Automated Classification of 2000 Bright IRAS Sources

An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been employed using a supervised back-propagation scheme to classify 2000 bright sources from the Calgary database of IRAS (Infrared Astronomy Satellite) spectra in the wavelength region of 8-23 microns. The data base has been classified into 17 pre-determined classes based on spectral morphology. We have been able to classify more than 80 percent of the 2000 sources correctly at the first instance. The speed and robustness of the scheme will allow us to classify the whole of LRS database, containing more than 50,000 sources in the future.Comment: 26 pages, To appear in ApJS after July 200

Thalassemia carrier screening in siblings of thalassemia major patients by HbA2 estimation

Objective: Thalassemia carrier screening in siblings of thalassemia major patients by HbA2 estimation. Methods: This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at thalassemia welfare society of JK Lon Hospital, Kota. Siblings of thalassemia major patients registered at our hospital were investigated for chemically bonded ceramics and HbA2 estimation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Results: A total of 121 cases were screened for carrier by HPLC method for HbA2 estimation. Total 59 (48.76%) cases had HbA2 level ≥3.5%, and considered as carrier while 62 (51.24%) cases were non-carrier. Mean HbA2 value in carrier was 5.24% ± 1.14% and in non-carrier was 2.69% ± 0.51%. Conclusion: It was concluded that β thalassemia carriers are more prevalent in siblings of thalassemia major than the normal population

Why project size matters for contract choice in software development outsourcing

The contractual mechanism of software development outsourcing, typically either fixed-price (FP) or time-and-materials (T&M), determines the nature of incentives, risk sharing, and coordination between client and vendor. While software engineering considers project size as crucial for project planning and success, neither economic nor organizational theory considers size per se among the determinants of contract choice. In this paper, we address the gap between the centrality of project size in the software engineering literature and the attention it receives in software contracting research by modeling and testing the association between project size and contract choice. Existing empirical evidence indicates that FP contracts are appropriate for small development efforts whereas T&M contracts are suitable for larger projects, based on the reasoning that cost and schedule are difficult to estimate in larger projects. This prediction that size is directly associated with contract choice is the basis upon which two models are developed. The first model draws on the contracting efficiency approach to hypothesize that the effect of project size on contract choice is mediated by project detail. The second model draws on the contingency approach to software development risk management to hypothesize that the effect of project size on contract choice is moderated by project detail and vendor familiarity. We test these models using a large portfolio of software development contracts entered into by a leading European bank, and the results confirm that both mediation and moderation are at play

Development the conceptual design of knowledge based system for integrated maintenance strategy and operation

YesThe importance of maintenance has escalated significantly by the increasing of automation in manufacturing process. This condition switches traditional maintenance perspective of inevitable cost into the business competitive driver. Consequently, maintenance strategy and operation decision needs to be synchronized to business and manufacturing concerns. This paper shows the development of conceptual design of Knowledge Based System for Integrated Maintenance Strategy and Operation (KBIMSO). The framework of KBIMSO is elaborated to show the process of how the KBIMSO works to reach the maintenance decision. By considering the multi-criteria of maintenance decision making, the KB system embedded with GAP and AHP to support integrated maintenance strategy and operation which is novel in this area. The KBIMSO is useful to review the existing maintenance system and give reasonable recommendation of maintenance decisions in respect to business and manufacturing perspective

Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis as a tool to discern genetic relationships among strains of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1A

Aims: To identify variable number tandem repeat (VNTR)-containing loci, and to use multilocus VNTR (MLVA) to discern genetic relationships among strains of Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 1A isolated from diverse sources. Methods and Results: The whole genome sequence of Y. enterocolitica 8081 was analysed and eight VNTR loci with repeat sizes between 4 and 9 bp, and each containing more than four repeat copies were selected for MLVA typing of 88 strains of Y. enterocolitica. Of these, four loci were polymorphic and generated 26 MLVA genotypes among 81 strains of Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A. MLVA was found to be quite discriminatory (DI=0.87). Cluster analysis and population modelling using minimum spanning tree (MST) clearly clustered Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A into two major groups. Conclusions: The MLVA is easy to perform and can be used to discern clonal relationship among strains of Y. enterocolitica. Also the phylogenetic relationships obtained with MLVA genotypes were in good agreement with those established by other typing methods. Significance and Impact of the Study: The MLVA method reported is relatively more discriminatory than the other genotyping methods and has the potential to be used as an epidemiological tool for the study of strains of Y. enterocolitica biovar 1A

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) in sheep: an update on epidemiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is a spontaneous lung tumor in sheep caused by Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) belonging to the Retroviridae. The primary aim of this review work is to give brief insights into the epidemiological aspects of OPA based on a meta-analysis of available research work. This review article also discussed pathogenesis, diagnostic tests and control strategies available for OPA in Sheep. This will help in developing future strategies for disease-free status in India. This disease is endemic in Europe, Africa, Asia, and American continents, causing significant economic losses due to chronic respiratory illness and persistent infections in flocks. The virus is unique among retroviruses with selective affinity to lungs and is the only virus known to cause spontaneous lung tumors in sheep. The incubation time ranges for sheep with naturally occurring OPA ranged from one to four years. There are two pathological forms of the disease: classical and atypical. At an early stage, OPA is difficult to detect in sheep due to a lack of preclinical diagnostic methods, as JSRV is poorly immunogenic and doesn't induce an immune response. PCR, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry are recommended methods for OIE diagnosis. To become a JSRV-free country, mandatory surveillance, detection, and removal of positive animals are required, as OPA is difficult to control due to a lack of vaccines and preclinical diagnostic tests. Due to its similar histological and molecular pathogenesis to that of human lung cancer, OPA is considered an ideal large animal model of human lung adenocarcinoma

THE ROLE OF INTERDEPENDENCE IN THE MICRO-FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIZATION DESIGN: TASK, GOAL, AND KNOWLEDGE INTERDEPENDENCE

Interdependence is a core concept in organization design, yet one that has remained consistently understudied. Current notions of interdependence remain rooted in seminal works, produced at a time when managers’ near-perfect understanding of the task at hand drove the organization design process. In this context, task interdependence was rightly assumed to be exogenously determined by characteristics of the work and the technology. We no longer live in that world, yet our view of interdependence has remained exceedingly task-centric and our treatment of interdependence overly deterministic. As organizations face increasingly unpredictable workstreams and workers co-design the organization alongside managers, our field requires a more comprehensive toolbox that incorporates aspects of agent-based interdependence. In this paper, we synthesize research in organization design, organizational behavior, and other related literatures to examine three types of interdependence that characterize organizations’ workflows: task, goal, and knowledge interdependence. We offer clear definitions for each construct, analyze how each arises endogenously in the design process, explore their interrelations, and pose questions to guide future research

Surgical resection of a giant peripheral ossifying fibroma in mouth floor managed with fiberscopic intubation

Tracheal intubation for general anesthesia can sometimes be difficult in patients with a large mass in the mouth floor. Preoperative evaluation of the patient's airway is most important when treating large oral disease