Interactive Two-Stage Stochastic fuzzy Rough Programming for Water Resources Management

This paper deals with a fuzzy programming approach for treating an interactive two-stage stochastic rough-interval water resource management. The approach has been developed by incorporating an interactive fuzzy resolution method within a rough two-stage stochastic programming framework. The approach can not only tackle dual rough intervals presented as an inexact boundary intervals that exist in the objective function and the left- and right-hand sides of the constraints that are associated with different levels of economic penalties when the promised policy targets are violated. The results indicate that a set of solutions under different feasibility degrees has been generated for planning the water resources allocation. They can help the decision makers to conduct in depth analysis of tradeoffs between economic efficiency and constraint-violation risk, as well as enable them to identify, in an interactive way, a desired compromise between satisfaction degree of the goal and feasibility of the constraints. A management example in terms of rough-intervals water resources allocation has been treated for the sake of applicability of the proposed approach

ICI and PAPR enhancement in MIMO-OFDM system using RNS coding

The Inter-Carrier-Interference (ICI) is considered a bottleneck in the utilization of Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems, due to the sensitivity of the OFDM towards frequency offsets which lead to loss of orthogonality, interference and performance degradation. In this paper Residue Numbers as a coding scheme is impeded in MIMO-OFDM systems, where the ICI levels is measured and evaluated with respect to conventional ICI mitigation techniques implemented in MIMO-OFDM. The Carrier-to-Interference Ratio (CIR), the system Bit-Error-Rate (BER) and the Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function (CCDF) for MIMO-OFDM system with Residue Number System (RNS) coding are analyzed and evaluated. The results had demonstrated a performance of transmission model with and without RNS

ARTEMETHER LOADED ETHYLCELLULOSE NANOSUSPENSIONS: EFFECTS OF FORMULATION VARIABLES, PHYSICAL STABILITY AND DRUG RELEASE PROFILE

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the individual and joint effects of drug: ethylcellulose ratio, content of tween 80 and chloroform: water volume ratio on particles' size and size distribution of artemether loaded ethyl cellulose nanosuspension formulations, aiming to achieve nanosuspension with desired particles properties, stability and drug release profile.Methods: Mixed levels design was used to generate a series of artemether loaded ethylcellulose nanosuspensions that produced by emulsification-solvent evaporation technique. Formulations were qualified for particle size and size distribution using dynamic light scattering technique. Best ranked formulation was then evaluated for stability and drug release rate and kinetics.Results: Drug: polymer ratio, content of surfactant and organic: water volume ratio were found to exert considerable influences (p<0.05) on particle size of produced nanosuspensions, either individually or as joint variables. Peak intensity property of nanosuspensions was found to be influenced by drug: polymer ratio (p<0.05) whereas the influences of different variables on the polydisperse index property appear inconsequential (p>0.05). Best ranked (optimal) artemether nanosuspension proved stable and capable to improve and maintain the release of loaded drug over 24 h, at least under the setting conditions of this study.Conclusion: Focusing on both the individual and joint influences of formulation variables assist in achieving nanosuspension with desired particles characteristics, stability and drug release profile

Avoiding Bending in Case of Uniaxial Tension with Electromagnetic Forming

During electromagnetic forming, excessive bending of the specimen takes place due to high velocities and inertia. We show that the excessive bending can be prevented by optimizing the coil geometry in case of uniaxial tension. The process is simulated with various coil geometries, and the resulting amount of bending is compared to the case of standard Nakajima Test. The comparison shows that the bending can be minimised to acceptable levels to be able to call the method a decent way of determining forming limits. The results should be verified experimentally

“Acquired epidermodysplasia verruciformis” in kidney transplant patients

AbstractBackgroundEpidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a well known inherited autosomal recessive skin disease associated with numerous early onset viral warts on the sun exposed parts of the body that usually progress into skin malignancies. Kidney transplant patients are also commonly associated with viral warts that might change into skin cancers.ObjectiveTo describe the clinical pictures of extensive viral warts with skin malignancies in kidney transplant patients in comparison with inherited (EV) features.Patients and methodsThis case controlled study that included 130 patients with kidney transplantation was done in kidney transplantation centers in Baghdad and Al-Karma Teaching Hospitals during December 2002 to September 2004. All recruited patients were receiving multiple immunosuppressive drugs like methyl prednisolone succinate, oral prednisolone, azathioprine and cyclosporine. History was taken from all patients including all the relevant points. These patients were divided into three groups according to the duration of kidney transplant: group A 1–10years, group B 11–20years and group C more than 20years. Biopsies were performed from the viral warts lesions and the associated tumors.Two hundred and sixty apparently healthy individuals, 206 males and 54 females had been examined as control cases for the presence of viral warts and tumors. These control cases had been taken randomly from general population in multiple regions in Baghdad.ResultsSixty-five patients out of 130 with kidney transplantation had viral warts. Their ages ranged from 20 to 71 (45.49±SD 10.82) years, 51 males and 14 females, while the duration of the warts ranged from 0.5 to 10 (3.74±SD 2.67) years. The distribution of patients with viral warts among the groups was as follows: group A 28 (43.1%), group B 30 (46.2%) and group C 7 (10.7%) cases. Viral warts were seen in 10 (3.8%) of the control group. There were statistically significant differences between patients and control cases (P value <0.001). Most of the viral warts in patients with kidney transplantation were multiple and of the verrucae vulgaris type. They were mainly located on the exposed areas of the body, mostly on the face and dorsa of hands.Skin malignancies were observed in 6 (9.2%) cases: five squamous cell carcinomas and one case of basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma was mainly located on the lower lips in 3 cases and 2 on the dorsa of hands, while basal cell carcinoma was observed on the nose. Two cases (7.1%) of squamous cell carcinoma were seen in group A, 2 (6.6%) in group B and 1 (14%) in group C. One case of basal cell carcinoma was noted in group B .No skin malignancy was observed in the control group.ConclusionKidney transplant patients have an increased susceptibility to infection with human papilloma virus and have served as a model for viral induced carcinogenesis. This collection of features deserves the term “acquired epidermodysplasia verruciformis”

Chromohysteroscopy after failed intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Background: ICSI is the injection of a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of the oocyte (ICSI). The failure to achieve pregnancy after ICSI has been studied over many years to reach the possible and preventable causes to avoid another failure. The aim of this study was to assess the value of using Chromohysteroscopy as a part of the work up of cases with one or more failed ICSI. The Ultimate goal is to detect the possible endometrial abnormalities and /or endometritis.Methods: Prospective cohort study was carried out with total of 50 infertile women recruited from infertility clinic in Elshatby Maternity University Hospital, Alexandria University, Egypt. Cases were allocated in 2 groups with 25 cases in each group. The first group included cases that had a failed trial of ICSI. The second group included control cases who were seeking for fertility treatment with no previous history of ICSI or any uterine surgery or anatomical abnormalities. In the postmenstrual period, Chromohysteroscopy was done by the same surgeon and documentation of all findings in the cavity and presence of endometritis.Results: There was a significant increase in the incidence of endometritis among the study group 68% in comparison to 16% in the control group.Conclusions: In this study endometrial dying with methylene blue at hysteroscopy improve the detection of chronic endometritis

Measurement and Instrumentation in Mechatronics Engineering Education

Instrumentation and measurement technology has served as the backbone of modern industry. It is very important that engineering graduate should be equipped with the comprehensive knowledge about instrumentation and measurement techniques. This will help them to cope with various industrial sectors. Industrials are eager to get highly educated engineers who can deal with their equipment easily with no extra training. Since industry is continuously upgrading with new generation equipment, it is essential that engineering students should be trained in all major groups of instrumentation including analog technology, digital technology and computer base instrumental. However, there is no any module or references include this three part. Most references are discussing the instrumentation and measurement technology in general or separately. Consequently, the proposition of work is to come up with a one module which will include all instrumentation and measurement technology syllabus specially designed for engineering student to cover the whole aspects. However, the concentration will be devoted to mechatronics engineering

Analysis of transient multiexponential signals using cepstral deconvolution

We propose and test a new method of multiexponential transient signal analysis. The method based on cepstral deconvolution is fast and computationally inexpensive. The multiexponential signal is initially converted to a deconvolution model using Gardners' transformation after which the proposed method is used to deconvolve the data. Simulation and experimental results indicate that this method is good for determining the number of components but performs poorly in accurately estimating the decay rates. Influence of noise is not considered in this paper