSQI dimensions showed that subjective sleep quality (F=14.34, P=0.0001), sleep latency (F=10.05, P=0.0001), sleep duration (F=21.91, P=0.0001), habitual sleep efficiency (F=24.98, P=0.0001), sleep disturbances (F=15.37, P=0.0001), use of sleep medication (F=1.840, P=0.04) and daytime drowsiness (F=1.181, P=0.02) were significantly different among the three groups. The combination of SH education and MT improved the sleep quality of participants more than the SH education alone. Conclusion It seems that sleep disorders of the elderly can be reduced by teaching sleep hygiene and listening to favorite music before going to sleep.

Risk Factors Increased Levels of Serum Glutamate Oxcaloacetate Transferase (SGOT) and Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transferase (Sgpt) in The Community in The District North Konawe

Background: Based on data on the number of blood chemistry tests at the North Konawe Regency Regional General Hospital in 2019 amounted to 1,519 cases, an increase in 2020, namely 1,659 cases and an increase in 2020 to 2,264 cases. The purpose of the study was to analyze the risk factors for increasing SGOT and SGPT levels in the People of North Konawe Regency.
 Methods: This study used the Case Control Studyapproach. The population numbered 48 people. The Study Sample totaled 23 SGOT and SGPT improvement samples and 23 control samples. The sample technique in this study is Simple Random Sampling. The data was processed using the Data Normality Test (Kolmogrov Smirnov Test) Odds Ratio Test and logistic regression
 Result: The results showed that smoking or 2,769, alcohol consumption OR 6.476 and consumption of or drugs OR 5.312 against the increase in serum glutamate pyruvate transferase levels (SGPT) in The Community of North Konawe District. Regression tests showed that alcohol consumption was the most at-risk factor for increased levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetictransferase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transferase (SGPT) in the People of North Konawe Regency.
 Conclusion: Research shows that occupation, smoking habits, alcohol consumption and drug consumption are risk factors for increased levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetictransferase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transferase (SGPT) in the people of North Konawe Regency.

Prevention dental caries by improving oral hygiene through a high-fiber diet in children with mixed dentition: Experimental study in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia

Aim: This study was aim to analyze the effect of chewing high-fiber food (fresh pears/ Pyrus bretshneideri) to improve oral hygiene as an effort to prevent dental caries in children with mixed dentition. Materials & Methods: A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, non-equivalent control group design was used to investigated 40 children attending a private school in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. Subjects who were present on the day of examination, does not have calculus covering more than 2/3 of the crown of the tooth, has moderate to poor debris index criteria, is physically and mentally healthy, and is not on treatment were included in this study. The outcome was the children’s oral hygiene, so debris index (DI) was measured according to the Greene and Vermilion debris index (The simplified OHI). The research data obtained were analyzed using SPSS-software, with the normality test using the Kolmogorov Smirnov test and the paired T-test to compare quantitative data. Results: The mean debris index of children after chewing high-fiber food decreased showing a significant reduction by 0.73 (t 23.086, p-value < 0.001). Conclusion: In this present study showed that the level of debris index among children decreased after chewing high-fiber food, indicating that consuming high fiber food can improve children’s oral hygiene, and is a major factor in the prevention of dental caries.

Study on a mother wavelet optimization framework based on change-point detection of hydrological time series

Abstract. Hydrological time series (HTS) are the key basis of water conservancy project planning and construction. However, under the influence of climate change, human activities and other factors, the consistency of HTS has been destroyed and cannot meet the requirements of mathematical statistics. Series division and wavelet transform are effective methods to reuse and analyse HTS. However, they are limited by the change-point detection and mother wavelet (MWT) selection and are difficult to apply and promote in practice. To address these issues, we constructed a potential change-point set based on a cumulative anomaly method, the Mann–Kendall test and wavelet change-point detection. Then, the degree of change before and after the potential change point was calculated with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, and the change-point detection criteria were proposed. Finally, the optimization framework was proposed according to the detection accuracy of MWT, and continuous wavelet transform was used to analyse HTS evolution. We used Pingshan station and Yichang station on the Yangtze River as study cases. The results show that (1) change-point detection criteria can quickly locate potential change points, determine the change trajectory and complete the division of HTS and that (2) MWT optimal framework can select the MWT that conforms to HTS characteristics and ensure the accuracy and uniqueness of the transformation. This study analyses the HTS evolution and provides a better basis for hydrological and hydraulic calculation, which will improve design flood estimation and operation scheme preparation.

MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN LITERASI MATEMATIKA DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN PEMBELAJARAN HYBRID DI SEKOLAH DASAR

Transformation in the field of education can be carried out by developing more innovative and creative learning designs through a student-centered learning approach. The use of technology as a learning medium is the right choice for teachers to improve the mathematical literacy skills of elementary school students, the combination of face-to-face learning with technology-based learning is then called hybrid learning. The mathematical literacy indicators used in this study refer to questions formulated in PISA organized by the OECD. Based on this, this study then aims to determine the effect of hybrid learning in improving students' mathematical literacy skills. The results showed that the average score of students after using this learning was 80.60 with a standard deviation of 14.505 and a maximum score of 100. As for the results of the effectiveness test on the results of the independent sample t-test, it showed significant results with the calculation results of F = 0.083, df = 80, sig (2-tailed) = 0.002, which successfully answers the research hypothesis of the normality test using the Kolmogorov Smirnov test states that the data value score Sig.0.002 ≤ 0.05, thus it can be ascertained that there is a significant effect of hybrid learning on students' literacy skills.

Correlation of dermatoglyphics and Class II skeletal malocclusion – Original research

Dermatoglyphics is a study of the unique pattern in the skin of fingers, palms, soles, and toes. These dermatoglyphics has played an important role in various fields like forensic medicine, genetics, and anthropology.Sir Francis Galton stated that an individual’s dermal pattern remained constant throughout their lifetime. Many studies have suggested the possible relation between dermatoglyphics and occlusion.Studies have suggested that dermatoglyphics could be used as a tool to identify the underlying skeletal malocclusion. As the dermal pattern and oral structures develop together, the genetic information in the dermal pattern could be used to assess the different types of skeletal malocclusions. Hence, the study was aimed to compare and evaluate the correlation between dermatoglyphics and class II skeletal malocclusion in horizontal and vertical growth patterns. The total of 50 samples were taken and divided into horizontal and vertical growth pattern consisting of 25 samples each. The dermatoglyphic pattern between the right and left hand and the pattern such as arches, loops, and whorls were evaluated. The data was analyzed by Kolmogorov – Smirnov and Shapiro Wilk test. There was a statistically significant association between class 2 malocclusion and the dermatoglyphic pattern.

Host defense peptides combined with MTA extract increase the repair in dental pulp cells: in vitro and ex vivo study

Host Defense Peptides (HDPs) have, in previous studies, been demonstrating antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory capacity, important factors in the repair process. Knowing these characteristics, this article aims to evaluate the potential of HDPs IDR1018 and DJK-6 associated with MTA extract in the repair process of human pulp cells. Antibacterial activity of HDPs, MTA and HDPs combined with MTA in Streptococcus mutans planktonic bacteria and antibiofilm activity was evaluated. Cell toxicity was assayed with MTT and cell morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Proliferation and migration of pulp cells were evaluated by trypan blue and wound healing assay. Inflammatory and mineralization related genes were evaluated by qPCR (IL-6, TNFRSF, DSPP, TGF-β). Alkaline phosphatase, phosphate quantification and alizarin red staining were also verified. The assays were performed in technical and biological triplicate (n = 9). Results were submitted for the calculation of the mean and standard deviation. Then, normality verification by Kolmogorov Smirnov test, analyzing one-way ANOVA. Analyses were considered at a 95% significance level, with a p-value < 0.05. Our study demonstrated that HDPs combined with MTA were able to reduce biofilms performed in 24 h and biofilm performed over 7 days S. mutans biofilm (p < 0.05). IDR1018 and MTA, as well as their combination, down-regulated IL-6 expression (p < 0.05). Tested materials were not cytotoxic to pulp cells. IDR1018 induced high cell proliferation and combined with MTA induced high cellular migration rates in 48 h (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the combination of IDR1018 and MTA also induced high expression levels of DSPP, ALP activity, and the production of calcification nodules. So, IDR-1018 and its combination with MTA could assist in pulp-dentine complex repair process in vitro.

Selecting representative geological realizations to model subsurface [formula omitted] storage under uncertainty

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the quickest and most effective solutions for reducing carbon emissions. The majority of subsurface storage occurs in saline aquifers, for which geological information is lacking which in turn results in geological uncertainty. To evaluate uncertainty in CO2 injection projections, the use of multiple geological realizations (GRs) has been practiced very commonly. In this approach, hundreds or thousands of high-resolution GRs is used that quickly becomes computationally expensive. This issue can be addressed with representative geological realizations (RGRs) that preserve the uncertainty domain of the ensemble GRs. In this study, we propose the use of unsupervised machine learning (UML) frameworks, including dissimilarity measurement, dimensionality reduction, clustering and sampling algorithms ta select a predetermined number of RGRs. We compare the simulation outputs of the RGR sets and the ensemble using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) test to select the best UML. The UML frameworks and their associated selection processes are evaluated using a saline aquifer with a single CO2 injection well and 200 GRs with varying uncertain petrophysical characteristics. The best UML framework is selected to use only 5% of the GRs while maintaining the uncertainty domain of the ensemble GRs. In addition, the best UML framework is tested using a saline aquifer with three CO2 injection wells and varied GRs. The results show that our proposed UML framework can be used to choose RGRs, capturing the whole uncertainty domain. Our approach leads to a significant reduction in the computational cost associated with scenario testing, decision-making, and development planning for CO2 storage sites under geological uncertainty.

Mapping Irrigated Areas Based on Remotely Sensed Crop Phenology and Soil Moisture

Artificial irrigation is critical for improving soil moisture conditions and ensuring crop growth. Its irrational deployment can lead to ecological and environmental issues. Mapping and understanding the changes in irrigated areas are vital to effectively managing limited water. However, most researchers map irrigated areas with a single data resource, which makes it hard to detect irrigated signals in complex situations. The case study area for this paper was China’s winter wheat region, and an irrigated area map was generated by analyzing the effects of artificial irrigation on crop phenological characteristics and soil moisture time series. The mapping process involved three steps: (1) generating a basic irrigated map by employing the ISODATA classification method on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test irrigation signals from the microwave remote sensing data and reanalysis data; (2) creating the other map with the maximum likelihood ratio classification and zoning scheme on the phenological parameters extracted from the NDVI time series; and (3) fusing these two maps at the decision level to obtain the final map with a higher spatial resolution of 1 km. The map was evaluated against existing irrigated area data and was highly compatible with GMIA 5.0. The overall accuracy (OA) was 73.49%.

Pathologic TDP43 Associated Tri‐Glial Dysfunction in Amnestic and Non‐amnestic Clinical Dementia Syndromes: A Multiplexed Immunofluorescence Study

AbstractBackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a substantial cause of death and disability. In addition to the plaques and tangles classically observed in AD, other co‐existing brain lesions also contribute to the development of cognitive impairment, such as pathologic trans‐active response DNA‐binding protein 43 (pTDP43). TDP43 is ubiquitously expressed in the brain and mechanistic studies suggest potential roles for TDP43 in maintaining normal physiologic conditions in glia (astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes) (Bulgiani, 2022). Effective glial functioning and signaling are crucial to maintaining functional connectivity and pTDP43 is strongly associated with lower cognitive performance (Flanagan, 2018). However, pTDP43’s role in tri‐glial dysfunction remains unclear. We hypothesize that nuclear astrocytic TDP43 loss alters astrocyte‐to‐microglial signaling, and results in tri‐glial dysfunction. Here we examine glial pTDP43 subtypes in amnestic and non‐amnestic clinical dementia syndromes with matched AD pathology.MethodParaffin embedded autopsy samples (hippocampus and middle frontal cortex) were stained using multiplexed immunofluorescence (Pu.1: microglia, GLUL: astrocytes, total TDP43), and imaged. Indica Labs Halo software was used to perform quantitative analyses on whole slide images. Cases were matched for AD pathology (low and high) (Montine, 2012). Students’ t‐tests were performed to compare cell counts between groups. Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was performed to check approximate normality before applying t‐test and all measurements passed it. Clinical phenotypes (AD dementia vs. behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD)) and pTDP43 status were compared (n = 50). Spatial localization plots, NSInC colocalization indices, and Box plot comparisons were used to assess the impact of glial pTDP43 on the microenvironment.ResultHippocampal astrocyte counts are lowest in the AD dementia setting with the highest AD pathology burden, and presence of co‐existing pTDP43. Cases with high AD pathology had lower astrocyte counts when co‐existing pTDP43 was present when comparing both AD dementia with pTDP43 vs. AD dementia without pTDP43 (p = 0.03), and AD dementia with pTDP43 vs. bvFTD without pTDP43 (p = 0.05).ConclusionContradictory to studies showing increased GFAP in mutant TDP43 mice (Yan, 2014), the lowest astrocyte counts were found in individuals with AD dementia, highest burden of AD pathology, and presence of pTDP43. Results support the role of astroglial heterogeneity contributing to white matter dysfunction via selective vulnerability.

Course of Acute Pancreatitis Patients with Renal Failure According to Balthazar Classification.

There are criteria that include many organ systems to predict the prognosis in acute pancreatitis (AP) patients. In this study, we aimed to show how the course of the disease changes according to the Balthazar classification in AP patients presenting with renal failure. Our study included 352 patients who were admitted to the Emergency Service of our hospital and were diagnosed and hospitalized with AP. According to the Balthazar score, patients with scores of 0-2, 4-6, and 8-10 were evaluated as mild, moderate, and severe AP, respectively. Demographic data (age, gender) of all patients were documented. The etiology of AP was determined in all patients. Biliary, drug/toxic, alcohol, infections, hyperlipidemia, post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), genetics, hypercalcemia, structural anomalies, and malignancy were evaluated as the etiology. Those without any underlying pathology were evaluated as idiopathic AP. The patients were divided into two groups as those with and without renal insufficiency. All patients underwent helical computed tomography (section 64, Aquilion; Toshiba Medical Systems, Tokyo) within the first 12 hours and between days 3 and 7. Pancreas, peripancreatic and extrapancreatic findings, and complications were examined. "The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 19.0 (SPSS Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.)" was used for all analyses. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and histograms were used to determine whether there was a normal distribution. The non-parametric data of the groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and the parametric data using the ındependent t test. Chi-square test was used to test categorical data. Cases with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. : While 22 (6.2%) patients had renal insufficiency, 332 (95.8%) patients did not have renal insufficiency. In the evaluation made in terms of AP severity; according to Balthazar classification at admission, there was no difference in mild and moderate pancreatitis for kidney insufficiency in both groups, but it was significantly higher in the group with severe pancreatitis [2 (9.1%) versus 1 (0.3%), P < 0.001]. In the evaluation made after 72 hours; renal failure was significantly lower in the group with mild pancreatitis [11 (50.0%) versus 245 (73.8%), P: 0.016] and severe renal failure was significantly higher in severe pancreatitis [7 (31.8%) versus 13 (%) 3.9), P < 0.001]. Early intensive care unit admission and close follow-up and early treatment in AP patients change the course of the disease. In our study, we showed that serum creatinine level is an important parameter in the course of AP and has a predictive value for the course of the disease.

Cholecalciferol as a means of nonspecific immunoprophylaxis against COVID-19

The current direction of scientific research in recent years has been the study of the immunobiological properties of vitamin D. The purpose of this work was to analyze the results of oral administration of cholecalciferol in order to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was performed in the period from October 07 to December 29, 2020, when there were no immunobiological drugs for specific prevention of COVID-19. The total number of respondents was 73 people; all had been ill with coronavirus only once. The etiological diagnosis of the disease included molecular genetic testing of samples of two localizations obtained by the conventional method (nasopharynx, oropharynx). The concentration of antibodies to the virus was determined on average 2 months after the disease using a set of reagents SARS-CoV-2-IgG quantitative-ELISA-Best (JSC Vector-Best, Russia). An approximate assessment of IgM concentration was carried out using a set of SARS-CoV-2-IgM-ELISA-Best from the same manufacturer. Among the study participants were those who used immunobiological drugs for the prevention of infection (riamilovir, umifenovir hydrochloride monohydrate, human recombinant interferon alpha-2b, zinc acetate, vitamin C). In particular, 28 people (38.4%) took cholecalciferol (group No. 1) and 45 people (61.6%) did not use this (group No. 2). Statistical processing of the obtained data was performed using the statistical package STATISTICA v.12.5.192.5 (StatSoft, Inc., USA). We applied the analysis of basic statistics, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Chi-Square test, Wald–Wolfowitz Runs Test, Kruskal– Wallis test. Differences in the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome of the two studied groups were revealed: in patients taking cholecalciferol, the syndrome did not develop at all; in group No. 2, it was registered in 20.0% of cases (Chi-Square = 5.242, p = 0.02). In addition, in patients of group No. 1, the concentration of IgG 2 months after the disease was 3.8 times higher than the values in group No. 2 (Chi-Square = 9.268, p = 0.003). Similar differences were found for the IgM level (Wilks' Lambda: 0.659 approx. F (7.32) = 2.367 p &lt; 0.045). It was known that in both groups there were respondents who used other immuno-active substances for preventive purposes. In the first group there were 18 people (24.7% of all); in the second, there were 13 people (17.8% of all). It was found that those who used other immuno-active substances and did not take vitamin D suffered the disease more easily than everyone else. The respondents who did not use any immunoprophylactic agents were the next in terms of the severity of the infection. The respondents who took cholecalciferol mainly assessed the severity of the infection as average. The study participants who took both vitamin D and used other means of prevention suffered the most from COVID-19. Respondents who took cholecalciferol more often than others reported long-term fatigue, exacerbation of chronic and the appearance of new diseases (hypertension, cardialgia, bronchial asthma, allergies, decreased visual acuity), muscle, joint and vertebral pains that appeared for the first time. The phenomenon of arthralgia and other lesions of large joints in COVID-19 was described by us earlier. Studies by other authors also report frequent complaints of increased fatigue and joint pain. At the same time, the role of vitamin D is considered exclusively from the standpoint of vitamin deficiency in a new coronavirus infection and its potential role in inhibiting hyperinflammatory reactions, as well as accelerating the healing process of affected areas, especially in lung tissue. It was found that vitamin D intake did not affect the incidence of fever, the incidence of pneumonia, the volume of lung tissue damage (based on computed tomography data), the duration of hospitalization and the disease as a whole, and also did not prevent the development of anosmia and dysgeusia. The use of vitamin D as a protective agent to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus has had an impact on reducing the frequency/ prevention of cases of respiratory distress syndrome during the disease. Also, those who took vitamin D recorded an increase in the formation of IgG to the SARS-CoV-2 virus 2 months after infection 3.8 times higher than the values recorded in respondents who did not take cholecalciferol. The participants who took cholecalciferol suffered the infection more severely, especially if they used any other protective substances. Also, with the preventive intake of vitamin D after COVID-19, increased fatigue persisted longer, the appearance of new and activation of chronic diseases and muscle, joint and vertebral pains that appeared for the first time were reported more often, which correlates with the data we received earlier.