Abstract: The modern world is experiencing fundamental and dynamic changes. The transformation of international relations; the end of confrontation and successive overcoming of the Cold War consequences have expanded possible international cooperation. The global nuclear conflict threat has been minimized, while a tendency to establish a unipolar world structure with the U.S. economic and power domination is growing. The current world system of international relations, apparently is secular. However, the religious beliefs of one or another nations play a certain (sometimes a key) role, both in the domestic affairs of the individual countries and in the development of bilateral ties. Political situation in Central Asia has been characterized by new factors such as international terrorism; religious extremism and radicalism; narcotrafficking and illicit arms trade of a global character immediately threaten to peace and political stability in Central Asia. The role and influence of Islamic fundamentalism is increasing; political ethnocentrism and the associated aggravation of inter-ethnic relations, the ambiguity of national interests and objectives of major geo-political groups in the Central Asian region regarding the division the political influence, emerge. This article approaches the following issues: the role of Islam in Central Asia; destabilizing factors in Central Asia; Islamic movements in Central Asia, Western Europe and the United States; the United States, Western Europe and Central Asia: religion, politics, ideology, and the US-Central Asia antiterrorism and religious extremism cooperation.
Abstract: The evaluation of unit cell neutronic parameters and
lifetime for some innovant reactors without on sit-refuling will be
held in this work. the behavior of some small and medium reactors
without on site refueling with triso and cermet fuel. For the FBNR
long life except we propose to change the enrichment of the Cermet
MFE to 9%. For the AFPR reactor we can see that the use of the
Cermet MFE can extend the life of this reactor but to maintain the
same life period for AFPR-SC we most use burnup poison to have the
same slope for Kinf (Burnup). PFPWR50 cell behaves almost in
same way using both fuels Cermet and TRISO. So we can conclude
that PFPWR50 reactor, with CERMET Fuel, is kept among the long
cycle reactors and with the new configuration we avoid subcriticality
at the beginning of cycle. The evaluation of unit cell neutronic
parameters reveals a good agreement with the goal of BWR-PB
concept. It is found out that the Triso fuel assembly lifetime can be
extended for a reasonably long period without being refueled,
approximately up to 48GWd/t burnup. Using coated particles fuels
with the Cermet composition can be more extended the fuel assembly
life time, approximately 52 GWd/t.
Abstract: Autofluorescence (AF) bronchoscopy is an
established method to detect dysplasia and carcinoma in situ (CIS).
For this reason the “Sotiria" Hospital uses the Karl Storz D-light
system. However, in early tumor stages the visualization is not that
obvious. With the help of a PC, we analyzed the color images we
captured by developing certain tools in Matlab®. We used statistical
methods based on texture analysis, signal processing methods based
on Gabor models and conversion algorithms between devicedependent
color spaces. Our belief is that we reduced the error made
by the naked eye. The tools we implemented improve the quality of
patients' life.
Abstract: This paper considers the exclusion of consumer rights by the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 in eauctions. The paper asserts that the absence of an individual auctioneer conducting each e-auction means that e-auctions may not be auctions at all. The paper also questions the justification for excluding consumer rights in e-auctions because the rationale for excluding consumer rights in traditional auctions does not fit with e-auctions due to the significant differences in the sale processes. The paper recommends reform by way of statutory amendment.
Abstract: To decompose organochlorides by bioremediation, co-culture biohydrogen producer and dehalogenation microorganisms is a useful method. In this study, we combined these two characteristics from a biohydrogen producer, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, and a dehalogenation microorganism, Pseudomonas putida, to enchance halorespiration in R. palustris. The genes encoding cytochrome P450cam system (camC, camA, and camB) from P. putida were expressed in R. palustris with designated expression plasmid. All tested strains were cultured to log phase then presented pentachloroethane (PCA) in media. The vector control strain could degrade PCA about 78% after 16 hours, however, the cytochrome P450cam system expressed strain, CGA-camCAB, could completely degrade PCA in 12 hours. While taking chlorinated aromatic, 3-chlorobenzoate, as sole carbon source or present benzoate as co-substrate, CGA-camCAB presented faster growth rate than vector control strain.
Abstract: The concurrent era is characterised by strengthened interactions among financial markets and increased capital mobility globally. In this frames we examine the effects the international financial integration process has on the European bond markets. We perform a comparative study of the interactions of the European and international bond markets and exploit Cointegration analysis results on the elimination of stochastic trends and the decomposition of the underlying long run equilibria and short run causal relations. Our investigation provides evidence on the relation between the European integration process and that of globalisation, viewed through the bond markets- sector. Additionally the structural formulation applied, offers significant implications of the findings. All in all our analysis offers a number of answers on crucial queries towards the European bond markets integration process.
Abstract: In this paper, an overview is made on the educational and research activities in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation in Libya, including development in rehabilitation science, research, training, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and physiatrist, which are mainly concerned with the patients in Libya[3] [13].
Abstract: Xanthan gum is one of the major commercial
biopolymers. Due to its excellent rheological properties xanthan gum
is used in many applications, mainly in food industry. Commercial
production of xanthan gum uses glucose as the carbon substrate;
consequently the price of xanthan production is high. One of the
ways to decrease xanthan price, is using cheaper substrate like
agricultural wastes. Iran is one of the biggest date producer countries.
However approximately 50% of date production is wasted annually.
The goal of this study is to produce xanthan gum from waste date
using Xanthomonas campestris PTCC1473 by submerged
fermentation. In this study the effect of three variables including
phosphor and nitrogen amount and agitation rate in three levels using
response surface methodology (RSM) has been studied. Results
achieved from statistical analysis Design Expert 7.0.0 software
showed that xanthan increased with increasing level of phosphor.
Low level of nitrogen leaded to higher xanthan production. Xanthan
amount, increasing agitation had positive influence. The statistical
model identified the optimum conditions nitrogen amount=3.15g/l,
phosphor amount=5.03 g/l and agitation=394.8 rpm for xanthan. To
model validation, experiments in optimum conditions for xanthan
gum were carried out. The mean of result for xanthan was 6.72±0.26.
The result was closed to the predicted value by using RSM.
Abstract: The growth of the aquaculture industry has been
associated with negative environmental impacts through the
discharge of raw effluents into the adjacent receiving water bodies.
Macrophytes from natural saline lakes, which have adaptability to the
high salinity, can be suitable for saline effluent treatment. Eight
emergent species from natural saline area were planted in an
experimental gravel bed hydroponic mesocosm (GBH) which was
treated with effluent water from an intensive fish farm using
geothermal water. In order to examine the applicability of the
halophytes in treatment processes, we tested the relative efficacy of
total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), potassium (K), sodium
(Na), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) removal for the saline
wastewater treatment. Four of the eight species, which were
Phragmites australis, Typha angustifolia, Glyceria maxima, Scirpus
lacustris spp. tabernaemontani could survive and contribute the
experimental treatment.
Abstract: Oxyleotris marmorata is considered as
undomesticated fish, and its culture occasionally faces a problem of
food deprivation. The present study aims to evaluate alteration of
hematological indices, blood chemical associated with liver function
during 4 weeks of fasting. A non-linear relationships between fasting
days and hematological parameters (red blood cell number; y = -
0.002x2 + 0.041x + 1.249; R2=0.915, P0.05), mean corpuscular
volume; y = -0.180x2 + 2.183x + 149.61; R2=0.732, P>0.05, mean
corpuscular hemoglobin; y = -0.041x2 + 0.862x + 29.864; R2=0.818,
P>0.05 and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; y = -
0.044x2 + 0.711x + 21.580; R2=0.730, P>0.05) were demonstrated.
Significant change in hematocrit (Ht) during fasting period was
observed. Ht elevated sharply increase at the first weeks of fasting
period. Higher Ht also was detected during week 2-4 of fasting time.
The significant reduction of hepatosomatic index was observed (y = -
0.007x2 - 0.096x + 1.414; R2=0.968, P0.05, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase;
y = 0.005x2 – 0.201x2 + 1.297x + 33.256; R2=1, P0.05). Taken together, prolonged fasting has
deleterious effects on hematological indices, liver mass and enzyme
associated in liver function. The marked adverse effects occurred
after the first week of fasting state.
Abstract: This study performs a comparative analysis of the 21 Greek Universities in terms of their public funding, awarded for covering their operating expenditure. First it introduces a DEA/MCDM model that allocates the fund into four expenditure factors in the most favorable way for each university. Then, it presents a common, consensual assessment model to reallocate the amounts, remaining in the same level of total public budget. From the analysis it derives that a number of universities cannot justify the public funding in terms of their size and operational workload. For them, the sufficient reduction of their public funding amount is estimated as a future target. Due to the lack of precise data for a number of expenditure criteria, the analysis is based on a mixed crisp-ordinal data set.
Abstract: The inherent iterative nature of product design and development poses significant challenge to reduce the product design and development time (PD). In order to shorten the time to market, organizations have adopted concurrent development where multiple specialized tasks and design activities are carried out in parallel. Iterative nature of work coupled with the overlap of activities can result in unpredictable time to completion and significant rework. Many of the products have missed the time to market window due to unanticipated or rather unplanned iteration and rework. The iterative and often overlapped processes introduce greater amounts of ambiguity in design and development, where the traditional methods and tools of project management provide less value. In this context, identifying critical metrics to understand the iteration probability is an open research area where significant contribution can be made given that iteration has been the key driver of cost and schedule risk in PD projects. Two important questions that the proposed study attempts to address are: Can we predict and identify the number of iterations in a product development flow? Can we provide managerial insights for a better control over iteration? The proposal introduces the concept of decision points and using this concept intends to develop metrics that can provide managerial insights into iteration predictability. By characterizing the product development flow as a network of decision points, the proposed research intends to delve further into iteration probability and attempts to provide more clarity.
Abstract: This paper presents the cepstral and trispectral
analysis of a speech signal produced by normal men, men with
defective audition (deaf, deep deaf) and others affected by
tracheotomy, the trispectral analysis based on parametric methods
(Autoregressive AR) using the fourth order cumulant. These
analyses are used to detect and compare the pitches and the formants
of corresponding voiced sounds (vowel \a\, \i\ and \u\). The first
results appear promising, since- it seems after several experimentsthere
is no deformation of the spectrum as one could have supposed
it at the beginning, however these pathologies influenced the two
characteristics:
The defective audition influences to the formants contrary to the
tracheotomy, which influences the fundamental frequency (pitch).
Abstract: The author present PID controller design for
following control of hard disk drive by characteristic ratio assignment
method. The study in this paper concerns design of a PID controller
which sufficiently robust to the disturbances and plant perturbations
on following control of hard disk drive. Characteristic Ratio
Assignment (CRA) is shown to be an efficient control technique to
serve this requirement. The controller design by CRA is based on the
choice of the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial of the
closed loop system according to the convenient performance criteria
such as equivalent time constant and ration of characteristic
coefficient. Hence, in this study, CRA method is applied in PID
controller design for following control of hard disk drive. Matlab
simulation results shown that CRA design is fairly stable and robust
whilst giving the convenience in controller-s parameters adjustment.
Abstract: Candida spp. are common and aggressive pathogens.
Because of the growing resistance of Candida spp. to current
antifungals, novel targets, found in Candida spp. but not in humans
or other flora, have to be identified. The alternative oxidase (AOX)
is one such possibility. This enzyme is insensitive to cyanide, but is
sensitive to compounds such as salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM),
disulfiram and n-alkyl gallates. The growth Candida albicans was
inhibited by SHAM (Ki = 9-15 mM) and cyanide (Ki = 2-4 mM),
albeit to differing extents. The rate of O2 uptake was inhibited by
less than 10% by 25 mM SHAM and by about 90% by 250 μM
KCN. Although SHAM substantially inhibited the growth of C.
albicans, it is unlikely that the inhibition of AOX was the cause.
Salicylhydroxamic acid is used therapeutically in the treatment of
urinary tract infections and urolithiasis, but it also has some potential
in the treatment of C. albicans infection.
Abstract: The beneficial effects of Si are mainly associated with
its high deposition in plant tissue and enhancing their strength and
rigidity. We investigated the role of Si against cadmium stress in
(Echium C) in house green condition. When the seventh leaves was
be appeared, plants were pretreated with five levels of Si: 0, 0.2, 0.5,
0.7and 1.5 mM Si (as sodium trisilicate, Na2(SiO2)3) and after that
plants were treated with two levels of Cd (30 and 90 mM). The
effects of Silicon and Cd were investigated on some physiological
and biochemical parameters such as: lipid peroxidation
(malondialdehyde (MDA) and other aldehydes, antocyanin and
flavonoid content. Our results showed that Cd significantly increased
MDA, other aldehydes, antocyanin and flavonoids content in
Echium and silicon offset the negative effect and increased tolerance
of Echium against Cd stress. From this results we concluded that Si
increase membrane integrity and antioxidative ability in this plant
against cd stress.
Abstract: In this paper a new definition of adjacency matrix in
the simple graphs is presented that is called fuzzy adjacency matrix,
so that elements of it are in the form of 0 and
n N
n
1 , ∈
that are
in the interval [0, 1], and then some charactristics of this matrix are
presented with the related examples . This form matrix has complete
of information of a graph.
Abstract: Fungal infections are becoming more common and the
range of susceptible individuals has expanded. While Candida
albicans remains the most common infective species, other Candida
spp. are becoming increasingly significant. In a range of large-scale
studies of candidaemia between 1999 and 2006, about 52% of 9717
cases involved C. albicans, about 30% involved either C. glabrata or
C. parapsilosis and less than 15% involved C. tropicalis, C. krusei or
C. guilliermondii. However, the probability of mortality within 30
days of infection with a particular species was at least 40% for C.
tropicalis, C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei and only 22% for
C. parapsilopsis. Clinical isolates of Candida spp. grew at rates
ranging from 1.65 h-1 to 4.9 h-1. Three species (C. krusei, C. albicans
and C. glabrata) had relatively high growth rates (μm > 4 h-1), C.
tropicalis and C. dubliniensis grew moderately quickly (Ôëê 3 h-1) and
C. parapsilosis and C. guilliermondii grew slowly (< 2 h-1). Based
on these data, the log of the odds of mortality within 30 days of
diagnosis was linearly related to μm. From this the underlying
probability of mortality is 0.13 (95% CI: 0.10-0.17) and it increases
by about 0.09 ± 0.02 for each unit increase in μm. Given that the
overall crude mortality is about 0.36, the growth of Candida spp.
approximately doubles the rate, consistent with the results of larger
case-matched studies of candidaemia.
Abstract: This work is an attempt to use the standard Smoothed
Particle Hydrodynamics methodology for the simulation of the
complex unsteady, free-surface flow in a rotating Turgo impulse
water turbine. A comparison of two different geometries was
conducted. The SPH method due to its mesh-less nature is capable of
capturing the flow features appearing in the turbine, without
diffusion at the water/air interface. Furthermore results are compared
with a commercial CFD package (Fluent®) and the SPH algorithm
proves to be capable of providing similar results, in much less time
than the mesh based CFD program. A parametric study was also
performed regarding the turbine inlet angle.
Abstract: The Tropical Data Hub (TDH) is a virtual research environment that provides researchers with an e-research infrastructure to congregate significant tropical data sets for data reuse, integration, searching, and correlation. However, researchers often require data and metadata synthesis across disciplines for crossdomain analyses and knowledge discovery. A triplestore offers a semantic layer to achieve a more intelligent method of search to support the synthesis requirements by automating latent linkages in the data and metadata. Presently, the benchmarks to aid the decision of which triplestore is best suited for use in an application environment like the TDH are limited to performance. This paper describes a new evaluation tool developed to analyze both features and performance. The tool comprises a weighted decision matrix to evaluate the interoperability, functionality, performance, and support availability of a range of integrated and native triplestores to rank them according to requirements of the TDH.