Reproducibility and speed of landmarking process in cephalometric analysis using two input devices: mouse-driven cursor versus pen

To define if the new portable appliances, like smartphone, iPad, small laptop and tablet can be used in cephalometric tracing without dropping out the validity of any measurement. METHODS:We investigated and compared the reproducibility and the speed of landmarks identification process on lateral X-rays in two input devices: a mouse-driven cursor and a pen used as input means in mobile devices. One expert located 22 landmarks on 15 lateral X-rays in a repeated measure design two times, at time T1 and T2, after at least one month. The Intraclass Correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the reproducibility for each landmark tracing and the agreement between the value derived from both input devices. Also, the mean errors in measurements, the standard deviation and the Friedman Test significans (P < 0.05) between both input were statistically evaluated. RESULTS:All landmarks had a high agreement and the Friedman Test indicated statistically significant differences (P<0.05) for the identification of Na, Po, Pt, PNS, Ba, Pg, Gn, UIE, UIA, APOcc and PPOcc landmarks. CONCLUSIONS:Even if the mouse input give higher agreement for landmark tracing the differences are really minimal and they can be ignored in private practice. We suggest the adequacy of pen input in clinical setting

An Evaluation of Cellular Neural Networks for the Automatic Identification of Cephalometric Landmarks on Digital Images

Several efforts have been made to completely automate cephalometric analysis by automatic landmark search. However, accuracy obtained was worse than manual identification in every study. The analogue-to-digital conversion of X-ray has been claimed to be the main problem. Therefore the aim of this investigation was to evaluate the accuracy of the Cellular Neural Networks approach for automatic location of cephalometric landmarks on softcopy of direct digital cephalometric X-rays. Forty-one, direct-digital lateral cephalometric radiographs were obtained by a Siemens Orthophos DS Ceph and were used in this study and 10 landmarks (N, A Point, Ba, Po, Pt, B Point, Pg, PM, UIE, LIE) were the object of automatic landmark identification. The mean errors and standard deviations from the best estimate of cephalometric points were calculated for each landmark. Differences in the mean errors of automatic and manual landmarking were compared with a 1-way analysis of variance. The analyses indicated that the differences were very small, and they were found at most within 0.59 mm. Furthermore, only few of these differences were statistically significant, but differences were so small to be in most instances clinically meaningless. Therefore the use of X-ray files with respect to scanned X-ray improved landmark accuracy of automatic detection. Investigations on softcopy of digital cephalometric X-rays, to search more landmarks in order to enable a complete automatic cephalometric analysis, are strongly encouraged

Automatic Cephalometric Analysis

Abstract Objective: To describe the techniques used for automatic landmarking of cephalograms, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each one and reviewing the percentage of success in locating each cephalometric point. Materials and Methods: The literature survey was performed by searching the Medline, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the ISI Web of Science Citation Index databases. The survey covered the period from January 1966 to August 2006. Abstracts that appeared to fulfill the initial selection criteria were selected by consensus. The original articles were then retrieved. Their references were also hand-searched for possible missing articles. The search strategy resulted in 118 articles of which eight met the inclusion criteria. Many articles were rejected for different reasons; among these, the most frequent was that results of accuracy for automatic landmark recognition were presented as a percentage of success. Results: A marked difference in results was found between the included studies consisting of heterogeneity in the performance of techniques to detect the same landmark. All in all, hybrid approaches detected cephalometric points with a higher accuracy in contrast to the results for the same points obtained by the model-based, image filtering plus knowledge-based landmark search and "soft-computing" approaches. Conclusions: The systems described in the literature are not accurate enough to allow their use for clinical purposes. Errors in landmark detection were greater than those expected with manual tracing and, therefore, the scientific evidence supporting the use of automatic landmarking is low

Intrauterine Programming of Cardiovascular Diseases in Maternal Diabetes

Maternal diabetes is a prevalent pathology that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the offspring, the heart being one of the main target organs affected from the fetal stage until the adult life. Metabolic, pro-oxidant, and proinflammatory alterations in the fetal heart constitute the first steps in the adverse fetal programming of cardiovascular disease in the context of maternal diabetes. This review discusses both human and experimental studies addressing putative mechanisms involved in this fetal programming of heart damage in maternal diabetes. These include cardiac epigenetic changes, alterations in cardiac carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, damaging effects caused by a pro-oxidant and proinflammatory environment, alterations in the cardiac extracellular matrix remodeling, and specific signaling pathways. Putative actions to prevent cardiovascular impairments in the offspring of mothers with diabetes are also discussed.Fil: Higa, Romina Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Leonardi, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Jawerbaum, Alicia Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentin

Impact of Community action on the tourist valuation of resources in the town of Pehuen Có, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

La actividad turística se ha convertido en una oportunidad de promover el desarrollo local de las ciudades, produciendo procesos de patrimonialización y valoración de recursos que pueden suscitar el interés de los turistas y visitantes. El objetivo de la presente investigación consiste en caracterizar los procesos de patrimonialización y valoración turística realizados por los diferentes actores intervinientes, prestando una especial atención a la participación comunitaria respecto a la puesta en valor turístico de los recursos paleontológicos que se encuentran en el ambiente costero de Pehuen Có, que forman parte de la Reserva Geológica, Paleontológica y Arqueológica Pehuen Có - Monte Hermoso. Metodológicamente, se plantea una revisión bibliográfica respecto a los procesos de patrimonialización y valoración turística, así como lo referido a la gobernanza de los recursos comunes. Se ha realizado un análisis del marco teórico con el fin de poder contextualizar, previo a la realización de un trabajo de campo, cómo se han desarrollado estos procesos en el caso de estudio propiamente dicho. Los resultados obtenidos reflejan que en los mencionados procesos han intervenido múltiples actores sociales y se presenta una participación conflictiva respecto a los recursos patrimoniales.Tourism has become an opportunity to promote the local development of cities, producing processes of patrimonialization and valuation of resources that can attract the interest of tourists and visitors. The objective of this research is to characterize the processes of patrimonialization and tourism valorisation, carried out by the different actors involved, paying special attention to community participation in the paleontological resources found in the coastal environment of Pehuen Có, which are part of the Geological,Paleontological and Archaeological Reserve Pehuen Có - Monte Hermoso. Methodologically, a bibliographic review is proposed regarding the processes of patrimonialization and tourist valuation, as well as the governance of common resources reaching an enriched theoretical framework, in order to be able to analyze prior to carrying out a fieldwork, how these processes have developed in the case of study itself. The results show that, in the aforementioned processes, multiple social actors have intervened and there is conflicting participation with respect to patrimonial resources

Re-Orienting the Turin Reception System to Address Homelessness. Findings from an Italian Participatory Action-Research Study

This paper presents the initial analytical findings from a multidisci- plinary participatory action-research study that aimed to reorient and improve the public services system for people experiencing homelessness in Turin, Italy. Sociologists, designers, and anthropologists from the University of Turin and the Polytechnic of Turin coordinated the research in agreement with the municipality of Turin and with funding from the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies. The action-research study has been conducted since 2018 through co-design activities and qualitative research techniques that have involved policymakers from the city administration, frontline workers from third-sector organisations, and the beneficiaries of public services for people without housing. This article focuses on some of the critical aspects of Turin’s reception system that emerged from the action-research process, such as the tension between the standardisation or personalisation of the city’s public services and the need to further diversify the housing solutions available for those facing homelessness. At the methodological level, the collaboration and prolonged discussion between the university researchers and local adminis- tration was significant. This action-research study encouraged the actors in the local reception system to develop their reflexivity and promoted the devel- opment of more diverse policies and interventions

A strategy is necessary. The policy-client conflict within different relational asymmetries: a comparison at the street-level

Purpose:This study aims to investigate the role of relational asymmetries in influencing the coping strategies adopted by frontline workers to deal with the policy-client role conflict. Design/methodology/approach: A comparative analysis of three different services highlights the role of the service relationships characteristics in explaining similarities and differences in the strategies adopted by street-level bureaucrats (SLBs). The research is based on the secondary analysis of three case studies conducted in Italy: the reception system for homeless people, the job brokerage service in the public employment service and the dispute settlement procedure in the labour inspectorate. Findings: The results underline the interaction between the characteristics of the service relationship and the different coping strategies adopted to deal with the policy-client conflict. Originality/value-The contribution of this study is threefold. Firstly, the authors focus on the influence of the characteristics of the service relationship in terms of agency resources over SLBs' strategies to face with users' expectations. Secondly, the authors intend to discuss these issues analysing SLBs not only as agents with individual preferences. Thirdly, the research design allows the authors to return to the street-level bureaucracy theory its comparative essence, proposing a comparative strategy with an explorative intent

Nutrient recapture from insect farm waste: Bioconversion with hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

Hermetia illucens is an ecient bioconverter able to grow on various dierent organic materials, producing larvae, which are a good source of protein and fat with applications in the animal feed and biochemical industries. This fly's capacity to reduce huge amounts of waste presents an interesting opportunity to establish a circular food economy. In this study, we assessed the suitability of using organic wastes from cricket and locust farming to rear H. illucens. Larvae developed until adult emergence on all the wastes, with a mean survival of over 94%. Cricket waste allowed faster development of heavier larvae than locust waste. Substrate reduction was particularly interesting on cricket waste ( < 72%), while locust waste was only reduced by 33%. The nutritional composition of the larvae reflected that of the growing substrates with a high protein and fat content. These results demonstrate the potential of using H. illucens to reduce and valorise waste generated when farming various insects through the production of a larval biomass for use as a protein meal in animal feeds or industrial applications

Effect of maternal diets enriched in PUFAs administrated to diabetic rats during early postimplantation on structures involved in decidual histotrophic function and feto placental growth

Maternal diabetes induces alterations in decidualization, which may impact on decidual histotrophic function that include key roles of the uterine glands (UG) and the glycogenic area (GA). uNK cells, in- volved in angiogenesis and vessels remodeling, are needed for an adequate decidualization and feto-placental development. We pre- viously found that maternal diets enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) prevent increased resorption rates in diabetic preg- nancies. Aim: To evaluate the effect of diets enriched in sunflower and chia oil (rich in n-6 and n-3 PUFAs respectively) administrated during early postimplantation to diabetic rats on PAS staining of the GA and UG and on the number of uNK cells at day 9 of pregnancy and on decidual, fetal and placental growth at day 14 of pregnan- cy. Methods: Pregestational diabetes was induced in Wistar rats by streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). On days 7 to 9 of pregnancy diabetic rats received a standard diet or diets enriched in 6% of sunflower or chia oil. On day 9 of pregnancy GA, UG and uNK cells in the de- cidua were evaluated by PAS staining. On day 14 of pregnancy the fetal cephalic length was measured and the decidua and placenta were weighted. Results: At day 9 of pregnancy PAS staining of GA (p<0.001;74%) and UG (p<0.05;64%) and the number of uNK cells (p<0.001;62%) were reduced in diabetic rats, alterations prevented by the PUFAs enriched diets. At day 14 of pregnancy a decreased fetal cephalic length in diabetic rats (7.5%; p<0.05) was prevented by the sunflower oil supplementation. Both decidual (18.3%;p<0.05) and placental (12.4%;p<0.05) weights were decreased in the diabet- ic group. The diet enriched in sunflower oil prevented the reduced decidual weight while the diet enriched in chia oil prevented the re- duced placental weight. Conclusion: The early postimplantation is a key period for decidual and feto-placental development, affected by maternal diabetes, and in which dietary treatments can exert ben- eficial effects.Fil: Roberti, Sabrina Lorena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Gatti, Cintia Romina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Leonardi, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Higa, Romina Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Jawerbaum, Alicia Sandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaLXVI Reunión anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; LXIX Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; LIII Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de Farmacología Experimental y XI Reunión Anual de la Asociación Argentina de NanomedicinasArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigacion ClinicaSociedad Argentina de InmunologíaAsociación Argentina de Farmacología Experimental;Asociación Argentina de Nanomedicinas