The assimilation process must take place in the shortest possible time and with the lowest costs. These desires are achievable through the most efficient procedures. The paper proposes a procedure ...for managing the assimilation process of a new product, based on the critical path method. The procedure is intended for a company producing plastic products. In the first phase there was a critical analysis of the existing procedure for assimilating a new product. In the following the study presents how the activities carried out for the assimilation of a new product were organized into a project. To implement this project it was used the Microsoft Project software. This is a tool that allows project management to use the critical path method. By applying this method, it can identify the critical activities within the project. In order to minimize the execution time of the project, the execution time of the critical activities must be reduced. The duration of an activity can be reduced by allocating additional resources. Using the Microsoft Project software in the analyzed case, provides to decision makers information that allows them to make decisions that will reduce the duration of the assimilation process of a new product.
Cancer treatments can have significant cardiovascular adverse effects that can cause cardiomyopathy and heart failure with reduced survival benefit and considerable decrease in the use of ...antineoplastic therapy. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression as an early marker for the risk of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy in correlation with early diastolic dysfunction in patients treated with doxorubicin. Our study included 25 consecutive patients who received treatment with doxorubicin for hematological malignancies (leukemia, lymphomas or multiple myeloma), aged 18-65 years, with a survival probability>6 months and with left ventricular ejection fraction>50%. Exclusion criteria consisted of the following: previous anthracycline therapy, previous radiotherapy, history of heart failure or chronic renal failure, atrial fibrillation, and pregnancy. In all patients, in fasting state, a blood sample was drawn for the assessment of TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression. Gene expression was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) using blood collection, RNA isolation, cDNA reverse transcription, qRT-PCR and quantification of the relative expression. At enrollment, all patients were evaluated clinically; an ECG and an echocardiography were performed. The average amount of gene expression units was 0.113 for TLR4 (range 0.059-0.753) and 0.218 for TLR2 (range 0.046-0.269). The mean mRNA extracted quantity was 113 571 ng/μl. As for the diastolic function parameters, criteria for diastolic dysfunction were present after 6 months in 16 patients (64%). In these patients, the mean values for TLR4 were 0.1198625 and for TLR2 were 0.16454 gene expression units. As for the diastolic function parameters, criteria for diastolic dysfunction were present after 6 months in 16 patients (64%). In these patients, the mean value for TLR2 was 0.30±0.19 and for TLR4 was 0.15±0.04. The corresponding values for the patients who did not develop diastolic dysfunction were 0.16±0.07 for TLR2 (P=0.01) and 0.11±0.10 for TLR4 (P=0.2). Our study suggests that TLR4 and TLR2 expression is higher in patients under doxorubicin therapy who develop diastolic dysfunction. This may suggest a predisposition to myocardial involvement, a higher sensitivity to doxorubicin cardiac effects.
Background. The prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) among gram-negative bacilli is rapidly increasing. Quantification of the prevalence and the common antimicrobial coresistance patterns of MDR ...gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB) isolates recovered from patients at hospital admission, as well as identification of patients with a high risk of harboring MDR-GNB, would have important implications for patient care. Methods. Over a 6-year period, patients who harbored MDR-GNB (i.e., patients who had MDR-GNB isolates recovered from clinical cultures within the first 48 h after hospital admission) were identified. “MDR-GNB isolates” were defined asPseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, andKlebsiella species isolates with resistance to at least 3 antimicrobial groups. A case-control study was performed to determine the independent risk factors for harboring MDR-GNB at hospital admission. Results. Between 1998 and 2003, the prevalence of MDR-GNB isolates recovered from patients at hospital admission increased significantly for all isolate species (P < .001), with the exception ofP. aeruginosa (P = .09). Of 464 MDR-GNB isolates, 12%, 35%, and 53% of isolates were coresistant to 5, 4, and 3 antimicrobial groups, respectively. Multivariable analysis identified age ⩾65 years (odds ratio OR, 2.8; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.1–7.4;P < .04), prior exposure to antibiotics for ⩾14 days (OR, 8.7; 95% CI, 2.5 –30;P < .001), and prior residence in a long-term care facility (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.3–9.4;P < .01) as independent risk factors for harboring MDR-GNB at hospital admission. Conclusion. A substantial number of patients harbor MDR-GNB at hospital admission. Identification of common coresistance patterns among MDR-GNB isolates may assist in the selection of empirical antimicrobial therapy for patients with a high risk of harboring MDR-GNB.
For the general public - and even for people with a science education - knowing to be subject to Radio Frequency (RF) radiation may arouse a feeling of uneasiness or even fear. Those feelings are ...instigated by the fact that you cannot see, hear, smell or feel RF radiation. Furthermore, the term radiation" in itself has become very sensitive from the moment that the hazardous health effects of excessive radioactive decay (ionizing radiation) have become apparent. Media announcements of mostly unconfirmed scientific studies add to the feeling of uneasiness. So, naturally, whenever a new Global System of Mobile communications (GSM) base station is installed in an urban environment, the people living in the neighborhood may get worried. The same applies when we propose to use RF radiation for powering wireless sensors in office and home spaces using harvesting energy sistem (HE).In this paper we determine if the electromagnetic field intensity values, measured at certain points, respect the limits set by law, the protection against risks to human health.
This paper presents the results that we attained about modeling and simulation of the metallographic samples preparation and analysis automated systems, made of two subsystems. The first subsystem ...polishes the samples and assesses the surface state by means of a microscope. In the second subsystem the samples are reagent attacked, washed, dried and analyzed by the electronic microscope. The evaluation of the system performance and the identification of possible bottlenecks was made by means of coloured Petri nets modeling and simulation. The CPN Tools software was used to make the model. Three coloured Petri nets models were developed. The first version assumes the analysis of the system operation by means of coloured Petri nets with simple colours, and such a simple colour was assigned to each entity of the subsystem: samples to be analyzed, robots, storage devices, microscopes etc. For a better observation of the analyzed sample path within the system, the second model version was designed, with complex colours assigned to the marks. The third version considers the time factor. The models with timed coloured Petri nets allow the system performance evaluation considering the number of analyzed samples in a given time interval. This paper presents the first and the third model, as the last one includes the second model.
Abstract
Background
Allium
species extracts including
Allium cepa
L. contain sulfur compounds, known for their antiplatelet, antimicrobial, antineoplasic activities.
Methodology
Antibacterial ...activity of a formulation based on
A
.
cepa
extracts-liquid and lyophilized samples, has been demonstrated using two classes of bacteria: Gram-positive (
Staphylococcus aureus
) and Gram-negative (
Escherichia coli
) and three methods: discs soaked with liquid extract, the wells method in the culture medium, filled with the liquid extract and lyophilized formulation extracts transformed by the incorporation of ultrapure water. The second part of this study includes identification of thiosulfinates compounds from the studied samples by high performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS).
Results
The most important inhibition and the highest antibacterial effficiency were observed against Gram-positive bacteria, such as
Staphylococcus aureus
. The HPLC-MS thiosulfinates profile of the tested formulation extracts shows the presence of seven thiosulfinate compounds, MeS(O)S 1-propenyl (
E
,
Z
);
n
-PrS(O)S 1-propenyl-(
E
);
n
-PrS(O)S 1-propenyl-(
Z
);
trans
-zwiebelane;
n
-PrS(O)CHEtSS-1propenyl; 1-propenylS(O)CHEtSS1-propenyl, which may be responsible for antibacterial activity.
Conclusion
Testing antimicrobial effects using the three mentioned methods confirmed the antimicrobial activity of the tested samples based on
A
.
cepa
extracts, with a demonstrated content of seven thiosulfinate compounds.
The paper presents the results of research on the use of hierarchical models with colored Petri nets in the evaluation of automated systems for the preparation and analysis of metallographic ...specimens. Modeling with hierarchical colored Petri nets was used to evaluate the performance of a preparation and analysis robotic system for metallographic samples. The automated system is composed of three subsystems: the subsystem for the preparation of metallographic samples, the subsystem for the attack with reagent of metallographic samples, the subsystem for the analysis of metallographic samples. Two models were made: a model with colored Petri nets with simple colors and a model with timed colored Petri nets with complex colors. Each model was developed on two hierarchical levels. Level 1 contains the model of the entire flexible system for the preparation and analysis of metallographic samples. Level 2 consists of three sub-models: the sub-model of the system for the preparation of metallographic samples, the sub-model of the system for the reagent attack of metallographic samples, the sub-model of the system for the analysis of metallographic samples. Models with timed colored Petri nets allow the evaluation of system performance in terms of the number of samples analyzed in a time interval. The performance of the modeled system was evaluated by simulation, considering a time interval of eight hours.
Context. The potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) (357439) 2004 BL86 grazed Earth on January 26, 2015 at a distance of about 1.2 million km. This favorable geometry allowed observing it to derive its ...physical and dynamical parameters. (357439) 2004 BL86 was previously estimated to be a 500-m body. We study it also considering possible mechanisms that might mitigate the effect of asteroids that might become dangerous for Earth. Aims. Physical and dynamical investigations of this peculiar object were performed to be able to characterize this object. Methods. We used spectral observations obtained in the visible (V) using the Isaac Newton Telescope and in the near-infrared (NIR) using the InfraRed Telescope Facility. A complementary photometric survey during two nights was also provided by the Astronomical Observatory Cluj-Feleacu station in Romania. We anlyzed the data using reliable mathematical tools that were previously published under the acronym M4AST. Results. VNIR spectral observations classify (357439) 2004 BL86 as V-type asteroid. The mineralogical analysis reveals its similarities to howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorites. The band analysis reveals that the object is more similar to a eucritic and howarditic composition, and that it originated from the crust of a large parent body. The analysis yields a mineralogical solution of Wo17Fs39 with an error bar of 4%. Based on the average value of the thermal albedo for V-type objects, its diameter was re-estimated to a value of 290 ± 30 m. The dynamical analysis shows a chaotical behavior of (357439) 2004 BL86. The statistics on meteorite falls show that (357439) 2004 BL86 does not appear to significantly contribute to the current howardite-eucrite-diogenite meteorite flux. For the two photometrical observing runs the following values of the rotational period and peak-to-peak amplitude were estimated for the light curves: 2.637 ± 0.024 h, 0.105 ± 0.007 mag, and 2.616 ± 0.061 h, 0.109 ± 0.018 mag, respectively.
The contribution of cis-regulation to adaptive evolutionary change is believed to be essential, yet little is known about the evolutionary rules that govern regulatory sequences. Here, we ...characterize the short-term evolutionary dynamics of a cis-regulatory region within and among two closely related species, A. lyrata and A. halleri, and compare our findings to A. thaliana. We focused on the cis-regulatory region of chalcone synthase (CHS), a key enzyme involved in the synthesis of plant secondary metabolites. We observed patterns of nucleotide diversity that differ among species but do not depart from neutral expectations. Using intra- and interspecific F1 progeny, we have evaluated functional cis-regulatory variation in response to light and herbivory, environmental cues, which are known to induce CHS expression. We find that substantial cis-regulatory variation segregates within and among populations as well as between species, some of which results from interspecific genetic introgression. We further demonstrate that, in A. thaliana, CHS cis-regulation in response to herbivory is greater than in A. lyrata or A. halleri. Our work indicates that the evolutionary dynamics of a cis-regulatory region is characterized by pervasive functional variation, achieved mostly by modification of response modules to one but not all environmental cues. Our study did not detect the footprint of selection on this variation.
In the metal cutting process, surface quality is intrinsically related to the cutting parameters and to the cutting tool geometry. At the same time, metal cutting processes are closely related to the ...machining costs. The purpose of this paper is to reduce manufacturing costs and processing time. A study was made, based on the mathematical modelling of the average of the absolute value deviation (Ra) resulting from the end milling process on 7136 aluminium alloy, depending on cutting process parameters. The novel element brought by this paper is the 7136 aluminium alloy type, chosen to conduct the experiments, which is a material developed and patented by Universal Alloy Corporation. This aluminium alloy is used in the aircraft industry to make parts from extruded profiles, and it has not been studied for the proposed research direction. Based on this research, a mathematical model of surface roughness Ra was established according to the cutting parameters studied in a set experimental field. A regression analysis was performed, which identified the quantitative relationships between cutting parameters and the surface roughness. Using the variance analysis ANOVA, the degree of confidence for the achieved results by the regression equation was determined, and the suitability of this equation at every point of the experimental field.
PDF
