Canine sexual dimorphism in crown and root dimensions: a cone-beam computed tomographic study.

The primary step in forensic odontological analysis is sex determination. The present study is one of the few studies that evaluated the accuracy of the combination of canine tooth root length and crown measurements for sex determination. The study sample comprised 196 cone-be am computed tomographic scans of individuals aged 20-80 years distributed in five age categories: 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+ years old. Different parameters, such as width, length, and ratio measurements for the crown and root of each maxillary and mandibular canine tooth, were examined and recorded. The findings indicated that maxillary canines had greater sex dimorphism ability (87.3%) than mandibular canines (80.6%). Total tooth length and root length of maxillary canine were the most pronounced variables in the differentiation of sex groups. When the combination of the mandibular and maxillary measurements was considered, the accuracy for sex dimorphism was 85.7%. By using ratio variables, the accuracy was reduced to 68.9%. According to the findings of this study, total tooth length and root length are the most discriminant variables of canine teeth. These variables are more reliable sex indicators than crown measurements.

Unfolding of mono-energy neutron spectra using artificial neural network based on LMBP training algorithm.

In this work, neutron spectra are unfolded using artificial neural networks (ANNs). The neutron response of the NE213 scintillator detector, characterized by the pulse height distribution, is calculated to obtain the necessary data for unfolding the energy spectrum. This is achieved using both analytical response functions and response functions generated by the MCNPX-PHOTRACK code. In this query, the Levenberg-Marquardt method (LMM), which has a high computational speed in the learning method, is used to train the network. The performance of the ANN for unfolding the neutron energy spectrum of the NE213 scintillation detector was evaluated by comparing its results to the established Gravel method. The ANN method consistently produced spectra with a single peak closely matching the incident energy, while the Gravel method showed additional peaks and distortions. Quantitative analysis revealed a lower relative energy peak difference (indicating higher accuracy) for the ANN method compared to Gravel, particularly when noise was introduced into the data. These results suggest that ANNs offer a more robust and accurate approach for neutron spectrum unfolding.

Investigating four algorithms for material discrimination in a simulated dual-energy radiography system.

In the present work, a dual-energy X-ray radiography system was simulated using MCNPX code. Then, material discrimination curves for graphite, aluminum, steel, and lead materials were obtained using four algorithms, including log-log, R-T, r-θ, and α1-α2. The results show that R-T, r-θ, and α1-α2 algorithms have better performance. Also, due to the less overlap of material discrimination curves for low sample thicknesses, the R-T algorithm can be a better choice for obtaining material discrimination curves in dual-energy radiography systems.

Quality of life of Iranian and Afghan pregnant women in rural Iran.

Background: Pregnancy is a unique experience in a woman's life, which comes with physiological, metabolic, social, and psychological changes. The combination of these changes along with migration, may reduce the quality of life of pregnant women and mothers. This study aims to determine the quality of life in rural pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Three hundred pregnant Iranian and Afghan women who attended the public health centers in regional Tehran, Iran, were systematically selected and included in the study. Different dimensions of health status were investigated using the standard health-related quality of life questionnaire (SF-26) through interviews. SPSS version 23 was used for data analysis. Results: The psychological health subscale (38.00) in the Iranian pregnant women and the physical health subscale (38.83) in the Afghan pregnant women had the highest scores. The lowest score was in social functioning subscale in both groups (20.59 in Iranian and 21.22 in Afghans). In general, Iranian mothers had lower scores compared to Afghan mothers. There was a relationship between the quality of life of Iranian pregnant women, their level of education and family's monthly income (P <0.05), and between the quality of life of Afghan pregnant women with the lesser number of pregnancies (P <0.05). Conclusions: In rural Iran, the quality of life score and its subscales is comparably low in both Iranian and Afghan pregnant women. Interventions are needed to improve the quality of life in this vulnerable population.

Diagnostic utility of medical thoracoscopy in T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma presenting with pleural effusion.

Adult lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma occurring among predominantly adolescent and young adult men, accounting for 1%-2% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. In contrast to B-LBL, T-cell LBL is much more common, accounting for up to 90% of disease in adults. Mediastinal mass, pleural and/or pericardial effusions are the major characteristics of T-LBL. We report an 27-year-old male with a pleural effusion, mediastinal lymphadenitis, and a normal hemogram. The cytology of the pleural effusion initially was lymphocytic exudative and ADA was high. For definitive diagnosis a medical thoracoscopy was done. The partial pleura showed multiple irregular nodules and thickening in sheets. It was picked and immunophenotypic study revealed the following: CD3, TdTþ, CD7 with Ki 67 index of 70-80%. The patient was finally diagnosed with T-LBL. He was treated with chemotherapy and is on regular follow up with resolution of effusion. The case highlight the point that medical thoracoscopy is a safe and accurate diagnostic procedure for pleural diseases, and partial pleura biopsy yielded the correct diagnosis.

Impact of odor from industrial hog operations on daily living activities.

Intensive industrial animal production systems worldwide require confinement of large numbers of animals in small spaces and concentration of enormous quantities of waste. Industrial hog operations, in particular, have raised public concerns about their adverse impact on public health and sustainable development. Using a community-based participatory research approach and qualitative interviews, we explored people's perception of the impact of odor from these industries on daily living activities as they relate to the beneficial use of property and enjoyment of life. Our research indicates that hog odor limits several leisure time activities and social interactions which could have adverse public health consequences. The results of this study can assist the communities and other stakeholders in public policy development that addresses these concerns.

Promoting environmental justice through community-based participatory research: the role of community and partnership capacity

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) increasingly is being used to study and address environmental justice. This article presents the results of a cross-site case study of four CBPR partnerships in the United States that researched environmental health problems and worked to educate legislators and promote relevant public policy. The authors focus on community and partnership capacity within and across sites, using as a theoretical framework Goodman and his colleagues' dimensions of community capacity, as these were tailored to environmental health by Freudenberg, and as further modified to include partnership capacity within a systems perspective. The four CBPR partnerships examined were situated in NewYork, California, Oklahoma, and North Carolina and were part of a larger national study. Case study contexts and characteristics, policy-related outcomes, and findings related to community and partnership capacity are presented, with implications drawn for other CBPR partnerships with a policy focus. (AU)