Triple Scheme Research Articles

Características morfogênicas e estruturais de Urochloa spp. sob manejo convencional e consorciado com cereais1

Os sistemas de integracao lavoura-pecuaria surgem como alternativa ao modelo tradicional de uso do solo, o qual busca promover viabilidade tecnica, ecologica e socioeconomica da area utilizada. O objetivo foi avaliar em duas epocas do ano as respostas morfogenicas e estruturais de duas cultivares de Urochloa brizantha ja estabelecidas, mediante sistema convencional e integracao lavoura-pecuaria. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial triplo 2 x 3 x 2, sendo duas forrageiras (Marandu e Piata); tres sistemas de manejo (convencional, integracao com milho e sorgo); duas estacoes (verao e outono), com quatro repeticoes. Foram avaliadas as caracteristicas morfogenicas e estruturais. A integracao de gramineas forrageiras tropicais com culturas graniferas nao proporcionou impactos negativos nas caracteristicas morfo-estruturais das cultivares de Urochloa brizantha, sendo as estacoes do ano promotoras de maiores alteracoes, tais como, reducao de 33,8% na duracao de vida das folhas no verao. No entanto, nesta estacao, houve aumento de 39,3 e 30,9% na taxa de aparecimento e alongamento foliar, respectivamente. Verificase que o sistema de integracao cultural e eficiente na formacao de pastagem e, que o capim-Marandu e Piata sao alternativas para esse tipo de sistema.

Early indirect selection for nitrogen use efficiency in maize

Several studies to evaluate nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) have been carried out using early growth stages. However, there are no scientific reports on the ideal stage for evaluation and on which characteristics have the highest correlation with the NUE at that stage. The aim therefore was to identify the phenological stages and secondary characteristics which maximize accuracy in early indirect selection for NUE in maize. To do this, three endogamic maize strains were evaluated in a completely randomised design with five replications, in a triple factorial scheme (strains x N levels x phenological stage), at two contrasting nitrogen levels: low and high nitrogen. The plants were evaluated at five growth stages: stage nine (V9), with 14 fully-developed leaves (V14), tasseling (VT), flowering (R1) and physiological maturity (R6). The following characteristics were evaluated: efficiency in the usage, absorption, use and translocation of nitrogen; activity of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase; length of the lateral and axial roots; specific root area; chlorophyll content; number of leaves; plant height; stem diameter; and the levels of phosphorus and potassium. Considering the estimated direct and indirect gains, it can be concluded that the activities of glutamine synthetase at the V9 and V14 stages permit early indirect selection for nitrogen use efficiency in maize under conditions of low and high N availability respectively.

Yield of conilon coffee using the programmed pruning cycle and different cultivation densities

Determining the correct population of plants and number of orthotropic stems to be kept per area, along with optimal pruning management, is very important for crops of Coffea canephora. The aim of this work was to improve conilon coffee cropping management, evaluating the influence of the programmed pruning cycle with different combinations of spacing and numbers of orthotropic stems per plant on crop yield. Two experiments were carried out: one with smaller spacing and lower numbers of stems per plant, and another with larger spacing and higher numbers of stems per plant. Both assays followed a triple factorial scheme 2 x 3 x 4 (2 spacing x 3 numbers of stems per plant x 4 harvests) in a random block statistical design, using four replications and 11 plants pen plot. The results show that a reduction in spacing associated with an increase in number of stems per plant has a positive effect on the conilon coffee yield.

Limited efficacy of West Nile virus vaccines in large falcons (Falco spp.)

West Nile virus (WNV) can lead to fatal diseases in raptor species. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine which has been designed specifically for use in breeding stocks of falcons. Therefore the immunogenicity and protective capacity of two commercially available WNV vaccines, both approved for use in horses, were evaluated in large falcons. One vaccine contained adjuvanted inactivated WNV lineage 1 immunogens, while the second represented a canarypox recombinant live virus vector vaccine. The efficacy of different vaccination regimes for these two vaccines was assessed serologically and by challenging the falcons with a WNV strain of homologous lineage 1. Our studies show that the recombinant vaccine conveys a slightly better protection than the inactivated vaccine, but moderate (recombinant vaccine) or weak (inactivated vaccine) side effects were observed at the injection sites. Using the recommended 2-dose regimen, both vaccines elicited only sub-optimal antibody responses and gave only partial protection following WNV challenge. Better results were obtained for both vaccines after a third dose, i.e. alleviation of clinical signs, absence of fatalities and reduction of virus shedding and viraemia. Therefore the consequences of WNV infections in falcons can be clearly alleviated by vaccination, especially if the amended triple administration scheme is used, although side effects at the vaccination site must be accepted.

Pairwise and Triple Key Distribution in Wireless Sensor Networks with Applications

We address pairwise and (for the first time) triple key establishment problems in wireless sensor networks (WSN). Several types of combinatorial designs have already been applied in key establishment. A BIBD(v, b, r, k, λ) (or t - (v, b, r, k, λ) design) can be mapped to a sensor network, where v represents the size of the key pool, b represents the maximum number of nodes that the network can support, and k represents the size of the key chain. Any pair (or t-subset) of keys occurs together uniquely in exactly λ nodes; λ = 2 and λ = 3 are used to establish unique pairwise or triple keys. We use several known constructions of designs with λ = 2, to predistribute keys in sensors. We also describe a new construction of a design called strong Steiner trade and use it for pairwise key establishment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper on application of trades to key distribution. Our scheme is highly resilient against node capture attacks (achieved by key refreshing) and is applicable for mobile sensor networks (as key distribution is independent on the connectivity graph), while preserving low storage, computation and communication requirements. We introduce a novel concept of triple key distribution, in which three nodes share common keys, and discuss its application in secure forwarding, detecting malicious nodes and key management in clustered sensor networks. We present a polynomial-based and a combinatorial approach (using trades) for triple key distribution. We also extend our construction to simultaneously provide pairwise and triple key distribution scheme, and apply it to secure data aggregation.

Implementing the plasma-lasing potential for tabletop nano-imaging

Implementing the plasma-lasing potential for tabletop nano-imaging on across a hot plasma medium drives short-wavelength lasing, promising for "turnkey" nano-imaging setups. A systematic study of the illumination characteristics, combined with design-adapted objectives, is presented. It is shown how the ultimate nano-scale feature is dictated by either the diffraction-limited or the wavefront-limited resolution, which imposed a combined study of both the source and the optics. For nano-imaging, the spatial homogeneity of the illumination (spot noise) was shown as critical. Plasma-lasing from a triple grazing-incidence pumping scheme compensated for the missing spot homogeneity in classical schemes. We demonstrate that a collimating mirror pre-conditions both the pointing stability and the divergence below half a mrad.

INFLUENCE OF ANTIBIOTICS, SEALING SYSTEM AND GENOTYPE ON SHOOT REGENERATION VIA ORGANOGENESIS IN PASSION FLOWERS

In this work we evaluated the influence of three antibiotics (A) [Meropenem (MER), Cefotaxime (CEF) and Timentin (TIM)], three sealing systems-SS (PVPM, Petri dish, and PVC) and two genotypes (G) (Passiflora edulis ‘FB’ 100 and P. cincinnata) on shoot regeneration from in vitro cultured leaf explants. Explants were grown on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg.L-1 6-benzyladenine (BA) plus different concentrations of MER (0, 12.5 and 25.0 mg.L-1), CEF (0, 250 and 500 mg. L-1) or TIM (0, 150 and 300 mg.L-1), for five days in the dark. The flasks were sealed with three types of material (SS): polypropylene folding bag with microbial filter (ESPM), Petri dish with hypoallergenic tape (PDH), and a single layer of polyvinyl chlorine film (PVC). After explant inoculation and sealing of the flasks, these were transferred to a growth room at temperature 27±2°C. The flasks were transferred to a 16/8 h (light/dark) photoperiod, under irradiance of 36 μmol.m-2.s-1, for 30 days. The experimental design was completely randomized in triple factorial scheme. Each treatment was replicated four times, and each replicate consisted of ten leaf explants. Shoot regeneration was evaluated 30 days after inoculation. Data were subjected to variance analysis and means were compared by Tukey’s test at 5% probability. Percentage data were transformed in arcsin before analysis. Significant differences were observed for G, SS, A, and double (G x SS and G x A) and triple (G x SS x A) interactions on the shoot regeneration. In general, the best response with respect to G was obtained with P. edulis ‘FB-100’. For SS ESPM is more indicated, whereas TIM presented the better results among antibiotics evaluated. Regarding to the triple interactions the best responses achieved were P. cincinnata x PDH x R (12.5 mg.L-1), and P. edulis x ESPM x TIM (150 mg.L-1). Based on these results we suggest the use of different protocols for the two species.

EVOLUTION OF PATIENTS WITH AIDS AFTER cART: CLINICAL AND LABORATORY EVOLUTION OF PATIENTS WITH AIDS AFTER 48 WEEKS OF ANTIRETROVIRAL TREATMENT

SUMMARY Combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART) aims to inhibit viral replication, delay immunodeficiency progression and improve survival in AIDS patients. The objective of this study was to compare two different schemes of cART, based on plasma viral load (VL) and CD4+ T lymphocyte count, during 48 weeks of treatment. For this purpose, 472 medical charts of a Specialized Outpatient Service were reviewed from 1998 to 2005. Out of these, 58 AIDS patients who had received a triple drug scheme as the initial treatment were included in the study and two groups were formed: Group 1 (G1): 47 individuals treated with two nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and one non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor; Group 2 (G2): 11 patients treated with two NRTI and one protease inhibitor. In G1 and G2, 53.2% and 81.8% respectively were patients with an AIDS-defining disease. The T CD4+ lymphocyte count increased progressively up until the 24th week of treatment in all patients, while VL became undetectable in 68.1% of G1 and in 63.6% of G2. The study concluded that the evolutions of laboratory tests were similar in the two treatment groups and that both presented a favorable clinical evolution.

Marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart.): a study of value chain and processing

This article aims to discuss the needs and problems of marolo value chain, as well as to evaluate the rehydration process of this fruit as a possibility of using it as a by-product during the interharvest growth periods. The study of the value chain included interviews with producers, handlers, and fruit and by-product sellers. In order to evaluate the rehydration process of this fruit, marolo was dehydrated using a conventional procedure and freeze-drying. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design and a triple factorial scheme (2 × 2 × 6). ANOVA was performed, followed by the Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Regression models were generated and adjusted for the time factor. The precariousness of the value chain of marolo was observed. The best procedure for marolo dehydration should be determined according to the intended use of the dehydrated product since the water-absorption capacity of the flour is higher and convective hot-air-drying is more effective in retaining soluble solids and reducing damage to the fruit. These results aim at contributing to the marolo value chain and to the preservation of native trees in the Brazilian savanna biome and can be used to analyze other underutilized crops.

Replay Attack Prevention in Kerberos Authentication Protocol using Triple Password

Replay attack and password attacks are serious issues in the Kerberos authentication protocol. Many ideas have been proposed to prevent these attacks but they increase complexity of the total Kerberos environment. In this paper we present an improved method which prevents replay attacks and password attacks by using Triple password scheme. Three passwords are stored on Authentication Server and Authentication Server sends two passwords to Ticket Granting Server (one for Application Server) by encrypting with the secret key shared between Authentication server and Ticket Granting server. Similarly,Ticket Granting Server sends one password to Application Server by encrypting with the secret key shared between TGS and application server. Meanwhile, Service-Granting-Ticket is transferred to users by encrypting it with the password that TGS just received from AS. It helps to prevent Replay attack.

Broadband non‐selective excitation of plutonium isotopes for isotope ratio measurements in resonance ionization mass spectrometry: a theoretical study

Making isotope ratio measurements with minimum isotope bias has always been a challenging task to mass spectrometrists, especially for the specific case of plutonium, owing to the strategic importance of the element. In order to use resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) as a tool for isotope ratio measurements, optimization of the various laser parameters and other atomic and system parameters is critical to minimize isotopic biases. Broadband simultaneous non-selective excitation of the isotopes of plutonium in the triple resonance excitation scheme with λ(1) = 420.77 nm, λ(2) = 847.28 nm, and λ(3) = 767.53 nm based on density matrix formalism has been theoretically computed for the determination of isotope ratios. The effects of the various laser parameters and other factors such as the atomization temperature and the dimensions of the atomic beam on the estimation of isotope ratios were studied. The effects of Doppler broadening, and time-dependent excitation parameters such as Rabi frequencies, ionization rate and the effect of non-Lorenztian lineshape have all been incorporated. The average laser powers and bandwidths for the three-excitation steps were evaluated for non-selective excitation. The laser intensity required to saturate the three-excitation steps were studied. The two-dimensional lineshape contour and its features were investigated, while the reversal of peak asymmetry of two-step and two-photon excitation peaks under these conditions is discussed. Optimized powers for the non-selective ionization of the three transitions were calculated as 545 mW, 150 mW and 545 mW and the laser bandwidth for all the three steps was ~20 GHz. The isotopic bias between the resonant and off-resonant isotope under the optimized conditions was no more than 9%, which is better than an earlier reported value. These optimized laser power and bandwidth conditions are better than in the earlier experimental work since these comprehensive calculations yield simultaneous and much more accurate isotope ratios than those in the sequential and less accurate determination reported earlier. Application of these theoretical calculations to minimize the isotopic biases under these conditions for the rapid, efficient and accurate isotope ratio measurements using RIMS has been outlined.

Germinação in vitro de Passiflora gibertii N. E. Brown com escarificação mecânica e ácido giberélico

The objective of this work was to study the in vitro germination of Passiflora gibertii N. E. Brown seeds, regarding the scarification type, the effect of using GA3 growth regulator and the use of fresh or dry seeds. Ripe fruit seeds were washed in water and dried for four days (dry seeds). After this period, new seeds were isolated from fruits and washed in water (fresh seeds). Different scarification methods were tested (removing the tip seed by using forceps and scalpel or with sandpaper and the control treatment with no scarification). After scarification, seeds were inoculated in MS culture medium, containing half of its salt concentration supplemented with different concentrations of GA3 (0, 28.87, 57.74, 86.61 and 115.47 ?M) and were kept in a growth room under controlled conditions. The experimental design used was completely randomized in a triple factorial scheme 3x2x5 (scarification type, fresh or dry seeds and GA3 concentration) with four replications per treatment, each one consisting of five test tubes and each tube containing one seed. The evaluation was carried out in intervals of two days for 45 days. The percentage of germinated seeds and the germination speed index (GSI) were observed. Highest averages for the variables analyzed were obtained with the seed tip scarification by using forceps and scalpel. The highest percentage of germination was obtained for dry seeds with the seed tip scarification. The GA3 growth regulator addition to the culture medium had no effect on the analyzed variables.

Low Overhead Soft Error Mitigation Techniques for High-Performance and Aggressive Designs

The threat of soft error induced system failure in computing systems has become more prominent, as we adopt ultradeep submicron process technologies. In this paper, we propose two efficient soft error mitigation schemes, namely, Soft Error Mitigation (SEM) and Soft and Timing Error Mitigation (STEM), using the approach of multiple clocking of data for protecting combinational logic blocks from soft errors. Our first technique, SEM, based on distributed and temporal voting of three registers, unloads the soft error detection overhead from the critical path of the systems. SEM is also capable of ignoring false errors and recovers from soft errors using in-situ fast recovery avoiding recomputation. Our second technique, STEM, while tolerating soft errors, adds timing error detection capability to guarantee reliable execution in aggressively clocked designs that enhance system performance by operating beyond worst-case clock frequency. We also present a specialized low overhead clock phase management scheme that ably supports our proposed techniques. Timing-annotated gate-level simulations, using 45 nm libraries, of a pipelined adder-multiplier and DLX processor show that both our techniques achieve near 100 percent fault coverage. For DLX processor, even under severe fault injection campaigns, SEM achieves an average performance improvement of 26.58 percent over a conventional triple modular redundancy voter-based soft error mitigation scheme, while STEM outperforms SEM by 27.42 percent.

Effektivnost' i perenosimost' kombinatsiy aranozy s tsisplatinom i topotekanom v eksperimente

The paper presents the results of a trial of aranosa (Ar) combinations with topotecan (T) and cisplatin (P) (TP, TAr, PAr, TPAr) used against Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC). A triple consecutive administration scheme in doses of 0.-5.0 mg/kg (T), 2.5-3.0 mg/kg (P), and 100-200 mg/kg (Ar) was used. Synergism was shown by the combinations TAr, PAr, and TPAr with their satisfactory tolerance. The combinations TAr and TPAr versus T monotherapy are the standard of second-line therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer and the combination TP significantly more effective and comparable in hematological toxicity.

Clinical trial: clarithromycin vs. levofloxacin in first‐line triple and sequential regimens for Helicobacter pylori eradication

Helicobacter pylori eradication rates with standard triple therapy have declined to unacceptable levels. To compare clarithromycin and levofloxacin in triple and sequential first-line regimens. A total of 460 patients were randomized into four 10-day therapeutic schemes (115 patients per group): (i) standard OCA, omeprazole, clarithromycin and amoxicillin; (ii) triple OLA, omeprazole, levofloxacin and amoxicillin; (iii) sequential OACM, omeprazole plus amoxicillin for 5 days, followed by omeprazole plus clarithromycin plus metronidazole for 5 days; and (iv) modified sequential OALM, using levofloxacin instead of clarithromycin. Eradication was confirmed by 13C-urea breath test. Adverse effects and compliance were assessed by a questionnaire. Per protocol cure rates were: OCA (66%; 95% CI: 57-74%), OLA (82.6%; 75-89%), OACM (80.8%; 73-88%) and OALM (85.2%; 78-91%). Intention-to-treat cure rates were: OCA (64%; 55-73%), OLA (80.8%; 73-88%), OACM (76.5%; 69-85%) and OALM (82.5%; 75-89%). Eradication rates were lower with OCA than with all the other regimens (P < 0.05). No differences in compliance or adverse effects were demonstrated among treatments. Levofloxacin-based and sequential therapy are superior to standard triple scheme as first-line regimens in a setting with high clarithromycin resistance. However, all of these therapies still have a 20% failure rate.

Quality of security through triple key scheme in wireless sensor networks

AbstractQuality and security are two intertwined concepts where quality seeks perfection while security countermeasures the elements which weakens the quality. Wireless sensor networks have emerged as a promising future of many sensitive applications. Due to the wireless media and the deployment nature, sensor networks are more prone to security attacks. Several security solutions have been proposed, mostly adding overheads to already resource limited sensor networks. Delivering security and quality simultaneously is challenging because security mechanism severely affects quality mechanisms in terms of performance, data confidentiality, availability, integrity, and authentication. This paper presents a quality of security (QoSec) concept through a triple key scheme (TKS) which has comparatively low security overheads hence providing a quality security solution against the known attacks in wireless sensor networks. Three metrics; time to transmit, latency overheads, and energy overheads are used to do comparative analysis with other existing solutions. Experimental results show that TKS has low overheads hence delivering a quality security at low computational cost. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Design and Optimization of Gate Sidewall Spacers to Achieve 45 nm Ground Rule for High-Performance Applications

In this paper, we describe our triple sidewall spacer scheme to achieve 45 nm ground rule for high-performance applications. This triple sidewall spacer scheme uses three kinds of sidewall spacers, in which the first sidewall is used for the source/drain extension implantation offset (SW1), the second is for the p-channel field effect transistor (PFET) embedded silicon germanium offset (SW2), and the third spacer is for the deep source/drain implantation offset (SW3). We also evaluated the impact of sidewall spacer materials and structures on device characteristics. After optimizing each sidewall spacer material and structure including offset width, we successfully demonstrated identical device characteristics with the minimum poly-pitch layout while minimizing layout dependence. This sidewall spacer scheme has the capability to achieve the 45 nm ground rule, and our sidewall spacer design is mature and suitable for 45-nm-node high-performance applications.

Defined serum-free culturing conditions for neural tissue engineering of human cord blood stem cells.

Taking tissue engineering applications into clinical trials requires the development of efficient and safe protocols incorporated with effective 3-dimensional cell culturing and differentiation systems in order to develop transplantable tissues that may offer a life-line for patients in the future. Cord blood, which is perhaps the most abundant world stem cell source, has shown previously practical and ethical advantages over other stem cells sources in many research and clinical applications including regenerative medicine. We previously developed a three-step protocol for isolation, expansion and sequential neuronal differentiation of cord blood pluripotent stem cells (characterized with our unique triple immunocytochemisty scheme for Oct-4, Sox-2 and Nanog) in defined serum-free culturing conditions. In this study we incorporated this protocol with 3-dimensional culturing systems which produced artificial neuronal tissues expressing Nestin, NF-200, TUJ1, PSD-95 and NeuN. We showed that cord blood pluripotent stem cells are a potential and promising candidate for future neural tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Triple image encryption scheme in fractional Fourier transform domains

We proposed a triple image encryption scheme by use of fractional Fourier transform. In this algorithm, an original image is encoded in amplitude part and other two images are encoded into phase information. The key of encryption algorithm is obtained from the difference between the third image and the output phase of transform. In general case, random phase encoding technology is not required in the proposed algorithm. Moreover, all information of images is preserved in theory when image are decrypted with correct key. The optical implementation of the algorithm is presented with an electro-optical hybrid structure. Numerical simulations have demonstrated the efficiency and the security of this algorithm. Based on this scheme a multiple image algorithm is expanded and designed.

Rheumatoid nodule of the thyrohyoid membrane: a case report

BackgroundRheumatoid nodules are common extra-articular findings occurring in 20% of rheumatoid arthritis patients. They develop most commonly subcutaneously in pressure areas (elbows and finger joints) and may occasionally affect internal organs including pleura, lungs, meninges, larynx, and in other connective tissues elsewhere in the bodyCase presentationWe present the case of a 62-year-old male who presented with a midline neck mass. Clinically it moved on swallowing and tongue protrusion-suggesting attachment to the thyrohyoid membrane. Ultrasound examination revealed a cystic lesion in the absence of cervical lymphadenopathy in a non-smoker. The neck was explored and histological examination of the excised lesion which was attached to the thyrohyoid membrane revealed a rheumatoid nodule.ConclusionA rheumatoid nodule of the thyrohyoid membrane is very rare. The triple diagnostic scheme of clinical examination supplemented with ultrasound and guided fine needle aspiration for neck lumps remains valid in most cases. If excision is indicated we feel it should be performed in such a manner that the scar tract could easily be encompassed in a neck dissection excision should definitive histological examination be adverse. We suggest that when dealing with patients with established rheumatoid arthritis one should consider a rheumatoid nodule as a differential diagnosis for any swelling on the patient whether it be subcutaneous or deep.