Revisiting the analogue of the Jebsen-Birkhoff theorem in Brans-Dicke gravity

We report the explicit form of the general static, spherically symmetric, and asymptotically flat solution of vacuum Brans-Dicke gravity in the Jordan frame, assuming that the Brans-Dicke scalar field has no singularities or zeros (except possibly for a central singularity). This general solution is conformal to the Fisher-Wyman geometry of Einstein theory and its nature depends on a scalar charge parameter. Apart from the Schwarzschild black hole, only wormhole throats and central naked singularities are possibleComment: Discussion expanded and made more precise, credit given to previous references missed in the first version of this preprint, bibliography expanded and updated, and a slight title change. Matches version accepted in Phys. Rev.

A robust adaptive wavelet-based method for classification of meningioma histology images

Intra-class variability in the texture of samples is an important problem in the domain of histological image classification. This issue is inherent to the field due to the high complexity of histology image data. A technique that provides good results in one trial may fail in another when the test and training data are changed and therefore, the technique needs to be adapted for intra-class texture variation. In this paper, we present a novel wavelet based multiresolution analysis approach to meningioma subtype classification in response to the challenge of data variation.We analyze the stability of Adaptive Discriminant Wavelet Packet Transform (ADWPT) and present a solution to the issue of variation in the ADWPT decomposition when texture in data changes. A feature selection approach is proposed that provides high classification accuracy

Comparative analysis of spatial and transform domain methods for meningioma subtype classification

Pattern recognition in histopathological image analysis requires new techniques and methods. Various techniques have been presented and some state of the art techniques have been applied to complex textural data in histological images. In this paper, we compare the novel Adaptive Discriminant Wavelet Packet Transform (ADWPT) with a few prominent techniques in texture analysis namely Local Binary Patterns (LBP), Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrices (GLCMs) and Gabor Transforms. We show that ADWPT is a better technique for Meningioma subtype classification and produces classification accuracies of as high as 90%

Effects of cyclic loading on the shear bond strength of metal orthodontic brackets bonded to resin composite veneer surface using different conditioning protocols

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research is to evaluate cyclic (CSBS) and static shear bond strengths (SSBS) of metal orthodontic brackets bonded to composite laminates using different conditioning protocols. METHODS: A total of 80 direct nanofilled composite laminate veneers were prepared on permanent incisors and divided into four equal groups according to different surface treatments. In group 1, diamond bur was used. In group 2, microetcher (50-μm alumina particles) was utilized. In group 3, 38% phosphoric acid treatment for 60 s was done. In group 4 (control group), metal brackets were bonded to the untreated veneer surfaces using no-mix adhesive resin. SSBS testing was carried out for ten specimens, while CSBS testing was done for another ten specimens from each group. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and Scheffe post hoc test. The chi-square test was used to determine significant differences in the adhesive remnant index scores among different groups. RESULTS: Statistically significant difference was only found between SSBS of brackets bonded when surface treatment was done using the diamond bur, microetcher, and the phosphoric acid at P < 0.05. With regard to CSBS, the use of bur treatment and microetching achieved the highest values; however, there was no significant difference between these two groups. With phosphoric acid, surface treatment achieved the lowest CSBS value; there was no significant difference between this group and the control group. The SSBS was significantly higher than CSBS in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Roughening composite laminate veneers with either diamond bur or microetcher could be used successfully as an alternative to provide higher bond strength than phosphoric acid surface treatment. Cyclic loading significantly decreased bond strength

Functional and clinical outcome of ileal (Studer) neo-bladder reconstruction: Single centre experience from Pakistan

Objective: To determine the medium and long-term outcome of orthotopic continent urinary diversion with ileal (Studer) neo-bladder following radical cystectomy. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 1998 to September 2010. Methodology: Thirty eight patients underwent radical cystectomy for invasive bladder tumor with ileal neo-bladder (Studer type) reconstruction. Peri-operative and late complications, functional outcome of neo-bladder, urinary continence, metabolic and upper urinary tract status and overall survival were evaluated in all patients. Results: A total of 29 patients (23 males and 6 females) with mean age of 59 ± 12 years were included for the final analysis. The mean duration of surgery (both radical cystectomy and urinary diversion) was 520 ± 70 minutes. Perioperative complication rate was 24% (n=7) with surgical site infection in 4 patients, sepsis in 1 patient and 2 had ureteroileal leak. At 6 months follow-up, 22 patients were fully continent while 7 patients had minimal stress / nocturnal incontinence. The continence rate was 93% (n=27) at one year follow-up. The mean capacity of neo-bladder at 6 months was 384 ± 66 mLs. The late complication rate was 17% (n=5). Three patients developed anastomotic stricture requiring transurethral incision of neo bladder neck, one formed stone in neo-bladder and one developed incision hernia. All patients had preserved renal functions on follow-up. The survival rate was 80% (n=23) at a median follow-up of 66.4 ± 36 months. Two patients developed local recurrence and four developed distant metastasis. Conclusion: Studer ileal neo-bladder is a safe and effective option for urinary diversion in select patients with good oncological and functional outcomes comparable to contemporary literature, even in a low volume center

Predicting recurrence and progression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer using European organization of research and treatment of cancer risk tables.

Introduction:We determined the recurrence and progression at 1 year in Patients with non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) and compared those with the calculated risk according to the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Materials and Methods: Follow-up data of 92 Patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer who underwent TURBT were reviewed, and their 1st year recurrence and progression were recorded. The risk of recurrence and progression were calculated for 1 year according to the EORTC scoring system, using tumors\u27 stage, grade, size, and multiplicity, and the presence of carcinoma in situ and previous recurrence episodes. The outcomes were compared with the EORTC\u27s predictive scores. Results: The Patients were 75 men and 17 women with an age range of 31 to 91 years. Sixteen Patients (17.4%) had a recurrent disease, 41 (44.6%) had a tumor larger than 3 cm in diameter, 35 (38.0%) had multiple lesions, 2 (2.2%) had carcinoma in situ, 73 (79.3%) had stage T1 lesions, and 8 (8.7%) had a high-grade disease. Recurrence was found in 34 Patients (37.0%). The recurrence rates were 20.0%, 28.2%, 40.5%, and 83.3% in groups with the predicted EORTC risks of 15%, 24%, 38%, and 61%, respectively. There were 2 Patients (2.2%) with progression of the diseases. Conclusions: A significant concordance was noted between the EORTC\u27s calculated risk and the recurrence rate of stage Ta T1 bladder cancer at 1 year. Progression was less than that predicted, probably due to our small sample size