The aim of this paper is to propose, develop and test multi-radar multi-target tracking algorithm for maritime surveillance at over-the-horizon (OTH) distances. The proposed algorithm utilizes a ...weighted pure minimum mean square error (MMSE) algorithm for multi-radar data fusion and adaptive alpha - beta tracking algorithm for target tracking. The developed data fusion algorithm calculates the weighted center of mass of all targets observed by OTH radars (OTHRs) within a gate radius of predicted position, and uses it for a track update process. During the process a weighting factor which will be used in an adaptive alpha-beta tracking algorithm is derived. The weighting factor as well as alpha and beta factors are updated in each observation period and depend on all targets, which have fallen into a gate radius during the track update process. The algorithm is designed, implemented, and tested in an environment consisting of a simulated network of two OTHRs with significantly overlapping surveillance areas.
Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids and fibrous elements in arteries. It is characterized by dysfunction of endothelium and vasculitis, and ...accumulation of lipid, cholesterol, and cell elements inside blood vessel wall. In this study, a continuum-based approach for plaque formation and development in 3-D is presented. The blood flow is simulated by the 3-D Navier-Stokes equations, together with the continuity equation while low-density lipoprotein (LDL) transport in lumen of the vessel is coupled with Kedem-Katchalsky equations. The inflammatory process was solved using three additional reaction-diffusion partial differential equations. Transport of labeled LDL was fitted with our experiment on the rabbit animal model. Matching with histological data for LDL localization was achieved. Also, 3-D model of the straight artery with initial mild constriction of 30% plaque for formation and development is presented.
Electro-mechanical cochlea model Nikolic, Milica M.; Isailovic, Velibor M.; Teal, Paul ...
2015 IEEE 15th International Conference on Bioinformatics and Bioengineering (BIBE),
11/2015
Conference Proceeding
Cochlea is a part of the inner ear and it has complex anatomy and function. The proper functioning of the cochlea includes the generation of a traveling wave along the basilar membrane, which leads ...to depolarization of hair cells in the Organ of Corti and subsequent auditory nerve excitation (mechanoelectrical transduction). To represent the behavior of the organ of Corti, electro-mechanical cochlea model needs to be developed. This paper presents a simplified electro-mechanical state space model of the cochlea.
Lanthanide-doped fluoride up-converting nanoparticles (UCNPs) represent the new class of imaging contrast agents which hold great potential for overcoming existing problems associated with ...traditionally used dyes, proteins and quantum dots. In this study, a new kind of hybrid NaYF
:Yb,Er/PLGA nanoparticles for efficient biolabeling were prepared through one-pot solvothermal synthesis route. Morphological and structural characteristics of the as-designed particles were obtained using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, while their cytotoxicity as well as up-conversion (UC) labeling capability were tested in vitro toward human gingival cells (HGC) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The results revealed coexistence of the cubic (Fm-3m) and hexagonal (P6
/m) phase in spherical and irregularly shaped nanoparticles, respectively. PLGA Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) ligands attached at the surface of UCNPs particles provide their enhanced cellular uptake and enable high-quality cells imaging through a near-infrared (NIR) laser scanning microscopy (λ
= 980 nm). Moreover, the fact that NaYF4:Yb,Er/PLGA UCNPs show low cytotoxicity against HGC over the whole concentration range (10-50 μg/mL) while a dose dependent viability of OSCC is obtained indicates that these might be a promising candidates for targeted cancer cell therapy.
Abstract
The kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) greatly influences the performance and the costs of electrodes in fuel cells. Commercial platinum based electrocatalysts exhibit the ...highest performance, but also increase the cost of the fuel cells. On the other hand, carbon based platinum catalyst support is subject to oxidation, which causes agglomeration of the Pt nanoparticles and decrease in performance of the fuel cells. In order to overcome these issues, we have developed and prepared novel catalyst support based on cobalt and molybdenum carbides. Synthesis of CoMoC was done by chemical method, followed by the high temperature treatment. Since the high temperature preparation of the carbides usually produces low surface area materials, we have developed and prepared a specific carbon based matrix, where Co and Mo based precursors were added. High temperature treatment was done at several temperatures, from 750°C to 1200°C. Structural and morphological characterizations were done using XDR, SEM/EDX and BET analysis, and the obtained results show the formation of the mesoporous non-stoichiometric CoMoC, having the highest value of surface area of 97 m
2
g. It was shown that the increase in the preparation temperature leads to increase in the mixed carbide stoichiometry, which was ascribed to the high temperatures needed to transform molybdenum oxide into stable carbide. This catalyst support was used to deposit platinum nanoparticles via boron hydride reduction method to obtain several electrocatalyst having 1-10% Pt on the catalyst support. The electrochemical measurements with the prepared CoMoC and different Pt/CoMoC were done using cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry on the RDE in alkaline solution. The stability of the prepared catalyst support and catalysts was evaluated using accelerated test procedure by cycling the potential between 0.65 and 1.0 V in oxygen rich alkaline solution. The ORR kinetics parameters were determined and we found comparable performance of the 10% Pt/CoMoC with the commercial Pt/C (40%), which was ascribed to the non-stoichiometric nature of the catalyst support.
This paper discusses a microstrip fed UWB monopole antenna with a triple notch characteristic. The three notches are designed to occur at the WiMAX frequency range, the WLAN and at a third frequency ...in the higher end of the UWB range. Each of the three notches is controlled by a different type of resonators and each and every notch can be adjusted without affecting the position or the shape of the remaining two, thus allowing for an antenna design with adjustable, agile S 11 response.
The containers drayage problem studied here arise in ISO container distribution and collecting processes, in regions which are oriented to container sea ports or inland terminals. Containers of ...different sizes, but mostly 20ft, and 40ft empty and/or loaded should be delivered to, or collected from the customers. Therefore, the problem studied here is closely related to the vehicle routing problem with the time windows that finds an optimal set of or routes visiting deliveries and pickups customers. The specificity of the container drayage problem analyzed here lies in the fact that a truck may simultaneously carry one 40ft, or two 20ft containers, using an appropriate trailer type. This means that in one route two, three or four nodes can be visited, which is equivalent to the problem of matching nodes in single routes which provide a total travel distance shorter than in the case when nodes are visited separately. The paper presents two optimal MIP mathematical formulations for the case when pickup and delivery nodes could be visited only in specific time interals - time windows. Proposed approaches are tested on numerical examples.
There is evidence of a genetic basis in some cases of idiopathic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) types I and III, particularly those occurring in families. The clinical and ...morphological features and disease course in two siblings with MPGN are described. In the male sibling, both clinical and morphological features as well as serum complement profile suggested type I MPGN; electron microscopy appearance in the female sibling was consistent with type III MPGN. Both patients had treatment-resistant nephrotic syndrome which evolved into renal insufficiency in the girl. No hereditary complement deficiencies were found in siblings or their parents. Both children exhibited HLA-A24; -B27, w4; -DR11, 52; -DQ3 antigens. Between 1981 and 1996, 18 patients from eight families with unequivocal diagnosis of MPGN I or III had been described. The mode of inheritance appeared to be autosomal dominant or X-linked in four of these families. In 11 patients, including our 2, in whom HLA typing was performed, eight had the HLA-A2 antigen. Similarities and discrepancies regarding clinical and morphological features and outcomes were evident in these intrafamilial cases, suggesting either a similar genetic background or a multigenic origin of MPGN. The familial occurrence of the MPGN, highlighted by our report, supports the concept that genetically determined factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
OBJECTIVES To report the clinical features of the loose anagen hair syndrome and to test the hypothesis that the typical gap between the hair and the inner root sheath may result from hereditary ...defects in the inner root sheath or the apposed companion layer. DESIGN Case series. SETTING A pediatric dermatology unit (referral center). PATIENTS A consecutive sample of 17 children (13 girls). For 9 of them and their first-degree relatives, molecular analyses were performed in the K6HF gene with 50 appropriate controls. INTERVENTION Minoxidil therapy (5% lotion) in 11 patients for 1 to 12 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical and follow-up features and determination of mutations in the K6HF gene. RESULTS Most patients had easily pluckable hair with no sign of scalp inflammation or scarring. Ten patients seldom cut their hair, and 4 had unmanageable hair. One patient had hypodontia. Two patients had an additional clinical phenotype of diffuse partial woolly hair. The family history was positive for loose anagen hair syndrome in 5 patients. Marked improvement was noted after treatment with 5% minoxidil lotion in 7 of the 11 patients treated. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the gene segments encoding the α-helical 1A and 2B subdomains of K6hf, the type II cytokeratin exclusively expressed in the companion layer, was performed in 9 families. In 3 of these 9 families, a heterozygous glutamic acid and lysine mutation, E337K, was identified in the L2 linker region of K6HF. CONCLUSIONS Diffuse partial woolly hair can be associated with loose anagen hair syndrome. A keratin mutation, E337K in K6HF, was possibly causative in 3 of the 9 families studied. Another keratin, and possibly the type I partner of K6hf, could be responsible for loose anagen hair syndrome in other patients, or the gene involved may be a minor gene.Arch Dermatol. 2002;138:501-506-->
Silver is a known disinfectant from ancient times, and it has been widely used for various purposes: for food and water disinfection, curing of wounds and as a universal antibiotic for a wide ...spectrum of diseases - until the Second World War and the discovery of penicillin. Until recently, it was assumed that silver, being a heavy metal, was toxic for humans and living beings. However, the newest research provides facts that the usage of silver, even for drinking water disinfection, is benign if it is added in small concentrations (in parts per billion). It has been shown in the newer scientific and technical literature that silver in colloidal form is a powerful (secondary) disinfectant for drinking water, that it can be effectively used for the disinfection of water containers including swimming pools, installations in food industry, medicine, etc. Particularly, it has been shown that colloidal silver combined with hydrogen peroxide shows synergism having strong bactericidal and antiviral effects. The combination can be successfully used as a disinfectant in agriculture, food production and medicine. The original electrochemical process of production, the mechanism of physical-chemical reactions in that process and the mechanism of the antiseptic affect of the environmentally friendly disinfectant, based on the synergism of colloidal silver and hydrogen peroxide and the activity of electrochemically activated water, is shown. The starting solution was anolyte, obtained in electrochemical activation by water electrolysis of a highly diluted solution of K-tartarate in demineralized water (5.5-1CT4 M). The problem of electrolysis of very dilute aqueous solutions in membrane cells was particularly treated. It was shown that the efficiency of the electrolysis depends on the competition between the two processes: the rates of the processes of hydrogen and oxygen generation at the electrodes and the process of diffusion of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions through the cell membrane. Relatively strong disinfectant and sterilization action on standard races of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, blast spores and spores, as well as the safety of implementation of an environmentally friendly disinfectant was certified in a relevant institution, the Military Academy of Medicine in Belgrade.
U ovom radu prikazan je originalan tehnoloski postupak proizvodnje, mehanizam fizicko-hemijskih reakcija koje se desavaju u postupku dobijanja i diskutovan mehanizam antiseptickog delovanja ekoloski prihvatljivog univerzalnog dezinfekcionog sredstva, koje se zasniva na sinergetskom delovanju koloidnog srebra i vodonikperoksida i aktivnosti elektrohemijski aktivirane vode. Kao polazni rastvor upotrebljen je anolit nastao u procesu elektrohemijske aktivacije vode elektrolizom veoma razblazenog rastvora kalijumtartarata u demineralizovanoj vodi (5,5-10-4 M). Posebno je razmotrena problematika elektrolize veoma razblazenih vodenih rastvora u membranskim celijama za elektrolizu vode. Proverom dezinfekcionog dejstva i bezbednosti upotrebe u referentnoj ustanovi, VMA, utvrdjeno je relativno jako dezinfekciono i sterilizaciono dejstvo na standardne sojeve grampozitivnih i gramnegativnih bakterija, blastospore i spore, kao i bezbednost upotrebe.
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