Implementing the Duty Trip Support Application

We are in the process of developing an agent and ontology-based Duty Trip Support application. The goal of this paper is to consider issues arising when implementing such a system. In addition to the description of our current implementation, which is also critically analyzed, other possible approaches are considered as well.software agents, agent systems, ontologies, transport objects, agent-non-agent integration.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection and genotype distribution among high-risk Korean women for prospecting the strategy of vaccine development

We investigated the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the distribution of high-risk HPV genotypes among 2,308 high-risk Korean women to predict how much the current prophylactic HPV vaccines might affect the prevention of cervical cancer in Korea. HPV DNA was detected in 939 women (40.7%) but only one-third of women were positive for HPV-16 and/or HPV-18, the genotypes used for developing the HPV vaccines. Thus, the development of area-specific HPV vaccines based on dominant HPV genotypes in our country is needed for preventing HPV infection and the development of premalignant lesions in the cervix of Korean women

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Influence of filler distribution on the color parameters of experimental resin composites

Objectives. Simulating the optical properties of natural tooth would be the final goal for esthetic restorative materials. Filler distribution in resin composites determines the scattering in composite materials, which in turn would influence the color parameters such as lightness, chroma and hue. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of filler size and amount on the color parameters of experimental resin composites. Method. Color of 11 experimental resin composites with two different sized fillers (LG: 0.77 mu m and SG: 0.50 mu m) in 10-70 wt% was measured by a spectrophotometer. Color coordinates (CIE L*, a* and b*), chroma and hue angle were determined. Optical constants including scattering coefficient (S), absorption coefficient (K) and light reflectivity (RI) were calculated. To determine the influence of the amount of filler on the optical parameters, Pearson correlations between the amount of filler (%) and color parameters and optical constants were calculated. Correlations between the optical constants (S, K and RI) and color parameters were calculated (p < 0.05). Results. S value increased as the amount of filler increased. RI value generally increased as the amount of filler increased for LG filler group, and increased up to 40% filler for SG filler group. CIE L* value increased as the amount of filler increased in both of LG and SG filler groups. CIE L* value was highly correlated with S and RI values for both filler groups (r = 0.961-0.974). Conclusion. Lightness was highly correlated with the amount of filler, S and RI values (r = 0.932-0.974). But the correlation coefficients between the amount of filler and chroma/hue were moderate (r = 0.406-0.827); therefore, pigmentation would be tried to simulate the color of resin composites to those of natural tooth. optical properties of resin composites could be partly simulated to those of teeth by controlling the filler distribution. (c) 2007 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This study was supported by grant (R01-2006-000-10421-0) from the Basic Research Program of the Korea Science & Engineering Foundation. Resin matrix was kindly provided by ESSTECH (Essington, PA, USA).

Comparison of tensile andcurity properties knot se of surgical sutures

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comSutures are classified into non-absorbable and absorbable, and mechanical properties of these materials vary by the composition. Knotting induces decrease in mechanical properties. The objective of this study was to measure the tensile and knot security properties depending on the type and caliber of sutures. Changes in properties after tensile loading were measured with absorbable sutures. Tensile properties such as maximum tensile load, elongation rate, stiffness and energy absorbed before breakage of seven kinds of surgical sutures were measured. Absorbable sutures were immersed in 37 degrees C Hank`s balanced salt solution up to 14 days under the tensile load of 100 g/thread, and properties were measured again. Knot was formed with surgeon`s knot method, and tensile properties were measured. Five specimens were tested for each condition. Values were analyzed with one- or two-way analysis of variance (alpha = 0.05). Maximum tensile load of seven sutures (caliber = 4-0) ranged from 10.0 N to 14.3 N. In non-absorbable sutures, the type of suture material influenced the tensile properties (P < 0.05). In absorbable sutures, the maximum tensile load after tensile loading decreased, which was significant in chromic catgut (CC). Knot security of seven sutures (caliber = 4-0) ranged from 8.7 N to 11.9 N. Type of non-absorbable suture influenced knot security (P < 0.05), and the synthetic monofilament materials showed a tendency to be untied easily. Since no single suture material possesses all of the requirements, proper type and caliber suture should be selected based on this study.1