Dental Implant Patients Grouped by the Brinkman Index: Their Attitude toward Smoking, Nicotine Dependence, and Knowledge of Peri-Implantitis

.26) were significantly higher than the scores of ES (11.99 ± 4.52) and NS (11.53 ± 5.01). In current smokers, there were no significant differences between BI(+)CS and BI(−)CS. The patients replied "I don't know" about peri-implantitis most often in all groups; however, there were no significant differences between the groups. Discussion: BI(+)CS were more dependent on nicotine in social situations than the other groups were. In Japan, a Brinkman index over 200 is required for a nicotine-dependence management fee to be instituted for health insurance treatment. This is a major concern for young smokers, who may be excluded from treatment because their years of smoking are substantially less. Results revealed that there were no significant differences between BI(+)CS and BI(−)CS. Therefore, it was suggested that the Brinkman index did not sufficiently group the participants

Recovering 3D Shape with Absolute Size from Endoscope Images Using RBF Neural Network

Medical diagnosis judges the status of polyp from the size and the 3D shape of the polyp from its medical endoscope image. However the medical doctor judges the status empirically from the endoscope image and more accurate 3D shape recovery from its 2D image has been demanded to support this judgment. As a method to recover 3D shape with high speed, VBW (Vogel-Breuß-Weickert) model is proposed to recover 3D shape under the condition of point light source illumination and perspective projection. However, VBW model recovers the relative shape but there is a problem that the shape cannot be recovered with the exact size. Here, shape modification is introduced to recover the exact shape with modification from that with VBW model. RBF-NN is introduced for the mapping between input and output. Input is given as the output of gradient parameters of VBW model for the generated sphere. Output is given as the true gradient parameters of true values of the generated sphere. Learning mapping with NN can modify the gradient and the depth can be recovered according to the modified gradient parameters. Performance of the proposed approach is confirmed via computer simulation and real experiment

IFMIF, the European–Japanese efforts under the Broader Approach agreement towards a Li(d,xn) neutron source: Current status and future options

The necessity of a neutron source for fusion materials research was identified already in the 70s. Though neutrons induced degradation present similarities on a mechanistic approach, thresholds energies for crucial transmutations are typically above fission neutrons spectrum. The generation of He via 56Fe (n,α) 53Cr in future fusion reactors with around 12 appm/dpa will lead to swelling and structural materials embrittlement. Existing neutron sources, namely fission reactors or spallation sources lead to different degradation, attempts for extrapolation are unsuccessful given the absence of experimental observations in the operational ranges of a fusion reactor. Neutrons with a broad peak at 14 MeV can be generated with Li(d,xn) reactions; the technological efforts that started with FMIT in the early 80s have finally matured with the success of IFMIF/EVEDA under the Broader Approach Agreement. The status today of five technological challenges, perceived in the past as most critical, are addressed. These are: 1. the feasibility of IFMIF accelerators, 2. the long term stability of lithium flow at IFMIF nominal conditions, 3. the potential instabilities in the lithium screen induced by the 2 × 5 MW impacting deuteron beam, 4. the uniformity of temperature in the specimens during irradiation, and 5. the validity of data provided with small specimens. Other ideas for fusion material testing have been considered, but they possibly are either not technologically feasible if fixed targets are considered or would require the results of a Li(d,xn) facility to be reliably designed. In addition, today we know beyond reasonable doubt that the cost of IFMIF, consistently estimated throughout decades, is marginal compared with the cost of a fusion reactor. The less ambitious DEMO reactor performance being considered correlates with a lower need of fusion neutrons flux; thus IFMIF with its two accelerators is possibly not needed since with only one accelerator as the European DONES or the Japanese A-FNS propose, the present needs > 10 dpa/fpy would be fulfilled. World fusion roadmaps stipulate a fusion relevant neutron source by the middle of next decade, the success of IFMIF/EVEDA phase is materializing this four decades old dream

Carcinoma Arising from Brunner's Gland in the Duodenum after 17 Years of Observation – A Case Report and Literature Review

A 60-year-old man presented with melena and hematemesis in 1984. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) detected a small protruding lesion in the duodenal bulb, which was diagnosed as Brunner's adenoma. No significant change was detected in subsequent annual EGD and biopsies for 10 years, after which the patient was not observed for 7 years. The patient presented with melena again in 2001. The lesion had changed shape to become a 10 mm sessile tumor with a central depression, and following a biopsy was diagnosed as an adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent partial resection of the duodenum. Histopathological assessment showed acidophilic cells with swollen nuclei, and clear cells forming a tubular or papillary tubule in the mucosal lamina propria and submucosal layer. The tumor cells stained positive for lysozyme, indicating that they arose from Brunner's gland. The patient showed no sign of recurrence and was disease-free for more than 34 months after surgery. The patient died of pneumonia. This is an extremely rare case of primary duodenal carcinoma arising from Brunner's gland in a patient observed for 17 years