The Number of Zeros in a Linear Recurrence Sequence Over a Finite Field

This paper provides basic results of finite field theory which describe the structure of finite fields, trace function, characters and Gaussian sums in order to determine the bounds on the number of zeros in a linear recurrence sequence of irreducible polynomial of given degree and order

Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is a neurocutaneous syndrome, characterized by the association of facial port-wine hemangiomas in the trigeminal nerve distribution area, with vascular malformation(s) of the brain (leptomeningeal angioma) with or without glaucoma. Herein, we reported Sturge-Weber syndrome in a 50-year-old man, who presented port-wine hemangiomas and epilepsy. In this case, the patient's epilepsy episodes from his first year of life had been ignored and separated from the entity of SWS by his physicians, which led to delayed treatment. This case illustrates the importance of careful examination of patients of any age with hemangiomas in the trigeminal nerve with concomitant episodes of epilepsy. In such cases, there should be yearly neuroimaging screenings to guaranteed early interdisciplinary interventions from the time of definite diagnosis

Prognostic value of different CT measurements in early therapy response evaluation in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVES: Patients with advanced stage colorectal carcinoma (CRC) display hepatic metastases on initial staging in up to 20% of cases. The effectiveness of chemotherapy is generally evaluated by computed tomography (CT) imaging using standardized criteria (RECIST). However, RECIST is not always optimal, and other criteria have been shown to correlate with pathologic response and overall survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of different CT measurement for response assessment after initiation of chemotherapy in patients with synchronous colorectal cancer liver metastases. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with CRC and synchronous hepatic metastases were evaluated retrospectively at 2 academic centers. Different size, volume, ratio and attenuation parameters were determined at baseline and after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. The prognostic value of baseline measurements and of the change between baseline and second measurements was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS: Median time to progression was 279 days, median overall survival was 704 days. In this selective patient population, neither a significant prognostic value of initial baseline CT parameters nor a prognostic value of the change between the first and the second CT measurements was found. CONCLUSION: Initial morphological response assessment using different CT measurements has no prognostic value concerning time to progression or overall survival in patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases

Clinical features and presentation of cervicofacial infection : a maxillofacial trainee research collaborative (MTReC) study

Introduction Cervicofacial infection (CFI) is a common presentation to the Oral and Maxillofacial (OMFS) department and accounts for significant emergency activity. The current study aims to understand the aetiology, management and clinical features of patients hospitalised with CFI. Methods Our study included all patients admitted for management of CFI from May to October 2017 at 25 OMFS units across 17 UK regions. Data were collected prospectively and included age, comorbidities, prior treatment received, markers of sepsis and presenting clinical features. Results One thousand and two (1002) admissions were recorded; 546 (54.5%) were male. Median age was 34 years (1-94 years). The most common presenting complaints were trismus (46%) and dysphagia (27%). Airway compromise was present in 1.7% of cases. Odontogenic infection accounted for 822/1002 (82%) admissions. Of those with an infection of odontogenic origin, 453/822 (55.1%) had received previous treatment. Two-thirds of those who had received treatment were managed by antibiotics alone (300/453, 66.2%) Patients met criteria for sepsis in 437/1002 (43.6%) of CFI, and in 374/822 (45.5%) of odontogenic infections. Conclusion This is the largest study worldwide of patients requiring inpatient management for CFI. Infection due to odontogenic origin is the most frequent reason for admission and nearly half do not seek treatment before presentation. Patients with CFI often present late in their disease and frequently meet criteria for sepsis, requiring timely and aggressive treatment to ensure optimum outcomes. Trismus is an emerging dominant feature with all the implications related to the anaesthetic management of these patients. Knowledge of these factors has implications for the referrer, triage, the emergency department, the anaesthetic team and members of the OMFS team

The number of zeros of linear recurring sequences over finite fields

In this dissertation, I discuss bounds for the set of possible number of zeros of a homogeneous linear recurring sequence over a finite field of q elements, based on an irreducible minimal polynomials of degree d and order m as the characteristic polynomial. I prove upper and lower bounds on the cardinality of the set of number of zeros. The set is determined when t= (qd-1)/m has the form qa+1 or q2a-qa+1 where a is a positive integer. The connection with coding theory is a key ingredient. Also it is proved that the upper bound defined here is the best bound for the cardinality of the set of zeros, in the sense that it is reached infinitely often

Digitizing the veterinary formulary

Veterinary medicine has made rapid strides in diagnosing and treating patients, with advances in drug development enabling veterinarians to diagnose and treat a variety of illnesses more effectively. More precise and specialised drugs have allowed for better targeting of treatments and more accurate dosing. However, little attention has been given to software catered to the veterinary field, more specifically to building and using databases for veterinary drugs; evidence of this would be the fact that manual calculation of drug doses is still commonplace in many veterinary practices. Manual calculation subjects these final doses to the risk of human error, increasing the likelihood of mistakes or inconsistencies in dosage. This project addressed this issue through the development of a digitised veterinary formulary, which in this case was the BSAVA Small Animal Formulary Part A: Canine and Feline (10th Edition). This digitised formulary was generated through the development of a flexible customized formulary parser. This made formulary information much more accessible to veterinary professionals. We also developed a software application, Vetscription, demonstrating some of the features and functionalities that could be implemented using this digitised database. Vetscription was subsequently tested at a local veterinary practice to evaluate its usability and functionality, and was well-received by veterinary staff. The responses showed that Vetscription made label generation much faster through the automation of tedious intermediate calculation steps, which significantly reduced the likelihood of human errors. This digitised formulary is the foundation for developing other software tools, which can be developed to enhance the drug dosage calculation aspect of veterinary software by improving the accuracy and efficiency of this process. This would result in streamlined processes and increased productivity, which would lead to better patient outcomes and happier staff for veterinary practices worldwide.Bachelor of BusinessBachelor of Engineering (Computer Science

Imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma: Diagnosis, staging and treatment monitoring

10.1102/1470-7330.2012.0044Cancer Imaging123530-54