Precise instrumental calibration is of crucial importance to 21-cm cosmology experiments. The Murchison Widefield Array’s (MWA) Phase II compact configuration offers us opportunities for both redundant calibration and sky-based calibration algorithms; using the two in tandem is a potential approach to mitigate calibration errors caused by inaccurate sky models. The MWA Epoch of Reionization (EoR) experiment targets three patches of the sky (dubbed EoR0, EoR1, and EoR2) with deep observations. Previous work in Li et al. (2018) and (2019) studied the effect of tandem calibration on the EoR0 field and found that it yielded no significant improvement in the power spectrum (PS) over sky-based calibration alone. In this work, we apply similar techniques to the EoR1 field and find a distinct result: the improvements in the PS from tandem calibration are significant. To understand this result, we analyse both the calibration solutions themselves and the effects on the PS over three nights of EoR1 observations. We conclude that the presence of the bright radio galaxy Fornax A in EoR1 degrades the performance of sky-based calibration, which in turn enables redundant calibration to have a larger impact. These results suggest that redundant calibration can indeed mitigate some level of model incompleteness error.

Bam earthquake in December, 2004 was one of the most devastating disasters in the world. It affected a total population of 970000 and decimated over 35000 people. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of full or partial posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its symptoms in a sample of survivors of Bam earthquake.

This cross-sectional study included 786 people in randomly selected households through cluster sampling eight months after the earthquake. Subjects were assessed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI).

About 98 percent of the respondents were exposed to one or more traumatic life experiences. The most severe traumatic experience in 87.2 percent of the subject was witnessing others injuries or corpses. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 59.1 percent. Partial PTSD (having some PTSD symptoms without fulfilling the minimum criteria) and current PTSD had prevalence rates equal to 20.2 and 51.9 percent, respectively. There was not a significant difference between men and women with regard to prevalence of PTSD and its symptoms. “Numbness and avoidance” was the least prevalent and “reexperience” the most prevalent symptom groups.

PTSD is highly prevalent in Bam earthquake survivors that warrant implementing community-based interventions for the disturbed population.

The authors demonstrate that multicomponent metallic alloy nanofoams can be synthesized by the polymeric templating method. The present approach enabled alloy compositions not accessible via commonly used dealloying or co-deposition methods. The authors report the synthesis of a Cu50Ni50 alloy nanofoam using electrospinning polymeric templating, which exhibits distinct polycrystallinity, process-driven segregation, and enhanced mechanical strength over pure Cu nanofoams. Transmission electron microscopy revealed microscopic grain formation and their variable compositions. The processing method is applicable to the synthesis of a wide range of multicomponent metal porous materials, creating new research opportunities for noble alloy foams not available through wet electrochemical routes.

The consensus of higher-order nonlinear heterogeneous multiagent systems with matched and unmatched uncertainties is studied in this paper. The distributed observer-based controllers for multiagent systems are achieved using a fixed-time sliding mode controller based on the disturbance observer. For this purpose, the disturbance observers are designed for finite-time estimation of matched and unmatched uncertainties. Using the estimated values, the fixed-time distributed sliding mode controllers are designed and the consensus protocol is achieved. In this regard, a theorem is proved, which guarantees the fixed-time convergence of consensus errors. The effectiveness of the proposed distributed controllers has been validated through simulations for two robotic multiagent systems and a numerical example.

We apply two methods to estimate the 21-cm bispectrum from data taken within the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) project of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). Using data acquired with the Phase II compact array allows a direct bispectrum estimate to be undertaken on the multiple redundantly spaced triangles of antenna tiles, as well as an estimate based on data gridded to the uv-plane. The direct and gridded bispectrum estimators are applied to 21 h of high-band (167–197 MHz; z = 6.2–7.5) data from the 2016 and 2017 observing seasons. Analytic predictions for the bispectrum bias and variance for point-source foregrounds are derived. We compare the output of these approaches, the foreground contribution to the signal, and future prospects for measuring the bispectra with redundant and non-redundant arrays. We find that some triangle configurations yield bispectrum estimates that are consistent with the expected noise level after 10 h, while equilateral configurations are strongly foreground-dominated. Careful choice of triangle configurations may be made to reduce foreground bias that hinders power spectrum estimators, and the 21-cm bispectrum may be accessible in less time than the 21-cm power spectrum for some wave modes, with detections in hundreds of hours.

A polycrystalline Cu foam with sub-micron ligament sizes was formed by creating a non-woven fabric via electrospinning with a homogeneous mixture of polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)-and copper acetate(Cu(Ac)2). Thermogravimetric measurement of the electrospun fabric of the precursor solution is reported. Oxidizing the precursor fabric at 773K formed an oxide nano-foam; subsequent heating at 573K with a reducing gas transformed the CuO nano-foam to Cu with a similar ligament and meso-scale pore size morphology. A cross-section prepared by focused ion beam lift-out shows the polycrystalline structure with multi-scale porosity. The mechanical property of the Cu nano-foam is measured by nano-indentation. The load-depth curves and deduced mechanical properties suggest that additional intra-ligament pores lead to unique structure-property relations in this non-conventional form of metal.

Composite nanostructured foams consisting of a metallic shell deposited on a polymeric core were formed by plating copper via electroless deposition on electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber mats. The final structure consisted of 1000-nm scale PCL fibers coated with 100s of nm of copper, leading to final core-shell thicknesses on the order of 1000-3000 nm. The resulting open cell, core-shell foams had relative densities between 4 and 15 %. By controlling the composition of the adjuncts in the plating bath, particularly the composition of formaldehyde, the relative thickness of copper coating as the fiber diameter could be controlled. As-spun PCL mats had a nominal compressive modulus on the order of 0.1 MPa; adding a uniform metallic shell increased the modulus up to 2 MPa for sub-10 % relative density foams. A computational materials science analysis using density functional theory was used to explore the effects pre-treatment with Pd may have on the density of nuclei formed during electroless plating.

Food borne illness is one of the most widespread health problems in the world and an important cause of reduced economic productivity especially in developing and under developed countries. In addition, food safety of poultry products remains a serious problem in many countries in the world. Similar to many other countries, the development of food safety standards in Iran is handled by the government. The poultry industry in Iran has been and is under dynamic and progressive development. In spite of the advances in the poultry industry in Iran, the issues of food borne pathogens, and drug and chemical residues remain. Meat inspection at poultry processing plants has been successful, but obviously has certain limitations. More importantly, drug, pesticide, mycotoxin and other chemical residues must be monitored in poultry meat and eggs. This work has to be carried out in close collaboration with human and environmental health professionals, analysts, epidemiologists, food producers, processors and traders. Poultry veterinarians and the Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO) should play a decision-making role in the development of the poultry industry. Poultry veterinarians and IVO have a dual responsibility; epidemiological surveillance of poultry diseases and ensuring the safety of meat and eggs. Via their presence on farms and appropriate collaboration with farmers, poultry veterinarians play a key role in ensuring that birds are kept under hygienic conditions, especially conditions which have public health significance. Slaughterhouse inspection of live birds (ante-mortem) and the carcass (post-mortem) plays a key role in both the surveillance network for poultry diseases and zoonoses and ensuring the safety of poultry meat.

In this paper two methods for determining plasma position in the IR-T1 tokamak are presented: a multipole moments method and an analytical solution of the equilibrium problem using the Grad–Shafranov equation. Based on the multipole moments method, modified Rogowski and saddle coils were designed and constructed for measuring plasma column displacement. Good agreement in comparison between the analytical and experimental approaches in determining plasma displacement in the IR-T1 tokamak is achieved.

A simple chemical route has been deployed to synthesis highly monodispersed and controllable ZnS and CdS nanoparticles (quantum dots) doped with Mn. XRD investigations shows the cubic structure of both ZnS and CdS nanoparticles and doping has no effect on the structure. The size measurement gives an approximate size of 1.5 nm and 2.5 nm for ZnS:Mn and CdS:Mn quantum dots respectively by Deby-Shreer. UV-Visible is used to study the Optical absorption of ZnS and CdS pure as well as doped nanoparticles. Furthermore as the chemical parameters change, the size of quantum dots change systemically. Of course although doping percentage is a significant parameter in photoluminescence properties of quantum dots, but it has no effect on the size. Photoluminescence spectra obtained at 6% molar of the Mn dopant in CdS:Mn (Ex = 315, Em = 495 nm) and ZnS:Mn (Ex = 285, Em = 572 nm). Microscopic images (SEM, TEM) show the 1–3 nm size for ZnS and CdS nanoparticles.

New molecular techniques focused on genome analysis, open new possibilities for more accurate evaluation of economiclly important traits in farm animals. Milk production traits are typical quantitative characteristics controlled by a number of genes. Mutations in their sequences may alter animal performance as well as their breeding values. In this study, we investigated the effect of Kpn2I restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the leptin gene, on bull breeding values for milk yield, fat, and protein yield, and their percentage. In order to test for an association between the leptin single-nucleotide polymorphism in exon 2 and milk productivity, we genotyped 134 Iranian Holstein bulls. Breeding values for milk-related traits (milk yield, fat, and protein yield and percentage) were estimated using the BLUP based on an animal model. The effect of the genotypes of Kpn2I polymorphism on the breeding values for milk-related traits was examined using least square methods. The T allele frequency was 0.425. Genotypes were distributed according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Bulls with TT genotype had higher milk, fat and protein yield compared with TC and CC bulls (P < 0.05). Bulls with CC genotype had higher protein percentage compared with TT and TC bulls (P < 0.05). The association between leptin polymorphism with milk production traits suggests that this marker may be useful for selection based on molecular information.

Various superior properties of SiC such as high thermal conductivity, chemical and thermal stability and mechanical robustness provide the basis for electronic and MEMS devices of novel design [1]. This work evaluates heterostructures that consist of a few nanometers-thick 3C-SiC films on silicon substrates. Nano-thin SiC films differ significantly in their electrical behavior compared to the bulk material [2], a finding that gives rise to a potential use of these films as surface sensors. To gain a better understanding of the effect of surface states on the electrical response of these thin, strained films, several metal-semiconductor-metal heterostructures have been examined under variable conditions. The nano-thin, strained films were grown using gas source molecular beam epitaxy. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns obtained from several 3C-SiC films indicate that these films are strained nearly 3% relative to the SiC lattice constant. Al, Cr and Pt contacts to a nano-thin film 3C-SiC were deposited and characterized. I-V measurements of the strained nano-thin films demonstrate metal-semiconductor-metal characteristics. Band offsets due to biaxial tensile strain introduced within the 3C-SiC films were calculated and band diagrams incorporating strain effects were simulated. Electron affinity of 3C-SiC has been extracted from experimental I-V curves and is in good agreement with the value that has been calculated for a strained 3C-SiC film [3]. On the basis of experimental and simulation results, an empirical model for the current transport has been proposed. Fabricated devices have been characterized in a controlled environment under hydrogen flow and also in a reactive ambient, while heating the sample and oxidizing the surface, to investigate the effects of the environment on the surface states. Observed changes in I-V characteristics suggest that these nano-thin films can be used as surface sensors.

At this time, the current practice for treatment of patients with isolated ventricular septal defect is infrequently studied. With this in mind, it was our intent to assess the current management of ventricular septal defect at a single center, The Children's Hospital, Denver. We reviewed the practice at this institution to determine if there is an evidence base for when or if a patient with an isolated ventricular septal defect requires surgical repair. With approval from the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board (protocol # 06-0097), we reviewed the data on patients with isolated ventricular septal defect seen during the calendar years of 2004 and 2005, determining the state of the patients, and the level of intervention through December 31, 2005.

Kappa Casein (◻-casein) is a protein in mammalian milk whose two common genetic variants of A and B are well known. The A variant has a Thr and Asp at positions 136 and 148, while the B variant has Ile and Ala in these positions. Difference at position 148 can be detected by PCR-RFLP (Medrano and Agiular-Cordova, 1990). These two alleles determine great differences in milk, casein, protein and fat yields as well as cheese making properties such as coagulation time and curd firmness, with a superiority for cheese production of the κ-casein BB compared to κ-casein AA milk (Lodes et al., 1996). Several internationally studies have been focused on determining the frequency distribution of the various milk protein alleles in different animals. It is important to study not only the major breeds but also those with small animal numbers (Erhardt, 1996). The aim of this study was to estimate the allelic frequency in polymorphic site of exon 4 of κ-casein gene in three Iranian native and Holstein cattle.

Fat saturation degree and the age of bird are two important factors for broilers’ ability to digest fats. It has been shown that hepatic fatty acid synthetase activity is decreased by diets with added sunflower oil (rich in PUFA of n-6 series) compared with those fed lard and this can result in abdominal fat pad reduction. (Sanz et al., 2000). It is well known that dietary intake of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs is effective in lowering blood lipid level, but they differ in their effect on serum lipid concentrations. It has been observed that n-6 fatty acids lower serum cholesterol level, but not triacylglycerol; n-3 fatty acids lower both serum cholesterol and serum triacylglycerol level in experimental animals (Berr et al., 1993). The objective of this study was to survey the effects of different dietary unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratio on performance, abdominal fat pad and serum lipids in broiler chickens.