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As a risk control tool, earned value analysis is crucial for identifying risky trends in the budget or schedule of a project. This tool relies on earned value management, a method for calculating cost and schedule variances. However, this method does not take into account the time value of money. This in itself is a threat that could lead to misleading data and eventually wrong decisions. This paper explores the risk management process, the earned value management method, and proposes a methodology that compliments the earned value management method with net present value calculations. This will allow project managers to take sound decisions based on more accurate information.

In the event of a radiological or nuclear accident, or when physical dosimetry is not available, the scoring of radiation-induced chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes constitutes an essential tool for the estimation of the absorbed dose of the exposed individual and for effective triage. Cytogenetic biodosimetry employs different cytogenetic assays including the scoring of dicentrics, micronuclei, and translocations as well as analyses of induced premature chromosome condensation to define the frequency of chromosome aberrations. However, inherent challenges using these techniques include the considerable time span from sampling to result, the sensitivity and specificity of the various techniques, and the requirement of highly skilled personnel. Thus, techniques that obviate these challenges are needed. The introduction of telomere and centromere (TC) staining have successfully met these challenges and, in addition, greatly improved the efficiency of cytogenetic biodosimetry through the development of automated approaches, thus reducing the need for specialized personnel. Here, we review the role of the various cytogenetic dosimeters and their recent improvements in the management of populations exposed to genotoxic agents such as ionizing radiation. Finally, we discuss the emerging potentials to exploit these techniques in a wider spectrum of medical and biological applications, e.g., in cancer biology to identify prognostic biomarkers for the optimal triage and treatment of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Arab Journal of Dentistry is the property of Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Dental Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Byline: Rana. El Khoury, Elie. Maalouf, Elio. Kechichian, Roland. Tomb A 6-month-old girl presented to the emergency department, with complaints of irritability and decreased oral intake. The infant was born [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2005.10.001 Byline: Elie Maalouf (a), Maarouf Saad (a), Hamadou Saliah (b) Abstract: A variety of approaches for path tracking control of wheeled mobile robots have been implemented. While most of these are based on controlling the robot dynamics, they are not applicable if the robot dynamics are inaccessible. In this paper, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for the path tracking of a wheeled mobile robot based on controlling the robot at a higher level is presented. The controller is highly robust and flexible and automatically follows a sequence of discrete waypoints, and no interpolation of the waypoints is needed to generate a continuous reference trajectory. The speeds are varied depending on the variations in the path and on the posture of the robot. The heuristic rules of the FLC are based on an analogy with a human driving a car and the optimization of the controller is based on experimentation. The implementation on a P3-AT mobile robot shows the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Author Affiliation: (a) Electrical Engineering Department, Universite du Quebec, Ecole de technologie superieure, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (b) Tele-universite, Universite du Quebec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Article History: Received 2 July 2004; Revised 4 October 2005; Accepted 6 October 2005

Byline: Elie Maalouf, Maarouf Saad, Hamadou Saliah, Faysal Mnif The purpose of the work presented in this paper is to present a novel optimisation approach for path planning based on dynamic programming and to integrate it into a proposed navigation strategy. The proposed navigation strategy is a finite-state machine that integrates three navigation aspects. This strategy falls in the category of hybrid architectures. The two aspects other than path planning discussed in this paper are path tracking and obstacle avoidance. Other aspects and behaviours can easily be added. For path tracking, a fuzzy control technique is suggested. The fuzzy controller is used to drive the robot through a set of waypoints leading to the destination. The curvature velocity method is proposed for obstacle avoidance. The testing was conducted on a P3-AT all-terrain mobile robot equipped with encoders, a gyroscope and sonar sensors for localisation and environment perception. The test results validate the theoretical analysis.

The article presents a case study of a 6‑month‑old girl presented to the emergency department, with complaints of irritability and decreased oral intake. Her physical examination displayed signs of severe dehydration and her skin examination revealed a generalized eczematous rash and growth of methicillin‑sensitive Staphylococcus aureus strains. She was diagnosed with Netherton syndrome and treated with topical steroids as per need and oral vitamin A derivatives for transient effects.

The article offers information on the 24th Beirut International Dental Meeting to be held from 11-13 September 2014 at Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center(BIEL)under the theme "Planning for the Future".

Background: Gingival melanin hyperpigmentation is due to excessive deposition of melanin granules. The duration of pigmentation reappearance after treatment using different laser wavelengths remains controversial. Objective: The study aims to assess the longevity of gingival depigmentation (GD) and the consistency in esthetic results as three laser wavelengths (Er:YAG laser, CO 2 laser, and diode laser, 980 nm) were used in two different groups (smokers and nonsmokers). This is attained by comparing the periods of time in each group before pigmentation reappearance. Methods: Seventy-two subjects were divided into daily smokers (S) and nonsmokers. Subjects underwent a randomized GD with: Erbium laser (Er), CO 2 laser (CO 2 ), and Diode laser (Diode). The subjects were divided into six groups: S and nonsmokers were treated with three different wavelengths. Irradiation was performed until there was no visible pigmentation. For qualitative measurement, Hedin Melanin Index (HMI) was used, before treatment, after 2 weeks, and until 60 months. Pigmentation reappearance of degree 1 or above of the HMI was noted. Descriptive statistics were also calculated. Results: HMI showed a 0 in all groups after 14 days of treatment. The time before pigmentation rebound was: Diode > CO 2 > S-Diode > S-CO 2 > Er > S-Er. The first signs of relapse shown among all groups were seen in the group S-Er group. The longest time before rebound was observed with the Diode group for the nonsmoker. Conclusions: Diode laser provides the longest-term stability in treatment. Smoking negatively affects the longevity of GD. Er laser gives the shortest time before the reappearance of gingival pigmentation.

Introduction: Shisha (waterpipe) smoking is becoming a very prevalent form of tobacco consumption in the Middle east and use is growing over the world. Smoking-related malignancies have a high genome-wide burden of mutations, including examples in the gene encoding p53. Aims: To investigate alterations in p53 immunohistochemical expression in the normal, pre-malignant, malignant oral mucosa in relation to Shisha smoking habits. Materials and Methods: A total of 105 paraffin embedded tissue sections of OSCCs (52 smokers,53 non-smokers), 96 of premalignant lesions (48 smokers,48 non-smokers) and 60 normal oral mucosa. Some 30 patients with a history of Shisha smoking daily for more than 5 years were also investigated for mutant expression of p53. Tissue samples were considered positive for p53 staining when any positive cells of epithelial origin could be detected. Results: The majority (74.3%) of oral squamous cell carcinomas showed positive staining for p53 expression (83.1% and 65.5% with Shisha smokers and non-smokers, respectively). In the 96 premalignant lesions, about 23% from non-smokers and 41.7% from smokers showed p53 positivity. In normal epithelium, P53 positive cells were noted in 6.6% of non-smokers and 16.6% of smokers. Positive correlations with Shisha smoking were evident for the following groups: WDOSCC, MDOSCC, mild dysplasia G1, moderate dysplasia G2 and in normal mucosa using Student’s t- test, P value<0.05. Conclusion: These results strongly suggest that p53 mutations are associated with Shisha smoking in OSCC, pre-malignant lesions and normal mucosa of the oral cavity., (Creative Commons Attribution License)