Exchange of mercury between atmosphere and vegetation under contaminated conditions

http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/00489697Adsorption and desorption of mercury was studied under laboratory conditions using moss (Sphagnum girgensohnii) and Rye grass (Lolium perenne) at different temperatures.Desorption was also studied in a transplantation experiment. The adsorption was rapid and strong for both plant species at different temperatures (q10 to q60 8C) and exposure times (1 h, 1 month) while the evaporation was negligible.Also the leaching of adsorbed mercury was of minor importance.The results emphasise the importance of vegetation in removal of mercury from the atmosphere. They also confirm the suitability of moss and grass for biomonitoring purposes.The high retention of mercury in moss even at q60 8C indicates the possibility of using higher temperatures in pretreatment of samples for mercury analyses. (c) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Diagnosis and treatment of a rare case of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor in a young patient affected by attenuated familial adenomatosis polyposis (aFAP): case report and 5 year follow-up

Abstract. -BACKGROUND: The adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a quite rare odontogenic tumor, with an incidence rate of approximately 12 cases/year worldwide. Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (aFAP) is a syndrome characterized by a significant risk to develop colon cancer. The aim of the paper is to describe a case never reported before in the literature: an AOT developed in a patient with aFAP; moreover, we want to show how it appears 5 years after surgery and after the regeneration of the eroded bone tissue, using the PlateletRich Fibrin (PRF) as filling material. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a female 18 years old patient, affected by aFAP; she comes to us with a swelling on the right hemi-face. We performed several radiological exams, and they showed a neoformation approximately 2 cm in diameter: this neoformation packed the upper right canine, therefore, we hypothesized a dentigerous cyst. We decided to proceed to open biopsy and enucleation of the lesion. An intra-operative endodontic treatment on the adjacent partially resorbed teeth was also performed. Finally, we performed a reconstruction of eroded bone tissue, by use of Platelet-Rich Fibrin as filling material. The samples fixed and embedded in paraffin have led to the diagnosis of AOT. After 5 years from the surgery, we did not find any clear sign of relapse, in addition, the use of PRF has favored an optimal osteogenesis at the surgical site. The onset of an AOT is quite rare in the general population, and this rarity could represent a critical point for its diagnosis; AOT onset in a patient with aFAP is a finding that could represent a new element of diagnosis and, therefore, the starting point to perform a more effective therapy

A Novel RSSI Prediction Using Imperialist Competition Algorithm (ICA), Radial Basis Function (RBF) and Firefly Algorithm (FFA) in Wireless Networks

This study aims to design a vertical handover prediction method to minimize unnecessary handovers for a mobile node (MN) during the vertical handover process. This relies on a novel method for the prediction of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) referred to as IRBF-FFA, which is designed by utilizing the imperialist competition algorithm (ICA) to train the radial basis function (RBF), and by hybridizing with the firefly algorithm (FFA) to predict the optimal solution. The prediction accuracy of the proposed IRBF–FFA model was validated by comparing it to support vector machines (SVMs) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) models. In order to assess the model’s performance, we measured the coefficient of determination (R2), correlation coefficient (r), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The achieved results indicate that the IRBF–FFA model provides more precise predictions compared to different ANNs, namely, support vector machines (SVMs) and multilayer perceptron (MLP). The performance of the proposed model is analyzed through simulated and real-time RSSI measurements. The results also suggest that the IRBF–FFA model can be applied as an efficient technique for the accurate prediction of vertical handover

A complication following tooth extraction: chronic suppurative osteomyelitis

A complication following tooth extraction: a case report of chronic suppurative osteomyelitis. This article presents a case report about the surgery treatment of chronic suppurative osteomyelitis following a tooth extraction. Cone beam computed tomography revealed a sequestrum bone formation that required the sequestrectomy and the debridement of the involved area. The prescription of oral penicillin and metronidazole were necessary after and before the surgery. Also 20 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy were important for the healing of the marrow space. The histologic test confirmed the diagnosis of "Chronic suppurative osteomyelitis". Clinically the post-operative course showed no complications but a good healing of the bone tissue. Culture reports revealed two microorganisms, streptococcus viridans and staphylococcus, that are sensitive to penicillin. Clinical results confirmed the validity of the sequestrectomy and the debridement of the involved area for the treatment of chronic suppurative osteomyelitis. Such approach has always to be preferred because it guarantees the healing of bone tissue