Viruses have not previously been reported to act as chemotactic/chemoattractive agents. Rather, viruses as extracellular entities are generally viewed as non-metabolically active spore-like agents that await further infection events upon collision with appropriate host cells. That a virus might actively contribute to its fate via chemotaxis and change the behavior of an organism independent of infection is unprecedented.
The sol-gel route using an agar gel with calcium nitrate and phosphate solution as starting materials for producing hydroxyapatite (HAP). The product formed were needle like, zigzag and straight fibres. The fibrous products on sintering transformed into stoichiometric HAP with a biological Ca/P ratio of 1.67. The influences of pH, temperature, nature of base and phosphate solution on the growth of fibrous HAP were studied. The pH of the solution was found to greatly influence the growth rate and morphology of the resultant product. The optimum gel temperature was found to be 60oC and sintering temperature of 900oC for 1 hour. The crystalline, thermal, functional and morphological characteristics of the fibrous HAP were investigated.
The field of autonomous robotic systems has advanced tremendously in the last few years, allowing them to perform complicated tasks in various contexts. One of the most important and useful applications of guide robots is the support of the blind. The successful implementation of this study requires a more accurate and powerful self-localization system for guide robots in indoor environments. This paper proposes a self-localization system for guide robots. To successfully implement this study, images were collected from the perspective of a robot inside a room, and a deep learning system such as a convolutional neural network (CNN) was used. An image-based self-localization guide robot image-classification system delivers a more accura
... Show MoreThe book gives details about the healing power of love
We explore the transform coefficients of fractal and exploit new method to improve the compression capabilities of these schemes. In most of the standard encoder/ decoder systems the quantization/ de-quantization managed as a separate step, here we introduce new way (method) to work (managed) simultaneously. Additional compression is achieved by this method with high image quality as you will see later.
Lignin has emerged as a promising asphalt binder modifier due to its sustainable and renewable nature, with the potential to improve flexible pavement performance. This study investigates the use of Soda Lignin Powder (SLP), derived from Pinus wood sawdust via alkaline treatment, as an asphalt modifier to enhance mixture durability. SLP was characterized using Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (SEM/EDX), revealing significant changes in its chemical structure post-extraction. These analyses showed the presence of phenolic units, including hydroxyphenyl propane, syringyl, and guaiacyl units. The morphology of SLP was identified
... Show MoreBackground: Treatment modalities of acromegaly and disease control impact differently on glucose homeostasis and lipid changes, and consequently on cardiometabolic risk. Aim: To investigate the possible association of lipid profile changes with the glycemic control status in acromegaly patients treated with octreotide LAR. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 52 Iraqi patients with acromegaly treated with octreotide LAR and not using statins. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data were collected, as well as the duration of Octreotide LAR administration. The glycemic state was assessed and classified as DM, prediabetes, or normal. Plasma levels of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and non-HDL were evalu
... Show MoreIn the 1970s, the world knew the long-tailed nesokia Nesokia bunnii (Khajuria, 1981) (Rodentia, Muridae) from the Mesopotamian marshes of Garden of Eden in Southern Iraq. This distinct rodent was known from only five voucher specimens collected at the confluence of Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in southern Iraq while its occurrence in Southwestern Iran had
never been reported. In the 1990s, a large extent of its natural habitat was catastrophically desiccated and the animal was last seen in the 1970s. Since then, the status of this elusive rodent was shrouded in mystery. In 2007, an extraordinary photograph of a carcass of this species came to the light from Hawizeh Marsh which was interpreted as concrete evidence of the species’ pers