An Agent-Based Model for Simulating Environmental Behavior in an Educational Organization

Neural Processing Letters - Agent-based modeling (ABM) is an increasingly popular technique for modeling organizations or societies. In this paper, an ABM of environmental decisions in an academic...     

Improved Nyquist filter characteristics using spline interpolation

This paper presents and investigates a novel approach for constructing a family of intersymbol interference (ISI)-free pulses that shows comparable or better ISI performance in the presence of sampling errors, compared with some recently proposed pulses. We propose and discuss a new parametric method for the design of Nyquist filter characteristics using constraints in frequency characteristics construction. The method for constructing the filter characteristics uses a piecewise polynomial approximation of an ideal optimized staircase characteristic by spline functions. The spline polynomials are used to approximate a function that must pass through specified points. The performances of new ISI-free pulses are studied with respect to the ISI error probability. This family provides flexibility in designing an appropriate pulse even after the roll-off factor has been chosen. The results for error probability outperform the fourth-degree polynomial pulse [4].     

Infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts after storage of experimentally contaminated apples

Irrigation water and washing water have been inferred to be associated with contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables with pathogenic microorganisms infectious for humans. The objective of the present study was to determine whether apples experimentally contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts represent a food safety concern. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed no morphological changes in Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts attached to apples after 6 weeks of cold storage, suggesting that oocysts might remain viable and possibly infectious during prolonged storage. Mice were fed apple peels from experimentally contaminated apples to determine whether oocysts had remained infectious on apples stored for 4 weeks. All mice developed cryptosporidiosis. To evaluate the strength of oocyst attachment to apples, washing methods that have been reported to be helpful for recovery of oocysts from various foodstuffs were evaluated, except that the intensity of washing was increased in the present study. None of the tested washing methods succeeded in completely removing oocysts from the apple peel. The most efficient removal (37.5%) was achieved by rigorous manual washing in water with a detergent and by agitation in an orbital shaker with Tris-sodium dodecyl sulfate buffer. Glycine and phosphate-buffered saline buffers had no effect on oocyst removal. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that some oocysts were attached in deep natural crevices in the apple exocarp and others were attached to the smooth surface of the peel. Some oocysts were closely associated with what appeared to be an amorphous substance with which they might have been attached to the apple surface.     

Computationally designed monomers for molecular imprinting of chemical warfare agents - Part V

The main objective of this research is to develop and apply state-of-the-art computational tools to achieve an understanding of intermolecular interactions in molecular imprinting of chemical warfare (CW) agents into complex monomeric systems. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were carried out for different monomeric molecular systems in order to predict the interaction energies, the closest approach distances and the active site groups between the simulated molecular systems and different CW agents. The minimized structures of CW agents have been obtained with the use of molecular mechanics approach. NVT MD simulations at room temperature were carried out to obtain equilibrated conformations in all cases. The simulated molecular systems consisted of a ligand (CW agents) and commonly used functional monomers.During this study, it was found that electrostatic interactions play the most significant role in the formation of molecular imprinting materials. The simulated systems indicate that the functional groups of monomers interacting with ligands tend to be either -COOH or CH₂CH-.     

Poly(4-vinylpyridine)-based hydrogen bonded side-chain liquid crystal polymers

Novel liquid crystalline (LC) poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP)-based side-chain polymers were prepared from PVP and cyanobiphenyl (HOCnB) derivatives through intermolecular hydrogen-bonding between hydroxyl groups of the cyanobiphenyl derivatives and the nitrogen of PVP. PVP was used as a hydrogen bond acceptor polymer. A series of HOCnB having a linear alkoxy chain HOCnH_2n + 1O–(n = 2–6) have been used as H-bond donor. The existence of H-bonding was confirmed using FTIR spectroscopy. The polymeric complexes behave as LC polymers and exhibit stable mesophases. DSC and optical microscopy were used to investigate LC behaviour. All PVP–LC-complexes exhibited stable and homogeneous nematic phases. On increasing spacer length or concentration of the hydrogen bonded mesogenic unit in the complex, the clearing temperature and the temperature range of the nematic phase increased. The binary phase diagram of the polymeric complexes PVP–HOCnB showed complete miscibility over the entire range of composition. Molecular interactions of self-assembled SCLCP presented the idea that various LC-complexes could be prepared through mixing a functionalised polymer with various low molar mass mesogens.     

Pixel’s Quantum Image Enhancement Using Quantum Calculus

The current study provides a quantum calculus-based medical image enhancement technique that dynamically chooses the spatial distribution of image pixel intensity values. The technique focuses on boosting the edges and texture of an image while leaving the smooth areas alone. The brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans are used to visualize the tumors that have spread throughout the brain in order to gain a better understanding of the stage of brain cancer. Accurately detecting brain cancer is a complex challenge that the medical system faces when diagnosing the disease. To solve this issue, this research offers a quantum calculus-based MRI image enhancement as a pre-processing step for brain cancer diagnosis. The proposed image enhancement approach improves images with low gray level changes by estimating the pixel’s quantum probability. The suggested image enhancement technique is demonstrated to be robust and resistant to major quality changes on a variety of MRI scan datasets of variable quality. For MRI scans, the BRISQUE “blind/referenceless image spatial quality evaluator” and the NIQE “natural image quality evaluator” measures were 39.38 and 3.58, respectively. The proposed image enhancement model, according to the data, produces the best image quality ratings, and it may be able to aid medical experts in the diagnosis process. The experimental results were achieved using a publicly available collection of MRI scans.     

Optimality of Solution with Numerical Investigation for Coronavirus Epidemic Model

The novel coronavirus disease, coined as COVID-19, is a murderous and infectious disease initiated from Wuhan, China. This killer disease has taken a large number of lives around the world and its dynamics could not be controlled so far. In this article, the spatio-temporal compartmental epidemic model of the novel disease with advection and diffusion process is projected and analyzed. To counteract these types of diseases or restrict their spread, mankind depends upon mathematical modeling and medicine to reduce, alleviate, and anticipate the behavior of disease dynamics. The existence and uniqueness of the solution for the proposed system are investigated. Also, the solution to the considered system is made possible in a well-known functions space. For this purpose, a Banach space of function is chosen and the solutions are optimized in the closed and convex subset of the space. The essential explicit estimates for the solutions are investigated for the associated auxiliary data. The numerical solution and its analysis are the crux of this study. Moreover, the consistency, stability, and positivity are the indispensable and core properties of the compartmental models that a numerical design must possess. To this end, a nonstandard finite difference numerical scheme is developed to find the numerical solutions which preserve the structural properties of the continuous system. The M-matrix theory is applied to prove the positivity of the design. The results for the consistency and stability of the design are also presented in this study. The plausibility of the projected scheme is indicated by an appropriate example. Computer simulations are also exhibited to conclude the results.     

Dynamical Behavior and Sensitivity Analysis of a Delayed Coronavirus Epidemic Model

Mathematical delay modelling has a significant role in the different disciplines such as behavioural, social, physical, biological engineering, and bio-mathematical sciences. The present work describes mathematical formulation for the transmission mechanism of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Due to the unavailability of vaccines for the coronavirus worldwide, delay factors such as social distance, quarantine, travel restrictions, extended holidays, hospitalization, and isolation have contributed to controlling the coronavirus epidemic. We have analysed the reproduction number and its sensitivity to parameters. If,     

Modeling and performance analysis of subcritical and supercritical coal-fired power plants with biomass co-firing and CO2 capture

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere, and these emissions can be effectively reduced by...