4. Conclusions

Salivary diagnostics is a promising field for the implementation of PoC technology. The desire for PoC, the potential of saliva, development of validated panel of salivary biomarkers for specific diseases and development of novel advanced techniques enables the application of saliva for the early detection and diagnosis of several oral and systemic diseases in a noninvasive, easy and fast personalized way. The recent technology advances, including liquid biopsy, EFIRM, biosensors, smartphones, microfluidics, paper-based technology, have the potential to make clinical utilities of saliva a reality in the near future. Saliva is predicted to be a substitute for blood, collected non-invasively for the diagnosis of oral and systemic diseases as well as chairside screening.


**2. Human computer interaction**

The idea of Human-Computer Interaction/Interfacing (HCI) was automatically represented with the advent of the computer or, more generally, the system itself, also referred to as Man-Machine Interaction or Interfacing. In fact, the explanation is straightforward: most advanced machines are useless unless men can use them properly. The main ideas that should be considered in the development of HCI clearly present in this simple argument: functionality and usability [20].

In the end, why a system is actually built can be determined by what the system can really do, i.e. how a system's function can assist in achieving the system's purpose. A system's functionality is characterized by the collection of actions or services it offers its users with. After all, the functionality value is only observable until it becomes feasible for the user to be used effectively [21]. The usability of a system with any functionality is the extent and degree to which the system can be used easily and reasonably by certain users to achieve specific objectives. If there is an appropriate equilibrium between the functionality and usability of a system, the real productivity of a system is achieved [22].

Taking these definitions into account and knowing that in this context, the term system, machine and computer are often used interchangeably, HCI is a design that should build a match between the user, the machine and the services needed in order to achieve a certain output both in terms of quality of service and optimality [23]. Most of it is subjective and context based to decide what makes a certain HCI design successful. An aircraft model design tool, for instance, must have precision in the display and design of the components, whereas graphics editing software doesn't really require such accuracy. The technologies available may also have an effect on how various types of HCI are configured for the same reason. For example, commands, menus, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) or virtual reality can be used to access the information on a given device. A more detailed description of

current techniques and technologies used to communicate with computers and the latest developments in the field is provided in the next section.


**3. Ovarian cancer**

Worldwide, among patients diagnosed with gynecological malignancies, ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death. Most women affected are postmenopausal, but some are younger. Menopausal symptoms in the iatrogenic group are generally more pronounced than those following naturally occurring menopause and affect quality of life and health outcomes [18, 19].

After the treatment of a serious disease such as ovarian cancer, more attention should be paid to the women's quality of life. Presently, the WHO, Europe, and the United States (US) have guidelines on hormone therapy that do not mention ovarian cancer and conclude that evidence for the increased risk of cancer due to HRT is in sufficient to make a definite recommendation. According to the guidelines in the United Kingdom (UK), such risk is only increased by prolonged use. In the case of epithelial ovarian cancer, the World Health Organization, European and US guidelines on hormone therapy suggest, that evidence for increased risk of relapse due to HRT is in sufficient to make a definite suggestion, but the rules in the UK indicate increased risk for long-term users [20].

There is insufficient data on the effect of HRT usage period on the onset and progression of ovarian cancer. The effect of some known prognostic factors, such as residual tumor and tumor differentiation during diagnosis, are more important than the duration of HRT use [21]. Despite these results, it is very likely that the heterogeneity of samples, including factors of age, stages and classifications, different treatment modalities (chemotherapy, surgery alone, radiotherapy or both) and different follow-up times, will reflect the selection bias [22].

As we know, estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is safe in patients who have undergone surgically induced menopause by the removal of the uterus and bilateral ovaries. In order to prevent the stimulating effect of estrogen on normal and hyperplasic endometrium, several studies have added progesterone to HRT in patients with early stage EOC who protect their uterus after primary surgery [17].

With regard to duration, there is insufficient data on the effect of long or short term use of HRT on the onset or progression of ovarian cancer. A recent metaanalysis conducted by Li et al. on 1448 patients who investigated the effect of postoperative HRT on the clinical outcome of patients treated for EOC revealed

**91**

**4. Cervical cancer**

*The Role of Hormone Replacement Therapy in the Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms…*

that post-operative HRT did not have an impact on surveillance and recurrence

Among the HRT users diagnosed with invasive EOC (n = 649) and borderline ovarian tumors (BOT; n = 150), there was no difference in 5-year survival of invasive cancer patients among HRT users and non-users. However, survival was better for those with borderline tumors who used HRT after diagnosis [24]. In addition, tumor types classified as border type, including serous and mucinous tumors had a large heterogeneity. There have been recent studies showing that borderline serous tumors can progress to low-grade serous ovarian cancer. Low-grade serous cancers are considered hormonesensitive tumors, and therefore, it is important to avoid using HRT in patients with borderline serous tumors, although there is no definitive evidence to indicate this [25]. Evaluation of HRT after radical treatment of germ cell and cord ovarian malignancies is very important, as most of the cases are in young, premenopausal women who may be subject to several reductions in estrogen levels. However, there are no trials evaluating the use of HRT in these patients. Although HRT can be used safely for many of the germ cell tumors, we believe that it should be used carefully in a small subgroup of germ cell tumors that may secrete hormones. In the cases, the treatment of menopausal symptoms with HRT should be avoided and alternatives

In the foreground affects postmenopausal women, the improvement of climacteric symptoms following ovarian cancer diagnosis is an important concern for young women. Meta-analysis of 6 studies comparing 451 ovarian cancer patients who were treated with HRT after the diagnosis compared with 1070 women treated with HRT for control; revealed that there was no statistically significant difference

Some observational studies in this patient population have shown a possible

When we look at the results of two studies, which are very valuable because being prospective and evaluate according to whether or not patients with ovarian cancer receive random HRT. One of these studies was conducted on 59 patients who were received HRT with only estrogen and 66 control patients who did not receive any treatment. All stages of ovarian cancer were included in the study and the mean follow-up period was 42 months. In the group receiving HRT, the disease-free interval and OS were 34 and 44 months respectively, while in the non-treatment group, these durations were 27 and 34 months respectively, but the difference between the

For ovarian cancer, the available evidence suggests either a neutral effect on survival or a possible benefit from HRT. In view of the limitations of available evidence, factors such as the age of the patient, the presence of menopausal symptoms, and the molecular and hormonal characteristics of the tumor affect the initiation of

A number of problems could not be resolved. For example, what the best HRT regimens are for patients with ovarian cancer and how long patients should take HRT after surgery, as well as how the use of HRT affects the clinical outcomes of patients with previous EOC diagnoses, require further study. At present, we know that in ovarian cancer patients there is no published study confirming the growth of

The mean age of cervical cancer is 48 years, and when diagnosed 70% of patients are under 54 years of age. Depending on the patient's age, the stage and

benefit, as there is no increase in the risk of recurrence with HRT [29].

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88047*

should be investigated after diagnosis [26].

groups was not statistically significant [30].

HRT in some histological types of ovarian cancer [31].

microscopic residues that are encouraged by the use of HRT.

in survival results [27, 28].

(HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.54–0.86) [23].

#### *The Role of Hormone Replacement Therapy in the Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88047*

that post-operative HRT did not have an impact on surveillance and recurrence (HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.54–0.86) [23].

Among the HRT users diagnosed with invasive EOC (n = 649) and borderline ovarian tumors (BOT; n = 150), there was no difference in 5-year survival of invasive cancer patients among HRT users and non-users. However, survival was better for those with borderline tumors who used HRT after diagnosis [24]. In addition, tumor types classified as border type, including serous and mucinous tumors had a large heterogeneity. There have been recent studies showing that borderline serous tumors can progress to low-grade serous ovarian cancer. Low-grade serous cancers are considered hormonesensitive tumors, and therefore, it is important to avoid using HRT in patients with borderline serous tumors, although there is no definitive evidence to indicate this [25].

Evaluation of HRT after radical treatment of germ cell and cord ovarian malignancies is very important, as most of the cases are in young, premenopausal women who may be subject to several reductions in estrogen levels. However, there are no trials evaluating the use of HRT in these patients. Although HRT can be used safely for many of the germ cell tumors, we believe that it should be used carefully in a small subgroup of germ cell tumors that may secrete hormones. In the cases, the treatment of menopausal symptoms with HRT should be avoided and alternatives should be investigated after diagnosis [26].

In the foreground affects postmenopausal women, the improvement of climacteric symptoms following ovarian cancer diagnosis is an important concern for young women. Meta-analysis of 6 studies comparing 451 ovarian cancer patients who were treated with HRT after the diagnosis compared with 1070 women treated with HRT for control; revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in survival results [27, 28].

Some observational studies in this patient population have shown a possible benefit, as there is no increase in the risk of recurrence with HRT [29].

When we look at the results of two studies, which are very valuable because being prospective and evaluate according to whether or not patients with ovarian cancer receive random HRT. One of these studies was conducted on 59 patients who were received HRT with only estrogen and 66 control patients who did not receive any treatment. All stages of ovarian cancer were included in the study and the mean follow-up period was 42 months. In the group receiving HRT, the disease-free interval and OS were 34 and 44 months respectively, while in the non-treatment group, these durations were 27 and 34 months respectively, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant [30].

For ovarian cancer, the available evidence suggests either a neutral effect on survival or a possible benefit from HRT. In view of the limitations of available evidence, factors such as the age of the patient, the presence of menopausal symptoms, and the molecular and hormonal characteristics of the tumor affect the initiation of HRT in some histological types of ovarian cancer [31].

A number of problems could not be resolved. For example, what the best HRT regimens are for patients with ovarian cancer and how long patients should take HRT after surgery, as well as how the use of HRT affects the clinical outcomes of patients with previous EOC diagnoses, require further study. At present, we know that in ovarian cancer patients there is no published study confirming the growth of microscopic residues that are encouraged by the use of HRT.


*Editorial* **Special Issue "Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Agriculture and Vegetation"**

**Simone Pascucci 1,\*, Stefano Pignatti 1, Ra**ff**aele Casa 2, Roshanak Darvishzadeh 3 and Wenjiang Huang 4**

Received: 2 November 2020; Accepted: 3 November 2020; Published: 9 November 2020

**Abstract:** The advent of up-to-date hyperspectral technologies, and their increasing performance both spectrally and spatially, allows for new and exciting studies and practical applications in agriculture (soils and crops) and vegetation mapping and monitoring atregional (satellite platforms) andwithin-field (airplanes, drones and ground-based platforms) scales. Within this context, the special issue has included eleven international research studies using different hyperspectral datasets (from the Visible to the Shortwave Infrared spectral region) for agricultural soil, crop and vegetation modelling, mapping, and monitoring. Different classification methods (Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Artificial Neural Network, Decision Tree) and crop canopy/leaf biophysical parameters (e.g., chlorophyll content) estimation methods (partial least squares and multiple linear regressions) have been evaluated. Further, drone-based hyperspectral mapping by combining bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model for multi-angle remote sensing and object-oriented classification methods are also examined. A review article on the recent advances of hyperspectral imaging technology and applications in agriculture is also included in this issue. The special issue is intended to help researchers and farmers involved in precision agriculture technology and practices to a better comprehension of strengths and limitations of the application of hyperspectral measurements for agriculture and vegetation monitoring. The studies published herein can be used by the agriculture and vegetation research and management communities to improve the characterization and evaluation of biophysical variables and processes, as well as for a more accurate prediction of plant nutrient using existing and forthcoming hyperspectral remote sensing technologies.

**Keywords:** hyperspectral remote sensing for soil and crops in agriculture; hyperspectral imaging for vegetation; plant traits; high-resolution spectroscopy for agricultural soils and vegetation; hyperspectral databases for agricultural soils and vegetation; hyperspectral data as input for modelling soil, crop, and vegetation; product validation; new hyperspectral technologies; future hyperspectral missions


*3.4.3 Vertical position*

The vertical position requires traveling uphill or downhill when welding. The vertical welding position is illustrated in **Figure 8**. It can be difficult to perform, due to the downward gravitational pull on the weld material before it cools. This can cause the weld material to build up when traveling uphill, and it can extinguish the arc when traveling downhill. To decrease the occurrence of material build-up, welders typically lower the amperage on the machine slightly. This allows the weld material to cool faster, decreasing its ability to move gravitationally. Traveling uphill is the preferred direction of travel for vertical position welding. This gives the welder more weld pool visibility, without the weld material blocking the welder's view of the arc. The weld pool will cool away from the arc, so the proper speed of travel is critical to executing a proper vertical weld.

*Engineering Challenges Associated with Welding Field Repairs DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104263*

**Figure 8.** *Base material orientation and working location for vertical position fillet weld (3F).*


**2.3.1 B parameter measurement results**

Fig.14 shows B parameter measurement results. With KrF exposures, MET-1K and MET-2D yielded values of 0.726 and 0.788, respectively. With EUV exposures, MET-1K and MET-2D yielded 4.32 and 5.21, respectively, indicating greater absorption with EUV exposures.

Fig. 14. B parameter measurement results


3.3.1. Live/Dead Assay

Human osteoblastic MG-63 cells were counted using Image-J (Fiji, Version 1.52 h), through which the cell number/mm2 of living and dead cells was determined. Figure 13 shows representative samples with live/dead staining of the inner surface of the 500 μm scaffold as compared to the Curasan control after 3, 7 and 10 days. Long-term studies (>4 weeks) were not assessed.

**Figure 13.** *Cont*.

**Figure 13.** Living/dead cells on the inner surface of the ceramic; 500 μm scaffold after three days ((**a**): Hybrid foam; (**b**): Curasan), seven days ((**c**): Hybrid foam; (**d**): Curasan) and 10 days ((**e**): Hybrid foam; (**f**): Curasan); (**g**)**:** Auto-fluorescence of the ceramics; (**h**)**:** Thermanox membrane (pos. control, 10 days); white bar = 200 μm. Green indicates living cells; red indicates dead cells.

Quantitative results of the number of living and dead cells per mm2 is shown in Figure 14a,b, respectively. The number of living cells increased over the course of the experiment in both the scaffold and the Curasan control, with no significant differences between our scaffold and the Curasan control.

**Figure 14.** Overview of the biocompatibility tests: cell counts of (**a**) living cell numbers and (**b**) dead cell numbers per mm2 on the materials after 3, 7 and 10 days; (**c**) WST assay to demonstrate proliferation of MG 63 on the samples. Means and controls were statistically compared to assess the material effect. Significances set at *p* < 0.05 are assigned the same symbol. (**d**) Cytotoxicity of hybrid foams compared to the Curasan control; pos. Control = cells, neg. Control = TritonX. 162

## 3.3.2. Cell Proliferation Assay

Figure 14c shows that the growth rate of the cells on the scaffold and Curasan control compared to the growth of cells on a Thermanox cover slip as a positive control. The growth rate of the cells on the scaffolds in the cell culture plates increased only up to seven days and stagnated thereafter, while the cells on the Thermanox cover slip continuously proliferated. No significant difference in cell proliferation was observed between the hybrid foam and the Curasan control.

#### 3.3.3. LDH Assay

The cytotoxicity for both the hybrid foam and the Curasan control was slightly above the positive control (cells on the Thermanox cover slip) and very clearly below the negative control (Triton X), with no significant differences between our scaffold, the Curasan control and the positive control noted. The graphs of cytotoxicity over time were nearly congruent for the Curasan control and the Hybrid Foam (see Figure 14d).

#### 3.3.4. GIEMSA Staining

In the GIEMSA staining, it was evident that the MG-63 cells only colonized the inner sponge area of the hybrid foams after 3 and 10 days, but only sporadically on the surface of the CerAM VPP shell (see Figure 15). Once again we saw mainly complete material and a form fit but also a gap between the ring structures and the Freeze Foam (Figure 15, upper right-hand side.)

**Figure 15.** GIEMSA staining after (**a**) 3 and (**b**) 10 days; top and side view.