1,280 research outputs found

    An Approach to Recommend Pages to User after Path Completion

    Full text link
    With the huge amount of data available on the web, the effective and timely search is most important aspects. Because of tremendous USAge of web the size of the log files are becoming huge day by day. Web Mining which is an application of data mining can be used to improve web performance by generating patterns in the log files. Web Pre-fetching based on recommendation can be used to improve web performance. This paper proposes an architecture that recommends pages to the user based on studying the browsing activity of the user and other user of same USAge profile and completing it in every aspects and then recommending the pages which can be pre-fetched to improve web performance. This paper proposes about the path completion which shows users interest and then recommending pages to the user which will result in effective recommendation

    Neuro-fuzzy controller for active ankle foot orthosis

    Get PDF
    SummaryThe ankle foot orthosis (AFO) is as an assistive device used in foot disability for gait improvement. The objective of this paper was to design a neuro fuzzy controller for an AFO. Adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was selected after a detailed study of existing neuro-fuzzy architectures. Data of gait pattern was collected with the help of analog gyro sensors. This data was fed to the ANFIS and a fuzzy rule base was created to complete the neuro-fuzzy system which was used to control the gait pattern. Angular velocity and angle of feet served as inputs to the controller and the output was actuation. The results obtained showed sigmoidal membership functions for the various inputs and outputs due to their close resemblance with the normal human gait. Output of the ANFIS showcased the initial data which was fed to the system; the modified data; changed membership functions and error after training

    Advances in utilization of renewable substrates for biosurfactant production

    Get PDF
    Biosurfactants are amphiphilic molecules that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties which partition preferentially at the interfaces such as liquid/liquid, gas/liquid or solid/liquid interfaces. Such characteristics enable emulsifying, foaming, detergency and dispersing properties. Their low toxicity and environmental friendly nature and the wide range of potential industrial applications in bioremediation, health care, oil and food processing industries makes them a highly sought after group of chemical compounds. Interest in them has also been encouraged because of the potential advantages they offer over their synthetic counterparts in many fields spanning environmental, food, biomedical, petrochemical and other industrial applications. Their large scale production and application however are currently restricted by the high cost of production and by the limited understanding of their interactions with cells and with the abiotic environment. In this paper, we review the current knowledge and latest advances in the search for cost effective renewable agro industrial alternative substrates for their production

    Transition Metal Doping in CdS Quantum Dots: Diffusion, Magnetism, and Ultrafast Charge Carrier Dynamics

    Get PDF
    Transition metal (TM) doping in pristine II-VI semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is known to add several otherwise unavailable properties by introducing midgap states in the host material. Albeit being extensively investigated, the periodicity of the observed properties with respect to the electronic structure has not been attempted so far. In this work, we investigate CdS QDs doped with several different TM ions (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) using extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to study dopant-induced structural perturbations and femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy to study the ultrafast charge carrier dynamics. This provides solid evidence for the origin of magnetization in doped QDs that has been lacking despite extensive studies. Further, we demonstrate that the ionic radius and the dopant oxidation state play crucial roles in determining the dopant-anion bond lengths. Based on the investigation of the relaxation pathways of excited charge carriers using ultrafast TA spectroscopy, we hypothesize that there exists photoinduced switching between multiple oxidation states in some dopants

    Dosimetric review of cardiac implantable electronic device patients receiving radiotherapy

    Full text link
    Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135218/1/acm20254-sup-0002.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135218/2/acm20254.pd

    Acacia saligna as a supplementary feed for grazing desert sheep and goats

    Get PDF
    Acacia saligna, a leguminous tree, has a high crude protein content, remains green all year and can be grown in deserts using only runoff water. However, dry matter intake (DMI) by sheep and goats of A. saligna is low, presumably due to its high tannin content. It has been suggested that DMI could be increased by such methods as wilting of the forage and by neutralizing the negative effects of tannins by tannin-complexing agents. The purpose of this study was to determine DMI of supplementary A. saligna (phyllodes and small stems) by grazing sheep (∼ 50 kg) and goats (∼ 37 kg) when the animals were (1) offered wilted or fresh material (Expt 1); and (2) administered with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a tannin-binding agent (Expt 2). In this second experiment, there were three 14-day periods in which one group each of sheep and goats was on a regime of: No PEG–PEG–No PEG, whereas another group was on a regime of: No PEG–No PEG–PEG. In Expt 1, the DMI of A. saligna was statistically higher in goats than in sheep, but there was no difference in intake between fresh and wilted material. Average DMI of A. saligna, both fresh and wilted, was 124·1 g/day or 8·41 g/kg0·75 per day for goats and 94·1 g/day or 5·05 g/kg0·75 per day for sheep. Goats and sheep consuming fresh A. saligna gained more body mass than their respective controls; the difference was significantly greater in goats but not in sheep. In Expt 2, DMI of fresh A. saligna in the first period (before PEG) was 104·1 g/day or 7·16 g/kg0·75 per day for goats and 84·8 g/day or 4·51 g/kg0·75 per day for sheep. Administration of PEG during the second period resulted in an increase in DMI of 62% in goats and 83% in sheep. These animals maintained a high A. saligna intake in the third period when PEG was withdrawn. Goats and sheep that did not receive PEG in the second period had similar A. saligna intake as in the first period, but increased intake by 62% and 47%, respectively, with PEG in the third period. Overall, the two goat groups and two sheep groups consuming A. saligna lost less body mass than their respective controls; the difference was significantly less in sheep but not in goats. It was concluded that wilting A. saligna did not increase DMI. Administration of PEG increased A. saligna intake and the intake remained high after PEG was withdrawn. Offering A. saligna as a supplement had a positive effect on body mass change

    Annual Biomass Production, Chemical Composition and In- sacco Degradability of Different Cultivars of Moringa oleifera

    Full text link
    Types of plant cultivars and seasons often affect production and productivity of fodder biomass and nutritional quality to animals. Selection of suitable cultivars and better understanding of year round biomass production are indispensable for improving quality feed supply to animals. Black Seed Moringa (BSM-L) and White Seed Moringa (WSM), the two local cultivars and Black Seed Moringa (BSM-T) cultivar of Thailand origin of Moringa oleifera were cultivated in the fodder research field of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) during the period of 19 August 2014 to 23 December 2015. An agronomical trial was conducted to determine the biomass yield of the three cultivars in different seasons of a year under common agronomical practices. The effect of the cultivars on the daily relative growth rate (RGR), chemical composition and in-sacco dry matter (DM) degradability were also evaluated. The cultivar response to biomass production performances, chemical composition and nutritional values were analyzed in an ANOVA of a Randomized Block Design (RBD), while the differences in the rate and extent of the DM degradability in-sacco determined using three rumen cannulated bulls were analyzed in an ANOVA of 3x3 Latin Square Design. The annual biomass yield of BSM-L tops (114.5 t/ha fresh; 22.7 t/ha DM) was significantly higher than that of WSM (29.0 t/ha fresh; 5.80 t/ha DM) or BSM-T (83.5 t/ha fresh; 16.0 t/ha DM). No significant difference in chemical composition (224.9, 222.4 & 223.8 g.kg-1 DM of crude protein (CP), respectively, and 450.9, 455.3 & 435.4 g.kg-1 DM of neutral detergent fiber, respectively) or nutritional value (47.4, 46.7 & 45.3% of potential, and 62.8, 64.2 and 63.6% of effective degradability of dry matter) was found for the cultivars. BSM-L had a significantly higher survivability (97.2%), prune number per plant (3.50) and RGR (15.6 mg DM/day) than WSM (25.0%, 2.30 & 4.20 mg DM/day) or BSM-T (55.6%, 3.10 & 10.8 mg DM/day) respectively. The hot and dry, and hot and humid climate having a Heat Index (HI) range of 25o to 35o F and monthly total rainfall of 130 mm to 332 mm were suitable for cultivation of all the Moringa cultivars. It was concluded that considering biomass production and its quality in terms of chemical composition and nutritional values, Black Seed Moringa (Moringa oleifera) may be cultivated as a plant fodder crop for the production of feed for ruminant animals

    Policymakers\u27 experience of a capacity-building intervention designed to increase their use of research: A realist process evaluation

    Get PDF
    Background: An intervention’s success depends on how participants interact with it in local settings. Process evaluation examines these interactions, indicating why an intervention was or was not effective, and how it (and similar interventions) can be improved for better contextual fit. This is particularly important for innovative trials like Supporting Policy In health with Research: an Intervention Trial (SPIRIT), where causal mechanisms are poorly understood. SPIRIT was testing a multi-component intervention designed to increase the capacity of health policymakers to use research. Methods: Our mixed-methods process evaluation sought to explain variation in observed process effects across the six agencies that participated in SPIRIT. Data collection included observations of intervention workshops (n = 59), purposively sampled interviews (n = 76) and participant feedback forms (n = 553). Using a realist approach, data was coded for context-mechanism-process effect configurations (retroductive analysis) by two authors. Results: Intervention workshops were very well received. There was greater variation of views regarding other aspects of SPIRIT such as data collection, communication and the intervention’s overall value. We identified nine inter-related mechanisms that were crucial for engaging participants in these policy settings: (1) Accepting the premise (agreeing with the study’s assumptions); (2) Self-determination (participative choice); (3) The Value Proposition (seeing potential gain); (4) ‘Getting good stuff’ (identifying useful ideas, resources or connections); (5) Self-efficacy (believing ‘we can do this!’); (6) Respect (feeling that SPIRIT understands and values one’s work); (7) Confidence (believing in the study’s integrity and validity); (8) Persuasive leadership (authentic and compelling advocacy from leaders); and (9) Strategic insider facilitation (local translation and mediation). These findings were used to develop tentative explanatory propositions and to revise the programme theory. Conclusion: This paper describes how SPIRIT functioned in six policy agencies, including why strategies that worked well in one site were less effective in others. Findings indicate a complex interaction between participants’ perception of the intervention, shifting contextual factors, and the form that the intervention took in each site. Our propositions provide transferable lessons about contextualised areas of strength and weakness that may be useful in the development and implementation of similar studies

    Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Derris brevipes (benth.) Baker leaves

    Get PDF
    Background: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Derris brevipes (benth.) Baker is widely used as an anti-arthritic agent in traditional medicine. Aims and Objectives: This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of D. brevipes (EEDB) leaves, a member of the Leguminosae family in vitro and ex vivo. Materials and Methods: The EEDB leaves of was screened for anti-inflammatory activities by protein denaturation analysis and proteinase inhibition analysis. Prednisolone was used as the standard. EEDB (at doses of 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg) was administered through the oral route. Ex vivo analysis was performed by estimating the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in collagen (chicken sternal collagen)-induced arthritis (CIA) in Sprague–Dawley rats using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, followed by Dunnet’s multiple comparison tests. Results: Prednisolone (100 mcg/mL) and EEDB (600 mcg/mL) showed percentage inhibition of 80.32% and 80.04%, respectively, in protein denaturation assay. Similarly, prednisolone (600 mcg/mL) and EEDB (600 mcg/mL) showed 66.03% and 56.69% inhibition in the proteinase activity. Synovial tissue TNF-α levels showed a significant decrease in EEDB-treated groups and prednisolone-treated group compared to CIA control rats. Conclusion: From this study, it was concluded that the D. brevipes leaf extract possesses anti-inflammatory activity, which explains its beneficial role in rheumatoid arthritis
    corecore