Early prostate cancer diagnosis by using artificial neural networks and support vector machines

The aim of this study is to design a classifier based expert system for early diagnosis of the organ in constraint phase to reach informed decision making without biopsy by using some selected features. The other purpose is to investigate a relationship between BMI (body mass index), smoking factor, and prostate cancer. The data used in this study were collected from 300 men (100: prostate adenocarcinoma, 200: chronic prostatism or benign prostatic hyperplasia). Weight, height, BMI, PSA (prostate specific antigen), Free PSA, age, prostate volume, density, smoking, systolic, diastolic, pulse, and Gleason score features were used and independent sample t-test was applied for feature selection. In order to classify related data, we have used following classifiers; scaled conjugate gradient (SCG), Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS), and Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) training algorithms of artificial neural networks (ANN) and linear, polynomial, and radial based kernel functions of support vector machine (SVM). It was determined that smoking is a factor increases the prostate cancer risk whereas BMI is not affected the prostate cancer. Since PSA, volume, density, and smoking features were to be statistically significant, they were chosen for classification. The proposed system was designed with polynomial based kernel function, which had the best performance (accuracy: 79%). In Turkish Family Health System, family physician to whom patients are applied firstly, would contribute to extract the risk map of illness and direct patients to correct treatments by using expert system such proposed.     

Preparation of PbS thin films: A new electrochemical route for underpotential deposition

Nanostructured thin films of lead sulfide have been synthesized by a new electrochemical approach based on the underpotential deposition (UPD) of Pb and S from the saturated solution of PbS containing excess of PbS particles as a source of Pb²⁺ and S²⁻ at various temperatures.We have demonstrated that this new electrochemical route is a simple method with several advantages, including better control of the growth conditions and a one-step process to obtain the nanostructures of PbS. Scanning probe microscopy studies indicate that the growth of PbS nanofilms follows a two-dimensional layer-by-layer growth kinetics at the beginning of electrodeposition but a three-dimensional growth dominates after the formation of the first few layers. The results of morphological and structural investigations reveal that PbS nanostructures grown by this method are single-crystalline in cubic structure and have a preferential orientation along the [2 0 0] direction. The optical absorption spectra of PbS nanostructures show the blue-shift with respect to those of the bulk counterpart, which are attributed as quantum-size effect.     

Effect of injection timing on the exhaust emissions of a diesel engine using diesel–methanol blends

Environmental concerns and limited resource of petroleum fuels have caused interests in the development of alternative fuels for internal combustion (IC) engines. For diesel engines, alcohols are receiving increasing attention because they are oxygenated and renewable fuels. Therefore, in this study, the effect of injection timing on the exhaust emissions of a single cylinder, naturally aspirated, four-stroke, direct injection diesel engine has been experimentally investigated by using methanol-blended diesel fuel from 0% to 15% with an increment of 5%. The tests were conducted for three different injection timings (15°, 20° and 25 °CA BTDC) at four different engine loads (5 Nm, 10 Nm, 15 Nm, 20 Nm) at 2200 rpm. The experimental test results showed that Bsfc, NO_x and CO₂ emissions increased as BTE, smoke opacity, CO and UHC emissions decreased with increasing amount of methanol in the fuel mixture. When compared the results to those of original injection timing, NO_x and CO₂ emissions decreased, smoke opacity, UHC and CO emissions increased for the retarded injection timing (15 °CA BTDC). On the other hand, with the advanced injection timing (25 °CA BTDC), decreasing smoke opacity, UHC and CO emissions diminished, and NO_x and CO₂ emissions boosted at all test conditions. In terms of Bsfc and BTE, retarded and advanced injection timings gave negative results for all fuel blends in all engine loads.     

Continuous dense‐phase CO2 processing of a coconut water beverage

Effects of dense‐phase CO₂ (DPCD) on microbial, physical, chemical and sensorial quality of coconut water (CW) beverage were evaluated. Pressure during DPCD treatment was not significant in microbial reduction whereas temperature and % CO₂ levels were significant. DPCD‐treated (34.5 MPa, 25 °C, 13% CO₂, 6 min), heat‐pasteurised (74 °C, 15 s) and untreated CW beverages were evaluated during 9 weeks of refrigerated storage (4 °C). Total aerobic bacteria of DPCD and heat‐treated samples decreased whereas that of untreated samples increased to >10⁵ CFU mL^?1 after 9 weeks. DPCD increased titratable acidity but did not change pH (4.20) and °Brix (6.0). Likeability of DPCD‐treated CW was similar to untreated. Heat‐treated samples were less liked (α = 0.05) at the beginning of storage. Off flavour and taste‐difference‐from‐control scores of heated samples were higher than DPCD during the first two weeks. DPCD extended shelf life of acidified, sweetened and carbonated CW over 9 weeks at 4 °C.     

Oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by Iron(III)porphyrins

A variety of iron-metallated functional porphyrins have been synthesized and their catalytic activity to oxidize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, (PAHs) using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant was investigated. It was found that iron-metallated porphyrins bearing strong electronegative groups at β-pyrrolic positions show an exceptionally high catalytic efficiency.     

The effects of alternating current electrocoagulation on dye removal from aqueous solutions

The main goal of this study is to investigate the effects of alternating current (AC) on dye removal from aqueous solutions by electrocoagulation (EC). An EC system with parallel-connected aluminium electrodes was operated in batch mode. Two different aqueous dye solutions were used: one was obtained from Dianix Yellow CC (DY) and the other was obtained using Procion Yellow (PY). The experiments employing direct current (DC) were carried out using a DC power supply. The AC experiments were conducted using rectangular wave, which is produced with an adjustable time relay connected to the output of DC power supply. This current is called alternating pulse current (APC) in order to refer AC system in this study. Total organic carbon (TOC) and dye removal efficiencies were measured to assess treatment efficiency. Operating cost was calculated for both power supply systems and alternating pulse current was found superior to direct current for the treatment of reactive and disperse dyes used in this study.     

International river basin organizations: variation,options and insights

Permanent international river basin organizations (IRBOs) come in many shapes and sizes, ranging from those which are mainly facilitative in nature to those empowered to act on their own. Although differences in IRBO types may have important impacts on transboundary water resources management, systematic analysis of variation in their structure and responsibilities is scant. This paper synthesizes and applies a typology to determine the structural composition, abundance, spatial distribution, scale and in-basin configurations of the different forms of IRBOs. The results provide a set of options for future IRBOs, and serve to ground-truth and nuance theoretical divisions between different types of organizations in transboundary basins.     

Use of sesame stalk biomass for the removal of Ni(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions

In this study an agricultural residue, sesame stalk, was evaluated for the removal of Ni(II) and Zn(II) metal ions from aqueous solutions. Biosorption studies were carried out at different pH, biosorbent dosage, initial metal ion concentrations, contact time, and solution temperature to determine the optimum conditions. The experimental data were modeled by Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) and Temkin isotherm models. Langmuir model resulted in the best fit of the biosorption data. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were used to describe the kinetic data and to evaluate rate constants. The best correlation was provided by the second-order kinetic model. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were calculated for predicting the nature of adsorption. The experimental results showed that sesame stalk can be used as an effective and low-cost biosorbent precursor for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions.     

Reservoir water effects on earthquake performance evaluation of Torul Concrete-Faced Rockfill Dam

This study presents earthquake performance analysis of the Torul Concrete-Faced Rockfill (CFR) Dam with two-dimensional dam-soil and dam-soil-reservoir finite element models. The Lagrangian approach was used with fluid elements to model impounded water. The interface elements were used to simulate the slippage between the concrete face slab and the rockfill. The horizontal component of the 1992 Erzincan earthquake, with a peak ground acceleration of 0.515g, was considered in time-history analysis. The Drucker-Prager model was preferred in nonlinear analysis of the concrete slab, rockfill and foundation soil. The maximum principal stresses and the maximum displacements in two opposite directions were compared by the height of the concrete slab according to linear time-history analysis to reveal the effect of reservoir water. The changes of critical displacements and principal stresses with time are also shown in this paper. According to linear and nonlinear time-history analysis, the effect of the reservoir water on the earthquake performance of the Torul CFR Dam was investigated and the possible damage situation was examined. The results show that the hydrodynamic pressure of reservoir water leads to an increase in the maximum displacements and principal stresses of the dam and reduces the earthquake performance of the dam. Although the linear time-history analysis demonstrates that the earthquake causes a momentous damage to the concrete slab of the Torul CFR Dam, the nonlinear time-history analysis shows that no evident damage occurs in either reservoir case.