Resilient Restoration Scheduling on Road Network

The purpose of this study is to enhance the resilience of restoration scheduling for road networks. Optimal scheduling for resource allocation plays an important role on early restoration. However, circumstances in the post-seismic period are more likely to change due to various factors such as secondary disaster. Furthermore, it is necessary to prepare for unexpected damages. This study examines a method to reduce changes of restoration plan with keeping the adaptability against uncertainties in the post-seismic period. Specifically, an attempt is made to clarify factors strongly related to the delay of restoration in the flexible scheduling which is based on allocation priorities of restoration groups proposed by the existing studies. In this study, numerical simulations are presented to investigate the influence of the change of schedule on early restoration. And then, this paper discussed a method to keep initial restoration plan and to enhance adaptability to circumstances changes

Effects of self-efficacy on oral health behaviours and gingival health in university students aged 18- or 19-years-old

Aim Although self-efficacy is known to affect various health-related practises, few studies have clearly examined how self-efficacy correlates with oral health behaviors or the oral health condition. We examined the relationship between gingivitis, oral health behaviors and self-efficacy in university students. Material & Methods A total of 2,111 students (1,197 males, 914 females) aged 18 and 19 years were examined. The degree of gingivitis was expressed as the percentage of bleeding on probing (%BOP). Additional information was collected via a questionnaire regarding oral health behaviors (daily frequency of tooth-brushing, use of dental floss and regular check-up). Self-efficacy was assessed using the Self-Efficacy Scale for Self-care (SESS). Path analysis was used to test pathways from self-efficacy to oral health behaviors and %BOP. Results In the final structural model, self-efficacies were related to each other, and they affected oral health behaviors. Good oral health behaviors reduced dental plaque and calculus, and lower levels of dental plaque and calculus resulted in lower %BOP. Conclusion Higher self-efficacy correlated with better oral health behaviours and gingival health in university students. Improving self-efficacy may be beneficial for maintaining good gingival health in university students. To prevent gingivitis, the approach of enhancing self-efficacy in university students would be useful

Applications of Soft Computing in Engineering Problems

Non

Dietary Problems Are Associated with Frailty Status in Older People with Fewer Teeth in Japan

This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary problems and frailty according to tooth loss in older Japanese people. This cross-sectional study included 160 older people (mean age 82.6 years) from Japan. Frailty status was assessed using the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) criteria, which consists of (i) weight loss > 5% in the past year, (ii) inability to perform five chair stands, and (iii) self-perceived reduced energy level. Frailty was defined as the presence of ≥2 items of SOF criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with frailty as the dependent variable and dietary problems as the independent variable, stratified according to having <20 teeth. Low appetite and no enjoyment of eating were associated with frailty after adjusting for covariates in participants with <20 teeth. Dietary problems, including low appetite, eating alone, and negative attitudes toward enjoyment of eating were associated with a self-perceived reduced energy level in participants with <20 teeth. However, this association was not observed in participants with ≥20 teeth. In older people with fewer teeth, dietary problems have been suggested to be associated with frailty. Therefore, it may be necessary to pay attention to dietary problems, especially in older people with tooth loss

Acceleration of knee magnetic resonance imaging using a combination of compressed sensing and commercially available deep learning reconstruction: a preliminary study

Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether deep learning reconstruction (DLR) accelerates the acquisition of 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) knee data without image deterioration. Materials and methods Twenty-one healthy volunteers underwent MRI of the right knee on a 1.5-T MRI scanner. Proton-density-weighted images with one or four numbers of signal averages (NSAs) were obtained via compressed sensing, and DLR was applied to the images with 1 NSA to obtain 1NSA-DLR images. The 1NSA-DLR and 4NSA images were compared objectively (by deriving the signal-to-noise ratios of the lateral and the medial menisci and the contrast-to-noise ratios of the lateral and the medial menisci and articular cartilages) and subjectively (in terms of the visibility of the anterior cruciate ligament, the medial collateral ligament, the medial and lateral menisci, and bone) and in terms of image noise, artifacts, and overall diagnostic acceptability. The paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for statistical analyses. Results The 1NSA-DLR images were obtained within 100 s. The signal-to-noise ratios (lateral: 3.27 ± 0.30 vs. 1.90 ± 0.13, medial: 2.71 ± 0.24 vs. 1.80 ± 0.15, both p < 0.001) and contrast-to-noise ratios (lateral: 2.61 ± 0.51 vs. 2.18 ± 0.58, medial 2.19 ± 0.32 vs. 1.97 ± 0.36, both p < 0.001) were significantly higher for 1NSA-DLR than 4NSA images. Subjectively, all anatomical structures (except bone) were significantly clearer on the 1NSA-DLR than on the 4NSA images. Also, in the former images, the noise was lower, and the overall diagnostic acceptability was higher. Conclusion Compared with the 4NSA images, the 1NSA-DLR images exhibited less noise, higher overall image quality, and allowed more precise visualization of the menisci and ligaments