New Variable Step-Size NLMS Algorithm for Adaptive Noise Cancellation

Numerous Variable Step-Size Normalized Least Mean Square (VSS-NLMS) algorithms have been proposed to solve the problems of fast convergence rate and low value of steady-state misadjustment in the past three decades. In this paper we propose a new VSS-NLMS algorithm that employs the estimated power ratio of the adaptive filter to control the step-size update. The algorithm has a large step size in the initial stages to speed up the convergence rate, and then the step size is adjusted to maintain a low value of steady-state misadjustment. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated for Adaptive Noise Canceller (ANC) using different speech signal with stationary and non-stationary noise added to it. The computer simulation highlights that the proposed algorithm has very fast convergence rate while maintaining a very low value of steady-state misadjustment

Krüppel-Like Transcription Factor KLF1 Is Required for Optimal γ- and β-Globin Expression in Human Fetal Erythroblasts

In human adult erythroid cells, lower than normal levels of Krüppel-like transcription factor 1 (KLF1) are generally associated with decreased adult β- and increased fetal γ-globin gene expression. KLF1 also regulates BCL11A, a known repressor of adult γ-globin expression. In seeming contrast to the findings in adult cells, lower amounts of KLF1 correlate with both reduced embryonic and reduced fetal β-like globin mRNA in mouse embryonic erythroid cells. The role of KLF1 in primary human fetal erythroid cells, which express both γ- and β-globin mRNA, is less well understood. Therefore, we studied the role of KLF1 in ex vivo differentiated CD34+ umbilical cord blood cells (UCB erythroblasts), representing the fetal milieu. In UCB erythroblasts, KLF1 binds to the β-globin locus control region (LCR), and the β-globin promoter. There is very little KLF1 binding detectable at the γ-globin promoter. Correspondingly, when cultured fetal UCB erythroblasts are subjected to lentiviral KLF1 knockdown, the active histone mark H3K4me3 and RNA pol II recruitment are diminished at the β- but not the γ-globin gene. The amount of KLF1 expression strongly positively correlates with β-globin mRNA and weakly positively correlates with BCL11A mRNA. With modest KLF1 knockdown, mimicking haploinsufficiency, γ-globin mRNA is increased in UCB erythroblasts, as is common in adult cells. However, a threshold level of KLF1 is evidently required, or there is no absolute increase in γ-globin mRNA in UCB erythroblasts. Therefore, the role of KLF1 in γ-globin regulation in fetal erythroblasts is complex, with both positive and negative facets. Furthermore, in UCB erythroblasts, diminished BCL11A is not sufficient to induce γ-globin in the absence of KLF1. These findings have implications for the manipulation of BCL11A and/or KLF1 to induce γ-globin for therapy of the β-hemoglobinopathies

Krüppel-Like Transcription Factor KLF1 Is Required for Optimal γ- and β-Globin Expression in Human Fetal Erythroblasts

In human adult erythroid cells, lower than normal levels of Krüppel-like transcription factor 1 (KLF1) are generally associated with decreased adult β- and increased fetal γ-globin gene expression. KLF1 also regulates BCL11A, a known repressor of adult γ-globin expression. In seeming contrast to the findings in adult cells, lower amounts of KLF1 correlate with both reduced embryonic and reduced fetal β-like globin mRNA in mouse embryonic erythroid cells. The role of KLF1 in primary human fetal erythroid cells, which express both γ- and β-globin mRNA, is less well understood. Therefore, we studied the role of KLF1 in ex vivo differentiated CD34+ umbilical cord blood cells (UCB erythroblasts), representing the fetal milieu. In UCB erythroblasts, KLF1 binds to the β-globin locus control region (LCR), and the β-globin promoter. There is very little KLF1 binding detectable at the γ-globin promoter. Correspondingly, when cultured fetal UCB erythroblasts are subjected to lentiviral KLF1 knockdown, the active histone mark H3K4me3 and RNA pol II recruitment are diminished at the β- but not the γ-globin gene. The amount of KLF1 expression strongly positively correlates with β-globin mRNA and weakly positively correlates with BCL11A mRNA. With modest KLF1 knockdown, mimicking haploinsufficiency, γ-globin mRNA is increased in UCB erythroblasts, as is common in adult cells. However, a threshold level of KLF1 is evidently required, or there is no absolute increase in γ-globin mRNA in UCB erythroblasts. Therefore, the role of KLF1 in γ-globin regulation in fetal erythroblasts is complex, with both positive and negative facets. Furthermore, in UCB erythroblasts, diminished BCL11A is not sufficient to induce γ-globin in the absence of KLF1. These findings have implications for the manipulation of BCL11A and/or KLF1 to induce γ-globin for therapy of the β-hemoglobinopathies

THE EFFECT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE ON SERUM ELECTROLYTES AND TRACE ELEMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES OF FURNACE IN RAMADI GLASS FACTORY

This study includes determination of the effect of high temperature on the serum electrolytes and trace elements in thirty workers of furnace in Ramadi glass factory (Anbar – Iraq). Thirty technicians and administrators for interior control and thirty volunteers as external control. From the results of this study we observed that: K and P decreased significantly (P< 0.01), Mg remained within the normal value,Fe increased significantly (p<0.01) and Cu decreased significantly (P < 0.01) , Zn/Cu ratio increased significantly (P < 0.01) . In conclusion, this study indicates that: the exposure to high temperature causes changes in the compositions of some constituents of blood

A survey of empirical performance evaluation of permissioned blockchain platforms: Challenges and opportunities

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Computers and Security, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2020.102078 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Blockchain-based platforms, particularly those based on permissioned blockchain, are increasingly popular in a broad range of settings. In addition to security and privacy concerns, organizations seeking to implement such platforms also need to consider performance, especially in latency- or delay-sensitive applications. Performance is generally less studied in comparison to security and privacy, and therefore in this paper we survey existing empirical performance evaluations of different permissioned blockchain platforms published between 2015 and 2019, using a comparative framework. The framework comprises ten criteria. We then conclude the paper with a number of potential future research directions.Published versio

Comprehensive Improvement of Various Features of Cu–Cd Ferrites (Cu0.5Cd0.5Fe2–xCexO4) by Cerium (Ce3+) Ion Substitution

Cerium (Ce3+) substitution in Cu–Cd spinel nanoferrites with the compositional formula Cu0.5Cd0.5Fe2–xCexO4 (x = 0.0, 0.0125, 0.0250, 0.0375, 0.050) was performed by the hydrothermal route. The structural, morphological, optical, electrical, and dielectric properties of Ce-substituted Cu–Cd ferrites were explored. X-ray diffraction revealed the single-phase cubic structure of all nanoferrites. The average crystallite size (72.42–11.61 nm) and lattice constant (8.419–8.449 Å) were observed for the synthesized ferrites. The surface shapes of particles were determined by scanning electron microscopy. The substitution was also verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry. The semiconducting behavior of ferrites was determined from their electrical properties, such as direct current (DC) electrical resistivity. The Curie temperature was observed at 523 K temperature for all nanoferrites. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss significantly indicated the reducing behavior with an increase in the cerium concentration. The sample Cu0.5Cd0.5Fe1.975Ce0.025O4 resulted in the lowest optical bandgap energy, DC resistivity, and dielectric losses. The nature of the electrical resistivity and dielectric constants indicate that the designed materials are highly appropriate for the design of microwave gadgets

Nitrogen Cycling Dynamics: Investigating Volatilization and its Interplay with N2 Fixation

The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems, the conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biological and physical processes. Important processes in the nitrogen cycle include fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. The majority of Earth\u27s atmosphere (78%) is atmospheric nitrogen, making it the largest source of nitrogen. However, atmospheric nitrogen has limited availability for biological use, leading to a scarcity of usable nitrogen in many types of ecosystems. The nitrogen cycle is of particular interest to ecologists because nitrogen availability can affect the rate of key ecosystem processes, including primary production and decomposition. Human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, use of artificial nitrogen fertilizers, and release of nitrogen in wastewater have dramatically altered the global nitrogen cycle. Human modification of the global nitrogen cycle can negatively affect the natural environment system and also human health. Volatilization and its Relationship to N2 fascination in Nitrogen Cycle in agriculture field is discuss in this paper

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

A muon-track reconstruction exploiting stochastic losses for large-scale Cherenkov detectors

IceCube is a cubic-kilometer Cherenkov telescope operating at the South Pole. The main goal of IceCube is the detection of astrophysical neutrinos and the identification of their sources. High-energy muon neutrinos are observed via the secondary muons produced in charge current interactions with nuclei in the ice. Currently, the best performing muon track directional reconstruction is based on a maximum likelihood method using the arrival time distribution of Cherenkov photons registered by the experiment\u27s photomultipliers. A known systematic shortcoming of the prevailing method is to assume a continuous energy loss along the muon track. However at energies >1 TeV the light yield from muons is dominated by stochastic showers. This paper discusses a generalized ansatz where the expected arrival time distribution is parametrized by a stochastic muon energy loss pattern. This more realistic parametrization of the loss profile leads to an improvement of the muon angular resolution of up to 20% for through-going tracks and up to a factor 2 for starting tracks over existing algorithms. Additionally, the procedure to estimate the directional reconstruction uncertainty has been improved to be more robust against numerical errors