Wilcoxon Test Research Articles

The effects of aromatherapy and music on pain, anxiety, and stress levels in palliative care patients.

Pain and anxiety levels in palliative care patients negatively impact their quality of life, highlighting the need for research on non-pharmacological methods. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of music and aromatherapy interventions on pain, anxiety, and stress levels in these patients. The research was designed as a single-blind, four-group, randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of 88 patients hospitalized in a palliative care center (receiving palliative care services with terminal or advanced diseases). Patients were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 22, music, aromatherapy, music and aromatherapy, and control group). Patients in the experimental groups received the intervention to which they were assigned for 20min each day for three consecutive days: music, aromatherapy, or music accompanied by aromatherapy. No intervention was applied to the control group. The patients' levels of pain, anxiety, and stress were assessed before and after the intervention using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Facial Anxiety Scale (FAS), and the Distress Thermometer. No significant differences were found in the demographic characteristics of the groups (p > 0.05). The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank and Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated statistically significant differences in pre- and post-intervention scores for VAS, FAS, and Distress across all experimental groups on all follow-up days (p < 0.05). Implementing music, aromatherapy, and their combination effectively reduced pain, anxiety, and stress levels in palliative care patients, suggesting these non-pharmacological interventions can improve their quality of life. ClinicalTrails.gov (Registration number: NCT06024954) at 05-SEP-2024.

The weighing process in patients on hemodialysis: an opportunity to improve volume management

Abstract Introduction Hemodialysis relies on accurate body mass (BM) assessment to determine ultrafiltration volumes, but we have not identified published practice patterns, disclosing how to handle clothing mass. Here we investigated the potential impact of clothing mass on predialysis BM determination, hypothesizing that a standardized template for clothing mass estimation enhances accuracy, compared to conventional practice. Methods Measurements included dressed and undressed BM predialysis. A pre-established template for average clothing mass was used to approximate undressed BM from clothed measurements. Differences to undressed BM were compared using Bland-Altman plots and tested for statistical significance using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results After excluding erroneous results, data from 48 patients were analyzed. Thirty-six patients (75%) did not habitually estimate clothing mass, but used their dressed BM as the predialysis BM, while the other 12 patients (25%) reported deducting a self-estimated clothing mass from their clothed predialysis BM. The differences to undressed BM were 0.819 ± 0.462 kg and 0.342 ± 0.321 kg in these two groups, respectively, indicating that patients underestimated clothing mass. Using the template to deduct clothing mass from clothed predialysis BM, these differences could be reduced to 0.197 ± 0.220 kg and 0.133 ± 0.135 kg, respectively. The average differences using the patient-reported BM and the template-based BM made up 39.4% and 8.6% of the average, subsequent ultrafiltration volume, respectively, suggesting that potential overestimation of the actual ultrafiltration volume could be reduced. Conclusion A standardized template for clothing mass may be useful to derive representative predialysis BM, leading to more precise ultrafiltration calculation. Exact BM determination might improve volume management in hemodialysis.

Speech synthesis from three-axis accelerometer signals using conformer-based deep neural network

Silent speech interfaces (SSIs) have emerged as innovative non-acoustic communication methods, and our previous study demonstrated the significant potential of three-axis accelerometer-based SSIs to identify silently spoken words with high classification accuracy. The developed accelerometer-based SSI with only four accelerometers and a small training dataset outperformed a conventional surface electromyography (sEMG)-based SSI. In this study, motivated by the promising initial results, we investigated the feasibility of synthesizing spoken speech from three-axis accelerometer signals. This exploration aimed to assess the potential of accelerometer-based SSIs for practical silent communication applications. Nineteen healthy individuals participated in our experiments. Five accelerometers were attached to the face to acquire speech-related facial movements while the participants read 270 Korean sentences aloud. For the speech synthesis, we used a convolution-augmented Transformer (Conformer)-based deep neural network model to convert the accelerometer signals into a Mel spectrogram, from which an audio waveform was synthesized using HiFi-GAN. To evaluate the quality of the generated Mel spectrograms, ten-fold cross-validation was performed, and the Mel cepstral distortion (MCD) was chosen as the evaluation metric. As a result, an average MCD of 5.03 ± 0.65 was achieved using four optimized accelerometers based on our previous study. Furthermore, the quality of generated Mel spectrograms was significantly enhanced by adding one more accelerometer attached under the chin, achieving an average MCD of 4.86 ± 0.65 (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Although an objective comparison is difficult, these results surpass those obtained using conventional SSIs based on sEMG, electromagnetic articulography, and electropalatography with the fewest sensors and a similar or smaller number of sentences to train the model. Our proposed approach will contribute to the widespread adoption of accelerometer-based SSIs, leveraging the advantages of accelerometers like low power consumption, invulnerability to physiological artifacts, and high portability.

Statistical analysis of digital transformation and its incidence in reducing the use of paper in a higher education institution: A case study

Reducing the carbon footprint of higher education institutions has become a global trend in recent years, as they are the axis of society's scientific and technological transformation that must be carried out with a sustainable approach. Among the many approaches that can contribute to this problem are the digital transformation of academic and administrative processes and its impact on reducing paper use. This study details the statistical analysis of the digital transformation process based on the modules and computer services implemented by the ICT department in a higher education institution and its incidence in reducing the use of paper by its teaching and administrative staff. For this purpose, an initial instrument was proposed, consisting of 18 ordinal, three categorical and two numerical variables. After applying statistical data processing and validation techniques, it was reduced to 13 ordinal variables, three categorical and two influential numerical variables. In addition, this study has proposed an appropriate statistical protocol for the design and extraction of information applicable in the context of higher education institutions, consisting of the techniques: Mahalanobis distances, confirmatory factor analysis, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney's U and Wilcoxon tests. The results showed the power of confirmatory factor analysis as a technique for obtaining models to measure indirectly observed latent variables, such as perceptions of digital transformation and paper reduction. In addition, it was found that the modules, systems, and computer tools implemented in the institution significantly reduced the execution times for performing administrative and teaching tasks in the institution, and significant differences were identified in the perception of digital transformation and reduction of paper use among staff.

Food Neophobia in Children: A Case Study in Federal District/Brazil

A reluctance to eat and/or avoidance of novel foods is characterized as food neophobia (FN). FN restricts the diet to familiar foods when, in fact, it should be much more varied. FN can be a barrier to healthy foods, affecting the quality of diet, and impairing children’s growth and development. Therefore, according to their caregivers’ perceptions, this study aimed to evaluate FN in children from Federal District/Brazil. The Brazilian Children’s Food Neophobia Questionnaire (BCFNeo), a specific instrument developed and validated in Brazil, was answered by caregivers of children aged 4 to 11 y/o. Sampling occurred through snowball recruitment, being convenient and non-probabilistic. The Health Sciences Ethics Committee approved the study. The analysis evaluated FN in total (BCFNeoTot) and in the following domains: general (FNgen), for fruits (FNfru), and for vegetables (FNveg). FN scores were compared between sex and child’s age and categorized according to three ordinal levels. FN levels were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. The Friedman test, followed by the Wilcoxon test with Bonferroni correction, was performed to analyze differences in FN according to the environment. Of the caregivers’ answers for their children, 595 answers were included, because 19 were out of age. The prevalence of high FN was 42.9%. The domain with the highest prevalence of high FN was vegetables (48.6%). Children aged 8 to 11 y/o had a higher mean FN in two domains (FNgen p = 0.047 and FNveg p = 0.038) when compared to children aged 4 to 7 y/o. Boys were more neophobic in all domains (FNgen p = 0.017; FNfru p = 0.010; FNveg p = 0.013; BCFNeoTot p = 0.008), and FN tends not to decrease with age. The results showed that the children of the FD are more neophobic than Brazilian children in general, highlighting the importance of additional studies in FN determinants in this population and nutritional education interventions to reduce FN among FD children.

Assessment of photodynamic therapy with annatto and led for the treatment of halitosis in mouth-breathing children: Randomized controlled clinical trial.

To assess the effectiveness of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) employing an annatto-based (20%) dye combined with blue LED for the treatment of halitosis in mouth-breathing children. Fifty-two children six to twelve years of age with diagnoses of mouth breathing and halitosis (score of ≥ 3 on portable breath meter) Breath Alert™ (Tanita Corporation®-Japan), were randomly allocated to two groups (n = 26). Group 1: brushing, dental floss and aPDT applied to middle third of the dorsum of the tongue. Group 2: brushing, dental floss and tongue scraper. Breath meter results before, immediately after treatment as well as seven and 30 days after treatment were compared. The hypothesis of normality in the data was discarded by the Shapiro-Wilk test (p < 0.05) and for statistical analysis the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were used. A significant difference was found between the pre-treatment reading and all other readings (p < 0.05) in both groups, suggesting the effectiveness of the proposed treatments. No significant difference was found between the post-treatment reading and two follow-up readings, suggesting the maintenance of the effect of treatment over time (p > 0.05). However, significant differences were found between groups for all post-treatment assessments (p < 0.0001 for all comparisons), indicating greater effectiveness with aPDT. No association was found between the initial reading and the presence of coated tongue. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy using annatto and blue LED proved to be a viable therapeutic option for the treatment of halitosis in mouth-breathing children.

Identifying Constraints to Dryland Farming: A Study of Technical, Socio-personal, and Financial Barriers in Drought Prone Area of Andhra Pradesh, India

Dryland farming is a crucial agricultural practice in many regions, but farmers face various constraints that hinder its adoption. This study investigated the technical, socio-personal, and financial constraints faced by dryland farmers in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. A survey of 120 farmers revealed that technical constraints were the most severe, with insufficient availability of water (226 - I) and non-availability of quality seed in time (208 - II) being the top two constraints. Socio-personal constraints, such as illiteracy (188 - II) and inability to accept new practices (186 - III), were also significant. Financial constraints, including high cost of inputs (212 - I) and delay in sanction of loans (200 - II), were also major concerns. Friedman test results showed a significant difference between the different constraints (p &lt; 0.001), with technical constraints having the highest mean rank (2.40). Wilcoxon signed rank test results revealed significant differences between technical and socio-personal constraints (p = 0.009) and financial and technical constraints (p = 0.001), but not between socio-personal and financial constraints (p = 0.321). These findings highlight the need to address technical constraints to improve adoption of critical interventions in dryland farming.

Development of Computed Tomography Quality Control Training Application Model Based on the American College of Radiology Phantom Integrated Website

The use of Viewdex as a radiographic image evaluation tool has limited flexibility for students, especially in the complicated process of installation and input of DICOM ACR image results. These limitations can slow down the learning process and reduce the effectiveness of education on radiological image evaluation. This research aims to develop a web-integrated ACR Phantom-based CT quality control training application, which can overcome the weaknesses of Viewdex and improve efficiency and user experience. The research method used is Research and Development (R&amp;D), which consists of several stages: literature study, product development, field testing, evaluation, and product revision. The application developed simplifies the process of DICOM data import, question coding, and automatic evaluation, improving operational efficiency. Validation of information technology and QA/QC experts shows that the application meets high standards in various aspects with 100% validity. Performance evaluation through pre-test and post-test showed a significant improvement in participants' knowledge and skills, with the Wilcoxon test showing a p-value of 0.005. The developed application has proven to be effective and efficient in improving the usability and learning experience of students, overcoming the weaknesses of Viewdex. Its advanced features enable efficient storage, retrieval, and management of medical images, as well as access and analysis of medical data.

Shifting to an app-based method of preoperative templating in orthopaedic surgery.

Preoperative templating plays an important part in attaining successful surgical outcomes after fracture fixation. Traditionally, surgeons have performed this task with printed radiographs, tracing paper, and colored markers. Now that digital radiography is ubiquitous, and digital templating platforms are needed but are expensive and may not be available to all surgeons, especially those in low-income and middle-income countries. In this study, we evaluate an innovative and user-friendly method using a mobile app that may facilitate the use of digital templating for all surgeons worldwide. A study involving 2 groups of residents (N = 12) was conducted. Group A (n = 6) was assigned to do conventional templating; Group B (n = 6) was assigned to perform digital templating. Each group then switched to the other templating method and the process was repeated. Conventional templates were evaluated using the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen-Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO-ASIF) guidelines of template completeness. Digital templates were assessed using Image-Based Surgery Planning. Each subject in both groups completed templates for 3 injury patterns: AO 2R2A3/2U2C2, 32B2, and 43C2. Wilcoxon signed-rank and binomial tests (5% level of significance) were used for statistical analysis. Template processing, fracture classification, and plan elaboration were comparable between the traditional and digital template groups, with good interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility using the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test (all |z values| below 1.96, all P-values > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the evaluation scores for either exercise, whether doing a traditional standard template or the digital template (P value > 0.05). This study shows that digital templating can achieve the same goals as conventional preoperative templating for fracture fixation. With the ubiquity of digital radiography, digital templating provides an opportunity to visualize fracture configurations and create an optimum preoperative plan for fracture reconstruction using an innovative and user-friendly platform.

Medical image segmentation approach based on hybrid adaptive differential evolution and crayfish optimizer

Image segmentation plays a pivotal role in medical image analysis, particularly for accurately isolating tumors and lesions. Effective segmentation improves diagnostic precision and facilitates quantitative analysis, which is vital for medical professionals. However, traditional segmentation methods often struggle with multilevel thresholding due to the associated computational complexity. Therefore, determining the optimal threshold set is an NP-hard problem, highlighting the pressing need for efficient optimization strategies to overcome these challenges. This paper introduces a multi-threshold image segmentation (MTIS) method that integrates a hybrid approach combining Differential Evolution (DE) and the Crayfish Optimization Algorithm (COA), known as HADECO. Utilizing two-dimensional (2D) Kapur’s entropy and a 2D histogram, this method aims to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of subsequent image analysis and diagnosis. HADECO is a hybrid algorithm that combines DE and COA by exchanging information based on predefined rules, leveraging the strengths of both for superior optimization results. It employs Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) to generate a high-quality initial population. HADECO introduces an improved DE algorithm (IDE) with adaptive and dynamic adjustments to key DE parameters and new mutation strategies to enhance its search capability. In addition, it incorporates an adaptive COA (ACOA) with dynamic adjustments to the switching probability parameter, effectively balancing exploration and exploitation. To evaluate the effectiveness of HADECO, its performance is initially assessed using CEC’22 benchmark functions. HADECO is evaluated against several contemporary algorithms using the Wilcoxon signed rank test (WSRT) and the Friedman test (FT) to integrate the results. The findings highlight HADECO’s superior optimization abilities, demonstrated by its lowest average Friedman ranking of 1.08. Furthermore, the HADECO-based MTIS method is evaluated using MRI images for knee and CT scans for brain intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Quantitative results in brain hemorrhage image segmentation show that the proposed method achieves a superior average peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and feature similarity index (FSIM) of 1.5 and 1.7 at the 6-level threshold. In knee image segmentation, it attains an average PSNR and FSIM of 1.3 and 1.2 at the 5-level threshold, demonstrating the method’s effectiveness in solving image segmentation problems.

Long-Term Outcome of Motor Functional Neurological Disorder After Rehabilitation.

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is defined as the presence of neurological symptoms that are inconsistent with a neurological disease. We performed a single-center retrospective study aimed at determining the long-term outcome of FND patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation and the predictors of a good outcome. A multidisciplinary graded exercise program was provided with one or two daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions on 5 days each week, as well as weekly psychological support. Outcome was assessed using the motor part of the Functional Independence Measure scale (FIM; maximum score of 91) at admission, discharge, and follow-up, with the last assessment performed by phone interview. The 30 included patients were aged 43.6±14.7 years (mean±standard deviation), comprised 70% females, and received a mean of 4 weeks of rehabilitation. The admission FIM score (80.2±8.3) was significantly lower than the discharge FIM score (86.9±4.6; p<0.001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). No notable difference was observed between discharge and follow-up FIM scores (85.5±8.5, p=0.54). The mean follow-up of the 36-month FIM scores at discharge and follow-up was dichotomized as a good outcome in cases where all items were scored ≥6 (functional independence). Binomial logistic regression showed that absence of a comorbid psychiatric disorder (p=0.039, odds ratio=10.7) was a predictive factor for a good outcome at follow-up. Other variables (e.g., sex and age) were not significant predictors of clinical outcome (all p≥0.058). These results suggest inpatient intensive rehabilitation for motor FND is effective and produces favorable long-term results. Further studies with larger groups are warranted so that the management protocols can be standardized.

Reversible effects of the SARS-CoV-2 on semen parameters

Despite that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been controlled, it has affected a large proportion of the population, raising some concerns about potential sequelae in men at reproductive age. To contribute to the clarification of this issue, we performed a retrospective study comparing semen parameters values before and after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort of infertile men, compared to a control group that did not undergo SARS-CoV-2 infection. Wilcoxon test on paired samples and general linear regression model showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection has a detrimental effect on semen volume values (p < 0.005). However, semen volume seems to be significantly lower only during the first spermatogenic cycle after SARS-COV-2 infection (p < 0.005) and mainly in unvaccinated patients (p < 0.05). In addition, we detected alterations in progressive motility in patients infected with the alpha SARS-COV-2 strain (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results show that although SARS-CoV-2 has a small effect on semen volume and sperm motility in infertile men, depending on the infectious strain or vaccination status, pre-infection values of semen parameters appear to be restored over one spermatogenic cycle after infection.

Assessment of short and long-term pozzolanic activity of natural pozzolans using machine learning approaches

This investigation introduces the optimal performance models for predicting the compressive strength (CS) and pozzolanic activity index (PAI) by comparing the machine learning models. The machine learning models, i.e., multilinear regression (MLR), support vector machine (SVM), gaussian process regression (GPR), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), and gene expression programming (GEP) have been trained (TRN) and tested (TST) by 28 and 7 data points. For the first time, the SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2 +Al2O3 +Fe2O3, reactive SiO2, Blaine specific surface area, and specific gravity have been used as input variables to compute the CS, and 28 days PAI (28PAI), and 90 days PAI (90PAI) of the natural pozzolans. The multicollinearity analysis showed the SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2 +Al2O3 +Fe2O3, reactive SiO2, and specific gravity have problematic multicollinearity (variance inflation factor – VIF > 10). Therefore, the root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), correlation coefficient (R), performance index (PI), and variance accounted for (VAF) metrics have been implemented to evaluate the model's performance and multicollinearity impact. From the comparison of models, it has been recorded that model GPR outperformed the MLR, SVM, DT, RF, and GEP models in predicting CS (PI = 1.29, VAF = 71.31, R = 0.8473, MAE = 0.9390 MPa), 28PAI (PI = 1.87, VAF = 94.88, R = 0.9744, MAE = 0.7295 %), and 90PAI (PI = 1.72, VAF = 88.11, R = 0.9393, MAE = 1.2444 %) in the TST phase, close to ideal values. The score, generalizability. Wilcoxon test, uncertainty analysis, Anderson-daring test, and accuracy metrics have confirmed the superiority of GPR models in predicting CS, 28PAI, and 90PAI of natural pozzolans.

Metabolic Choreography of Energy Substrates During DCD Heart Perfusion.

The number of patients waiting for heart transplant far exceeds the number of hearts available. Donation after circulatory death (DCD) combined with machine perfusion can increase the number of transplantable hearts by as much as 48%. Emerging studies also suggest machine perfusion could enable allograft "reconditioning" to optimize outcomes. However, a detailed understanding of the energetic substrates and metabolic changes during perfusion is lacking. Metabolites were analyzed using 1-dimensional 1H and 2-dimensional 13C-1H heteronuclear spectrum quantum correlation nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on serial perfusate samples (N = 98) from 32 DCD hearts that were successfully transplanted. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test for significant differences in metabolite resonances during perfusion and network analysis was used to uncover altered metabolic pathways. Metabolite differences were observed comparing baseline perfusate to samples from hearts at time points 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 h of perfusion and all pairwise combinations. Among the most significant changes observed were a steady decrease in fatty acids and succinate and an increase in amino acids, especially alanine, glutamine, and glycine. This core set of metabolites was also altered in a DCD porcine model perfused with a nonblood-based perfusate. Temporal metabolic changes were identified during ex vivo perfusion of DCD hearts. Fatty acids, which are normally the predominant myocardial energy source, are rapidly depleted, while amino acids such as alanine, glutamine, and glycine increase. We also noted depletion of ketone, β-hydroxybutyric acid, which is known to have cardioprotective properties. Collectively, these results suggest a shift in energy substrates and provide a basis to design optimal preservation techniques during perfusion.

PENGARUH MEDIA EDUKASI VIDEO TERHADAP PENGETAHUAN IBU TENTANG DIARE DI DUSUN JUMENENG KIDUL DESA SUMBERADI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS MLATI II

In the world, diarrhea is one of the main causes of death, recorded at 5-10 million/year. Lack of knowledge is one of the factors causing diarrhea. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of videos as a health promotion medium regarding maternal knowledge about diarrhea. Quantitative research was conducted on 40 mothers according to inclusion and exclusion criteria with a pre-experimental design, one group pre-test and post-test, through accidental sampling. Intervention with video media about diarrhea in children, with measuring instruments in the form of questionnaires. Analysis uses the Wilcoxon test. Mothers' knowledge about diarrhea before the intervention had a median value of 31, while after the intervention it was 34. There was an influence of health education with videos on respondents' knowledge about diarrhea with p value = 0.000 &lt; 0.05). Video media optimizes mothers' knowledge about diarrhea.

Effectiveness of aerobic exercise intervention and butterfly pea flower tea on reducing blood glucose levels in type II diabetes mellitus patients

The aim of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of the combination of aerobic exercise and butterfly pea flower tea as a therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. This research uses experimental research methods with pre and post design. This research uses only one group as a sign of the existence of a comparison group. A total of 36 adult women suffering from Type II Diabetes Mellitus participated in this study. The inclusion criteria in this study were women suffering from type II diabetes mellitus. The exclusion criteria in this study were elderly women. The initial procedure in this research is preparing research administration. Next, screen respondents who are research subjects based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and fill out Informed Consent. Subjects took pre‑test data to measure blood glucose levels. Next, the intervention was carried out within 4 weeks and aerobic exercise treatment was carried out 8 times (2x/week) and butterfly pea flower tea intervention for Type II Diabetes Mellitus sufferers. Telang flower tea is packaged in the form of tea bags which already have BPOM. Subjects collected post‑test data to measure blood glucose levels. Blood glucose levels are measured using a Point Of Care Testing (POCT) device. The first statistical analysis in this research is a descriptive test to obtain the mean, standard deviation and standard error. Next, the normality test was carried out using the Shapiro‑Wilk method, if the data was normally distributed, a difference test was carried out using the paired t test, but if the data was not normally distributed then a difference test was carried out using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The results of this study report that providing aerobic exercise and butterfly pea flower tea intervention for 4 weeks was able to significantly reduce blood glucose levels in DM sufferers. In this case, aerobic exercise and butterfly pea flower tea are categorized as effective in reducing blood glucose levels in people with type II diabetes mellitus. We hope that future research will examine the effects of exercise with varying intensity and giving butterfly pea flower tea.

Effects of Covid-19 Preoperative Mouthrinses and Different Beverages and on Surface Alteration of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

Objectives: to compare the color change and surface roughness of polyetheretherketones (PEEK) immersed in various beverages and mouthrinses for 7 days. Methods: the specimens were divided into 6 groups, 10 pieces per group, and each group was immersed in different solutions as followed: coffee, cola, red wine, distilled water, 0.5% povidone iodine, and 1% hydrogen peroxide. A color change (∆E*ab) was measured in each sample before and after 7 days of immersion in different solutions. At a significance level of 0.05, color change data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and pairwise comparisons with the Games-Howell method, and surface roughness changes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Sign-Rank test. Results: immersion of PEEK in 0.5% povidone iodine caused the most color change, followed by red wine when continuously immersed for 7 days. However, immersion in different types of solutions did not affect the surface roughness of PEEK. Conclusions: After 7 days of immersion, 0.5% povidone iodine and red wine caused color change in PEEK with no change in surface roughness

Comparing the Effectiveness and Salivary Levels of TNF-alpha in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus Treated with Topical Clobetasol Propionate and Fluocinolone Acetonide

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and salivary levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) treated with topical clobetasol propionate (CP) and fluocinolone acetonide (FA). Methods: A total of 26 patients diagnosed with erosive-atrophic OLP were randomlydivided into 2 groups: the first group received CP 0.05%, and the other received FA 0.1%. Pain scores, clinical scores, and saliva samples from the patients were collected for analysis both prior to treatment initiation and after 4 weeks. Salivary TNF-α levels were evaluated using an immunology multiplex assay. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used for intra-group and inter-group comparisons, respectively. Results: Both treatments showed significant reductions in pain scores, clinical scores, and salivary TNF-α levels compared with the pre-treatment values (p&lt;0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, CP 0.05% demonstrated a greater reduction in clinical score compared with FA 0.1% (p&lt;0.05). Conclusions: CP 0.05% and FA 0.1% effectively treat OLP. CP 0.05% demonstrated a quicker clinical score reduction than FA 0.1% over four weeks. Additionally, both steroids reduced salivary TNF-α levels, which could indicate the possibility of using diseaserelated biomarkers for monitoring.

Acute effects of manual breathing assist technique on lung volume and dyspnea in individuals with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A quasi-experimental study.

Manual breathing assist technique (MBAT) is a common physical therapy technique used to facilitate airway clearance and improve ventilation and oxygenation. The effects during and immediately after intervention in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the acute effects and potential mechanisms of MBAT on lung volume, dyspnea, and oxygenation in individuals with COPD. This non-randomized quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study included participants from pulmonary rehabilitation programs at Tagami Hospital (COPD group) and a community exercise program (Healthy group). During a single session, MBAT was applied during the expiration of every breath for 10 minutes. Dyspnea and lung volumes (tidal volume; VT, inspiratory capacity; IC, inspiratory reserved capacity; IRV, expiratory reserve capacity; ERV) were collected at baseline and after MBAT. Pulse oximetry (SpO2), skeletal muscle oxygenation (SmO2), and oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin (O2Hb and HHb) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were collected at baseline, during, and after MBAT. Between-group comparisons were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U-test and chi-square analyses. Within-group changes before and after MBAT were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to detect differences in NIRS variables in each phase and over time. Thirty participants with COPD, matched for age and sex, were included, with 15 individuals per group. The difference scores of VT, IRV, and IC were significantly higher in the Healthy group than in the COPD group, but improvements in dyspnea and SpO2 were significantly higher in the COPD group. Compared to baseline, ERV decreased significantly in both groups, with dyspnea and SpO2 improving significantly only in the COPD group. Inspiratory accessory muscle ΔO2Hb and ΔHHb were significantly higher and lower (respectively) during MBAT in the COPD group compared to the Healthy group. Additionally, only the COPD group had increased SmO2 during and after MBAT compared to baseline. MBAT in patients with COPD had acute physiological effects in reducing dyspnea by facilitating expiration and decreasing the recruitment of accessory respiratory muscles. MBAT may help individuals with COPD reduce dyspnea before exercise therapy in a pulmonary rehabilitation program.

PENGARUH PELATIHAN PERTOLONGAN PERTAMA KECELAKAAN TERHADAP PENGETAHUAN SISWA KELAS 11

School students frequently experience emergency situations due to accidents, such as fainting, poisoning, bleeding, fractures, and sudden animal bites/stings. Students, teachers, or educational staff often encounter these issues at school. When faced with such an emergency situation, most of them can only panic, unable to do much in providing first aid, leaving the victim lying there and at risk of losing their life without any rescue actions, even just standing by and becoming spectators to the critically ill person who is dying.This study wants to find out what eleventh-grade students at Miftahul Ulum Anggana Private Madrasah Aliyah knew before and after getting first aid training for accidents. It will do this by using a pre-experimental method, a one-group pretest-posttest design, and the Wilcoxon test and the dependent T-test. The results indicate a significant effect (?&lt;0.05) of the first aid training for accidents on the knowledge of eleventh-grade students at Miftahul Ulum Anggana Private Madrasah Aliyah.