Implementing and adopting ebXML formatting of Business Transaction in Bangladesh

This thesis report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis report.Includes bibliographical references (page 27).The objective of this study is to identify drivers that guide the development of business integration of any degree from small to medium to large corporations. While the electronic interaction has been dominated by EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), this paper describes a much more convenient and flexible technology, ebXML (Electronic Business eXtensible Markup Language). The problem of electronic business technology is approached by examining how ebXML adoption has evolved, what the benefits and costs of ebXML integration are, and what technologies should be used. The paper provides the best effort to implement the procedure of procurement in PHP in order to acknowledge the significance of the protocol as well as grow the motivation to contribute to the ebXML community. The study will also show the significance of standardization in business integration in a country like Bangladesh which has merely just stepped into the globally prospective industry of e-commerce. At first we identify, implement, incorporate and adopt ebXML integration through a viable and efficient tool and mechanism. After that, we examine the scope and possibilities of ebXML integration in BangladeshSanjid RahmanB. Computer Science and Engineerin

Metabolic activity induces membrane phase separation in endoplasmic reticulum

Membrane phase behavior has been well characterized in model membranes in vitro under thermodynamic equilibrium state. However, the widely observed differences between biological membranes and their in vitro counterparts are placing more emphasis on nonequilibrium factors, including influx and efflux of lipid molecules. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the largest cellular membrane system and also the most metabolically active organelle responsible for lipid synthesis. However, how the nonequilibrium metabolic activity modulates ER membrane phase has not been investigated. Here, we studied the phase behavior of functional ER in the context of lipid metabolism. Utilizing advanced vibrational imaging technique, that is, stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, we discovered that metabolism of palmitate, a prevalent saturated fatty acid (SFA), could drive solid-like domain separation from the presumably uniformly fluidic ER membrane, a previously unknown phenomenon. The potential of various fatty acids to induce solid phase can be predicted by the transition temperatures of their major metabolites. Interplay between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids is also observed. Hence, our study sheds light on cellular membrane biophysics by underscoring the nonequilibrium metabolic status of living cell

Synthesis of solar light driven nanorod-zinc oxide for degradation of rhodamine B, industrial effluent and contaminated river water

Surface water contamination by various dyes and pigments is a global problem caused by rapid industry, particularly textile/dyeing. Bangladesh's export-oriented textile sector has exploded in recent decades, polluting local waterways significantly. In this study, nano-ZnO were prepared using surfactant-assisted sol–gel, hydrothermal and thermal methods. SEM, XRD, reflectance spectrophotometer, EDS and adsorption tests were used to characterize the synthesized nano-ZnO. BET isotherms were used to determine the surface area, pore volume, and pore size of the as-prepared nano-ZnO. The mixed surfactant assisted-sol gel method produced nanorod-ZnO, whereas the hydrothermal and/or thermal methods yielded clusters of needles ZnO, as proven by SEM images. XRD data revealed that the synthesized nanorod-ZnO had a mainly wurtzite crystalline structure and their size was estimated using the Scherrer equation to be about 23.90 nm. EDS spectra confirmed the synthesis of pure nanorod-ZnO. Using a UV–visible reflectance spectrophotometer, the band gap energy of the as-prepared nanorod-ZnO was found to be 3.35 eV. According to BET isotherms, the BET and Langmuir surface areas were 4 and 5.4 m2/g, respectively. Prior to analyzing photodegradation, the RB was adsorbing in the presence of various doses of the nanorod-ZnO in the dark, but no adsorption was observed. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized nano-ZnO were compared to TiO2 (anatase) for the degradation of RB in an aqueous system under solar light, UV, fluorescence, and tungsten filament light irradiation. Nanorod-ZnO showed exceptional photocatalytic activity in degrading RB in an aqueous solution under solar light irradiation. The results suggest that 0.01 g/50 mL nanorod-ZnO with a solution pH of 7.8 is the best combination for complete degradation of 2.00 × 10-5 M RB under solar light irradiation. When nano-ZnO was exposed to light, the inhibiting effect of ethanol and/or tert-butanol on the degradation of RB confirmed the formation of mostly hydroxyl free radicals. The synthesized nanorod-ZnO shown substantial photocatalytic activity in the removal of pollutants from industrial effluents and contaminated river water under solar light irradiation. A mechanism of excellent photocatalytic activity of the nanorod-ZnO is discussed

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Experimental study of engine performance and emission of palm, mustard and calophyllum biodiesel blends in a diesel engine / Sanjid Ahmed Patwary

Present energy situation of the world is unsustainable due to unequal geographical distribution of natural wealth as well as environmental, geopolitical and economical concerns. Ever increasing drift of energy consumption due to growth of population, transportation and luxurious lifestyle has motivated researchers to carry out research on biofuels as a sustainable alternative fuel for diesel engine. Biodiesel seems as one of the best choices among other alternative fuel sources due to its renewability, cost effectiveness and reduction of pollutants in exhaust gas emission which are promoting biofuels as a suitable substitute of diesel fuel in near future. This research endeavor aims to produce and evaluate the comparative performance and emission of palm, mustard and Calophyllum inophyllum biofuels in a four cylinder diesel engine. This was followed by the production of palm, mustard and Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel from their respective oils and blending them with diesel fuel. Detailed characterization of physicochemical properties of pure biodiesel and their blends meet standard ASTM specifications. Engine performance and emission were evaluated by measuring brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), engine power, engine torque, carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), and nitric oxide (NO) emission. The results of engine performance revealed that biodiesel blended fuels produced average reduction in engine BTE, power and torque with increased BSFC. In case of engine emission, biodiesel blends showed an average reduction in CO and HC with a slight increase in NO & CO2 emission. Overall, Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel blends showed better engine performance and emission compared to palm and mustard biodiesel blends. The peak cylinder pressure and heat release of biodiesel blends were found higher and closer to top dead centre compared to diesel fuel. This is due to the shorter ignition delay and higher cetane number of biodiesel. In conclusion, palm, mustard and Calophyllum inophyllum are potential feedstock for biodiesel production and up to 20% of their blends could be used in the diesel engine without any modification. Besides, as producing biofuel from edible oil source has received criticism worldwide, therefore using non-edible vegetable oils like: calophyllum as biofuel can replace the current dependence on the edible oil source

Improved direct comparison calibration of small angle blocks

In the field of dimensional metrology, direct comparison method is used invariantly for the calibration of angle artefacts e.g. angle blocks, polygons, rotary tables. A precision indexing table and an autocollimator are sufficient to perform such calibrations. These instruments are periodically compared against primary reference standard to determine their corrections. These corrections are used in direct comparison calibration. Using this method, we can achieve angle block measurement uncertainty approximately +/- 0.4". At NPL-India, we have devised an improved method of direct comparison calibration of angle blocks. We measured the angle block in four different orientations. The measurements obtained in these four orientations are mathematically modeled in terms of angular position deviations of precision indexing table, pyramidal error and actual angle block size. These simultaneous equations are solved to segregate effective angular position deviations of indexing table and effective pyramidal errors from the angle block measurements. There from, the angle block measurement uncertainty is improved up to +/- 0.07"

Identifying the origin and mechanisms of pathological angiogenesis in neuroinflammatory diseases

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Neuropathological studies in both human MS and the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) animal model have shown that endothelial cell (EC) inflammation, associated with focal breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and neo-angiogenesis, is prevalent in demyelinating plaques. Neo-angiogenesis and BBB damage contribute to leakage of serum components, infiltration of immune cells into the CNS, neuroinflammation, axonal demyelination, neuronal dysfunction, and disease progression. In Chapter 1, I introduce MS and its pathological hallmarks related to immune and vascular dysfunctions, the clinical course of MS progression, genetic and environmental influences, current treatments, and animal models. Next, I elaborate upon the pathways and processes involved in the development of a functioning CNS vascular system and the BBB. Finally, I discuss what is currently known about the contribution and the underlying mechanisms of neo-angiogenesis in MS and other diseases. While an increase in vessel density has been documented for both MS and EAE lesions, the origin and pathways that drive formation of new, but leaky, blood vessels in EAE are poorly understood. In Chapter 3, I address these questions by performing single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of 45309 ECs isolated from the spinal cord of control, acute and chronic MOG35-55 EAE mice. Based on expression patterns of blood vessel subtype-specific markers, I identified 23 distinct EC clusters with arterial, capillary, venule, and vein identities in either control or disease states. I performed differential gene expression and gene set enrichment analyses comparing control and disease EC clusters for each vascular subtype to identify which vessels exhibited gene expression profiles indicative of neo-angiogenesis in EAE. I found that molecular signatures of neo-angiogenesis are upregulated specifically in venous ECs during acute and, to a lesser extent, chronic EAE. Consistent with these data, EC proliferation is upregulated in veins in the EAE spinal cord. RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence staining confirmed increased expression of key angiogenic markers Egfl7, Ecm1, Serpine1 and Emcn, and the tip cell marker Mcam, with a corresponding increase in vein density, in demyelinating white matter lesions of EAE spinal cords relative to controls. I also assessed changes in expression of some of these markers in human MS tissue and discovered upregulated expression of EGFL7 in cortical white matter lesions of MS patients, concomitant with increased vascular density. In Chapter 4, I examine the signaling pathways that may trigger pathogenic angiogenesis in EAE. I discovered that, in contrast to developmental angiogenesis, VEGF-A and TGF-β signaling may act as the driver of neo-angiogenesis in EAE. To test this hypothesis, I used a humanized VEGF-A blocking antibody, bevacizumab, to block VEGF signaling and found that this treatment ameliorated the MOG35-55 EAE neurological score by reducing expression of several angiogenic markers Egfl7, Ecm1, Serpine1, and Emcn, as confirmed by both in situ hybridization and computational analysis of scRNA-seq data. Immune profiling of spleens and spinal cords by flow cytometry did not show changes in immune cell activation in bevacizumab-treated mice relative to IgG controls, indicating that the protective effects of VEGF blockade are not due to defects in the initiation of the immune response. Finally, in Chapter 5, I summarize the major findings of my dissertation and propose a model for the mechanisms by which neo-angiogenesis contributes to pathology in MS/EAE. I also present several future avenues of research that can be pursued to further our understanding of the molecular and cellular changes underlying pathogenic angiogenesis and its role in MS/EAE. While most current disease-modifying MS therapies aim to reduce inflammation and infiltration of immune cells into the CNS, these findings may lead to development of additional potential therapeutics that may reduce pathogenic neo-angiogenesis in order to alleviate long-term neurological deficits in MS. Additionally, since postcapillary venules and veins are the major sites of immune cell infiltration, BBB damage and neo-angiogenesis in EAE, the findings of this study suggest that development of treatment modalities that target venous ECs with anti-angiogenic compounds may be more effective in inhibiting the growth of pathogenic neovessels than therapies directed against the entire endothelium

Characterizing surface roughness by speckle pattern analysis

Speckle photography is a non-destructive technique for making moderate sensitivity measurements for strain, rotation, vibration, plane displacements, and surface texture. This paper presents characterization of surface roughness by studying speckle patterns correlation and visibility during object displacement