Microwave combination heating: Coupled electromagnetics‐ multiphase porous media modeling and MRI experimentation

The work includes development of a multiphase porous media model and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiments to study microwave combination heating. Combination of electromagnetic, convective and radiant heating was considered. The material being heated was modeled as a hygroscopic porous medium with different phases: solid matrix, water and gas, and included pressure driven flow, binary diffusion and phase change. The three‐dimensional transport model was fully coupled with electromagnetics to include the effect of variable properties. MRI was used to obtain spatial temperature and moisture distributions to validate the model. The model demonstrated that high and low moisture materials behave differently under different combinations of heating and general guidelines for combining heating modes were obtained. Low moisture materials can be heated effectively using higher microwave power which is not possible in high moisture material. Cycling of microwave was found to be useful in distribution of excessive volumetric heat generated by microwaves. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012     

A connectionist processing metaphor for diagnostic reasoning

This article describes LIBRA/Dx, a competition-based parallel activation model for diagnostic reasoning. Within a causal network, the model uses a neurally inspired processing paradigm to generate the most plausible explanation for a set of observed manifestations. the model was built using LIBRA: a domain-independent parallel activation network generator, that can be used to build network models with processing paradigms that are tailored to the specifics of an application domain. the underlying theory postulates that by simultaneously satisfying multiple constraints that may exist locally among domain concepts in a causal network (e.g., among disorders, syndromes, manifestations, etc.) it is possible to construct a plausible global explanation for a set of observed signs and symptoms. the proposed processing paradigm which uses an associative network of concepts to represent domain knowledge, lends itself to the kind of interactive processing that is necessary to capture the generative capacity of human diagnostic ability in novel situations. LIBRA/Dx offers a new approach to modeling a higher cognitive process: diagnostic reasoning, specifically in terms of the time-course of processing and the nature of knowledge representation. It further contributes to our current understanding of the phenomena of human cognition, which have eluded successful explication in conventional computational formalisms.     

Haemonchus contortus: characterization and purification of excretory/secretory protease(s)

The activity of protease(s) has been examined separately in excretory/secretory (E/S) products from male and female Haemonchus contortus (Nematoda: Trichostrongylidae). The E/S proteolytic activity indicated the presence of preabsorptive digestion of host blood and/or tissues. Protease activity was optimum at 37 degrees C, pH 8.5 and 8.0 mg casein. These protease(s) were purified to 32.16- and 88.80-folds from male and female E/S products, respectively, by sequential purification with saturated ammonium sulphate followed by ion-exchange chromatography. The purification study revealed the presence of isomeric forms of protease(s) in the E/S products of H. contortus.     

Transitory image sequences, asymptotic properties, and estimationof motion and structure

A transitory image sequence is one in which no scene element is visible through the entire sequence. This article deals with some major theoretical and algorithmic issues associated with the task of estimating structure and motion from transitory image sequences. It is shown that integration with a transitory sequence has properties that are very different from those with a nontransitory one. Two representations, world-centered (WC) and camera-centered (CC), behave very differently with a transitory sequence. The asymptotic error rates derived in this article indicate that one representation is significantly superior to the other, depending on whether one needs camera-centered or world-centered estimates. We introduce an efficient “cross-frame” estimation technique for the CC representation. For the WC representation, our analysis indicates that a good technique should be based on camera global pose instead of interframe motions. Rigorous experiments were conducted with real-image sequences taken by a fully calibrated camera system     

Electrification by Contact Charge Exchange: A Literature Survey of Microscopic Models

There is a wide assortment of complicated electrical charge-exchange phenomena that can occur when two materials are simply brought into contact and then separated. The relevant literature is extensive and complicated. Thus the literature on microscopic models of contact electrification is surveyed, and the essential features are systematically condensed so that comparisons can be readily made between the various theoretical models. Particular attention has been focused on controversies and some areas in need of investigation.     

Pregnancy following intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment with dead husband's spermatozoa: ethical and policy considerations

This paper describes the first pregnancy in a childless widow after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment with her deceased husband's spermatozoa which had been stored for nearly 3 years before use. Before his death the husband had received treatment for testicular cancer and he had given the appropriate written consent for the future use of his spermatozoa. Of the 10 eggs injected, six resulted in normal embryos. Three embryos were transferred and the remaining three embryos are currently stored for possible future use. The treatment resulted in a continuing singleton pregnancy. The case demonstrated the suitability of ICSI in those difficult cases where the sperm quality is extremely poor. This success is also compared with a widely debated case of another widow who was refused permission to use her deceased husband's spermatozoa. It is concluded that in the case of posthumous use of frozen spermatozoa, the current laws are conveniently applicable in a chronic illness but not so in an acute illness leading to death. In the light of the wide public debate on the issues raised by this legal case, the UK Government has also decided to conduct a review of consent procedures involving the storage and use of genetic material.     

Proof rules for flush channels

Flush channels generalize conventional asynchronous communication constructs such as virtual circuits and datagrams. They permit the programmer to specify receipt-order restrictions on a message-by-message basis, providing an opportunity for more concurrency in a distributed program. A Hoare-style partial correctness verification methodology for distributed systems which use flush channel communication is developed, and it is shown that it it possible to reason about such systems in a relatively natural way