Underdetermined blind source separation based on Fuzzy C-Means and Semi-Nonnegative Matrix Factorization

Conventional blind source separation is based on over-determined with more sensors than sources but the underdetermined is a challenging case and more convenient to actual situation. Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) has been widely applied to Blind Source Separation (BSS) problems. However, the separation results are sensitive to the initialization of parameters of NMF. Avoiding the subjectivity of choosing parameters, we used the Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering technique to estimate the mixing matrix and to reduce the requirement for sparsity. Also, decreasing the constraints is regarded in this paper by using Semi-NMF. In this paper we propose a new two-step algorithm in order to solve the underdetermined blind source separation. We show how to combine the FCM clustering technique with the gradient-based NMF with the multi-layer technique. The simulation results show that our proposed algorithm can separate the source signals with high signal-to-noise ratio and quite low cost time compared with some algorithms

3D printed multi-drug-loaded suppositories for acute severe ulcerative colitis

Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a growing health burden that often requires treatment with multiple therapeutic agents. As inflammation is localised in the rectum and colon, local drug delivery using suppositories could improve therapeutic outcomes. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a novel manufacturing tool that permits the combination of multiple drugs in personalised dosage forms, created based on each patient's disease condition. This study, for the first time, demonstrates the feasibility of producing 3D printed suppositories with two anti-inflammatory agents, budesonide and tofacitinib citrate, for the treatment of ASUC. As both drugs are poorly water-soluble, the suppositories' ability to self-emulsify was exploited to improve their performance. The suppositories were fabricated via semi-solid extrusion (SSE) 3D printing and contained tofacitinib citrate and budesonide in varying doses (10 or 5 mg; 4 or 2 mg, respectively). The suppositories displayed similar dissolution and disintegration behaviours irrespective of their drug content, demonstrating the flexibility of the technology. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using SSE 3D printing to create multi-drug suppositories for the treatment of ASUC, with the possibility of titrating the drug doses based on the disease progression

Effects of Some Essential Oils on Aspergillus flavus Growth and Aflatoxin Production

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of some essential oils on inhibiting fungal growth of A. flavus and aflatoxin production. Clove oil was found as the best among the six different oils tested against the radial growth at the concentration of 0.05. mL/100ml. However the other oils were also significantly better than the control except the Pumpkin oil. Different concentrations (0.00, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 ml/100ml) of only three of the oils were tested against the radial growth of A. flavus. Clove and Cumin oils were significantly effective than the control at all these concentrations. Although Pumpkin oil was slightly more effective than the control at its higher concentration (0.05) ml/100ml), it was not effective at its lower concentrations (0.01 and 0.03 ml/100ml). Clove oil was also the best in suppressing mycelial growth at the concentration of 0.05 ml/100ml. However, the other oils were also significantly better than the control, while, Pumpkin oil was non-effective. Spore germination was also affected by the oils tested. Clove oil gave complete inhibition at its higher concentration followed by Cumin, Rehan, Garlic and Desert date, while Pumpkin oil was the least one. Aflatoxin production was highly affected by the essential oils tested. Clove and Cumin exhibited a complete inhibition, followed by Rehan; Garlic and Desert date while Pumpkin oil was non-effective

Growth performance, duodenal morphology and the caecal microbial population in female broiler chickens fed glycine-fortified low protein diets under heat stress conditions

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of feeding glycine (Gly)-fortified low protein (LP) diets on the growth performance, duodenal morphology and caecal microbial populations of broiler chickens raised under unheated, cyclic or constant heat stress environmental conditions. 2. From d 1 to 21 (starter phase), an equivalent number of birds were fed either a normal protein (NP) diet or a LP diet fortified with Gly. From d 22 to 42 (grower phase), an equivalent number of birds from each starter diet were distributed to one of the following dietary groups: (i) an NP diet during the starter and grower phases (NPNP), (ii) an NP diet during the starter phase and a LP diet during the grower phase (NPLP), (iii) an LP diet during the starter phase and an NP diet during the grower phase (LPNP) or (iv) LP diets during both phases (LPLP). 3. Commencing from d 22, an equivalent number of birds from each dietary group were exposed to (i) 23 ± 1°C throughout (unheated), (ii) 34 ± 1°C for 7 h each day from 10:00 to 17:00 (cyclic heat) or (iii) 34 ± 1°C throughout (constant heat). 4. Feeding the LP diet during the starter phase resulted in feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratios (FCR) and energy efficiency ratios (EER) similar to those for the NP diet. The birds fed the LP diet had a significantly higher protein efficiency ratio (PER) compared with the birds fed the NP diet. 5. During the grower phase, there were significant diet × temperature interactions for F, WG, FCR, PER, EER, villus height, crypt depth and caecal Clostridia. The birds fed the NPLP and LPLP diets had lower FI, WG and EER, higher FCR, shorter villus height and crypt depth and higher caecal Clostridia compared with the birds fed LPNP and NPNP diets under constant heat stress. However, feeding birds the NPLP and LPLP diets resulted in FI, WG, EER, FCR, morphology parameters and caecal Clostridia equivalent to the birds fed LPNP and NPNP diets, as well as improved PER, under unheated and cyclic heat stress conditions. 6. In conclusion, our results indicate that Gly-fortified LP diets can be fed to broilers under normal and acute heat stress environmental conditions without any adverse effects on performance. However, the use of such LP diets can be detrimental to broilers under chronic heat stress conditions

Production of Polysaccharides (Xanthan gum) by Xanthomonas campestris pv. Sesame

Many microorganisms and plants were found produce polysaccharides which are widely varying in their composition and structure. The extracellular polysaccharide produced by   Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, is chemically analyzed and used industrially. However, only the xanthan gum which was ranking as the best among the ten polysaccharides was used commercially in large amounts. The xanthan gum has numerous applications in food and other industries. The present study was aiming to investigate the capacity of X; campestris pv. sesami for the production of xanthan gum, using culture media containing different carbon sources. The properties of the produced material were investigated (pH, viscosity, and chromatographic analysis using thin layer chromatography).  The results showed that the weight of the product was increasing with time reaching about 9.8g at the tenth day compared to only 2.1g on the second day. The results of the effect of different carbon sources indicated that sucrose was the best giving 9.0 g in the 7th day compared to only 1.5g by raffinose. The pH was changing from 6.7 at the beginning of the experiment to 4.2 in the tenth day. However, the viscosity of the inoculated sucrose medium was found to increase from 2.4 unit at the second day to 9.7 units after ten days. Analysis on paper chromatography showed that the produced polysaccharide contains mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, rhamnose but no ribose nor trehalose or fructose were detected. The results indicated that the investigated bacterium was producing large amounts of xanthan gum. Although, Xanthan gum was discovered in 1950s its substantial commercial production began in 1964 and in 1969, the USA, Food and Drug Administration authorized its use in food. Xanthan gum, now has numerous uses in food and other industries. Further studies should be carried on other isolates  of the bacterium   X. campestris pv. sesami and more chemical analysis are needed

Nuttier (A)dS Black Holes in Higher Dimensions

We construct new solutions of the vacuum Einstein field equations with cosmological constant. These solutions describe spacetimes with non-trivial topology that are asymptotically dS, AdS or flat. For a negative cosmological constant these solutions are NUT charged generalizations of the topological black hole solutions in higher dimensions. We also point out the existence of such NUT charged spacetimes in odd dimensions and we explicitly construct such spaces in 5 and 7 dimensions. The existence of such spacetimes with non-trivial topology is closely related to the existence of the cosmological constant. Finally, we discuss the global structure of such solutions and possible applications in string theory.Comment: latex, 30 pages, added reference

The non-Abelian gauge theory of matrix big bangs

We study at the classical and quantum mechanical level the time-dependent Yang-Mills theory that one obtains via the generalisation of discrete light-cone quantisation to singular homogeneous plane waves. The non-Abelian nature of this theory is known to be important for physics near the singularity, at least as far as the number of degrees of freedom is concerned. We will show that the quartic interaction is always subleading as one approaches the singularity and that close enough to t=0 the evolution is driven by the diverging tachyonic mass term. The evolution towards asymptotically flat space-time also reveals some surprising features.Comment: 29 pages, 8 eps figures, v2: minor changes, references added: v3 small typographical changes

The prevalence of blinding trachoma in northern states of Sudan.

BACKGROUND: Despite historical evidence of blinding trachoma, there have been no widespread contemporary surveys of trachoma prevalence in the northern states of Sudan. We aimed to conduct district-level surveys in this vast region in order to map the extent of the problem and estimate the need for trachoma control interventions to eliminate blinding trachoma. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Separate, population based cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 88 localities (districts) in 12 northern states of Sudan between 2006 and 2010. Two-stage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size was used to select the sample. Trachoma grading was done using the WHO simplified grading system. Key prevalence indicators were trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) in children aged 1-9 years and trachomatous trichiasis (TT) in adults aged 15 years and above. The sample comprised 1,260 clusters from which 25,624 households were surveyed. A total of 106,697 participants (81.6% response rate) were examined for trachoma signs. TF prevalence was above 10% in three districts and between 5% and 9% in 11 districts. TT prevalence among adults was above 1% in 20 districts (which included the three districts with TF prevalence >10%). The overall number of people with TT in the population was estimated to be 31,072 (lower and upper bounds = 26,125-36,955). CONCLUSION: Trachoma mapping is complete in the northern states of Sudan except for the Darfur States. The survey findings will facilitate programme planning and inform deployment of resources for elimination of trachoma from the northern states of Sudan by 2015, in accordance with the Sudan Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) objectives