Sound energy absorbance changes in the elderly with presbycusis with normal outer and middle ear.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the wideband tympanometry (WBT) findings in the elderly with presbycusis who have normal outer and middle ears according to otoscopic examination and traditional tympanometry, and to determine whether there is a relationship between the middle ear wideband absorbance value and the pure tone air-bone gap (ABG) observed especially at mid-high frequencies in the elderly. METHODS: The study included 30 elderly with presbycusis (> 65 years old, presbycusis group) and 30 healthy individuals (control group) between the ages of 18 and 55. Pure tone air conduction and bone conduction thresholds of all participants were determined and WBT was applied to all participants. Resonance frequency (RF), absorbance ratios at peak pressure (PPAR) and ambient pressure (APAR) values were analyzed. RESULTS: The RF value of the presbycusis group was lower than the control group (p < 0.05). APAR and PPAR values at 2000 and 4000 Hz and mean absorbance values of the presbycusis group were lower than the control group (p < 0.05). APAR was higher at 500 Hz in males than females (p < 0.05), but there was no difference between genders in RFs (p > 0.05). A moderate negative correlation was observed between ABG and both PPAR and APAR at 4000 Hz in presbycusis group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: it was determined that there was a decrease in RF and absorbances at 2000 and 4000 Hz in the elderly with presbycusis. Aging affects not only the inner ear but also the conduction mechanism of the middle ear. Our findings may be effective in a more accurate and reliable interpretation of WBT in the elderly with presbycusis.

Chronic Noise Affects Middle Ear Resonance and Absorbance in Industrial Workers.

BACKGROUND: The effect of chronic noise on the middle ear is not fully known. This study aimed to evaluate the middle ear functions of metal workers exposed to chronic noise using wideband tympanometry. METHODS: In this study, 62 male workers exposed to chronic noise and 30 healthy men were included. Workers exposed to chronic noise were divided into 2 groups according to their pure tone averages. Totally 30 workers (60 ears) with pure tone average less than 20 dB were included in group I, and 32 workers (64 ears) with pure tone average more than 20 dB were included in group II. All individuals were subjected to wideband tympanometry. Tympanometric peak pressure, equivalent ear canal volume, static acoustic admittance, resonance frequency, and absorbance ratios at peak pressure and ambient pressure values were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups in terms of traditional tympanometric parameters such as tympanometric peak pressure, equivalent ear canal volume, and static acoustic admittance (P >.05). Resonance frequency of workers exposed to chronic noise (group I and group II) was lower than the control group (P <.05). The absorbance ratios of workers exposed to chronic noise at approximately 4 kHz were lower in both peak pressures and ambient pressures (P <.05). CONCLUSION: Chronic noise does not only damage the inner ear but also causes changes in the middle ear structures. Wideband tympanometry can be used to detect minor auditory damage due to noise that cannot be detected by audiogram early. In this way, necessary measures can be taken in the early period before noise-induced hearing loss occurs.

The fate of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in soilless agriculture: future perspectives.

The application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) can be an excellent and eco-friendly alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers. While PGPRs are often used in traditional agriculture to facilitate yield increases, their use in soilless agriculture has been limited. Soilless agriculture is growing in popularity among commercial farmers because it eliminates soil-borne problems, and the essential strategy is to keep the system as clean as possible. However, a new trend is the inclusion of PGPRs to enhance plant development. Despite the plethora of research that has been performed to date, there remains a huge knowledge gap that needs to be addressed to facilitate the commercialization of PGPRs for sustainable soilless agriculture. Hence, the development of proper strategies and additional research and trials are required. The present review provides an update on recent developments in the use of PGPRs in soilless agriculture, examining these bacteria from different perspectives in an attempt to generate critical discussion and aid in the understanding of the interaction between soilless agriculture and PGPRs.

Genetically modified entomopathogenic bacteria, recent developments, benefits and impacts: A review.

Entomopathogenic bacteria (EPBs), insect pathogens that produce pest-specific toxins, are environmentally-friendly alternatives to chemical insecticides. However, the most important problem with EPBs application is their limited field stability. Moreover, environmental factors such as solar radiation, leaf temperature, and vapor pressure can affect the pathogenicity of these pathogens and their toxins. Scientists have conducted intensive research to overcome such problems. Genetic engineering has great potential for the development of new engineered entomopathogens with more resistance to adverse environmental factors. Genetically modified entomopathogenic bacteria (GM-EPBs) have many advantages over wild EPBs, such as higher pathogenicity, lower spraying requirements and longer-term persistence. Genetic manipulations have been mostly applied to members of the bacterial genera Bacillus, Lysinibacillus, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus. Although many researchers have found that GM-EPBs can be used safely as plant protection bioproducts, limited attention has been paid to their potential ecological impacts. The main concerns about GM-EPBs and their products are their potential unintended effects on beneficial insects (predators, parasitoids, pollinators, etc.) and rhizospheric bacteria. This review address recent update on the significant role of GM-EPBs in biological control, examining them through different perspectives in an attempt to generate critical discussion and aid in the understanding of their potential ecological impacts.

Effect of vibration on the vestibular system in noisy and noise-free environments in heavy industry.

Background: Chronic exposure to whole body vibration can affect the gastrointestinal system, the lumbar spine, the peripheral veins and the vestibulocochlear system. Aims/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of vibration on the vestibular system in noisy and noise-free environments using the video head impulse test (vHIT). Material and Methods: A total of 138 employees were included in this study. Group 1 were exposed to vibration and noise. Group 2 only exposed to vibration, with no exposure to noise. Group 3 were not exposed to noise or vibration. Results: Canal deficit was observed in 41 of 84 participants in Group 1, 7 of 24 participants in Group 2, and 1 of 30 participants in Group 3. There were more canal deficits in Group 1 and Group 2, than in Group 3 (p < .05). There was no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2 in terms of canal deficits (p > 0.05). Conclusions and Significance: Semicircular canal deficit can be seen with the synergistic effect of noise and vibration.

Vestibular functions in patients with tinnitus only.

OBJECTIVE: Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the ears or head without any external or internal acoustic stimulation, and it is usually associated with hearing loss. In addition, it has been reported that there is a relationship between vestibular problems and sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vestibular function in patients with tinnitus without hearing loss. METHODS: A total of 32 patients who complained only of tinnitus without hearing loss and 30 control subjects without tinnitus or hearing loss were included in this study. Oculomotor and caloric tests were performed on all subjects with videonystagmography. The tinnitus handicap inventory questionnaire, side and duration of tinnitus were recorded in all patients. RESULTS: The caloric test was abnormal in 13 of 32 (40.6%) patients in the tinnitus group and was normal in all of the control group. Abnormal caloric responses in patients with severe tinnitus were more frequent than in patients with mild or moderate tinnitus. There was a statistically significant difference in the optokinetic gain values between the tinnitus and control groups. CONCLUSION: A relationship between tinnitus and abnormal caloric responses was determined. Tinnitus may be the first symptom of vestibular dysfunction.

Evaluation of vestibular system with vHIT in industrial workers with noise-induced hearing loss.

PURPOSE: Industrial workers are frequently exposed to noise and the noise can cause hearing loss. The relationship between vestibular abnormalities and long-term exposure to occupational noise has been reported. The aim of this study was to use vHIT (video head impulse test) to evaluate the semicircular canal's function in industrial workers with noise-induced hearing loss. METHODS: In the present study, we included 36 male patients (aged 28-55 years, mean 44.4 ± 6.1 years) with hearing loss due to noise exposure from working in the steel and metal industry for at least 4 years, and a control group of 30 healthy men (aged 34-50 years, mean 41.1 ± 4.5 years) without hearing loss. The gain of the vestibulo-ocular reflex for all 6 semicircular canals was examined by vHIT in 66 patients. RESULTS: Canal deficit was detected in 20 (55.5%) of 36 patients in the noise exposure hearing loss group and was detected in 2 (6.6%) of 30 participants in the control group. There was significant loss of capacity for VOR gain in patients with noise exposure hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study we found that exposure to noise can cause vestibular dysfunction. And the vHIT is easily applicable, quick and practical and can individually evaluate all semicircular channels. Therefore, to evaluate vestibular function with vHIT is quick and practical.

Evaluation of superior concha bullosa by computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Concha bullosa is generally regarded as pneumatisation of the middle turbinate in the nose. However, pneumatisation may also be seen in the superior and inferior turbinate. Computed tomography (CT) of paranasal sinuses is extremely helpful for the examination of this inaccessible area. Coronal CT sections of paranasal sinuses are particularly useful for surgical anatomy, as these images show nearly the same regions as the endoscopic examinations. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the presence, incidence and unilaterality-bilaterality of superior turbinate pneumatisation and concomitant nasal pathologies. METHODS: A total of 1000 patients who underwent CT of the paranasal sinuses because of headaches, nasal obstructions, anosmia, facial pain or facial trauma were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Among the 1000 patients, superior pneumatized turbinate was seen on CT images of the paranasal sinuses in 149 (14.9%) cases. Of these patients, 84 were female, 65 were male, and the mean age was 38.14 years. Among 149 patients, 58 patients had bilateral superior pneumatized turbinate and the remaining 91 patients had unilateral superior pneumatized turbinate. 60.4% of the patients with superior pneumatized turbinate also had middle pneumatized turbinate. CONCLUSION: The superior pneumatized turbinate is an anatomical variation with an incidence ranging from 12.2 to 50%. The present study revealed that there is no relationship between volume size of the superior pneumatized turbinates and sinusitis, nasal septum deviation and paradoxical middle concha. It is very important to define anatomical variations in the preoperative CT evaluation of the paranasal sinuses.

A new data preparation method based on clustering algorithms for diagnosis systems of heart and diabetes diseases.

The most important factors that prevent pattern recognition from functioning rapidly and effectively are the noisy and inconsistent data in databases. This article presents a new data preparation method based on clustering algorithms for diagnosis of heart and diabetes diseases. In this method, a new modified K-means Algorithm is used for clustering based data preparation system for the elimination of noisy and inconsistent data and Support Vector Machines is used for classification. This newly developed approach was tested in the diagnosis of heart diseases and diabetes, which are prevalent within society and figure among the leading causes of death. The data sets used in the diagnosis of these diseases are the Statlog (Heart), the SPECT images and the Pima Indians Diabetes data sets obtained from the UCI database. The proposed system achieved 97.87 %, 98.18 %, 96.71 % classification success rates from these data sets. Classification accuracies for these data sets were obtained through using 10-fold cross-validation method. According to the results, the proposed method of performance is highly successful compared to other results attained, and seems very promising for pattern recognition applications.

Feature selection method based on artificial bee colony algorithm and support vector machines for medical datasets classification.

This paper offers a hybrid approach that uses the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm for feature selection and support vector machines for classification. The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of elimination of the unimportant and obsolete features of the datasets on the success of the classification, using the SVM classifier. The developed approach conventionally used in liver diseases and diabetes diagnostics, which are commonly observed and reduce the quality of life, is developed. For the diagnosis of these diseases, hepatitis, liver disorders and diabetes datasets from the UCI database were used, and the proposed system reached a classification accuracies of 94.92%, 74.81%, and 79.29%, respectively. For these datasets, the classification accuracies were obtained by the help of the 10-fold cross-validation method. The results show that the performance of the method is highly successful compared to other results attained and seems very promising for pattern recognition applications.

Internet-based monitoring and prediction system of coal stockpile behaviors under atmospheric conditions.

Spontaneous combustion on industrial-scale stockpiles causes environmental problems and economic losses for the companies consuming large amounts of coal. In this study, an effective monitoring and prediction system based on internet was developed and implemented to prevent losses and environmental problems. The system was performed in a coal stockpile with 5 m width, 10 m length, 3 m height, and having 120 t of weight. The inner temperature data of the stockpile was recorded by 17 temperature sensors placed inside the stockpile at certain points. Additionally, the data relating to the air temperature, air humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind velocity, and wind direction that are the parameters affecting the coal stockpile were also recorded. The recorded values were analyzed with artificial neural network and Statistical modeling methods for prediction of spontaneous combustion. Real-time measurement values and model outputs were published with a web page on internet. The internet-based system can also provide real-time monitoring (combustion alarms, system status) and tele-controlling (Parameter adjusting, system control) through internet exclusively with a standard web browser without the need of any additional software.

Apical leakage of resin based root canal sealers with a new computerized fluid filtration meter.

In this in vitro study, the apical leakage of three root-canal sealers: AH Plus, Diaket, and EndoREZ was evaluated using a new computerized fluid filtration meter. Forty-five extracted human premolar teeth with single root and canal were used. The coronal part of each tooth was removed and the root canals were prepared using GT Rotary files and crown-down technique. The roots were randomly divided into three groups of 15 samples, filled with one of the test materials and gutta-percha cones by the cold lateral condensation technique and were stored at 37 degrees C and 100% humidity for 7 days. One-week later, apical parts of roots of 10 +/- 0.05 mm were attached to computerized fluid filtration meter. Apical leakage quantity was determined as microl/cmH(2)O/min(-1). Statistical analysis indicated that root fillings with Diaket in combination with cold lateral condensation technique showed lower apical leakage than the others (p < 0.05). In addition, this new computerized fluid filtration meter allowed quantitative measurement of leakage easily. As it is a newly developed device to measure apical leakage of endodontic sealers, the reliability of it needed to be tested.