Cerebellar Expression of the Neurotrophin Receptor p75 in Naked-Ataxia Mutant Mouse

Spontaneous mutation in the lysosomal acid phosphatase 2 (Acp2) mouse (nax—naked-ataxia mutant mouse) correlates with severe cerebellar defects including ataxia, reduced size and abnormal lobulation as well as Purkinje cell (Pc) degeneration. Loss of Pcs in the nax cerebellum is compartmentalized and harmonized to the classic pattern of gene expression of the cerebellum in the wild type mouse. Usually, degeneration starts in the anterior and posterior zones and continues to the central and nodular zones of cerebellum. Studies have suggested that the p75 neurotrophin receptor (NTR) plays a role in Pc degeneration; thus, in this study, we investigated the p75NTR pattern and protein expression in the cerebellum of the nax mutant mouse. Despite massive Pc degeneration that was observed in the nax mouse cerebellum, p75NTR pattern expression was similar to the HSP25 pattern in nax mice and comparable with wild type sibling cerebellum. In addition, immunoblot analysis of p75NTR protein expression did not show any significant difference between nax and wild type sibling (p > 0.5). In comparison with wild type counterparts, p75NTR pattern expression is aligned with the fundamental cytoarchitecture organization of the cerebellum and is unchanged in the nax mouse cerebellum despite the severe neurodevelopmental disorder accompanied with Pc degeneration.     

A flexible artificial neural network–fuzzy simulation algorithm for scheduling a flow shop with multiple processors

One of the most popular approaches for scheduling manufacturing systems is dispatching rules. Different types of dispatching rules exist, but none of them is known to be globally the best. A flexible artificial neural network–fuzzy simulation (FANN–FS) algorithm is presented in this study for solving the multiattribute combinatorial dispatching (MACD) decision problem. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are one of the commonly used metaheuristics and are a proven tool for solving complex optimization problems. Hence, multilayered neural network metamodels and a fuzzy simulation using the α-cuts method were trained to provide a complex MACD problem. Fuzzy simulation is used to solve complex optimization problems to deal with imprecision and uncertainty. The proposed flexible algorithm is capable of modeling nonlinear, stochastic, and uncertain problems. It uses ANN simulation for crisp input data and fuzzy simulation for imprecise and uncertain input data. The solution quality is illustrated by two case studies from a multilayer ceramic capacitor manufacturing plant. The manufacturing lead times produced by the FANN–FS model turned out to be superior to conventional simulation models. This is the first study that introduces an intelligent and flexible approach for handling imprecision and nonlinearity of scheduling problems in flow shops with multiple processors.     

Pharmaceutical wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactor‐ozonation system

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of ozonation with pharmaceutical compounds on membrane bioreactor (MBR). The result has shown that high concentrations of pharmaceutical contaminants have caused destruction of cell wall, thereby reducing mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS). It also resulted in high amounts of biopolymers in the presence of non‐biodegradable pharmaceutical compound in MBR. As a result, biological removal decreased and membrane fouling happened. Ozonation treatment reached a chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal of 99.9% and caused better effluent quality. The MBR‐ozonation process could achieve an acetaminophen and fluoxetine removal of around 98.4 and 57.83%, respectively.     

The removal of nanoparticles from sub-micron trenches using megasonics

The removal of nanoparticles form patterned wafers is one of the main challenges facing the semiconductor industry. In this paper, the removal of 100 and 200 nm polystyrene latex (PSL) particles from silicon trenches was investigated. Red fluorescent PSL particles were utilized in the cleaning experiments and were counted using fluorescent microscopy. All the experiments were conducted in a single wafer megasonic tank using deionized water (DI). Trenches were fabricated with widths varying from 200 nm to 2 μm and with an aspect ratio of one. Results show that removal of particles from larger trenches is faster compared to smaller trenches and that megasonics power is more important in the removal process than cleaning time.     

Security analysis of a key based color image watermarking vs. a non-key based technique in telemedicine applications

Recently, digital watermarking has become an important technique to preserve patients’ privacy in telemedicine applications. Since, medical information are highly sensitive, security of watermarked medical images becomes a critical issue in telemedicine applications. In this paper, two targeted attacks have been proposed against a key based color image watermarking scheme and also a non-key based one, in order to evaluate their security in telemedicine applications. The target schemes are SVD-based and QR-based color image watermarking algorithms, which their embedding procedures are quit the same. The proposed attacks exploit the prior knowledge of the watermarking algorithms to make changes in the exact embedding spaces. Thus, these changes would cause disruption in extraction procedure. Our experimental results show that the key based watermarking scheme is more secure than the non-key based one. This is because the proposed targeted attack needs to distort the key based watermarked images more than non-key based ones to remove the embedded watermarks. Our proposed targeted attacks also have more efficient performance in removing watermarks than other general attacks such as JPEG compression, Gaussian noise and etc. Finally, these attacks have been proposed to show the vulnerabilities of watermarking schemes in order to help the designers to implement more secure schemes.     

State of the art: Lateral flow assays toward the point-of-care foodborne pathogenic bacteria detection in food samples

Diverse chemicals and some physical phenomena recently introduced in nanotechnology have enabled scientists to develop useful devices in the field of food sciences. Concerning such developments, detecting foodborne pathogenic bacteria is now an important issue. These kinds of bacteria species have demonstrated severe health effects after consuming foods and high mortality related to acute cases. The most leading path of intoxication and infection has been through food matrices. Hence, quick recognition of foodborne bacteria agents at low concentrations has been required in current diagnostics. Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are one of the urgent and prevalently applied quick recognition methods that have been settled for recognizing diverse types of analytes. Thus, the present review has stressed on latest developments in LFAs-based platforms to detect various foodborne pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia coli, Brucella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum, and Vibrio cholera. Proper prominence has been given on exactly how the labels, detection elements, or procedures have affected recent developments in the evaluation of diverse bacteria using LFAs. Additionally, the modifications in assays specificity and sensitivity consistent with applied food processing techniques have been discussed. Finally, a conclusion has been drawn for highlighting the main challenges confronted through this method and offered a view and insight of thoughts for its further development in the future.     

A fuzzy decision support system for credit scoring

Neural Computing and Applications - Credit score is a creditworthiness index, which enables the lender (bank and credit card companies) to evaluate its own risk exposure toward a particular...     

Co-visibility and pedagogy: innovation and challenge at the High Museum of Art

Museum space is arranged not only to present but also to help understand displays. Patterns of visitor movement and the co-visibility of displays act as pedagogical media. This paper traces the recent history of the interior of the High Museum of Art, in Atlanta, and identifies radical transformations in the interaction between architectural setting, exhibition design and curatorial intention. The original 1983 second-floor layout, designed by Meier, created ‘rooms within rooms’, privileged cross views and provided a web of vistas cutting through spatial layers of displays and meandering paths of movement, even as the structural grid notated an abstract overall order. Thus, it supported comparisons and a multiplicity of points of view rather than a rigid classificatory scheme. Also, it challenged focused frontal viewing and hence traditional curatorial approaches.

The 1997 second-floor layout, by Scogin and Elam, masterfully deployed a formal exhibition language that resonated with Meier's architecture in order to implement a different curatorial programme, based on well-defined sequences of movement and controlled visual frames. The aim was not to impose an historical or stylistic classification, but rather to confront visitors with orchestrated assemblies of displays linking art to themes such as life, faith, the human figure or the city. In 2003, Lord Aeck and Sargent designed a new layout which reproduced the original ‘rooms within rooms’ implemented by Meier, whilst reducing the intricacy of internal subdivision and promoting less complex vistas. The evolution of interiors in Meier's original building stands in contrast to the simpler layout of Piano's 2005 extension for the High where architecture assumes the rôle of a more neutral and elegant background to the art works. These contrasts, their programmatic generators and their experiential consequences are documented and analysed as a case study in the pedagogical functions of museum space.