A comparative factorial analysis of semantic structures in monolingual Indian and American school children.

430 monolingual, Hindi-speaking elementary school children in India and 200 English-speaking Ss in the United States rated 15 concepts on 15 bipolar semantic scales. Factor analyses yielded a bifactor common space for the United States sample, and 3- and 4-factor space for the 8- and 12-yr-old Ss, respectively, in the Indian sample. The common denominator, evaluative, potency, and activity semantic space, was observed in both cultural samples. The 2 sample factor structures showed evidences of factorial congruence. Between sample factorial dissimilarities are suggested to be due to Culture-Concept-Scale interactions. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identifying brain regions contributing to Alzheimer's disease using self regulating particle swarm optimization

In this article, we developed an approach for detecting brain regions that contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) using support vector machine (SVM) classifiers and the recently developed self regulating particle swarm optimization (SRPSO) algorithm. SRPSO employs strategies inspired by the principles of learning in humans to achieve faster and better optimization results. The classifiers for distinguishing subjects into AD patients and cognitively normal (CN) individuals were built using grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumetric features extracted from structural magnetic resonance (MR) images. It could be observed from results that the classifier built using both GM and WM features provided accuracy of 89.26% which is better than the performance of classifiers built using either GM or WM features only. Moreover, consideration of clinical features in addition to volumetric features improves the accuracy further to 94.63% which is better than the performance reported by recent works in literature. In order to identify the brain regions that are important for AD vs CN classification problem, we used SRPSO to extract GM and WM features that yield better classification performance. Using 50 features identified by SRPSO, an accuracy of 89.39% was obtained which is close to the accuracy based on all features. The features identified by SRPSO were mapped back to the brain to identify brain regions that exhibit degeneration in AD. In addition to identifying areas known to be involved in AD like cerebellum, hippocampus, this helped in finding newer areas that might contribute towards AD.     

Social IT outsourcing and development: theorising the linkage

In recent years, a growing number of social enterprises have focused their attention on harnessing the benefits of trade in software by involving underprivileged communities from developing countries in the production of information technology (IT). The goal of this type of activity, known as social IT outsourcing, is not only to provide employment and income to low‐income individuals but also to address wider development priorities within the locality. This paper focuses on strengthening our understanding of social IT outsourcing as a promoter of development. Based on research in Jharkhand, eastern India, we seek to understand how social IT outsourcing activity is interpreted from the perspective of employees who provide data services for the market and from the perspective of the social enterprise that balances its market orientation with its social development goals. Our findings generate new insights into the mechanisms at play through which social IT outsourcing is able to provide a variety of developmental advantages to rural poor communities leading to policy implications for governments and development agencies.     

Information systems and culture: Applying ‘stages of growth’ concepts to development administration

Abstract

This paper examines how cultural factors influence the rate at which individuals adopt technology to assist them in their duties. In order to achieve this, we review usage of the stages of growth model of information systems development in organisations which has been applied in the context of western and non‐western organisations in various parts of the world. We then apply the model to the context of development administration where information technology interventions are becoming pervasive but where the inherent traditional cultural characteristics are fundamentally at variance with those of information technology practitioners. The case study we present is that of the implementation of information systems in the Karachi Development Authority (KDA). The findings highlight the utility and limitations of the stages of growth model in terms of its ability to accommodate the inherent cultural characteristics of KDA. While such knowledge will have value for information technology practitioners within their own societies, we contend that it will become even more valuable for practitioners from western cultures in applying technology solutions to development administration.     

Plasma Focus Device as a Breeder of Proton to Produce Short Lived Radioisotope <Superscript>18</Superscript>F

In a plasma focus device, the nuclear fusion products are created through the thermal and non-thermal (beam-target) mechanisms. The beam target character of the pinched plasma is used to determine the yield of 3.02 Mev protons (when deuterium filling gas is used) at the optimized regime. For this situation, a combination of “moving boiler” model and a shock wave theory are employed. The numerical simulations for the production of the positron emitter nuclide, ¹⁸F (T _1/2 = 110 min; widely used in positron emission tomography), for two Mather type devices (NX2 and PF1000) show that, the rules of the drift velocity as well as the drive parameters have an high impact on the final yields.     

Effect of metal coating of reinforcements on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Al2O3 nanocomposites

The effects of various methods of reinforcement modification on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Al₂O₃ nanocomposites were investigated. Alumina nanoparticles were modified by electroless deposition of Cu, Ni and Co. Subsequently, aluminium matrix nanocomposites reinforced with uncoated and coated nanoparticles were produced by the stir casting method. The results of microstructural analysis showed improved wettability of coated nanoparticles in the molten aluminium alloy. Furthermore, coated nanoparticles exhibited a more desirable interface with the matrix and were homogenously distributed within it. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were improving significantly when coated nanoparticles were used as reinforcements. Among the reinforcement modification methods, Ni-coating was recognised as being more effective for improving the mechanical properties of Al–Al₂O₃ nanocomposites.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Electro-Crystallized Alumina Nanoparticles and Investigation of Their Application in Removal of Cobalt and Cadmium from Seimareh and Karoon Rivers in Iran

Al₂O₃ nanoparticles were successfully synthesized in an electrolytic cell containing two Al sheets as electrodes and an aqueous solution in the presence of an amine. To measure the effect of growth parameters on the properties of alumina nanoparticles, different samples were synthesized under different voltages (5–25 V), electrolyte concentration (0.02–0.1 M) and growth temperatures (10–60°C). X-ray diffraction patterns clearly approved the formation of the Al₂O₃ phase with cubic structure after annealing at 600°C for 2 h, and no sign of impurities was observed. SEM images showed that the particles are quasi-spherical and their mean size ranged from 7 to 270 nm depending on the growth conditions. The ultraviolet–visible results showed that the alumina nanoparticles mainly disperse rather than absorb light. The photoluminescence emission spectrum of nanoparticles showed an original peak at 395 nm, which is related to the electron transition between the levels and the photon emission. The removal of cobalt and cadmium from experimentally polluted water and the Seimareh and Karoon Rivers in Iran has been investigated. The water treatments were studied in an electrochemical cell with polluted water as the electrolyte, and by mixing the alumina nanoparticles with polluted water in a shaker. The results of atomic absorption spectroscopy showed that it is possible to remove about 100% of cadmium from the Seimareh and Karoon rivers. Also, by mixing the alumina nanoparticles with polluted water in a shaker, about 37.77% and 91.06% of cobalt were removed from the Seimareh and Karoon rivers, respectively.     

The Molecular Basis of COVID-19 Pathogenesis,Conventional and Nanomedicine Therapy

In late 2019, a new member of the Coronaviridae family, officially designated as “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2), emerged and spread rapidly. The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak was accompanied by a high rate of morbidity and mortality worldwide and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Within the Coronaviridae family, SARS-CoV-2 is considered to be the third most highly pathogenic virus that infects humans, following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Four major mechanisms are thought to be involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis, including the activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) signaling pathway, oxidative stress and cell death, cytokine storm, and endothelial dysfunction. Following virus entry and RAS activation, acute respiratory distress syndrome develops with an oxidative/nitrosative burst. The DNA damage induced by oxidative stress activates poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1), viral macrodomain of non-structural protein 3, poly (ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), and transient receptor potential melastatin type 2 (TRPM2) channel in a sequential manner which results in cell apoptosis or necrosis. In this review, blockers of angiotensin II receptor and/or PARP, PARG, and TRPM2, including vitamin D3, trehalose, tannins, flufenamic and mefenamic acid, and losartan, have been investigated for inhibiting RAS activation and quenching oxidative burst. Moreover, the application of organic and inorganic nanoparticles, including liposomes, dendrimers, quantum dots, and iron oxides, as therapeutic agents for SARS-CoV-2 were fully reviewed. In the present review, the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are explained by focusing on molecular mechanisms. Potential therapeutic targets, including the RAS signaling pathway, PARP, PARG, and TRPM2, are also discussed in depth.     

An improved bat optimization algorithm to solve the tasks scheduling problem in open shop

Neural Computing and Applications - The open shop scheduling problem involves a set of activities that should be run on a limited set of machines. The purpose of scheduling open shops problem is to...