bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review of Transition from Home to School
Authors: Richardson Lesley
Published: June 2019

This paper is concerned with the transition of the child from home or preschool to the formal school environment in Australia and New Zealand. The entry age of children into school, procedures for enrolment, and the roles of teachers and parents are highlighted. All but two States in Australia have a reception full-day year in school prior to Year 1, few States have a common starting age, and different States and school systems use a variety of procedures to enrol children. All systems have advantages and disadvantages for the child and the school administration, but the need for a sense of continuity to smooth the transition and the management of stress that stems from the child's changed environment and routines is emphasised.
Gender Segregation in Child Care: What is it and What Can We do about it?
Authors: Sims Margaret
Published: June 2019

Child care workers are committed to delivering a quality service to the children with whom they are working. As part of this commitment to quality, child care workers acknowledge the need to deliver an anti-bias curriculum. Gender is one of the areas incorporated in this anti-bias approach. However, we are only just beginning to understand how gender segregation operates in young children who attend child care. This paper examines some of the research about the development of gender segregated behaviours in young children and makes suggestions as to appropriate strategies for addressing these behaviours in the child care environment.
Classroom Instruction for Children with ADHD
Authors: Hudson Alan
Published: June 2019

Children diagnosed as having ADHD are likely to have difficulty meeting the demands of the classroom, and hence present a problem for the teacher. An examination of the research literature shows that behavioural and cognitive behavioural intervention procedures have been the most researched interventions for ADHD. There is strong empirical support for the efficacy of the behavioural interventions, but stronger than usual consequences are typically required to motivate children with ADHD. The results for the cognitive behavioural interventions have been less than expected. The literature also suggests that children with ADHD are better suited to being placed in highly structured, teacher centred, and well managed classrooms. The reluctance of some teachers to implement behavioural interventions and suggestions for overcoming this reluctance are discussed.
Dietary Management of Attention Deficit Disorder
Authors: Dengate Sue
Published: June 2019

The effects of diet on ADHD behaviours is reviewed. Early studies failed to eliminate sufficient problem-causing foods, to recognise the validity of parental observations, to rate adequately some of the most common symptoms such as irritability and sleep disturbance rather than hyperactivity, and focused on the effects of sugar, which has been shown not to cause behaviour changes. More recent studies show that additive-free diets alone are of little benefit and broader dietary intervention is required. The mechanism for behavioural reactions to foods is food intolerance, not allergy. A low-chemical elimination diet followed by challenges can assist in identifying provoking food chemicals. Dietary management can be part of multimodal treatment of ADHD. Parents who wish to pursue dietary management should be assisted in their efforts and referred to a dietitian.
Early Intervention: Where have we been and where are we Going?
Authors: Sims Margaret
Published: June 2019

Professionals working in early intervention have believed for a long time that resources directed towards meeting the needs of young children will be repaid in full in the long term. Early intervention programs are based on the assumption that support in the early years of life is both economic and moral. However, there are a range of different approaches used world wide to support young children and their families. This paper reviews the different models of early intervention and discusses the differing outcomes of these models. As we move more and more into an economic rationalist world in Australia, it is important those in the field of early intervention are clear about what they want to achieve in order to justify their approach to a sceptical world in which every dollar spent is closely scrutinised.
A vision of the Whole Child: The Significance of Religious Experiences in early Childhood
Authors: Ryan Maurice , Stower Leigh
Published: June 2019

Most literature on early childhood highlights the importance of the whole child and a holistic approach to the care and education of young children. However, little attention is usually devoted in the literature to the contribution of childhood religious experiences towards the development of the whole child. This article describes the research and ideas of one group of scholars who studied religious experience in childhood. Edward Robinson and his colleagues have researched the religious experiences of people in the British context. In this article, implications are drawn from the work of Robinson and his colleagues for those who educate and care for young children in a variety of settings.
Balancing Work and Family Commitments: Developments in Innovative Organisations
Authors: Zetlin Di , Whitehouse Gillian
Published: June 2019

In the 1990s, balancing work and family commitments is increasingly seen as an issue to be pursued at corporation and individual levels, with social policy measures providing at best a basic set of minimum standards. This paper seeks to explore how some of the more exemplary corporations are responding to these challenges, their workers’ experience of family friendly policies, and the extent to which this shift is promoting gender equity. We argue that current trends make it extremely difficult to address the more costly aspects of work and family policy, and that, in spite of innovation in some areas, most policy programs tend to reinforce rather than challenge the tendency for women to take up ‘jobs’ rather than ‘careers’.
At Preschool they Read to you, at School you Learn to Read
Authors: Perry Bob , Dockett Sue , Tracey Danielle
Published: June 2019

Starting school represents a critical period in the life of young children. Parent/guardians and early childhood educators in school and prior to school settings are concerned to make the transition to formal schooling as smooth as possible and, to this end, engage in a range of actions and interactions designed to help prepare children for school. Underpinning these are sets of beliefs about what will facilitate the transition and what it means to be ready for school. This article explores some of those beliefs and adds to the literature in this area by considering the perspectives of the children involved.
What we Believe is what we Do
Authors: Sims Margaret
Published: June 2019

It is normal human behaviour to join groups. Part of our identity as human beings is tied up in the groups to which we belong. We remain in these groups because they make us feel good about who we are. We define people outside our group as different from us. Our discomfort with that difference is a normal human reaction to a person who is a member of a ‘not us’ group (Turner & Louis, 1996). What we, as humans, do with that discomfort varies. What professionals working with children and families do with that discomfort is crucial, because it is this which influences the way they do their job. This paper discusses different reactions to this ‘not us’ discomfort in relation to three types of difference commonly found in Australian society: the differences associated with being Aboriginal, with being migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds, and with having a disability. The paper shows how each reaction to these differences leads to particular kinds of service delivery. What we believe is what we do.
The Development of Wellbeing: Young Children's Knowledge of their Support Networks and Social Competence
Authors: Corrie Loraine , Leitao Natalie
Published: June 2019

Development of wellbeing may be influenced by children's knowledge of their relationships with significant others. This study investigated five-year-old children's knowledge of their support networks and social competence, and aligned it with observations of their social behaviour in group settings. The study found that socially able children articulated knowledge of their social networks accurately, and they had clear ideas about ways to elicit support and positive interactions. The children knew a great deal about their relationships with others, and it appeared that their knowledge mediated their social behaviour. It is suggested that analysis of the ‘affordance value’ of sociocultural contexts may help teachers understand the opportunities available for children to develop the social knowledge and competence that facilitates relationships.
Quantitative Determination of Principal Aporphine and Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids Due to Blooming State in Lotus Flower (Flower Buds of Nelumbo nucifera) and Their Hyaluronidase Inhibitory Activity
Authors: Morikawa Toshio , Okugawa Shuhei , Manse Yoshiaki , Muraoka Osamu , Yoshikawa Masayuki , Ninomiya Kiyofumi
Published: June 2019

Using a recently developed analytical protocol, distributions of 5 aporphine alkaloids, nuciferine (1), nornuciferine (2), N-methylasimilobine (3), asimilobine (4), and pronuciferine (5), and 5 benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, armepavine (6), norarmepavine (7), N-methylcoclaurine (8), coclaurine (9), and norjuziphine (10), in lotus flowers (the flower buds of Nelumbo nucifera) were analyzed. The flowers were collected at different blooming states (beginning of blooming, one-third in bloom, half in bloom, three-quarters in bloom, and in full bloom) from Saga prefecture, Japan (NN-S1–5). The samples from the beginning of blooming state (NN-S1, 16.35 mg/g in dried material) were found to possess the richest total alkaloid content (1-10). The samples of half in bloom (NN-S3, 52.69 mg per flower of dried material) had the highest total alkaloid content per flower. Among the alkaloid constituents, nornuciferine (2, IC50 = 22.5 µM), asimilobine (4, 11.7 μM), norarmepavine (7, 26.4 μM), coclaurine (9, 11.4 μM), and norjuziphine (10, 24.3 μM) exhibited hyaluronidase inhibitory activity, which was more potent than that of the antiallergic medicine disodium cromoglycate (DSCG, 64.8 μM).
Natural Sulforaphane From Broccoli Seeds Against Influenza A Virus Replication in MDCK Cells
Authors: Li Zhansheng , Liu Yumei , Fang Zhiyuan , Yang Limei , Zhuang Mu , Zhang Yangyong , Lv Honghao
Published: June 2019

We explored the potential application of sulforaphane against influenza A virus and elucidated the underlying cytopathic effect (CPE) and cytotoxicity. In the present study, 2 sulforaphane products were used to investigate the CPEs on influenza A virus replication in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and to conduct a cytotoxicity test. One was the standard sample and the other was extracted from broccoli seeds. The 2 products of sulforaphane were each diluted to different concentrations. The results indicated that sulforaphane possessed antiviral activity against influenza A/WSN/33 (H1N1) virus, and the standard sulforaphane sample showed biological activity against influenza virus with low cytotoxicity at concentrations of 6.25 to 12.5 μM. The same phenomenon was observed with a broccoli seed extract concentration of sulforaphane of 6.25 μM. Both samples displayed higher cytotoxicity at 50 μM of sulforaphane, and the extract samples showed stronger cytotoxicity at sulforaphane concentrations of 12.5 to 100 μM compared with the standard, particularly at 100 μM. In conclusion, natural sulforaphane from broccoli seeds showed potential as an agent against influenza A virus infection, and the CPE after treatment with sulforaphane was concentration dependent; a suitable sulforaphane concentration of 6.25 μM is suggested and was demonstrated as effective, with high antiviral activity and low cytotoxicity.
Treatment of Hypertension in Complex Older Adults: How Many Medications Are Needed?
Authors: Ouellet Gregory M. , McAvay Gail , Murphy Terrence E. , Tinetti Mary E.
Published: June 2019

Background: Many older adults with hypertension receive multiple antihypertensives. It is unclear whether treatment with several antihypertensive classes results in greater cardiovascular benefits than fewer antihypertensive classes. Objectives: We investigated (a) the longitudinal associations between treatment with ≥ 3 versus 1-2 classes and death and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and (b) whether these associations varied by the presence of mobility disability. Methods: We included 6,011 treated hypertensive adults ≥65 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative community sample. Times to MACE and death were compared between those receiving ≥3 versus 1-2 classes using multivariable proportional hazards regression. We used inverse probability of treatment weighting to account for indication and contraindication bias. Results: There were no significant differences in the risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.96, p = .769) or MACE (HR = 1.10, p = .574) between the exposure groups, and there were no significant exposure × mobility disability interactions. Discussion: We found no benefit of ≥3 versus 1-2 antihypertensive classes in reducing mortality and cardiovascular events in a representative cohort of older adults, raising concern about the added benefit of additional antihypertensives in the real world.
Americans’ Perceptions of Transgender People’s Sex: Evidence from a National Survey Experiment
Authors: Doan Long , Quadlin Natasha , Powell Brian
Published: June 2019

Drawing on the first national survey experiment of its kind ( n = 3,922), the authors examine Americans’ perceptions of transgender people’s sex and the factors that underlie these perceptions. The authors randomly assigned respondents to a vignette condition describing a transgender person whose self-identified gender (i.e., identifies as a man or a woman), age (i.e., adult or teenager), and gender conformity in physical appearance (i.e., conforming, nonconforming, ambiguous, or unspecified) had been experimentally manipulated. Then, respondents were asked how they would personally classify that person’s sex. The findings suggest that Americans are more likely to perceive a transgender person’s sex as consistent with their sex assigned at birth than with their gender identity. Furthermore, of the experimental manipulations included in the experiment, only the transgender person’s level of gender conformity—not their self-identified gender or age—affects public perceptions of sex. The authors also find distinct cleavages along sociodemographic lines, including politics, sexual orientation, and interpersonal contact with transgender people. Implications for research on sex and gender are discussed.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Outcomes for Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Baseline Corticosteroids for Palliative Versus Nonpalliative Indications
Authors: Ricciuti Biagio , Dahlberg Suzanne E. , Adeni Anika , Sholl Lynette M. , Nishino Mizuki , Awad Mark M.
Published: June 2019

PURPOSE

Baseline use of corticosteroids is associated with poor outcomes in patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with programmed cell death-1 axis inhibition. To approach the question of causation versus correlation for this association, we examined outcomes in patients treated with immunotherapy depending on whether corticosteroids were administered for cancer-related palliative reasons or cancer-unrelated indications.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinical outcomes in patients with NSCLC treated with immunotherapy who received ≥ 10 mg prednisone were compared with outcomes in patients who received 0 to < 10 mg of prednisone.

RESULTS

Of 650 patients, the 93 patients (14.3%) who received ≥ 10 mg of prednisone at the time of immunotherapy initiation had shorter median progression-free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS) times than patients who received 0 to < 10 mg of prednisone (mPFS, 2.0 v 3.4 months, respectively; P = .01; mOS, 4.9 v 11.2 months, respectively; P < .001). When analyzed by reason for corticosteroid administration, mPFS and mOS were significantly shorter only among patients who received ≥ 10 mg prednisone for palliative indications compared with patients who received ≥ 10 mg prednisone for cancer-unrelated reasons and with patients receiving 0 to < 10 mg of prednisone (mPFS, 1.4 v 4.6 v 3.4 months, respectively; log-rank P < .001 across the three groups; mOS, 2.2 v 10.7 v 11.2 months, respectively; log-rank P < .001 across the three groups). There was no significant difference in mPFS or mOS in patients receiving ≥ 10 mg of prednisone for cancer-unrelated indications compared with patients receiving 0 to < 10 mg of prednisone.

CONCLUSION

Although patients with NSCLC treated with ≥ 10 mg of prednisone at the time of immunotherapy initiation have worse outcomes than patients who received 0 to < 10 mg of prednisone, this difference seems to be driven by a poor-prognosis subgroup of patients who receive corticosteroids for palliative indications.
Standardization of Inpatient CPR Status Discussions and Documentation Within the Division of Hematology-Oncology at UPMC Shadyside: Results From PDSA Cycles 1 and 2
Authors: Garcia Christine A. , Bhatnagar Mamta , Rodenbach Rachel , Chu Edward , Marks Stanley , Graham-Pardus Abigail , Kriner Jamie , Winfield Melissa , Minnier Christopher , Leahy Janet , Hanchett Sharon , Baird Emily , Arnold Robert M. , Levenson Joshua E.
Published: June 2019

PURPOSE:

In December 2016, 49% of patients admitted to inpatient oncology services at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside Hospital had cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) status discussion documentation before discharge. The aim of this project was to improve the rate of CPR status conversations.

METHODS:

During Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle 1, a stakeholder workgroup was formed in January 2017 by oncology faculty, fellows, nurses, advance practice providers (APPs), medicine housestaff, and palliative care faculty. All oncology clinicians and inpatient team members were reminded weekly to discuss and document CPR status preferences. APPs received training on efficient and effective CPR status assessment from palliative care faculty. Oncology leadership received monthly e-mail updates of CPR status documentation rates and endorsed CPR status best practice guidelines. For PDSA cycle 2, patient charts without CPR status documentation in March 2018 were reviewed, and themes were shared with oncology leadership and reviewed with APPs.

RESULTS:

After PDSA cycle 1, CPR status assessment rates increased from 49% to greater than 80%. In 2017, more than 1,500 more CPR status discussions were documented than in 2016. The percentage of patients discharged with “comfort measures only” or “do not resuscitate” orders increased from 14.2% (95% CI, 9.5% to 19.0%) to 19.8% (95% CI, 15.6% to 24.0%). For PDSA cycle 2, charts of 60 patients without CPR assessment were reviewed. Of these, 52% were admitted overnight by nocturnists and 48% by daytime APPs. Fifty-five percent of patients (n = 33 of 60) had metastatic disease. CPR status was documented on previous admissions for 53% of patients (n = 31 of 60) in the past 12 months. Fifteen percent (n = 11 of 60) were admitted for scheduled inpatient chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION:

A multipronged approach significantly increased CPR status assessments. More patients transitioned to comfort measures only or do not resuscitate when their preferences were clearly assessed and documented.
Route of Insulin Does Not Influence 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations in Type 1 Diabetes: A Brief Report
Authors: van Dijk Peter R , Logtenberg Susan J J , Waanders Femke , Groenier Klaas H , van Goor Harry , Kleefstra Nanne , Bilo Henk J G
Published: June 2019

The increased prevalence of vitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may be related to low insulin levels in the hepatic portal venous system. In this prospective matched-control study, we demonstrate that long-term intraperitoneal insulin does not influence 25(OH)D concentrations in patients with T1DM as compared with subcutaneous insulin administration.
Prospective Association of Serum Opioid Levels and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Cancer Pain Treated With Intrathecal Opioid Therapy
Authors: Brogan Shane E. , Sindt Jill E. , Jackman Carina M. , White Julia , Wilding Victoria , Okifuji Akiko
Published: June 2019

BACKGROUND:

Opioids remain the mainstay of cancer pain management but are associated with systemic toxicity. In refractory cancer pain, intrathecal therapy (ITT) is associated with improved pain control, reduced systemic side effects, and improved survival. It has been assumed that ITT decreases systemic serum opioid levels and their associated toxicity, but there are limited data to support this assumption. This study hypothesizes that serum opioid levels decrease with ITT. Secondary objectives include comparative measures of pain, bowel function, and other cancer-related symptoms.

METHODS:

Fifty-one cancer patients undergoing ITT for cancer pain were recruited in a prospective observational study. Daily oral morphine equivalency (OME) dose, serum opioid levels, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), and a constipation questionnaire were obtained at the time of implant, and 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively.

RESULTS:

Average baseline daily OME was 375 mg (median, 240; interquartile range, 150–405; range, 0–3160), mean serum morphine concentration was 53.7 ng/mL (n = 17), and mean oxycodone concentration was 73.7 ng/mL (n = 20). At 4 weeks, 87.5% of patients had discontinued non-IT opioids, and 53% had undetectable (<2 ng/mL) serum opioid concentrations. At 8 weeks, 92% remained off all non-IT opioids and 59% had undetectable serum opioid levels. IT morphine doses >4.2 mg/d were invariably associated with detectable serum levels; with doses <4.2 mg, morphine was undetectable in 80% of subjects. IT hydromorphone doses >6.8 mg/d were detectable in the serum. Using linear mixed model analyses, there were statistically significant decreases in the mean “worst pain,” “average pain,” and MD Anderson symptom severity and interference scores at 4 and 8 weeks. This change was independent of serum opioid levels; when analyzed separately, there was no difference in the pain scores of subjects with detectable serum opioid levels compared to those with undetectable levels at 4 and 8 weeks. Constipation ranked as “quite a bit” or “very much” decreased from 58.7% to 19.2% of subjects at week 4 (P < .001) and to 37.5% at 8 weeks (P = .23). A very low complication rate was observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

ITT for cancer pain was associated with a marked reduction in serum opioid concentrations, with the majority of patients having undetectable serum levels. Reducing serum opioid concentrations in cancer patients may have implications with respect to restoring bowel function, improving fatigue, and promoting the integrity of antitumor immune function and warrants further study.
Incidental Murmurs and the Elective Noncardiac Surgical Patient: A Case Report
Authors: Davidson Henry J. , Cowie Brian
Published: June 2019

We present a case of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction detected by limited bedside transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). This involved a young and otherwise healthy patient presenting for elective hand surgery with a previously undetected cardiac murmur. It highlights the utility of bedside TTE as an assessment tool and shows the importance of anesthesiologists as perioperative physicians.
Large Iatrogenic Tracheal Injury From Attempted Endotracheal Cuff Leak Remedy: A Case Report
Authors: Valentine Jake , Shteyman Michael , Samet Ron E.
Published: June 2019

Continuous insufflation of oxygen into the pilot balloon of an endotracheal tube has been documented as a viable method to fix an incompetent endotracheal tube cuff. We present a case of a large iatrogenic tracheal injury resulting from an improvised cuff leak management device. Valuable lessons are discussed to prevent similar incidents.
Repeated Intercostal Nerve Blocks With Liposomal Bupivacaine for Chronic Chest Pain: A Case Report
Authors: Visoiu Mihaela , Verdecchia Nicole
Published: June 2019

Chronic chest pain is a debilitating condition that is poorly treated, resulting in opioid dependence and significantly decreased quality of life. In this case report, we describe the successful use of 266 mg of liposomal bupivacaine for 4 rounds of left-sided multilevel intercostal nerve blocks performed to treat chronic chest pain of a 21-year-old woman (150 kg, 163 cm). The sensory blockade duration was up to 7 days, analgesia lasted 2 months, and was described superior to that with ropivacaine intercostal blockade. The treatment improved satisfaction with pain control and quality of life.
RNAscope in situ hybridization-based method for detecting DUX4 RNA expression in vitro
Authors: Amini Chermahini Gholamhossein , Rashnonejad Afrooz , Harper Scott Q.
Published: June 2019

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is among the most common forms of muscular dystrophy. FSHD is caused by aberrant expression of the toxic DUX4 gene in muscle. Detecting endogenous DUX4 in patient tissue using conventional methods can be challenging, due to the low level of DUX4 expression. Therefore, developing simple and trustworthy DUX4 detection methods is an important need in the FSHD field. Here, we describe such a method, which uses the RNAscope assay, an RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) technology. We show that a custom-designed RNAscope assay can detect overexpressed DUX4 mRNA in transfected HEK293 cells and endogenous DUX4 mRNA in FSHD patient-derived myotubes. The RNAscope assay was highly sensitive for tracking reductions in DUX4 mRNA following treatment with our therapeutic mi405 microRNA, suggesting that RNAscope-based DUX4 expression assays could be developed as a prospective outcome measure in therapy trials. This study could set the stage for optimizing and developing a new, rapid RNA ISH-based molecular diagnostic assay for future clinical use in the FSHD field.
Lung Cancer - Prevalence and Patterns
Authors: Kumar Karuna Ramesh , Payal K.
Published: June 2019

Background and setting Recent reports have indicated the increasing incidence of lung cancer in women and younger age groups. A cross- sectional, retrospective study was undertaken to study the age and sex distribution and histological patterns of lung cancer in the patient population presenting to St.John's Medical college Hospital, Bangalore. Methods The age, sex and the clinical features of patients and gross findings of the specimens were retrieved from the archives of the department.Hematoxylin and Eosin stained paraffin sections were used for assessment of histological patterns. Results and Conclusions 80 patients(13.5%) were histologically diagnosed as having lung cancer in the study done over a period of 6 years(1995-2000).Peak incidence was seen in 5th and 6th decade. 15 patients were <40 years of age with a male-female ratio 1.5:1 while the trend changed to 4.9:1 in >40 years age group. among the classifiable patterns, the common years age group. Among the classifiable patterns, the common histological pattern was squamous cell carcinoma, while 26.5% of lung cancer cases were poorly differentiated and could not be further categorized indicating the need for advanced techniques. In 18.5% of patients who were less than 40 years of age with lack of male preponderance, the genesis was probably multifactorial. Market integration Correlation is a measure of market integration. Correlation Coefficients of Prices, which include trend, seasonal and cylindrical effects are not adequate to precisely measure the degree of market integration. Integration of "pure errors" (pure errors means error series free from autocorrelation effects) of several time series enables us to determine the significance or otherwise integration of markets.
Analog Versus Digital Design: When and Where to Make the Cut
Authors: Sayandeep Nag
Published: June 2019

System designers are frequently asked to create circuits that measure and control the analog world. One of the the challenges in these types of designs is to know when to convert the signal signal from the analog domain to the digital domain. In the analog domain, signal conditioning techniques such as gain, offset, and filtering are used to quickly modify the incoming signal. Alternatively, mathematical algorithms are used in the digital domain to implement similar functions. Every system design is unique and requires custom solutions for each case, but there are some general guidelines that can help the designer make the right decisions concerning where to draw the line. Two circuit scenarios will be discussed in this paper. With each of the two systems, the question of when and where to use analog signal conditioning strategies as opposed to digital techniques will be answered. The first scenario that will be used in this discussion is a simple RTD(Resistance Temperature Detectors) temperature sensing circuit. With this system, digital versus analog calibration, gain and offset techniques will be under evaluation.Filtering techniques is the second scenario that will be evaluated. Discussions will show that all circuit designs require a degree of analog filtering whether or not the input analog signal is DC or AC. From this premise, the advantages of analog versus digital filter designs will be investigated.
Rational Unified Process Part-1
Authors: Tharian Manoj
Published: June 2019

This paper presents an overview of the Rational Unified Process. The Rational unified Process is a software engineering process, delivered through a web-enabled, searchable knowledge base. The process enhances team productivity and delivers software best practices via guidelines, templates and tool mentors for all critical software lifecycle activities. The knowledge base allows development teams to gain the full benefits of the industry-standard Unified Modeling Language(UML). The rational Unified Process is a software Engineering Process. It provides a disciplined approach to assigning tasks and responsibilities within development organization. Its goal is to ensure the production of high-quality software that meets the needs of its end-users, within a predictable schedule and budget.[11,13] The rational Unified Process is a process product , developed and maintained by Rational Software. The development team for the Rational Unified Process are working closely with customers, partners, Rational's that the process is continuously updated and improved upon to reflect recent experiences and evolving and proven best practices. The Rational Unified Process is a guide for how to effectively use the Unified modeling Language(UML). The UML is a industry-standard language that allows us to clearly communicate requirements, architectures and designs. The UML is a industry-standard language that allows us to clearly communicate requirements architectures and designs. the UML originally created by Rational Software, and is now maintained by the standards organization Object Management Group(OMG).[4] the Rational Unified Process captures many of the best practices in modern software development in a form that is suitable for a wide range of projects and organizations. Deploying these best practices 3/4 using the Rational Unified Process as your guide 3/4 offers development teams a number of key advantages. In next section, we describe the six fundamental best practices of the Rational Unified Process. The Rational Unified Process describes how to effectively deploy commercially proven approaches to software development for software development teams. These are called "best practices" not so much because you can precisely quantify their value, but rather, because they are observed to be commonly used in industry by successful organizations.
Vegetation Status in Uttara Kannada District
Authors: Ramachandra T. V.
Published: June 2019

Uttara Kannada is the only district in Karnataka, which has a forested area of about 80% and falls in the region of the Western Ghats. It is considered to be very resourceful in terms of abundant natural resources and constitutes an important district in Karnataka.The forest resources of the district are under pressure as a large portion of the forested area has been converted to non-forestry activities since independence owing to the increased demands from human and animal population resulting in the degradation of the forest ecosystem.This has led to poor productivity and regenerative capacity which is evident in the form of barren hill tops, etc. in Coastal taluks of Uttara Kannada , entailing regular monitoring of the forest resources very essential.The classification of forest is a prerequisite for managing forest resources.Geographical Information System (GIS),allows the spatial and temporal analysis of the features of interest, and helps in solving the problem of deforestation and associated environmental and ecological problems.Spatial and temporal tools such as GIS and remotely sensed data helps the planners and decision makers in evolving the sustainable strategies for management and conservation of natural resources. Uttara Kannada district was classified on the basis of the land-use using supervised hard classifiers.The land use categories identified were urban area, water bodies, agricultural land, forest cover, and waste land.Further classification was carried out on the basis of forest type. The types of forest categorized were semi-evergreen, evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, plantations and scrub, thorny and non-forested area. The identified classes were correlated with the ground data collected during field visits. The observed results were compared with the historic data and the changes in the forest cover were analyzed. From the assessment made it was clear that there has been a considerable degree of forest loss in certain areas of the district. It was also observed that plantations and social forests have increased drastically over the last fifteen years, and natural forests have declined.
Bird Diversity on the Campus of the Indian Institute of Science - an Evaluation of two Methods of Estimation
Authors: Varma Surendra
Published: June 2019

Two methods namely, short strip transect count(SSTC)and point count(PC),were evaluated to select a robust method of estimating bird diversity on the campus of the Indian Institute of Science, a man-made ecosystem. For bird species/h(PC=6.7,SSTC=3.0) and the number of birds/km2h (PC=184.7,SSTC=40.3),The PC method encountered more species and individuals in relatively shorter time. The mean number of sightings and species per minute (sightings:PC=1.31,SE=0.08,SSTC=0.9,SE=0.07,species:PC=1.09, SE=0.06 and SSTC=0.67,SE=0.03) were also more in the PC method and the differences are very significant (sightings=3.09,p<0.001 and for species=5.48,p<0001). Species accumulation curve richness, diversity(H'=1.98(PC) and 1.75(SSTC),and evenness(E)(0.610 for PC, and 0.50 for SSTC) also favoured the PC method.These results indicate that the PC is an appropriate method for estimating bird diversity.The paper also discusses the possible ecological reasons for PC being a robust method.
Studies on Nisin Production by Isolated Lactobacillus Species in Aqueous Two-phase System
Authors: Singh Namita , Mandal S. K.
Published: June 2019

Isolated lactobacillus sp.(from cheese whey) was examined for its ability to produce bacteriocin like nisin in submerged fermentation and aqueous two-phase system(ATPS) at pH 6.5, 30.C for 18 h fermentation using M17S medium with 5%(v/v) inoculum and the nisin yields were obtained 4500 IU/ml and 20216 IU/ml where as biomass yield obtained 19.55 mg/ml and 31.88 mg/ml respectively.The maximum yield of nisin (24800 IU/ml) and biomass (22.49 mg/ml) were obtained in ATPS (28% PEG 6000 and 4% MgSO4.7H20 with 5-times concentrated M17 medium containing 0.5% lactose as carbon source) under similar conditions.
Experimenting usage of Camera-traps for Population Dynamics Study of the Asian Elephant Elephas Maximus in Southern India
Authors: Varma Surendra , Pittet André , Jamadagni H. S.
Published: June 2019

To evaluate the application of camera-trap technology in population dynamics studies of the Asian elephant, indigenously designed, cost-effective, infrared-triggered camera-traps were used.Usability of pictures was defined based on quality, clarity and positioning of the subject.With 99 pictures of 330 elephants, 20 sequences were obtained and 44 distinct individuals were identified.It was found that 38.6% were adult females, 4.5% adult males, 13.6% sub-adult females, 6.8% sub-adult males, 20.4% juvenile females,while juvenile males were poorly represented(2%), and 13.6% were calves.These results were surprising identical with those of other systematic and long-term studies.
Digitization of Constant Deviation Spectrograph
Authors: Kamath Devika , A. Chandrasekharan K.
Published: June 2019

This article is based on the work carried out by the authors as part of the project "Digitization of Physics Experiments with the help of data logger". A computer based measurement requires the conversion of real world analog signal to digital format and transfer of digitized data into the computer. The objective of this project is to interface a physics experiment to the computer thereby increasing the efficiency an accuracy of the experiment. The experiment selected was the "Analysis of Elemental Spectra using Constant Deviation Spectrograph". The experimental setup was modified ad made suitable to the computer for automatic data acquisition and analysis.
Modeling of Interstellar Dust Grains
Authors: Rao Nagalakshmi A.
Published: June 2019

Dust has two major effects on light passing through the Interstellar Medium - Interstellar Extinction and Reddening. Interstellar dust grains are typically a fraction of a micron, approximately the wavelength of blue light and hence light passing through dust is depleted in blue wavelength, causing Interstellar Reddening. Dust Grain Models are mainly based on the analysis of interstellar extinction and polarization curves. Discrete Dipole Approximation (DDA) is the best studied model to compute scattering parameters of the grain.
Market-Oriented Cloud Computing - Delivering IT Services as Computing Utilities
Authors: Tulasi B.
Published: June 2019

This paper provides information about 21st century vision of computing, identifies various computing paradigms promising to deliver the vision of computing utilities, defines Cloud computing and provides the architecture for creating market-oriented Clouds by leveraging technologies such as VMs, Cloud platforms especially those developed in industries along with our current work towards realizing the market-oriented resource allocation of Clouds and concludes with the need for convergence of competing IT paradigms for delivering our 21 st century vision.
Estimation of Steady State Probability Distribution of System Size in M/M/1 Queue
Authors: H. Jayakrishna Udupa
Published: June 2019

Recently Choudhury and Borthakur (2008) obtained classical and Bayesian estimators of performance measures based on a random sample of size n from a geometric distribution with mean ρ / (1− ρ) , which is the steady state probability distribution of system size. Here weobtain classical estimators, the Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Uniformly Minimum Variance Unbiased (UMVU) estimators, and Bayesian estimators of Pk , k=0,1,2,.... relative to beta prior distribution and Weighted Squared Error Loss (WSEL) function as well as relative to Standard Two-Sided Power (STSP) distribution and squared error loss / WSEL functions. Bayes, ML and UMVU estimates of the probability that the server is idle are also computed. Also Consistent Asymptotic Normality (CAN) for Pk , k=0,1,2,.... are examined.
Effect of Leaching High Ash Coal by Hydrofluoric Acid and EDTA on Removal of Mineral Matter and Sulphur
Authors: B. Manoj , G. Kunjomana A. , Ahmad Mansoor
Published: June 2019

Demineralization of coal was carried out using EDTA and HF. The residual coal from each treatment was characterized together with virgin coal using Scanning Electron Microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). An elemental analyzer was adopted to analyze CHNS on virgin and residual coal sample. The current research compares the leaching efficiency of a mild leachant and a strong leachant. The final analysis showed that the coal under study was subbituminous coal and leaching could improve the amount of carbonaceous material. It was observed that with HF leaching aluminates silicates and calcites are removed completely where as only feaces of sulphur remained. With EOTA leaching only calcium was removed. The Carbon content is increased to 77.461 from 60.121.
Diffuse Reflectance Spectra of Coals in the UV-Visible and Near-IR Regions
Authors: B. Manoj , G. Kunjomana A.
Published: June 2019

Chemical leaching of sub-bituminous coal with inorganic and organic leachants has been monitored by the UV-Visible and Near-IR spectra with the diffuse reflectance method. The shape and intensity of the observed absorption bands changed with leaching, reflecting the solubilization of the aromatic molecules and the degree of the intermolecular interaction between organic and inorganic phases. The absorption maximum of benzene-oxygen system was found between 235-270 nm and is showing a red shift with leaching. The characteristic naphthalene ring systems (220 & 280 nm) are masked by the absorption regions of monoaromatic rings; indicating the content of napthalenoid hydrocarbon is very low. The bands observed in the visible region (450nm) is attributed to S02 in the sample and with leaching this band is showing a red shift. The weak bond of the 680 nm is attributed to the ∏-∏* electronic transitions of the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons which shows red shift with leaching.
Major Air Pollutants and Their Effects
Authors: Doreswamy H. S. , Sudheendra S. R.
Published: June 2019

Air pollution is the introduction of chemical, particulate matter or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment, into the atmosphere. The atmosphere is the thin layer of gases that surrounds the earth surfaces. Recently, environmental problems have been local and minor because of the earth's own ability to absorb and purify minor quantities of pollutants. The industrialization, introduction of more number of vehicles, and the explosion of the population, are contributing toward the growing air pollution problem. Knowing of major air pollutants and their effects are very important to global world.
ETL Auto Reconciliation
Authors: Jos Jibrael , U. Bragadishwaran
Published: June 2019

Extraction, transformation and Loading (ETL) is the process of storing data into the data warehouse. Errors in the ETL process con result in wrong data being stored. This paper introduces an automated approach to reconcile the source data with data stored in the data warehouse. This ensures that data in the warehouse is consistent with the source data and all stakeholders have clarity on the quality of the data. The ETL Unit presented in the paper can be considered as a template/ design pattern to implement this strategy. The pattern will help to for implementing both integrated and independent Auto Reconciliation.
The Effect of Particle Drag and Wall Absorption on Mass Transfer in Concentric Annulus Flows
Authors: Umadevi B. , P.A. Dinesh , Rao Indira R. , C.V. Vinay
Published: June 2019

The effects of the irreversible boundary reaction and the particle drag on mass transfer are studied analytically in concentric annulus flows. The solution of mathematical model, based on the generalized dispersion model brings out the mass transport following by the insertion of catheter on an artery in terms of the three effective transport coefficients, viz., the exchange, convection and diffusion coefficient. A general expression is derived which shows clearly the time dependent nature of the coefficients in the dispersive model. The complete time dependent expression for the exchange coefficient is obtained explicitly and independent of velocity distribution in the flow; however it does depend on the initial solute distribution. Because of the complexity of the problem only asymptotic large time evaluations are made for the convective and diffusion coefficients, but these are sufficient to give the physical insight into the nature of the problem of the effects of drag and absorption parameters. It is found that as absorption parameter increases exchange and convection coefficients will be enhanced, but diffusion coefficient will be reduced. After certain period of time exchange coefficient will be constant for different values annular gap. As the drag parameter increases convection and diffusion coefficients will be reduced. With the enhancement of catheter radius i.e., the annular gap will be reduced then the convection and diffusion coefficients will be decreased.
An Experimental Study of Natural Convection in Porous Media Heated from below
Authors: Nagaraju P.
Published: June 2019

The present experimental study is carried out using a rectangular cavity packed with porous medium such as iron balls or glass balls of different diameters and hence different porosity. The lower plate is maintained at a uniform temperature Th, which is higher than the temperature Tc of upper plate. The experiment is performed for both closed and open systems in vertical as well as horizontal orientation of the test box. When ( Th - Tc ) is increased beyond a certain value, convective motion takes place in the fluid. The results of the experiment indicate that a porous medium can transport more energy than a saturated fluid alone if the porous matrix is highly permeable and thermal conductivity of solid particles is greater than that of fluid. This experiment also shows that convective effect is more in open system i.e., free boundary at the top. It is also observed that the time taken to reach the thermal steady state is less in the horizontal orientation as compared to the vertical orientation. In this study, the relationship between Rayleigh and Nusselt numbers has been investigated in addition to the expected temperature profile. It is found that the magnitude of temperature for iron balls is about 10% more as compared to glass balls and about 18% higher for vertical orientation as compared to horizontal orientation.
Parallel Communicating String - Graph P System
Authors: Sankar Meena Parvathy , David N.G.
Published: June 2019

The concept of parallel communicating grammar systems generating string languages is extended to string-graph P systems and their generative power is studied. It is also established that for every language L generated by a parallel communicating grammar system there exists an equivalent parallel communicating string-graph P system generating the string-graph language corresponding to L.
Types of Arcs in Complement of a Fuzzy Graph
Authors: Narayan K.R. Sandeep , Sunitha M.S.
Published: June 2019

Connectivity has important role in the area of applications of fuzzy graphs such as fuzzy neural networks and clustering. In this paper different types of arcs such as α, β, δ and fuzzy bonds are analyzed in a fuzzy graph G and its complement.