A paleopathological case of pituitary tumor, Eagle’s syndrome and ossifying fibroma

The salvage excavation in Mafraq region in Jordan uncovered a Byzantine female skull that died at an age of 18–25 years old. The visual and x-ray examination revealed diagnoses of pituitary adenoma, Eagle’s syndrome, and maxillary ossifying fibroma. In addition, the case suffered a very poor oral health; dental caries, abscesses, and periodontal disease

Nondestructive residual strain measurement using high energy x-ray diffraction

A nondestructive high energy (60 keV) x-ray diffraction method to measure the internal strain depth-profile in materials was developed using a standard 320 kVp laboratory x-ray source. Traditional x-ray strain measurements are limited to few microns of depth due to the limited penetration of Cu Ka and Mo Ka radiation if a synchrotron or neutron source is not used. The high energy used allows for greater penetration without a synchrotron or neutron facility. Results for aluminum with penetration depths of 1mm and for titanium with penetration depths of 300 micrometers are demonstrated. The spatial resolution of this depth-profile is 50 micrometers to 125 micrometers depending on the collimation and attenuation of the sample. Sensitivity to a lattice parameter change of 0.001A is demonstrated. An energy dispersive HPGe detector is used to perform fixed-angle diffraction measurements. The strain depth-profile measurement is performed by observing the change in the position of the diffraction peaks in the energy dispersive spectrum. A simulation program of the diffraction system for modeling and validating the experimental setup is developed. A new technique to measure the strain using the natural width of the tungsten Ka1 line and the diffraction peak normalized intensity is presented. The results of the energy dispersive technique and the tungsten Ka1 line width technique are compared to the results obtained using high energy angle dispersive XRD technique. Finally we present a preliminary study of the thermal relaxation of residual stress

The efficacy and side effects of topiramate on refractory epilepsy in infants and young children: A multi-center clinical trial

SummaryObjectives:This study has been conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of topiramate in refractory epilepsies in infants and young children.Methods:A prospective clinical trial was performed in three tertiary care hospitals, on 47 children aged 6–60 months with refractory epilepsy. Topiramate was added to at least two baseline anti-epileptic drugs. The efficacy was rated according to seizure type, frequency and duration.Results:Children with refractory epilepsy were classified according to their clinical, neuro-imaging, and neurophysiological profile into infantile spasms (IS) (9 cases, 19%), Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) (25 cases, 53%) and other epilepsies (13 cases, 28%). Children were also classified into cryptogenic and symptomatic epilepsy. Topiramate was introduced as add-on therapy in a daily dose of 1mg/kg/day for 2 weeks, followed by increments of 1–3mg/kg/day at 2-week intervals, up to a maximum of 10mg/kg/day. After a minimum treatment period of 6 months, 28 (60%) of the children had a satisfactory response (completely seizure free, or more than a 50% seizure reduction). The remaining 19 children (40%) had an unsatisfactory response (50% or less reduction in seizure frequency, no change or increased seizure frequency).Topiramate appeared to be equally effective in infantile spasms, Lennox–Gastaut syndrome and children with other types of epilepsy, with no significant difference between those with a satisfactory and an unsatisfactory response (p=0.089). There was also no significant difference in response between patients with cryptogenic and symptomatic epilepsy (p=0.360).Mild to moderate adverse effects, mainly somnolence, anorexia and nervousness, were present in 25 (53%) of children. One of the children developed hypothyroidism.Conclusion:Although the long term safety and possible adverse effects of topiramate have not been fully established in infants and young children, this study has shown that it is a useful option for children with frequent seizures unresponsive to standard anti-epileptic drugs

On graded j-ideals over graded rings

. The goal of this article is to present the graded J-ideals of G-graded rings which are extensions of J-ideals of commutative rings. A graded ideal P of a G-graded ring R is a graded J-ideal if whenever x, y & ISIN; h(R), if xy & ISIN; P and x & ISIN;̸ J(R), then y & ISIN; P, where h(R) and J(R) denote the set of all homogeneous elements and the Jacobson radical of R, respectively. Several characterizations and properties with supporting examples of the concept of graded J-ideals of graded rings are investigated

Computational dynamic support model for social support assignments around stressed individuals among graduate students

Configuring the best resources for optimal overall performance is one of the challenging topics in Computer Science domains. Within the domain of intelligent social support assignment applications to help individuals with stress, it requires important aspects of configuring a possible set of input and parameters to obtain optimal solutions from both computational support provider and recipient models. However, the existing configuration algorithms are often randomized and static. Thus, their results can vary significantly between multiple runs. In the context of social support perspectives, the assigned support may not sufficient or cause a burden to the providers. Hence, this study aims to develop the dynamic configuration algorithm to provide an optimal support assignment based on information generated from both social support recipient and provision computational models. The computational models that simulate support providers and recipients behaviours were developed to generate several simulated patterns. These models explain the dynamics of support seeking and provision behaviours and were evaluated using equilibria analysis and automatic logical verification approaches for 14 selected empirical cases. Later, the dynamic configuration algorithm was designed to utilize possible support assignments based on support provision requirements. The algorithm complexity analysis was used to measure the execution time in the worst case. Finally, a prototype was developed and validated with 30 graduate students. This study allows to explore computational analysis in explicit comprehension of how seeking and giving support process can be obtained at different case conditions. Also, the study explicitly shows the psychological stress of support recipient can be reduced after the dynamic configuration algorithm process assigned selected social support providers from social support network members. Furthermore, this study provides an alternative method for software engineers in intelligent stress management systems to integrate social support-based concepts as one of the mechanisms in addressing the support of an individual with cognitive related stress

Buccal dental microwear and stable isotopes of El Collado: A mesolithic site from Spain

This study examines the correlation between buccal dental microwear and stable isotopes. The buccal surface of post-canine teeth casts from El Collado, the largest Mesolithic site in Spain, were examined under Scanning Electron Microscope; photomicrographs were taken from the middle third of the buccal surface with magnification 100X. Only six individuals passed the criteria for buccal dental microwear analysis. The photomicrographs were treated by adobe Photoshop 8.01 to cover an area 0.56 mm² of middle third of buccal surface, the output photomicrographs were digitized using Sigmascan Pro 5 by SPSS. Then the correlation between buccal microwear pattern and stable isotopes of the same individuals, of the previous study of Guixe et al., 2006, was examined using a Pearson test. Statistical analysis revealed that there is no significant correlation between stable isotopes and buccal dental microwear of the people of the Mesolithic site of El Collado. The historical and archaeological documentation suggest that the Mesolithic people tended to consume marine food. Fish-drying techniques were used during the Mesolithic period which allowed the introduction of dust and sand to the fish. These abrasive particles affected the buccal dental microwear pattern, so that no correlation between the isotopes and microwear may be expected. This also suggests that the buccal dental microwear pattern exceeds dietary reconstruction to reconstruct food processing techniques

Digital Service Quality and Customer Loyalty of Commercial Banks in Jordan: the Mediating Role of Corporate Image

The major goal of this research is to examine the influence of corporate image on the relationship between digital service quality and customer loyalty for Jordanian commercial banks. The current research focuses on Jordan’s banking sector. Jordan has a unique financial structure that has helped it to rise to prominence in the Middle East and around the world. This sector is made up of 20 commercial banks and four Islamic banks. The core data for this study was gathered using a random sample method. The research was conducted using a self-report questionnaire as the primary tool. The study hypotheses were tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The findings confirmed that the quality of digital services had a direct impact on customer loyalty, with corporate image serving as a mediating effect. The researchers proposed that the top management of the organizations questioned work on involving the customer in the production process by taking into account his opinion on electronic service components and characteristics, which allows the consumer to decide on product quality

Challenges faced by individuals with disabilities participating in Paralympic games

The aim of this study was to identify the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities participating in the Paralympicgames.The sample consisted of (64)participantswith physical, visual and hearingdisabilities enrolled in Oman Paralympic Committee and Jordan Paralympic Committee. To achieve the objective of the study, an electronicrating scale was developedand distributed to the participants.The scaleconsisted of (60)items divided into three subscales: administrative and technicalchallenges, logistics challenges, and psychological and socialchallenges. The results indicated that the participants face a number of challenges in the administrative, technical, psychologicalandsocial, financial,andlogisticsbutthe level of these challenges differsaccording to the country in favor ofindividuals with disabilities in Jordan and no statistical differences due to the type of disability.This study recommended establishing of academic programs in Jordanian and Omani universitiesto prepare trainers in the sport of individuals with disabilities,holding workshops for employees in this sport, and including players with health insurance and social security