SECTAR: Model for economically optimal sustained groundwater yield planning

This paper presents an approach for computing economically optimal sustained yield ground-water extract ion strategies and supportable irrigated crop acreages. Computed regional strategies maximize the present value of net economic return_ They are useful for long-term agricultural planning because they are sustainable even beyond the planning period considered within the economic optimization. The hybrid approach uses only steady-state flow equations and iterative simulation/optimization to reduce optimization memory requirements below that required by conventional models utilizing both steady and unsteady equations. SECTAR, a quadratic optimization planning model assumes heads will evolve toward optimal steady-state but does initially not know the nonlinear rates of evolution in each cell. Rates of change in head are assumed, and optimization is performed. Subsequently, a linear or nonlinear simulation model computes actual time-varying rates of head change that would result from implementing the optimal strategy. Rates of change assumed in the optimization model are then corrected to correspond to simulated values. The process of assuming head-change rates, computing optimal pumping and eventual steady-state head values, and then simulating is repeated. Assumed and simulated heads are effectively the same within three or four cycles. Convergence occurs because of their common tendency to evolve to steady state. The procedure is applicable for situations of constant or time-varying transmissivity. Strategies developed for regions with initially stressed and unstressed potentiometric surfaces are compared. Evolution toward target steady-s,tate conditions and sensitivity of strategies to aquifer and economic parameters is presented

Toxicity comparison of silver nanoparticles synthesized by physical and chemical methods to tadpole (Rana ridibunda)

One of the possible threats in increasing use of nanomaterials is the emergence of toxicity in humans and other animals which is discussed in nanotoxicology. In addition to toxic effects of nanomaterials themselves, different chemical precursors which are usually used in bottom-up approaches for production of nanomaterials may have secondary toxic effects in living organisms. In contrast, less use of chemicals in top-down approaches may reduce these secondary effects. To test this hypothesis, toxic effects of two types of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) produced by physical (top-down) and chemical (bottom-up) methods were investigated and compared on the tadpole, Rana ridibunda survival. The estimated 48 h LC50 values of AgNPs produced by chemical and physical methods for tadpoles were 0.055 ± 0.004 and 0.296 ± 0.085 mg.L-1, respectively. No observed effect concentration, lowest observed effect concentration, maximum acceptable toxicant concentration and median lethal concentration of AgNPs produced by chemical method were respectively 3.42, 4.50, 4.84 and 5.38 times less than those produced by physical method. Therefore, approving the mentioned hypothesis, it was revealed that AgNPs produced by chemical method are more toxic than those generated by physical method. However, it seems totally that AgNPs regardless of the method used for their production, have toxic effects on aquatic organisms and so, inhibiting their accidental or intentional entrance into the aquatic ecosystems should be more considered

Efficient design and evaluation of countermeasures against fault attacks using formal verification

This paper presents a formal verification framework and tool that evaluates the robustness of software countermeasures against fault-injection attacks. By modeling reference assembly code and its protected variant as automata, the framework can generate a set of equations for an SMT solver, the solutions of which represent possible attack paths. Using the tool we developed, we evaluated the robustness of state-of-the-art countermeasures against fault injection attacks. Based on insights gathered from this evaluation, we analyze any remaining weaknesses and propose applications of these countermeasures that are more robust

Domestic violence and suicide attempt among married women: A case‐control study

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of domestic violence‐related factors on suicide attempt in married women. Suicide is a global public health concern that poses significant burden on individuals, families and communities. There is limited research on factors predicting suicide attempt in women. A retrospective case‐control design was adopted. Using a convenience sampling method, 610 participants, admitted to a teaching referral hospital in Northwest of XXX, were recruited to the study and assigned to case or control groups based on whether or not they had attempted suicide. The participants in two groups were matched in the terms of important demographic characteristics. Domestic violence‐related factors were considered as independent variables and suicide attempt as dependent variable. Descriptive statistics, simple and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Odd ratios (OR) of domestic violence related factors were compared between the groups. We used STROBE checklist as an EQUATOR in this study. The mean age of participants in the case and control groups was 28.4 years and 29.45 years, respectively. The infidelity was the strongest predictor of suicide attempt in women (OR 44.57, 95%CI 6.08‐326. 63, p<0.001), followed by being threatened to physical assault by husband (OR 37.01, 95%CI 11.54‐118.67, p<0.001), jealousy of husband (OR 23.46, 95%CI 11.63‐47.30, p<0.001), and previous attempts to divorce (OR 16.55, 95%CI 5.91‐46.31, p<0.001). Suicide attempt was significantly lower in women who reported a sense of peace in life or lived with their mother or father‐in‐law (p<0.001). To reduce the risk of suicide in women, violence against women should be condemned and appropriate prevention measures be taken by health professionals. Recognizing risk, assessment and referral of victims of domestic violence should be an integral part of health care systems.N/

Chronic subclinical inflammation after phakic intraocular lenses implantation: Comparison between Artisan and Artiflex models

Purpose To compare chronic subclinical inflammation induced after implantation of Artisan vs. Artiflex phakic intraocular lenses (pIOLs). Methods This prospective, comparative, non-randomized study included consecutive patients with moderate to high myopia who underwent Artisan or Artiflex pIOL implantation with standard surgery and postoperative care. Anterior chamber flare was assessed quantitatively using laser flare photometry (LFP) at baseline, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 2 years after surgery. Results PIOLs were implanted in 72 eyes (40 patients); Artisan pIOLs in 16 eyes (Artisan group) and Artiflex pIOLs in 56 eyes (Artiflex group). The mean preoperative anterior chamber flare was 6.5 ± 2.3 (range, 4.2�9.5) photons per millisecond (ph/ms) and 4.2 ± 0.9 (range, 2.5�11.7) ph/ms in Artisan and Artiflex groups, respectively (P = 0.400). In spite of early postoperative rise, the flare value returned to preoperative levels 6 months after pIOL implantation and remained stable up to 2 years. The amount of flare was not statistically different between Artisan and Artiflex groups in any postoperative follow-up (all P > 0.05). The trend in flare changes was not different between the studied groups (ANCOVA, P = 0.815). Conclusion The inflammatory response induced by implantation of either type of Artisan and Artiflex pIOLs is short-lived without statistically significant difference between the two models. © 2017 Iranian Society of Ophthalmolog

Fuzzy Characterization of Near-Earth-Asteroids

Due to close encounters with the inner planets, Near-Earth-Asteroids (NEAs) can have very chaotic orbits. Because of this chaoticity, a statistical treatment of the dynamical properties of NEAs becomes difficult or even impossible. We propose a new way to classify NEAs by using methods from Fuzzy Logic. We demonstrate how a fuzzy characterization of NEAs can be obtained and how a subsequent analysis can deliver valid and quantitative results concerning the long-term dynamics of NEAs.Comment: 11 pages, presented at the 7th Alexander von Humboldt Colloquium on Celestial Mechanics (2008), accepted for publication in "Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy

The Radiative Corrections to the Mass of the Kink Using an Alternative Renormalization Program

In this paper we compute the radiative correction to the mass of the kink in $\phi^4$ theory in 1+1 dimensions, using an alternative renormalization program. In this newly proposed renormalization program the breaking of the translational invariance and the topological nature of the problem, due to the presence of the kink, is automatically taken into account. This will naturally lead to uniquely defined position dependent counterterms. We use the mode number cutoff in conjunction with the above program to compute the mass of the kink up to and including the next to the leading order quantum correction. We discuss the differences between the results of this procedure and the previously reported ones.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:0806.036