Journal of Intelligent Learning Systems and Applications, 2014
Increasing costs and competitive business strategies are pushing sawmill enterprises to make an e... more Increasing costs and competitive business strategies are pushing sawmill enterprises to make an effort for optimization of their process management. Organizational decisions mainly concentrate on performance and reduction of operational costs in order to maintain profit margins. Although many efforts have been made, effective utilization of resources, optimal planning and maximum productivity in sawmill are still challenging to sawmill industries. Many researchers proposed the simulation models in combination with optimization techniques to address problems of integrated logistics optimization. The combination of simulation and optimization technique identifies the optimal strategy by simulating all complex behaviours of the system under consideration including objectives and constraints. During the past decade, an enormous number of studies were conducted to simulate operational inefficiencies in order to find optimal solutions. This paper gives a review on recent developments and challenges associated with simulation and optimization techniques. It was believed that the review would provide a perfect ground to the authors in pursuing further work in optimizing sawmill yard operations.
Human exposure to floods continues to increase, driven by changes in hydrology and land use. Adve... more Human exposure to floods continues to increase, driven by changes in hydrology and land use. Adverse impacts amplify for socially vulnerable populations, who disproportionately inhabit flood-prone areas. This study explores the geography of flood exposure and social vulnerability in the conterminous United States based on spatial analysis of fluvial and pluvial flood extent, land cover, and social vulnerability. Using bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association, we map hotspots where high flood exposure and high social vulnerability converge and identify dominant indicators of social vulnerability within these places. The hotspots, home to approximately 19 million people, occur predominantly in rural areas and across the US South. Mobile homes and racial minorities are most overrepresented in hotspots compared to elsewhere. The results identify priority locations where interventions can mitigate both physical and social aspects of flood vulnerability. The variables that most d...
Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive n... more Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive neuroscience research, encouraged by the simplicity of the technique (two electrodes and a battery powered stimulator) and the perception that tDCS protocols can be simply designed by placing the anode over the cortex to "excite," and the cathode over cortex to "inhibit." A specific and predictive understanding of tDCS needs experimental data to be placed into a quantitative framework. Biologically constrained computational models provide a useful framework within which to interpret results from empirical studies and generate novel, testable hypotheses. Although not without caveats, computational models provide a tool for exploring cognitive and brain processes, are amenable to quantitative analysis, and can inspire novel empirical work that might be difficult to intuit simply by examining experimental results. We approach modeling the effects of tDCS on neurons from m...
Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive n... more Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive neuroscience research, encouraged by the simplicity of the technique (two electrodes and a battery powered stimulator) and the perception that tDCS protocols can be simply designed by placing the anode over the cortex to "excite," and the cathode over cortex to "inhibit." A specific and predictive understanding of tDCS needs experimental data to be placed into a quantitative framework. Biologically constrained computational models provide a useful framework within which to interpret results from empirical studies and generate novel, testable hypotheses. Although not without caveats, computational models provide a tool for exploring cognitive and brain processes, are amenable to quantitative analysis, and can inspire novel empirical work that might be difficult to intuit simply by examining experimental results. We approach modeling the effects of tDCS on neurons from multiple levels: modeling the electric field distribution, modeling single-compartment effects, and finally with multicompartment neuron models.
A young male was incidentally diagnosed to have a rare disorder on X rays done to rule out a bony... more A young male was incidentally diagnosed to have a rare disorder on X rays done to rule out a bony injury after trauma to his left wrist. The radiological findings and differential diagnosis are briefly discussed.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a group of biodegradable plastics that are produced by a wide va... more Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a group of biodegradable plastics that are produced by a wide variety of microorganisms, mainly as a storage intermediate for energy and carbon. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a short-chain-length PHA with interesting chemical and physical properties. Large scale production of PHB is not wide-spread mainly due to the downstream processing of bacterial cultures to extract the PHB. Secretion of PHB from Escherichia coli could reduce downstream processing costs. PHB are non-proteinaceous polymers, hence cannot be directly targeted for secretion. Phasin, PhaP1, is a low molecular weight protein that binds to PHB, reducing PHB granule size. In this study PHB is indirectly secreted with PhaP1 from E. coli via type I secretion using HlyA signal peptides. This study demonstrated the successful secretion of phasin and phasin bound PHB outside of the cell and into the culture medium. The secretion of PHB was initiated between 24 and 48 h after induction. After 4...
A 38-year-old man presented with pleuritic chest pain that was present on waking and localised to... more A 38-year-old man presented with pleuritic chest pain that was present on waking and localised to the left costal margin with no radiation. He was otherwise asymptomatic and denied preceding trauma, heavy lifting, coughing or recent vomiting. Observations and examination were unremarkable; however, a chest radiograph showed a pneumomediastinum. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare condition that tends to follow a benign clinical course. A CT of the chest is generally only indicated if the chest X-ray fails to show an SPM in patients for whom there is a high index of clinical suspicion. A contrast-enhanced swallow study is only indicated if there is suspicion of an oesophageal tear or rupture. Evidence suggests that patients with SPM can be managed conservatively and observed for 24 h.
Monitoring of electrode resistance during tDCS is considered important for tolerability and safet... more Monitoring of electrode resistance during tDCS is considered important for tolerability and safety. Conventional resistance measurement methods do not isolate individual electrode resistance and for HD-tDCS devices, cross talk across electrodes makes concurrent resistance monitoring unreliable. We propose a novel method to monitor individual electrode resistance during tDCS, using a super-position of direct current with a test-signal (low intensity and low frequency sinusoids with electrode-specific frequencies) and a sentinel electrode (not used for DC). We developed and solved lumped-parameter models of tDCS electrodes with or without a sentinel electrode to validate this methodology. Assumptions were tested and parameterized in participants using forearm stimulation combining tDCS (2 mA) and test-signals (38 and 76 μA pk-pk at 1 Hz, 10 Hz, & 100 Hz) and an in vitro test (creating electrode failure modes). DC and AC component voltages across the electrodes were compared and participants were asked to rate subjective pain. A sentinel electrode is required to isolate electrode resistance in a two-electrode tDCS system. Cross talk aggravated with electrode proximity and resistance mismatch in multi-electrode resistance tracking could be corrected using proposed approaches. Average voltage and pain scores were not significantly different across test current intensities and frequencies. Using our developed method, a test signal can predict DC electrode resistance. Since unique test frequencies can be used at each tDCS electrode, specific electrode resistance can be resolved for any number of stimulating channels - a process made still more robust by the use of a sentinel electrode.
Internet and Multimedia Systems and Applications / 747: Human-Computer Interaction, 2011
Abstract The goal of the project reported in this paper is to design and deploy a fully-functiona... more Abstract The goal of the project reported in this paper is to design and deploy a fully-functional web-based video browsing, annotation, and retrieval solution targeted at marine biology researchers. The solution must comply with marine biology surveys' procedures ...
This paper summarises the results of using image processing technique to get information about th... more This paper summarises the results of using image processing technique to get information about the load of timber trucks before their arrival using digital images or geo tagged images. Once the images are captured and sent to sawmill by drivers from forest, we can predict their arrival time using geo tagged coordinates, count the number of (timber) logs piled up in a truck, identify their type and calculate their diameter. With this information we can schedule and prioritise the inflow and unloading of trucks in the light of production schedules and raw material stocks available at the sawmill yard. It is important to keep all the actors in a supply chain integrated coordinated, so that optimal working routines can be reached in the sawmill yard.
Due to the small size of microcapsules (1-1000 µm) used in a large number of applications, the in... more Due to the small size of microcapsules (1-1000 µm) used in a large number of applications, the individual rupture strength of an individual particle has been difficult to obtain. A new technique involving nanomechanical testing was used in this study. We propose a standard method of testing the individual strength of Micronal ® DS5008 microcapsules with an average size of approximately 11.2µm. Microcapsules were subjected to compressive force testing to determine the amount of force required to rupture the microcapsules. In order to find the mechanical properties of these microcapsules a standard nanoindentation system was setup with a 10µm radius diamond head cone indentation tip and the individual microcapsules were compressed till rupture occurred.
A 45-year-old-woman had plasma cell leukemia (PCL) and mild renal insufficiency. Renal biopsy fin... more A 45-year-old-woman had plasma cell leukemia (PCL) and mild renal insufficiency. Renal biopsy findings were compatible with kappa-chain nephropathy. Our case adds PCL to the list of plasma cell dyscrasias associated with kappa- and/or lambda-chain nephropathy.
The urban areas comprise complex systems of activities, so the study of its form in terms of a fe... more The urban areas comprise complex systems of activities, so the study of its form in terms of a few statistical measures is quite taxing. This paper attempts to employ such measures to define the urban form of Rajshahi city in Bangladesh. It evaluated some of the measures to quantify urban form and selected two indices, namely, Gini coefficient and Moran coefficient to quantify the urban form of the study area. Residential floor area and floor area for employment was computed in a tessellated form for quantifying the urban form of the study area. GeoDa software was employed to calculate Moran for both of the residential and employment floor space. From Moran and Gini value it was found that both of these land uses are highly clustered in a few locations of the study area. The two indices together give intuitive results, which is, residences are generally more dispersed and continuous than that of employment. Although this kind of analysis of urban form is better applied in comparative analysis, the present study provides the take off point for further research of urban form in Bangladesh.
Journal of Intelligent Learning Systems and Applications, 2014
Increasing costs and competitive business strategies are pushing sawmill enterprises to make an e... more Increasing costs and competitive business strategies are pushing sawmill enterprises to make an effort for optimization of their process management. Organizational decisions mainly concentrate on performance and reduction of operational costs in order to maintain profit margins. Although many efforts have been made, effective utilization of resources, optimal planning and maximum productivity in sawmill are still challenging to sawmill industries. Many researchers proposed the simulation models in combination with optimization techniques to address problems of integrated logistics optimization. The combination of simulation and optimization technique identifies the optimal strategy by simulating all complex behaviours of the system under consideration including objectives and constraints. During the past decade, an enormous number of studies were conducted to simulate operational inefficiencies in order to find optimal solutions. This paper gives a review on recent developments and challenges associated with simulation and optimization techniques. It was believed that the review would provide a perfect ground to the authors in pursuing further work in optimizing sawmill yard operations.
Human exposure to floods continues to increase, driven by changes in hydrology and land use. Adve... more Human exposure to floods continues to increase, driven by changes in hydrology and land use. Adverse impacts amplify for socially vulnerable populations, who disproportionately inhabit flood-prone areas. This study explores the geography of flood exposure and social vulnerability in the conterminous United States based on spatial analysis of fluvial and pluvial flood extent, land cover, and social vulnerability. Using bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association, we map hotspots where high flood exposure and high social vulnerability converge and identify dominant indicators of social vulnerability within these places. The hotspots, home to approximately 19 million people, occur predominantly in rural areas and across the US South. Mobile homes and racial minorities are most overrepresented in hotspots compared to elsewhere. The results identify priority locations where interventions can mitigate both physical and social aspects of flood vulnerability. The variables that most d...
Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive n... more Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive neuroscience research, encouraged by the simplicity of the technique (two electrodes and a battery powered stimulator) and the perception that tDCS protocols can be simply designed by placing the anode over the cortex to "excite," and the cathode over cortex to "inhibit." A specific and predictive understanding of tDCS needs experimental data to be placed into a quantitative framework. Biologically constrained computational models provide a useful framework within which to interpret results from empirical studies and generate novel, testable hypotheses. Although not without caveats, computational models provide a tool for exploring cognitive and brain processes, are amenable to quantitative analysis, and can inspire novel empirical work that might be difficult to intuit simply by examining experimental results. We approach modeling the effects of tDCS on neurons from m...
Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive n... more Since 2000, there has been rapid acceleration in the use of tDCS in both clinical and cognitive neuroscience research, encouraged by the simplicity of the technique (two electrodes and a battery powered stimulator) and the perception that tDCS protocols can be simply designed by placing the anode over the cortex to "excite," and the cathode over cortex to "inhibit." A specific and predictive understanding of tDCS needs experimental data to be placed into a quantitative framework. Biologically constrained computational models provide a useful framework within which to interpret results from empirical studies and generate novel, testable hypotheses. Although not without caveats, computational models provide a tool for exploring cognitive and brain processes, are amenable to quantitative analysis, and can inspire novel empirical work that might be difficult to intuit simply by examining experimental results. We approach modeling the effects of tDCS on neurons from multiple levels: modeling the electric field distribution, modeling single-compartment effects, and finally with multicompartment neuron models.
A young male was incidentally diagnosed to have a rare disorder on X rays done to rule out a bony... more A young male was incidentally diagnosed to have a rare disorder on X rays done to rule out a bony injury after trauma to his left wrist. The radiological findings and differential diagnosis are briefly discussed.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a group of biodegradable plastics that are produced by a wide va... more Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a group of biodegradable plastics that are produced by a wide variety of microorganisms, mainly as a storage intermediate for energy and carbon. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a short-chain-length PHA with interesting chemical and physical properties. Large scale production of PHB is not wide-spread mainly due to the downstream processing of bacterial cultures to extract the PHB. Secretion of PHB from Escherichia coli could reduce downstream processing costs. PHB are non-proteinaceous polymers, hence cannot be directly targeted for secretion. Phasin, PhaP1, is a low molecular weight protein that binds to PHB, reducing PHB granule size. In this study PHB is indirectly secreted with PhaP1 from E. coli via type I secretion using HlyA signal peptides. This study demonstrated the successful secretion of phasin and phasin bound PHB outside of the cell and into the culture medium. The secretion of PHB was initiated between 24 and 48 h after induction. After 4...
A 38-year-old man presented with pleuritic chest pain that was present on waking and localised to... more A 38-year-old man presented with pleuritic chest pain that was present on waking and localised to the left costal margin with no radiation. He was otherwise asymptomatic and denied preceding trauma, heavy lifting, coughing or recent vomiting. Observations and examination were unremarkable; however, a chest radiograph showed a pneumomediastinum. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare condition that tends to follow a benign clinical course. A CT of the chest is generally only indicated if the chest X-ray fails to show an SPM in patients for whom there is a high index of clinical suspicion. A contrast-enhanced swallow study is only indicated if there is suspicion of an oesophageal tear or rupture. Evidence suggests that patients with SPM can be managed conservatively and observed for 24 h.
Monitoring of electrode resistance during tDCS is considered important for tolerability and safet... more Monitoring of electrode resistance during tDCS is considered important for tolerability and safety. Conventional resistance measurement methods do not isolate individual electrode resistance and for HD-tDCS devices, cross talk across electrodes makes concurrent resistance monitoring unreliable. We propose a novel method to monitor individual electrode resistance during tDCS, using a super-position of direct current with a test-signal (low intensity and low frequency sinusoids with electrode-specific frequencies) and a sentinel electrode (not used for DC). We developed and solved lumped-parameter models of tDCS electrodes with or without a sentinel electrode to validate this methodology. Assumptions were tested and parameterized in participants using forearm stimulation combining tDCS (2 mA) and test-signals (38 and 76 μA pk-pk at 1 Hz, 10 Hz, & 100 Hz) and an in vitro test (creating electrode failure modes). DC and AC component voltages across the electrodes were compared and participants were asked to rate subjective pain. A sentinel electrode is required to isolate electrode resistance in a two-electrode tDCS system. Cross talk aggravated with electrode proximity and resistance mismatch in multi-electrode resistance tracking could be corrected using proposed approaches. Average voltage and pain scores were not significantly different across test current intensities and frequencies. Using our developed method, a test signal can predict DC electrode resistance. Since unique test frequencies can be used at each tDCS electrode, specific electrode resistance can be resolved for any number of stimulating channels - a process made still more robust by the use of a sentinel electrode.
Internet and Multimedia Systems and Applications / 747: Human-Computer Interaction, 2011
Abstract The goal of the project reported in this paper is to design and deploy a fully-functiona... more Abstract The goal of the project reported in this paper is to design and deploy a fully-functional web-based video browsing, annotation, and retrieval solution targeted at marine biology researchers. The solution must comply with marine biology surveys' procedures ...
This paper summarises the results of using image processing technique to get information about th... more This paper summarises the results of using image processing technique to get information about the load of timber trucks before their arrival using digital images or geo tagged images. Once the images are captured and sent to sawmill by drivers from forest, we can predict their arrival time using geo tagged coordinates, count the number of (timber) logs piled up in a truck, identify their type and calculate their diameter. With this information we can schedule and prioritise the inflow and unloading of trucks in the light of production schedules and raw material stocks available at the sawmill yard. It is important to keep all the actors in a supply chain integrated coordinated, so that optimal working routines can be reached in the sawmill yard.
Due to the small size of microcapsules (1-1000 µm) used in a large number of applications, the in... more Due to the small size of microcapsules (1-1000 µm) used in a large number of applications, the individual rupture strength of an individual particle has been difficult to obtain. A new technique involving nanomechanical testing was used in this study. We propose a standard method of testing the individual strength of Micronal ® DS5008 microcapsules with an average size of approximately 11.2µm. Microcapsules were subjected to compressive force testing to determine the amount of force required to rupture the microcapsules. In order to find the mechanical properties of these microcapsules a standard nanoindentation system was setup with a 10µm radius diamond head cone indentation tip and the individual microcapsules were compressed till rupture occurred.
A 45-year-old-woman had plasma cell leukemia (PCL) and mild renal insufficiency. Renal biopsy fin... more A 45-year-old-woman had plasma cell leukemia (PCL) and mild renal insufficiency. Renal biopsy findings were compatible with kappa-chain nephropathy. Our case adds PCL to the list of plasma cell dyscrasias associated with kappa- and/or lambda-chain nephropathy.
The urban areas comprise complex systems of activities, so the study of its form in terms of a fe... more The urban areas comprise complex systems of activities, so the study of its form in terms of a few statistical measures is quite taxing. This paper attempts to employ such measures to define the urban form of Rajshahi city in Bangladesh. It evaluated some of the measures to quantify urban form and selected two indices, namely, Gini coefficient and Moran coefficient to quantify the urban form of the study area. Residential floor area and floor area for employment was computed in a tessellated form for quantifying the urban form of the study area. GeoDa software was employed to calculate Moran for both of the residential and employment floor space. From Moran and Gini value it was found that both of these land uses are highly clustered in a few locations of the study area. The two indices together give intuitive results, which is, residences are generally more dispersed and continuous than that of employment. Although this kind of analysis of urban form is better applied in comparative analysis, the present study provides the take off point for further research of urban form in Bangladesh.
Uploads
Papers by Asif Rahman