What’s new in computers

The Java programming language is poised to change the way Internet is currently being used. In this article, dwe explore Java and find out why it has become popular with programmers all over the world.     

KNOWLEDGE USE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GEOMETRY PROOF BY SRI LANKAN STUDENTS

Within the domain of geometry, proof and proof development continues to be a problematic area for students. Battista (2007) suggested that the investigation of knowledge components that students bring to understanding and constructing geometry proofs could provide important insights into the above issue. This issue also features prominently in the deliberations of the 2009 International Commission on Mathematics Instruction Study on the learning and teaching of proofs in mathematics, in general, and geometry, in particular. In the study reported here, we consider knowledge use by a cohort of 166 Sri Lankan students during the construction of geometry proofs. Three knowledge components were hypothesised to influence the students’ attempts at proof development: geometry content knowledge, general problem-solving skills and geometry reasoning skills. Regression analyses supported our conjecture that all 3 knowledge components played important functions in developing proofs. We suggest that whilst students have to acquire a robust body of geometric content knowledge, the activation and the utilisation of this knowledge during the construction of proof need to be guided by general problem-solving and reasoning skills.     

公共文化发展战略下公共图书馆均等化服务研究

近来年,我国出台一系列构建公共文化服务体系的文化政策,保障公民能够平等接受知识和教育的权利。公共图书馆作为国家公共文化体系重要的组成部分,应加快贯彻执行基本公共服务均等化,以保障公民文化权利得以落实。文章通过对比国内外公共图书馆服务均等化现状,分析我国公共图书馆在均等化服务进程中凸显的问题,针对我国具体国情借鉴国外公共图书馆实施服务均等化成功经验,提出我国公共图书馆在公共文化发展战略下加快完善服务均等化的五点对策。     

A simple approach to mathematical modelling of integer order and fractional order fuzzy PID controllers using one-dimensional input space and their experimental realization

Though over the years, mathematical modelling of fuzzy PID controllers is carried out extensively with two-dimensional and three-dimensional input spaces, the modelling is rarely attempted using one-dimensional input space. In this paper, this gap is reduced by proposing a simple approach where each of the fuzzy P, fuzzy I, and fuzzy D components is modelled using one-dimensional input space and merged to provide the complete PID action. Another speciality of the proposed approach is that it does not require any AND or OR operator for obtaining the mathematical models of individual PID components. To the best of author’s knowledge, such a modelling approach is completely new. This newly introduced idea of modelling is further extended to fractional order fuzzy PID controllers. Applicability of the proposed fuzzy controllers is delineated with four simulation examples and one real-time experimentation case study. To understand the usefulness of the proposed control schemes, performances of the newly obtained controllers are compared with the results available in literature. As the proposed controllers are model-free controllers, they can easily be implemented for other control applications also.     

Science Letters:Demonstration of a new biosensing concept for immunodiagnostic applications based on change in surface conductance of antibodies after biomolecular interactions

Electrical conductivity in biomolecules and other large polymeric systems has become an important topic of current research. Schlag et al.(2000a; 2000b) demonstrated that charge migration in proteins is highly efficient although the mechanistic origin is still debated and largely unknown even though various models have been proposed by Weinkauf et al.(1995; 1996; 1997). According to them, the charge transfer between amino acids takes place by hole hopping between local sites of lowest ionizati…     

Orthogonal functions approach to optimal control of delay systems with reverse time terms

Using block-pulse functions (BPFs)/shifted Legendre polynomials (SLPs) a unified approach for computing optimal control law of linear time-varying time-delay systems with reverse time terms and quadratic performance index is discussed in this paper. The governing delay-differential equations of dynamical systems are converted into linear algebraic equations by using operational matrices of orthogonal functions (BPFs and SLPs). The problem of finding optimal control law is thus reduced to the problem of solving algebraic equations. One example is included to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.     

Nature of Science and Nature of Scientists

Science & Education - The past decade has seen multiple debates and discussions over the appropriate framing of Nature of Science (NOS) for science education. These debates have stemmed from a...     

Correlation of Microalbuminuria with Estimated GFR (eGFR) by Cockcroft–Gault and MDRD Formula in Type 2 Diabetics and Hypertensives

Increase in urine albumin excretion rate (AER) precede a fall in glomerular filtration rate in patients developing diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our results have shown that 7 (50 %) of diabetic and hypertensive individuals with decreased GFR do not have increased AER. In this cross-sectional study, we measured AER of 75 patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension by immunoturbidimetric method. We correlated the results with eGFR values obtained by Cockcroft–Gault and MDRD method. The method used was not a compensated method. We measured serum creatinine by modified Jaffe’s kinetic method in autoanalyzer XL-600. Analysis of data showed positive correlation between eGFR and microalbuminuria by both the methods with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m². Pearson’s correlation co-efficient (r) was 0.9 (p = 0.0001) by Cockcroft–Gault formula and 0.69 (p = 0.0063) by MDRD formula. Our results concluded that there was positive correlation between AER and eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m². We have recognized that these two parameters provide a complimentary benefit in management of cases with CKD.     

Hepcidin and Ferritin: Important Mediators in Inflammation Associated Anemia in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with female preponderance. Anemia is found in 50% of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients. This is a cross sectional case control study with 30 female Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients having inflammation associated anemia (Hemoglobin < 10.0 gm/dl) and 30 age matched controls with the aim to measure serum hepcidin and ferritin levels, correlate and study their role as homeostatic regulators of iron metabolism and utility as markers. Serum transferrin, ferritin, iron, total iron binding capacity, hsCRP, liver enzymes and renal parameters were analyzed by using automated analyser. Hepcidin levels were estimated by Sandwich-ELISA method. There was significant decrease in Iron (p < 0.0001), Iron Binding capacity (p < 0.0001), Transferrin (p < 0.0001) in patients, and a significant increase in inflammatory markers: hs-CRP (p < 0.0001), ESR (p < 0.0001) compared to controls. Significant increase in both Hepcidin (p < 0.0001) and Ferritin (p < 0.0001) was observed in patients with significant positive correlation (r = 0.711) with each other. Additionally, ferritin and hepcidin significantly positively correlated with hs-CRP and ESR (r = 0.526, 0.735); (r = 0.427, 0.742) respectively. Negative correlation with hemoglobin, iron, total iron binding capacity and transferrin with hepcidin (r = ? 0.80, ? 0.307, ? 0.553, ? 0.584) and ferritin (r = ?0.722, ? 0.22, ? 0.654, ? 0.728) was observed respectively. On ROC analysis both hepcidin and ferritin has sensitivity of 96.7%, specificity of 100% at cut-off values of 110 and 49 respectively. AUC of hepcidin was 0.993 and ferritin was 0.978. We have established a positive linear correlation between Hepcidin and Ferritin levels in disease activity and the changes correlated with the inflammatory state and anemia in patients, making them important mediators and potential markers of inflammation associated anemia.