Dynamic content-page identification for media-rich websites

Knowledge of the information goal of users is critical in website design, analyzing the efficacy of such designs, and in ensuring effective user-access to desired information. Determining the information goal is complex due to the subjective and latent nature of user information needs. This challenge is further exacerbated in media-rich websites since the semantics of media-based information is context-based and emergent. A critical step in determining information goals lies in the identification of content pages. These are the pages which contain the information the user seeks. We propose a method to automatically determine the content pages by taking into account the organization of the web site, the media-based information content, as well as the influence of a specific user browsing pattern. Given a specific browsing pattern, in our method, putative content pages are identified as the pages corresponding to the local minima of page-content entropy values. For an (unknown) user information goal this intuitively corresponds to modeling the progressive transition of the user from pages with generic information to those with specific information. Experimental investigations on media rich sites demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique and underline its potential in modeling user information needs and actions in a media-rich web.     

Experimental investigation of tool wear and machining rate in rotary ultrasonic machining of nickel alloy

Nickel alloys possess the excellent potential at high temperature and resistance to oxidation/corrosion owing to its high nickel content. These materials necessitate non-traditional machining methods. The rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM) process comes into existence as a superior alternative to the conventional machining of nickel alloys. The processing of these alloys using RUM needs attention. This article details the multi-response optimization in RUM of nickel alloy using the desirability concept. The present work is carried out with two shapes of the tool: (i) Plain tool and (ii) lateral slotted tool. During RUM, the process parameters—power rating tool rotation, abrasive diamond grit size and feed rate are varied. Compared with the plain tool, the lateral slotted tool shows the more efficient machining rate (MR) with less tool wear (TW). The micro-graphs disclose the mechanism of MR and TW during RUM.     

Double emulsion‐encapsulated guggul exhibits improved in vivo hypocholesterolaemic action in rats

Guggul tree or Commiphora mukul is a small thorny herb having remarkable hypocholesterolaemic properties. Its therapeutic effects are because of its biocomponent guggulsterones, especially guggulsterone E and Z. In this research, double emulsion‐based spread was tried to improve the bioavailability of the herb guggul in in vivo rat model. The effect of the different diets with encapsulated and nonencapsulated guggul was evaluated and compared after 6 weeks, based on the final body weight and analysis of organs, serum and faeces of normal and hypercholesterolaemic (H) rats. It was evident from the results that double emulsion‐encapsulated guggul showed better control on weight of H rats (25.98% lower), inhibition of HMG CoA reductase (3.95 times less) activity and reduction in atherosclerotic index (47.2%), as compared to diet with unencapsulated guggul. Encapsulation of guggul also improved faecal excretion of bile acids, lipids and total cholesterol in H and normal rats.     

Whole grains and resistant starch rich,reduced‐calorie biscuit diet as a hypoglycaemic,hypolipidaemic and insulin stimulator in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats

A fibre‐enriched, reduced‐calorie biscuit [formulated biscuit (FB)] was evaluated for its antidiabetic and antilipidaemic potential in streptozotocin‐induced diabetes in Wistar rats against control biscuit (CB) having high calorie and low fibre content. Animals were allocated into five groups: a control group fed with synthetic diet, two diabetes‐induced groups (CBD and FBD) and two nondiabetic groups (CBND and FBND). CBD and CBND were fed with synthetic diet + CB while FBD and FBND were fed with synthetic diet + FB. After 6 weeks of feeding, the change in weight of nondiabetic group fed with FB (+16.20%) was nonsignificantly lower compared to control (+33.01%) and CB‐fed (+34.55%) group. Nonsignificant loss in body weight was observed among diabetic group fed with FB (?11.76%) or CB (?36.88%). Feeding of FB led to a significant decrease in fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL‐C, VLDL‐C and atherosclerotic index and increase the HDL‐C. Histological examination showed that feeding of FB was able to partially recover the destroyed β‐cell in STZ‐induced diabetic rats.     

Active Fiber Bragg Grating Hydrogen Sensors for All-Temperature Operation

The use of liquid hydrogen as a fuel requires low-cost multipoint sensing of hydrogen gas for leak detection and location well below the 4% explosion limit of hydrogen. Herein is presented a multipoint in-fiber hydrogen sensor capable of hydrogen detection below 0.5% concentration with a response time of less than 10 s. Our solution entails use of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) coated with a layer of hydrogen-absorbing palladium which, in turn, induces strain in the FBG in the presence of hydrogen. Infrared power laser light is used to induce heating in the palladium coating which dramatically decreases sensor response time and increases the sensor's sensitivity at low temperatures. This technology promises an inexpensive fiber solution for a multipoint hydrogen detection array with only one fiber feed-through     

The Effects of Concentration, Relative Permittivity and Temperature on the Transport Properties of Sodium Polystyrenesulphonate in Methanol–Water Mixed Solvent Media

Precise measurements on the electrical conductivity of solutions of sodium polystyrenesulphonate in methanol–water mixed solvent media containing 8, 16, 25, and 34 wt.% of methanol at 308.15, 313.15, 318.15, and 323.15 K are reported. The degree of substitution of sodium polystyrenesulphonate used was 1, and the concentrations were varied from ∼2.0 × 10⁻⁴ to ∼4.0 × 10⁻³ monomol l⁻¹. The results showed a slight and monotonous increase in the equivalent conductivity with decreasing polyelectrolyte concentration. The applicability of the Manning’s theory for salt-free polyelectrolyte solution was examined and a major discrepancy against the theory was observed. The calculated values of the equivalent conductivity deduced on the basis of this theory were found to be lower than the experimental ones. Possible reasons for this discrepancy have been discussed. The effects of the temperature and relative permittivity of the medium on the equivalent conductivity were also investigated. Estimation of the fractions of uncondensed counterions provides important insight regarding the solution behavior of the polyelectrolyte in methanol–water mixtures.     

Validation of the MEDFICTS dietary questionnaire: A clinical tool to assess adherence to American Heart Association dietary fat intake guidelines

Background  

Dietary assessment tools are often too long, difficult to quantify, expensive to process, and largely used for research purposes. A rapid and accurate assessment of dietary fat intake is critically important in clinical decision-making regarding dietary advice for coronary risk reduction. We assessed the validity of the MEDFICTS (MF) questionnaire, a brief instrument developed to assess fat intake according to the American Heart Association (AHA) dietary "steps".     

Olfactory bulb habituation to odor stimuli.

Habituation is a simple form of memory, yet its neurobiological mechanisms are only beginning to be understood in mammals. In the olfactory system, the neural correlates of habituation at a fast experimental timescale involving very short intertrial intervals (tens of seconds) have been shown to depend on synaptic adaptation in olfactory cortex. In contrast, behavioral habituation to odorants on a longer timescale with intertrial intervals of several minutes depends on processes in the olfactory bulb, as demonstrated by pharmacological studies. We here show that behavioral habituation to odorants on this longer timescale has a neuronal activity correlate in the olfactory bulb. Spiking responses of mitral cells in the rat olfactory bulb adapt to, and recover from, repeated odorant stimulation with 5-min intertrial intervals with a time course similar to that of behavioral habituation. Moreover, both the behavioral and neuronal effects of odor habituation require functioning N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptors in the olfactory bulb. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microstructure Evolution During Hot Deformation of a Micro-Alloyed Steel

In the present investigation, hot deformation by uniaxial compression of a microalloyed steel has been carried out, using a deformation dilatometer, after homogenization at 1200 °C for 20 min up to strains of 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 at different temperatures of 900, 1000 and 1100 °C, at a constant strain rate of 2 s^?1 followed by water quenching. In all the deformation conditions, initiation of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) is observed, however, stress peaks are not observed in the specimens deformed at 900 and 1000 °C. The specimens deformed at 900 °C showed a combination of acicular ferrite (AF) and bainite (B) microstructure. There is an increase in the acicular ferrite fraction with increase in strain at all these deformation temperatures. At high deformation temperature of 1100 °C, coarsening of DRXed grains is observed. This is attributed to the common limitations involved in fast quenching of the DRXed microstructure, which leads to increase in grain size by metadynamic recrystallization (MDRX). The strain free prior austenite grains promote the formation of large fraction of both bainite and martensite in the transformed microstructures during cooling. The length and width of bainitic ferrite laths also increases with increase in deformation temperature from 900 to 1100 °C and decrease in deformation strain.