Impact of using magnetic water on the micro structure of leached saline-sodic soil.

Structural changes in the porous media are critical in evaluating the soil pore system and other physical properties of leached soil. In this work, the combination of selected physical parameters such as bulk density and hydraulic conductivity with images of scanning electron microscopic (SEM) was used to study the impact of five levels (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 magnets) of magnetically treated water (MTW) on the structural changes in pore spaces of leached high saline-sodic soil, compared with leached soil with non- magnetically treated water (NMTW) and unleached soil. Results show that leaching saline-sodic soil with MTW leads to a remarkable increase in soil pore network as confirmed by SEM observations and ImageJ software program. The influence of MTW is important in all cases but the changes in pores of leached soil were mainly observed when the magnetic fields of 7 and 9 were used. It has been found that the value of total percentage area of pores in the leached soil was found to be 7.55 and 9.53, respectively, while the total percentage area of pores in both leached soil with NMTW and unleached soil were 0.69 and 0.1 respectively. It can be concluded that MTW can improve the physiochemical properties of soils in two ways: first, it accelerates the solubility of salts and increases calcium ion available on the soil exchange surface which displaced a higher concentration of adsorbed sodium ions. Second, the changes in the microstructure lead to improved soil porosity combined with saturated hydraulic conductivity and bulk density. This study will provide a method for using magnetic water technology to improve soil properties greatly by increasing soil porosity. Through this porosity, water, solutes, and gases can diffuse through the ground, thus increasing exchange processes.

Development of software for the calculation of kinetic parameters from solid phase reaction data, application to synthesized N'-(4-Chlorobenzoyl)-N,N-di-N-butylthiourea ligand and its nickel (II) complex.

In gas and liquid phase reactions, the conversion of starting materials to products is directly controlled by the rate of the reaction, whereas in solid state reactions, it is determined by the rate of diffusion. When working with thermal analysis methods, tens of thousands of data to be obtained from measured differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermal gravimetry (TG), and differential thermal gravimetry (DTG) curves must first be digitized, and then these digitized data must be converted to concentrations and thermal values using appropriate software programs. Companies that produce devices using thermal analysis techniques generally adapt the encrypted software programs they use according to the needs of the user companies. Since the devices work like a black box, it is impossible for users to make any changes to the packaged programs. In addition, since the program cannot be seen, its logic cannot be understood most of the time. The program developed in this study will be put at the service of every researcher, and the system of the program can be used on any Windows Software compatible computer. While preparing the program, an easy-to-understand and flexible MATLAB environment was used. The thermal analysis data of synthesized N'-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-N,N-di-n-butylthiourea (HL) and its Ni(II) complex have been digitalized by measuring with thermal analyses such as DTA, TG with hardware technical equipment. By entering the raw experimental data taken into the prepared software program, thermodynamic data such as enthalpy and entropy can be calculated as well as kinetic parameters such as activation energy, reaction order, and rate constant. In this study, a software program was developed that can be used in the calculation of the desired thermodynamic parameters by using the experimentally measured ΔT, Δm, and dΔm values. The accuracy of the results was compared with the thermal results of the NaN3 reference material.

Imaging Software Programs for Reliable Mathematical Measurements in Orthodontics.

AIM: To evaluate the reliability of linear and angular measurements taken using different software programs in orthodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of four software programs from different manufacturers, namely MicroDicom viewer, Photoshop® CS3, AutoCAD®, and Image-Pro®, were used for measuring the geometric features of four types of miniscrews from different manufacturers. Each miniscrew type presented a group: Group I, Tomas® (Dentaurum, Ispringen, Germany); Group II, HUBIT® (HUBIT, Gyeonggi-do, Korea); Group III, AbsoAnchor® (Dentos, Daegu, Korea); and Group IV, Creative (Creative, Zhejiang, China). Measurements of apical face angle, thread angle, lead angle, flank, pitch depth, and width were taken on 45 × magnification scanning electron microscope images of the shafts of the miniscrews. One assessor measured the seven geometric features for the four types of miniscrews using the four software programs twice in two sessions separated by a three week interval. RESULTS: Pairwise comparisons, for each of the four miniscrew groups, showed that the only common result observed was the significant difference (p < 0.001) between measurements of flank taken by the four software programs. When measurements of the four types of miniscrews were pooled into one group, a high degree of intra-rater reliability (ICC range from 0.9 to 1.0) for all the seven geometric features was found with all the four software programs. The paired t-test showed insignificant difference (at p ≤ 0.05) between the first and second measurements, except for a few measurements including pitch width measured by Image-Pro® (p = 0.012), MicroDicom (p = 0.023), and Photoshop® (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results did not give absolute superiority to one software program over the others and suggested an assessor effect. Assessor estimates could have been affected, among other factors, by the design of the miniscrews and the technical features of the software programs.

Radiological measurement of pelvic fractures using a pelvic deformity measurement software program.

BACKGROUND: It is difficult for the surgeon to measure pelvic displacement in the closed reduction operation for unstable pelvic fracture. We therefore developed a pelvic deformity measurement software program based on standardized radiographs. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the inter-observer reliability of the program for measuring specific fracture types on preoperative pelvic films and to assess the validity of the measurement software program by comparing it with a gold standard. METHODS: Twenty-five patients diagnosed with AO/OTA type B or C pelvic fractures with the unilateral pelvis fractured and dislocated were included in this study. Four separate observers repeatedly determined the translational and rotational patterns and outcomes using the software program and hand measurement, and calculated the displacement using computed tomography (CT) coupled with a three-dimensional (3D) CT model. The validity of the measurement software was calculated by assessing the consistency between the software measurements and the gold standard. Additionally, inter-observer reliability was assessed for the software. The software was also applied in preliminary clinical practice for closed reduction procedures. RESULTS: The overall inter-observer reliabilities of the software program, CT coupled with 3D reconstruction, and hand measurements were high, with kappa values of 0.956, 0.958, and 0.853, respectively. The software showed validity similar to that of CT coupled with 3D reconstruction (0.939 vs. 0.969), and better than that of hand measurement (0.939 vs. 0.858). A preliminary clinical application demonstrated that the software is effective for guiding closed reduction of pelvic fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Our newly established pelvic deformity measurement program is a reliable and accurate tool for analyzing pelvic displacement patterns and can be used for guidance of closed reduction and planning of the reduction pathway. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Peer Review Tool for General Radiography Technologists Improves Image Quality.

PURPOSE: Quality improvement is vital to ensure health-care providers meet optimal patient care standards. Within our jurisdiction, accreditation requires image peer review as part of the quality assurance program. We propose a method to improve quality assurance in radiography by implementing a novel software-based peer review system for radiography technologists. METHODS: This is a retrospective study. A peer review tool was developed in Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic. The tool has 14 image quality criteria, which were selected based on national and international criteria, each containing standardized answers ensuring a common scoring regime. The tool provides data analysis and storage of all peer reviews performed. Radiography supervisors utilized the tool to evaluate image quality of various body parts at 28 hospitals. The tool enabled each Medical Imaging Department to objectively score images at their own hospital. Approximately 2% of all radiographs were randomly chosen for peer review. Additionally, the tool allowed for regional analysis based on hospital, body part, and quality criterion. RESULTS: Initial findings exposed equipment-related issues such as worn imaging plates, artifacts, and poor exposures, which prompted increased preventative maintenance. Other documented issues included foreign objects, inadequate collimation and centering, and inconsistent usage of lead markers. After identifying quality assurance-related issues, hospitals implemented education, resulting in improved overall image quality scores in subsequent audits. CONCLUSION: The peer review tool helped identify and correct various issues affecting image quality and ensures our program meets required accreditation standards. Furthermore, staff found utilizing the tool to identify areas for improvement improved collaboration, ongoing education, and support between staff.

A customized program for the identification of conserved protein sequence motifs.

We searched for viral protein sequences that could be important for tissue tropism. To achieve this goal, human pathogenic viruses were classified according to the tissue they infect (e.g., pulmonary), irrespective of whether they were enveloped or non-enveloped RNA or DNA viruses. Next, we developed an amino acid sequence alignment program and identified the conserved amino acid motif, VAIVLGG, in alphaviruses. The VAIVLGG sequence is located on the structural capsid protein of the chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne arthrogenic member of the alphaviruses. Capsid protein translocation onto the host cell membrane is a required step for virion budding. Our identified VAIVLGG consensus sequence might potentially be used for developing a pan-vaccine effective against alphaviruses.

Exploring greenhouse gas mitigation strategies for agriculture in Africa: The case of Nigeria.

We used the Agriculture and Land Use National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Software to estimate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Nigerian agriculture sector in 2010. We went ahead to project future GHG emissions up to 2050. Two alternative GHG mitigation scenarios such as moderate (MS) and aggressive (AS) scenarios were developed and examined. Our results showed that total GHG emissions from Nigerian agriculture in 2010 were around 34.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. GHG emissions from livestock accounted for about 69.2 % of the total emissions, making it the largest source of GHG emissions in the sector. Nigeria's agriculture GHG emissions are expected to increase by 94 % in 2050 relative to 2010 levels. Mitigation strategies in the Nigerian agriculture sector that do not compromise food security are limited. However, with the implementation of different GHG mitigation strategies in the alternative scenarios, emissions are expected to fall by around 13.2 % and 26.7 % by 2050 in the MS and AS, respectively, compared to the baseline scenario. While the mitigation potentials are significant, we argue that robust and dedicated policies are required to accelerate climate-smart agriculture in Nigeria.

Evaluation of the Periodontal Disease Effect on Pulp Volume.

INTRODUCTION: The success of periodontal and endodontic treatments depends on the total recovery from both conditions regardless of their occurrence as independent or combined lesions. There is strong presumptive evidence that teeth with periodontal disease may cause pulpal inflammation and degeneration. Therefore, the goal of this study was to establish a correlation between periodontitis and pulp volume. METHODS: Thirty-four dental images from 17 patients obtained by cone-beam computed tomography were analyzed by medical software to create three-dimensional images. Paired t test analysis was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The statistical analysis showed that periodontitis had a significant effect on the volume and surface areas of the dental pulp (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study showed that periodontitis causes pulp volume to reduce by approximately 20%. The use of three-dimensional models provides better understanding of the dental anatomy before endodontic treatment and, consequently, improvement of treatment outcomes. Additional studies are needed to investigate the effect of periodontal disease on pulp volume and surface area.

Selection and Reporting of Statistical Methods to Assess Reliability of a Diagnostic Test: Conformity to Recommended Methods in a Peer-Reviewed Journal.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and adequacy of statistical analyses in a general radiology journal when reporting a reliability analysis for a diagnostic test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three studies of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) and 36 studies reporting reliability analyses published in the Korean Journal of Radiology between 2012 and 2016 were analyzed. Studies were judged using the methodological guidelines of the Radiological Society of North America-Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (RSNA-QIBA), and COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) initiative. DTA studies were evaluated by nine editorial board members of the journal. Reliability studies were evaluated by study reviewers experienced with reliability analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-one (49.2%) of the 63 DTA studies did not include a reliability analysis when deemed necessary. Among the 36 reliability studies, proper statistical methods were used in all (5/5) studies dealing with dichotomous/nominal data, 46.7% (7/15) of studies dealing with ordinal data, and 95.2% (20/21) of studies dealing with continuous data. Statistical methods were described in sufficient detail regarding weighted kappa in 28.6% (2/7) of studies and regarding the model and assumptions of intraclass correlation coefficient in 35.3% (6/17) and 29.4% (5/17) of studies, respectively. Reliability parameters were used as if they were agreement parameters in 23.1% (3/13) of studies. Reproducibility and repeatability were used incorrectly in 20% (3/15) of studies. CONCLUSION: Greater attention to the importance of reporting reliability, thorough description of the related statistical methods, efforts not to neglect agreement parameters, and better use of relevant terminology is necessary.

A novel analysis strategy for HLA typing using a sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method.

The technique of reverse sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (SSOPs) is commonly used in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing. In the conventional method for data analysis (exact pattern matching, EPM), the larger is the number of mismatched probes, the longer the time for final typing assignment. A novel strategy, filtering and scoring (FnS), has been developed to easily assign the best-fit allele pair. In the FnS method, candidate alleles and allele pairs were filtered based on (1) subject's ethnicity, and (2) the measured partial reaction pattern with only definitely negative or positive probes. Then, the complete reaction pattern for all probes (CRPoAPs) were compared between the raw sample and expected residual allele pairs to obtain mismatch scores. To compare the FnS and EPM methods, each analysis time (minutes:seconds) for reverse SSOP HLA typing with intermediate resolution (n = 507) was measured. The analysis time with FnS method was shorter than that of the EPM method [00:21 (00:08-01:47) and 01:04 (00:15-23:45), respectively, P < .05]. In addition, the analysis time of the FnS method was relatively constant, regardless of the number of mismatched probes. The alternative approach of filtering based only on definite probes (neglecting ethnicity) took a long time for analysis. However, this approach did not compromise the accuracy. The FnS method showed improved accuracy and efficiency of HLA typing in a comprehensive and quantitative comparison between measured and expected CRPoAPs of candidate allele pairs. Therefore, this analysis strategy might be useful in a clinical setting.

Image-guided implantation of the Bonebridge™ with a surgical navigation: A feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: To access a method of fitting a designated location on the patient's temporal bone by surgically navigating to the Bonebridge implantation. STUDY DESIGN: A patient with unilateral profound hearing loss received early intervention with the Bonebridge implant for binaural hearing. The optimal implant site was determined from computed tomography (CT) images using a three-dimensional (3D) simulation software program before the surgery. The pre-calculated coordinates from the 3D simulation software program were moved to the Scopis Hybrid Navigation System. After using the surgical navigation system for the surgery, we evaluated the degree of mismatch of the center of the bone conduction-floating mass transducer (BC-FMT) between the computer simulation and the actual drilling. RESULTS: The time required to determine the implant location on the surface of the patient's temporal bone was shortened, and the accuracy of the implantation was high. The coordinates on the 3D simulation system were comparable to the surgical navigation system. The predicted coordinates were replicated exactly upon actual drilling during the surgery, and we could confirm this in preoperative and postoperative images. CONCLUSIONS: Using an image-guided surgical navigation system to aid in the placement of the BC-FMT on the simulated location is a simple procedure and is more effective that finding the exact coordinates. It also shortens the decision time for applying the implant.

A software program to measure the three-dimensional length of the spine from radiographic images: Validation and reliability assessment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to validate a new program which aims at measuring the three-dimensional length of the spine's midline based on two calibrated orthogonal radiographic images. The traditional uniplanar T1-S1 measurement method is not reflecting the actual three dimensional curvature of a scoliotic spine and is therefore not accurate. The Spinal Measurement Software (SMS) is an alternative to conveniently measure the true spine's length. METHODS: The validity, inter- and intra-observer variability and usability of the program were evaluated. The usability was quantified based on a subjective questionnaire filled by eight participants using the program for the first time. The validity and variability were assessed by comparing the length of five phantom spines measured based on CT-scan data and on radiographic images with the SMS. The lengths were measured independently by each participant using both techniques. RESULTS: The SMS is easy and intuitive to use, even for non-clinicians. The SMS measured spinal length with an error below 2 millimeters compared to length obtained using CT scan datasets. The inter- and intra-observer variability of the SMS measurements was below 5 millimeters. CONCLUSIONS: The SMS provides accurate measurement of the spinal length based on orthogonal radiographic images. The software is easy to use and could easily integrate the clinical workflow and replace current approximations of the spinal length based on a single radiographic image such as the traditional T1-S1 measurement.

Selection and Reporting of Statistical Methods to Assess Reliability of a Diagnostic Test: Conformity to Recommended Methods in a Peer-Reviewed Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and adequacy of statistical analyses in a general radiology journal when reporting a reliability analysis for a diagnostic test. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three studies of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) and 36 studies reporting reliability analyses published in the Korean Journal of Radiology between 2012 and 2016 were analyzed. Studies were judged using the methodological guidelines of the Radiological Society of North America-Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (RSNA-QIBA), and COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) initiative. DTA studies were evaluated by nine editorial board members of the journal. Reliability studies were evaluated by study reviewers experienced with reliability analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-one (49.2%) of the 63 DTA studies did not include a reliability analysis when deemed necessary. Among the 36 reliability studies, proper statistical methods were used in all (5/5) studies dealing with dichotomous/nominal data, 46.7% (7/15) of studies dealing with ordinal data, and 95.2% (20/21) of studies dealing with continuous data. Statistical methods were described in sufficient detail regarding weighted kappa in 28.6% (2/7) of studies and regarding the model and assumptions of intraclass correlation coefficient in 35.3% (6/17) and 29.4% (5/17) of studies, respectively. Reliability parameters were used as if they were agreement parameters in 23.1% (3/13) of studies. Reproducibility and repeatability were used incorrectly in 20% (3/15) of studies. CONCLUSION: Greater attention to the importance of reporting reliability, thorough description of the related statistical methods, efforts not to neglect agreement parameters, and better use of relevant terminology is necessary.

Use of statistical tests and statistical software choice in 2014: tale from three Medline indexed Pakistani journals.

Statistical tests help infer meaningful conclusions from studies conducted and data collected. This descriptive study analyzed the type of statistical tests used and the statistical software utilized for analysis reported in the original articles published in 2014 by the three Medline-indexed journals of Pakistan. Cumulatively, 466 original articles were published in 2014. The most frequently reported statistical tests for original articles by all three journals were bivariate parametric and non-parametric tests i.e. involving comparisons between two groups e.g. Chi-square test, t-test, and various types of correlations. Cumulatively, 201 (43.1%) articles used these tests. SPSS was the primary choice for statistical analysis, as it was exclusively used in 374 (80.3%) original articles. There has been a substantial increase in the number of articles published, and in the sophistication of statistical tests used in the articles published in the Pakistani Medline indexed journals in 2014, compared to 2007.

Software Program Reconstructions of Automatic Medicine Packing Machine in Our Hospital / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To promote the working performace of automatic medicine packing machine in our hospital. METH-ODS:Combined with the problems we met in the use of the automatic medicine packing machine,the reconstructions of software functions,such as drug inventory management,drug identification,specific drug sub-package and document printing of non-pack-age drug,were introduced. Related indicators were compared before and after reconstruction. RESULTS:After the software recon-struction,compared with 2012,loss events of expire drug due to poor sales fell by 70% in 2013;drug dispensing errors related to medicine packing machine dropped by 1/2;the time of drug checking shortened by 1/5. CONCLUSIONS:The software program re-construction of automatic medicine packing machine can improve the work efficiency of pharmacy and the accuracy of drug dispens-ing,further guarantee the quality and safety of drugs,and meet the practical demand of our hospital.

An open-source software program for performing Bonferroni and related corrections for multiple comparisons.

Increased type I error resulting from multiple statistical comparisons remains a common problem in the scientific literature. This may result in the reporting and promulgation of spurious findings. One approach to this problem is to correct groups of P-values for "family-wide significance" using a Bonferroni correction or the less conservative Bonferroni-Holm correction or to correct for the "false discovery rate" with a Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Although several solutions are available for performing this correction through commercially available software there are no widely available easy to use open source programs to perform these calculations. In this paper we present an open source program written in Python 3.2 that performs calculations for standard Bonferroni, Bonferroni-Holm and Benjamini-Hochberg corrections.

Introduction of Relative Survival Analysis Program: Using Sample of Cancer Registry Data with Stata Software / 한국역학회지

Patient survival is one of the most important measures for the evaluation of progress in cancer patient care across the wide spectrum from diagnosis to treatment. The optimal monitoring method for cancer patient survival is to estimate survival based on representative data from cancer patients in the population, which is only achievable through using population-based cancer registration data. Relative survival is used to compare the survival experience in a study cohort that expected to result from background population mortality rates. This technique is useful when the cause of death is not accurate or not available, since it provides a measure of excess mortality in a group of patients with a certain disease. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the procedures for estimating relative survival using the statistical software Stata. For this survival analysis to show the procedure, the example data set was randomly selected from the National Cancer Incidence Database, which was used in a recent article reporting the overall relative survival of cancer patients diagnosed during 1993-2002 in Korea.

Software for Nutritional Assessment Using a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire and the 24-hour Recall Method / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to develop a computer software program for nutritional assessment using a Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQFFQs) and the 24-hour Recall Method. The software for the SQFFQ was divided into input, output, and database. For dietary analyses, recipe and food databases were used. The recipe database included 25 items and the food database was divided into 18 food groups. The food database was composed of 19 general nutrient items, 33 fatty acids, and 18 amino acids. The software developed in this study can be summarized as follows: 1) input items related to the individual's ages information, lifestyle, biological values, and dietary habits; 2) individualized data in percent of the Korean RDA, the energy ratios of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, the ratio of animal to plant source intakes, and the distribution of food group intakes; 3) Statistical data on the individual's information, lifestyle, biological values, and dietary intakes including the frequency of intake of cooked foods, the amounts of food, and the number of food groups, and nutrients. In the 24-hour Recall Method, the input and output consisted of the individual's information and cooked dish intakes. The individual's report included the amounts of nutrient intake according to number of meal and days, in comparison to the Korean RDA, the energy ratio for carbohydrates, proteins and fats, the ratio of animal to plant source intakes, and the distribution of food group intakes. The statistical report presented the number of food groups and foods, and the nutrient intakes. To evaluate the validity of the SQFFQ, the Spearman Rank Order Correlation and kappa values were used. As a result, correlation coefficients comparing the 24-hour Recall Method appeared to be more than 0.5, except for vitamin B1, B2, niacin, and vitamin E. The kappa values for energy and carbohydrate intakes were both 0.7, and protein, fat, vitamin C, folate, Ca, and iron intakes ranged from 0.3 to 0.7.