The predictive effect of neutrophil-lymphocyte and platelet-lymphocyte ratios in the post-operative recurrence of temporomandibular joint ankylosis.

Background: Reankylosis is a frequent pathology in patients who are operated for post-traumatic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis. In the current practice, ankylosing spondylitis attacks are monitored with the increases in neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). In this study, such a relation between TMJ reankylosis and increase in these ratios was evaluated.

Development and application of a low-cost smartphone-based turbidimeter using scattered light.

We demonstrate the development and application of a low-cost smartphone turbidimeter system to be used on water samples collected from natural resources. The proposed system depends on the spectroscopic measurements of both forward- and side-scattered light. A custom-designed cradle was fabricated using 3D printing, and plastic optical fibers were used to couple light from the smartphone's built-in flash and transmit the collected scattered light to the camera sensor.

Single-Image-Referenced Colorimetric Water Quality Detection Using a Smartphone.

In this paper, we present a smartphone platform for colorimetric water quality detection based on the use of built-in camera for capturing a single-use reference image. A custom-developed app processes this image for training and creates a reference model to be used later in real experimental conditions to calculate the concentration of the unknown solution. This platform has been tested on four different water quality colorimetric assays with various concentration levels, and results show that the presented platform provides approximately 100% accuracy for colorimetric assays with noticeable color difference.

Sheathless Microflow Cytometry Using Viscoelastic Fluids.

Microflow cytometry is a powerful technique for characterization of particles suspended in a solution. In this work, we present a microflow cytometer based on viscoelastic focusing. 3D single-line focusing of microparticles was achieved in a straight capillary using viscoelastic focusing which alleviated the need for sheath flow or any other actuation mechanism.

Smartphone-based colorimetric detection via machine learning.

We report the application of machine learning to smartphone-based colorimetric detection of pH values. The strip images were used as the training set for Least Squares-Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) classifier algorithms that were able to successfully classify the distinct pH values. The difference in the obtained image formats was found not to significantly affect the performance of the proposed machine learning approach.

Poly (methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid) - Pectin based hydrogel-forming systems: Gel, film, and microneedles.

Cross-linking of natural and synthetic polymers is widely explored to achieve the desired material properties (mechanical strength, drug loading capacity, swelling and erosion rates). However, the potential of polymers produced by crosslinking poly (methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic acid) (PMVE/MA) and pectin (PE) in pharmaceutics is mainly unexplored so far. We have investigated the effect of various esterification conditions and pectin content on the physicochemical properties.

Perfectly absorbing ultra thin interference coatings for hydrogen sensing.

Here we numerically demonstrate a straightforward method for optical detection of hydrogen gas by means of absorption reduction and colorimetric indication. A perfectly absorbing metal-insulator-metal (MIM) thin film interference structure is constructed using a silver metal back reflector, silicon dioxide insulator, and palladium as the upper metal layer and hydrogen catalyst. The thickness of silicon dioxide allows the maximizing of the electric field intensity at the Air/SiO2 interface at the quarter wavelengths and enabling perfect absorption with the help of highly absorptive palladium thin film (∼7 nm).

Optical stretching as a tool to investigate the mechanical properties of lipid bilayers.

Measurements of lipid bilayer bending modulus by various techniques produce widely divergent results. We attempt to resolve some of this ambiguity by measuring bending modulus in a system that can rapidly process large numbers of samples, yielding population statistics. This system is based on optical stretching of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) in a microfluidic dual-beam optical trap (DBOT).

Optical stretching of giant unilamellar vesicles with an integrated dual-beam optical trap.

We have integrated a dual-beam optical trap into a microfluidic platform and used it to study membrane mechanics in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). We demonstrate the trapping and stretching of GUVs and characterize the membrane response to a step stress. We then measure area strain as a function of applied stress to extract the bending modulus of the lipid bilayer in the low-tension regime.

[The effect of neck metastasis on survival following surgery for laryngeal cancer].

Objectives: We evaluated the effect of neck metastasis on the survival rate of patients who underwent surgery for laryngeal cancer.

Patients And Methods: A total of 256 patients who had undergone surgery between 1995 and 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. Of these, 186 patients (72%; 185 males, 1 female; mean age 57.

[Evaluation of hearing performance in cochlear implant patients].

Objectives: To determine the speech perception levels of cochlear implant patients and to evaluate the possible effects of implant type, duration of deafness, and bacterial meningitis on the patients' hearing performance.

Patients And Methods: A three-section test battery on speech perception was administered to 21 cochlear implant patients (12 males, 9 females; mean age 25 years; range 9 to 40 years). The patients' performance was assessed with respect to single- or multi-channel implant design, duration of hearing loss, and etiologic factors of hearing loss.

[Comparison of hearing levels and tympanic membrane healing obtained by cartilage palisade and temporal fascia tympanoplasty techniques: preliminary results].

Objectives: We compared the levels of hearing and tympanic membrane healing obtained by cartilage palisade and temporal fascia tympanoplasty techniques.

Patients And Methods: Tympanoplasty procedures with the use of cartilage palisade (30 patients; 14 males, 16 females; mean age 28 years; range 10-62 years) and temporal fascia (30 patients; 17 males, 13 females; mean age 30 years; range 12-58 years) were compared with respect to tympanic membrane healing and hearing levels. The size of perforations in the cartilage tympanoplasty group was greater than that of the temporal fascia group.