Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Their Influence to Some Aquatic Species

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants generated primarily during the incomplete combustion of organic materials (e.g., coal, oil, petrol, and wood). Many PAHs have toxic, mutagenic, and/or carcinogenic functions. PAHs are highly lipid soluble which lead to a fast absorption by the gastrointestinal tract of marine mammals. They are immediately distributed in a vast variety of tissues with a notable tendency for localization in body fat. Metabolism of PAHs is obtained via the cytochrome P450-mediated mixed function oxidase system with oxidation or hydroxylation as the first step. PAHs are environmental contaminants that pose significant risk to health of fish. The effect of PAHs on fish is a topic of rising attention in a lot of countries. Different studies using the bile metabolites separated by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection were presented. The aim is to compare the levels of PAH metabolites in fish from different areas and fish species. The major metabolite present in all fish was 1-hydroxypyrene. The data confirm the importance of 1-hydroxypyrene as the key PAH metabolite in fish bile and suggest that the European eel is an ideal species for monitoring PAHs

Method for Assessing the Fidelity of Optical Diffraction Tomography Reconstruction Methods

We use a spatial light modulator in a diffraction tomographic system to assess the accuracy of different refractive index reconstruction algorithms. Optical phase conjugation principles through complex media, allows us to quantify the error for different refractive index reconstruction algorithms without access to the ground truth. To our knowledge, this is the first assessment technique that uses structured illumination experimentally to test the accuracy of different reconstruction schemes.Comment: 11 PAGES, 6 FIGURE

Upgrading of an Extended Aeration System to Improve Wastewater Treatment

According to this study, an extended aeration system can be upgraded by adding surface turbine aerators to the tanks and building new primary sedimentation tanks. Moreover, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total suspended solids (TSS) were also observed to be 440, 682, and 212 mg/L after primary settling, respectively. These values represent the removal of about 35% of the organic load and about 68% of the suspended solids, which reduces the organic load and sediments entering the secondary treatment. Furthermore, effluent BOD5, COD, and TSS values were 30, 47, and 32 mg/L respectively, while those permitted values are 60 mg/L of BOD5, 80 mg/L of COD, and 50 mg/L of TSS reflecting the success of the upgrading work

Effect of Fly Ash and Un-crushed Coarse Aggregates on Characteristics of SCC

This research paper discusses the change in the workability and strength characteristics of Self Compacting Concrete (SCC) due to addition of fly-ash and use of un-crushed Coarse Aggregate (CA). Laboratory based experimental work was carried out by preparing 12 SCC mixtures among which six mixtures contained crushed aggregate and other six mixtures contained un-crushed coarse aggregate. A total of 550 kg/m3 binder content and fixed Water-Binder (W/B) ratio as 0.35 were used. Two mixtures were controlled by using Portland Cement (PC) and other ten mixtures contained PC and Fly Ash (FA). Slump flow time, slump flow diameter and J-ring height tests were conducted to study the fresh properties of SCC. Furthermore, compressive strength was calculated at 7, 14 and 28 days of curing. The outcomes indicated that the slump flow time, slump flow diameter and J-Ring height for all the mixes are within the limits specified by EFNARC guidelines. The compressive strength of SCCs depends upon dosage of fly ash. Compressive strength for SCCs with crushed CA was better than obtained in case of un-crushed CA. The maximum compressive-strengths were observed as 64.58 MPa and 58.05 MPa for SCC with crushed and un-crushed CA respectively

Deviant Behavior as Among Major Factors Contributing to Poor Performance in Certificate Secondary Education Examination: A Case of Micheweni Secondary School in Zanzibar, Tanzania

Since independence of 1964, Tanzania had given priority to her citizens in ensuring that better and quality education is easily accessible to all.  Both the government of United Republic of Tanzania and Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has had been adopted and implemented variety of educational polices, approaches and strategies and regulations with the aim of bringing not only enhanced secondary education but also sustainable one and which can practically be implemented by students hence developing themselves in conjunction with bringing sustainable development to their nation. It is in this line therefore, this paper aiming to enlighten how deviant behavior contributing to poor performance for Zanzibar secondary school students. Using descriptive approach, school and home based factors determined to cause student deviant behaviors which influence students’ performance in national examination certificate of secondary education in Zanzibar. The study was conducted in northern part of Zanzibar, Tanzania since is among leading regions in terms of poor performance from secondary education examination results (Mwesiga, 2000). The study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative approach was used in the form of interviews while quantitative approach was used in the form of questionnaires. Findings revealed that home and school environments both contribute in causes of deviant behavior to secondary school students which sooner influence their performance. Due to the perseverance of carving down of disciplines in secondary schools, deviant behavior is always available. Late coming, not doing school assignments in time, violation of dressing code, ruddiness, lying, fighting with fellow students, leaving school before time and skipping classes are most frequently identified deviant behavior in secondary schools however community takes initiatives in monitoring them so as to reduce the extent of its impact towards students’ performance. Based on the findings, this study recommends stakeholders to increase initiatives in maintaining discipline among students and encourage them to like reading or learning and not engaging other activities which interns lead them not only having deviant behavior but also experience poor performance. Also issue of deviant behavior with its impacts should well be addressed not only in education policy but also in other related policy documents and other researches since still there is need of exposing much of unknown aspects of deviant behavior with respect to students’ performance. Key Words: Education, Deviant behavior, Certificate Secondary Education Examination, Student, Poor Performance, Micheweni Secondary School, Zanzibar, Tanzani

Speech and Thought Presentation in Chance by Alice Munro: A Stylistic Analysis

This study analyses the speech and thought presentation in Chance, a short story written by Alice Munro. The study aims to analyse how the speech and thought of the characters in the short story are presented. The concept of speech and thought presentation is dubious and complex. This study distinguishes speech and thought presentation and identifies either the characters responsible for representing their speech and thought or the narrator whose speech or thought gets to represent in Munro’s short story. The present study follows the speech and thought presentation techniques of Leech and Short (2007). The present study found out how the author used the categories of speech and thought presentation in the short story with all of their categories except DT. The findings of the study revealed a total of 293 speech and thought presentations in the short story. 235 presentations belong to speech presentations, and 58 to thought presentations. FDS and DS are the most occurred speech presentation within the short story which enabled the author to make her characters seem independent of the narrator. The FDS technique suggests that the context of speech in the story is clear enough, referring to whom the speakers are. FIS is the least occurred presentation within the short story. Besides, DT is not found in the whole short story. Munro has given the importance to the external speech rather than internal thought. The study results indicate that wareness towards speech and thought presentations leads to a better understanding of the literary texts

A Flexible Ultralight Hardware Security Module for EPC RFID Tags

Due to the rapid growth of using Internet of Things (IoT) devices in daily life, the need to achieve an acceptable level of security and privacy for these devices is rising. Security risks may include privacy threats like gaining sensitive information from a device, and authentication problems from counterfeit or cloned devices. It is more challenging to add security features to extremely constrained devices, such as passive Electronic Product Code (EPC) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, compared to devices that have more computational and storage capabilities. EPC RFID tags are simple and low-cost electronic circuits that are commonly used in supply chains, retail stores, and other applications to identify physical objects. Most tags today are simple "license plates" that just identify the object they are attached to and have minimal security. Due to the security risks of new applications, there is an important need to implement secure RFID tags. Examples of the security risks for these applications include unauthorized physical tracking and inventorying of tags. The current commercial RFID tag designs use specialised hardware circuits approach. This approach can achieve the lowest area and power consumption; however, it lacks flexibility. This thesis presents an optimized application-specific instruction set architecture (ISA) for an ultralight Hardware Security Module (HSM). HSMs are computing devices that protect cryptographic keys and operations for a device. The HSM combines all security-related functions for passive RFID tag. The goal of this research is to demonstrate that using an application-specific instruction set processor (ASIP) architecture for ultralight HSMs provides benefits in terms of trade-offs between flexibility, extensibility, and efficiency. Our novel application specific instruction-set architecture allows flexibility on many design levels and achieves acceptable security level for passive EPC RFID tag. Our solution moves a major design effort from hardware to software, which largely reduces the final unit cost. Our ASIP processor can be implemented with 4,662 gate equivalent units (GEs) for 65 nm CMOS technology excluding cryptographic units and memories. We integrated and analysed four cryptographic modules: AES and Simeck block ciphers, WG-5 stream cipher, and ACE authenticated encryption module. Our HSM achieves very good efficiencies for both block and stream ciphers. Specifically for the AES cipher, we improve over a previous programmable AES implementation result by 32x. We increase performance dramatically and increase/decrease area by 17.97/17.14% respectively. These results fulfill the requirements of extremely constrained devices and allow the inclusion of cryptographic units into the datapath of our ASIP processor

Highly unstable complex C3-type distal femur fracture: can double plating via a modified Olerud extensile approach be a standby solution?

BACKGROUND: Multiplanar complex C3-type unstable distal femoral fractures present many challenges in terms of approach and fixation. This prospective study investigates a possible solution to these problems through double plating with autogenous bone grafting via a modified Olerud extensile approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with closed C3-type injuries were included; eight of them were male, and their mean age was 33.5 years (range 22–44 years). Mechanism of injury was road traffic accident (RTA) in nine patients and fall from height in the other three cases. Eight cases were operated during the first week and four cases during the second week after injury. Mean follow-up was 13.7 months (range 11–18 months). RESULTS: Mean radiological healing time was 18.3 weeks (range 12-28 weeks), and all cases had good radiological healing without recorded nonunion or malunion. Clinically, two cases (16.7 %) had excellent results, five cases (41.7 %) had good results, three cases (25 %) had fair results, and two cases (16.7 %) had poor results. No cases developed skin necrosis, deep infection, bone collapse, or implant failure. However, two cases (16.7 %) had limited knee flexion to 90° and required subsequent quadricepsplasty. CONCLUSIONS: Use of this modified highly invasive approach facilitated anatomical reconstruction of C3-type complex distal femoral fractures with lower expected complication rate and acceptable clinical outcome, especially offering good reconstruction of the suprapatellar pouch area. It can be considered as a standby solution for managing these difficult injuries

Computational Prediction of the Mode of Binding of Antitumor Lankacidin C to Tubulin

Lankacidin C, which is an antibiotic produced by the organism Streptomyces rochei, shows considerable antitumor activity. The mechanism of its antitumor activity remained elusive for decades until it was recently shown to overstabilize microtubules by binding at the taxol binding site of tubulin, causing mitotic arrest followed by apoptosis. However, the exact binding mode of lankacidin C inside the tubulin binding pocket remains unknown, an issue that impedes proper structure-based design, modification, and optimization of the drug. Here, we have used computational methods to predict the most likely binding mode of lankacidin C to tubulin. We employed ensemble-based docking in different software packages, supplemented with molecular dynamics simulation and subsequent binding-energy prediction. The molecular dynamics simulations performed on lankacidin C were collectively 1.1 μs long. Also, a multiple-trajectory approach was performed to assess the stability of different potential binding modes. The identified binding mode could serve as an ideal starting point for structural modification and optimization of lankacidin C to enhance its affinity to the tubulin binding site and therefore improve its antitumor activity.The Supporting Information is available free of charge on the ACS Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b03470

Towards Robust and Unconstrained Full Range of Rotation Head Pose Estimation

Estimating the head pose of a person is a crucial problem for numerous applications that is yet mainly addressed as a subtask of frontal pose prediction. We present a novel method for unconstrained end-to-end head pose estimation to tackle the challenging task of full range of orientation head pose prediction. We address the issue of ambiguous rotation labels by introducing the rotation matrix formalism for our ground truth data and propose a continuous 6D rotation matrix representation for efficient and robust direct regression. This allows to efficiently learn full rotation appearance and to overcome the limitations of the current state-of-the-art. Together with new accumulated training data that provides full head pose rotation data and a geodesic loss approach for stable learning, we design an advanced model that is able to predict an extended range of head orientations. An extensive evaluation on public datasets demonstrates that our method significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in an efficient and robust manner, while its advanced prediction range allows the expansion of the application area. We open-source our training and testing code along with our trained models: https://github.com/thohemp/6DRepNet360