An EWMA control chart for the multivariate coefficient of variation

Monitoring the multivariate coefficient of variation over time is a natural choice when the focus is on stabilising the relative variability of a multivariate process, as is the case in a significant number of real situations in engineering, health sciences, and finance, to name but a few areas. However, not many tools are available to practitioners with this aim. This paper introduces a new control chart to monitor the multivariate coefficient of variation through an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) scheme. Concrete methodologies to calculate the limits and evaluate the performance of the chart proposed and determine the optimal values of the chart's parameters are derived based on a theoretical study of the statistic being monitored. Computational experiments reveal that our proposal clearly outperforms existing alternatives, in terms of the average run length to detect an out‐of‐control state. A numerical example is included to show the efficiency of our chart when operating in practice.     

An ecosystemic approach for assessing the urban water self-sufficiency potential: lessons from the Mediterranean

Frequent water stress episodes affecting urban hubs have caused a shift in urban water management towards integrated approaches and motivated a search for alternative water resources. Large-scale rainwater harvesting on the municipal scale can overcome the disadvantages of climate dependence and the volume restrictions associated with small-scale collection facilities. In this paper, two tools based on the urban metabolism concept are used to determine the water self-sufficiency potential of urban systems from urban runoff: a simple water self-sufficiency potential indicator and a socioeconomic water flow accounting scheme, which includes water losses. Both tools are applied to a densely populated coastal area that exemplifies urban centres in the Mediterranean. This approach is useful for regions with restricted data availability on water use and facilitates information dissemination to policy makers. The results indicate a significant water self-sufficiency potential for the area of study, even under projections of reduced precipitation in the area.     

Field induced vortex dynamics in magnetic Ni nanotriangles

The magnetization states in Ni triangular dots under an applied magnetic field have been studied using variable-field magnetic force microscopy (VF-MFM) imaging. In order to understand their dynamics we performed micromagnetic simulations which are in remarkable agreement with the experimental MFM results. The nanostructures present magnetic vortices as ground states which move under an external magnetic field. The combination of micromagnetic simulations and MFM imaging allows us to identify correctly the vortex chiralities and polarizations. The triangular geometry produces an improved contrast of the vortex core. Additionally, the vortices of different chiralities present clearly different MFM images under an?applied field.     

Unitary transformation between Cartesian- and polar-pixellated screens

A unitary transformation between Cartesian and polar pixellations of finite two-dimensional images is obtained from the su(2) model for discrete and finite signals. This transformation analyzes the original image into its finite Cartesian "Laguerre-Kravchuk" modes (involving Wigner little-d functions) and synthesizes it back using a polar mode basis with the same set of mode coefficients. The polar basis is derived from the quantum angular momentum theory, and its modes are given by Clebsch-Gordan coefficients.     

Ochratoxigenic moulds and effectiveness of grape field antifungals in a climatic change scenario

BACKGROUND: The presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in grapes and grape derivatives has been reported mainly in the Mediterranean area. Consequently, great efforts are being made to prevent the growth of Aspergillus on grapes. However, the European Commission suggests that climate change may result in increased temperatures and longer drought periods in southern Europe. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate how ochratoxigenic fungal growth and the efficiency of fungicides used at present might be affected by environmental conditions predicted with climate change. RESULTS: The effectiveness of grape field antifungals (Switch, Flint Max and Equisetum arvense extract) under two alternating temperature, photoperiod and relative humidity (RH) scenarios (current: 20/30 °C, 16 h light/8 h darkness, 80% RH; predicted: 25/37 °C, 16 h light/8 h darkness, 75% RH) on the growth and OTA production of two Aspergillus carbonarius isolates and one Aspergillus ochraceus isolate on grapes was investigated. CONCLUSION: Predicted conditions reduced A. carbonarius and limited A. ochraceus growth. Antifungals reduced fungal infection (by 40‐84%), although no correlation between climatic conditions and effectiveness of the antifungals was found. However, Switch always showed the greatest reduction and E. arvense (0.02 g mL^?1 extract) the least. Higher temperatures affected OTA production by the isolates in different ways. In general, Switch and Flint Max reduced OTA production, while E. arvense stimulated it. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Adenosquamous carcinoma of minor salivary glands. Reporting a case in the tongue

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the salivary glands is an unusual neoplasm not unanimously included in many classifications of salivary gland malignancies. A case sited in the oral cavity, within the tongue is reported. Clinical and histopathologic features are described together with a discussion about treatment and behaviour. We also include an updated of literature relating to this entity.     

The evaluation of acrylic resins for the study of nondecalcified human teeth with the light and electronic microscopes

Resin embedding of human teeth for light and transmission electron microscopic studies becomes difficult without previous decalcification. The limited and slow infiltration of the resin into hard tissues may cause problems during preparation and observation of the samples. Moreover the type of resin that is used may affect the morphologic preservation of both tissues and cellular elements. Recently there has been an increasing number of studies on the application of acrylic resins in light and electron microscopy, in order to overcome problems encountered with the use of epoxy resins still utilized in morphologic studies. We compared different acrylic resins (Technovit 7200 VLC, LR White, LR Gold, Bioacryl) in order to understand which one was more suitable for undecalcified human dental tissues under light and transmission electron microscope. Evaluation of such resins was performed using the following criteria: ease of cutting with ultramicrotome, soft and hard tissues infiltration, uptake of tissue stains for both light and electron microscopy, morphologic preservation and stability under electron beam. This study, carried out on the pulp area comprising predentin and dentin, showed excellent quality of Bioacryl and LR Gold, the two resins presenting, by far, the best results among all the different types tested. The optimal morphologic preservation obtained with such resins is indicated for light and electron microscopic studies, allowing their application in different fields of dental research.     

A procedure for preparing undecalcified and unembedded bone sections for light microscopy

Recently, new restoratives, such as resin-modified glass ionomer cements (RMGIC) and polyacid-modified resin composites (PMC) were introduced for class III and class V cavities. Both materials use simplified cavity conditioning methods. The well-established treatment of enamel with phosphoric acid has been replaced with treatment using weaker acids. The purpose of this study was to investigate in vivo the quality and durability of the marginal bond to enamel of these restorative system and compare it with a resin composite restorative, Seventeen patients received class III restorations of each of the three restoratives. At baseline and after 1 year replica impressions were made for investigation of the vestibular margins with the scanning electron microscope. Semi-quantitative analysis of the enamel-restorative interfaces was performed at x200 and x1000 magnifications. The three restorative systems showed good marginal adaptation and high percentages of the length of the margins investigated at baseline were gap-free (82%-92%). The resin composite showed significantly better adaptation than the other materials. The marginal quality decreased significantly after 1 year for the resin composite and the polyacid-modified resin composite. The RMGIC showed improved sealing after 1 year in vivo, probably due to continuing water uptake. The percentages of gap-free margins of the total marginal length observed at 1 year were 73%, 90%, and 84%, respectively, for the PMC, the RMGIC and the resin composite. The difference between the PMC and the RMGIC was significant. In conclusion, a good marginal quality was seen for all three restorative systems in class III cavities after a period of 1 year.     

Anti-malignin antibody evaluation: a possible challenge for cancer management

The major problem in the management of cancer is the difficulty of an early diagnosis. Clinical signs and symptoms generally appear late in the course of the disease. The availability of a non-invasive test which detects a blood molecule closely associated with the malignant transformation of the cells could be of help in the early detection of cancer. Malignin is a 10 kDa polypeptide located in the cytoplasmic and outer membranes of all malignant cells. Anti-malignin antibodies (AMAs) are IgM immunoglobulins spontaneously produced by the host against the oncoprotein malignin when neoplastic transformation occurs; since AMAs are IgM, they can represent an "early" transformation indicator useful for the early detection of cancer. Elevated AMA serum concentrations, measured by means of TARGET@ reagent, have been demonstrated in patients with a wide spectrum of non-terminal active cancers, regardless of the anatomical site and histotype of the tumor. The AMA test showed a sensitivity and specificity of 95% on first determination and > 99% on repeated determinations, and has been reported to be a promising diagnostic tool for the early detection of cancer, as well as for monitoring of the response to treatment and possibly for screening of an asymptomatic population.