Microcomputer based software for biodynamic simulation

This paper presents a description of a microcomputer based software package, called DYNAMAN, which has been developed to allow an analyst to simulate the dynamics of a system consisting of a number of mass segments linked by joints. One primary application is in predicting the motion of a human occupant in a vehicle under the influence of a variety of external forces, specially those generated during a crash event. Extensive use of a graphical user interface has been made to aid the user in setting up the input data for the simulation and in viewing the results from the simulation. Among its many applications, it has been successfully used in the prototype design of a moving seat that aids in occupant protection during a crash, by aircraft designers in evaluating occupant injury in airplane crashes, and by users in accident reconstruction for reconstructing the motion of the occupant and correlating the impacts with observed injuries

Multisensory causal inference in the brain

At any given moment, our brain processes multiple inputs from its different sensory modalities (vision, hearing, touch, etc.). In deciphering this array of sensory information, the brain has to solve two problems: (1) which of the inputs originate from the same object and should be integrated and (2) for the sensations originating from the same object, how best to integrate them. Recent behavioural studies suggest that the human brain solves these problems using optimal probabilistic inference, known as Bayesian causal inference. However, how and where the underlying computations are carried out in the brain have remained unknown. By combining neuroimaging-based decoding techniques and computational modelling of behavioural data, a new study now sheds light on how multisensory causal inference maps onto specific brain areas. The results suggest that the complexity of neural computations increases along the visual hierarchy and link specific components of the causal inference process with specific visual and parietal regions

Core/shell microencapsulation of indomethacin/paracetamol by co-axial electrohydrodynamic atomization

Core/shell microparticles for development of drug delivery systems were prepared using co-axial electrohydrodynamic atomization technique in order to develop fixed dose combined formulations incorporating paracetamol and indomethacin as model drugs. The developed drug delivery systems offered successful co-encapsulation of paracetamol and indomethacin with high drug encapsulation efficiencies of 54% and 69% for paracetamol and indomethacin, respectively. The developed formulations were further characterised with respect to their morphology, drug release profile and possible interactions. In comparison to the release rate of the free indomethacin, the developed formulation resulted in enhanced dissolution rate of indomethacin. This study demonstrates a versatile polymeric platform where multiple drug encapsulation and co-delivery is made possible by utilizing co-axial electrohydrodynamic atomization. The proposed system offered high processing yield of 60–70%, as a single-step platform for preparation of fixed dose formulations for oral drug delivery, particularly in geriatric therapy

A study on prevalence of some helminthic infections of the liver and lungs among ruminants in abattoir of Fars province, Iran

Zoonotic helminths are often transmitted to humans through domestic animals. This retrospective study was performed to estimate the prevalence of some important zoonotic helminthic infections of the liver and lung including echinococcosis, fasciolosis and dicrocoeliasis in Kazerun and Shiraz abattoirs, Fars, Iran, during 2011-2013. A total of 12381 sheep, 6473 cattle, 22847 goats, 66 camels, and 10 buffalos were analyzed with regard to liver and lung helminthic infections including hydatidosis, fasciolosis, and dicrocoeliasis in Kazerun, during March 2011-January 2013. Moreover, 121100 sheep, 23515 cattle, 81293 goats, and 69 camels were investigated for the mentioned infections in Shiraz abattoir during one year since March 2012. Kazerun abattoir: The prevalence rates of liver hydatid cysts were 0.86, 2.1, 0.76, and 15.1 in sheep, cattle, goats, and camels, respectively, whereas the prevalence rates of pulmonary hydatid cysts were 0.89, 2.36, 0.9, and 16.6 in the mentioned animals, respectively. Fasciolosis was detected in 0.33, 1.65, and 0.24 of condemnation livers of sheep, cattle, and goats, respectively. However, dicrocoeliasis was just prevalent in 0.004 of goat livers. Shiraz abattoir: the prevalence rates of liver hydatid cysts were 3.44, 3.12, 2.94, and 2.9 in slaughtered sheep, cattle, goats, and camels, respectively. In addition, 4.54, 4.33, 4, and 4.35 of the lung of the mentioned animals were infected with hydatid cysts, respectively. Prevalence rates of Fasciola spp in slaughtered sheep and cattle were 2.49 and 1.86, respectively, and rate of D. dendriticum infection in slaughtered sheep, cattle, and goats were 0.026, 0.91, and 4, respectively. As compared with reports from other studies, it seems that Fars is among the low-endemic regions regarding this type of infection. © 2016 by Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute

Promising Developments in Bio-Based Products as Alternatives to Conventional Plastics to Enable Circular Economy in Ukraine

Transforming the plastic industry toward producing more sustainable alternatives than conventional plastics, as an essential enabler of the bio-based circular economy (CE), requires reinforcing initiatives to drive solutions from the lab to the market. In this regard, startups and ideation and innovation events can potentially play significant roles in consolidating efforts and investments by academia and industry to foster bio-based and biodegradable plastic-related developments. This study aimed to present the current trends and challenges of bioplastics and bio-based materials as sustainable alternatives for plastics. On this basis, having conducted a systematic literature review, the seminal research themes of the bio-based materials and bioplastics literature were unfolded and discussed. Then, the most recent developments of bio-based sustainable products in Ukraine, as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, that have gained publicity through local startup programs and hackathons were presented. The findings shed light on the potential of the bio-based sector to facilitate the CE transition through (i) rendering innovative solutions most of which have been less noticed in academia before; (ii) enhancing academic debate and bridging the gap between developers, scholars, and practitioners within the plastic industry toward creating circularity across the supply chain; (iii) identifying the main challenges and future perspectives for further investigations in the future

Multi-service Digital Radio over Fibre System with Millimetre Wave Bridging

© 2018 IEEE. This paper demonstrates a novel digital radio over fibre (DRoF) architecture that is able to transport multiple compressed digitised RF services using both optical fibre and wireless millimetre wave (mmW) links. This solution has advantages as a cost effective indoor wireless infrastructure where flexible transmission schemes are required. Experimental results indicate wide RF dynamic range for two LTE services transmitted simultaneously, showing its capability for creating a neutral-host radio access network (RAN) with good spectral efficiency and cost effectiveness

Effect of Roasting on Fatty Acid Profile of Brown and Yellow Varieties of Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L)

Purpose: To monitor changes in fatty acid profiles of brown and yellow varieties of flaxseeds in the raw and roasted states using gas chromatography (GC).Methods: Samples of flaxseeds were extracted with n-hexane in a Soxhlet apparatus for 8 h. Methylesterification of the samples was performed by methanolic boron trifluoride (BF3-MeOH) method according to American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS). Fatty acid (FA), analyzed using GC equipped with a split/splitless capillary injector and flame ionization detector (FID).Results: The results indicate that lipid content varied with the type of seed. Seed oil content was 53.31 ± 0.30 and 45.20 ± 0.20 % for roasted and unroasted brown flax, respectively, and 10.25 ± 0.04 % for the yellow type. The yellow and roasted brown type, at 300oC, showed the lowest and highest oil content, respectively. The highest calculated oxidizability (COX) value was found for the unroasted brown type (13.19 ± 0.01 %) whilst the lowest amount was observed for the roasted brown seed at 350oC (12.79 ± 0.01 %). COX value for yellow type was 5.62 ± 0.01 %.Conclusion: This study shows that the fatty acids content of flaxseeds vary with roasting conditions. This is significant because flax seed fatty acid composition influences the applications of the oil.Keywords: Oil, Flaxseed, Roasting, Fatty acid, Linum usitatissimum, Calculated oxidizability valu

100 Gb/s Multicarrier THz Wireless Transmission System With High Frequency Stability Based on A Gain-Switched Laser Comb Source

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a photonic multichannel terahertz (THz) wireless system with up to four optical subcarriers and total capacity as high as 100 Gb/s by employing an externally injected gain-switched laser comb source. Highly coherent multiple optical carriers with different spacing are produced using the gain switching technique. Single- and multichannel Terahertz (THz) wireless signals are generated using heterodyne mixing of modulated single or multiple carriers with one unmodulated optical tone spaced by about 200 GHz. The frequency stability and the phase noise of the gain switched comb laser are evaluated against free-running lasers. Wireless transmission is demonstrated for single and three optical subcarriers modulated with 8 or 10 GBd quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) (48 or 60 Gb/s, respectively) or for four optical subcarriers modulated with 12.5 GBd QPSK (100 Gb/s). The system performance was evaluated for single- and multicarrier wireless THz transmissions at around 200 GHz, with and without 40 km fiber transmission. The system is also modeled to study the effect of the cross talk between neighboring subcarriers for correlated and decorrelated data. This system reduces digital signal processing requirements due to the high-frequency stability of the gain-switched comb source, increases the overall transmission rate, and relaxes the optoelectronic bandwidth requirements

Cerebrospinal Fluid Metals and the Association with Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

BACKGROUND: Brain metal homeostasis is essential for brain health, and deregulation can result in oxidative stress on the brain parenchyma. OBJECTIVE: Our objective in this study was to focus on two hemorrhagic MRI manifestations of small vessel disease [cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and cortical superficial siderosis (cSS)] and associations with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) iron levels. In addition, we aimed to analyze CSF biomarkers for dementia and associations with CSF metal levels. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 196 patients who underwent memory clinic investigation, including brain MRI. CSF was collected and analyzed for metals, amyloid-β (Aβ) 42, total tau (T-tau), and phosphorylated tau (P-tau), and CSF/serum albumin ratios. Statistical analyses were performed using generalized linear models. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between CSF metal levels across diagnostic groups. Higher iron and copper levels were associated with higher CSF levels of Aβ42, T-tau, P-tau, and CSF/serum albumin ratios (p < 0.05). Zinc was associated with higher CSF/serum albumin ratios. There was no significant association between CMBs or cSS and CSF iron levels. An increase in CSF iron with the number of CMBs was seen in APOEɛ4 carriers. CONCLUSION: CSF iron levels are elevated with cerebral microbleeds in APOEɛ4 carriers, with no other association seen with hemorrhagic markers of small vessel disease. The association of elevated CSF iron and copper with tau could represent findings of increased neurodegeneration in these patients

Novel compressed digital radio fronthaul over photonically-generated THz wireless bridge

Compressed DRoF-based fronthaul links enable cost-effective last-mile wireless coverage. This paper demonstrates a novel system which carries 12 LTE services over both optical fibre and photonically-generated THz wireless links with over 40 dB dynamic range.</jats:p