Fluctuation Scaling, Taylor’s Law, and Crime

Fluctuation scaling relationships have been observed in a wide range of processes ranging from internet router traffic to measles cases. Taylor’s law is one such scaling relationship and has been widely applied in ecology to understand communities including trees, birds, human populations, and insects. We show that monthly crime reports in the UK show complex fluctuation scaling which can be approximated by Taylor’s law relationships corresponding to local policing neighborhoods and larger regional and countrywide scales. Regression models applied to local scale data from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire found that different categories of crime exhibited different scaling exponents with no significant difference between the two regions. On this scale, violence reports were close to a Poisson distribution (α = 1.057±0.026) while burglary exhibited a greater exponent (α = 1.292±0.029) indicative of temporal clustering. These two regions exhibited significantly different pre-exponential factors for the categories of anti-social behavior and burglary indicating that local variations in crime reports can be assessed using fluctuation scaling methods. At regional and countrywide scales, all categories exhibited scaling behavior indicative of temporal clustering evidenced by Taylor’s law exponents from 1.43±0.12 (Drugs) to 2.094±0081 (Other Crimes). Investigating crime behavior via fluctuation scaling gives insight beyond that of raw numbers and is unique in reporting on all processes contributing to the observed variance and is either robust to or exhibits signs of many types of data manipulation

The coming out experiences of South Asian trans people living in the UK: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Trans people experience high rates of rejection and abandonment from families and friends, which may manifest in depression and alienation, as well as hopelessness when coming out (Gagne, Tewksbury, & McGaughey, 1997). Trans people of colour in particular live with unique intersections of discrimination based on race and their being trans (Crenshaw, 1991; Meyer, 2008). Negative psychosocial problems are more prevalent for trans people of colour due to the cumulative effects of racism, discrimination and transgender stigma (Diaz, Ayala, & Bein, 2004). The present study aims to explore the coming out experiences of South Asian trans people living in the UK. Semistructured interviews were conducted with six South Asian trans people in London to explore and gain an understanding of their coming out experiences. Analysis was embedded within an interpretative phenomenological analysis framework drawing upon intersectionality and feminist theory. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: negotiating self-identity; family responses and conflict with the South Asian community; exploration of identity; and support systems. Participants revealed challenging experiences of negotiating their intersecting identities in the context of their ethnic, religious, and cultural identity, as well as their gender. The narratives also drew light on the conflict between the fixed male and the fixed female binary, particularly in terms of expressing any kind of gender identity. Participants were caught between two conflicting cultures and trans and non-binary identities were generally rejected by their families and the community, which meant participants, had to choose a fully formed binary gender, or simply reject their identity in order to please. They described not being able to fit into both cultures and how it was more, safer and easier to come out for white trans people. Participants also described that it was difficult for them to access support and that a lack of culture specific support got in the way of transitioning. These findings are discussed in relation to wider research in this area. Strengths and limitations of the study, including future research and recommendations are outlined, particular in relation to the implications for counselling psychology

UWB imaging for breast cancer detection using neural network.

This paper presents a simple feed-forward back-propagation Neural Network (NN) model to detect and locate early breast cancer/tumor efficiently through the investigation of Electromagnetic (EM) waves. A spherical tumor of radius 0.25 cm was created and placed at arbitrary locations in a breast model using an EM simulator. Directional antennas were used to transmit and receive Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) signals in 4 to 8 GHz frequency range. Small training and validation sets were constructed to train and test the NN. The received signals were fed into the trained NN model to find the presence and location of tumor. Very optimistic results (about 100% and 94.4% presence and location detection rate of tumor respectively) have been observed for early received signal components with the NN model. Hence, the proposed model is very potential for early tumor detection to save human lives in the future

Bluetooth wireless monitoring, managing and control for inter vehicle in vehicular Ad-Hoc networks

Problem statement: The car users expect more and more accessories available in their cars, but the accessories available needed manage by driver manually and not properly manage by smart system. All these accessories are able to control by user manually using different and standalone controllers. Besides, the controller itself uses RF technology which is not existed in mobile devices. So there is lack of a comprehensive and integrated system to manage, control and monitor all the accessories inside the vehicle by using a personal mobile phone. Design and development of an integrated system to manage and control all kind of inter vehicle accessories, improving the efficiency and functionality of inter vehicle communications for the car users. Approach: The proposed system was based on Microcontroller, Bluetooth and Java technology and in order to achieve the idea of an intelligence car with ability to uses personal mobile hand phone as a remote interface. Development strategies for this innovation are includes two phases: (1) java based application platform-designed and developed for smart phones and PDAs (2) hardware design and implementation of the receiver sidecompatible smart system to managing and interconnection between all inside accessories based on monitoring and controlling mechanisms by Bluetooth media. Results: The designed system included hardware and software and the completed prototype had tested successfully on the real vehicles. During the testing stage, the components and devices were connected and implemented on the vehicle and the user by installing the system interface on a mobile phone is able to monitor and manage the vehicle accessories, the efficiency, adaptively and range of functionality of the system has proved with the various car accessories. Conclusion: This study involved design a new system to decrease the hot temperature inside a car that affecting the health of the car driver and the car driver is able to control some of the car accessories by using mobile phone. Once the car was equipped with the Bluetooth module and control system, the car accessories is able to connect with microcontroller and control by the mobile application

Molecular characterization and resistance profile of nosocomial Acinetobacter baumannii in intensive care unit of tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh

This study was designed to investigate the resistance profile along with the genetic background of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics among the nosocomial A. baumannii in Bangladesh. A. baumannii was confirmed by detecting blaOXA-51-like. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion method. Agar dilution method was used to determine MIC of ceftazidime and imipenem. All A. baumannii were phenotypically screened for ampC, ESBL and MBL production. Genetic markers of antibiotic resistance such as blaampC, blaOXA-51, 23, 40, 58 and 143, blaKPC, blaIMP, blaVIM and blaNDM-1, genetic environment around blaADC and ISAba1 upstream of blaOXAs were evaluated by PCR. Twenty-four (96%) A. baumannii were considered as MDR. 96% A. baumannii were resistant to amoxiclav, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin and cefoxitin, 92% to cefotaxime and piperacillin-tazobactam, 88% to cefepime, amikacin and imipenem, 52% to sulbactam-cefoperazone and 40% were resistant to aztreonam. All were sensitive to colistin. The distribution of several beta-lactamase genes such as blaOXA-51 (100%), blaADC-like (92%), blaNDM-1 (92%), EBC group (84%), blaOXA-23 (76%), blaVIM (72%), blaKPC (44%), DHA group (24%), blaOXA-58 (16%), ACC group (8%) and CIT group (4%) were observed among the 25 A. baumannii. This is the first reported plasmid mediated ampC beta-lactamases in A. baumannii. blaOXA-51 was positive in 100%, blaNDM-1 in 95.45%, blaOXA-23 in 77.27%, blaVIM in 72.73%, blaKPC in 50% and blaOXA-58 in 18.18% of imipenem resistant isolates. MDR profile of nosocomial A. baumannii would highlight the importance of standard guideline of antimicrobials use and infection control policy in the hospitals of Bangladesh.</jats:p

Analysis of Dual Core Hexagonal PCF Based Polarization Beam Splitter

In this research work an analysis has been carried out on symmetric dual core hexagonal PCF-based polarization beam splitter by using finite element method (FEM). The splitter designs are carried out with hexagonal PCFs with simple symmetric design by varying only air holes diameter. The results of numerical calculation show that coupling lengths are higher for polarization splitters with larger air hole diameters and with the increase of operating wavelength coupling length decreases. Furthermore it is possible to obtain an 8.4 mm-long polarization beam splitter with high extinction ratio (250dB). This study will be very helpful to design and manufacture simple PCF based splitters with better performance. Keywords: photonic crystal fiber (PCF), finite element method (FEM), polarization beam splitter, birefringence, extinction ratio, coupling lengt

Temporal variation in seed quality of Indian spinach preserved in different containers

The experiment was conducted to investigate the seed quality of Indian spinach for three months stored at different containers (Plastic pot, polythene bag and cloth bag) during 2013-2014 at Seed Technology Laboratory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur. The initial moisture content of the seed was 9.89% with 75.00% germination. However, after two months, the seed had a different range of increased moisture content with reduced germination percentage depending upon the packing materials. Among the three containers, seeds stored at cloth bag absorbed more moisture (14.36%) from surrounding atmosphere followed by the moisture content, 12.67% and 11.50% of polythene bag and airtight plastic pot, respectively. Seeds stored at plastic pot, polythene bag and cloth bag exhibited 65.00, 64.00 and 50.00 per cent germination, respectively. Similarly, the fresh weight and dry weight of seedling and seedling vigor were also decreased. The seeds of plastic pot were good in term of germination capacity, fresh and dry weight and vigor index in comparison to those stored at cloth bag and polythene bag.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. &amp; Tech. 5 (2): 51-57, December, 201

Medicinal plants used for treatment of diabetes by the marakh sect of the Garo tribe living in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrinological disorder arising from insulin deficiency or due to ineffectiveness of the insulin produced by the body. This results in high blood glucose and with time, to neurological, cardiovascular, retinal and renal complications. It is a debilitating disease and affects the population of every country of the world. Around 200 million people of the world suffer from this disease and this figure is projected to rise to 300 million in the coming years. The disease cannot becured with allopathic medicine as the drugs used do not restore normal glucose homeostasis and moreover have side-effects. On the other hand, traditional medicinal practitioners of various countries claim to cure diabetes or at least alleviate the major symptoms and progression of this disease through administration of medicinal plants. The Garos are an indigenous community of Bangladesh, who still follow their traditional medicinal practices. Their traditional medicinal formulations contain a number of plants, which they claim to be active antidiabetic agents. Since observation of indigenous practices have led to discovery of manymodern drugs, it was the objective of the present study to conduct a survey among the Marakh sect of the Garos residing in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh to find out the medicinal plants that they use for treatment of diabetes. It was found that the tribal practitioners of the Marakh sect of the Garos use twelve medicinal plants for treatment of diabetes. These plants were Lannea coromandelica, Alstonia scholaris, Catharanthus roseus, Enhydra fluctuans, Terminalia chebula, Coccinia grandis, Momordica charantia, Cuscuta reflexa, Phyllanthus emblica, Syzygium aqueum, Drynaria quercifolia, and Clerodendrum viscosum. A review of the scientific literature demonstrated that almost all the plants used by the Garo tribal practitioners have reported antidiabetic and/or antioxidant properties and have enormous potential for possible development of new and efficacious antidiabetic drugs

Implementation of Carbon Dioxide Gas Injection Method for Gas Recovery at Rashidpur Gas Field, Bangladesh

Natural gas plays an important role for the economic development of Bangladesh. It is the primary options to satisfy the environmentally clean energy, whereas coal is a dirty energy source and oil creates an unhealthy environment. Bangladesh is the seventh-largest producer of natural gas in Asia. Gas supplies meet 56% of domestic energy demand. The proven natural gas reserve in Bangladesh is only 19.73 Tcf. The Rashidpur Gas Field (RGF) is located in the Sylhet Basin, Northeast Bangladesh. It is 35 km long and 7 km anticlinal structure and asymmetric in nature with steeper eastern flank (22˚ to 25˚) and gentler western flank (8˚ to 12˚). There are two gas zones in depth between 1380m to 2787m below surface. Sandstone reservoirs of Miocene-Pliocene age and are considered to have been originated shallow marine depositional environment. The reservoir porosity-permeability values are very good, with estimated gas initially in place (GIIP) of the RGF was 2.242 Tcf with 58% recovery, thus recording an initial gas reserve is 1.309 Tcf. Five gas producing wells (RP-1, 3, 4, 6 and 7) in the RGF are producing 50 MMscf gas per day. Due to the demand of natural gas with decreasing production rate, this enhanced natural gas plays a vital role in the national economy of the country. This research depicts the development of the daily production of the RGF from 50 MMscfd to 99 MMscfd using software from the existing production wells. Thus the natural gas in the RGF would be enhanced/recovered using carbon dioxide (CO2) gas injection by Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR) method from the RGF reservoir. Applying this method would play a vital role to increase the daily production rate of the RGF

Clinical implications of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in metastatic lesions of ovarian cancers

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been identified as an important factor for tumour angiogenesis, which is essential for the growth, invasion and metastasis of solid tumours. Significantly increased VEGF level from the primary tumour to the metastatic lesion of ovarian cancers was found in 8 of 30 cases. The 24-month survival rate of the patients with significantly increased VEGF level was extremely poor (0/8 = 0%) in comparison with that of patients with no change in the level (15/22 = 68%) from the primary tumour to the metastatic lesion. This indicates that VEGF may contribute to the advancement of metastatic lesions, and that VEGF level in metastatic lesions may be a prognostic indicator. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co