Leaching losses and nutrient build-up in the soil through application of raw and digested Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME)

The leaching losses as a result of application of nutrient rich raw and anaerobically digested palm oil mill effluent (POME) onto Segamat Soil Series were studied using lysimeters of 75 cm soil depth. Raw POME was applied at a rate of 1. 78mm rain equivalent per year (rey) / application over 1175 days while anaerobically digested POME was applied at a rate of 3.54 rey/application over 475 days. The average yearly application amounted to 463 mm and 936mm rain equivalent for raw and digested POME respectively. The percentage of nutrients leached as a result of applying raw POME was 49.8% for Ca, 37.7% for K and 7.7% for Mg, while for anaerobically digested POME it was 30.7% for Ca, 16.3% for K and 11.5% for Mg. For both effluent types there was very little leaching of total Nand P

Ultrasonic investigation on aqueous polysaccharide (starch) at 298.15 K

AbstractThe ultrasonic velocity, density and viscosity at 298.15K have been measured in the binary system of starch in aqueous medium. The acoustical parameters such as adiabatic compressibility (β), free length (Lf), free volume (Vf), internal pressure (πi), acoustical impedance (Z), relative association (RA), Rao’s constant (R), Wada’s constant (W), classical absorption coefficients (α/f2), relaxation time (τ) and relaxation strength (r) are calculated. The results are interpreted in terms of molecular interaction between the components of the mixtures

Towards Personalized Prostate Cancer Therapy Using Delta-Reachability Analysis

Recent clinical studies suggest that the efficacy of hormone therapy for prostate cancer depends on the characteristics of individual patients. In this paper, we develop a computational framework for identifying patient-specific androgen ablation therapy schedules for postponing the potential cancer relapse. We model the population dynamics of heterogeneous prostate cancer cells in response to androgen suppression as a nonlinear hybrid automaton. We estimate personalized kinetic parameters to characterize patients and employ $\delta$-reachability analysis to predict patient-specific therapeutic strategies. The results show that our methods are promising and may lead to a prognostic tool for personalized cancer therapy.Comment: HSCC 201

Creativity and Entrepreneurial Tendencies Among Form Two Malaysian Students

The aim of this study is to design a reliable and valid instrument to assess entrepreneurial tendency and to investigate the relationship of entrepreneurial tendency and creative personality among form two Malaysian students. A sample of 174 form two students taking entrepreneurship as a subject were chosen randomly from the four zones in Malaysia. The validated Entrepreneurship Tendency Inventory (ETI) and a measure of creative personality characteristics, Khatena Torrance Creative Perception Inventory (KTCPI) were administered. Factor analysis revealed the existence of eight factors namely, self-employed, business confidence, business intention, business anxiety, people dependent, forced decision, low self-confidence and contingent decision with internal consistencies ranging from 0.80 (self-employed) to 0.23 (low self-confidence). Self-employed, business confidence, business intention and people dependent are found to relate positively to entrepreneurial tendency. Business Anxiety has a very low correlation with entrepreneurial tendency. Students who perceive themselves as creative based on past creative performances have high levels of initiative, place more importance on what close relatives think and prefer challenging tasks and tend to have higher entrepreneurial tendencies. Further replication of this study is recommended to confirm the reliability and validity of ETI and to further elucidate the relationship between entrepreneurial tendencies and creative personality characteristic

Equation of state of superfluid neutron matter with low-momentum interactions

In this work, we calculate the ground state energy of pure neutron matter using the renormalization group based low-momentum effective interaction $V_{\text{low-}k}$ in Bogoliubov many-body perturbation theory (BMBPT), which is a perturbative expansion around the Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov (HFB) ground state. In order to capture the low-density behavior of neutron matter, it turns out to be better to use a density dependent cutoff in the $V_{\text{low-}k}$ interaction. Perturbative corrections to the HFB energy up to third order are included. We find that at low densities corresponding to the inner crust of neutron stars, the HFB state that includes pairing is a better starting point for perturbation expansion. It is observed that including the higher order perturbative corrections, the cutoff dependence of the ground state energy is reduced.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Developing a Secure and Trusted E-Voting System for Libyan Elections

Purpose: The aim of this study is to identify the issues and problems in the current Libyan voting system, and to develop a secure e-voting prototype system associated with the Libyan electoral system and the laws and legislation governing.   Theoretical framework: E-voting systems allow greater participation of eligible voters to cast their vote remotely or any location that the voter could be during election.   Design/methodology/approach: This study used mixed methodology. A qualitative method via interview would be used to collect qualitative data from citizens and election staff to determine functionalities and features of the proposed system. Using Semi-structured interviews with ten eligible voters, election officials. While a quantitative study conducted to evaluate users and elections of officials to determine how the systems fulfils the requirements and their expectations, to determine if the prototype proposed system offers practical solution to the Libyan voters and if the functionalities of the system fulfil the requirement gathered at the problem definition stage. The second prototype was regarded as meeting the key functional and non-functional requirement and ease of use criteria by users. After fixing the concerns found during the first prototype's evaluation in terms of the requirement criteria. The criterion for ease of use were met.   Findings: As a result, 87% of the evaluators indicated that they would adopt the system if it was introduced. Whereas 87% of the evaluators suggested that they would recommend the E-Voting system to their friends, colleagues, and Libyan Election Council.   Research, Practical & Social implications: Following the trial of the second prototype, the evaluators proposed that the Libyan E-Voting System (L-EVS) would assist them enable them to exercise their election rights.   Originality/value: Concerns and issues from previous political elections have spawned over numerous studies regarding voter confidentiality, voting security, and voting accuracy

ANTINUCLEAR ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH UNEXPLAINED RECURRENT ABORTIONS

Objective:This study aims to determine the prevalence of antinuclear antibodies in pregnant women with bad obstetric history (BOH) against healthy multigravid women in and around Tirunelveli districtMethods: This is a case-control study comprising 60 antenatal women with BOH against 60 multiparous pregnant women with no history of abortions. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were detected using indirect immunofluorescence with Hep-2 cell substrate, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: Among BOH cases 19 (82.6%), 18 (78.26%) were positive by ELISA and indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) method, respectively. Among controls, 4(17.39%) and 5(21.73%) individuals were positive by ELISA and IFAT methods, respectively. Of the 18 positives, homogenous pattern was most common followed by anticentromere pattern, fine speckled and coarse speckled patternConclusion: IFAT is considered to be gold standard in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders, but ELISA appears to be a suitable simple alternative for testing rheumatological disorders

Multi-agent system with iterative auction mechanism for master bay plan problem in marine logistics

The support of containerization to trade development demands an efficient solution method for the container loading problem in order to reduce shipment and handling time. Hence, the stowage planning of containers is critical to provide speedy delivery of resources from the area of supply to the area of demand. Moreover, information on container terminal activities, structure of ship, and characteristics of containers is distributed among stowage planners. This information imposes constraints, and so the master bay plan problem (MBPP) becomes NP-hard. Therefore, a multi-agent systems (MAS) methodology is designed to effectively communicate the information and solve the MBPP sustainably. In the designed MAS methodology, an information exchange system (IES) is created for stowage planners to bid for ship slots in each experimental iterative combinatorial auction (ICA) market. The winner in the ICA experiments is provided with the ship slots, and the entire bay plan is prepared. Further, the ship-turnaround time is validated using the data obtained from the benchmark problem

Rehabilitation of Aramany Classification I Defect on a Completely Edentulous Patient: A Clinical Case Report.

Abstract: This clinical case report describes a prosthetic rehabilitation for a patient who had partial maxillectomy surgery following the diagnosis of maxillary squamous cell carcinoma in 1991. She was also previously diagnosed with parotid gland pathology on the right and required complete removal of gland along with facial nerve. Her previous prosthesis is 18 years old and claims it not as retentive as before. Intraorally there was a large oval shaped defect on the right side of the maxilla sparing the left alveolus. Defect extends more than 2/3rd of the palatal area with communication to the nasal floor. Presence of buccal frenal pull on the right side on the upper and lower jaws due to the wound contracture on that side of the face. The extraoral facial asymmetry and weakness of facial muscles in this patient may lead to improper denture border seal of the prosthesis. Patient was provided with maxillary acrylic obturator and mandibular acrylic complete denture as a definitive treatment with careful denture extension planning. She was reviewed multiple times till prosthesis stability intraorally was achieved. This improved the prognosis for this patient. The only option for retaining prosthesis in this case, without implants, is optimum engagement of the available soft-tissue undercuts found within the defect space and the non-affected side. Keywords: Completely Edentulous, Obturator, Facial Nerve, Prognosis, Case Report