Oxygen free radical modified DNA: Implications in the etiopathogenesis of Systemic lupus erythematosus

The present study was designed to probe the possible role of singlet oxygen and superoxide anion radical modified DNA in the etiopathogenesis of Systemic lupus erythematosus. These species were generated by the exposure of riboflavin to 365 nm UV light. Modified DNA showed single strand breaks, hyperchromicity at 260nm and decrease in Tm. The modified DNA induced high titer antibodies in experimental animals. The antibodies showed reactivity with various nucleic acid polymers, a property commonly associated with Systemic lupus erythematosus anti-DNA autoantibodies. Systemic lupus erythematosus sera showed preferential binding of modified DNA over native DNA in direct binding and competitive binding solid phase immunoassays and band shift assays. The results suggest for the possible involvement of the singlet- superoxide modified DNA as a potential trigger for anti- DNA autoantibody production in SLE and thus in the etiopathogenesis of the disease.     

Optimal configuration and energy management scheme of an isolated micro-grid using Cuckoo search optimization algorithm

This paper proposes an optimization scheme for optimal configuration and energy management of the micro-grid (MG), using the Cuckoo search optimization algorithm (CSOA). The selected MG supplies a load profile located between 30.119 latitude and 31.605 longitude. The energy produced by the MG generation sources, according to meteorological data of the proposed location, is calculated using MATLAB. The objective/fitness function is modeled and designed for minimizing the total investment cost (TIC) including capital, investment, operation and maintenance costs. A novel weighted goal attainment function (WGAF) has been proposed to reduce CO₂ emissions and their associated costs. Moreover, WGAF also applies higher taxes on the amount of emissions that exceed governmental approved limits. To investigate the effects of WGAF on the TIC ($/year), annual cost of energy ($/kWh), and CO₂ emissions, various weighted coefficients are analyzed. The simulation results have shown that the designed optimization scheme can robustly and efficiently produce the optimal MG configuration that is both eco-friendly and generates economic benefits.     

Coinheritance of Sicilian (δβ)<Superscript>0</Superscript>-Thalassemia and Two Rare Hemoglobin Variants: A Complex Case of Hemoglobinopathy

α-Thalassemia (α-thal) is considered as the most common inherited hemoglobin disorder worldwide. The present study describes the first observation of a combination of rare α-chain variants, and β-globin gene cluster deletion. A 21-year-old woman with thalassemia trait, marked microcytosis, mild anemia, and normal range of Hb F was referred to Amirkola genetic center in the North of Iran for routine molecular test of thalassemia in the context of carrier detection and prevention of thalassemia major birth. Nucleotide sequencing revealed a novel compound heterozygosity status for two non-deletional mutations on HBA2, Hb O Indonesia (α116(GH4)Glu → Lys), and Hb Matsue–Oki (α75 (EF4) Asp → Asn), together with heterozygosity for the sicilian (δβ)⁰-thal mutation. This finding highlights the necessity of deep molecular investigation of thalassemia in regions where thalassemia is abundant, and present highly heterogeneous population.     

Robust synchronization of uncertain Markovian jump complex dynamical networks with time-varying delays and reaction–diffusion terms via sampled-data control

This paper is concerned with the problem of robust synchronization of a class of complex dynamical networks with time-varying delays and reaction–diffusion terms. To reflect most of the dynamical behaviors of the system, the parameter uncertainties are considered. A sampled-data controller with m stochastically varying sampling periods whose occurrence probabilities are given constants is considered. The control objective is that the trajectories of the system by designing suitable control schemes track the trajectories of the system with sample-data control. It is shown that, through Lyapunov stability theory, the proposed sample-data controllers are successful in ensuring the achievement of robust synchronization of complex dynamical networks even in the case of uncertainity and Markovian jumping parameters. By utilizing the Lyapunov functional method, Jensen’s inequality, Wirtinger’s inequality and lower bounds theorem, we establish a sufficient criterion such that, for all admissible parameter uncertainties, the complex dynamical network is robustly synchronized. The derived criteria are expressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities that can be easily checked by using the standard numerical software. Illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed results.     

The impact of organizational factors on management information system success: An investigation in the Iran's agricultural extension providers

Information system success has been widely discussed in the past two decades. As systems and technologies are being improved and developed, discussions on their effectiveness and evaluation on their success have been continuously debated by researchers, scholars and practitioners throughout the years. Besides the major concern of IS effectiveness, factors influencing IS effectiveness are also important. One of these factors is the organizational factor. Using perceptual measures, this study aims to investigate the influence of organizational factors on MIS success. Survey questionnaires were gathered from 132 Extension Managers from Iran's Agricultural Extension Providers. Seven items were identified to influence MIS success. They are IS department structure, top management support, management style, managerial IT knowledge, goal alignment, resources allocation and IS infrastructure. The study also identified five MIS success dimensions; systems quality, information quality, perceived Ease of use, organizational impact and individual impact. The study found that the MIS success variables are significantly and highly correlated. The study also found all the organizational factors are significantly correlated to the five IS success factors investigated; the system quality, information quality, perceived ease of use, organizational impact and individual impact. Multiple regression analyses also found goal alignment as the highest predictor of IS success, followed by IS department structure, IS infrastructure and management style.     

Peer assessment as a learning tool for enhancing student teachers' preparation

This study investigates how peer assessment contributes to enhancing student teachers' preparation during field experience. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 72 student teachers. The findings showed that the student teachers have positive beliefs about peer assessment. They think that it can be beneficial if some changes are made in the way it is employed in teacher education programs. In light of the study findings, the researchers put forth a number of suggestions and recommendations for employing peer assessment in teacher education programs in Jordan.     

Optimal switching with minimum dwell time constraint

The problem of optimal switching between different subsystems/configurations with minimum dwell time constraints is investigated in this study and a feedback solution, using the framework of approximate dynamic programming, is proposed. The method calls for a tuning stage in which parameters of a function approximator are tuned. Online control will then be conducted with a computational load as low as evaluating a few scalar-valued functions. Finite-horizon and infinite-horizon cost functions are investigated and convergence and stability are analyzed considering the presence of approximation errors. Moreover, the case of applying a full or partial constraint on the mode sequence, as well as having a mode-dependent minimum dwell time are investigated. Finally, performance of the scheme in handling different challenges is numerically evaluated through different examples.     

The Shaffer–Gee perspective: Can epistemic games serve education?

This paper addresses the issue of how games can reshape education by describing current educational practices. It argues that there are conservative camps that emphasize structure and development of basic literacy and numeracy skills in education as well as liberal camps that emphasize immersion, and notices that both camps fail to train students able to address the crisis of innovation. A post-progressive pedagogy that integrates both structure and immersion to address this innovation crisis is described in the paper. It is also emphasized that epistemic games can serve as excellent tools at the hand of this post-progressive pedagogy.     

Characterization of wall dispersive and attenuative effects on UWB radar signals

This paper addresses the potentials of ultra-wideband (UWB) through-wall imaging radars compared with conventional narrowband systems. The challenges that limit the utilization of high precision UWB systems are examined with the aim of mitigating them. These challenges include multi-path, pulse dispersion, and antenna effects on the pulse shape due to angles of transmission and arrival. The propagation of UWB signals through walls is a crucial factor in determining the success of UWB radar technology. UWB signals, when propagating through walls, not only suffer attenuation but also distortion due to dispersive properties of the walls. This paper examines time- and frequency-domain techniques for measuring the electromagnetic properties of construction materials in the UWB frequency range. The measured parameters provide valuable insights in appreciating the capabilities and limitations of the UWB technology. Special attention is paid to time gating as a mean to extract the direct-path signal from the multi-path components. Both single-pass and multi-pass models are discussed. Multi-pass models account for the multiple reflections within the wall while the single-pass model assumes the possibility of gating out a single transmission. The partition-dependent narrowband propagation model is modified to account for the ultra-wide bandwidth of the signal. The paper illustrates the application of the modified model in indoor environments. The modified model is helpful in estimating the link power budget. It is also useful in studying the performance of UWB systems for indoor communication and positioning applications.     

A new method for performance evaluation of bit decoding algorithms using statistics of the log likelihood ratio

This paper presents a new method for the performance evaluation of bit decoding algorithms. The method is based on estimating the probability density function (pdf) of the bit log likelihood ratio (LLR) by using an exponential model. It is widely known that the pdf of the bit LLR is close to the normal density. The proposed approach takes advantage of this property to present an efficient algorithm for the pdf estimation. The moment matching method is combined with the maximum entropy principle to estimate the underlying parameters. We present a simple method for computing the probabilities of the point estimates for the estimated parameters, as well as for the bit error rate. The corresponding results are used to compute the number of samples that are required for a given precision of the estimated values. It is demonstrated that this method requires significantly fewer samples as compared to the conventional Monte-Carlo simulation.