Search

The static deformation of symmetric bow limbs has been widely studied in the last century. However, asymmetries in shape and length which correspond to a more realistic situation, have not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we report a model for asymmetric bows based on the elastica theory and solved numerically by the Runge–Kutta method. We apply the model to describe the large asymmetric deformation which occurs in the Japanese bow, currently employed in the Japanese martial art of Kyūdō. We compare the model with experimental data acquired from a modern glass-fiber bow and a traditional bamboo bow, different in shape and construction. The model provides accurate results in predicting the deformation and the total energy stored in the bows, as long as the bending stiffness of the limbs is correctly reproduced. The energy is reproduced with an error within 1% and the unbraced and drawn shapes are reproduced with an RMSE of few millimeters compared to the length of $$\sim \,2.2\,\hbox {m}$$ of the bows. We investigate the influence of the grip position on the bow strength and shape which is not possible using classic symmetric models. At the end we show the possibility to analyze the bow design and potential failures by computing the bending stress extracted from the solution of the model. This study provides a further development with respect to the existing bow models by including the effect of the limb’s asymmetries in the static performances of the bows. The model for asymmetric limbs can bring important contributions for the design of the bows, reconstruction of ancient bows as well as to study the influence of the asymmetries on the targeting performance in modern competitive archery.

espanolEn este articulo, discutimos sobre cuatro medicamentos antihistaminicos llamados prometazina, loratadina, cetirizina y buclizina. La prometazina en esta lista es la unica en la clasificacion de antihistaminicos de primera generacion con efecto de sedacion del SNC y los otros tres pertenecen al grupo de antihistaminicos de segunda generacion que no son sedantes y se usan para tratar en muchos campos antialergicos diferentes. A continuacion, optimizamos la energia potencial, cinetica y total de estas moleculas a temperatura corporal (310 k˚) y temperatura ambiente (298 k ˚) utilizando el metodo Mont Carlo en el campo de fuerza ambar en 500 ns. Los calculos de la mecanica cuantica y la estructura molecular de estas moleculas se investigaron utilizando el nivel de teoria B3LYP con 6-31 G (d) como conjunto de bases. Se realizaron calculos teoricos para estudiar los parametros termodinamicos y el analisis de frecuencia. Electronica, termica, punto cero y energia libre de gibs y entalpia se estimaron en analisis de frecuencia. Los calculos semiempiricos se resumieron en el metodo pm3 y diferentes parametros de energia (energia total, energia de enlace, energia atomica aislada, energia electronica, interaccion nucleo-nucleo y calor de formacion). EnglishIn this article, we discussed about four antihistamine drug called promethazine, loratadine, cetirizine and buclizine. Promethazine in this list is the only one in first generation antihistamine classification with CNS sedation effect and the other three belongs to second generation antihistamine group which are non-sedation and used to treat in many different anti-allergenic fields. In the following we optimized potential, kinetic and total energy of these molecules at body temperature (310 k˚) and environment temperature (298 k ˚) using Mont Carlo method in Amber force field in 500 ns. The quantum mechanics calculations and molecular structure of these molecules investigated using B3LYP level of theory with 6-31 G (d) as a basis set. Theoretical computations were performed to study thermodynamic parameters and frequency analysis. Electronic, thermal, zero point and gibs free energy and enthalpy were estimated in frequency analysis. Semi empirical computations were summarized to pm3 method and different energy parameters (total energy, Binding Energy, Isolated Atomic Energy, Electronic Energy, Core–Core Interaction and Heat of Formation.

In the simplest form of molecular dynamics (MD), the system evolves according to Newton's equations of motion with its total energy conserved. Moreover, to model systems at constant temperatures, a...

This study presents the investigation of benefits obtained in a mirror integrated standalone photovoltaic (PV) test system of 0.3 kW capacity. The enhancement of energy extraction is possible only through fixing the mirror at an optimal angle facing towards the PV panel. Hence, the optimal condition for the maximum energy extraction in a year at a specific location is derived and presented considering the total irradiation falling on the panel. A detailed estimation on performance indices and feasibility analysis for the mirror integrated solar PV system (MISPVS) is carried out for one year from May 2018 to April 2019 for the test system with and without mirror arrangement. The total energy generated from the MISPVS during the monitoring period is found to increase from 359.10 kWh to 468.10 kWh which is around 130.3% when compared with the traditional solar PV system (TSPVS). Finally, the experimental results show that the system efficiency and capacity utilisation factor of the proposed system is enhanced to 13.09 and 17.81%, respectively.

Performance models facilitate a wide range of safety analyses in aviation. In an ideal scenario, the performance models would show inherently good agreement with the true performance of the aircraf...

The study of the physical and chemical properties of fullerenes and their derivatives, as well as solutions based on them, allows us to predict the behavior of the latter in various processes, including those that are technologically significant, in particular when used in the food industry. In this regard, it is important to develop new technologically available methods for the functionalization of carbon nanostructures and study the possibilities of their practical application. The purpose of this study was to study the possibility of using fullerene in apple storage and drying technology. The experimental part of the work involved processing artificially damaged whole apples and their lobes with water treated with a fullerene-containing natural material-shungite, before storing and drying them. Important bactericidal technological properties of such water have been established, which reduce the degree of rotting of apples obtained from mechanical damage. The possibility of complete healing of fruits from damage and rotting processes when they are treated with water with an admixture of fullerene has been established. The influence of water with fullerene on the drying process of apples has been proved. A decrease in vitamin losses was found due to inhibition of the oxidative enzymatic reaction on the surface of the apple slice. The ability of fullerene nanocomposites to reduce the total energy costs for drying apple raw materials has been proved. The use of fullerene, which has special chemical properties, in the technology of storing and drying apples is advisable, which has not yet been tested for storing and drying apples by industrial methods.

Energy entropy is the "highest" indicator of the state of an organization, developing the ideas of efficiency and value. The integrity of energy entropy implies taking into consideration the level of order in an organization (information entropy) along with the ability to "release" effectively the energy for useful work. Versatility is ensured by the independence on a kind of activity of an organization. The formalization of energy entropy of organizations was proposed. According to the proposed approach, energy entropy is determined by an increase in total energy and its comparison with the "ideal" option; the level of free energy and information entropy that reflects the ability of the organization’s structure to ensure certain results. Incoming and outgoing (free) energy are considered as the main parameters of the organization’s state. Their combination determines the growth of energy, a set of possible combinations – information entropy. The scheme of changes in time of the main "energy parameters" of an organization (total energy, free energy, incoming energy) was identified. Two main variants of energy increase dynamics – uniform growth and growth with acceleration (slowdown) were represented. Experimental studies, which involved considering the most possible variants of dynamics of influencing parameters, were carried out. The effect of different combinations of their dynamics (simultaneous growth/decrease, growth/decrease at different rates) on the dynamics of energy entropy was analyzed. It was established that an increase in a share of free energy does not provide an outflow of energy entropy without reducing a degree of uncertainty of the results expressed in a decrease in information entropy. Conclusions about the necessary dynamics of influencing parameters to ensure the vital activity of an organization according to the energy entropy concept were made

In periodic data-gathering, sensors can switch on the transceiver only during packet transmission to save energy. Exact clock-synchronization is challenging to achieve because of error present in synchronization protocols. Clock-disagreement increases with time in the absence of synchronization. This paper proposes an Energy-efficient Multi Beacon Guard method (EMBG) to decrease the energy consumption by minimizing the awake time of sender and receiver by periodically switching on and off the receivers during the guard-time. We determine the optimal number-of-times the receiver needs to wake up along with the wake-up intervals to collectively minimize the total energy consumption of the sender–receiver pair during transmission. This paper shows the effectiveness of EMBG in energy conservation and compares with existing approaches using ns2 simulation.

Objective: The aim of the study was to perform a literature review to analyze the effect of photobiomodulation in experimental studies on peripheral nerve regeneration after sciatic nerve crush injury in rodents. Methods: A bibliographic search was performed in the electronic databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed), SCOPUS, and SciELO, from 2008 to 2018. Results: A total of 1912 articles were identified in the search, and only 19 fulfilled all the inclusion criteria. Along with the parameters most found in the manuscripts, the most used wavelengths were 660 nm and 830 nm, power of 30 and 40 mW, and energy density of 4 and 10 J/cm2 . For total energy throughout the intervention period, the lowest energy found with positive effects was 0.70 J, and the highest 1.141 J. Seventeen studies reported positive effects on nerve regeneration. The variables selected to analyze the effect were: Sciatic Functional Index (SFI), Static Sciatic Index (SSI), morphometric, morphological, histological, zymographic, electrophysiological, resistance mechanics and range of motion (ROM). The variety of parameters used in the studies demonstrated that there is yet no pre-determined protocol for treating peripheral nerve regeneration. Only two studies by different authors used the same power, energy density, beam area, and power density. Conclusion: It was concluded that the therapeutic window of the photobiomodulation presents a high variability of parameters with the wavelength (632.8 to 940 nm), power (5 to 170 mW) and energy density (3 to 280 J /cm2 ), promoting nerve regeneration through the expression of cytokines and growth factors that aid in modulating the inflammatory process, improving morphological aspects, restoring the functionality to the animals in a brief period.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The amount of energy consumed in the residential buildings in the United States in 2014 estimated at more than one and a half times the total energy is consumed by commercial and administrative buildings, therefore, improving the energy efficiency in existing residential Buildings, and rely on alternative sources of renewable energy will have a positive impact on reducing the use of fossil fuels energy and their emissions. Many countries have paid a great attention on set or develop their criteria for assessment the existing green residential buildings especially the energy efficiency. Now, there are hundreds of existing residential Buildings (including listed heritage buildings) have been certifies as green buildings. Egypt as other countries needs to reduce its great energy consumption of Fossil fuels. It has rich with heritage assets that variety in their values, ages, usage and styles. Despite that, the most of the conservation strategies that deal with the residential heritage Buildings in Egypt don’t care to improve the energy efficient performance of them. Despite of establishment of Green Pyramid Rating system that can be used for evaluating green new constructions only, and don't be applicable on all types of existing buildings. The paper aims to perform a comparison study between the criteria and applications of the LEED and BREEAM which have been usedto assess energy efficiency of the residential heritage buildings. The results will help to improve the energy efficiency of residential heritage buildings in Egypt without harming or losing its heritage features and values

We sought to determine predictive factors for selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) outcome. 252 eyes from 198 adult patients with open-angle glaucoma who underwent SLT between July 2016 and February 2018 with a minimum 6 month follow up were reviewed. We defined success as ≥20% IOP reduction or ≥1 medication reduction without an IOP lowering procedure. We also evaluated the relationship of these factors to postoperative IOP elevation >5 mmHg (IOP spikes). Our primary outcome measure was association between age, type and severity of glaucoma, pigmentation of the trabecular meshwork (PTM), total energy delivered, and baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) with success. At 2 and 6 months, 33.6% (76/226) and 38.5% (97/252) of eyes met success criteria respectively. Baseline IOP > 18 mmHg was significantly associated with success both at 2 and 6 months, reducing IOP by 5.4 ± 5.3 mmHg (23.7% reduction), whereas those with lower baseline remained at −0.7 ± 4.6 mmHg (4.9% increase) at 6 months (P

Object and purpose of research. This paper discusses an electrostatic field generated by a system of two similar or different charges. Calculations are performed for the charges on spherical non-conducting surfaces. Calculation results can be generalized for charged objects of whatever shape. The purpose of this study was to improve accuracy of electrostatic calculations to eliminate the possibility of incorrect results (infinite energy). Materials and methods. The study was performed as per electrostatic methods. Field energy was obtained as per two methods: energy density and volumetric integration, as well as through calculation of the work done by a hypothetical movement of charged objects. Main results. This paper suggests three definitions of electrostatic energy types, as well as their calculation formulae for different combinations of charges. Conclusion. Additive constant in the potential energy formula for electrostatic field is the total accumulated electrostatic energy of two similarly charged spheres at zero distance between their centers.

The structure and magnetic properties of FeRh1 – xIrx alloys (x = 0.5, 0.625, 0.75, 0.875, and 1) are investigated by first-principles methods using the VASP software package. Two types of structures (CuAu and CsCl) are examined in the study. The equilibrium lattice parameters, total energy, and magnetic moment, as well as the total and partial densities of states for the Fe–Rh–Ir system, are obtained. It is shown that the antiferromagnetic structure with a spin configuration of the AFM-III type is energetically favorable for all the studied alloys.

With the development of sensor technology, sensor nodes are increasingly being used in underwater environments. The strategy presented in this paper is designed to solve the problem of using a limited number of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to complete tasks such as data collection from sensor nodes when the number of AUVs is less than the number of target sensors. A novel classified self-organising map algorithm is proposed to solve the problem. First, according to the K-means algorithm, targets are classified into groups that are determined by the number of AUVs. Second, according to the self-organising map algorithm, AUVs are matched with groups. Third, each AUV is provided with the accessible order of the targets in the group. The novel classified self-organising map algorithm can be used not only to reduce the total energy consumption in a multi-AUV system, but also to give the most efficient accessible order of targets for AUVs. Results of simulations conducted to prove the applicability of the algorithm are given.

The tunable properties of materials originate from variety of structures; however, it is still a challenge to give an accurate and fast evaluation of stabilities for screening numerous candidates. Herein, we propose an atom classification model to describe the multicomponent materials based on the structural recognition, in which the atoms are classified to estimate the total energies. Taking two-dimensional planar C1-xBx and C1-2x(BN)x as examples, we have found that the test error of total energies is about 3 meV per atom. Notably, the distributions of classified atoms demonstrate the evolution of configurations as a function of temperature, providing a clearer picture of phase transition. In addition, our method is universal, which can be flexibly extended to the bulk structures with more components.

Indirect solar convective drying is less energy intensive, and affordable. Thus, the study was carried out to investigate the efficiency of indirect solar convective dryer system by determination of the different characteristics of the dryer and to evaluate the effects of both drying and storage period on fruit quality. Sweet cherry of “Burlat” cultivar were dried at 60, 70 and 80 °C, then stored for one year and analyzed for total phenolics, antioxidant activity, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins. Experimental results showed that the effective moisture diffusivity determined by Fick’s second law varied from 2.85 × 10−9 to 6.51 × 10−9 m2/s, and the activation energy value was 2388.67 kJ/kg. Total energy consumption and the specific electrical energy of dried cherry showed a downward trend with increasing temperature. The Midilli–Kucuk model was the best fitted model for drying cherry. In addition, evaluation of 12-months stored dried cherry showed highest retention of total phenolics and antioxidant activity, while total flavonoids and anthocyanins decreased by 24 and 33%, respectively.

The aim of this research was to study the dynamics of metabolism in the body of bream Abramis brama (L.) at different periods of the annual cycle: pre-spawning, spawning, post-spawning and feeding. The object of the study was 55 male and 53 female bream aged 9–13 years, to reduce the effect of age on the studied parameters. Individuals were measured, weighed, gender was determined, gonad maturity stage, age; the condition factor and organ indices were calculated. The content of moisture, dry matter, lipids, proteins, ash and nitrogen-free extracts (NFE) in the muscles, liver and gonads of male and female bream have been analyzed. The lowest coefficients of condition factor were found in bream during the autumn feeding season, the highest in males during spawning, in females before and after spawning. In the muscle tissue of male and female bream the content of metabolic products in the feeding period and before spawning differed slightly. In the spawning period, the muscles of males exceeded the muscle tissue of females in lipid content by more than two times. In the annual cycle of the bream, the ovaries contain more protein than the testes. The bream of different sex revealed differences in the intensity of metabolic processes during the maturation of gonads: in males, energy costs are more pronounced after wintering before spawning, while in females, during spawning. The main energy reserve in the form of lipids in the annual cycle changes more significantly in the body of male bream than in females. Ovarian maturation requires more metabolite reserves than maturation of the testes, however, males have increased expenditure associated with reproductive behaviour during spawning. Therefore, the total energy contribution to reproduction may be the same for female and for male bream. Bream’s liver and muscle tissue can serve as a source of energy during food shortages and during spawning. In the annual cycle, the condition factor of bream increases due to an increase in the moisture content in the muscles.

Agent-based models are a class of simulation in which many autonomous agents interact such that the mix of stochastic and deterministic actions each agent undertakes results in some emergent behaviour across the entire population. Such models have been used to explore the impacts of electric vehicles (EVs) on electricity grids. However, there has been little data available against which to validate this approach. In this study, we evaluate an agent based EV model against real data observed during the “My Electric Avenue” project; an Ofgem funded 3 year trial aiming to identify the impacts of EVs on local grids. We find that, within the constraints of the available trial data, the agent model is able to replicate dominant charging pattern features. The behaviour of owners will inevitably play a role in the actual charging patterns observed and we further explore how consumer adoption of time-of-use tariffs and vehicle range (battery capacity) preference would impact on demands at the local substation. We show that simplistic adoption of time-of-use tariffs would have undesirable consequences for network peak demands and that the expected increase in EV range and thus battery size, will both increase peaks and total energy supply to domestic properties.

Crush tubes are used as crash impact energy absorbing structure (EAS) and are located in the frontal compartment of road vehicles. Ideal crashworthiness of an EAS mandates that the equivalent decelerations due to impact forces should to be ≤ 20g; and crush force and stroke efficiencies should tend to unity. It is understood from the literature that no single geometric cross-section shape exhibits a near-ideal crashworthiness; and most EAS members exhibit a high initial peak crush force which is detrimental to the occupant safety, and moderate stroke and crush force efficiencies leading to a compromise in the total energy absorbed. In this paper, finite element analysis (FEA) methodology is formulated and experimentally validated for axial crush of a crush tube of SS304 material with circular cross section. Subsequently, plastic deformation phenomenon and folding patterns in relation to crush force behaviour of crush tubes with various basic cross-sections of polygonal geometric shapes from triangle to octagon and circle are extensively studied through FEA. Further, two new geometric cross-section profiles with combination of basic shapes are proposed to combine the merits of different basic shapes. The crashworthiness of all basic cross-sections including the two proposed cross-section profiles is assessed based on standard parameters. The proposed new geometries may form a basis for the development of new EAS configurations for enhanced crashworthiness.

Emerging evidence suggests that the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) plays a role in the development of chronic diseases, but evidence of their influence in children is limited. Our objective was to study longitudinal trends of UPF intake and determine their impact on blood lipids in young children. The present study was a follow-up of a randomised field trial of children (n 308) from Porto Alegre, Brazil. Dietary intake was collected using two 24-h recalls at 3 and 6 years of age, and consumption of UPF was classified according to the NOVA system, a food classification based on the extent and purpose of industrial food processing. At age 6 years, blood tests were performed to measure lipid profile. Contribution of UPF to total energy intake increased by 10 % during the follow-up period, from 43·4 % at 3 years to 47·7 % at 6 years of age. Linear regression models showed that children in the highest tertile of UPF consumption at age 3 years had higher levels of total cholesterol (TC; β 0·22 mmol/l; 95 % CI 0·04, 0·39) and TAG at age 6 years (β 0·11 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·20) compared with those in the lowest tertile. A positive dose–response was observed for an absolute increment of 10 % of UPF on TC (β 0·07 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·00, 0·14) and TAG (β 0·04 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·07). Based on our data, consumption of UPF increased significantly over time and was associated with higher blood lipid levels in children from a low-income community. Our findings highlight the need for effective strategies to minimise the consumption of UPF in early life.

Purpose. To substantiate mathematically the tissue-preserving effect on the retinal hexagonal pattern during the laser treatment of active retinopathy of prematurity. Material and methods. At the first stage of the study, a mathematical rationale of the application of a hexagonal pattern was carried out to provide a tissue-sparing effect on the retina compared to the traditional laser coagulation pattern with matrix (rectangular) patterns.The second stage was performed as clinical studies in two groups of patients with an unfavorable course type II and III stages of active ROP. The main group consisted of 44 infants, which underwent hexagonal Fyodorov Journal of Ophthalmic Surgery. 2020;1: 40–46.laser coagulation (7 applications in one «honeycomb» pattern). The control group involved 41 infants who had a matrix laser coagulation (9 applications in one «rectangular» pattern). Results. At the first stage, it was proved that the hexagonal shape of the pattern is mathematically substantiated and ensures a uniform distribution of laser applicates on the spherical surface of the retina due to the equidistant location of the spots inside one pattern and optimal matching of neighboring patterns.As a result of the second stage of research in both groups, a regression after laser treatment was obtained in more than 97% of cases at the ROP stage 2 and in 94% of cases at the ROP stage 3. The total energy load in the main group was less than in the control group. The increase in the inter-spot distance in the hexagonal pattern by 0.25 of the coagulum diameter in comparison with the matrix pattern made it possible to maintain a high clinical efficacy and to ensure tissue-preserving effects on the retina. Conclusion. Optimization of the pattern laser coagulation method using a hexagonal-shaped pattern allows to shorten the duration of the intervention maintaining a high clinical efficacy in the treatment of active ROP.

Maternal diet during pregnancy can influence fetal growth; however, the available evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess whether maternal diet of Japanese women in mid-pregnancy can affect their offspring’s birth size via collection of questionnaire and medical record data. The studied sample was a large cohort of paired mothers and their singleton offspring (n 78 793) from fifteen areas all over Japan who participated in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. The mid-pregnancy intakes of total energy, macronutrients and vitamins were lower than the recommended intakes for pregnant Japanese women. Maternal total energy intake was positively associated with the offspring’s birth weight; there was a 10-g mean difference in the offspring’s birth weight of mothers in the lowest (3026 g) v. highest (3036 g) quartiles of energy intake. Carbohydrate intake was positively associated with the offspring’s birth length (mean difference of 0·7 cm) and inversely associated with the ponderal index (mean difference of 0·8 g/cm3). Offspring of mothers in the highest v. lowest quartiles of total dietary fibre intake were on average 9 g heavier and had 0·3 cm longer birth length and 0·2 cm longer head circumference. The highest in reference to lowest intake quartile of vitamin C was associated with 13 g and 0·7 cm mean differences in the offspring’s birth weight and length, respectively. Several other associations were evident for maternal intakes of vitamins and the offspring’s birth size. In conclusion, maternal dietary intakes of energy, dietary fibre, carbohydrate and vitamins during pregnancy were associated with the offspring’s birth size.

Background: The worldwide prevalence of obesity is increasing. Obesity is associated with many factors, including the consumption pattern of energy-producing food, i.e. carbohydrate and fat, which is, most likely associated with ethnicity. In Riskesdas 2007, Jayapura held the highest prevalence of obesity in adults in Indonesia. Jayapura lived the Papuan and Non-Papuan descents population. Objective: To determine the association between energy intake, the contribution of carbohydrate and fat to energy intake in overweight/ obesity in Papuan and non-Papuan high-school students. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 150 Papuan and 150 non-Papuan students from three high schools in the district. Body mass index (BMI) derived from the measurement of body weight and height were grouped into overweight/obesity and not-overweight/ obesity. Source of energy was estimated using 3 (three) days non-consecutive 24 hours of food recall questionnaire. Energy intake and the contribution of carbohydrate and fat to energy intake were analyzed with an independent t-test and Chi-Square test. Results: The prevalence of overweight/ obesity was similar between Papuan and non-Papuan students (22.0 vs. 23.0%). The two groups had a similar amount of energy intake, however, the contribution of carbohydrate and fat to the total energy intake was significantly different. Obese/ overweight students had a significantly higher intake of energy, however, within the same ethnic group, the contribution of carbohydrate and fat in obese/ overweight students did not significantly differ. Conclusions: High energy intake was associated with overweight/obesity in both groups. The contribution of carbohydrates to total energy intake was higher in Papuan. However, the contribution of carbohydrate and fat to energy intake was not associated with overweight/ obesity in both groups.

In the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method, a given molecular system is usually fragmented at sp3 carbon atoms. However, fragmentation at different sites sometimes becomes necessary. Hence, we propose fragmentation at sp2 carbon atoms in the FMO method. Projection operators are constructed using sp2 local orbitals. To maintain practical accuracy, it is essential to consider the three-body effect. In order to suppress the corresponding increase of computational cost, we propose approximate models considering local trimers. Numerical verification shows that the present models are as accurate as or better than the standard FMO2 method in total energy with fragmentation at sp3 carbon atoms.

This work uses first-principles total energy calculations on the basis of density functional theory to predict the structural stability, mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Zn atom doped AlL...

During pregnancy, changes occur to influence the maternal gut microbiome, and potentially the fetal microbiome. Diet has been shown to impact the gut microbiome. Little research has been conducted examining diet during pregnancy with respect to the gut microbiome. To meet inclusion criteria, dietary analyses must have been conducted as part of the primary aim. The primary outcome was the composition of the gut microbiome (infant or maternal), as assessed using culture-independent sequencing techniques. This review identified seven studies for inclusion, five examining the maternal gut microbiome and two examining the fetal gut microbiome. Microbial data were attained through analysis of stool samples by 16S ribosomal RNA gene-based microbiota assessment. Studies found an association between the maternal diet and gut microbiome. High-fat diets (% fat of total energy), fat-soluble vitamins (mg/d) and fibre (g/d) were the most significant nutrients associated with the gut microbiota composition of both neonates and mothers. High-fat diets were significantly associated with a reduction in microbial diversity. High-fat diets may reduce microbial diversity, while fibre intake may be positively associated with microbial diversity. The results of this review must be interpreted with caution. The number of studies was low, and the risk of observational bias and heterogeneity across the studies must be considered. However, these results show promise for dietary intervention and microbial manipulation in order to favour an increase of health-associated taxa in the gut of the mother and her offspring.

BACKGROUND Fatty acids are crucial in embryologic development, including cardiogenesis. The impact of maternal periconceptional dietary fat intake on the risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) has not been clearly elucidated. We hypothesized that maternal dietary fat intake during pregnancy is associated with risk of CHDs in offspring. METHODS We analyzed CHD cases and nonmalformed controls from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a case-control, multicenter population-based study of birth defects. We used multivariable logistic regression to analyze the association between maternal periconceptional dietary fat intake and occurrence of CHDs. RESULTS We examined 11,393 infants with CHDs (cases) and 11,029 infants without birth defects (controls). Multivariable analysis of maternal dietary fat intake adjusted for maternal energy intake demonstrated modest change in risk for 2 of the 25 CHDs analyzed; otherwise there was no association. Maternal dietary fat intake unadjusted for total energy was associated with increased risk for several CHDs. CONCLUSIONS After adjusting for total energy intake, maternal periconceptional dietary fat intake has a modest association with risk of a few specific CHDs. If maternal dietary fat intake does impact CHD risk, the effect is minimal. IMPACT In this large, case-control study, after adjusting for total caloric intake, maternal periconceptional dietary fat intake was not associated with increased odds of congenital heart defects. This study investigates the hypothesis that women's periconceptional fat intake alters the risk of congenital heart defects in offspring. Our results raise questions about the role maternal fat intake may play in cardiogenesis and risk of congenital heart defects. Additionally, they raise the question about whether maternal lipid metabolism, as opposed to fat intake, may influence cardiac development.

Energy Consumption in the agricultural sector consists of diesel, gasoline, and kerosene for fuel of agricultural machinery (rice transplanter, tractor, rice milling unit, motor sprayer, and water pump) in the sector. The objectives of this study are to determine the total energy consumption of rice planting and to analyse the performance of rice transplanter during rice planting in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This research was conducted on farmer's rice fields in west Sumatera Indonesia. The results obtained from the performance of a rice transplanter machine include working speed of 0.633 m/s, a theoretical work capacity of 0.274 ha/hour, effective work capacity of 0.222 ha/hour and work efficiency of 80.967%. The detail of energy consumption using a rice transplanter are human energy (9.225 MJ/ha), seed energy (255.413 MJ/ha), fuel energy (93.463 MJ/ha) and engine energy (0.821 MJ/ha), so that the total energy consumption is 358.952 MJ/ha.

Given the importance of the communication energy consumption of multiple autonomous underwater vehicle cooperative systems in practical work, this work optimizes the network topology to reduce total energy consumption. In accordance with the characteristics of underwater communication, the energy consumption of communication links is obtained, thereby obtaining the total communication energy consumption of multiple autonomous underwater vehicle cooperative systems. Taking the all-terminal reliability of the communication network as a constraint and the total energy consumption of network communication as the optimization goal, this work puts forward an optimization model for the communication network topology of multiple autonomous underwater vehicle cooperative systems. Furthermore, this work creatively describes the network topology optimization problem as a special path optimization problem suitable for the ant colony optimization algorithm presented to solve the optimization problem and shown to be effective and efficiency on this problem.

The MIT quark bag model is used to determine the thermodynamic characteristics of hot strange quark matter that is opaque to neutrinos. Three different variants of the lepton content of hot quark matter are considered. The numerical calculations are done for different temperatures and lepton charge densities. It is shown that in hot (kT~100 MeV) quark matter there are roughly as many neutrinos as massive leptons, the total energy of the leptons is 4-20 percent of the energy of the quarks, and during cooling an energy on the order of 30-40 percent of the total energy is released.

According to the Thai Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP 2015), the government has set the target of 30% reduction in 2036 compared to the total energy consumption in 2010. The industry sector accounts for approximately 37% of the total energy consumption. Thai industries have been classified into 11 main sectors, in which food, beverage, and tobacco are the most energy-consumed sectors which consume about 35.7% of the total energy consumption. Among industries in the food, beverage, and tobacco sector, the native starch industry is the second most energy-consumed industry. Thus, the rational amount of energy saving target will be assigned to the native starch industry. Their baseline energy consumption and their potential energy saving should be known to verify the actual amount of energy savings each year. In this paper, 18 of 67 native starch plants are carefully investigated and audited to determine baseline energy consumption (BEC) and specific energy consumption (SEC) based on plant performance. Factors that effect on BEC and SEC are identified. Equations for predicting baseline BEC and SEC are developed using statistic regression approaches. It is found that SEC and BEC of the native starch industry depend on annual production quantity and annual production hours. The regression equations for predicting baseline BEC and SEC are developed and are in ±10% error range of observed data. Keywords: Native starch, Cassava, Energy performance index, Specific energy consumption, Baseline energy consumption

Increasing the level of energy efficiency and using renewable energy sources in the design and existing buildings is an important aspect in minimizing the carbon dioxide emissions and mitigating the climate changes. One of such solutions may be the application of a heating system using residential thermal stations (RTSs) for heating and hot water preparation individually in the premises of a given building. The main purpose of this paper was to analyze long-term filed research results on the energy consumption and efficiency of heating systems in a dormitory (building B1) and two multifamily buildings (building B2 and B3) equipped with residential thermal stations (RTSs) that are used for supplying individual dwellings with heat, as well as hot and cold water. An additional aspect of the analysis is a presentation of the structure of total energy consumption for particular purposes in the analyzed buildings and the possibilities to increase the share of renewable energy sources using solar thermal collectors for supporting the analyzed heating system.

The exponential growth in cloud services has led to an all-time high use and expansion of cloud computing frameworks. The frameworks operating in data centers, reportedly account for about two-hundredths of total energy consumed around the globe. Numerous methods have been proposed to curb or reduce the consumption. One such method is Virtual Machine consolidation. In this paper, we simulate the operation of a data center with varying number of hosts across different operating hours with support of CloudSim and estimate the energy consumption of non-power aware hosts, dynamic voltage and frequency scaling—enabled hosts, and two popular VM consolidation policies, namely—local regression minimum utilization and static threshold random selection. We then compare the above techniques to show the various levels of energy consumption. We also have a brief look at the SLA violation rates of the two consolidation policies.

Context and Background: In this research, we investigate the interaction of X-rays with a capacitor by studying the voltage established in the capacitor during the illumination. Motivation: We aim at verifying that the total energy conserved in the interaction is Pτ, i.e. the product of the average power P times the period τ of the X-rays. Hypothesis: Our investigation relies on the hypothesis that the voltage responsivity πV of the capacitor should be small, according to previous research. The parameter πV is the ratio between the voltage produced and the average power P of the X-rays, and measures the performance of the capacitor in response to the X-rays. Method: We measure the voltage produced by the capacitor in response to the X-rays, and then determine the average power P of the X-rays according to a procedure already assessed with infrared and visible light. Results: In our experiments, P turns out to be in the range between 10-3 W to 100 W. Our procedure enables us to unveil the relationship between the average power P and the effective dose, an important operating parameter used to measure the delivery of X-rays in practical applications, such as standard X-ray medical imaging machines. Conclusions: We believe that our procedure paves the way for designing a possible X-ray power-meter, a tool presently missing in the market of X-ray characterization tools.

In this paper we establish an observability inequality for the heat equation with bounded potentials on the whole space. Roughly speaking, such a kind of inequality says that the total energy of solutions can be controlled by the energy localized in a subdomain, which is equidistributed over the whole space. The proof of this inequality is mainly adapted from the parabolic frequency function method, which plays an important role in proving the unique continuation property for solutions of parabolic equations. As an immediate application, we show that the null controllability holds for the heat equation with bounded potentials on the whole space., Comment: Welcome for any comment

In this work, the total energies of doubly excited states (ns2) 1Se, (np2) 1De, (nd2) 1Ge, (nf2) 1Ie, (ng2) 1Ke, and (nh2) 1Me of the helium isoelectronic sequence with Z ≤ 10 are calculated in the framework of the variational method of the Screening Constant by Unit Nuclear Charge (SCUNC). These calculations are performed using a new wavefunction correlated to Hylleraas-type. The possibility of using the SCUNC method in the investigation of high-lying Doubly Excited States(DES) in two-electron systems is demonstrated in the present work in the case of the (nl2) 1Lπ doubly excited states, where accurate total energies are tabulated up to n = 20. All the results obtained in this paper are in agreement with the values of the available literature and may be useful for future experimental and theoretical studies on the doubly excited (nl2) 1Lπ states of two-electron systems.

The vigorous development of China’s economy and the rapid growth of foreign trade are inseparable from the huge energy consumption. In this paper, the decomposition analysis method is used to decompose the energy consumption growth of 285 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2004 to 2013 into the scale, composition and technique effects. Based on the decomposition results, the IV method is used to solve the endogenous problem in the impact mechanism of China’s foreign trade on energy consumption growth. It is concluded that there was a significant positive correlation between foreign trade and total energy consumption growth, mainly through positive correlation of the scale effect and negative correlation of the technique effect, and the scale effect plays a leading role, the composition effect is not significant.

Objective To explore various microwave (MW) time/power combinations to achieve maximum single-probe system performance in a live pig liver model. Methods Fifty-one microwave ablations performed in 12 female pigs using the following time/power combinations: 65 W for 10 min (65W 10MIN), ramped from 20 to 65 W (RAMPED), 95 W pulses with cooling periods (95W PULSED), 40 W for 16 min 15 s (LOW POWER), 1 min 95 W pulse then 8 min 65 W then a second 1 min 95 W pulse (BOOKEND 95W) and 65 W for 15 min (65W 15MIN). Temperatures 1.5 cm from the antenna were measured. Livers were excised, and ablations were measured and compared. Results At fixed overall energy, LOW POWER produced ablation zones with the smallest volume compared to 65W 10MIN, RAMPED and 95W PULSED. At a fixed time of 10-min, BOOKEND 95W protocol achieved wider and larger ablation zones than 65W 10MIN (p = 0.038, p = 0.008) and 95W PULSED (p = 0.049, p = 0.004). The 65W 15MIN combination had significantly larger diameters (p = 0.026), larger lengths (p = 0.014) and larger volumes (p = 0.005) versus 65W 10MIN. Maximum temperatures were highest with BOOKEND 95W (62.9 °C) and 65 W 15 MIN (63.0 °C) and lowest with LOW POWER (45.9 °C), p = 0.009. Conclusions Low power ablations, even if controlled for total energy delivery, create small ablation zones. High peak powers are associated with larger ablation zones and high margin temperatures if cooling pauses are avoided. Ramping and pulsing protocols with interleaved cooling appear to be of no benefit versus continuous 65 W for creating large ablation zones.

The application of ridesharing strategy to autonomous taxi system holds great promise for improving the efficiency in the future on-demand ride-hailing services. Prior to the implementation of dispatching strategies to the autonomous taxi system, it is necessary to gain insight into the performance of the dispatching strategies. This study aims to solve the dynamic ridesharing problem and conduct a comprehensive quantity analysis of the ridesharing efficiency for various demand levels and carrying capacities in a metropolitan area. We quantify the success rate of serviced requests, the trip travel time, the discount rate of taxi fare, and total energy consumption for different carrying capacities and demand levels in the road network of Shenzhen city. The simulation results show that the ride-matching success rate within 3 minutes enables to increase by more than 13% in the ridesharing mode, and over 80% of the passengers can be served within 6 minutes if the carrying capacity is set to four. The trip travel time and energy consumption also show a significant downward trend as the capacity of the taxi increases in the ridesharing mode.

The problem of finding the total energy of a harmonic oscillator with pulsed action at fixed moments of time is considered. Both for the case of the homogeneous equation of harmonic oscillations and for the case of the equation of harmonic oscillations in the presence of external perturbation, formulas for the total energy of the oscillatory system are obtained. The case of periodic impulse effects is analyzed. The conditions under which in this oscillatory system there are periodic modes are specified. It is shown that under the fulfillment of these conditions on the values of impulse action and external perturbation, the total energy of the vibrational system is also a periodic function of the time variable.

In the last years, energy costs have gained great attention, because of their constant rise and environmental implications. More researchers have directed their attention towards energy-efficient production planning systems, as their adoption is usually not tied to large investments. This study presents a scheduling model that minimizes the total energy production costs. In particular, the industrial system considered is a two-machines flow-shop without intermediate buffers, so that a no-wait or a blocking condition can arise. Moreover, batches of different sizes are possible. We develop a Genetic Algorithm (GA) that minimizes total system energy costs based on energy states of the two machines. A numerical analysis is carried out in order to show the effectiveness of the proposed model. Finally, managerial insights are proposed, supported by a scenario analysis.

The wine sector worldwide consumes a considerable amount of energy, with much of it used for cooling and ventilating cellars (ageing rooms). For this reason, the design of energy efficient cellars is increasingly gaining importance. With the aim of developing cellars that require little or no energy to maintain wine maturation conditions constant, this article presents a synopsis of the principles of cellar design for reducing the energy demand of cellars and a graphical review of actual cellars. The principles are based on the implementation of relevant parameters, such as cellar orientation, shape, depth, envelope system, passive cooling mechanisms and shading. A chronology of cellar monitoring and modelling is presented because of its direct influence on the hygrothermal behaviour and design of cellars. Previous studies in the literature were analysed to determine the underlying influence of these parameters on total energy demand and to suggest the best design options. This analysis is also based on the experience of the authors and will be useful for those involved in the design of energy saving wine cellars.

Focusing on the energy efficiency (EE) improving problem in a densely deployed cellular network with partial conventional base stations (BSs) that cannot be frequently switched on/off, this paper jointly optimizes the switching on/off strategy and user association policy with the consideration of quality-of-service (QoS). By applying a modified switching cost model, we formulate the EE improving problem as an energy efficiency maximization problem (EEMP). To solve the EEMP efficiently, we first concentrate on the EEMP with a constant user distribution where switching cost is omitted temporarily, i.e., static- EEMP, and then the EEMP can be settled by using the results of the static-EEMP. After analyzing the hardness of solving the static-EEMP directly, several sub-optimal strategies are proposed for the static-EEMP to optimize the BSs working states and user association policy. With the results obtained from solving the static-EEMP, we propose a QoS First Maximum EE (QFMEE) scheme to solve the EEMP in two steps. In the first step, necessary BSs are switched on when the user distribution changes to ensure user QoS. In the second step, we judge the extra cost and the energy saving caused by the switching off operations to improve the network EE. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of our proposed strategies for static-EEMP and show that QFMEE can improve the network EE and reduce switching cost significantly when the switching cost occupies a considerable proportion in the total energy consumption.

Households account for varying shares of total energy usage in countries, depending on the degree of industrialization. In order to design effective policy instruments and set appropriate levels for subsidies, knowing the attitudes and perceptions of users with respect to energy usage and energy saving is always the first step. In this article, the authors have first presented a comparative analysis and critique of selected recently-published surveys (2018) related to energy use in households, from around the world, before applying the sustainability-thinking paradigm to their own regional survey of close to 300 single-family households (detached houses and row houses) carried out in Karlstad (south-central Sweden), to obtain insights into user attitudes and preferences – categorised into the three dimensions of sustainability – when it comes to energy usage or decision-making with regard to retrofits or new energy-using / energy-saving installations in households. Each of the dimensions is characterised by three criteria which respondents have rated on a Likert’s scale of 0 to 4 (not important to very important). The findings from this survey will open up a new way of thinking about the heterogeniety of energy users (which needs to be respected), for decision-makers and energy-advisers, who could subsquently strengthen their interaction and communication with them.

Background Limited information is available on added sugars consumption in US infants and toddlers. Objectives To present national estimates of added sugars intake among US infants and toddlers by sociodemographic characteristics, to identify top sources of added sugars, and to examine trends in added sugars intake. Design Cross-sectional analysis of 1 day of 24-hour dietary recall data. Participants/setting A nationally representative sample of US infants aged 0 to 11 months and toddlers aged 12 to 23 months (n=1,211) during the period from 2011 through 2016 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Trends were assessed from 2005-2006 through 2015-2016 (n=2,795). Main outcome measures Among infants and toddlers, the proportion consuming any added sugars, the average amount of added sugars consumed, percent of total energy from added sugars, and top sources of added sugars intake. Statistical analysis Paired t tests were used to compare differences by age, sex, race/Hispanic origin, family income level, and head of household education level. Trends were tested using orthogonal polynomials. Significance was set at P Results During 2011 to 2016, 84.4% of infants and toddlers consumed added sugars on a given day. A greater proportion of toddlers (98.3%) consumed added sugars than infants (60.6%). The mean amount of added sugars toddlers consumed was also more compared with infants (5.8 vs 0.9 tsp). Non-Hispanic black toddlers (8.2 tsp) consumed more added sugars than non-Hispanic Asian (3.7 tsp), non-Hispanic white (5.3 tsp), and Hispanic (5.9 tsp) toddlers. A similar pattern was observed for percent energy from added sugars. For infants, top sources of added sugars were yogurt, baby food snacks/sweets, and sweet bakery products; top sources among toddlers were fruit drinks, sugars/sweets, and sweet bakery products. The mean amount of added sugars decreased from 2005-2006 through 2015-2016 for both age groups; however, percent energy from added sugars only decreased among infants. Conclusion Added sugars intake was observed among infants/toddlers and varied by age and race and Hispanic origin. Added sugars intake, as a percent of energy, decreased only among infants from 2005 to 2016.

This study examined tropical cyclones (TCs) Noul and Nepartak to demonstrate the evolutions of singular vector perturbations. Perturbations comprise eigen-solutions for dry total energy from two domains with different focuses, namely the TC itself and the background atmospheric flow in East Asia. These perturbations are usually used to construct ensemble members for the probabilistic forecasts of the TC trajectory. The horizontal shapes of the TC singular vectors were consistent with asymmetric flows with the wave number of 1 or 2, with the exception of the azimuthal circulation. Most of their vertical structures had higher amplitudes in upper layers mainly concentrated at approximately 200 − 300 hPa. Thus, the upper part of the perturbations developed first, followed by the lower part over time. This process was the opposite of that noted in background singular vector perturbations in mid-latitude East Asia. Calculations of the transient eddy total energy based on analysis data for the two storms revealed that growth occurred earlier in the upper layer than in the lower layer. The cross-sectional eddy evolution in TCs exhibited a similar process to that of singular vectors. In addition, the cross-section of the three-dimensional E-vector convergence and the zonal profiles of the E-vector component also supported the downward process in TC areas. Mid-latitude E-vector analysis indicated that upward energy propagation was consistent with previous findings.

Electricity cannot be cost-effectively stored even for short periods of time. Consequently, wholesale electricity prices vary widely across hours of the day with peak prices frequently exceeding off-peak prices by a factor of ten or more. Most analyses of energy-efficiency policies ignore this variation, focusing on total energy savings without regard to when those savings occur. In this paper we demonstrate the importance of this distinction using novel evidence from a rebate program for air conditioners in Southern California. We estimate electricity savings using hourly smart-meter data and show that savings tend to occur during hours when the value of electricity is high. This significantly increases the overall value of the program, especially once we account for the large capacity payments received by generators to guarantee their availability in high-demand hours. We then compare this estimated savings profile with engineering-based estimates for this program as well as a variety of alternative energy-efficiency investments. The results illustrate a surprisingly large amount of variation in economic value across investments.

We discuss a fragment-based QM:QM scheme as a practical way to access the energetics of vertical electronic processes in the condensed phase. In the QM:QM scheme, we decompose the large molecular system into small fragments, which interact solely electrostatically. The energies of the fragments are calculated in a self-consistent field generated by the other fragments and the total energy of the system is calculated as a sum of the fragment energies. We show on two test cases (cytosine and a sodium cation) that the method allows one to accurately simulate the shift of vertical ionization energies (VIE) while going from the gas phase to the bulk. For both examples, the predicted solvent shifts and peak widths estimated at the DFT level agree well with the experimental observations. We argue that the QM:QM approach is more suitable than either an electrostatic embedding based QM/MM approach, a full quantum description at the DFT level with a generally used functional or a combination of both. We also discuss the potential scope of the applicability for other electronic processes such as Auger decay.

Multirobot rendezvous control and coordination strategies have garnered significant interest in recent years because of their potential applications in decentralized tasks. In this paper, we introduce a coordinate-free rendezvous control strategy to enable multiple robots to gather at different locations (dynamic leader robots) by tracking their hierarchy in a connected interaction graph. A key novelty in this strategy is the gathering of robots in different groups rather than at a single consensus point, motivated by autonomous multipoint recharging and flocking control problems. We show that the proposed rendezvous strategy guarantees convergence and maintains connectivity while accounting for practical considerations such as robots with limited speeds and an obstacle-rich environment. The algorithm is distributed and handles minor faults such as a broken immobile robot and a sudden link failure. In addition, we propose an approach that determines the locations of rendezvous points based on the connected interaction topology and indirectly optimizes the total energy consumption for rendezvous in all robots. Through extensive experiments with the Robotarium multirobot testbed, we verified and demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach and its properties.