Radiographic appearance of alveolar osseous defects in relation to their anatomic location

Radiographs are of limited value in the diagnosis of osseous defects. Anatomic and technical factors affect the radiographic appearance of bone lesions. This study was undertaken in order to determine whether the radiographic appearance of alveolar osseous defects depends on their location, and particularly whether there are any differences in radiographic detection between bone defects located in the maxilla or the mandible, and on the buccal or lingual aspects of the alveolar crest. Experimental bone lesions were created in the alveolar crest of a skull. Standardized periapical radiographs were obtained before and after the defects were made. After processing, pairs of radiographs were randomly mounted. Five dentists acted as observers in order to determine whether or not a change in alveolar bone was detectable at each of the five possible locations. The unpaired t test was applied for the assessment of statistically significant differences with respect to sensitivity, specificity, and positive diagnostic value in the diagnosis of bone lesions depending on their location. The results showed that the anatomic location of a lesion in the alveolar bone affected its radiographic appearance. Moreover, experimental defects were detected more often in the mandible and on the lingual surfaces of the alveolar crest

Development of an expert system for characterization of forests and woodlands

151 σ.Μεταπτυχιακή Εργασία -- Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο. Διεπιστημονικό - Διατμηματικό Πρόγραμμα Μεταπτυχιακών Σπουδών "Γεωπληροφορική"Η επιστημονική πρόκληση της έρευνας αυτής ήταν η βαθύτερη κατανόηση της διαδικασίας χαρακτηρισμού μιας έκτασης ως δάσος, δασική έκταση ή μη δασική έκταση. Σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας ήταν η ανάπτυξη ενός έμπειρου συστήματος βασιζόμενου σε κανόνες παραγωγής που θα υποβοηθά το χρήστη στην απόδοση σε μια υπό εξέταση έκταση χαρακτήρα δάσους, δασικής έκτασης ή μη δασικής έκτασης σύμφωνα με την ισχύουσα ελληνική νομοθεσία. Πηγή γνώσης αποτέλεσε ο Ν. 998/1979 όπως τροποποιήθηκε με τον Ν. 3208/2003. Για την υλοποίηση του έμπειρου συστήματος χρησιμοποιήθηκε το κέλυφος Nexpert Object 2.0.2. H αναπαράσταση της εννοιολογικής γνώσης έγινε σύμφωνα με αντικειμενοστραφές μοντέλο. Έτσι, προέκυψε το δίκτυο αντικειμένων – τάξεων το οποίο περιλαμβάνει 9 τάξεις, 75 αντικείμενα και 42 ιδιότητες. Σε ότι αφορά την αναπαράσταση της διαδικαστικής γνώσης, το δίκτυο κανόνων παραγωγής του Συστήματος περιλαμβάνει 104 κανόνες που κατανέμονται σε 6 βάσεις γνώσης. Οι βάσεις αυτές επικοινωνούν μεταξύ τους αυτόματα. Ακόμα, το σύστημα παρέχει στο χρήστη επιπλέον πληροφορία μέσα από μια ποικιλία από πηγές (εικόνες, κείμενα, ιστοσελίδες και kml αρχεία) όπως και τη δυνατότητα απεικόνισης της υπό εξέταση έκτασης πριν και μετά το χαρακτηρισμό της σε περιβάλλον GoogleEarth. Για την υλοποίηση των παραπάνω, χρησιμοποιήθηκαν τα λογισμικά Windows Explorer, Notepad++, Internet Explorer και GoogleEarth. Το έμπειρο σύστημα που αναπτύχθηκε εκπληρώνει το σκοπό δημιουργίας του ενώ υπάρχει η δυνατότητα μελλοντικών επεκτάσεων.The scientific endeavour of this research was the deaper understanding of the process characterizing a site as forest or woodland. Towards this endeavour, objective of this project was the development of a rule - based expert system which assists the user in identifying if a site in question is classified as forest, woodland or as neither forest nor woodland, according to the in force greek legislation. Source of knowledge was the Law 998/1979 as it was modified by the Law 3208/2003. For the development of the expert system, the Nexpert Object 2.0.2 was used. The representation of the conceptual knowledge was based on an object – oriented model. The result was an object network composed of 9 classes, 75 objects and 42 properties. As far as the representation of the procedural knowledge, the rule network was composed of 104 rules which were placed into 6 knowledge bases. The knowledge bases communicate automatically. Furthermore, the systems offers to the user additional information through a variety of sources and the ability to represent the site in question before and after the characterization through Google Earth. For the accomplishment of these, the system uses the following software: Windows Explorer, Notepad++, Internet Explorer and GoogleEarth. The developed expert system serves its purpose. Future improvements can be implementeΑντωνία Κ. Καραγιάνν

Psychosocial problems in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Adolescents with diabetes are at increased risk of developing psychiatric (10-20%) or eating disorders (8-30%), as well as substance abuse (25-50%), leading to non-compliance with treatment and deterioration of diabetic control. At high risk are female adolescents with family problems and other comorbid disorders. Impaired cognitive function has also been reported among children with diabetes, mainly in boys, and especially in those with early diabetes diagnosis (< 5 years), or with episodes of severe hypoglycaemia or prolonged hyperglycaemia. Type 1 diabetes mellitus contributes to the development of problems in parent-child relationships and employment difficulties, and negatively affects the quality of life. However, insulin pumps appear to improve patients' metabolic control and lifestyle. The contributions of family and friends to the quality of metabolic control and emotional support are also crucial. In addition, the role of the primary-care provider is important in identifying patients at high risk of developing psychosocial disorders and referring them on to health specialists. At high risk are patients in mid-adolescence with comorbid disorders, low socioeconomic status or parental health problems. Multisystem therapy, involving the medical team, school personnel, family and peer group, is also essential. The present review focuses on the prevalence of nutritional and psychosocial problems among adolescents with diabetes, and the risk factors for its development, and emphasizes specific goals in their management and prevention. © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved