Isotope selective near-resonant two-photon ionization of 41Ca isotope via the 4s11s 1S0 intermediate state

Isotope selective excitation of a 41Ca isotope using a near-resonant two-photon ionization scheme 4s2 1S0-->422.7924 nm,413.3685 nm4s11s 1S0-->514.5 nmCa+ has been proposed for using the 41Ca isotope in applications as a tracer in biomedical studies. The ionization efficiency and optical selectivity have been calculated for various powers of the excitation and ionization laser. Under the optimized excitation and ionization laser powers the ionization efficiency for the studied scheme is found to be 1.7x10(-4). The optical selectivity value is approximately 1.0x10(5) and both of these values are either comparable or slightly better than the earlier published work by our group. The overall ionization efficiency for the two-photon ionization scheme considering the throughput factor is 5x10(-3), which is 2 orders of magnitude higher than the stepwise excitation process. Therefore, the higher ionization efficiency of the process enables monitoring of the tracer isotope for longer durations. In combination with a mass spectrometer, an abundance sensitivity of approximately 10(10) can be obtained, which is adequate for biomedical applications.     

Power‐conservative server consolidation based resource management in cloud

The cloud computing environment is a real‐time communication network that involves a large number of systems connected in a distributed fashion, for which resources are available on demand. In recent years, due to the enormous growth of data and information, data maintenance tasks involve a major effort in information technology (IT) industries. So, IT industries are concentrating on the cloud computing environment in order to maintain their data and manage their resources. Owing to the increase in the number of data centres, which have an impact on electrical energy cost, peak power dissipation, cooling and carbon emission, power‐conservation‐based resource management is essential. A best‐fit heuristic job placement algorithm is proposed in this paper in order to increase the job allocation percentage, a worst‐fit heuristic virtual machine (VM) placement algorithm is also proposed in order to place the VMs over the physical machines (PMs) thereby reducing the number of the latter allotted, and a server consolidation algorithm is proposed in order to improve power conservation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Primary splenic pregnancy. Case report

A patient with a primary splenic pregnancy is described.     

Preparation,characterization, and in vitro bioactivity of Bixa orellana extract-impregnated collagen microspheres

Collagen microspheres usually have particle size lesser than 200 µm, which are characteristically free-flowing powders of protein. They can overcome some of the conventional therapy problems and enhance therapeutic efficacy due to their biocompatible and biodegradable nature. Collagen microspheres were prepared using the fish Lates calcarifer scale collagen and were loaded with Bixa orellana plant extract. The Bixa orellana plant extract-loaded collagen microsphere was characterized for its physico-chemical properties using Fourier-transform infrared, Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and particle size analysis, and in vitro plant extract release. This plant extract showed good antimicrobial property against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The in vitro anticancer activity of the prepared material was carried out using MCF-7 cell lines which showed 83.46 % of cell death at 1000 µg/well. Anticancer effect of the prepared material can be enhanced by increasing the concentration of plant extract in the composite.     

Isotope-selective excitation of 41Ca isotope in Doppler-free two-photon continuous-wave excitation: a case study

Seven schemes are studied theoretically for Doppler-free two-photon excitation of rare (41)Ca isotope using single-mode continuous-wave lasers. The ionization efficiencies and optical selectivities for all the schemes are calculated for various powers of the excitation and ionization lasers and for various focusing conditions of the two lasers. To maximize the ionization efficiencies and the optical selectivities, wavelength-dependent Stark compensation is used. Certain laser wavelengths of the ionization step termed as magic wavelengths are identified for compensating the Stark shift induced by the excitation laser. The effects of the Stark-shift-induced asymmetry and its reversal by selecting the appropriate magic wavelength for the ionization step for various excitation and ionization laser intensities are investigated. The ionization efficiency and optical selectivity for the best scheme after Stark compensation are found to be 8.4 x 10(-4) and approximately 9 x 10(3), respectively.     

Squirrel Search Algorithm Based Support Vector Machine for Congestion Control in WSN-IoT

Wireless Personal Communications - As the Wireless sensor network (WSN) has huge part in Internet of Things (IoT), it is used in different applications, for example, detecting climate and sending...     

Surface-based analysis methods for high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a popular technique for studies of human brain activity. Typically, fMRI is performed with >3-mm sampling, so that the imaging data can be regarded as two-dimensional samples that average through the 1.5-4-mm thickness of cerebral cortex. The increasing use of higher spatial resolutions, <1.5-mm sampling, complicates the analysis of fMRI, as one must now consider activity variations within the depth of the brain tissue. We present a set of surface-based methods to exploit the use of high-resolution fMRI for depth analysis. These methods utilize white-matter segmentations coupled with deformable-surface algorithms to create a smooth surface representation at the gray-white interface and pial membrane. These surfaces provide vertex positions and normals for depth calculations, enabling averaging schemes that can increase contrast-to-noise ratio, as well as permitting the direct analysis of depth profiles of functional activity in the human brain.     

Blood selenium, vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta-carotene concentrations and udder health, fertility treatments, and fertility

We investigated the activity of glutathione peroxidase in whole blood; concentrations of vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta-carotene in serum; SCC; udder bacterial infections and the incidence of clinical mastitis; fertility treatments; and the success of first AI of 511 dairy cows for 1 yr. The mean Se content in whole blood and the concentrations of vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta-carotene concentrations in serum were 191 micrograms/L, 5.9 mg/L, 0.39 mg/L, and 12.9 mg/L, respectively. An increase in Se concentration in whole blood was associated with a decrease in all infections, including infections by Staphylococcus aureus, Actinomyces pyogenes, and Corynebacterium spp. (-17.7, -31.7, and -70.6%, respectively). There was no association among the different infections or SCC and concentrations of vitamin E, vitamin A, or beta-carotene, but an association existed between vitamin A concentration and SCC. The lower Se concentration in whole blood did not increase incidence of clinical mastitis. The Se concentration in whole blood (200 micrograms/L) was accepted as a target value to optimize udder health. The incidence of fertility disorders (anestrus, subestrus, cystic ovaries, or delayed ovulation) was 34.4%. The pregnancy rate following first insemination was 48.6%. No significant association was observed among Se in whole blood; concentrations of total vitamin E, vitamin A, or beta-carotene in serum; and fertility disorders or success of first AI.