Scope Of Use Research Articles

A Method of Panchromatic Image Modification for Satellite Imagery Data Fusion

The standard ratio of spatial resolution between bands for high resolution satellites is 1:4, which is typical when combining images obtained from the same sensor. However, the cost of simultaneously purchasing a set of panchromatic and multispectral images is still relatively high. There is therefore a need to develop methods of data fusion of very high resolution panchromatic imagery with low-cost multispectral data (e.g., Landsat). Combining high resolution images with low resolution images broadens the scope of use of satellite data, however, it is also accompanied by the problem of a large ratio between spatial resolutions, which results in large spectral distortions in the merged images. The authors propose a modification of the panchromatic image in such a way that it includes the spectral and spatial information from both the panchromatic and multispectral images to improve the quality of spectral data integration. This fusion is done based on a weighted average. The weight is determined using a coefficient, which determines the ratio of the amount of information contained in the corresponding pixels of the integrated images. The effectiveness of the author’s algorithm had been tested for six of the most popular fusion methods. The proposed methodology is ideal mainly for statistical and numerical methods, especially Principal Component Analysis and Gram-Schmidt. The author’s algorithm makes it possible to lower the root mean square error by up to 20% for the Principal Component Analysis. The spectral quality was also increased, especially for the spectral bands extending beyond the panchromatic image, where the correlation rose by 18% for the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization.

Potential objective biomarkers for fatigue among working women

The prediction of health impairment due to work overload is subjectively assessed based on recognized symptoms; however, objective evaluation is primarily ideal in the field of occupational health. Recently, some biomarkers of autonomic function and/or oxidative stress were reported to be associated with fatigue. This study aimed to preliminarily investigate whether these biomarkers could be objective indicators for fatigue and stress among working women. Participants included 118 full-time female workers (mean age 37.8 years), including 55 shift workers. Self-administered questionnaires, such as visual analog scale (VAS) for general health, a lifestyle questionnaire, SF-8 for health-related quality of life, and K6 for mental health screening, were used. In addition, biomarkers such as acceleration plethysmogram (APG), reactive oxygen metabolites-derived compounds (d-ROMs), and biological antioxidant potential (BAP) were measured. A significant association was observed between BAP and VAS (r=0.482, p<0.01) among shift workers. However, other biomarkers such as APG and d-ROMs were not significantly associated with symptoms. d-ROMs were significantly correlated with age and body mass index. There was a significant negative correlation between BAP and smoking. Results of the APG (low-frequency (LF) /high-frequency (HF) ratio) were significantly correlated with BAP, but not with d-ROMs. The LF/HF ratio and BAP for shift workers were significantly higher than those for day-time workers. Our results suggest that APG and BAP are potential objective biomarkers for fatigue among working women, although further follow-up studies are needed to clarify the scope of usefulness of the biomarkers for fatigue.

Multi-level quantization and blind equalization based direct transmission method of digital baseband signal

The direct transmission of digital baseband signals has practical significance in the field of Ethernet terminal connection, high-speed digital communication, data transmission of various types of information peripherals. The signal amplitude gradually decays while the transmission distance increases. Also the attenuation is proportional to the signal frequency, resulting in signal distortion and receiving error. It is a common method for digital baseband signal transmission to use pre-emphasis chip and equalizer chip to improve the transmission quality with a wide range of mature applications. This paper describes a new type of digital signal transmission method, as the receiver using analog-to-digital converter, instead of equalizer chip, to achieve the multi-level quantization of receiving time-domain data waveform. The waveform of the transmitted digital high and low level signal is sampled into multi-bit values. Then, the paper realizes adaptive frequency domain equalization based on soft threshold and makes use of multi-level quantization soft information for error correction. Error correcting code is mainly used to correct the error caused by the channel bandwidth limit, external noise or interference in the process of data transmission, so as to improve the stability and reliability of the transmission. The paper uses the two-stage error correcting codec system based on both Turbo and BCH coding, to achieve the high performance of Turbo code, and good characters of respond time and complexity. The transmitter outputs 12.5 MHz pseudo-random sequence through a 199.93 meter unshielded balanced twisted pair transmission medium. And the receiver circuit using a 62.5MSPS analog-to-digital converter over-samples the waveform to 8-level quantity. The output error of a 65536 bit pseudo-random sequence is less than 8 bits, and the error correction can be further improved by 8b-10b codec. Compared with the traditional pre-emphasis and balanced interface ICs connection, the method described in this article has the advantages of longer transmission distance, better flexibility and wider scope of use.

Limitations on the Use of Spill Treating Agents at Low Temperature

ABSTRACT 2017-367 Selecting appropriate countermeasures for spill response requires access to reliable information on the utility and limitations of available countermeasures for the oil type and environmental conditions encountered. The scope of use for four classes of oil spill treating agent was assessed using laboratory tests to provide insight to the functional limitations relative to low temperature. Dispersant effectiveness is found to be relatively unaffected by temperature, however the rheological properties of oil that physically limit dispersibility are temperature-dependent. A limiting threshold value for effective dispersion is established at which rheological properties dominate, while remaining highly dispersible below the threshold. Surface washing agent effectiveness is shown to be impacted by both the increased viscosity of the oil at low temperatures, as well as reduced penetration of the product into the oil. Greater benefit may be achieved through SWA use as an enhancement to warm water flushing, ensuring selection of a product with favorable cold-weather qualities to penetrate heavy oil residue. Herder effectiveness was not examined, however an assessment of physical properties found that product density may limit the scope of use in fresh water. Both products assessed had density values very near that of water. At low temperatures one of the assessed products became negatively buoyant in fresh water, with implications to marine applications where salinity at the surface is reduced. Solidifier effectiveness was found to modestly improve with decreasing temperature, reaching a limit at the point that the solidifier-treated oil lost cohesiveness as a gel. At a temperature of −10 °C, the solidifier is merely a rigid particulate sorbent; however, functionality is restored when the temperature is raised.

Rozsah využívání daňových úlev fyzických osob v ČR

The paper focuses on tax relief individuals that are used to support other desirable public policy. They may represent hidden subsidies in the tax system, reducing tax revenue and complications in the administration. Analysis of tax reliefs is complicated because their uniform definition does not exist. They can mean deductions from the tax base (tax allowances), the tax relief or the tax credit, which reduce the actual tax liability. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the scope of use of tax reliefs, which are granted to individuals in the Czech Republic, in the form of non-taxable portion of the tax. Methodically, the research relies on the evaluation of secondary statistical data of the Czech Republic Financial Management and is based on aggregated data from tax returns filed for the years 2005 - 2014, which are statistically processed further.

Estimation of Conditional Expected Value for Exponentially Autocorrelated Data

AbstractAutocorrelation of signals and measurement data makes it difficult to estimate their statistical characteristics. However, the scope of usefulness of autocorrelation functions for statistical description of signal relation is narrowed down to linear processing models. The use of the conditional expected value opens new possibilities in the description of interdependence of stochastic signals for linear and non-linear models. It is described with relatively simple mathematical models with corresponding simple algorithms of their practical implementation.The paper presents a practical model of exponential autocorrelation of measurement data and a theoretical analysis of its impact on the process of conditional averaging of data. Optimization conditions of the process were determined to decrease the variance of a characteristic of the conditional expected value. The obtained theoretical relations were compared with some examples of the experimental results.

What is the influence of single-entry models on access to elective surgical procedures? A systematic review

BackgroundSingle-entry models (SEMs) for the management of patients awaiting elective surgical services are designed to increase access and flow through the system of care. We assessed scope of use and...

EFFECT OF PHYTOESTROGENS ON LIPID PROFILE: MINI REVIEW

Phytoestrogens are structurally similar to its mammalian counterparts and are capable of producing estrogen-like effects and non-steroidal in nature. Their affinity to bind to the estrogen receptors, a class of cytoplasmic proteins, is far less in comparison to the natural estrogen hormones found in humans and other animals or even the synthetically prepared estrogen and, therefore, are far less potent. Even so, the usage of phytoestrogen in either dietary or supplemental form in postmenopausal women is gaining interest, as opposed to the conventional estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), which was so far being used to alleviate the postmenopausal symptoms and believed, with little experimental/clinical evidence, to cause a significant reduction in the threat of coronary heart diseases (CHD). This usage of phytoestrogen follows from the fact that the overall health risks exerted by ERT outweigh the benefits, and to a little extent, the perception that synthetically prepared, so-called “prescription estrogen” interferes with what is otherwise a natural process. It is crucial to explore the alternatives that mimic the beneficial effects of ERT, especially with regard to the minimization of the risk of developing CHD and further evaluation of the aforementioned risks in terms of lipid profiling while simultaneously keeping the health risks to a minimum. This review discusses the scope of use of phytoestrogen specifically pertaining to lipid profiling, their possible health benefits, and adverse effects if any. Keywords: Phytoestrogens, Postmenopause, Lipid profile, Isoflavones.

ISOLATION AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF THREE BACILLUS STRAINS FOR THEIR TOLERANCE AGAINST VARIOUS HEAVY METALS

Heavy metal contamination due to natural and anthropogenic sources is a global environmental threat which can produce harmful effects on human health when they are taken up in amounts that cannot be processed by the organism. Technologies involving microbial cells for metal removal and recovery may provide an alternative to conventional methods. In the present study, three cadmium resistant bacteria were isolated from soil collected from industrial area of Faridabad, Haryana, India. Screening of the bacterial isolates for metal resistance against Cd2+, Ni2+, Hg2+, Cu+2 and Pb2+ was done by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration ranging from 10ppm to 250ppm. Moreover these isolates showed a significant ability to remove 70 to 78% of cadmium. These isolates were identified as Bacillus sp.263ZY1 (MA5), Bacterium YC-LK-LKJ45 (MB5) and Bacillus subtilis strain DHXJ07(MC5) on the basis of 16S r-RNA gene sequencing. The ability of these microbes to tolerate high concentration of a range of heavy metals provides a scope of use of these bacterial strains for bioremediation of heavy metal from industrial effluent.

Standardization of 68Ge-68Ga using 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system for activity measurements

68Ga has great scope for use in future for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging due to its very fast blood clearance and fast target localization, even though at present 18F is widely used. 68Ge in equilibrium with 68Ga (68Ge-68Ga) can also be used as a surrogate for 18F calibration, as 18F source standardization can be done at national metrology institute (NMI) but, these standards cannot be sent to nuclear medicine centers (NMCs) across India for calibration of isotope calibrators, due to the short half-life of 18F (110min). Providing 68Ge-68Ga standards to NMCs requires that first standardization must be carried out at NMI (BARC in India) to provide traceability to the measurements carried out at NMCs. In the present work, standardization of 68Ge-68Ga was carried out using 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system and CIEMAT/NIST efficiency tracing technique. The decay scheme correction factors for two gamma windows were calculated by Monte Carlo technique using general purpose code FLUKA. The activity concentration values were normalized by the activity concentration obtained by 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting system using window-1. The final result reported to BIPM for 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting was calculated by taking arithmetic mean of activity concentrations obtained for two gamma windows. The normalized activity concentration obtained by 4πβ(LS)-γ coincidence counting was 0.998±0.005 and that obtained using CIEMAT/NIST efficiency tracing was 1.002±0.007 which are in excellent agreement within uncertainty limits.

Substantially Broader Scope of Use.

Substantially Broader Scope of Use.

Predicative possession in the languages of the Circum-Baltic area

AbstractThis paper deals with the linguistic means used to express predicative possession in the languages of the Circum-Baltic area. The domain of possession is considered here as a prototypically organized domain, where the prototype is the notion of ownership. It is shown that most languages of the area do not provide evidence of splits in their possession systems: rather, they extend the scope of use of their ownership constructions to include all other non-prototypical possessive notions. The linguistic expression of notions that belong to domains neighboring possession, namely experience, location and attribution, is also analyzed. The results show that these notions are rarely coded by means of possessive constructions: exceptions are explained by invoking semantic causes as well as language contact. A comparison of the functions fulfilled by “have”-verbs in the Indo-European languages of the area and by adessive constructions in the Finnic languages is provided, too, and their different scopes of use are explained with reference to their diachronic development and to processes of areal convergence.

Specificity of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Assays: Cross-Reactivity with Different BNP, NT-proBNP, and proBNP Peptides.

B-type natriuretic peptides (BNPs) are used clinically to diagnose and monitor heart failure and are present in the circulation as multiple proBNP-derived fragments. We investigated the specificity of BNP immunoassays with glycosylated and nonglycosylated BNP, N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), and proBNP peptides to probe the cross-reactivity of each assay. Nine B-type natriuretic peptides were studied,including synthetic and recombinant BNP (Shionogi, Scios, Mayo), human and synthetic glycosylated and nonglycosylated NT-proBNP (HyTest, Roche Diagnostics), and human glycosylated and nonglycosylated proBNP (HyTest, Scios). Five BNP [Abbott, Abbott POC, Alere, Beckman Coulter, Siemens (Centaur)], 9 NT-proBNP [Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Roche, Response, bioMerieux, Siemens (Dimension, Immulite, Stratus CS), Mitsubishi] and 3 research-use-only proBNP immunoassays [Biosite (Alere), Bio-Rad, Goetze] were evaluated. Specificity was assessed by calculating the recovery between baseline and peptide-spiked human plasma pools at target concentrations of 100 ng/L BNP, 300 ng/L proBNP, or 450 ng/L NT-proBNP. All assays were performed in duplicate. BNP and NT-proBNP assays demonstrated substantial cross-reactivity with proBNP peptides. NT-proBNP assays do not detect glycosylated forms of either NT-proBNP or proBNP. proBNP assays preferentially detect the BNP 1-32 peptide and have minimal cross-reactivity with BNP peptides and glycosylated proBNP. BNP or NT-proBNP results are not transferable among the current existing immunoassays owing to their differences in cross-reactivity and ability to detect various glycosylated forms of proBNP-derived fragments. Opportunities remain to standardize and harmonize BNP and NT-proBNP assays, as well as to develop specific proBNP assays, to widen their clinical scope of use.

Impact of Recycled Aggregates on Selected Physical and Mechanical Characteristics of Cement Concrete

The issue of using construction rubble was recognized in Europe not earlier than in the nineties of the twentieth century. This was due to economic and ecological considerations. However, recycled aggregate is characterized by high volatility of physical and mechanical properties. The quantity and type of various kinds of impurities harmful to the durability of concrete is virtually unpredictable. For over twenty years various organizations in different countries have tried to sort out this problem and possibly unequivocally define the criteria for the suitability of different types of recycled aggregates to the production of concrete. The article presents and compares the most important guidelines, currently in force, regulating the scope of use of recycled aggregates (RILEM as well as Japanese, German and European standards). The article also contains the results and the analysis of comparative studies of selected physical and mechanical characteristics of concrete produced with the use of natural aggregate and concrete produced with the use of recycled aggregate obtained from milling of masonry.

A Review of Non-destructive Evaluation Methods of Elements of Prototype Module of Drying Line Used to Receive RDF Fuel from Waste Recycling

The paper presents an overview of non-destructive quality control methods and some examples of test results of elements of prototype module of drying line used to receive RDF fuel from waste recycling. The line is object of considerable size and the authors used to control parts non-destructive methods with should be fully mobile and autonomous. During test the researchers used such methods as ultrasonic and penetration methods. In the article was shown not only the physical basics of used methods, the advantages and limitations of each method, but also test results. The publication contains examples of pulses obtained on the screen of ultrasonic flaw detector along with their interpretation. The results of investigations by liquid penetrant method were presented. The last part of publication is summary, which classified the scope of use of each method presented in the article.

Treatment of Printing and Dyeing Wastewater by Modified Montmorillonite

The composition of printing and dyeing wastewater is very complex, which is characterized by high alkalinity, color depth, organic matter and more. At present, the commonly used method for treating printing and dyeing wastewater is expensive and the scope of use is limited. This article focuses on the study of montmorillonite. Through the modification of montmorillonite to greatly increase its adsorption performance, and the treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater has a significant effect. The validation of the experiment provides a better solution for the treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater.

Dynamics of a marine lash system with a flexible link

In connection with increase in operating depths and expansion of the scope of use of marine lash systems (MLS), it is urgent to improve the theory and methods of designing their flexible links (FL) and refine the existing calculation methods. The existing calculation and design methods are either simplistic and do not take into account the actual loads and the nature of loading of the MLS FL or are rather complicated and cumbersome for design and construction kits and require considerable timing for their implementation. The mathematical model of the MLS dynamics includes not only the FL equations, but also the equations of dynamics of the tugboat and the towed UV. Their movement determines the boundary conditions at the FL nodes with the numbers i = 0 and i = N. The FL node with the number i = 0 is fixed to the tugboat, and the FL node with the number i = N is fixed to the UV. Dynamics of the tugboat and that of the towed UV differ only in their parameters, thus, the equations of their dynamics have the same form. Let us assume that the tugboat and the UV are absolutely rigid rods. Their position in space is determined by the coordinates of their center of mass (хi, yi, zi), the course angle (φk i), the trim angle (φd i) and the roll angle (φkr i). The length of the rods (Li) is equal to the length of the tugboat or the UV. The position of the center of mass is determined by the distance from the stern (Lki) to it. Based on the developed mathematical model, there has been determined a system of equations that describes the FL element dynamics as the result of impact of external forces and reactions of stretching, bending and turning. An algorithm for simulating the FL dynamics is obtained, which makes it possible to perform calculation of the dynamics of the MLS FL and further proceed to development of a computer program describing the MLS dynamics.

Модернизация соединений трубопроводов в машинах и оборудовании нефтегазовых промыслов

Introduction The problem of tight joint of pipelines and high pressure hoses (HPH) applied in various fields of human livelihood is considered. Special aspects of the high-pressure pipelines operation in the equipment of the oil and gas complex is as follows. At ambient temperatures below minus 50oC, it is needed to transmit thousands of tons of stratum fluids heated up to 200-250oC and containing aggressive media, abrasive and highly mineralized water. Materials and Methods. Various designs of metal seals applied in high pressure pipe connections are considered. Joints widely used for pipelines do not withstand pressures higher than 20-60 MPa. With that, in pipelines of the oil-industry equipment, pressure may exceed 100 MPa. A key feature of applying joints in question is to reduce their strength with increasing the diameter. These detriments confine the scope of use of the above-mentioned sealing schemes. It makes field repair of such joints, for example, during operation of oil and gas equipment, practically impossible. In this case, the use of quick connectors (Q/C) is required, for disassembling of which it is ample to have the keys. Research Results. For the solution to the specified problems, a principally new scheme of connection sealing for pipelines and HPH is developed and patented. The key element of the patented device is a stepped bushing which reliably seals the connection of pipelines and HPH. The stepped bushing (sealant) should be made of high-alloy steel by analogy with the joint in the flange couplings, and it can be hardened which will allow for increasing the strength of the connections in question and using them under low temperature conditions. Discussion and Conclusions. The comparative analysis of the sealing elements designs shows advantages of the proposed sealant. For its practical application, it is needed to optimize the shape and dimensions of the stepped bush in order to provide for leaktightness at given pressures, and, besides, to determine the required thread pull force to ensure safe performance of the unit.

Performance influence in submersible pump with different diffuser inlet widths

The diffuser inlet width is a key geometric parameter that affects submersible pump performance. On the basis of diffuser characteristic curve analyses, diffusers with different inlet widths and the same impeller were equipped to construct a submersible pump model through the use of AutoCAD software. The performance curves of the submersible pump, with six diffuser inlet widths, were obtained using computational fluid dynamics method. Simultaneously, the simulation results were tested with the experimental method presented in this article. The results show that the optimum value of the inlet width ( b3 = 50 mm) is larger than the experience-based one. With an increase in the inlet width, the optimum operating point of a submersible pump offsets to a larger flow rate. When the guide blade inlet width is approximately 40–55 mm, the submersible pump efficiency is relatively high, approximately 75.9%–83.7% capacity, and the flow rate is approximately 105–135 m3/h. The numerical results of submersible pump performance are higher than those of the test results; however, their change trends have an acceptable agreement with each other. The practical significance is supplied by changing the inlet width of the diffuser to expand the scope of use.

Auxanographic Carbohydrate Assimilation Method for Large Scale Yeast Identification.

The auxanographic carbohydrate assimilation had been an important method for differentiation of yeasts. Prevailing methods described in the literature for carbohydrate assimilation has limited scope for use in large scale yeast identification. To optimize the large scale auxanographic carbohydrate assimilation method for yeast identification. A modified auxanographic carbohydrate assimilation method was developed and a total of 35 isolates of Candida species comprising of four ATCC (American Type Culture Collection) Candida strains (Candida albicans ATCC 90028, Candida tropicalis ATCC 90018, Candida parapsilosis ATCC 750, Candida krusei ATCC 6258) and 31 clinical isolates of Candida tropicalis (n=13), Candida krusei (n=7), Candida glabrata (n=3), Candida kefyr (n=3), Candida albicans (n=5) were validated. The carbohydrates tested were Glucose, Sucrose, Maltose, Lactose, Cellubiose, Raffinose, Trehalose, Xylose, Galactose and Dulcitol. A total of 35 Candida species were tested for their carbohydrate assimilative property and the results were consistent with the existing standard protocols. A well circumscribed opaque yeast growth indicated assimilation of the test carbohydrate and translucent to opalescent growth with the outline of initial inoculum alone indicated lack of assimilation. The control plate indicated no growth of the Candida species. The carbohydrate assimilation tests finds utility for yeast diversity studies exploring novel ecological niches. The technique described here facilitates testing of an extended range of carbohydrates and yeasts in a cost effective manner.