Design and Validation for Laser Based Scanning Reflectometer

The goal of this study was to design and validate laser based scanning reflectometer. This senor generates information indicative of spectral reflectance characteristic of the small spot. The information indicative of the spectral reflectance characteristic can be used to determine the object in the field. Light emitted from the optical source is modulated so that reflected light from the source can be discriminated from the reflected ambient light. The influence of detector location, source location and uniformity of reflectance across the swath width were characterized. Findings and conclusions./ The calibration constant was developed as a function of sensor height, incident angle, and detector area. Results of uncertainty analysis indicate that incident angle and detector area rapidly effect the measured reflectance. The second design with off-axis parabolic reflector is capable of achieving the design objectives. The average predicted reflectance values along the swath width were 50.26% and 42.97% for rBiosystems and Agricultural Engineerin

Comparison of spinal manipulation and short-wave diathermy on patients with chronic postural low back pain, in department of physical medicine at teaching hospital, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Background: Chronic postural low back pain (CPLBP) is one of the common health problems worldwide. The aim of the study was to compare the spinal manipulation (SM) and short-wave diathermy (SWD) in patients with CPLBP in department of physical medicine at teaching hospital, Kandy, Sri Lanka.Methods: Observational study was conducted. Patients diagnosed as CPLBP, who referred to the department of physical medicine (DPM), teaching hospital Kandy, were observed in the study (n=140). Seventy (70) patients were allocated for SWD and 70 for SM by the consultant. Two physiotherapists were routinely appointed for the treatments and SWD treatment by group 1 and SM was carried out by group 2. The two treatment sessions were continued once a week through four weeks. Outcomes were measured by numerical pain scale to compare with initial pain.Results: Group 1, SM consisted 39 females and 31 males, group 2, SWD 40 females and 30 males. After 4 sessions, the mean value of pain reduction from initial pain was significantly high (p<0.001) in SM group than the short-wave diathermy group in both genders. (Female: 6.410 (SM) and 4.625 (SWD), Male:6.710 (SM) and 4.333 (SWD). Further the mean values showed that there was a significant pain reduction during the initial treatment session than 2nd, 3rdand final sessions in both treatment groups.Conclusions: Pain reduction was more pronounced in the first treatment session in both methods. SM is more effective for the treatment of CPLBP irrespectively the age and gender when compare to the SWD in the study population. Therefore, SM could apply on CPLBP patients with higher effective treatment

Development of a Real-Time, Secure and Reliable Automobile Service Center

Lack of ambition will prevent you from moving forward in life, as much like a car without petrol. The majority of people on earth isobsessed with automobiles. We have provided you with a web application for Real time automobile service that functions effectively on all the platforms. Occasionally, automobiles and other motorized vehicles require maintenance. They must be maintained clean, just as humans practice proper hygiene. They run on dirty streets and in polluted environment. They are subjected to loads that harm them since they travel on uneven roads with obstacles. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain automobiles and other motorized vehicles on a regular basis. This project aims to keep service centers running smoothly in terms of things like vehicle maintenance, customer quotation generation, vehicle servicing, spare parts sales, customer information, and customer feedback. The system is efficient at generating reports that will make service center routine maintenance easy.Additionally, it can handle car repairs, insurance, payments, delivery, etc. This project will be very helpful to customers who want to fix or repair their cars. As a result, we develop a software that is both compatible and unique

WOOD DECAYING AGARIC FUNGI AND THEIR PREFERENCE TO SOME SRI LANKAN TIMBER SPECIES.

For satisfactory use of wood products in indoors and outdoors it is necessaryto understand the agents and conditions that decay or deteriorate timber. SriLanka being a tropical Country, loss of wood due to fungal attack isrelatively high. Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes are the major wooddestroying fungi, which cause three types of decay brown rot, white rot andsoft rot.Main objective of the study was to determine the susceptibility and resistanceof different wood species to fungal attack in the natural environment. Largenumbers of wood inhabiting fungi were found in different wood speciesobserved in natural habitats, out of these species only lignicolous agaricswere studied in the present study.These agarics were collected from indoor and outdoor habitats andmacroscopic features were studied. The microscopic examination followed,together with the documentation and photographs. The identification of theagarics was undertaken by using reliable keys, illustrations and suitabledescriptions. 22 agarics spp were identified. and out of them Lentinus sppwere identified as brown rot fungi while Armillaria mellea, Schizophyllumcommune and Pleurotus spp were identified as white rot fungi.Schizophyllum commune was found on a large number of wood speciesfollowed by genus Lentinus. The appearance of mushroom fruiting bodiescoincided with the rain. Fruiting bodies of Pleurotus reticulates, Coprinusmacropus appeared during rainy seasons while Schizophyllum commune wasfound throughout the year. Most of the wood inhabiting agarics appeared asclumps.Coprinus spp and Marasmius spp were found on old rotting logs and stumps,while Schizophyllum commune, Lentinus spp and Cantharellus spp werefound on intermediately decayed tree trunks, stumps and building timbers.Schizophyllum commune was found on outer barks as well as sapwood andheartwood regions of logs and building timber. They appeared throughout the year and fruiting bodies were fresh under moist conditions, dry and leatheryin dry seasons. Schizophyllum commune was able to attack wide range ofhardwood and softwood species.Chloroxylone swietenia, Vitex altissima, Manilkara hexandra were found tobe resistant to fungal attack; therefore could be categorized as durable timberspecies in terms of fungal decay while Swietenia macrophylla, Artocarpusheterophyllus and Pericopsis mooniana were less attacked by fungi. Heveabrasiliensis, Mangifera indica were mostly attacked by fungi and hence canbe categorized as susceptible timber species. It is recommended to usepreservative treatments for the effective utilization of these perishable timberspecies

EQ-5D-3L Derived Population Norms for Health Related Quality of Life in Sri Lanka

Background Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is an important outcome measure in health economic evaluation that guides health resource allocations. Population norms for HRQoL are an essential ingredient in health economics and in the evaluation of population health. The aim of this study was to produce EQ-5D-3L-derived population norms for Sri Lanka. Method A population sample (n =  780) was selected from four districts of Sri Lanka. A stratified cluster sampling approach with probability proportionate to size was employed. Twenty six clusters of 30 participants each were selected; each participant completed the EQ-5D-3L in a face-to-face interview. Utility weights for their EQ-5D-3L health states were assigned using the Sri Lankan EQ-5D-3L algorithm. The population norms are reported by age and socio-economic variables. Results The EQ-5D-3L was completed by 736 people, representing a 94% response rate. Sixty per cent of the sample reported being in full health. The percentage of people responding to any problems in the five EQ-5D-3L dimensions increased with age. The mean EQ-5D-3L weight was 0.85 (SD 0.008; 95%CI 0.84-0.87). The mean EQ-5D-3L weight was significantly associated with age, housing type, disease experience and religiosity. People above 70 years of age were 7.5 times more likely to report mobility problems and 3.7 times more likely to report pain/discomfort than those aged 18-29 years. Those with a tertiary education were five times less likely to report any HRQoL problems than those without a tertiary education. A person living in a shanty was 4.3 more likely to have problems in usual activities than a person living in a single house. Conclusion The population norms in Sri Lanka vary with socio-demographic characteristics. The socioeconomically disadvantaged have a lower HRQoL. The trends of population norms observed in this lower middle income country were generally similar to those previously reported in high income countries

Synthesis, Characterization, and Direct Intracellular Imaging of Ultrasmall and Uniform Glutathione‐Coated Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with core sizes below 2 nm and compact ligand shells constitute versatile platforms for the development of novel reagents in nanomedicine. Due to their ultrasmall size, these AuNPs are especially attractive in applications requiring delivery to crowded intracellular spaces in the cytosol and nucleus. For eventual use in vivo, ultrasmall AuNPs should ideally be monodisperse, since small variations in size may affect how they interact with cells and how they behave in the body. Here we report the synthesis of ultrasmall, uniform 144‐atom AuNPs protected by p ‐mercaptobenzoic acid followed by ligand exchange with glutathione (GSH). Quantitative scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) reveals that the resulting GSH‐coated nanoparticles (Au(GSH)) have a uniform mass distribution with cores that contain 134 gold atoms on average. Particle size dispersity is analyzed by analytical ultracentrifugation, giving a narrow distribution of apparent hydrodynamic diameter of 4.0 ± 0.6 nm. To evaluate the nanoparticles’ intracellular fate, the cell‐penetrating peptide TAT is attached noncovalently to Au(GSH), which is confirmed by fluorescence quenching and isothermal titration calorimetry. HeLa cells are then incubated with both Au(GSH) and the Au(GSH)‐TAT complex, and imaged without silver enhancement of the AuNPs in unstained thin sections by STEM. This imaging approach enables unbiased detection and quantification of individual ultrasmall nanoparticles and aggregates in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the cells. The synthesis and characterization of an ultrasmall and uniform glutathione‐coated gold nanoparticle is reported. It is also shown that scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) enables the visualization and quantification of individual gold nanoparticles as well as small aggregates in the cytoplasm and nucleus of HeLa cells.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92372/1/2277_ftp.pd

Epidermolysa bullosa in Danish Hereford calves is caused by a deletion in LAMC2 gene

BACKGROUND Heritable forms of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) constitute a heterogeneous group of skin disorders of genetic aetiology that are characterised by skin and mucous membrane blistering and ulceration in response to even minor trauma. Here we report the occurrence of EB in three Danish Hereford cattle from one herd. RESULTS Two of the animals were necropsied and showed oral mucosal blistering, skin ulcerations and partly loss of horn on the claws. Lesions were histologically characterized by subepidermal blisters and ulcers. Analysis of the family tree indicated that inbreeding and the transmission of a single recessive mutation from a common ancestor could be causative. We performed whole genome sequencing of one affected calf and searched all coding DNA variants. Thereby, we detected a homozygous 2.4 kb deletion encompassing the first exon of the LAMC2 gene, encoding for laminin gamma 2 protein. This loss of function mutation completely removes the start codon of this gene and is therefore predicted to be completely disruptive. The deletion co-segregates with the EB phenotype in the family and absent in normal cattle of various breeds. Verifying the homozygous private variants present in candidate genes allowed us to quickly identify the causative mutation and contribute to the final diagnosis of junctional EB in Hereford cattle. CONCLUSIONS Our investigation confirms the known role of laminin gamma 2 in EB aetiology and shows the importance of whole genome sequencing in the analysis of rare diseases in livestock

Pharmacological inhibition of TBK1/IKKε blunts immunopathology in a murine model of SARS-CoV-2 infection

TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) is a key signalling component in the pro-duction of type-I interferons, which have essential antiviral activities,including against SARS-CoV-2. TBK1, and its homologue IκB kinase-ε (IKKε), can also induce pro-inflammatory responses that contribute to pathogen clearance. While initially protective, sustained engagement of type-I interferons is associated with damaging hyper-inflammation found in severe COVID-19 patients. The contribution of TBK1/IKKε signalling to these responses is unknown. Here we find that the small molecule idronoxil inhibits TBK1/IKKε signalling through destabilisation of TBK1/IKKε protein complexes. Treatment with idronoxil, or the small molecule inhibitor MRT67307, suppresses TBK1/IKKε signalling and attenuates cellular and molecular lung inflammation in SARS-CoV-2-challenged mice. Our findings additionally demonstrate that engagement of STING is not the major driver of these inflammatory responses and establish a critical role for TBK1/IKKε signalling in SARS-CoV-2 hyper inflammation

Case Report: melioidosis - poor compliance resulting in a relapse

No abstract availabl