A modeling study on lateral compressive behavior of structured needle - punched nonwovens

The aim of this work is to study the compression behavior of cord-structured needled fabrics. In order to achieve the objectives of this research, melt-spun polypropylene fibres of various linear densities have been produced by varying the spinning pump speed. The effect of linear density of melt-spun polypropylene fibres on compressive behavior of the fabrics has been investigated. A Zwick tester set in compressive mode is used to obtain variation of compressive force versus compression thickness. Van Wyk law is adapted to model the lateral compressive behavior of cord-structured needled fabrics. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical curves calculated using Van Wyk law. Results show that the increase in linear density of fibres tends to reduce the compressive force required to compress the samples to a pre-defined thickness. An acceptable conformity between Van Wyk’s equation and compressive behavior of cord-structured needled fabrics is also observed

Activation of tyrosine kinases by mutation of the gatekeeper threonine.

Protein kinases targeted by small-molecule inhibitors develop resistance through mutation of the gatekeeper threonine residue of the active site. Here we show that the gatekeeper mutation in the cellular forms of c-ABL, c-SRC, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha and -beta, and epidermal growth factor receptor activates the kinase and promotes malignant transformation of BaF3 cells. Structural analysis reveals that a network of hydrophobic interactions-the hydrophobic spine-characteristic of the active kinase conformation is stabilized by the gatekeeper substitution. Substitution of glycine for the residues constituting the spine disrupts the hydrophobic connectivity and inactivates the kinase. Furthermore, a small-molecule inhibitor that maximizes complementarity with the dismantled spine (compound 14) inhibits the gatekeeper mutation of BCR-ABL-T315I. These results demonstrate that mutation of the gatekeeper threonine is a common mechanism of activation for tyrosine kinases and provide structural insights to guide the development of next-generation inhibitors

Enzyme replacement therapies: What is the best option?

Despite many beneficial outcomes of the conventional enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), several limitations such as the high-cost of the treatment and various inadvertent side effects including the occurrence of an immunological response against the infused enzyme and development of resistance to enzymes persist. These issues may limit the desired therapeutic outcomes of a majority of the lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). Furthermore, the biodistribution of the recombinant enzymes into the target cells within the central nervous system (CNS), bone, cartilage, cornea, and heart still remain unresolved. All these shortcomings necessitate the development of more effective diagnosis and treatment modalities against LSDs. Taken all, maximizing the therapeutic response with minimal undesired side effects might be attainable by the development of targeted enzyme delivery systems (EDSs) as a promising alternative to the LSDs treatments, including different types of mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs ) as well as Fabry, Krabbe, Gaucher and Pompe diseases

Removal of dye from industrial wastewater with an emphasis on improving economic efficiency and degradation mechanism

AbstractThis paper is a report on a research into the impact of different parameters of current density, anode type, temperature, pH, and electrolyte concentration on the removal of Reactive Red 120 in synthesized wastewater through electrocoagulation using solar energy for the purpose of improving economic efficiency of the process. Current density of 45Am−2 proved to be the optimum level for dye removal. Other optimum alternatives were iron anode, a temperature level of 25°C, a pH of 7, and an electrolyte concentration of 15mgL−1. The characterization of the post-treatment product using GC–MS studies revealed intermediate compounds. Cost analysis was also performed for the treatment process. Further, the obtained optimum conditions were applied to the treatment of six samples of real textile effluent. Electrocoagulation was satisfactory in only four of the cases. Lastly, efficiency of treating the real samples was evaluated by subjecting the experimental electrodes to the SEM technique

The Study of the Effects of Knowledge Management on Innovation and Organizational Performance: A Case Study in Small and Medium Enterprises in Qom

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of knowledge management oninnovation and organizational performance. The study was conducted by using descriptivemethod. The sample consisted of experts and managers of small and medium enterprisesin Qom province that were selected by using stratified random sampling method. 160questionnaires were distributed and 150 questionnaires were received and evaluated.  The survey questionnaire was used to gatherinformation. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess reliability. The results showthat knowledge management has a positive and significant impact on innovation andfirm performance of Qom province

An empirical study based on BSC-DEA to measure the relative efficiencies of different health care centers in province of Semnan, Iran

In this paper, we present an empirical investigation to measure the relative efficiency of seven health care centers in province of Semnan, Iran, which were under the coverage of social security organization of Iran. The proposed model of this paper uses a hybrid of balanced score card and data envelopment analysis for performance measurement. The proposed sudy uses four perspectives of balanced score card including learning and growth, internal process, customer and financial perspectives and within each perspective, data envelopment analysis is adopted so that the outputs of each perspective are used as inputs of the other perspective. The preliminary results indicate that all seven units perform relatively well and the overall efficiency of all units in this province is 0.769

The impact of patients' chronic disease on family quality of life : an experience from 26 specialties

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have assessed family quality of life in individual disease areas and specialties. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of disease on family members of patients over a wide range of specialties and identify key impact areas. This information is essential in order to reveal the extent of this impact and to allow strategies to be developed to support the family members of patients with chronic disease. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 133 family members of mostly chronically ill patients from 26 medical specialties. Family members were invited to discuss all areas of their lives that had been affected by having an unwell relative. Thematic analysis was carried out using NVivo9® software. RESULTS: Most family members were female (61%), the partner or spouse of the patient (56%), or the parent (22%). Their mean age was 56.1 years (range: 21-85 years) and the mean duration of the patient's disease was 8.9 years (range: 1 month to 60 years). Ten key themes of family quality of life were identified from interviews. The median number of themes reported by family members was six (range: 1-10). The key themes included: emotional impact (mentioned by 92% of subjects), daily activities (91%), family relationships (69%), sleep and health (67%), holidays (62%), involvement in medical care and support given to family members (61%), work and study (52%), financial impact (51%), social life (37%), and time planning (14%). Relationships between the themes were identified. CONCLUSION: This large scale multi-specialty study has demonstrated the significant, yet similar, impact that illness can have on the quality of life of patients' family members. Family quality of life is a previously neglected area of health care which needs to be addressed in order to provide appropriate support for the patient and the family unit.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

School Excellence: Principals’ Perceptions

It was generally believed that the education system of Pakistan, in general, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in particular, was in shambles. Barring a few exceptions, the schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa direly needed improvement. Turning schools into Centres of Excellence required identification of factors that promoted effectiveness and excellence. The study was carried out to identify factors promoting excellence in schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The population of the study included all the boys’ high Schools of Peshawar city. The sample comprised 30 principals/headmasters of boys’ high schools (26 from private sector and 4 from public sector). The tool of the study was an opinionnaire, which was fielded to principals/headmasters of both sectors. The opinionnaire contained items and statements of multi-dimensional nature. The data analysis was given both quantitative and qualitative treatment. In order to be logical and scientific in approach the analysis was further made meaningful with the application of statistical measures. The outcome of the study revealed a number of factors that could help convert a school into a centre of excellence. Keywords: Excellence, Effective, Public and private schools, Opinionnaire, Factor