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Pulmonary emphysema is a main part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Though, quantitative emphysema severity prediction is essential in patients with unclear lung cancer categories. Thus, diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema at the early stage is more significant and could save human life. Moreover, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation is a life-saving method that focuses on reducing the complexities in patients. When failure occurs in non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, there are more chances for mortality, which shows the significance of rational diagnosis. The delay in endotracheal intubation is avoided by developing different approaches, which leads to more demand. This paper plans to develop an enhanced system for pulmonary emphysema diagnosis using deep learning-based segmentation and classification. Initially, the detection model considers pre-processing with the help of Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) and average filtering. Moreover, lung segmentation is the major part of pulmonary emphysema diagnosis. Here, the enhanced U-Net model is utilized for lung segmentation by considering the multi-objective function with the developed algorithm. Then, the feature extraction is done using the local tri-directional weber pattern and local directional pattern descriptors. The extracted features are classified by the heuristically improved deep neural network based on a new algorithm, which will optimally diagnose the severity of pulmonary emphysema. Both segmentation and classification will be enhanced by proposing a new Electric Fish-based Grey Wolf Optimization (EF-GWO). Here, various performance metrics, like accuracy, precision, specificity, etc., on the public dataset by comparing with other models. The accuracy of the EF-GWO with E-UNet is 96%. The accuracy of the suggested developed EF-GWO based on HI-DNN is 97%. Hence, it verifies the superior performance of the recommended pulmonary emphysema disease diagnosis method with improved segmentation and classification techniques compared to other existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing technological trends in VLSI domain, quantum dot cellular automata (QCA) technology is slowly replacing CMOS technology due to its smaller feature size, high operating frequency and reduced power consumption. In the initial research phase, QCA has been used to implement various combinatorial and sequential circuits models, which are the fundamental blocks in various applications. Nowadays, researchers focus on the implementation of application-based designs using QCA. This motivated to implement the Galois field (GF) functions for SBox module in the most secure cryptography encryption standard AES with QCA. In AES, SBOX is the predominant power consumption modules. Hence, a research has been carried out to implement a compact QCA-based AES-SBOX with GF. This paper describes the implementation of our proposed QCA-based AES-SBOX with Galois field and analysis of various GF functional modules in terms of area, performance, energy and QCA cells used. The functional verification is performed using the simulated waveforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximized deployment of workflows in the research organizations has motivated the emergence of multi-tenant environment that offer these workflows deployment as a service. Hence, Workflow-as-a-Service (WaaS) model has been made by research organizations to handle the future model of Workflow Management System (WMS) that would serve a variety of users from a specific single point of provision. These mechanisms vary from widely used WMS in that they process a variety of scientific workflows at the time of execution. A widely used WMS is mostly used to run a single workflow in a dedicated set-up meanwhile WaaS-cloud platforms improving the set-up by adopting multiple workflows deployment in a multi-tenant service model. In this study, we leverage an advanced Virtual Machine (VM) sharing protocol to optimize VM utilization and to achieve specific Quality of Service conditions from a variety of users in WaaS cloud platforms. We present a Flexible Deadline-driven resource Provisioning and scheduling algorithm for Multiple workflows (FDPM) that can minimize the computing expenses by adapting VM sharing to make the workflow's execution cost lesser while achieving a user-assigned deadline. Our analysis proves that the FDPM algorithm can leverage the VM sharing protocol to make better performance with regard to minimizing the execution cost evaluated to the modified deadline-driven scheduling algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of the electroencephalography (EEG) signal is used to read the brain activity in the form of electrical patterns. EEG signals help to diagnose anomalies in the brain at the time of head injuries, epilepsy, seizures, brain tumor, dizziness and sleep deprivation. So such types of crucial signals should be transported in a secure method to avoid any data loss or to prevent noise interruptions which can lead to the misdetection of diseases. As the EEG signals are in higher-dimensional size, it should be compressed for effective transportation. In this research, a lossless compression method named as Huffman-based discrete cosine transform is implemented to transmit the EEG data efficiently. The discrete cosine transform and inverse discrete cosine transform are proposed here to increase the privacy of the data and reduce the complexity of the data. This paper mainly focuses on to get a high accuracy ratio in reconstructing the original data after compression and transportation without any losses in minimum computational time. The preprocessing and sampling are made at the initial stages to remove the noises and transmit the original data. The Huffman quantization method based on discrete cosine transform achieves high-performance metrics in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio, quality score and compression ratio when compared with existing methods in various transformations of data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which examined the superconducting compound YBa[sub2]Cu[sub3]O[sub7-x] and oxides of copper by secondary-ion-mass spectrometry (SIMS). Experimental procedures; Results; Conclusions.

Presents a surface analysis of bismuth-based cuprates superconductors through secondary ion mass spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Properties of cuprates superconductors; Discussion on kinetic energy distributions for secondary negative ions; Explanation for the emission of small clusters in bismuth-based cuprates.

Silicon dispersed β -FeSi 2 with different aluminium concentrations are synthesized using eutectoid decomposition of α -Fe 2 Si 5− x Al x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1). Phase fractions, microstructure and thermoelectric properties of the above compositions have been investigated. Al-doping in Si dispersed β -FeSi 2 results in increased hole-carrier concentration thereby enhancing the electrical conductivity without compromising the Seebeck coefficient. This results in maximum power factor value of 4.7 μ Wcm −1 K −2 at 773 K for the sample with x = 0.1 which is significantly higher than that of an undoped sample. The thermal conductivity of the samples was fitted with the Debye-Callaway model to understand the various scattering processes involved. The analysis shows that an increased point defect scattering of phonons with Al-doping in addition to scattering by Si/ β -FeSi 2 interface lowers the thermal conductivity significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional conditions during the intrauterine stage are an important developmental programming factor that can affect the growth and metabolic status during foetal development and permanently alter the phenotypes of newborn offspring and adults. This study was performed to examine the effects of intrauterine catch-up growth ( IUCG) on food intake, post-natal body growth and the metabolic status of offspring and growing rats. Control pregnant rats were fed ad libitum during the entire gestation period. For the IUCG regimen, pregnant rats were fed 50% of the food of the controls from pregnancy days 4 through 11 (8 days), followed by ad libitum feeding from pregnancy days 12 through parturition. The birth weight of offspring was not affected by the IUCG regimen. At weaning, offspring from each treatment group were assigned to two groups and given either a normal diet or high-fat diet ( HFD) for 12 weeks until 103 days of age. In the normal diet group, the IUCG offspring showed a 9.0% increase ( P < 0.05) in total food intake, were 11.2% heavier (p < 0.05) at 103 days of age and had an 11.0% greater (p < 0.05) daily weight gain compared with control offspring. The IUCG regimen did not affect body glucose and lipid metabolism. After exposure to the HFD, the IUCG regimen has not exacerbated metabolic disorders. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the IUCG nutritional regimen during pregnancy can increase the food intake and post-natal body growth of offspring without inducing metabolic disorders such as obesity and insulin resistance. The IUCG nutritional regimen might be used to improve the food intake and post-natal body growth of domestic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Rats fed high dosage of fructose that form a well-known experimental model of the metabolic syndrome also display progressive renal disturbances. The present study evaluates the influence ofl-carnitine (CA) administration on oxidant–antioxidant balance, protein damage and lipid levels in kidney of rats administered high dose of fructose. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of 10 rats each. Groups I and IV animals received starch-based control diet, while groups II and III rats were fed a high-fructose diet (60 g/100 g). Groups III and IV animals additionally received CA (300 mg/kg/day) for 60 days. The extent of lipid peroxidation, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and lipid levels were measured after 60 days. The accumulation of nitrated and oxidatively modified proteins in kidney was also measured by immunohistochemical study with specific antibodies. Results: Fructose-fed rats exhibited increased levels of peroxidation end products, diminished antioxidant status, increased staining for the presence of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, 2,4-dinitrophenol and 3-nitrotyrosine protein adducts and lipid accumulation in kidney. CA administration attenuated these pathological renal alterations. Conclusions: The benefits of CA in this model suggest the therapeutic use of CA to counter the kidney changes associated with metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Rats fed high dietary fructose are documented to form an acquired model of insulin resistance. The present study measured the effects of administration ofl-carnitine (CA) on lens protein glycation, oxidative stress and redox homeostasis in rats fed a high-fructose diet. 2. Animals were divided into four groups: (i) an untreated control group (fed starch diet); (ii) an untreated fructose-group (fed a high-fructose diet); (iii) a CA-treated (300 mg/kg per day), fructose-fed group; and (iv) a CA-treated, starch-fed group. After 60 days treatment, lenses were dissected and multiple oxidative stress markers, glycation of proteins and the ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione (GSSG/GSH) were determined. 3. A significant decline in enzyme and non-enzyme anti-oxidants and an increase in lipid peroxidation products, protein oxidation, protein glycation, GSSG/GSH ratio and aldehyde formation were observed in lens samples obtained from fructose-fed rats. Administration of CA to fructose-fed rats significantly attenuated oxidative damage and protein glycation and returned levels of anti-oxidants to near those seen in the control group. 4. The results of the present study indicate that dietary fructose disturbs lens integrity and exogenous CA may safeguard the lens by preventing glycation and oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently we showed that the administration of intraperitoneal L-carnitine (CA) has insulin-sensitizing effects in the high fructose-fed Wistar rat, a widely used model of metabolic syndrome. The present study was conducted to examine the regulatory effects of CA on blood pressure (BP) and related pressor mechanisms. Fructose-fed rats (FFR) showed elevated BP, cardiac hypertrophy, glucose intolerance, and increases in plasma glucose, insulin, free fatty acids (FFA), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. They also showed increased protein kinase C βII (PKC βII) expression and oxidative stress in cardiac tissue. In plasma, decreased kallikrein enzyme activity and nitric oxide metabolites were observed, compared to control. Simultaneous treatment with CA (300 mg/Kg) mitigated these alterations. PKC βII expression was similar to that of control; the rats displayed normal BP and ACE activity, enhanced antioxidant protection, and close to normal values of metabolic parameters. The BP-lowering effect of CA was abolished when CA-treated rats were administered L-nitroarginyl methyl ester (L-NAME 6g/Kg). These observations suggest that the BP-lowering action of CA in this model could be attributed to multiple and interrelated mechanisms, such as an increase in NO and kinin availability, reduction in PKC action, and antioxidant protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycation-initiated changes in tissue proteins are suggested to play an important role in the development of diabetes-related pathological changes. The purpose of this study was to examine the anti-glycating effect of L-carnitine (CA) in vivo in the high-fructose diet-fed rat and to determine the potential of CA to inhibit in vitro glycation. Additionally the glucose-disposal efficiency of CA in the rat diaphragm was investigated. High-fructose diet (60 g/100 g diet)-fed rats were treated with CA (300 mg/kg/day i.p.) for 60 days. The effect of CA on glucose, fructose and fructosamine in plasma, methyl glyoxal and glycated haemoglobin in whole blood and skin and tail tendon collagen glycation were determined. The inhibitory effect of CA on the glycation of bovine serum albumin in vitro was compared with that of aminoguanidine (AG), a known antiglycation agent. Glucose utilisation induced by insulin in the control rat diaphragm was monitored in the presence and absence of CA. High-fructose feeding induced hyperglycaemia and glycation of haemoglobin and skin and tail tendon collagen. In CA-administered fructose-fed rats glycation was significantly reduced. In vitro glycation and accumulation of advanced glycation end products were mitigated by CA. CA was more effective than AG in inhibiting glycation in vitro. CA also enhanced the utilisation of glucose in the rat diaphragm. The findings of the study reveal that CA not only has antiglycation effect but also enhances glucose disposal in the rat diaphragm. These findings provide evidence for the therapeutic utility of CA in diabetes and associated complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The intensities of the optical spectral lines emitted from a Ge(100) surface under Ar+ ion bombardment are studied as a function of the ion kinetic energy (1–5keV) and the partial pressure (5×10−6–5×10−4 Torr) of either germane or silane. For germane exposures, the Ge (GeI, 265nm and 304nm), H Balmer beta (486nm) and H Balmer gamma (434nm) optical lines are observed. For silane, additional peaks due to excited neutral Si (SiI, 288nm) and molecular SiH (A2Δ–X2Π, 414nm) are visible. The ion kinetic energy dependence of the GeI photon yields (265nm and 304nm) is analyzed in terms of the electron exchange mechanism. The similarity between the measured de-excitation parameters for germane and silane pressure between 5×10−6 and 5×10−4 Torr implies that the de-excitation mechanism does not change significantly. For both germane and silane exposures, the intensities of excited neutral Ge, H beta and H gamma optical lines increase with either larger partial pressures or ion kinetic energy. A similar trend is found for neutral SiI and molecular SiH emission during silane exposures. In contrast, the intensity of the H Balmer alpha transition (656nm) decreases with increasing incident ion kinetic energy at all measured partial pressures. Both trends are similar to that observed for either silane or germane exposed Si(100) surfaces under ion bombardment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The intensities of the optical spectral lines emitted from a Si(100) surface under Ar+ ion bombardment are studied as a function of the ion kinetic energy (1–5keV) and the partial pressure of germane. In these experiments, the ion flux is held constant while either the bombardment energy or the partial pressure of germane is varied. The excited neutral Si (SiI, 288nm), neutral Ge (GeI, 265nm and 304nm), H Balmer beta (486nm) and H Balmer gamma (434nm) optical lines are observed. With increasing germane partial pressure, a broad emission feature develops between 330 and 365nm and is assigned to excited GeH2 and/or GeH3 species. The emission intensities of the excited neutral Si, neutral Ge, Hβ and Hγ optical lines from the bombarded Si(100) surface increase with greater germane partial pressures and ion kinetic energy in a manner similar to that previously observed for silane exposures. In contrast to the monotonic increase of the above emission lines with higher germane partial pressures and greater incident kinetic energies, the H Balmer alpha (656nm) optical line exhibits unique behavior. Paralleling the behavior observed for silane exposed surfaces, the intensity of the Balmer alpha transition decreases with increasing incident ion kinetic energy at all measured partial pressures of germane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a study of the impact of aspartame on biochemical oscillations, we examined the rhythms of blood glucose, plasma cholesterol, and protein and serum aspartate transaminase (AST) in experimental rats. Our results showed acrophase delays in glucose, total protein and advances in AST rhythms and increased mesor (in AST), amplitude (in cholesterol) and decreased amplitude values (in glucose, AST) in aspartame treated animals. Oral administration of aspartame might lead to increased levels of aspartate in brain which could alter the characteristics of biochemical variables possibly by modulating the transmission in several areas/nuclei in brain including retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) and suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption and surface reactions of ICN on the Si(1 0 0)-(2×1) surface are studied using ab initio quantum calculations on model dimer clusters. ICN can physisorb via a dative bond through the N atom. This species can further react to form either a dissociated state through I–CN bond cleavage or a stable side-on intermediate by reacting across the dimer bond. There are two important differences between the ICN adsorption process and that of HCN. Unlike HNC, the INC dative bonded structure is not stable. Next, there is no transition state between the side-on adsorbed ICN and INC species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The adsorption of cyanogen iodide (ICN) on a silicon (1 0 0) surface is studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectroscopy. After submonolayer exposures, XPS indicates that the CN triple bond of ICN remains intact upon adsorption at 100 K. The UPS spectrum for submonolayer exposures at 100 K contains two peaks assigned principally to the π electrons in the CN triple bond. The splitting is due to the interaction between the π electrons of the cyanogen and the p electrons of the iodine. These results show that a portion of ICN molecules adsorbed molecularly. Higher exposures result in multilayer molecular ICN film. TPD spectra from both the submonolayer and multilayer films formed at 100 K show a peak at 170 K due to the desorption of adsorbed molecular ICN. In contrast to the low-temperature results, the UPS spectrum of ICN adsorbed at room temperature (RT) on Si(1 0 0) contains only one peak which originates principally from the π electrons in the CN triple bond. The lack of splitting in the RT UPS spectrum is a result of IC bond dissociation upon adsorption on Si(1 0 0). At RT the IC bond breaks while the CN bond remains intact. Upon annealing the Si(1 0 0) surface to higher temperatures, the UPS and XPS spectra indicate that the CN triple bond starts to disappear at &ap;470 K. Simultaneous changes in the C 1s and N 1s photoelectron peaks between 470 and 800 K are consistent with the idea that CN bond cleavage in ICN is correlated with silicon carbide and nitride formation. By 800 K, all adsorbed CN species decompose completely into silicon carbide and nitride. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents data from a research experiment which hatched lungfish 40-52 weeks in order to examine the development of the pineal, pituitary and thyroid glands. Indepth look at the experiment; What each phase in the experiment found; Detailed information on the conclusions of the experiment.

The aim of this study is to investigate the biocompatibility and anti- Vibrio efficacy of green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using an aqueous leaf extract of Adathoda vasica (A. vasica ). The green synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV–vis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). A. vasica AgNPs showed significant antibacterial activity against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in agar bioassay and well diffusion method. Further, nanoparticles interactions with bacteria and its antibacterial activity were confirmed by CLSM analysis. In vivo evaluation results confirmed that synthesized A. vasica AgNPs had good antibacterial efficacy and also nontoxic to the Artemia nauplii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modified forms of Bi 2 Te 3 system attracts immense importance in thermoelectric generation by providing a green and clean technology for converting low-grade waste heat into electrical energy. Herein, we have explored the potential of a new material graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) for tuning the thermoelectric properties of Bi 0·4 Sb 1·6 Te 3. The electronic and lattice transport properties of Bi 0·4 Sb 1·6 Te 3 are effectively decoupled through nanostructuring, modification of carrier concentration through defect engineering and embedding g-C 3 N 4 nanostructures in the bulk material which leads to the synergetic optimization of power factor and suppressed thermal conductivity due to all-scale hierarchical architecture. All the Bi 0·4 Sb 1·6 Te 3 /g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposites exhibit reduction in thermal conductivity and we obtained an ultra-low thermal conductivity of 0.33 W/mK for Bi 0·4 Sb 1·6 Te 3 nanocomposite with 1% g-C 3 N 4. The simultaneous optimization of electrical and lattice transport properties leads to a marked improvement in figure of merit from 0.295 for pristine Bi 0·4 Sb 1· 6Te 3 to a peak value of 1.09 for Bi 0·4 Sb 1·6 Te 3 with 0.50% g-C 3 N 4. • The transport properties of Bi 0.4 Sb 1.6 Te 3 are decoupled through nanostructuring, defect engineering and embedding g-C 3 N 4 nanostructures. • An ultra low thermal conductivity of 0.33 W/mK is obtained due to the enhanced scattering of phonons at the boundaries, interfaces and defects. • Ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets are found attached to Bi 0.4 Sb 1.6 Te 3 particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher manganese silicide (HMS) is considered as a promising thermoelectric material at intermediate temperatures. Samples of Si-rich HMS were prepared by arc melting followed by ball milling combined with densification by an induction hot uni-axial pressing (HP) and spark plasma sintering (SPS), respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction, SEM and EPMA studies confirmed the presence of Si in HMS matrix. TEM micrographs on milled powders further confirmed the presence of Si particles with an average size of ~5–10 nm in HMS matrix. Microstructure investigations on densified samples revealed that SPS process seems to be a beneficial tool for embedding the nanostructures of Si (~20–50 nm) particles in HMS matrix. SPS also controls the grain growth of HMS during densification, which in turn reduces the total thermal conductivity from ~4.4 W/m.K to 2.10 W/m.K. On the other hand, samples processed by HP showed the value of ~2.44 W/m.K with similar sintering parameters as in SPS used for densification. Huge reduction in lattice thermal conductivity of about ~55%, and a considerable increase in Seebeck value was observed in Si-rich BMed HMS. However, reduction in electrical conductivity associated with insulating Si particles in HMS matrix limited the z T to ~0.26 at 725 K. Scattering of mid-to-long wavelength phonons by increased grain boundaries of HMS and embedded Si nano-particles and their consequence in lattice thermal conductivity of Si-rich HMS as a function of temperature. Image 1 • Higher manganese silicide (HMS) with embedded Si nano-particles was prepared by arc melting and ball milling. • Pertitectic formation of long-striped MnSi in the matrix of HMS was completely suppresses via addition of excess Si. • Thermal conductivity of MnSi 2 was drastically reduced due to increased scattering of mid-to-long wavelength phonons. • Si-rich HMS sample thus densified by SPS for 2 min shows the highest z T value of ~0.26 at 725 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hysteresis loops exhibited by the thermal properties of undoped and 0.8 at.% W-doped nanocrystalline powders of VO2 synthesized by means of the solution combustion method and compacted in pellets, are experimentally measured by photothermal radiometry. It is shown that: (i) the W doping reduces both the hysteresis loops of VO2 and its transition temperature up to 15 °C. (ii) The thermal diffusivity decreases (increases) until (after) the metallic domains become dominant in the VO2 insulating matrix, such that its variation across the metal-insulation transition is enhanced by 23.5% with W-0.8 at.% doping. By contrast, thermal conductivity (thermal effusivity) increases up to 45% (40%) as the metallic phase emerges in the VO2 structure due to the insulator-to-metal transition, and it enhances up to 11% (25%) in the insulator state when the local rutile phase is induced by the tungsten doping. (iii) The characteristic peak of the VO2 specific heat capacity is observed in both heating and cooling processes, such that the phase transition of the 0.8 at.% W-doped sample requires about 24% less thermal energy than the undoped one. (iv) The impact of the W doping on the four above-mentioned thermal properties of VO2 mainly shows up in its insulator phase, as a result of the distortion of the local lattice induced by the electrons of tungsten. W doping at 0.8 at.% thus enhances the VO2 capability to transport heat but diminishes its thermal switching efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]