IT steroid administration after failed intravenous steroids is a safe and effective treatment in sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

The present study revealed that there are certain factors that affect prognosis in idiopathic SSHL. This is very important in counselling patients and may affect current clinical practice.

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The Cyprus Arc system constitutes a major active plate boundary in the eastern Mediterranean region. This structure is directly linked with the northward convergence of the African and Eurasian plates since the Late Cretaceous. Two‐dimensional reflection seismic data were utilized, which image the main plate structures and their lateral evolution south of the island of Cyprus. Interpretation of these data allowed the identification of nine tectono‐sedimentary packages in three different crustal domains south of the Cyprus Arc system: (1) the Levant Basin (attenuated continental crust), (2) the Eratosthenes microcontinent (continental crust), and (3) the Herodotus Basin (oceanic crust). Within these domains, numerous tectonic structures were documented and analyzed in order to understand the mechanism and timing of deformation. In the north, south verging thrusting commenced in early Miocene along the Larnaca and Margat ridges, whereas no activity was identified before middle Miocene along the Latakia Ridge. Thus, the deformation front migrated southward and was accompanied by the development of flexural basins and stratigraphic onlaps as in the Cyprus Basin. The acme of deformation occurred in mid‐late Miocene. A regional unconformity of Pliocene age marks the end of the first deformation sequence. In Plio‐Pleistocene time, the westward escape of the Anatolian microplate resulted in the reactivation of existing structures. The evolution of deformation along the plate boundary is identified from the creation of positive flower structures revealing transpressive movements along the Larnaca and Latakia Ridges (eastern domains), whereas in the Eratosthenes domain a flexural basin highlights a compressive regime.

The easternmost part of the Mediterranean corresponds to a tectonically complex region which is linked with the convergence between Africa and Eurasia. The tectonostratigraphic evolution of this region is poorly constrained because of the absence of exploration wells. Cyprus is a crucial area to assess the link between the tectonic deformation and the consequent sedimentation in the Northern Levant margin. Paleogene and Neogene basins in the southern part of Cyprus record the main tectonic events related to the convergence of Africa and Eurasia. The objective of this contribution is to investigate the timing and the mechanisms of basin deformation, as well as the sedimentary infill of basins located onshore Cyprus and finally resolve how their evolution is linked to the regional geodynamic events. Based on fieldwork studies we reconstructed the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Polis Basin and the Limassol Basin to propose a conceptual model for the evolution of the Northern Levant margin, in accordance with the main geodynamic events. It is expected that analysis of the Polis and Limassol depressions, and later comparison of them will also shed more lights on the impact of the substratum and how it is associated to the main tectonic events.

The rise of Internet of Things (IoT), coupled with the advances in Artificial Intelligence technologies and cloud-based applications have caused fundamental changes in the way societies behave. Enhanced connectivity and interactions between physical and cyber worlds create ‘smart’ solutions and applications to serve society needs. Water is a vital resource and its management is a critical issue. ICT achievements gradually deployed within the water industry provide an alternative, smart and novel way to improve water management efficiently. Contributing to this direction, we propose a unified framework for urban water management, exploiting state-of-the-art IoT solutions for remote telemetry and control of water consumption in combination with machine learning-based processes. SMART-WATER platform aims to foster water utility companies by enhancing water management and decision-making processes, provide innovative solutions to consumers for smart water utilisation.

The aim of this study was the evaluation of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) before and after noise exposure from shooting, and the comparison of DPOAEs with pure-tone audiometry. Thirteen young male police officers were exposed to impulse noise from shooting, without using earplugs. Standard pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, and DPOAEs were performed before exposure and at one hour post- and 24 hour post-exposure. In the one hour post-exposure testing mean pure-tone thresholds were elevated in the 1-8 kHz frequency zone and DPOAE levels were reduced at several frequencies. DPOAEs were more affected at 3 kHz or lower, whereas pure-tone thresholds were more affected at higher frequencies. After the final examination, non-significant partial shifts at high frequencies on both tests remained. Pure-tone audiometry was overall more sensitive, but DPOAEs provided additional information about the cochlear status of certain ears. These data suggest that besides behavioral testing, DPOAEs may play a role as a fast, objective, and easy to perform test for monitoring subjects exposed to impulse noise.

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