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The time-lag method is the most useful technique to determine gas permeability, diffusivity, and solubility. However, it is difficult to evaluate the transport properties of the membrane accurately because gas permeability depends on the technique used to assess gas flow. The significance of the present study is to design an economic isochoric apparatus to accurately measure micro-range gas flow rates ranging from 10−6 to 10 cm3(STP) s−1. A strategic procedure is demonstrated to eliminate possible artifacts while conducting the gas permeation experiments, including utilizing downstream pressure rise profiles to identify nanoscale defects as well as transient and steady-state permeation. An indigenous apparatus was developed to estimate the polymeric intrinsic properties of the dense and thin-film composite membranes. The device has been successfully used to measure the gas permeation flow rate ranging from 1 × 10−5 to 1 × 10−1cm3 (STP) s−1, which indicates the broad applicability and reproducibility of the data suggesting the reliability of the designed apparatus. Permeation flow rates of binary mixtures of CO2/CH4 through the defect-free membranes were compared with the numerical estimations to validate the measured transport properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcriptional factor which acts as a regulator for cellular oxidative stress, and tightly regulated by Kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein 1 (Keap1). In this study, we found that auranofin and paclitaxel combination treatment increased TUNEL positive apoptotic cells and enhanced the DNA damage marker γ‐H2AX in MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells. The immunoblotting analysis revealed the combination of auranofin and paclitaxel significantly increased the FOXO3 expression in a concentration dependent manner. Further we observed that auranofin and paclitaxel treatment prevents the translocation of Nrf2 in a concentration dependent manner. The increased FOXO3 expression might be involved in the cytoplasmic degradation of Nrf1‐Keap1 complex. Further, the molecular docking results confirm auranofin act as the agonist for Foxo3. Therefore, the present results suggest that auranofin sensitize the breast cancer cells to paclitaxel via regulating FOXO3/Nrf2/Keap1signaling pathway. Significance Statement: The present results show that auranofin enhances paclitaxel induced TUNEL positive apoptotic cells. Further, auranofin treatment increases FOXO3 which in turn inhibit the dissociation of Nrf2 and Keap1 in both MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐7 cell lines. Therefore, the present results clearly illustrate the chemosensitizing property of auranofin via regulating FOXO3/Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway in the breast cancer cells. Auranofin is already a Food and Drug administration approved drug and it could be considered for the clinical applications after preclinical experimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intrinsic redox status of cancer cells limits the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs. Auranofin, a Food and Drug Administration‐approved gold‐containing compound, documented with effective pharmacokinetics and safety profiles in humans, has recently been repurposed for anticancer activity. This study examined the paclitaxel‐sensitizing effect of auranofin by targeting redox balance in the MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐7 breast cancer cell lines. Auranofin treatment depletes the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase and alters the redox ratio in the breast cancer cell lines. Furthermore, it has been noticed that auranofin augmented paclitaxel‐mediated cytotoxicity in a concentration‐dependent manner in both MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐7 cell lines. Moreover, auranofin increased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (observed using 2, 7‐diacetyl dichlorofluorescein diacetate staining) and subsequently altered the mitochondrial membrane potential (rhodamine‐123 staining) in a concentration‐dependent manner. Further, the expression of apoptotic marker p21 was found to be higher in auranofin plus paclitaxel‐treated breast cancer cells compared to paclitaxel‐alone treatment. Thus, the present results illustrate the chemosensitizing property of auranofin in MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐7 breast cancer cell lines via oxidative metabolism. Therefore, auranofin could be considered a chemosensitizing agent during cancer chemotherapy. Significance statement: In this study, auranofin, a Food and Drug Administration‐approved drug, has been repurposed for anticancer activity. The results illustrate that auranofin improved paclitaxel‐mediated cytotoxicity in breast cancer cell lines. The auranofin treatment altered the intracellular redox balance in the breast cancer cells, which contributes to paclitaxel‐mediated cell cycle arrest and subsequent apoptotic cell death. Thus, the present results illustrate the chemosensitizing property of auranofin in breast cancer cell lines via oxidative metabolism. Therefore, auranofin could be considered a chemosensitizing agent during cancer chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the potential for targeting systemic inflammation in patients with heart failure through leucocyte immunomodulation. It highlights the high incidence of cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations for heart failure despite current therapies. The role of inflammation in heart failure is explored, with a focus on the involvement of proinflammatory cytokines and biomarkers. The article introduces a novel approach using a selective cytopheretic device (SCD) to target activated neutrophils and monocytes, which has shown promise in reducing systemic inflammation and improving outcomes in other acute conditions. A case report is presented to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of the SCD in bridging patients to left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. The article concludes by suggesting that further studies are needed to evaluate the use of the SCD and its potential to reduce cardiovascular mortality and hospitalizations in heart failure patients. [Extracted from the article]

The prime intention of this article is to investigate the effect of variable bottom topography and a bottom-sitting porous barrier on the hydroelastic response of an elastic plate floating on a two-layer fluid using small amplitude wave theory. Galerkin's single-mode approximation in each layer for variable bottom topography and the method of eigenfunction expansion for the fluid region of uniform bottom topography are used as mathematical tools to detail the phenomena. In the variable bottom topography, a system of differential equations is solved. By applying matching conditions, jump conditions, and the appropriate boundary conditions, the solution is expressed as an algebraic linear system from which all the unknown constants are evaluated. The effects of different parameters related to the fluid, bottom topography, and porous barrier on the bending moment, shear force, and deflection of an elastic plate are explored. The variations in the bending moments, shear forces, and plate deflection with respect to fluid density are found to be in opposite trends, caused by surface and interfacial waves, respectively. Further, as the density ratio becomes closer to one, the bending moments, shear forces, and plate deflection tend to diminish for interfacial waves. The bottom effect on bending moments, shear forces, and plate deflection is minimal due to surface waves but significant due to interface waves with maximum amplitude in a concave up bottom. The plate deformation can be further reduced using a suitable barrier, as investigated in this article. The findings hold good potential for furthering our understanding of installing an elastic plate in a stratified fluid with fluctuating water depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquito-borne diseases cause a huge burden on public health worldwide. The viruses that cause these diseases impact the behavioural traits of mosquitoes, including locomotion and feeding. Understanding these traits can help in improving existing epidemiological models and developing effective mosquito traps. However, it is difficult to understand the flight behaviour of mosquitoes due to their small sizes, complicated poses, and seemingly random moving patterns. Currently, no open-source tool is available that can detect and track resting or flying mosquitoes. Our work presented in this paper provides a detection and trajectory estimation method using the Mask RCNN algorithm and spline interpolation, which can efficiently detect mosquitoes and track their trajectories with higher accuracy. The method does not require special equipment and works excellently even with low-resolution videos. Considering the mosquito size, the proposed method's detection performance is validated using a tracker error and a custom metric that considers the mean distance between positions (estimated and ground truth), pooled standard deviation, and average accuracy. The results showed that the proposed method could successfully detect and track the flying (≈ 96% accuracy) as well as resting (100% accuracy) mosquitoes. The performance can be impacted in the case of occlusions and background clutters. Overall, this research serves as an efficient open-source tool to facilitate further examination of mosquito behavioural traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of bottom topography and a surface-piercing porous barrier on the hydroelastic response of an elastic plate floating on a two-layer fluid with variable bottom topography is studied using small amplitude wave theory. As a mathematical tool, Galerkin's single-mode approximation for waves in each layer is used for variable bottom topography, while the method of eigenfunction expansion is applied for the fluid region of a uniform bottom. In the variable bottom topography, a system of differential equations is solved. By applying matching conditions, jump conditions, and the appropriate boundary conditions, the solution is expressed as an algebraic linear system from which all the unknown constants are computed. The effects of different parameters related to the fluid, bottom topography, and porous barrier on the bending moment, shear force, and the deflection of an elastic plate are explored. The variations in the bending moments, shear forces, and plate deflection with respect to fluid density are found to be in opposite trends, caused by surface and interfacial waves, respectively. Further, as the density ratio becomes closer to one, the bending moments, shear forces, and plate deflection tend to diminish for interfacial waves. The plate is least deformed by surface and interfacial waves in the case of a concave down and a plane sloping bottom, respectively. This deformation can further be reduced by using suitable barriers as reported in this investigation. The observations may be useful in analysing the response of very large floating structures to the presence of undulating bottoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between an oblique gravity wave and a partial porous flexible plate barrier in a two-layer fluid with an undulating bottom has been studied using small amplitude and structural response theory. Separate cases for (a) scattering of wave and (b) trapping of wave by porous flexible plate in the presence of an impermeable sea wall are discussed. The submerged plate of two typical configurations, bottom standing and surface piercing, is considered. The effects of surface waves, interfacial waves, and the induced energy among the layers due to undulated bottom have been taken into consideration. An approximation technique, i.e. modified mild-slope equation and the Fourier method together with the method of least-square, is adopted as a solution procedure. By applying the continuity condition and mass flux at the interface along with the plate boundary conditions, the problem is converted into a system of equations. Different physical characteristics are investigated, including reflection and transmission coefficients, wave load on the plate and impermeable sea wall, and bottom effect against parameters like incident wave angle and bottom slope length. This study finds that bottom-standing plate dissipated much surface wave energy, whereas the surface-piercing plate dissipates much interfacial wave energy. An opposite effect of surface and interfacial waves on membrane deformation for any given bottom, with maximum deformation due to propagating wave along surface and interface for plane and sinusoidal bottoms, respectively, is observed. The influence of undulated sea bottom on surface wave generated force upon sea wall is almost insensitive, whereas interfacial wave-induced force on sea wall varies significantly with changing bottom profiles. The study carried out in this article holds good potential in deepening our understanding of wave scattering and trapping by a partial porous flexible barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Granzyme-B is a serine proteinase expressed and released mainly by the cytotoxic T and NK cell. Granules intact Granzyme-B is directly delivered into the target cell, while extracellular Granzyme-B, released in serum leads to nonspecific cleavages of extracellular matrix molecules like vitronectin, collagen, TGF-ß, IL-1 and invites systemic inflammation, tissue remodeling and fibrosis leading to the development of chronic renal allograft dysfunction. Objective: We aimed to immunophenotype the Granzyme-B positive T-lymphocyte subset and Granzyme-B role in the development of chronic renal allograft dysfunction. Methods: We have analyzed the Granzyme-B+CD8+T/CD8neg and Granzyme-B+CD3+/CD3neg cell subset by the flowcytometry and serum Granzyme-B level by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: We have found that the frequency of Granzyme-B+ CD8neg CD3+T cell, Granzyme-B+ CD8lowCD3+T cell and Granzyme-B+ CD8high CD3+T cell subset was significantly lower and serum Granzyme-B level was significantly higher in CAD group. The frequency of CD3+T, CD3neg lymphocyte, CD8neg CD3+T, CD8lowCD3+T, CD8high CD3+T, Granzyme-B+CD3negCD8neg lymphocyte was similar between the group. The frequency of CD3+CD8negGzm-B+ cell was negatively correlated with serum creatinine and CD3+CD8highGzm-B+ cell was negatively correlated with serum Granzyme-B level. Similarly, Serum Granzyme-B level was positively correlated with serum creatinine, urine proteinuria and negatively with eGFR. Conclusion: The circulating frequency of Granzyme-B+ CD8neg CD3+T cell, Granzyme-B+ CD8lowCD3+T cell and Granzyme-B+ CD8high CD3+T cell subsets were significantly lower and serum Granzyme-B level was significantly higher in renal allograft recipients with CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stock market prices of the company vary in a daily fashion. The social media pattern usage of the company can be determined to find the sentiment score values. The dependency factor between the social media tweet platform and the performance of an organization can have how much effect on the stock prices is determined. The historical data from the Yahoo Finance APIs are taken for the unique company ID and then the probability of stock being good or bad is determined. Also, the tweets related to the company are scanned and analyzed to find the positive and negative scores. The concentration value connected to growth, the intensity of capital expenditure, and the volume of promotion were among the factors utilized in the stock's modeling. This paper also takes the yearly finances of the end-user based on LIC payments, medical insurance payments, and average rent and then performs a classification of the user. Based on the user classification, companies are recommended to the end-user based on descending order of stock value. The average volume, average price, average market index, average daily turnover, and sentiment discrepancy index are based on the tweets of a company and the predicted value of its performance. For the classification of the user, we make use of the support vector machine algorithm. For the sentiment analysis of the tweets, the naïve Bayes algorithm is made use of, and then stock classification is done based on mathematical modeling, which includes the sentiment analysis index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-Aminothiazoles have been synthesized by a one-pot, two-step sequential procedure in solution state which does not involve the isolation of intermediates. It involves α-halogenation of corresponding precursor ketones followed by condensation with substituted thiourea derivatives. All the products were analyzed by IR, NMR, mass spectral techniques and four of them were evaluated crystallographically. One of them crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system with space group P 1 ¯ , while, all the other compounds crystallize in the monoclinic crystal system in two different space groups viz. P21/c and P21/n. The modified 2-aminothiazole core did not show any change in the intermolecular interaction. The N-H...N interaction predominates over other interactions forming centrosymmetric head to head dimer with the neighboring atoms. This feature is observed in all the molecules except N-(4-(4-bromophenyl)-3-(2,5-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2(3H)-ylidene)-2,5-dimethylaniline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper describes the multiple response optimization of electrochemical machining (ECM) responses, such as specific energy consumption (SEC), overcut, and material removal rate (MRR), aimed at sustainable machining. The experimental work was conducted on electrochemical drilling of AA6061-TiB2 composite material. The concentration of electrolyte, applied voltage, and current were selected as the governing parameters in machining process. The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was applied to identify the optimal set of machining parameters based on the closeness coefficient (CC). The weighting of responses was allotted by using the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), or equal weights, or entropy method. The results indicate that the closeness coefficient varied by weighting. A comparative analysis of the confirmation experiments showed that the optimal level of machining parameters obtained from the entropy weighting method gave the largest improvement in the closeness coefficient to attain sustainable machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic properties and structural analysis of Nd(Neodymium) doped Ni0.65Zn0.35Fe2O4 using XRD, Rietveld Analysis, FTIR Spectroscopy and VSM are reported. Confirmation of secondary phase formation with increased Nd content is established. Cation distribution for neodymium substituted nickel-zinc ferritesis proposed by considering the deficiency of Fe3+ in NiZnFe2O4 due to secondary phase formation of NdFeO3. The quality of present cation distribution was confirmed through close agreement of experimentally calculated lattice constant and Rietveld refinement. Changes in saturation magnetization with increased Nd content are explained on the basis of intensifying effect on energy exchange (inter-sublattice) between Ni-O-Nd and Ni-O-Fe concnerning Fe-O-Fe interaction, effect of replacing lower magnetic moment Nd3+ (3.62 μB) in place of Fe3+ (5 μB) and exchange developed between the cations existing at B-sites due to creation of oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of the flange joint depends on the relaxation of load in bolts. This in turn affects the gasket stress and control of leakage. A finite element model of flange joint with threaded bolt‐nut fastener having zero helix angle is developed and analyzed for stress distribution in the threaded bolt. The stress concentration factor at the thread root region is observed to be non‐uniform along the circumference due to the bending behavior of the bolt in the flange joint. The maximum stress is observed in the first engaged thread. The variation in bolt load due to internal fluid, thermal and external loads are also investigated for both single and twin‐gaskets (two concentric half‐sized single gaskets). The gasket material and gasket configuration are observed to be potential factors causing variation in the distribution of load in the flange joint. In a flange joint subjected to external bending load, the maximum stress concentration in the bolt is observed to be in the first thread, instead of the first engaged thread. Under external bending load, the flange joint loses its structural integrity before the traces of leakage occur in the joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute porphyrias are metabolic disorders resulting from deficiency of a specific enzyme involved in heme biosynthetic pathway. These deficiencies also affect normal renal physiology, as kidneys are also involved in heme synthesis. Sometimes, this could even lead to end stage renal disease. Acute Intermittent Porphyria, an autosomal dominant disorder arising from half-normal activity of hydroxymethylbilane synthase, is characterized by occurrence of vague neurovisceral attacks (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation and neuropsychiatric symptoms), with urinary excretion of porphyrin precursors, such as 5-Amino-levulinic acid (ALA) and Porphobilinogen (PBG). Acute attacks are triggered by dehydration, diarrhea, steroids, low calorie diets. Treatment includes avoidance of precipitating factors, adequate hydration, high carbohydrate diet and heme replacement. Here, we present an adolescent female who had presented with recurrent abdominal pain, dyselectrolyemia with associated seizures, was diagnosed with Acute Intermittent Porphyria and recovered well with symptomatic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines namely ethyl 2-acetyl-5-(2-fluorophenyl)-3,7-dimethyl-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylate 3a, ethyl 2-acetyl-5-(3-fluorophenyl)-3,7-dimethyl-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylate 3b, and ethyl 2-acetyl-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3,7-dimethyl-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxylate 3c were obtained by one pot synthesis using substituted 3,4 dihydropyrimidine2-thione (1a–1c) and 3-chloro-2,4-pentanedione in ethanol and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The variation in the position of fluorine atom on pyrimidine nucleus and insight into the self-assembly of compounds with varied types of non-covalent interactions has great influence on crystal packing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently described hyperkalemia (HK) animal models are typically acute and cause significant distress and mortality to the animals, warranting new approaches for studying chronic HK in a more appropriate clinical setting. Using the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model as a more relevant disease template, as well as surgical (unilateral nephrectomy), dietary (3% potassium [K+] supplementation), and pharmacological (amiloride) interventions, we were able to stably induce HK on a chronic basis for up to 12 weeks to serum K+ elevations between 8 and 9 mmol/L, with minimal clinical stress to the animals. Short‐term proof‐of‐concept and long‐term chronic studies in hyperkalemic SHRs showed concomitant increases in serum aldosterone, consistent with the previously reported relationship between serum K+ and aldosterone. Treatment with the K+ binder patiromer demonstrated that the disease model was responsive to pharmacological intervention, with significant abrogation in serum K+, as well as serum aldosterone to levels near baseline, and this was consistent in both short‐term and long‐term 12‐week chronic studies. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of establishing a chronic HK disease state, and this novel HK animal model may be suitable for further evaluating the effects of long‐term, K+‐lowering therapies on effects such as renal fibrosis and end‐organ damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,4-dihydropyridines, namely diethyl 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate (1a), diethyl 2,6-dimethyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate(1b), and diethyl 4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,6-dihydroxy-2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)piperidine-3,5-dicarboxylate (2), are synthesized by one-pot multicomponent condensation of aromatic aldehyde with ethyl acetoacetate and liquid ammonia in the presence of an ethanol-water mixture and are characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The effect of a fluorine atom on the dihydropyridine nucleus give insight into the self-assembly of compounds with various types of non-covalent interactions that greatly affect the crystal packing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we grew 5-layered SrBi4.25La0.75Ti4FeO18 (SBLFT) polycrystalline thin films (80–330 nm thick) via pulsed-laser deposition to study their ferroelectric and magnetoelectric response. Structural/microstructural analysis confirmed the formation of orthorhombic SBLFT with good crystallinity and randomly oriented Aurivillius phases. Detailed scanning transmission electron microscopy analysis of 120 nm film revealed a predominantly five-layered structure with the coexistence of four-layer stacking. Such stacking defects are found to be pertinent to the high structural flexibility of Bi-rich Aurivillius phases, alleviated by lattice strain. Raman spectral features at ambient temperatures depict the signature of the orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition. SBLFT films have a strong ferroelectric nature (remanent polarization 2Pr of 35 μC cm−2) with a fatigue endurance up to 1010 cycles and strongly improved, switchable magnetization as opposed to its antiferromagnetic bulk counterpart. The scaling behavior of dynamic hysteresis reveals that ferroelectric domain reversal has good stability and low energy consumption. We observed the presence of SBLFT nanoregions (1–5 nm), distributed across the film, with Bi and Fe-rich compositions and oxygen vacancies that contribute to the weak ferromagnetic behavior mediated by the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions. Subtle changes in the structural strain and lattice distortions of thin films with varied thicknesses led to distinct ferroic properties. Stronger ferroelectric polarization of 80 nm and 120 nm films compared to that of thicker ones can be due to structural strain and the possible rearrangement of BO6 octahedra. The observation of the improved magnetoelectric coefficient of 50 mV cm−1 Oe−1 for 120 nm film, as compared to that of several Aurivillius oxides, indicates that the structural strain modification in SBLFT is beneficial for the fatigue-free magnetic field switching of ferroelectric polarization. The structural strain of the unit cell as well as the presence of Bi- and ferromagnetic Fe-rich nanoregions was found to be responsible for the improved multiferroic behaviour of the SBLFT films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bolted flange joints are widely used in pressure vessels and piping. With the increase in installation of nuclear power plants, chemical industries and oil and gas transportation facilities, design of highly reliable leak proof joints has become an important concern. Bolted flange joint is subjected to many uncertainties such as material and geometric nonlinearities, load distribution and its relaxation. Hence, there is a need to understand the behaviour of bolted flange joint under different conditions, with varying bolt load, internal fluid pressure, temperature and occasional loads. In the present study, the influence these factors on the leakage of bolted flange joints are reviewed in detail. The significance of variation in axial joint stiffness due to bolt load relaxation at elevated temperature is discussed. Attention is also given to sealing performance and prediction of leakage rate under different loading conditions. The load bearing capacity and failure criteria of flange joint, along with the effect of loading history are also discussed. Then, the focus is turned towards the numerical formulations of flange joint under dynamic loads, in addition to experimental techniques to extract its response. Further, the current challenges in this area along with future scope for improvement to achieve leak-proof and structurally sound flange joint are also discussed in this review article. • Load relaxation in bolted flange joint due to creep and thermal loads. • Effective material characterization techniques of nonlinear gasket material. • Behaviour of flange joint subjected to thermal and external loads is discussed. • Sealing performance and prediction of leakage rate under different loading conditions are highlighted. • Recommendation to overcome joint relaxation is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems have proved to be one of the important ingredients for substation automation. Legacy SCADA architectures are based on proprietary hardware and software-based Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) with little scope for modifications and expansions. Current SCADA architectures are based on distributed systems with Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) based on IEC 61850. These SCADA systems are implemented with a centralized server located at control centers for performing various substation automation functions. With this kind of architecture, a local Human Machine Interface (HMI) is normally implemented to have access to the operational data at the substation level. Certain specific software applications catering to asset management functions, which are useful for the local operators, are also implemented at the substation level. All such local applications have to access data from IEDs, legacy RTUs, etc., called hardware nodes. Since these hardware nodes follow different communication interface methods, the software applications running in the desktop computers also have to adopt hardware-specific communication interface routines. Fast and reliable data transfer among these heterogeneous systems coupled with seamless integration to host applications is a technical challenge. The paper presents a generic Soft Data Bus (SDB), a communication interface framework between hardware nodes and software applications. SDB provides a common interface method on both sides which enables seamless access of data from RTUs which can easily be integrated with the local HMI and other asset management applications. It can be scaled up for a number of hardware nodes and data points without sacrificing much of performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a medium-frequency (MF) solid-state transformer (SST) based grid interface for high-power multipulse rectifiers. In the proposed approach, the low-frequency ac (grid) voltage is transformed to MF voltage via front-end converters. The three single-phase MF outputs from these converters are fed to the primary side of a three-phase, five-limb multiwinding isolation transformer (or alternately three one-phase transformers). The secondary side windings from the transformer are configured in a certain “zig-zag” arrangement, which are connected to the inputs of three-phase diode rectifier modules as in a typical multipulse system. The proposed topology can better than double the power density by reducing volume (or weight) of the required front-end isolation transformer while maintaining the same input current quality as a conventional low-frequency transformer based approach. Usage of an open-loop square wave pulse width modulation for the front-end converters makes this approach simple to implement. This paper explains the proposed concept taking an adjustable speed drive application's perspective using modeling, simulation, and experimental results from a scaled down laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

General expressions in terms of various square-bracket integrals for the thermal conductivity λ and its first-order approximation [λ]1 of a classical dilute binary gas mixture of nonspherical molecules have been obtained by extending the Taxman classical kinetic theory of transport phenomena within the framework of the Chapman–Enskog second approximation method for the mixture of spherical molecules. In the limit, [λ]1 formula tends to the corresponding formula for a dilute simple gas of nonspherical molecules or a dilute binary gas mixture of spherical molecules. The dimensionalities of the square-bracket integrals belonging to [λ]1 for the mixture of rigid spheroids having C∞v symmetry have been reduced by integrating analytically the velocity and angular velocity parts of the integrals. The resulting reduced quadratures are over the orientational coordinates of two colliding like or unlike spheroids. Two limiting checks are discussed which confirm that the quadrature formulas are correct. © 1996 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mosquito-borne diseases exert a huge impact on both animal and human populations, posing substantial health risks. The behavioural and fitness traits of mosquitoes, such as locomotion and fecundity, are crucial factors that influence the spread of diseases. In existing egg-counting tools, each image requires separate processing with adjustments to various parameters such as intensity threshold and egg area size. Furthermore, accuracy decreases significantly when dealing with clustered or overlapping eggs. To overcome these issues, we have developed EggCountAI, a Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN)-based free automatic egg-counting tool for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Methods: The study design involves developing EggCountAI for counting mosquito eggs and comparing its performance with two commonly employed tools—ICount and MECVision—using 10 microscopic and 10 macroscopic images of eggs laid by females on a paper strip. The results were validated through manual egg counting on the strips using ImageJ software. Two different models were trained on macroscopic and microscopic images to enhance egg detection accuracy, achieving mean average precision, mean average recall, and F1-scores of 0.92, 0.90, and 0.91 for the microscopic model, and 0.91, 0.90, and 0.90 for the macroscopic model, respectively. EggCountAI automatically counts eggs in a folder containing egg strip images, offering adaptable filtration for handling impurities of varying sizes. Results: The results obtained from EggCountAI highlight its remarkable performance, achieving overall accuracy of 98.88% for micro images and 96.06% for macro images. EggCountAI significantly outperformed ICount and MECVision, with ICount achieving 81.71% accuracy for micro images and 82.22% for macro images, while MECVision achieved 68.01% accuracy for micro images and 51.71% for macro images. EggCountAI also excelled in other statistical parameters, with mean absolute error of 1.90 eggs for micro, 74.30 eggs for macro, and a strong correlation and R-squared value (0.99) for both micro and macro. The superior performance of EggCountAI was most evident when handling overlapping or clustered eggs. Conclusion: Accurate detection and counting of mosquito eggs enables the identification of preferred egg-laying sites and facilitates optimal placement of oviposition traps, enhancing targeted vector control efforts and disease transmission prevention. In future research, the tool holds the potential to extend its application to monitor mosquito feeding preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive fungal infection is a complication seen in immunocompromised patients. A disseminated fungal infection has a high rate of mortality. Although disseminated infection is known to be seen in most organs, thyroid involvement is rarely reported. Hence, we report a fatal case of thyroid mucormycosis which resulted into laryngeal nerve paralysis and death of a renal allograft recipient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in renal allograft recipient is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. At present, only few studies related to treatment and outcomes of HCV-infected renal allograft recipients with DAAs have been published. We aimed the study to assess the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir-based regimens in HCV-infected renal allograft recipients. We analyzed data of 22 eligible HCV-infected renal allograft recipients (14 genotype-3, 6 genotype-1, one each genotype-2 and 4) who were treated with DAAs at our institute. DAA regimen included sofosbuvir and ribavirin with or without ledipasvir or daclatasvir for 12--24 weeks. Patients were followed up for 24 weeks after completion of treatment. A rapid viral response of 91%, end of therapy response of 100%, and sustained viral response at 12 and 24 weeks of 100% with rapid normalization of liver enzymes were observed. Therapy was well tolerated except for ribavirin-related anemia. A significant decrease in tacrolimus trough levels was observed and most patients required increase in tacrolimus dose during the study. Treatment with newer DAAs is effective and safe for the treatment of HCV-infected renal allograft recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the design and evaluation of a scalable and energy efficient Network-on-Chip topology with diagonal links, called ZMesh. A heuristic technique for mapping applications onto the ZMesh topology has been proposed. Further, a mapping technique based on particle swarm optimization combined with simulated annealing has also been considered for a fair comparison of the performance of ZMesh with that of other topologies. Experimental evaluation shows that ZMesh when compared with baseline Mesh, shows an average improvement of up to 1.25 × and 1.20 × in energy consumption and execution time, respectively while running real application traces. Compared to the state-of-the-art topologies such as DMesh, ZMesh shows an average improvement of up to 2.39 × in terms of energy consumption, while suffering a degradation of up to 9.37% in execution time, for running real application traces. For the synthetic as well as real applications with more uniform traffic pattern, such as constant geometry algorithms, ZMesh achieves better energy efficiency than the other considered topologies. Evaluation of ZMesh for multicast kind of traffic using a proposed multicast routing algorithm shows improvement in link energy consumption by up to 55%, for the considered scenarios, as compared to unicast-based multicast routing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of notch acuity on fracture behavior of rolled AZ31 Mg alloy is investigated by conducting mode-I fracture experiments using four point bend specimens with different notch root radii. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique is employed to determine the angle of rotation of the specimen and the fracture toughness is obtained from moment versus rotation curves. It is found that the fracture toughness J c increases linearly with notch root radius beyond a threshold value and is almost constant below this limit. This trend is rationalized from fractographic observations near the crack initiation region which show predominantly quasi-brittle features for fatigue pre-cracked specimen and dimples of increasing size in notched specimens with enhancement in notch root radius. Significant tensile twinning is noticed in the ligament for all specimens, especially near their far edge. This is found to impart substantial toughening even in the fatigue pre-cracked specimen which fails by a locally quasi-brittle mechanism. Finally, the strong increase in J c with notch root radius beyond a threshold is interpreted using two ductile fracture initiation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) are the preferred drugs for treatment of childhood steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) who are also resistant to cyclophosphamide (CYC). Although few studies have shown a benefit of one over the other, efficacy and safety of either CNIs (tacrolimus [TAC] or cyclosporine [CSA]) in this special population remained to be assessed in long-term studies. Forty-five children with SRNS who were also resistant to CYC (CYC-SRNS) from January 2006 to June 2011, were included in the study. Patients were treated with CNI either TAC or CSA based on 1:1 allocations and were prospectively observed. Patients who were nonresponsive to CNIs had been treated with mycophenolate mofetil. Outcomes were measured in terms of remission of NS, adverse effects of drugs, and progression of disease. After 6 months of treatment, 16/23 (69.5%) patients on CSA achieved remission and 18/22 (81.8%) on TAC achieved remission (P = 0.3). The side effects hypertrichosis, and gum hyperplasia were significantly less in TAC group as compared to CSA group (P < 0.001). The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year estimated renal survival (doubling of serum creatinine as event) in CSA group was 96%, 91%, 85%, 54%, and 33% and in TAC group was 96%, 95%, 90%, 89%, and 79%, respectively (P = 0.02). Although TAC and CSA are equally efficacious, TAC has significantly less side effects. The long-term outcome of renal function was significantly better in patients who were treated with TAC as compared to CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public telephone systems transmit speech across a limited frequency range, about 300-3400 Hz, called narrowband (NB) which results in a significant reduction of quality and intelligibility of speech. This paper proposes a fully backward compatible novel method for bandwidth extension of NB speech. The method uses magnitude spectrum data hiding technique to provide a perceptually better wideband speech signal. The spectral envelope parameters are extracted from the down-sampled frequency shifted version of the high-frequency components of speech signal existing above NB, which are then encoded and spread by using spreading sequences, and are embedded in the low-amplitude high-frequency regions of the magnitude spectrum of NB speech signal. The embedded information is extracted at the receiving end to reconstruct the wideband speech signal. Theoretical and simulation analyses show that the proposed method is robust to quantization and channel noises. The comparison category rating listening and log spectral distortion tests clearly show that the reconstructed wideband signal gives a much better performance in terms of speech quality when compared to the conventional speech bandwidth extension methods employing data hiding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, plane strain finite element simulations of cylindrical void growth ahead of a notch tip in Mg single crystals are conducted to understand the effects of lattice orientation and crack tip constraint on the ductile fracture processes. The constitutive response is represented through crystal plasticity theory accounting for both slip and twinning. Three specimens - shallow, deeply cracked single edge notch tension and deeply cracked four point bend specimens, which display increasing levels of elastic biaxiality ratio (or constraint) are considered. Also two lattice orientations, with c-axis along the thickness direction and normal to the flat surfaces of notch (referred to as A and B) are studied. It is found that void growth and coalescence in orientation A (where predominantly prismatic slip occurs) take place directly ahead of the tip and fracture resistance enhances with reduction in constraint. By contrast, orientation B shows void coalescence by inclined shear bands, displays retarded void growth and higher J at crack initiation. The ductile fracture behavior is analyzed by examining slip, porosity and mean stress development in the voided cells ahead of the notch tip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work deals with the synthesis of nanosized γ-Fe2O3 by methods and its suspension in a biocompatible fluid consisting of cellulose in water whose properties seem different from the conventional ferrofluid and magnetic rheological fluid. From TEM and x-ray diffractions line broadening particle size has been estimated in the nanometer range. Mössbauer and magnetic measurements have been done to investigate the relaxation behavior of these nanoparticles which consists of significant amount of surface spins. Biocompatibilities of suspensions have been confirmed using HeLa cell lines and can be suitable for different bioapplications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morbidly obese patients are considered to be poor candidates for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with respiratory failure due to COVID-19 pneumonia. A body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 40 is a relative contraindication to ECMO by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) COVID-19 guidelines. This study seeks to determine the impact of obesity on survival of patients with COVID-19 on ECMO. This project is a retrospective cohort study of a multicenter US healthcare system queried from January 2020 to December 2021. All patients aged 16 years and older with COVID-19 treated with ECMO support were included in the study. Patients with missing data on ECMO duration were excluded from secondary analyses. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality in a time-to-event analysis after ECMO initiation, with a comparison between patient groups based on body mass index (BMI) categories. Secondary outcomes included ventilator days, intensive care days, complications, and discharge destination. We identified 335 patients for the primary analysis; 66 were removed from secondary analysis due to missing data for duration of ECMO. There were no baseline differences between obese and non-obese patients in terms of demographics, comorbidities, pre-ECMO treatments, or hospital length of stay. Obese patients were more likely to be younger (median age 41 vs 45; p = 0.016). Obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was associated with a decreased risk of mortality, odds ratio 0.620 (95% CI 0.399 - 0.964; p = 0.0338) after controlling for age. Severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40) was not associated with increased mortality compared to non-obese. Secondary analysis of 269 patients with complete data demonstrate overall in-hospital mortality of 34.3%. There was no difference in ECMO duration, ICU length of stay, rate of blood stream infection, stroke, or blood transfusion between BMI groups. Obesity is not associated with increased mortality on ECMO for COVID-19. Neither obesity nor severe obesity should be used to rule out candidacy for the use of ECMO in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of β -CDP/QD NCs using epichlorohydrin linker to overcome. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated MDR in cancer cells. The β -CDP/QD NCs enter the MDR cancer cells through endocytosis. The QCT released from the nanocarrier enhances the intracellular availability of DOX via blocking the drug efflux function of P-gp. [Display omitted] • The β -CDP/QD NCs were successfully synthesized by the freeze-dried method. • Spectroscopic and microscopic studies evaluate the encapsulation of drugs in polymer. • The β -CDP/QD NCs show burst and sustained release of quercetin and doxorubicin. • β -CDP/QD NCs show enhanced apoptotic cell death in MDR cancer cells. In this study, we prepared a β -cyclodextrin polymer (β -CDP) co-loaded quercetin (QCT) and doxorubicin (DOX) nanocarrier (β -CDP/QD NCs) by freeze-dried method to combat P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) in KB-ChR 8–5 cancer cells. Various microscopic and spectroscopic techniques were employed to characterize the prepared nanocarrier. The molecular docking studies confirm the effective binding interactions of QCT and DOX with the synthesized β -CD polymer. The in vitro drug release study illustrates the sustainable release of DOX and QCT from the β -CDP nanocarrier. Further, we noticed that the QCT released from the β -CDP nanocarrier improved the intracellular availability of DOX via modulating P-gp drug efflux function in KB-ChR 8–5 cells and MCF-7/DOX cancer cells. Cell uptake results confirmed the successful internalization of DOX in KB-ChR 8–5 cells compared with free DOX. Cell-based assays such as nuclear condensation, alteration in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and apoptosis morphological changes confirmed the enhanced anticancer effect of β -CDP/QD NCs in the resistant cancer cells. Hence, QCT and DOX co-loaded β -CDP may be considered effective in achieving maximum cell death in the P-gp overexpressing MDR cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mosquito-borne diseases exert a huge impact on both animal and human populations, posing substantial health risks. The behavioural and fitness traits of mosquitoes, such as locomotion and fecundity, are crucial factors that influence the spread of diseases. In existing egg-counting tools, each image requires separate processing with adjustments to various parameters such as intensity threshold and egg area size. Furthermore, accuracy decreases significantly when dealing with clustered or overlapping eggs. To overcome these issues, we have developed EggCountAI, a Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN)-based free automatic egg-counting tool for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Methods: The study design involves developing EggCountAI for counting mosquito eggs and comparing its performance with two commonly employed tools—ICount and MECVision—using 10 microscopic and 10 macroscopic images of eggs laid by females on a paper strip. The results were validated through manual egg counting on the strips using ImageJ software. Two different models were trained on macroscopic and microscopic images to enhance egg detection accuracy, achieving mean average precision, mean average recall, and F1-scores of 0.92, 0.90, and 0.91 for the microscopic model, and 0.91, 0.90, and 0.90 for the macroscopic model, respectively. EggCountAI automatically counts eggs in a folder containing egg strip images, offering adaptable filtration for handling impurities of varying sizes. Results: The results obtained from EggCountAI highlight its remarkable performance, achieving overall accuracy of 98.88% for micro images and 96.06% for macro images. EggCountAI significantly outperformed ICount and MECVision, with ICount achieving 81.71% accuracy for micro images and 82.22% for macro images, while MECVision achieved 68.01% accuracy for micro images and 51.71% for macro images. EggCountAI also excelled in other statistical parameters, with mean absolute error of 1.90 eggs for micro, 74.30 eggs for macro, and a strong correlation and R-squared value (0.99) for both micro and macro. The superior performance of EggCountAI was most evident when handling overlapping or clustered eggs. Conclusion: Accurate detection and counting of mosquito eggs enables the identification of preferred egg-laying sites and facilitates optimal placement of oviposition traps, enhancing targeted vector control efforts and disease transmission prevention. In future research, the tool holds the potential to extend its application to monitor mosquito feeding preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on the niche construction in evolutionary theory of an academic niche. Topics discussed, include the modification by organisms of their environment, the standard evolutionary theory that represents a substantial extension and the subdiscipline that is sought to be manufactured within the scientific community.

Single-phase bismuth layered structure ferroelectromagnet (BLSFEM) LaGdxB5-xFe2Ti3O18of composition (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8), novel ceramics were prepared by solid state route. Electrical and impedance measurements were made on the ceramics. Complex Impedance spectroscopic plots showed the signature of magnetic ion (Gd) and the results were corroborated to the Debye and Gaussian fitting curves. The variation of dielectric and modulus with temperature plots were used to explain dielectric phenomenon. An attempt is made to understand the effect of magnetic (Gd) ion on A site of (Bi2O2)2+(LaGdxBi3-xTi3Fe2O16)2−, layered perovskite (title) compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]