Background and Aim: The accuracy of linear measurements in CBCT images is one of the critical parameters in treatment planning. Slice Thickness and exposure parameters seem to affect the accuracy of linear measurements. In this study, we investigated the impact of the above factors on the accuracy of linear measurements in CBCT. Materials and Methods: For the in vitro experiment, three dry human maxilla and mandibles were selected and the roots of their teeth were used as markers at the points of the anterior, premolars, and molars on both sides and placed in the desired locations. A digital caliper was used to measure its height and width prior to placement as the Gold Standard. For each location, the images were examined in slice Thickness with dimensions of 0. 5, 1, 2 and 3 mm and a kVp = 84 and a kVp = 90 and the results were then compared with Gold standard. The data were analyzed using the ANOVA test. Results: The results of this study showed that the effect of slice Thickness, kvp, location and type of jaw were not significant for measuring the length of the marker (p>0. 05) but about measuring the width of marker, in maxillary anterior and molar area and in mandibular premolar and molar area slice Thickness was significant (p <0. 05) and the effect of kVp was not significant (p >0. 05). Similarly, the effects of slice Thickness and kVp were also significant in the maxillary premolar area (p <0. 05), whereas in the anterior mandibular area, the effect was not significant (p >0. 05). Conclusion: The accuracy of CBCT in measurement is very high although, for CBCT measurements to be as accurate as possible, it is desirable to use thinner slice Thicknesses and higher voltages.

This paper presents a practical implementation of explicit self-Tuning control to a hydraulic robot for trajectory tracking. The proposed control strategy is simple, however, adapts itself to system variations such as load changes, noise and disturbances and it may be suitable for non-minimum phase control systems. Computational complexity of self-Tuning control is not a limitation anymore because of increased computing power of computers even for high speed applications. This situation makes the self-Tuning control an important alternative to PID control, which is the most widely used controller in industrial processes. Extensive experiments conducted on hydraulic robots to demonstrate and verify the control performance of the proposed self-Tuning control in comparison with the traditionally designed, PID control.

I intend to show that the fine-Tuning argument is not a theistic one, and is therefore not desirable for the theist. I will argue that (1) if the fine-Tuning of the cosmos exceeds that which is required for the existence of human beings, it would not be helpful to the believer to prove the existence of God. (2) From the theist’s point of view, there are two objections to the fine-Tuning argument: first, the extravagance objection, which states that this argument also includes other improbable events as evidence for the existence of God, though the theist does not mean that. Second, the backfire objection, which states that the advocate of fine-Tuning reasoning defeats her/his purpose. Third, the fine-Tuning argument assumes that the occurrence of an unlikely event requires a different explanation than the occurrence of probable events, and this is a false presupposition, which leads to the “God of the gaps” objection. The theist independently does not accept this distinction; she/he believes that the explanation of both probable and improbable events equally requires assuming the existence of God. So, since the fine-Tuning argument is based on assumptions that are inconsistent with theism, the theist should not find it worrisome that the fine-Tuning argument is not a successful one.

Purpose: To compare the anatomical and functional results of deep vitrectomy with and without ILM peeling for full Thickness macular hole.Materials & Methods: 37 eyes of 37 patients with full Thickness macular hole (FTMH), confirmed by clinical examination and optical coherence tomography (OCT), enrolled in this clinical trial. Based on the stage of FTMH (stage 2, 3, 4) as described by Gass and the techniques of surgery (with or without ILM peeling) the patients were randomized into two different groups. All patients underwent preoperative Act and at least one OCT image was obtained during the postoperative follow up.After obtaining informed consent, deep vitrectomy and 20% SF6 injection was performed. The patients were unaware of their allocation status. Patients data & surgical outcome were collected and statistically analyzed. Anatomical success was defined as hole closure at postoperative OCT and functional success was referred to any improvement in visual acuity. Macular hole index (MHI) was defined as a ratio of the greatest height to the base diameter of the hole on cross-sectional OCT images.Results: 37 eyes of 37 patients (15 men & 22 women) were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 56.4±21.94 years and FTMH were traumatic in 13 cases (35%) and Idiopathic in 24 (65%) cases. Twenty cases underwent deep vitrectomy with ILM peeling (ILM group) and the remaining cases underwent vitrectomy without ILM peeling (no ILM group).The mean preoperative 10gMAR visual acuity was 1.38±1 in the ILM group and 1.22±0.13 in the no ILM group, these improved to 0.95±1 and 0.77±0.31 postoperatively in the ILM and no ILM group, respectively (P=0.871). The overall anatomical success rate was 64%. The hole was closed in 70% of ILM peeling and 47% in the no ILM group (Chi-square test, P=0.15). In anatomically successful cases the mean of postoperative VA was significantly improved (P=0.001).In traumatic subgroup, ILM peeling seems did not affect the anatomical (P=0.2) and visual Success rates (P=0.5). There was no significant differences in hole closure rates between the traumatic and idiopathic FTMH (P=0.968). Visual acuity significantly improved after operation In MHI ³ 0.5 group compared with the MHk 0.5 group. The stage of the hole did not affect the anatomical success rate (P=0.52) or visual acuity improvement (P=0.741). Macular hole index ³ 0.5 had a prognostic value for postoperative visual acuity improvement. The hole duration was not related to anatomical success rate but there is an inverse relation between duration of the symptoms and improvement in VA.Conclusion: Deep vitrectomy and SF6 injection was a safe & effective surgical technique for full Thickness macular hole and peeling of the ILM seems did not affect the anatomical or functional success rates. The hole duration, stage and origin of the hole (traumatic or idiopathic) does not related to the anatomical success or visual acuity improvement. MHI  ³ 0.5 seems to be a prognostic factor for postoperative visual improvement but not for closure rate.

Fine-Tuning Argument (PTA) starts with the claim that the physical constants, the laws of nature and, accordingly, the interconnections between the parts of the physical world have been fine-tuned such that we may infer the existence of some supernatural fine-tuner whose attributes, inferred through some other possible inferences, may allow calling him "God". FTA, at both local and global/universal levels, takes the empirical data of natural sciences as the evidence of the intelligent purposeful agent having a hand in the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe, so that the apparent cosmic coincidence among the physical constants as well as .the events, from physical to biological and psychological ones, indicate some purposeful fine-Tuning leading to a life-permitting and even intelligence-permitting world. Now, PTA may be considered as the most popular variety of Teleological Argument and Design Argument that has attracted the attention of some specialists among the scientists, theologians and philosophers interested in searching some sound argument for the existence of God based not on religious sacred texts but on human cognitive faculties. But PTA, like Teleological Argument and Design Argument, suffering some problematic features, needs philosophical elucidation and evaluation. In this paper, the author, sympathetic towards those who try to scientifically and philosophically rationalize their belief in the fine-tuner/designer/maker/creator of the world, and have a trust on PTA, tries to examine the "argument" on the basis of some Islamic and Western philosophical achievements. The, author, willing to disagree with any ultimate agnosticism and negativism, tries to show the weak and strong features of PTA to help the believers, in particular those who have a theological trend and position, to know the weaknesses of the "Argument", on the one hand, and its capacities in the face of both its deniers and rivals, on the other hand.

The improvement of seismic data resolution in hydrocarbon exploration, especially in complex structures is of great importance. There are two types of resolution in surface reflection seismic data: horizontal resolution and vertical resolution. Vertical or temporal resolution is expressed by means of the Tuning Thickness and horizontal or spatial resolution is expressed by means of the Fresnel zone. Tuning Thickness is defined as a quarter of the dominant wavelength at the position of the target layer. It is the minimum Thickness by which the top and bottom of the layer is separable. The Tuning Thickness is related to interval velocity of the target layer and the dominant frequency of traveling wave at the depth of the target layer. Thus, the increase in the dominant frequency of seismic data can help to increase the vertical resolution....

Model predictive controller is widely used in industrial plants. Uncertainty is one of the critical issues in real systems. In this paper, the direct adaptive Simplified Model Predictive Control (SMPC) is proposed for unknown or time varying plants with uncertainties. By estimating the plant step response in each sample, the controller is designed and the controller coefficients are directly calculated. The proposed method is validated via simulations for both slow and fast time varying systems. Simulation results indicate the controller ability for tracking references in the presence of plant’s time varying parameters. In addition, an analytical Tuning method for adjusting prediction horizon is proposed based on optimization of the objective function. It leads to a simple formula including the model parameters, and an indirect adaptive controller can be designed based on the analytical formula. Simulation results indicate a better performance for the tuned controller. Finally, experimental tests are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies.