METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING HAPTIC SURFACES IN PAYMENT CARDS

The present disclosure relates to a technique for implementing haptic surfaces in the payment cards to facilitate convenient operation by visually impaired users. The technique involves embedding a suitable power source on the payment card and storing the electrical energy from the power source within the card such that whenever the power button is switched ON, the electrical energy flows from the stored source to the haptic surface enabled digits embedded on the payment card so as to bubble-out the haptic surface enabled digits. These bubbled-out digits may be easily read by the cardholder by touching the popped-up surface. When the electrical current stops, the bubbled-out surface deflates and goes flat. This ensures the convenient and effective reading of card details by the cardholder while ensuring financial security and privacy of the user

Surface sterilant effect on the regeneration efficiency from cotyledon explants of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties adapted to eastern and Southern Africa

Five groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties - ICGV-12991, ICGV-99568, ICGV-90704, CG-2 and Chalimbana - that are adapted to Eastern and Southern Africa were compared to variety JL 24 for their regeneration response in tissue culture. Sodium hypochlorite and mercuric chloride were compared for efficiency as sterilizing agents and subsequent effect on regeneration. All five varieties formed shoot buds that elongated well on shoot elongation medium. ICGV-90704 and Chalimbana performed betterthan the other three varieties for shoot organogenesis although all varieties produced healthy rooted plants in vitro that were successfully transferred to the greenhouse where they exhibited normal growth, flowering and seed set. Both sterilizing agents were suitable, but mercuric chloride was lessharmful than sodium hypochlorite. This study established a basis for genetic engineering activities on African groundnuts in the future

Uncertainty Aware ML-based surrogate models for particle accelerators: A Study at the Fermilab Booster Accelerator Complex

Standard deep learning methods, such as Ensemble Models, Bayesian Neural Networks and Quantile Regression Models provide estimates to prediction uncertainties for data-driven deep learning models. However, they can be limited in their applications due to their heavy memory, inference cost, and ability to properly capture out-of-distribution uncertainties. Additionally, some of these models require post-training calibration which limits their ability to be used for continuous learning applications. In this paper, we present a new approach to provide prediction with calibrated uncertainties that includes out-of-distribution contributions and compare it to standard methods on the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) Booster accelerator complex

The Phylogeography of Rabies in Grenada, West Indies, and Implications for Control

In Grenada, West Indies, rabies is endemic, and is thought to be maintained in a wildlife host, the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) with occasional spillover into other hosts. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to improve understanding of rabies epidemiology in Grenada and to inform rabies control policy. Mongooses were trapped island-wide between April 2011 and March 2013 and examined for the presence of Rabies virus (RABV) antigen using the direct fluorescent antibody test (dFAT) and PCR, and for serum neutralizing antibodies (SNA) using the fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test (FAVN). An additional cohort of brain samples from clinical rabies suspects submitted between April 2011 and March 2014 were also investigated for the presence of virus. Two of the 171 (1.7%) live-trapped mongooses were RABV positive by FAT and PCR, and 20 (11.7%) had SNAs. Rabies was diagnosed in 31 of the submitted animals with suspicious clinical signs: 16 mongooses, 12 dogs, 2 cats and 1 goat. Our investigation has revealed that rabies infection spread from the northeast to the southwest of Grenada within the study period. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the viruses from Grenada formed a monophyletic clade within the cosmopolitan lineage with a common ancestor predicted to have occurred recently (6–23 years ago), and are distinct from those found in Cuba and Puerto Rico, where mongoose rabies is also endemic. These data suggest that it is likely that this specific strain of RABV was imported from European regions rather than the Americas. These data contribute essential information for any potential rabies control program in Grenada and demonstrate the importance of a sound evidence base for planning interventions

The Great Lockdown Recession and International Business

The global health pandemic and the ensuing global recession has caused unprecedented uncertainty, risks, and devastation to individuals, families, societies, and organizations. In this context, a central question arises: what are the prospects for globalization? This article addresses five pressing questions that affect globalization for multiple stakeholders: (1) How is this pandemic different from previous disruptive events? (2) Are there silver linings to this economic disruption? (3) What are current and future impacts on globalization? (4) How will different entities be affected? and (5) What will be the likely impact on major economies? We have opportunities to fundamentally shift international business for economic, environmental, and social advancements that offer hope during this overwhelming health crisis

Impact of proctoring on success rates for percutaneous revascularisation of coronary chronic total occlusions.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of proctoring for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in six UK centres. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 587 CTO procedures from six UK centres and compared success rates of operators who had received proctorship with success rates of the same operators before proctorship (pre-proctored) and operators in the same institutions who had not been proctored (non-proctored). There were 232 patients in the pre-proctored/non-proctored group and 355 patients in the post-proctored group. Complexity was assessed by calculating the Japanese CTO (JCTO) score for each case. RESULTS: CTO PCI success was greater in the post-proctored compared with the pre-proctored/non-proctored group (77.5% vs 62.1%, p<0.0001). In more complex cases where JCTO≥2, the difference in success was greater (70.7% vs 49.5%, p=0.0003). After proctoring, there was an increase in CTO PCI activity in centres from 2.5% to 3.5%, p<0.0001 (as a proportion of total PCI), and the proportion of very difficult cases with JCTO score ≥3 increased from 15.3% (35/229) to 29.7% (105/354), p<0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Proctoring resulted in an increase in procedural success for CTO PCI, an increase in complex CTO PCI and an increase in total CTO PCI activity. Proctoring may be a valuable way to improve access to CTO PCI and the likelihood of procedural success

Giant cell tumor of talus: a case report

Giant cell tumor of talus is a rare entity. In contrast to GCT of long bones, most cases occur in a younger age group and tend to be multicentric. The authors report a case of GCT in a 19 year old boy which had led to extensive destruction of the talus. In view of the extensive involvement, total talectomy along with tibio – calcaneal arthrodesis was performed. At 6 months of followup, the patient had a painless and well arthrodesed ankle. There was no evidence of recurrence at 18 months of followup