ABSTRACTBackground: cochlear implants are electronic devices that convert sound energy into electrical signals to stimulate ganglion cells and cochlear nerve fibers. These devices are indicated for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing losses who receive little or no benefit from hearing aids. The implant basically takes over the function of the cochlear hair cells. The implant consists of external components (microphone, speech processor and transmitting coil) and internal components (receiver stimulator and electrode array). The implant is inserted via a trans mastoid facial recess approach to the round window and scala tympani.Objectives: to determine the effectiveness and safety of non fixation method in cochlear implantation.Methods: a prospective study carried out from September 2009 to September 2012 in Gazi Hariri Hospital. Eighty patients with congenital severe –profound sensorineural hearing loss prepared for cochlear implantation involved in the study and divided into 2 groups. Group A includes 40 patients in whom the internal device was fixed to the skull by nylon suture materials through small burr holes on both sides of the well. Group B includes 40 patients in whom the internal device placed in a tight sub pericranial pocket without nylon fixation to the skull. All patients followed postoperatively for 6 months observing wound healing and local complications (hematoma, infection, wound dehiscence, device extrusion and migration).Results: mean age 4.2 years and male-female ratio was 1.3:1.Group A: 1 patient (2.5%) developed minor wound infection treated conservatively. Three patients (7.5%) developedsevere wound infection with wound breakdown and device extrusion despite the use of antibiotics and local rotational flaps, the device was explanted in those 3 patients. Two patients (5%) developed hematoma without history of trauma and treated conservatively. One patient (2.5%) had device migration without affection of its function.Group B: 2 patients developed minor wound infection treated conservatively. One patient (2.5%) had severe wound infection ends up with wound dehiscence and device extrusion despite the use of antibiotics and local rotational flaps. Explantation of the device was done for this patient. Hematoma occurred in one patient (2.5%) without history of trauma and treated conservatively. Another one patient (2.5%) developed device migration without impairment of its function.Conclusion: creation of sub pericranial pocket without internal device fixation by nylon materials is an effective and reliable method in cochlear implantation without compromising the patient safety or device performance.Key words: cochlear implantation, non- fixation, sub pericranial pocket
Double hydrothermal method was used to prepare nano gamma alumina using aluminum nitrate nano hydrate and sodium aluminate as an aluminum source, CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) as surfactant, and variable acids: weak acids like; citric, and acitic acids, and strong acids like; hydrochloric and nitric acids as a bridge between aluminum salts and surfactant. Different crystallization times 12, 24, 48, and 72 hrs were applied. All the batches were prepared at pH equals to 9. XRD diffraction technique was used to investigate the crystalline nano gamma alumina pure from surfactant. N2 adsorption-desorption (BET) was used to measure the surface area and pore volume of the prepared nano alumina, the average p
... Show MoreCopper oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrate using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method at room temperature. The thickness of the thin films was around 0.43?m.Copper oxide thin films were annealed in air at (200, 300 and 400°C for 45min.The film structure properties were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD patterns indicated the presence of polycrystalline CuO. The average grain size is calculated from the X-rays pattern, it is found that the grain size increased with increasing annealing temperature. Optical transmitter microscope (OTM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) was also used. Direct band gap values of 2.2 eV for an annealed sample and (2, 1.5, 1.4) eV at 200, 300,400oC respect
... Show MoreA novel technique for nanoparticles with a chemical method and impact for resistance bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), UV-visible analysis confirmed the by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction pattern estimation antimicrobial excellent antibacterial activity against MRSA (with zone of inhibition of 11 ± 02 mm , 9 ± 01 mm,8 ± 03 mm and 7.5 ± 02 mm and 6.5 ± 02 mm) at different concentrations (0.5 ,0.25, 0.125, 0.0625, 0.03125) mg/ml while good activity was 16 ± 03 mm at 17 ± 02 mm zone at 0.25, 0.125 mg/mL, respectively. The increase in microorganism resistance to antibiotics a couple of have caused
... Show MoreBackground: This study aimed to compare the surface microhardness (MH) and mineral content of white spot lesions(WSLs) after using bioactive glass (BAG)casein phosphopep-tides-amorphous calcium phosphate(CPP-ACP),and nanohydroxyapatite(Nano-HAP) under pHcycling. Material and method:18 sound maxillary first premolar were used for the study.10 were selected for the vickers microhardness test, For Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX), the remaining 8 premolar teeth were used, 40 sections of enamel blocks (Four from each tooth) were produced from the middle part of the buccal and palatal surfaces of teeth for MH test while 48 sections of enamel blocks (Six from each tooth) were produced for EDX analysis. Enamel slabs were
... Show MoreBackground: This study aimed to compare the surface microhardness (MH) and mineral content of white spot lesions(WSLs) after using bioactive glass (BAG)casein phosphopep-tides-amorphous calcium phosphate(CPP-ACP),and nanohydroxyapatite(Nano-HAP) under pHcycling. Material and method:18 sound maxillary first premolar were used for the study.10 were selected for the vickers microhardness test, For Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX), the remaining 8 premolar teeth were used, 40 sections of enamel blocks (Four from each tooth) were produced from the middle part of the buccal and palatal surfaces of teeth for MH test while 48 sections of enamel blocks (Six from each tooth) were produced for EDX analysis. Enamel slabs were divi
... Show MoreObjectives: To identify the effectiveness of instructional program concerning premarital screening of sexual transmitted disease on student's knowledge at Baghdad University and examine the relationship between students' knowledge and certain studied variables. And hypothesis for this study; There is a difference in university student’s knowledge toward premarital screening between pre and posttests of instructional program. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design (pretest-posttest approach) was conducted at six colleges and its college of education ibn rushd, college of political science, college of law, college of literatur
This study aims to characterize traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) neurophysiologically using an intramuscular fine-wire electromyography (EMG) electrode pair. EMG data were collected from an agonist-antagonist pair of tail muscles of Macaca fasicularis, pre- and post-lesion, and for a treatment and control group. The EMG signals were decomposed into multi-resolution subsets using wavelet transforms (WT), then the relative power (RP) was calculated for each individual reconstructed EMG sub-band. Linear mixed models were developed to test three hypotheses: (i) asymmetrical volitional activity of left and right side tail muscles (ii) the effect of the experimental TSCI on the frequency content of the EMG signal, (iii) and the effect
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to test the effectiveness of Agaricus bisporus inoculums (spawn) in the ratio of (0.25, 0.5 and 1%) v/v to control Pythium aphanidermatum fungus the causal agent of damping- off disease of cucumber plant. results showed the ability of A. bisporus fungus to protect the seedlings from incidence by P. aphanidermatum . all treatments of edible fungus inoculums were significantly different from pathogen treatment after 15 day of planting and there was no significant difference found from control treatment (without pathogen) . the successful of A. bisporus was continued to protect the seedlings after 30 and 45 day after planting. The numbers of seedlings were (8, 7.25 & 7.25) respectively compared to 5.5 seedlings in con
... Show MoreThe DC electrical conductivity properties of Ge60Se40-xTex alloy with x = 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20). The samples were formed in the form of discs with the thickness of 0.25–0.30 cm and the diameter of 1.5 cm. Samples were pressed under a pressure of 6 tons per cm2 , using a ton hydraulic press. They were prepared after being pressed using a ton hydraulic press using a hydraulic press. Melting point technology use to preper the samples. Continuous electrical conductivity properties were recorded from room temperature to 475 K. Experimental data indicates that glass containing 15% Te has the highest electrical conductivity allowing maximum current through the sample compared to Lu with other samples. Therefore, it is found that the DC co
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