Prediction of Load in Reverse Extrusion Process of Hollow Parts using Modern Artificial Intelligence Approaches

Extrusion is one of the important processes to manufacture and produce military and industrial components. Designing its tools is usually associated with trial and error and needs great expertise and adequate experience. Reverse extrusion process is known as one of the common processes for production of hollow parts with closed ends. The significant load required in formation of a workpiece is one of the existing constraints for the reverse extrusion process. This issue becomes rather difficult especially for the parts having thin walls since its analysis using finite element softwares is exposed to some limitations. In this regard, application of artificial intelligence for prediction of load in the reverse extrusion process will not only save time and money, but also improve quality features of the product. Based on the existing data and methods suggested for variations of punching force through the reverse extrusion process, the system is trained and then performance of the system is evaluated using the test data in this paper. Efficiency of the proposed method is also assessed via comparison with the results of others.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v4i3.535

Concurrent papillary thyroid cancer and parathyroid adenoma as a rare condition: A case report

Although the pathological relationship between parathyroid and thyroid diseases is common, an association between parathyroid adenoma and thyroid cancer is rare. Concomitant thyroid cancer in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) has been reported at varying frequencies. WE present here a 23-year-old man who had papillary thyroid carcinoma in the right thyroid lobe and a parathyroid adenoma in the left thyroid lobe, which were confirmed surgically. Copyright © 2012 Via Medica

Dosimetric Analysis of Neural and Vascular Structures in Skull Base Tumors Treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery.

Objective To examine the relationship between the prescribed target dose and the dose to healthy neurovascular structures in patients with vestibular schwannomas treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting SRS center from 2011 to 2013. Subjects Twenty patients with vestibular schwannomas treated at the center from 2011 to 2013. Methods Twenty patients with vestibular schwannomas were included. The average radiation dose delivered to healthy neurovascular structures (eg, carotid artery, basilar artery, facial nerve, trigeminal nerve, and cochlea) was analyzed. Results Twenty patients with vestibular schwannomas who were treated with fused computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging-guided SRS were included in the study. The prescribed dose ranged from 10.58 to 17.40 Gy over 1 to 3 hypofractions to cover 95% of the target tumor volume. The mean dose to the carotid artery was 5.66 Gy (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.53-6.80 Gy), anterior inferior cerebellar artery was 8.70 Gy (95% CI, 4.54-12.86 Gy), intratemporal facial nerve was 3.76 Gy (95% CI, 3.04-4.08 Gy), trigeminal nerve was 5.21 Gy (95% CI, 3.31-7.11 Gy), and the cochlea was 8.70 Gy (95% CI, 7.81-9.59 Gy). Conclusions SRS for certain vestibular schwannomas can expose the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and carotid artery to radiation doses that can potentially initiate atherosclerotic processes. The higher doses to the AICA and carotid artery correlated with increasing tumor volume. The dose delivered to other structures such as the cochlea and intratemporal facial nerve appears to be lower and much less likely to cause immediate complications when shielded

Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on glycaemia control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and comparison of two therapeutic regimens

Background and study aims: The eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been reported as being lower in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) than in those without DM. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of the two H. pylori eradication regimens in patients without and with type 2 DM and to study the effect of H. pylori treatment on glycaemia control. Patients and Methods: A total of 93 consecutive type 2 DM (non-insulin users) and 98 non-diabetic age- and sex-matched patients were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment protocols all given twice daily: (a) a 14-day quadruple therapy comprising of omeprazole 20mg, metronidazole 500mg, amoxicillin 1g and bismuth subcitrate 240mg (OMAB) and (b) a 14-day triple regimen comprising of omeprazole 20mg plus clarithromycin 500mg and amoxicillin 1g (OCA). Cure was defined as a negative 13C-urea breath test at least 6weeks after treatment. Results: The H. pylori eradication rate with the OCA regimen was 63% in patients with type 2 DM (non-insulin users) and 87.7% in the control group (p=0.017). The H. pylori eradication rate with the OMAB regimen was 38.2% in patients with type 2 DM and 55.1% in the control group (p<0.001). Mean decrease of fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c level shows no statistically significant difference after H. pylori eradication. Conclusion: This study suggests that the eradication rate of H. pylori with OCA or OMAB treatment is lower in patients with type 2 diabetes than in non-diabetics and H. pylori treatment in patients with type 2 DM has no role in the control of the glycaemia. The triple therapy (OCA) is superior to the quadruple protocol (OMAB) in H. pylori eradication of both DM and non-DM cases. © 2013 Arab Journal of Gastroenterology

Medical Malpractice of Vestibular Schwannoma: A 40-Year Review of the United States Legal Databases.

OBJECTIVES:To analyze medical malpractice lawsuit trends pertaining to cases of vestibular schwannomas (VS). METHODS:Two major computerized legal databases (LexisNexis and WestLaw) were queried and reviewed for evaluation of all the US state and federal court records from civil trials alleging malpractice between 1976 and 2016. RESULTS:A total of 32 VS cases were identified. Allegations were divided into four categories: misdiagnosis/delayed diagnosis (47%), postoperative complications (44%), failure of informed consent or information sharing (16%), and other (3%). Postoperative complications included facial nerve paralysis, myocardial infarction, meningitis, and intracranial hemorrhage. Judgment amounts ranged from $300,000 to$2,000,000. The specialist type was specified for 24 of the 32 cases (75%): neurosurgeons (n = 9; 37%), neurotologists (n = 6; 25%), general otolaryngologists (n = 5; 21%), primary care physicians (n = 4; 17%), neurologists (n = 3; 12%), radiologists (n = 3; 12%), anesthesiologists (n = 2; 8%), radiation oncologists (n = 1; 4%), and general surgeon (n = 1; 4%). Of these 24 cases, (n = 9; 37%) two or more physicians were named as defendants in the lawsuit. CONCLUSIONS:Enhanced physician-patient communication, ensuring proper and adequate patient consent procedures, and proper documentation are good practices that may decrease the likelihood of lawsuits

The Effect of Chalcone Isomerase Gene Silencing on Pigment Production Pathway in Petunia hybrida with RNAi Technology

Introduction  Flower color is one of the most significant characteristics in ornamental plant breeding. New varieties of various plants in relation to their flower color have been obtained by monitoring the expression levels of genes involved or regulating the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Flavonoids possess significant and diverse biological functions. They are the major pigments for flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves. They are natural products that contain a C6-C3-C6 carbon framework and are synthesized by a branched pathway that yields both colored and colorless compounds. The gene encoding chalcone isomerase (CHI) is among the genes and enzymes identified in the flavonoid pathway. This enzyme catalyzes the isomerization of naringenin chalcone into the corresponding flavanone. CHI enzyme belongs to the family of isomerases, specifically the class of intramolecular lyases. Chalcone isomerase has a core 2-layer alpha/beta structure and has attracted much attention recently due to its role in stress response and pigment production. One of the most effective methods of genetic engineering is the reduction of flower pigments by suppression of required enzymes for their biosynthesis. RNA interference (RNAi) has provided the tool for the investigation of genes involved in the production of flower color. Silencing of any gene in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway can result in reduced or inhibited anthocyanin production. RNAi technology is an effective gene silencing method and a powerful tool for studying gene function and development of new traits by transformation of viral RNA or hairpin RNA (hpRNA) constructs into plants. The processing of dsRNA into 21-23-nt small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and the mediators of RNAi, triggers cognate mRNA degradation. The hpRNAi methodology simply requires a transgene construct containing an inversely-repeated sequence of the target gene flanked with a promoter and terminator which effectively function in plants.   Material and Methods  In this research, with the design and construction of chiRNAi, the transformation of the RNAi construct was carried out of Petunia plants. Potted plants of P. hybrida were grown under standard greenhouse conditions (16-17°C night temperature and 21-24°C day temperature and photoperiod 16/8 (light/dark)). The RNAi construct including the 530 bp cds of the chalcone isomerase (chi) gene and 741 bp of pdk gene as intron between chi sense and antisense were used for transient RNAi-induced silencing. The pBI121-chi530 plasmids were introduced into A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 by electroporation method. Colonies of A. tumefaciens carrying the desired plasmid were screened by PCR with specific primers for chi gene. RNAi construct co-cultured with petunia’s leave. Samples was kept in dark condition for 3 days and then transferred to branch induction media. Samples were investigated for phenotypical changes and chi gene expression by qRT-PCR. Results and Discussion  Transgenic lines showed a reduced number of pigments and a faded flower color. So that, in purple petunia, was shown 5 phenotypical groups. These groups was indicated different levels of chi gene silencing. In pink petunia was seen two groups of phenotypical changes. In these plants, chi-RNAi construct was reduced pigment production and so, these plants had faded colors in petals. Also, the chi gene expression was reduced in all transgenic lines. Generally, the results of this research showed that RNAi can be used as an efficient method for gene silencing. The application of gene silencing can indicate the gene’s function in biosynthesis pathways of various components such as anthocyanins. In addition, the chalcone isomerase gene was identified as one of the effective genes in anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in Petunia plants that could be involved in the production of color in these plants; hence, chi gene silencing resulted in clear phenotypic alterations in this plant.   Conclusion  In general the concentration of the target mRNA in a particular tissue could be a factor that influences silencing efficiency. At very low levels of gene expression, small amounts of the silencing target, mRNA, could be completely degraded by the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), whereas the presence of higher amounts of the target mRNA may result in incomplete silencing, allowing some residual functional mRNA to be translated into the corresponding protein. This research demonstrated the hpRNA construct has been successfully established for floral tissues of P. hybrida. The hpRNA construct was developed for chi-RNAi silencing of one of the key genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in Petunia flowers. The silencing of the chi gene is a prototype for the modification of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in Petunia through gene suppression. This strategy could also be useful for rapid functional analysis of other genes involved in flower development

Trans- Obturator Tape (TOT) efficacy in management of stress urinary incontinence and the impact on quality of life: A study in 54 patients

Background: Stress urinary incontinence is a major confounding factor which impairs health quality in women. Some procedures cannot resolve it's impact on life quality. This study aims to assess a less common and newly method; use of transobturator tension- free vaginal tapes (TOT) in regard to short- term and long-term morbidity and impact on patient's quality of life (QOL). Methods: Fifty four patients diagnosed with urinary stress incontinence, underwent a transobturator tension free vaginal tape procedure with or whitout prolapse surgery. Pre and post operative quality of life assessed with Incontinence- specific Quality of Life questionnaire (I-QOL), and objective and subjective cure rate according to patients signs and symptoms before operation, early and late surgical complications like hemorrhage, Injury and/ or perforation of bladder, intestine, urethra and infection were mentioned. Results: The overall intraoperative and early post-operative complication rates were 5.5 and 3.7, respectively. No case of hematoma, bladder or bowel injury was seen. I-QOL scores were significantly higher after surgery. The mean I-QOL score were 23.6 and 64 before and after surgery respectively (p<0.0001). This improvement was independent of the concomitant pelvic floor repair surgery, menopause, underlying diseases, number of parity, body mass index (BMI) and age. The global rate of objective cure was 94.4 (p<0.0001). The majority of women were satisfied with the outcome. (subjective cure was 90.7- p<0.001). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the TOT approach in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence is a safe and effective procedure which promotes health quality of life

An acceptance model for the adoption of smart glasses technology by healthcare professionals

In the recent years, there has been an increase in the interest from different industries in the adoption of smart wearable devices in the light of their inevitable ubiquity. One type of these devices is the Augmented Reality Smart Glasses (ARSGs), which can have great effect in different areas through providing timely information to users. One of the industries that can significantly reap the benefits of this technology is healthcare. However, as healthcare is a very multi-dimensional industry, there is a need for a multifaceted look into the adoption and acceptance of smart glasses by health professionals. This study tends to examine the acceptance of smart glasses by healthcare professionals based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as there is an imperative for empirical studies on user perceptions, attitudes, and intentions. For this purpose, five external factors are extracted from the literature and field study, being integration with information systems, external effects, hands-free feature, technological compatibility, and documentation. The model is examined by using PLS-SEM methodology. This study found documentation to have the strongest impact on intention due to the substitution of paperwork by mobile devices and facilitation of continuous documentation

The Effects of Excess Iodine on Immune System; an in-vitro study

Abstract: Background & Aims: While iodine is an essential element for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, epidemiological studies have showed that excessive iodine intake leads to autoimmune thyroid diseases, with an unknown mechanism. Previous studies have showed disturbance in the circulating cytokines could lead to autoimmune diseases. To determine the role of iodine in cytokine production and development of thyroid autoimmune diseases, whole blood was stimulated with NaI (10 mm) and I2 (0.5 mm). Methods: After evaluation of laboratory results of 25 healthy females (aged 40-45 years), 10 subjects with matched results were selected. Ten ml of sterile heparinized peripheral blood was taken from each subject and immediately were divided into 6 groups (control, NaI stimulated, I2 stimulated and matching groups in presence of standard stimulators (LPS 1µg/ml & PHA 10µg/ml). Three identical sets were setup to investigate cytokine production at 24, 48, and 72 hours. All samples were incubated in cell culture incubator (95% O2 and 5% CO2) and after elapse of appropriate time, plasma was separated from each well and kept at -70 °C till the time of cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, INF-γ and TGF-β1) analysis. Results: NaI could significantly decrease the production of TGF-β1at all time points (P2 significantly decreased the level of IL-4 and IL-10 (P2 decreased the level of IL-4 as well as IL-10 (P<0.01). Conclusion: For the first time, the results of this study indicated that high levels of NaI and I2 may reduce the level of protective cytokines in circulation. Finally, since neither thyroid hormones nor thyroid gland had role in this process, it may be concluded that thyroid autoimmunity is initiated from high consumption of iodine leading to the imbalance in cytokine production. Keywords: Autoimmune thyroid diseases, High iodine intake, Iodine, Sodium iodide, TGF-β1, INF-γ