What's Decidable about Discrete Linear Dynamical Systems?

We survey the state of the art on the algorithmic analysis of discrete linear dynamical systems, and outline a number of research directions

Bacterial Leakage Evaluation of Three Root Canal Sealers with Two Obturation Techniques: An in Vitro Study

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of the coronal seal of three root canal sealers and two obturation techniques using the bacterial penetration method. Methods and Results: A total of 132 single-rooted human teeth with fully developed apices were used. The teeth were randomly assigned to three experimental groups according to the endodontic sealer used. Group 1: Samples (n=44) were obturated using a zinc oxide eugenol-based sealer, Pulp Canal Sealer EWT. Group 2: Samples (n=44) were obturated using an epoxy resin-based sealer, AH Plus. Group 3: Samples (n=44) were obturated using a bioceramic-based root canal sealer, Well-Root ST. Each group was subdivided into 2 equal subgroups in accordance with the obturation technique being used: the cold lateral condensation technique (CLCT) and Thermafil obturation technique (ThOT). Thus, 6 subgroups were formed: Sub-1A: Pulp Canal Sealer/CLCT; Sub-2A: AH Plus/CLCT; Sub-3A: Well-ROOT ST/CLCT; Sub-1B: Pulp Canal Sealer/ThOT; Sub-2B: Ah Plus/ThOT; Sub-3B: Well-ROOT ST/ThOT. A dual-chamber device was used to evaluate bacterial leakage. Fresh medium and E. faecalis were added to the upper chamber every 4 days. The broth was monitored for color change daily for 33 days. Significant differences were found among Sub-2A vs. Sub-1B (P=0.023), Sub-1A vs. Sub-3A (P=0.014), Sub-1A vs. Sub-2B (P=0.024), Sub-1A vs. Sub-3B (P=0.002), Sub-3A vs. Sub-1B (P=0.003), Sub-2B vs. Sub-1B (P=0.005), and Sub-1B vs. Sub-3B (P<0.0001). There was no significant difference in the average occurrence of turbidity between CLCT and ThOT (P=0.718) Conclusion: Regardless of the obturation technique, all root canal sealers exhibited leakage; however, the bioceramic-based root canal sealer appeared to perform better than the epoxy resin-based sealer and the zinc oxide eugenol-based sealer

A pin in appendix within Amyand's hernia in a six-years-old boy: case report and review of literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Presence of vermiform appendix (non-inflamed or inflamed) in inguinal hernia is called Amyand's hernia in honor to surgeon C. Amyand who published the first case of perforated appendicitis within inguinal hernia in a boy caused by ingested pin. This presentation of foreign body Amyand's hernia appendicitis is very rare, and here we present such a case.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 6-year-old boy, white Kosovar ethnicity, presented with right groin pain, swelling and redness. Two days before admission the patient was injured by football during a children game in the right lower abdomen and the next day he complained of pain in the right inguinal area.</p> <p>On admission patient had a painful non-reducible mass in the right inguinal region and cellulitis. Plain abdominal x-ray showed no fluid-air levels, but a metallic foreign body (pin) under right superior pubic ramus was apparent. With preoperative diagnosis of suspect incarcerated inguinal hernia with cellulitis the patient was operated on under general anaesthesia in December 2, 2006. Intraoperatively we found the inflamed vermiform appendix perforated by a pin in the hernial sac. Appendectomy and herniotomy were performed. The wound was primary closed, without any post-operative complications and follow up for the patient is three years long.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Foreign body (pin) Amyand's hernia appendicitis seems to be extremely rare, maybe once in a century (Amyand 1735, Hall 1886, and our case in 2006). In patients with clinical signs of incarcerated inguinal hernia, with locally inflammatory signs, but without signs of intestinal obstruction Amyand's hernia appendicitis in differential diagnosis must be considered. In our case, it is possible that the injury during the football game might have induced perforation of the vermiform appendix with the foreign body in it.</p

Oral Changes in Chronic Renal Failure Patients in One of the Regional Hospitals in Kosovo

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have a higher tendency to have oral diseases such as periodontitis, saliva flow changes, bleeding gums, dry mouth, and bad breath. Malnutrition, oxidative stress, and vitamin deficiency, such as complex vitamin B and vitamin C, are the main factors that may cause oral changes. This study aimed to evaluate the subjective oral health of a sample of 90 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) in dialysis and determine the relationship between renal failure and oral changes. As a result, the most frequent answer was dry mouth after dialysis at around 73.3% of the patients, whereas 41.1% had tooth decay, 52% had bad breath, 35% had gingival bleeding and 22.2% have noticed tooth coloring. The comparison between male and female patients found significant differences in uremic fetor: male patients had an average score of 1.58, while female patients had 1.36 (P=0.0371). Another significant difference was found for tooth discoloration: the average score for males was 1.67 and for females, 1.90 (p=0.0082). Patients in urban areas had an average score for caries after dialysis of 1.40, while those in rural areas had 1.68 (P=0.01). Patients with CRF should get multidisciplinary treatment. These patients require special consideration not only about dental treatment but also because of the side effects of the treatments they receive. A detailed evaluation and provision of good oral care after diagnosis of end-stage renal disease is more than necessary

Equilibria-based Probabilistic Model Checking for Concurrent Stochastic Games

Probabilistic model checking for stochastic games enables formal verification of systems that comprise competing or collaborating entities operating in a stochastic environment. Despite good progress in the area, existing approaches focus on zero-sum goals and cannot reason about scenarios where entities are endowed with different objectives. In this paper, we propose probabilistic model checking techniques for concurrent stochastic games based on Nash equilibria. We extend the temporal logic rPATL (probabilistic alternating-time temporal logic with rewards) to allow reasoning about players with distinct quantitative goals, which capture either the probability of an event occurring or a reward measure. We present algorithms to synthesise strategies that are subgame perfect social welfare optimal Nash equilibria, i.e., where there is no incentive for any players to unilaterally change their strategy in any state of the game, whilst the combined probabilities or rewards are maximised. We implement our techniques in the PRISM-games tool and apply them to several case studies, including network protocols and robot navigation, showing the benefits compared to existing approaches

An unusual location of retroperitoneal epidermoid cyst in a child: case report and a review of the literature

We report the case of a 4-year-old girl presenting with the retroperitoneal epidermoid cyst. The lesion presented as an intra-abdominal cyst on physical examination and was followed up with more specific investigations by ultrasound and computed tomographic scanning. The final diagnosis was obtained only after laparotomy where the cystic mass was completely excised and pathological examination was done. The patient is well at 3-year follow-up. epidermoid cyst of the reteroperitoneal space, although rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of incidentally discovered intra-abdominal cysts during investigation of irrelevant illnesses or during routine abdominal ultrasound scan

Equilibria-based probabilistic model checking for concurrent stochastic games

Probabilistic model checking for stochastic games enables formal verification of systems that comprise competing or collaborating entities operating in a stochastic environment. Despite good progress in the area, existing approaches focus on zero-sum goals and cannot reason about scenarios where entities are endowed with different objectives. In this paper, we propose probabilistic model checking techniques for concurrent stochastic games based on Nash equilibria. We extend the temporal logic rPATL (probabilistic alternating-time temporal logic with rewards) to allow reasoning about players with distinct quantitative goals, which capture either the probability of an event occurring or a reward measure. We present algorithms to synthesise strategies that are subgame perfect social welfare optimal Nash equilibria, i.e., where there is no incentive for any players to unilaterally change their strategy in any state of the game, whilst the combined probabilities or rewards are maximised. We implement our techniques in the PRISM-games tool and apply them to several case studies, including network protocols and robot navigation, showing the benefits compared to existing approaches

Gender gap in parental leave intentions: Evidence from 37 countries

This is the final version. Available from Wiley via the DOI in this record. Despite global commitments and efforts, a gender-based division of paid and unpaid work persists. To identify how psychological factors, national policies, and the broader sociocultural context contribute to this inequality, we assessed parental-leave intentions in young adults (18–30years old) planning to have children (N = 13,942; 8,880 identified as women; 5,062 identified as men) across 37 countries that varied in parental-leave policies and societal gender equality. In all countries, women intended to take longer leave than men. National parental-leave policies and women’s political representation partially explained cross-national variations in the gender gap. Gender gaps in leave intentions were paradoxically larger in countries with more gender-egalitarian parental-leave policies (i.e., longer leave available to both fathers and mothers). Interestingly, this cross-national variation in the gender gap was driven by cross-national variations in women’s (rather than men’s) leave intentions. Financially generous leave and gender-egalitarian policies (linked to men’s higher uptake in prior research) were not associated with leave intentions in men. Rather, men’s leave intentions were related to their individual gender attitudes. Leave intentions were inversely related to career ambitions. The potential for existing policies to foster gender equality in paid and unpaid work is discussed.SSHRC Insight Development GrantSSHRC Insight GrantEconomic and Social Research CouncilState Research AgencyGuangdong 13th-five Philosophy and Social Science Planning ProjectNational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaSwiss National Science FoundationSwiss National Science FoundationCenter for Social Conflict and Cohesion StudiesCenter for Intercultural and Indigenous ResearchSSHRC Postdoctoral FellowshipSlovak Research and Development AgencySwiss National Science FoundationCanada Research ChairsSocial Sciences and Humanities Research Council of CanadaOntario Ministry of Research and InnovationHSE University, RFFaculty of Arts, Masaryk Universit

Gendered self-views across 62 countries: a test of competing models

Social role theory posits that binary gender gaps in agency and communion should be larger in less egalitarian countries, reflecting these countries’ more pronounced sex-based power divisions. Conversely, evolutionary and self-construal theorists suggest that gender gaps in agency and communion should be larger in more egalitarian countries, reflecting the greater autonomy support and flexible self-construction processes present in these countries. Using data from 62 countries (N = 28,640), we examine binary gender gaps in agentic and communal self-views as a function of country-level objective gender equality (the Global Gender Gap Index) and subjective distributions of social power (the Power Distance Index). Findings show that in more egalitarian countries, gender gaps in agency are smaller and gender gaps in communality are larger. These patterns are driven primarily by cross-country differences in men’s self-views and by the Power Distance Index (PDI) more robustly than the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI). We consider possible causes and implications of these findings

Deciding ω-regular properties on linear recurrence sequences

We consider the problem of deciding ω-regular properties on infinite traces produced by linear loops. Here we think of a given loop as producing a single infinite trace that encodes information about the signs of program variables at each time step. Formally, our main result is a procedure that inputs a prefix-independent ω-regular property and a sequence of numbers satisfying a linear recurrence, and determines whether the sign description of the sequence (obtained by replacing each positive entry with “+”, each negative entry with “−”, and each zero entry with “0”) satisfies the given property. Our procedure requires that the recurrence be simple, i.e., that the update matrix of the underlying loop be diagonalisable. This assumption is instrumental in proving our key technical lemma: namely that the sign description of a simple linear recurrence sequence is almost periodic in the sense of Muchnik, Sem'enov, and Ushakov. To complement this lemma, we give an example of a linear recurrence sequence whose sign description fails to be almost periodic. Generalising from sign descriptions, we also consider the verification of properties involving semi-algebraic predicates on program variables