Liquid-Phase Chemical Sensing Using Lateral Mode Resonant Cantilevers

Liquid-phase operation of resonant cantilevers vibrating in an out-of-plane flexural mode has to date been limited by the considerable fluid damping and the resulting low quality factors (Q factors). To reduce fluid damping in liquids and to improve the detection limit for liquid-phase sensing applications, resonant cantilever transducers vibrating in their in-plane rather than their out-of-plane flexural resonant mode have been fabricated and shown to have Q factors up to 67 in water (up to 4300 in air). In the present work, resonant cantilevers, thermally excited in an in-plane flexural mode, are investigated and applied as sensors for volatile organic compounds in water. The cantilevers are fabricated using a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible fabrication process based on bulk micromachining. The devices were coated with chemically sensitive polymers allowing for analyte sorption into the polymer. Poly(isobutylene) (PIB) and poly(ethylene-co-propylene) (EPCO) were investigated as sensitive layers with seven different analytes screened with PIB and 12 analytes tested with EPCO. Analyte concentrations in the range of 1−100 ppm have been measured in the present experiments, and detection limits in the parts per billion concentration range have been estimated for the polymer-coated cantilevers exposed to volatile organics in water. These results demonstrate significantly improved sensing properties in liquids and indicate the potential of cantilever-type mass-sensitive chemical sensors operating in their in-plane rather than out-of-plane flexural modes

Soft tissue pathosis associated with asymptomatic impacted lower third molars

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of pathological changes in the pericoronal tissue of asymptomatic impacted lower third molars and to assess the correlation between pathological changes and patient demographic, radiographic and morphological characteristics. Study Design: Follicles associated with fully impacted lower third molars were submitted for histological examination after surgical extraction from 50 patients. The correlation between pathological changes in the dental follicle and age, gender, depth of impaction, angular position, and coverage and tooth development was analyzed. Results: Cystic changes were observed in 10% of specimens and inflammatory changes in 62%. Incidence of pathological changes was significantly higher in Class B impacted teeth when compared to Class C impacted teeth. A significant correlation was found between epithelial cell activity and the completion of tooth development. Conclusion: We recommend monitoring all third molars whether or not they are symptomatic and conducting histopathological analyses on all surgically extracted follicle tissue. © Medicina Oral S. L

Forecasting of Suspended Sediment in Rivers Using Artificial Neural Networks Approach

Suspended sediment estimation is important to the water resources management and water quality problem. In this article, artificial neural networks (ANN), M5tree (M5T) approaches and statistical approaches such as Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Sediment Rating Curves (SRC) are used for estimation daily suspended sediment concentration from daily temperature of water and streamflow in river. These daily datas were measured at Iowa station in US. These prediction aproaches are compared to each other according to three statistical criteria, namely, mean square errors (MSE), mean absolute relative error (MAE) and correlation coefficient (R). When the results are compared ANN approach have better forecasts suspended sediment than the other estimation methods

Determining the effects of black cumin seed oil on performance and meat fatty acid profile of broiler chickens

This study was designed to investigate the effects of adding black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seed (BCS) oil to diets for broiler chickens on their performance and the meat fatty acid profile of the meat. Broiler chicks were assigned to three groups. The unsupplemented control did not receive BCS oil. The two treated groups received 0.5% and 1% BCS oil. The live weight and live weight gain of the experimental groups were generally greater for the treated groups than for the control group. Feed consumption did not differ among groups, and thus the group that was fed the diet supplemented with 1% BCS oil was most efficient. Total saturated fatty acids were lower, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were greater in the treated groups, but monounsaturated fatty acids were greater in meat from the control group. As a result, it can be concluded that the addition of 0.5–1% BCS oil into the diets of broiler may improve the performance of chicks and enrich the meat quality by creating meaningful changes in meat fatty acid profiles, especially in terms of total polyunsaturated fatty acids.Keywords: Ross broiler, fatty acids, nigella sativa, nutrition, yiel

Attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms predict problematic mobile phone use

Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorder characterised by inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, or both. Some of the key traits of ADHD have previously been linked to addictive and problematic behaviours. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between problematic mobile phone use, smartphone addiction risk and ADHD symptoms in an adult population. A sample of 273 healthy adult volunteers completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), the Mobile Phone Problem Usage Scale (MPPUS), and the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS). A significant positive correlation was found between the ASRS and both scales. More specifically, inattention symptoms and age predicted smartphone addiction risk and problematic mobile phone use. Our results suggest that there is a positive relationship between ADHD traits and problematic mobile phone use. In particular, younger adults with higher level of inattention symptoms could be at higher risk of developing smartphone addiction. The implication of our findings for theoretical frameworks of problematic mobile phone use and clinical practice are discussed

Antibacterial activity and composition of the essential oils of two endemic Salvia sp. from Turkey

Water-distilled essential oils from dried aerial parts of Salvia cryptantha and Salvia heldreichiana (Lamiaceae), endemic in Turkey, were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). Camphor (19.1%), 1,8-cineole (16.4%), borneol (11.9%), viridiflorol (11.5%) and bornyl acetate (2.4%) were found to be the major constituents in the oil of S. cryptantha. The major constituents in the oil of S. heldreichiana were linalool (9.4%), a-pinene (5.6%), 1,8-cineole (5.6%), borneol (5.6%), cryptone (5.3%), linalyl acetate (4.9%), a-terpineol (4.4%), camphor (3.9%), terpinen-4-ol (3.3%), trans-linalool oxide (Furanoid) (2.9%), trans-verbenol (2.2%), geranyl acetate (2.2%) and cis-linalool oxide (Furanoid) (2.1%). Essential oil of S. heldreichiana exhibited antimicrobial activity using the disc diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Sarcinia lutea and Salmonella typhimurium. The oil of S. cryptantha inhibited the growth of S. lutea

Internet addiction, fatigue, and sleep problems among adolescent students: a large-scale study

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the association between Internet Addiction (IA), fatigue, and sleep problems among university students. Methods: A total of 3,000 Turkish students aged 18 to 25 years were approached and 2,350 students (78.3%) participated in this cross-sectional study from April 2017 to September 2017 in public and private universities in Istanbul. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire including socio-demographic details, lifestyle and dietary habits, Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Fatigue Scale, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]. Descriptive statistics, multivariate and factorial analyses were performed. Results: The overall prevalence of IA among the studied population was 17.7%. There were significant differences between gender, family income, father’s occupation, school performance, frequency and duration of watching television, physical activity, internet use duration, and sleep duration (all p<0.001). Significant differences were also found between participants with IA and those without IA in having headaches, blurred vision, double vision, hurting eyes, hearing problems, and eating fast food frequently (all p<0.001). Using multivariate regression analysis, the duration of internet use, physical and mental symptoms, headache, hurting eyes, tired eyes, hearing problems and ESS scores were significantly associated with (and primary predictors of) IA. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that IA was associated with poor dietary habits, sleep problems, and fatigue symptoms