Fabrication of β-Silicon Carbide Nanowires from Carbon Powder and Silicon Wafer

β-SiCNWs were synthesized by simple carbo-thermal process using silicon wafer and carbon powder only. The obtained β-SiCNWs were short and thick with random distribution over Si wafer surface when rapid heating rate is applied. While β-SiCNWs fabricated under low heating rate are 57.0±3.0 nm in average diameter and few millimeters in length. An ambient Ar gas flow rates were found to be critical in the growth yield of resultant β-SiC nanowires. XRD diffraction patterns and FTIR spectrum reveals the composition structure of theses wires

Concept of Manifestation Process in Kashmir Shaivism

This paper examines the concept of manifestation process in Kashmir Shaivism from Shiva tattva to Prithvi tattva and their transcendental and immanent predicates (Prakrti and Purusa).This paper also shows that the ultimate reality, Paramshiva, manifests itself into various forms which likely represent the theory of causation. This research paper also provides answer to two questions; First, how ultimate reality with its thirty-six principles or elements manifest in various forms and what types of forms ‘Descent’ attains from the ‘universal self’? Second, how manifestation process takes place from the ‘cosmic self’ (universal consciousness) to a ‘limited self’ (Jiva)? Since, this paper is based on philosophical exploration of manifestation process and contains interpretation and argumentation of Pratyabhijna philosophy only; it excludes manifestation due to Yogas (Upayas) and Karmas. Moreover, it explains the Trika form of reality (Shiva/God, Shakti/World, and Nara/Man) and also the identity between ‘ascent’ and ‘descent’. Manifestation further investigates the union of Shiva and Shakti with Maya and displays its character (Prakashvimarshmaya). This work further tries to describe the contribution of Abhinavagupta in the concept of manifestation

Unconventional method for monitoring of waste cooking oil transesterification

A technique to monitor transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) is presented. The technique was developed based on analogue signal from WCO, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and commercial palm oil (CPO). A low-pass filter design for the photodiode was used to obtain the characteristic analog signal generated by these oil samples and the signal was correlated to absorbance spectra of the oils using data from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) equipment. A match was made between the analogue signals of the oil samples and calibrated against the FTIR spectra at 95% confidence level. Depletion of WCO during transesterification in a batch reactor correlated with the time observed for peak yield during biodiesel production. The results of the technique are discussed as a possible way to monitor transesterification process in a batch reactor

Biodiesel production: a mini review

The challenges faced in production of biodiesel from edible and non-edible oils via the transesterification process are discussed. Identified process parameters such as level of FFA, moisture content, Fatty acid composition varies for both edible and non-edible oil affects product quality, as a result, the process continues to be modified using competitive alternative methods. Resources and process limitations are reviewed in this paper and in view of current state of the art processes, technical successes and limitations of biodiesel production from plant and animal fats and oils are compared based on reaction conditions and product formation/purification methods. Furthermore,the paper recommends a combination of production systems to overcome the inherent technical limitations in biodiesel production

A Novel Enhanced-Majority-Voter Universal Gate in Quantum Dot Cellular Automata with Energy Dissipation Analysis

The Quantum effects instigate to dominate device recital when transistor geometries are abridged. Sometimes, transistors refrain to have the properties that mark them beneficial for computational designs. With the intention of keeping pace with Moore’s Law, diverse assessing elements must be developed. An alternative prototype to transistor-based logic is Quantum dot cellular automata. This technology has an enormous capability to provide ultra-high density and extremely low power dissipation. These features allow us to develop high-speed, small and high performance circuits for computation and integration. Architectures made in quantum dot cellular automata have been d esigned by exploiting either the inverter and the majority gate or universal gates like And -Or-Inverter, NAND-NOR-Inverter, FNZ and AIN. A new universal logic gate called as Enhanced Majority Voter Gate is presented in this paper which enjoys better performance with respect to previously announced universal gates. Design of several logic utilities via the proposed Enhanced Majority Voter Gate is also demonstrated. The functionality and power analysis of this universal gate is verified by the QCA Designer and QCA Pro simulation tool where a comprehensive comparison with the hitherto stated designs confirms the reliable performance of the proposed designs. The proposed Enhanced Majority Voter Gate helps us in framing various cryptographic and security based circuits in Quantum dot ce llular automata

Sawdust amendment in agricultural and pasture soils can reduce iodine losses

Iodine loss is common in the soil of hilly regions due to higher precipitation rates and steeper slopes. Iodine deficiency in soil reduces iodine’s bioavailability to fruits and vegetables and consequently may contribute to health complications. However, the iodine retention of soils after the addition of selected organic and inorganic amendments has not been studied. Therefore, a study was carried out to investigate iodine loss during surface runoff. For this purpose, a soil amendment (namely, sawdust, charcoal, wood ash, lime or gypsum) was applied separately to pasture and agricultural soils under natural rainfall conditions. The soil was fertigated with iodine in the form of potassium iodide (KI) at the rate of 200 ppm. Surface runoff was related to soil properties. Results showed that iodine content in surface runoff was linearly related with soil pH (R2 = 0.89, p charcoal > wood ash > lime > gypsum. The study results indicated that organic amendments, especially sawdust, improved soil properties and increased the iodine retention capacity of soils

Localization of type 1 diabetes susceptibility to the MHC class I genes HLA-B and HLA-A

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on chromosome 6 is associated with susceptibility to more common diseases than any other region of the human genome, including almost all disorders classified as autoimmune. In type 1 diabetes the major genetic susceptibility determinants have been mapped to the MHC class II genes HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 (refs 1-3), but these genes cannot completely explain the association between type 1 diabetes and the MHC region. Owing to the region's extreme gene density, the multiplicity of disease-associated alleles, strong associations between alleles, limited genotyping capability, and inadequate statistical approaches and sample sizes, which, and how many, loci within the MHC determine susceptibility remains unclear. Here, in several large type 1 diabetes data sets, we analyse a combined total of 1,729 polymorphisms, and apply statistical methods - recursive partitioning and regression - to pinpoint disease susceptibility to the MHC class I genes HLA-B and HLA-A (risk ratios >1.5; Pcombined = 2.01 × 10-19 and 2.35 × 10-13, respectively) in addition to the established associations of the MHC class II genes. Other loci with smaller and/or rarer effects might also be involved, but to find these, future searches must take into account both the HLA class II and class I genes and use even larger samples. Taken together with previous studies, we conclude that MHC-class-I-mediated events, principally involving HLA-B*39, contribute to the aetiology of type 1 diabetes. ©2007 Nature Publishing Group

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions

Internet and customer relationship management in SME's

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the how the SME’s manage customer relationships. In this research two case studies were performed, where personal interviews were conducted with the marketing managers of the SME’s. The empirical study showed the SME’s in consideration are actively seeking long-term customer relationships with their customer. These firms also had customer retention, loyalty and profitability as their end goals. The investigation also showed the importance of Internet and ICT for relationships and it was found that ICT for crucial for the business processes of these firms.Validerat; 20101217 (root