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The introduction of Unmanned vehicles (UxVs) in the recent years has created a new security field that can use them as both a potential threat as well as new technological weapons against those threats. Dealing with these issues from the counter-threat perspective, the proposed architecture project focuses on designing and developing a complete system which utilizes the capabilities of multiple UxVs for surveillance objectives in different operational environments. Utilizing a combination of diverse UxVs equipped with various sensors, the developed architecture involves the detection and the characterization of threats based on both visual and thermal data. The identification of objects is enriched with additional information extracted from other sensors such as radars and RF sensors to secure the efficiency of the overall system. The current prototype displays diverse interoperability concerning the multiple visual sources that feed the system with the required optical data. Novel detection models identify the necessary threats while this information is enriched with higher-level semantic representations. Finally, the operator is informed properly according to the visual identification modules and the outcomes of the UxVs operations. The system can provide optimal surveillance capacities to the relevant authorities towards an increased situational awareness.

If last century’s conception of open public space was understood as a performance stage where individuals could negotiate and establish relationships not only amongst them but also with elements of spatial manifestation demonstrating the significance of some visual, most times, qualities, a contemporary observer will probably not make this link.

In recent years, mobile devices have become very popular communication tools that provide access to information and communication, influence people’s social behaviour and change patterns of their everyday activities. The use of communication technologies in public open spaces has become significant for the outdoor experiences of people and the relationship between users and technologically mediated outdoor activities. More specifically, wireless digital cultures not only influence spatial layout, infrastructure systems and moving patterns, but also require ICT-based placemaking strategies. This is often not considered sufficiently during the physical design stage. It is important to consider a space appropriation approach to the use of digital technologies in public spaces, based on user requirements and the local context. This is demonstrated with a case study of the Gardens at new waterfront of Thessaloniki, Greece. In this project space analysis and users’ questionnaires were applied to relate digital space to the reality of the physical landscape as a first stage in the design process. This approach has wider implications for successful place making strategies. This chapter considers the possibilities of extensive outdoor use of digital media technologies in traditional forms of spatial experiences. It proposes that the new digital layer overlaying the physical space should first be methodologically explored in a way that could advance understanding of the extent to which immaterial networks and relationships can affect material planning and design dimensions.

We test whether anchoring affects people's elicited valuations for a bottle of wine in individual decision making and in markets. We anchor subjects by asking them if they are willing to sell a bottle of wine for a transparently uninformative random price. We elicit subjects' Willingness-To-Accept for the bottle before and after the market. Subjects participate in a double auction market either in a small or a large trading group. The variance in subjects' Willingness-To-Accept shrinks within trading groups. Our evidence supports the idea that markets have the potential to diminish anchoring effects. However, the market is not needed: our anchoring manipulation failed in a large sample.

This chapter develops an interest in clarifying the meaning of cyberparks through an interrogation beyond its material preconditions. A cyberpark, as a fold in space generated by a hybrid emergent form of co-mediated space, is a disjunctive combination: it presupposes an encounter between open public urban places and the use of ICT tools. Outstretched beyond its physical manifestation as a place of encounter, a «heterotopic» reading might reveal that the subject is displaced in many different ways, from the analogue to the digital landscape, and from the specificity of the local to the universal of the global web. It is in such transferences that several worlds blend, both in its symbolic function and social significance. Impacts of such «Other Spaces» on the nature of human being’s behaviours can be critically reflected by the consideration of the social role of ICTs as tools of alienation through reinforced governances. Hence the question of creating «non-places» arouses, affording both a consensual appropriation process and the representative commodity networks, that henceforth includes natural, technical and human aspects and at the same time constitutes hybrid identities at the interfaces of its users, subjects, objects and places.

Oil spill is considered one of the main threats to marine and coastal environments. Efficient monitoring and early identification of oil slicks are vital for the corresponding authorities to react expediently, confine the environmental pollution and avoid further damage. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors are commonly used for this objective due to their capability for operating efficiently regardless of the weather and illumination conditions. Black spots probably related to oil spills can be clearly captured by SAR sensors, yet their discrimination from look-alikes poses a challenging objective. A variety of different methods have been proposed to automatically detect and classify these dark spots. Most of them employ custom-made datasets posing results as non-comparable. Moreover, in most cases, a single label is assigned to the entire SAR image resulting in a difficulties when manipulating complex scenarios or extracting further information from the depicted content. To overcome these limitations, semantic segmentation with deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) is proposed as an efficient approach. Moreover, a publicly available SAR image dataset is introduced, aiming to consist a benchmark for future oil spill detection methods. The presented dataset is employed to review the performance of well-known DCNN segmentation models in the specific task. DeepLabv3+ presented the best performance, in terms of test set accuracy and related inference time. Furthermore, the complex nature of the specific problem, especially due to the challenging task of discriminating oil spills and look-alikes is discussed and illustrated, utilizing the introduced dataset. Results imply that DCNN segmentation models, trained and evaluated on the provided dataset, can be utilized to implement efficient oil spill detectors. Current work is expected to contribute significantly to the future research activity regarding oil spill identification and SAR image processing.

ObjectiveAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with various manifestations of impulsivity in adults, including elevated rates of other impulsive disorders, substance use, questionnaire-based impulsivity scores, and inhibitory dysregulation on neurocognitive tests. The relationship between ADHD and all these other forms of impulsivity has yet to be explored within the context of a single comprehensive study.MethodsA total of 423 young adults, who gambled ≥5 times in the preceding year, were recruited using media advertisements and undertook detailed assessment including structured psychiatric interview, questionnaires, and neurocognitive tests. Participants with ADHD symptoms were identified using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Screener (ASRS-V1.1) and were compared to controls using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).ResultsADHD symptoms were found in 20.3% of the sample, but only 7.3% of these subjects had ever received a formal diagnosis. ADHD symptoms were associated with significantly lower quality of life, lower self-esteem, higher emotional dysregulation, higher impulsivity questionnaire scores, more problematic Internet use, greater occurrence of psychiatric disorders, and impaired stop-signal reaction times. Of these variables, stop-signal reaction times and Barratt attentional impulsiveness were the strongest predictors of group classification.ConclusionsADHD symptoms are common and under-diagnosed in young adults who gamble, and are most strongly linked with certain other types of impulsivity (questionnaire- and cognitive-based measures) and with emotional dysregulation, suggesting that these are each important considerations in understanding the pathophysiology of the disorder, but also potential treatment targets. It is necessary to question whether treatment for adult ADHD could be enhanced by considering self-esteem, emotional reactivity, and impaired inhibitory control as specific treatment targets, in addition to the core diagnostic symptoms of the disorder.

In this study, we have deleted the lef8 gene of the baculovirus BmNPV, which encodes one of the viral RNA polymerase subunits, in order to create a knockout bacmid, Δlef8, directing cytopathology-free single-cell infections for gene transduction and recombinant protein production. However, while removal of the complete lef8 ORF produced the expected phenotype, it also affected the function of the closely linked essential gene orf40, thus hampering the mutant bacmid rescue in cultured Bombyx cells expressing recombinant LEF8. Subsequently, we determined that several diverse sequences can substitute for the orf40 5'-upstream sequences that were removed by the deletion of the lef8 gene and also showed that neither a physical linkage nor expression of the two relevant genes under native promoter control is a prerequisite for a fully functional virus. Based on these findings, we generated a rescue-competent lef8-null vector, which contained a heterologous promoter-driven orf40. This lef8-deficient vector, which produces productive infections and progeny virus lacking lef8 in deficiency-complementing cells expressing LEF8, could be used as the basis for an alternative to current silkmoth transduction systems.

Purpose: This study compared the antimicrobial efficacy of calcium silicate sealers (BioRoot RCS and Total Fill BC) and conventional sealers (AH Plus and Tubli-seal) against planktonic bacteria and a nutrient-stressed multispecies biofilm. Methods: Antimicrobial properties of freshly mixed sealers were investigated using the direct contact test (DCT) and a nutrient-stressed multispecies biofilm comprised of five endodontic strains. Antimicrobial activity was determined using quantitative viable counts and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) analysis with live/dead staining. The pH of the sealers was analysed over a period of 28 days in Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey tests and the Kruskal&ndash, Wallis test were used for data analysis with a significance of 5%. Results: All endodontic sealers exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against planktonic bacteria (p &lt, 0.05). BioRoot RCS caused a significant reduction in viable counts of the biofilms compared to AH Plus and the control (p &lt, 0.05), while no significant difference could be observed compared to TotalFill BC and Tubli-seal (p &gt, 0.05). CLSM analysis showed that BioRoot RCS and TotalFill BC exhibited significant biofilm inhibition compared to Tubli-seal, AH Plus and the control (p &lt, 0.05). BioRoot RCS presented with the highest microbial killing, followed by TotalFill BC and Tubli-seal. Alkalizing activity was seen from the onset by BioRoot RCS, TotalFill BC and AH Plus. After 28 days, BioRoot RCS demonstrated the highest pH in HBSS (pH &gt, 12). Conclusions: Calcium silicate sealers exhibited effective antimicrobial properties. This was demonstrated by superior biofilm inhibition capacity and microbial killing, with strong alkalizing activity compared to epoxy-based and zinc oxide-eugenol-based sealers.

Childhood maltreatment has been associated with significant impairment in social, emotional and behavioural functioning later in life. Nevertheless, some individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment function better than expected given their circumstances.Here, we provide an integrated understanding of the complex, interrelated mechanisms that facilitate such individual resilient functioning after childhood maltreatment. We aim to show that resilient functioning is not facilitated by any single 'resilience biomarker'. Rather, resilient functioning after childhood maltreatment is a product of complex processes and influences across multiple levels, ranging from 'bottom-up' polygenetic influences, to 'top-down' supportive social influences. We highlight the complex nature of resilient functioning and suggest how future studies could embrace a complexity theory approach and investigate multiple levels of biological organisation and their temporal dynamics in a longitudinal or prospective manner. This would involve using methods and tools that allow the characterisation of resilient functioning trajectories, attractor states and multidimensional/multilevel assessments of functioning. Such an approach necessitates large, longitudinal studies on the neurobiological mechanisms of resilient functioning after childhood maltreatment that cut across and integrate multiple levels of explanation (i.e. genetics, endocrine and immune systems, brain structure and function, cognition and environmental factors) and their temporal interconnections.We conclude that a turn towards complexity is likely to foster collaboration and integration across fields. It is a promising avenue which may guide future studies aimed to promote resilience in those who have experienced childhood maltreatment.

The Internet is now all-pervasive across much of the globe. While it has positive uses (e.g. prompt access to information, rapid news dissemination), many individuals develop Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI), an umbrella term incorporating a range of repetitive impairing behaviours. The Internet can act as a conduit for, and may contribute to, functionally impairing behaviours including excessive and compulsive video gaming, compulsive sexual behaviour, buying, gambling, streaming or social networks use. There is growing public and National health authority concern about the health and societal costs of PUI across the lifespan. Gaming Disorder is being considered for inclusion as a mental disorder in diagnostic classification systems, and was listed in the ICD-11 version released for consideration by Member States (http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/revision/timeline/en/). More research is needed into disorder definitions, validation of clinical tools, prevalence, clinical parameters, brain-based biology, socio-health-economic impact, and empirically validated intervention and policy approaches. Potential cultural differences in the magnitudes and natures of types and patterns of PUI need to be better understood, to inform optimal health policy and service development. To this end, the EU under Horizon 2020 has launched a new four-year European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action Programme (CA 16207), bringing together scientists and clinicians from across the fields of impulsive, compulsive, and addictive disorders, to advance networked interdisciplinary research into PUI across Europe and beyond, ultimately seeking to inform regulatory policies and clinical practice. This paper describes nine critical and achievable research priorities identified by the Network, needed in order to advance understanding of PUI, with a view towards identifying vulnerable individuals for early intervention. The network shall enable collaborative research networks, shared multinational databases, multicentre studies and joint publications. ISSN:0924-977X ISSN:1873-7862

Oil spills pose a major threat of the oceanic and coastal environments, hence, an automatic detection and a continuous monitoring system comprises an appealing option for minimizing the response time of relevant operations. Numerous efforts have been conducted towards such solutions by exploiting a variety of sensing systems such as satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) which can identify oil spills over sea surfaces in any environmental conditions and operational time. Such approaches include the use of artificial neural networks which effectively identify the polluted areas. Considering their remarkable abilities in many applications, deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNN) could surpass limitations and performances of previously proposed methods. This paper describes the application of an approach that combines the merits of a DCNN with SAR imagery in order to provide a fully automated oil spill identification system. The model semantically segments the input SAR images into multiple areas of interest. The deployed DCNN was trained using multiple SAR images acquired from the Sentinel-1 satellite provided by ESA and based on EMSA records for maritime pollution events. Experiments on such challenging benchmark datasets for such an abstract problem demonstrate that the algorithm can accurately identify oil spills leading to an effective detection solution.

Root canal irrigation with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is an indispensable part of the chemomechanical preparation of infected root canals in Endodontology. However, there is limited information on the emergence of toxic or hazardous volatile compounds (VOCs) from the interaction of NaOCl with the infected content of tooth biomaterials. The aim of this study was to assess the formation of VOCs and disinfection by-products (DBPs) following the interaction of NaOCl 2.5% v/v with a model system of different sources of natural organic matter (NOM) present in infected root canals, including dentine powder, planktonic multi-microbial suspensions (Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Actinomyces radicidentis, Streptococcus mitis and Enterococcus faecalis strain OMGS3202), bovine serum albumin 4%w/v and their combination. NaOCl was obtained from a stock solution with iodometric titration. Ultrapure water served as negative control. Samples were stirred at 37°C in aerobic and anaerobic conditions for 30min to approximate a clinically realistic time. Centrifugation was performed and the supernatants were collected and stored at -800 C until analysis. The reaction products were analysed in real time by selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) in triplicates. SIFT-MS analysis showed that the released VOCs included chlorinated hydrocarbons, particularly chloroform, together with unexpected higher levels of some nitrogenous compounds, especially acetonitrile. No difference was observed between aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The chemical interaction of NaOCl with NOM resulted in the formation of toxic chlorinated VOCs and DBPs. SIFT-MS analysis proved to be an effective analytical method. The risks from the rise of toxic compounds require further consideration in dentistry.

Photinos Panas (1832-1903) was one of the world's most important ophthalmologists in the second half of the 19th century. In his leading work entitled, Traité des maladies des yeux (Treatise of ophthalmic diseases), he made an in depth analysis of the various types of ocular cancer. His ideas on the subject were important for their tutorial character, their connection to the clinical work and very helpful for the everyday clinical practice of physicians of that time.

Background Although antimicrobial stewardship programmes are one of the highest priorities in healthcare systems, the appropriate use of antifungal agents has not been widely studied. Breakthrough infections from resistant Candida species have given rise to speculation over the deviation from the guidelines. Purpose The aim of the present study is: To examine the distribution of Candida species. To observe a potential increase in the MICs of echinocandins and liposomal amphotericin–B. To assess the percentage of patients to whom antifungal treatment de–escalated after the identification of the susceptibility of the strain according to the guidelines of antifungal therapy. To calculate the financial cost, in those cases where the patient met the criteria to de–escalate therapy from echinocandins to fluconazole, or to continue therapy with fluconazole but they did not. Material and methods A retrospective analysis (2011 to 2016) of patients’ clinical data with confirmed candidaemia was performed. Data obtained from patients’ records, the microbiology laboratory and the pharmacy department. Patients were screened according to the following criteria: Patients aged above 18 years. Candidaemia confirmed with blood cultures positive for Candida spp. Empirical therapy with antifungal agent until culture results were obtained. Strain of Candida spp. susceptible to fluconazole. Results From the overall 157 patients with confirmed candidaemia (seven were excluded due to endocarditis) 58 received azoles, 74 echinocandins, 18 received liposomal amphotericin-B for empirical therapy. 51 patients were eligible to de-escatate to fluconazole but only 23 patients did so. Furthermore, nine patients from fluconazole re-escalated unjustified to echinocandins or liposomal amphotericin-B. The financial loss for the healthcare system due to the high prices of echinocandins and liposomal amphotericin B versus fluconazole, reached €211,836.29. Interestingly, it was found that one strain of C. albicans and two strains of C. glabrata were resistant to echinocandins. Conclusion Our data indicate that empirical antifungal therapy is correct but regarding targeted antifungal therapy the de-escalation process is not implemented according to the guidelines. This leads to breakthrough infections from resistant Candida species and financial loss for healthcare systems because of the high cost of echinocandins and liposomal amphotericin-B. This raises the question concerning the necessity of adopting antifungal stewardship programmes in hospital settings. No conflict of interest

Background In the past few years, the development of three novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs), which directly target thrombin or factor Xa, has brought a remarkable change in the clinical practice of anticoagulation therapy. Although they constitute an attractive alternative option to warfarin and heparin, the appropriate use of these agents is essential in order to maximise their effect and avoid adverse events. Purpose The aim of the present study is to investigate two clinical pharmacists’ interventions regarding NOACs’ usage in a private hospital. Material and methods A prospective study was conducted at a Private General Hospital from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016. NOACs were administered in different doses according to indication, bodyweight, age and comorbidities. During the study period, the clinical pharmacists documented all cases where NOACs were prescribed. Data were analysed so as to reveal potential medication errors. Results Totally, 370 cases of NOACs’ administration were recorded, of which, 42 (11.4%) included a medication error. Among these mistakes, 28 (66.7%) were related to erroneously calculated NOACs’ dosage based on renal function, eight (19%) to drug-drug interactions and six (14.3%) to concurrent active cancer. Apixaban was the most frequent NOAC to be erroneously administered (13 of 76 cases, 17.1%), followed by rivaroxaban (28 of 257 cases, 10.9%) and dabigatran (one of 37 cases. 2.7%). Conclusion No matter how advantageous NOACs seem to be, they are accompanied by several risks which are more likely to happen if these agents are not appropriately used. Both the efficacy and bleeding risk depend on patient variables, such as renal function, age, weight and concomitant medication, whereas, due to their recent authorisation, there is insufficient experience on their benefit-to-risk ratio in special cases, such as cancer, obesity or childhood. The present study showed that, in our hospital, a significant amount of patients (11.4%) received NOACs in a way that contradicts the product label guidelines. The necessity to take patients’ medical history and NOACs’ pharmacological characteristics into account was highlighted, along with the potential contribution of a drug-handling expert, such as a clinical pharmacist. No conflict of interest

Drug development is currently hampered by the inability of animal experiments to accurately predict human response. While emerging organ on chip technology offers to reduce risk using microfluidic models of human tissues, the technology still mostly relies on end-point assays and biomarker measurements to assess tissue damage resulting in limited mechanistic information and difficulties to detect adverse effects occurring below the threshold of cellular damage. Here we present a sensor-integrated liver on chip array in which oxygen is monitored using two-frequency phase modulation of tissue-embedded microprobes, while glucose, lactate and temperature are measured in real time using microfluidic electrochemical sensors. Our microphysiological platform permits the calculation of dynamic changes in metabolic fluxes around central carbon metabolism, producing a unique metabolic fingerprint of the liver's response to stimuli. Using our platform, we studied the dynamics of human liver response to the epilepsy drug Valproate (Depakine™) and the antiretroviral medication Stavudine (Zerit™). Using E6/E7(LOW) hepatocytes, we show TC(50) of 2.5 and 0.8 mM, respectively, coupled with a significant induction of steatosis in 2D and 3D cultures. Time to onset analysis showed slow progressive damage starting only 15–20 hours post-exposure. However, flux analysis showed a rapid disruption of metabolic homeostasis occurring below the threshold of cellular damage. While Valproate exposure led to a sustained 15% increase in lipogenesis followed by mitochondrial stress, Stavudine exposure showed only a transient increase in lipogenesis suggesting disruption of β-oxidation. Our data demonstrates the importance of tracking metabolic stress as a predictor of clinical outcome.

Cellular Automata (CAs) are computational models that can capture the essential features of systems in which global behavior emerges from the collective effect of simple components, which interact locally. During the last decades, CAs have been extensively used for mimicking several natural processes and systems to find fine solutions in many complex hard to solve computer science and engineering problems. Among them, the shortest path problem is one of the most pronounced and highly studied problems that scientists have been trying to tackle by using a plethora of methodologies and even unconventional approaches. The proposed solutions are mainly justified by their ability to provide a correct solution in a better time complexity than the renowned Dijkstra’s algorithm. Although there is a wide variety regarding the algorithmic complexity of the algorithms suggested, spanning from simplistic graph traversal algorithms to complex nature inspired and bio-mimicking algorithms, in this chapter we focus on the successful application of CAs to shortest path problem as found in various diverse disciplines like computer science, swarm robotics, computer networks, decision science and biomimicking of biological organisms’ behaviour. In particular, an introduction on the first CA-based algorithm tackling the shortest path problem is provided in detail. After the short presentation of shortest path algorithms arriving from the relaxization of the CAs principles, the application of the CA-based shortest path definition on the coordinated motion of swarm robotics is also introduced. Moreover, the CA based application of shortest path finding in computer networks is presented in brief. Finally, a CA that models exactly the behavior of a biological organism, namely the Physarum’s behavior, finding the minimum-length path between two points in a labyrinth is given. The CA-based model results are found in very good agreement with the computation results produced by the in-vivo experiments especially when combined with truly parallel implementations of this CA in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and on a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU). The presented implementations succeed to take advantage of the CA’s inherit parallelism and significantly improve the performance of the CA algorithm when compared with software in terms of computational speed and power consumption.

Background Although antimicrobial stewardship programmes are one of the highest priorities in healthcare systems and many articles have been published, few refer to the implementation of antifungal stewardship and highlight specific points on which efforts should be focused. Objective To assess the percentage of patients with confirmed candidaemia in whom de-escalation was conducted, and the economic impact of step-down or step-up antifungal therapy. Additionally, we attempted to estimate the potential increase in drug minimum inhibitory concentrations or to detect resistant strains of Candida species. Methods We selected, retrospectively, patients who had received systemic antifungal therapy between 2011 and 2016 for documented candidaemia. Statistical analysis and diagrams were used to assess the results. Results Of 157 patients with confirmed candidaemia, 58 received azoles, 74 echinocandinsand 18 liposomal amphotericin B for empirical therapy. 51 patients were eligible to step-down to fluconazole but only 23 patients did so. Furthermore, in nine patients unjustified step-up from fluconazole to echinocandins or liposomal amphotericin B was carried out. The additional cost incurred bythe healthcare system due to high prices of echinocandins and liposomal amphotericin B in comparison with fluconazole was€211 837. Interestingly, it was found that one strain of C. albicans and two strains of C. glabrata were resistant to echinocandins. Conclusion The presence of a multidisciplinary team, including an infection control specialist and a clinical pharmacist, would limit the prescription of advanced antifungal agents as empirical therapy. Moreover, this team would control the de-escalation process—where applicable—leading to a reduction in costs and, probably, a decrease in the emergence of resistant Candida species. These facts contribute to the broader discussion on the adoption of antifungal stewardship programmes.

Background and aims Problematic internet use (PIU; otherwise known as Internet Addiction) is a growing problem in modern societies. There is scarce knowledge of the demographic variables and specific internet activities associated with PIU and a limited understanding of how PIU should be conceptualized. Our aim was to identify specific internet activities associated with PIU and explore the moderating role of age and gender in those associations. Methods We recruited 1749 participants aged 18 and above via media advertisements in an Internet-based survey at two sites, one in the US, and one in South Africa; we utilized Lasso regression for the analysis. Results Specific internet activities were associated with higher problematic internet use scores, including general surfing (lasso β: 2.1), internet gaming (β: 0.6), online shopping (β: 1.4), use of online auction websites (β: 0.027), social networking (β: 0.46) and use of online pornography (β: 1.0). Age moderated the relationship between PIU and role-playing-games (β: 0.33), online gambling (β: 0.15), use of auction websites (β: 0.35) and streaming media (β: 0.35), with older age associated with higher levels of PIU. There was inconclusive evidence for gender and gender × internet activities being associated with problematic internet use scores. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and social anxiety disorder were associated with high PIU scores in young participants (age ≤ 25, β: 0.35 and 0.65 respectively), whereas generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were associated with high PIU scores in the older participants (age > 55, β: 6.4 and 4.3 respectively). Conclusions Many types of online behavior (e.g. shopping, pornography, general surfing) bear a stronger relationship with maladaptive use of the internet than gaming supporting the diagnostic classification of problematic internet use as a multifaceted disorder. Furthermore, internet activities and psychiatric diagnoses associated with problematic internet use vary with age, with public health implications., Highlights • This is the first comprehensive exploration of various types of internet activities associated with maladaptive internet use. • A range of activities beyond online gaming contributes separately and uniquely to problematic internet use. • Specific internet activities are associated with more problems and that this relationship is influenced by age.

Objectives The therapeutic goal in rhabdomyolysis includes treatment of the causative factor and symptoms, and prevention of complications. Administration of intravenous fluids and forced alkaline diuresis are essential. Both intravenous bicarbonates and acetazolamide are used to increase urine pH but have limitations and are associated with an increased risk of metabolic abnormalities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the concurrent use of acetazolamide and bicarbonates in order to achieve urine alkalisation and avoid metabolic abnormalities. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of the medical records of patients with rhabdomyolysis who received intravenous acetazolamide and sodium bicarbonate. Results 12 patients (9 males and 3 females) with median age of 47.5 years were analysed. All had creatinine clearance >10 mL/min. The median maximum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) was 14 280 IU/L, and the median duration of treatment in order to achieve CPK levels Conclusions In the present study, the combined use of acetazolamide and bicarbonates was effective and safe as we achieved alkaline urines on the first day and CPK levels were reduced to

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have characterized the epidemiology of first-episode psychoses in rural or urban settings since the introduction of early intervention psychosis services. To address this, the authors conducted a naturalistic cohort study in England, where such services are well established. METHOD: All new first-episode psychosis cases, 16-35 years old, presenting to early intervention psychosis services in the East of England were identified during 2 million person-years follow-up. Presence of ICD-10 F10-33 psychotic disorder was confirmed using OPCRIT [operational criteria for psychotic illness]. Incidence rate ratios were estimated following multivariable Poisson regression, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood-level deprivation, and population density. RESULTS: Of 1,005 referrals, 687 participants (68.4%) fulfilled epidemiological and diagnostic criteria for first-episode psychosis (34.0 new cases per 100,000 person-years; 95% CI=31.5-36.6). Median age at referral was similar for men (22.5 years; interquartile range: 19.5-26.7) and women (23.4 years; interquartile range: 19.5-29.1); incidence rates were highest for men and women before 20 years of age. Rates increased for ethnic minority groups (incidence rate ratio: 1.4; 95% CI=1.1-1.6), as well as with lower socioeconomic status (incidence rate ratio: 1.3; 95% CI=1.2-1.4) and in more urban (incidence rate ratio: 1.4;95%CI=1.0-1.8) and deprived (incidence rate ratio: 2.1; 95% CI=1.3-3.3) neighborhoods, after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Pronounced variation in psychosis incidence, peaking before 20 years old, exists in populations served by early intervention psychosis services. Excess rates were restricted to urban and deprived communities, suggesting that a threshold of socioenvironmental adversity may be necessary to increase incidence. This robust epidemiology can inform service development in various settings about likely population-level need.

Liposomes are widely used as delivery systems of cytotoxic drugs. The encapsulation into liposomes improves pharmacological properties and as a result therapeutic index and outcomes. To date, liposomal vincristine and cytarabine are approved and marketed for intravenous and intrathecal administration, respectively. The main goal of this review is to examine the clinical use and pharmacological properties, as well as the safety of liposomal forms of less widely used liposomal forms of anticancer agents compared to their conventional forms and to present data regarding clinical development of other liposomal agents. Liposomal forms of cytarabine and vincristine are less widely used and unknown compared to liposomal anthracyclines, because they are approved only for specific indications and only in the United States.

Caffeine is one of the most widespread psychotropic substances in the world. It exerts multiple effects on the brain including adenosine receptor antagonism, and thereby has been found to modulate aspects of cognition, including attention, in animal models and in healthy human volunteers. This review considers what is known of the effects of caffeine on symptoms and cognitive functions in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a prototypical disorder of cognitive dysfunction. We consider the merits of investigating further caffeine’s therapeutic potential as a monotherapy or as an adjunctive agent in ADHD. The potential benefits of re-opening a dialogue regarding the use of caffeine in ADHD clinical practice are highlighted, along with potential implications for the use of adenosine receptor antagonists in ADHD and other disorders characterised by cognitive impairment.

There is increasing literature suggesting a link between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders (EDs), especially bulimia nervosa. ADHD is under-diagnosed in girls and children of high intelligence are typically missed. We identified a case of a 23-year-old woman suffering from severe bulimia nervosa and previously unsuspected ADHD in adulthood; we diagnosed and treated her with extended-release methylphenidate. We performed a literature review on the ADHD and bulimia nervosa comorbidity. We discuss the reasons why her ADHD remained undiagnosed and the difficulties in diagnosing ADHD in patients with EDs. We suggest that identifying comorbid ADHD is crucial for these patients and argue for the use of a structured interview, collateral history and investigation of onset of symptoms to establish a diagnosis of ADHD in adults with bulimia nervosa. Comorbidities and overlap of symptomatology need to be taken into account. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:431–436)

Radiation-induced afferent loop obstruction is a rare complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy. As in the setting of Roux-en-Y reconstruction endoscopic approaches are limited, surgery of this complication becomes inevitable. This study provides a new classification/management system of the radiation-induced obstruction of the afferent loop based on the extent and location of radiation injury, and describes the Pancreaticojejuno-jejunostomy, a novel technique to avoid revision of the pancreatic anastomosis during reconstruction of the afferent loop. Data were analyzed from nine patients who developed radiation-induced afferent loop obstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy with single Roux limb reconstruction. One patient had type I obstruction and treated with by-pass surgery, seven patients had type II obstruction and treated with reconstruction including revision of the hepaticojejunostomy and Pancreaticojejuno-jejunostomy, and one patient had type III obstruction and treated with reconstruction including revision of the hepaticojejunostomy and the pancreatic anastomosis. Reconstruction along with Pancreaticojejuno-jejunostomy performed in six patients with type II radiation-induced afferent loop obstruction; reconstruction was not feasible for one patient. The median operative time was 149 min. No intraoperative complication was observed. By performing Pancreaticojejuno-jejunostomy we managed efficiently to convert a pancreatic anastomosis to an enteric anastomosis as one case of Grade B pancreatic fistula and no case of Pancreaticojejuno-jejunostomy stricture were observed, regarding short- and long-term results, respectively. The above technique may have a useful application in the surgical management of the radiation-induced afferent loop obstruction when endoscopy fails and by-pass surgery is inappropriate.

In the publication of this article [1], there is an error in the Family Name and Given Name of the authors since these were interchanged.

Traditionally, reduced daily doses of colistin methanesulphonate (CMS) in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) have resulted in suboptimal colistin concentrations. The necessity of a loading dose (LD) at treatment initiation has been proposed. A LD of 9 million IU (MU) [ca. 270 mg of colistin base activity (CBA)] was administrated with a maintenance dose of 4.5 MU (ca. 140 mg CBA) every 12 h (q12h) to eight critically ill patients receiving renal replacement therapy. Blood samples were collected immediately before and at different time intervals after the LD and the fourth dose, whilst pre-filter and post-filter blood samples were also collected. CMS and colistin concentrations were determined using an LC-MS/MS assay. Median maximum observed concentrations after the LD were 22.1 mg/L for CMS and 1.55 mg/L for colistin, whereas during maintenance dosing the corresponding values were 12.6 mg/L and 1.72 mg/L, respectively. CVVHDF clearance was determined as 2.98 L/h for colistin, equivalent to 62% of total apparent colistin clearance in CVVHDF patients. Both CMS and colistin were cleared by CVVHDF. Application of a LD of 9 MU CMS resulted in more rapid achievement of the target colistin concentration. Following implementation of a predicted pharmacokinetic model on plasma CMS/colistin concentrations, a LD of 12 MU CMS appears more appropriate, whilst a CMS maintenance dosage of at least 6.5-7.5 MU q12h is suggested in patients undergoing CVVHDF. However, further clinical studies are warranted to assess the safety of a LD of 12 MU CMS in patients receiving CVVHDF.

Diaphragmatic muscular remodeling is caused by various conditions and was mainly studied in pulmonary pathologies and chronic alterations of intra-thoracic pressure. We investigate the effect of the chronically increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) on the diaphragm by morphological and biochemical analysis.Thirty rabbits were divided into control and study groups. IAP was increased in group B to 12 mmHg for 2 months. The left hemidiaphragm underwent morphological, while the right underwent biochemical analysis.In HE, all fibers were normal. ATPase analysis demonstrated that type I fibers show no differences between groups. Type ΙΙ(Α) were decreased (p = 0.016) while type ΙΙ(Β/X) fibers were increased (p = 0.025) in group B. Fibers with resistance to fatigue were decreased in group B (p = 0.024). In group B, biochemical activity for glutathione reductase (p = 0.004), glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.021), protein carbonylation (0.029), lipid peroxidation (p = 0.005), and balance of preoxidative-antioxidative factors (p = 0.006) was increased.Chronically increased IAP induces alterations to the rabbit diaphragm. Adaptation, equivalent to strenuous contraction, transforms the diaphragm to be functionally more efficient toward workload but makes it vulnerable against oxidative stress.

This paper investigates the leadership skills needed for future leaders especially during economic turmoil. Based on an extensive literature review a list of the most important leadership skills was developed and a questionnaire was constructed to be used in structured interviews with experts and young leaders from five European countries (Greece, Latvia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Bulgaria). The results revealed the most crucial skills for future leaders in terms of future employability and during times of crisis. Based on the results, a leadership training programme was developed to train young leaders in these leadership skills. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.em.19.4.8382

A Cellular Automaton-based technique suitable for solving the path planning problem in a distributed robot team is outlined. Real-time path planning is a challenging task that has many applications in the fields of artificial intelligence, moving robots, virtual reality, and agent behavior simulation. The problem refers to finding a collision-free path for autonomous robots between two specified positions in a configuration area. The complexity of the problem increases in systems of multiple robots. More specifically, some distance should be covered by each robot in an unknown environment, avoiding obstacles found on its route to the destination. On the other hand, all robots must adjust their actions in order to keep their initial team formation immutable. Two different formations were tested in order to study the efficiency and the flexibility of the proposed method. Using different formations, the proposed technique could find applications to image processing tasks, swarm intelligence, etc. Furthermore, the presented Cellular Automaton (CA) method was implemented and tested in a real system using three autonomous mobile minirobots called E-pucks. Experimental results indicate that accurate collision-free paths could be created with low computational cost. Additionally, cooperation tasks could be achieved using minimal hardware resources, even in systems with low-cost robots.

The diaphragm, the major respiratory muscle, contains three types of muscular fibers in dynamic balance between them. The fiber ratios vary in time in function of conditions, such as aging, hypoproteinemia, exercise, and chronic respiratory load. The diaphragmatic adaptation following abdominal conditions remains an unexplored field. This experimental study aims to identify the changes of the diaphragm due to chronic abdominal weight load. This may find application in conditions such as pregnancy, ascites, visceromegaly, large masses, and morbid obesity.Thirty rabbits were divided into control (A) and study (B) groups. Group B was loaded with weight for 2 months. The left costal hemidiaphragm were stained with HE and ATPase (fiber typing), while the right underwent biochemical analysis (prooxidative-antioxidative balance, lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase and peroxidase activities, total glutathione, and protein carbonylation).In HE, all fibers were within normal range. ATPase analysis demonstrated reduction of type I (p = 0.019) and an increase of the type ΙΙ(Α) fibers ratio (p 0.001) in group B, while the type ΙΙ(Β/X) fibers ratio remained stable. The above suggest remodeling of type I fibers into type II(A). Concerning biochemical analysis, difference was observed in glutathione peroxidase activity (p 0.001).Chronically loaded abdomen leads to morphological adaptations of the costal diaphragm, but with minor oxidative stress. These diaphragmatic morphological changes are equivalent to heart failure or severe COPD, showing that this remodeling makes the muscle more efficient towards work load, but more vulnerable to fatigue.

A 40-year-old female patient with noncontributory medical history presented to the postgraduate clinic of the Department of Endodontology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Her chief complaint was a gradually increasing swelling in the left side of her maxilla, during the preceding 2 months. After clinical examination, the radiologic and computerized tomographic scan examinations revealed the presence of a radiopaque foreign material in contact with the apex of tooth #22, confined within the limits of a radiolucent area. On dental anamnesis and after communication with her dentist, it was concluded that calcium hydroxide was deliberately extruded for the healing of the large lesion. The patient was scheduled for periapical surgery. The histopathologic features of the lesion revealed the presence of a periapical cyst and the absence of foreign body giant cells. After an observation period of 1 year, healing was uneventful.

Postconditioning (POC) reduces lethal reperfusion injury under normal conditions, but its effectiveness under certain pathological states is in dispute. In the present study, we sought to determine the effect of chronic simvastatin treatment in hyperlipidemic animals with or without POC. Anesthetized rabbits were randomized into eight groups, as follows, and were subjected to 30-min myocardial ischemia followed by 3-h reperfusion. Normally fed animals: a Control group with no additional intervention, a Sim group treated with simvastatin for 3 weeks at a dose of 3 mg kg(-1), a POC group subjected to POC with eight cycles of 30-s ischemia/reperfusion, a Sim-POC group treated with simvastatin, and POC. Cholesterol fed (6 weeks) animals: a Chol group with no additional interventions, a Chol-Sim group treated with simvastatin for 3 weeks, a Chol-POC group subjected to POC, and a Chol-Sim-POC group treated with simvastatin and POC. Infarct size and plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrotyrosine (NT), NOx, total cholesterol, and LDL were evaluated. In a second series of experiments, heart tissue samples were taken for MDA, NT, and NOx assessment. Infarct size, circulating MDA, NT, NOx and cardiac MDA, NT, and NOx levels declined in POC and all Sim groups compared with Control, Chol, and Chol-POC (p0.05). Simvastatin also reduced total cholesterol and LDL plasma levels. In conclusion, a 3-week simvastatin treatment limits the infarct size and attenuates the oxidative and nitrosative stress both in normo- and in hyper-cholesterolemic rabbits subjected to ischemia-reperfusion irrespective of the presence of POC, while POC is effective only in normocholesterolemic animals.

Colistin has been revived, in the era of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Gram-negative infections, as the last-resort treatment in critically ill patients. Recent studies focusing on the optimal dosing strategy of colistin have demonstrated the necessity of a loading dose at treatment initiation (D. Plachouras, M. Karvanen, L. E. Friberg, E. Papadomichelakis, A. Antoniadou, I. Tsangaris, I. Karaiskos, G. Poulakou, F. Kontopidou, A. Armaganidis, O. Cars, and H. Giamarellou, Antimicrob Agents Chemother 53:3430–3436, 2009, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01361-08 ; A. F. Mohamed, I. Karaiskos, D. Plachouras, M. Karvanen, K. Pontikis, B. Jansson, E. Papadomichelakis, A. Antoniadou, H. Giamarellou, A. Armaganidis, O. Cars, and L. E. Friberg, Antimicrob Agents Chemother 56:4241– 4249, 2012, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.06426-11 ; S. M. Garonzik, J. Li, V. Thamlikitkul, D. L. Paterson, S. Shoham, J. Jacob, F. P. Silveira, A. Forrest, and R. L. Nation, Antimicrob Agents Chemother 55:3284–3294, 2011, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.01733-10 ). In 19 critically ill patients with suspected or microbiologically documented infections caused by XDR Gram-negative strains, a loading dose of 9 MU colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) (∼270 mg colistin base activity) was administered with a maintenance dose of 4.5 MU every 12 h, commenced after 24 h. Patients on renal replacement were excluded. CMS infusion was given over 30 min or 1 h. Repeated blood sampling was performed after the loading dose and after the 5th or 6th dose. Colistin concentrations and measured CMS, determined after hydrolization to colistin and including the partially sulfomethylated derivatives, were determined with a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay. Population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted in NONMEM with the new data combined with data from previous studies. Measured colistimethate concentrations were described by 4 compartments for distribution and removal of sulfomethyl groups, while colistin disposition followed a 1-compartment model. The average observed maximum colistin A plus B concentration was 2.65 mg/liter after the loading dose (maximum time was 8 h). A significantly higher availability of the measured A and B forms of colistimethate and colistin explained the higher-than-expected concentrations in the present study compared to those in previous studies. Creatinine clearance was a time-varying covariate of colistimethate clearance. The incidence of acute renal injury was 20%.

Background: Ghrelin is a peptide hormone with orexigenic properties, primarily produced by the stomach. Leptin and adiponectin are the two adiposity products that participate in body weight control. Leptin always decreases and adiponectin increases after weight loss. Different changes in fasting ghrelin levels have been reported following bariatric surgery. In this study, we compare the changes in fasting ghrelin, leptin and adiponectin levels in 3 groups of patients who achieved weight loss by either diet, MacLean vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS). Methods: Serum fasting ghrelin, leptin and adiponectin concentration was measured in 40 obese patients who achieved weight loss by either diet (n=14), VBG (n=13) or BPD-DS (n=13), before and after weight loss. The follow-up period was 18 months for BPD-DS and VBG and 6 months for diet. Serum ghrelin level was measured by ELISA. Results: BMI was significantly decreased in all 3 groups: 9.2±2.4% (P

In this chapter, a unified architecture is proposed for a robot team in order to accomplish several tasks based on the application of an enhanced Cellular Automata (CA) path planner. The presented path planner can produce adequate collision-free pathways with minimum hardware resources and low complexity levels. During the course of a robot team to its final destination, dynamic obstacles are detected and avoided in real time as well as coordinated movements are executed by applying cooperations in order to maintain the team’s initial formation. The inherit parallelism and simplicity of CA result in a path planner that requires low computational resources and thus, its implementation in miniature robots is straightforward. Cooperations are limited to a minimum so that further resource reduction can be achieved. For this purpose, the basic fundamentals of another artificial intelligence method, namely Ant Colonies Optimization (ACO) technique, were applied. The entire robot team is divided into equally numbered subgroups and an ACO algorithm is applied to reduce the complexity. As each robot moves towards to its final position, it creates a trail of an evaporated substance, called “pheromone”. The “pheromone” and its quantity are detected by the following robots and thus, every robot is absolved by the necessity of continuous communication with its neighbors. The total complexity of the presented architecture results to a possible implementation using a team of miniature robots where all available resources are exploited.

During the last years, several methods have been applied to tackle the image resizing problem. Most of these methods are derived from image interpolation techniques for image enlargement. Among them, the edge-directed interpolation methods succeed to preserve the edges of the low resolution image and produce crisper results compared to the space invariantmodels. In this chapter, we present an edge-directed method which exploits the simplicity and the inherent parallelism of the Cellular Automata (CA) computational tool to generate high resolution images from low resolution acquired images. This task is accomplished with the help of the Canny Edge Detector so as to discriminate the edge regions from the homogenous ones. Moreover, appropriate CA states and transition rules were designed to evolve the CA, which, eventually, attempt to enhance the quality of the edge areas. The orientation of the edge cells are considered in order to preserve effectively the edges of the initial image. The presented experimental results in terms of PSNR values and processing time demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method when compared to well-known methods as well as its suitability, especially for systems with low requirements specifications when further image processing is required.

There is increasing literature suggesting a link between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders (EDs), especially bulimia nervosa. ADHD is under-diagnosed in girls and children of high intelligence are typically missed. We identified a case of a 23-year-old woman suffering from severe bulimia nervosa and previously unsuspected ADHD in adulthood; we diagnosed and treated her with extended-release methylphenidate. We performed a literature review on the ADHD and bulimia nervosa comorbidity. We discuss the reasons why her ADHD remained undiagnosed and the difficulties in diagnosing ADHD in patients with EDs. We suggest that identifying comorbid ADHD is crucial for these patients and argue for the use of a structured interview, collateral history and investigation of onset of symptoms to establish a diagnosis of ADHD in adults with bulimia nervosa. Comorbidities and overlap of symptomatology need to be taken into account.

Oleuropein, a natural phenolic compound, prevents acute doxorubicin (DXR)-induced cardiotoxicity but there is no evidence regarding its role in chronic DXR-induced cardiomyopathy (DXR-CM). In the present study, we investigated the role of oleuropein in DXR-CM by addressing cardiac geometry and function (transthoracic echocardiography), cardiac histopathology, nitro-oxidative stress (MDA, PCs, NT), inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, Big ET-1), NO homeostasis (iNOS and eNOS expressions), kinases involved in apoptosis and metabolism (Akt, AMPK) and myocardial metabonomics. Rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: Control, OLEU-1 and OLEU-2 [oleuropein at 1000 and 2000 mg/kg in total, respectively, intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 14 days], DXR (18 mg/kg, i.p. divided into 6 equal doses for 2 weeks), DXR-OLEU-1 and DXR-OLEU-2 (both oleuropein and DXR as previously described). Impaired left ventricular contractility and inflammatory and degenerative pathology lesions were encountered only in the DXR group. The DXR group also had higher MDA, PCs, NT, IL-6 and Big ET-1 levels, higher iNOS and lower eNOS, Akt and AMPK activation compared to controls and the oleuropein-treated groups. Metabonomics depicted significant metabolite alterations in the DXR group suggesting perturbed energy metabolism and protein biosynthesis. The effectiveness of DXR in inhibiting cell proliferation is not compromised when oleuropein is present. We documented an imbalance between iNOS and eNOS expressions and a disturbed protein biosynthesis and metabolism in DXR-CM; these newly recognized pathways in DXR cardiotoxicity may help identifying novel therapeutic targets. Activation of AMPK and suppression of iNOS by oleuropein seem to prevent the structural, functional and histopathological cardiac effects of chronic DXR toxicity.

Summary Band erosion is a rare complication of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) with a reported prevalence varying from 0.3% to 14%. Intraluminal colonic erosion of the connecting tube is very rare, as only isolated cases have been described. Consequently, simultaneous gastric band erosion and connecting tube colonic erosion is an extremely rare event. Herein, we present a case of a woman with morbid obesity, who submitted to LABG 4 years ago. The patient presented with symptoms and signs of right lower quadrant peritonitis. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated migration of the band into the gastric lumen, inflammation around the intra-abdominal course of the connecting tube and an inflammatory mass surrounding the tube at the right lower quadrant. Laparotomy revealed the eroded band, the eroded transverse colon from the connecting tube, a gastrocolic fistula along the course of the tube and a right lower quadrant phlegmon. The connecting tube was mobilized from the surrounding adherent tissues, the gastric band removed, the stomach and colon walls closed, and the gastrocolic fistula excised. To our knowledge this is the second case of concurrent band erosion and connecting tube colonic erosion along with gastrocolic fistula formation in a patient with morbid obesity treated with LAGB.

A new method for fusing a scene of two or more different exposed images is proposed. The process of Fast and Adaptive Bidimensional Empirical mode Decomposition is adopted in order to decompose the illumination component of the input images in their Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). The features of each image can then be detected by applying local energy operators within the IMFs and the final fused image is derived as a collection of features from the input images. Finally, the color information is selected from the “best exposed” pixels of the input sequence. Experimental results show that this method captures all the features from the input images while the fused images display uniform pixel values in the entire image region.

This paper introduces a novel image resizing method for both color and grayscale images. The method could be beneficial in applications where time and quality of the processed images are crucial. The basic idea of the proposed method relies on preserving the edges by partitioning the digital images into homogenous and edge areas during the enlargement process. In addition, the basic fundamentals of Cellular Automata were adopted in order to achieve better performance both in terms of processing time as well as in image quality. By creating appropriate transition rules, the direction of the edges is considered so that every unknown pixel is processed based on its neighbors in order to preserve the quality of the edges. Results demonstrate that the proposed method improves the subjective quality of the enlarged images over conventional resizing methods while keeping the required processing time in low levels.

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the fracture mode of endodontically treated canines (ETC) restored with glass-fibre posts (GFP) and either metal-ceramic (MC) or all-ceramic (AC) crowns, in the presence or absence of 2 mm ferrule height. Methods Fifty recently extracted human maxillary canines were endodontically treated and randomly divided into 5 groups of 10 specimens each. Four groups (with or without ferrule) were restored with GFP, composite cores and either MC or AC crowns. The fifth group with intact ETC served as control. Teeth were loaded to fracture at a 135° angle to their long axis, at a cross-head speed 0.5 mm/min. The fracture modes were divided through optical microscopy to repairable and irreparable. Statistical analysis was performed by means of the Fisher's Exact test. Results All groups presented brittle fracture following bending deformation. Irreparable root fractures were the primary fracture mode independently of ferrule. The percentages (%) of repairable fractures were not statistically significant different amongst the MC and AC restored teeth independently of ferrule. However the 2 mm ferrule was associated to a higher percentage of repairable fractures, especially in teeth restored with AC crowns. Conclusions The percentage (%) of repairable fractures was higher in all-ceramic compared to metal-ceramic ETC and in restorations with ferrule, although the differences were not statistically significant. Clinical significance This in vitro study supports evidence that neither the type of crown restoration nor the presence of ferrule affects statistically significantly the mode of fracture of ETC restored with GFP.

One of the major tasks in the field of robotics is the path planning problem. In systems consisted of numerous robots, the creation of collision free trajectories becomes even more complex. Such robotic teams must avoid all detected obstacles while further tasks must be achieved such as forming specific patterns. In this paper, a Cellular Automaton (CA) based path planner and its implementation in a real cooperative robot team are presented. All robots must cover the same distance avoiding all detected obstacles while their formation is kept immutable. Due to its simplicity, the method has low computational load and therefore further applications could be applied. On the other hand, miniature robots can cooperate in order to perform area measurements, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), panoramic images and so on. One of the most interesting cooperation aspects is the usage of multiple digital cameras, usually found with low resolutions. In order to process accurately all the acquired images taken from every robot, image interpolation algorithms could be applied as a preprocessing stage. Consequently, the inherent parallelism and the fundamental features of CA were also used to achieve the desired resolution enhancement. Final results indicate that both the CA based path planner and the image resolution enhancement could be executed concurrently using the resources of each mini robot, confirming their low requirements of computational resources.

Background The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that intra-abdominal hypertension alone could trigger such changes to the rectus abdominis muscle that would lead to an imbalance between oxidant production and antioxidant protection. Materials and Methods Forty-five New Zealand white rabbits were divided into three groups and a rubber bag was implanted into their peritoneal cavity. In group A (n = 15), the bag was empty. In group B (n = 15), it was filled with normal saline to achieve an intra-abdominal pressure of over 12 mm Hg. In group C (n = 15), it was filled with lead equiponderant to the mean weight of the normal saline injected in group B. After 8 weeks, we measured in rectus abdominis muscle biopsies the lipid peroxidation products, the protein carbonyl content, the total glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentration, the activity of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase, and the pro-oxidant–antioxidant balance. Results The lipid peroxidation products were significantly higher in group B compared with both group A (P = 0.026) and group C (P < 0.001). The total protein carbonyl content was significantly higher in group B compared with both group A (P = 0.006) and group C (P < 0.001). No difference was found between the three groups in total glutathione (P = 0.735) and SOD (P = 0.410) concentration. Glutathione peroxidase activity was higher in groups B and C compared with group A (P = 0.05 and P = 0.003, respectively). Glutathione reductase activity was higher in group B compared with group A (P = 0.005) and group C (P = 0.001). The pro-oxidant antioxidant balance was higher in group B compared with the group A (P = 0.012). Conclusions Maintaining the IP over 12 mm Hg for 8 wk caused increased oxidative damage to both lipids and proteins with an increased pro-oxidant–antioxidant balance. In an attempt to compensate for this damage the muscle fibers increased their glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase activity.

Introduction The knowledge of root canal morphology and the existing anatomical variations is essential for successful endodontic therapy. Methods This report presents an extraordinary case of unusual tooth morphology involving the bilateral existence of 7 maxillary and mandibular first and second molars with a single root and a single canal in a patient. Results Endodontic retreatment of the affected teeth #15, #19, and #18 was performed. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images confirmed our diagnostic and therapeutic measures after endodontic management of the teeth. Conclusions This morphologic variation has not been reported in the literature. The availability of 3-dimensional images further provided the opportunity for the precise description of the anatomy of 7 maxillary and mandibular molars with single roots and single canals.