bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges for Developing and Marketing a Brayton-Cycle-Based Power Genset Gas Turbine Using Supercritical CO2 and a Compressor Design for Simple Recuperated Cycle
Authors: Hosseinpour Javad , Howard Jonathon , Chen Jinbo , Engeda Abraham
Published: May 2021

Since the 1960s, the idea of using supercritical carbon dioxide (s-CO2) as the working fluid in a Brayton power cycle has been entertained (Angelino, 1968). But due to technical limitations of the time, the idea did not progress forward much. Presently, due to the availability of more know-how, better technological platform, and advanced analysis tools, many believe it is time to revisit the idea of using s-CO2 as the working fluid for power generation. Among various working fluids, s-CO2 has several significant advantages over other fluids. Primarily, the attractive qualities of s-CO2 are high efficiency, much smaller turbomachinery size and plant footprint (and therefore lower capital cost), and the potential for full carbon capture. However, the realization of these benefits will depend on overcoming several technical, engineering, and materials science challenges. Even though theoretically, the concept is highly attractive and promising, there are yet major hurdles to be passed, namely, the designing, developing, and testing a reasonable size (10 MWe or higher) prototype of a s-CO2 Brayton-cycle-based power gas turbine. This paper reviews the s-CO2 Brayton cycle technologies for power generation and critically assesses the recent challenges and development status. Further, a two-dimensional in-house code was utilized to design an impeller for an s-CO2 simple recuperated Brayton cycle, generating 10-MWe power. The results were validated first with Eckardt’s design which is often referred to as a benchmark due to the most extensive measurements he performed on centrifugal compressors. Then, a centrifugal compressor was designed by the present authors for a simple recuperated cycle, and the results were reported in detail. The results show that the designed compressor has a wide operation range, making it a viable option to be employed for the commercialization purpose of a 10-MWe s-CO2 Brayton cycle.
Flow Continuity of Isothermal Elastohydrodynamic Point-Contact Lubrication Under Different Numerical Iteration Configurations
Authors: Qiu Liangwei , Liu Shuangbiao , Wang Zhijian , Chen Xiaoyang
Published: May 2021

Elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) in point contacts can be numerically solved with various iteration methods, but so far the flow continuity of such solutions has not been explicitly verified. A series of closed regions with the same inlet side boundary is defined, and two treatments to total all flows related to the other boundaries of the closed regions are defined to enable flow-continuity verifications. The multigrid method and the traditional single mesh method with different relaxation configurations are utilized to solve different cases to evaluate computation efficiencies. For the multigrid method, the combination of a pointwise solver together with hybrid-relaxation factors is identified to perform better than other combinations. The single mesh method has inferior degrees of flow continuity than the multigrid method and needs much smaller error control values of pressure to achieve a decent level of flow continuity. Because flow continuity has a physical meaning, its verifications should be routinely included in any self-validation process for any EHL results. Effects of control errors of pressure, mesh sizes, differential schemes, and operating conditions on flow continuities are studied. Then, trends of film thickness with respect to speed are briefly discussed with meshes up to 4097 by 4097.
Onset of Boiling, Heat Transfer, and Flow Patterns of Flow Boiling on the Superhydrophobic Porous Copper Surface in a Microchannel
Authors: Lin Yuhao , Li Junye , Sun Jia , Li Wei , Cao Yanlong
Published: May 2021

To explore the effect of microstructured porous surface on enhancing the heat transfer of flow boiling in a microchannel, the microporous copper surface was fabricated with microscale pores in ranges of 1–5 μm, which presented super-hydrophobicity. Subcooled flow boiling experiments were carried out to study the hydraulic and thermal transport performance in a single narrow rectangular microchannel. High-speed flow visualizations were conducted coupled with instrumental measurements to illustrate the effects of heat flux and mass flux on heat transfer performance and flow patterns for originally hydrophilic bare copper surface and superhydrophobic microporous structured surface. The onset of boiling (ONB) characteristics of both test surfaces was compared with predictive correlations with a good agreement and verified by the captured flow pattern images. Benefit from the superhydrophobic wettability provided by its microscale porous structures and a large number of potential nucleation sites, the required wall superheats, and imposed heat fluxes of onset of boiling both decreased for the modified surface. The flow patterns on the two surfaces varied, which resulted in the different trends of heat transfer coefficient (HTC) with mass fluxes and heat fluxes. Because of the strengthened bubble departure process, the enhancement of the porous surface compared to the original bare surface gradually increased with mass fluxes. The average two-phase heat transfer coefficients of the superhydrophobic porous copper surface were enhanced for up to 74.84%, due to the earlier onset of boiling, higher frequency of bubble nucleation, and strengthened boiling intensity.
Early 2-Mercaptoethanol-Resistant Antibody Production in Endotoxin-Treated Rats
Authors: Merétey Katalin , Elekes Erzsébet , Bertók Lóránd
Published: May 2021

Experiments are reported concerning both natural and specific antibody production in endotoxin-treated rats.
In Vitro Detection of Antibody to Cholera Enterotoxin in Cholera Patients and Laboratory Animals
Authors: Finkelstein Richard A. , Peterson Johnny W.
Published: May 2021

Two new in vitro microtests for anticholeragen (cholera exo-enterotoxin) antibodies are described and compared. In both tests, choleragen and choleragenoid, antigenically identical purified moieties which differ in size, charge, and toxicity, may be used as sensitizing antigens with apparently equal facility. The passive hemagglutination (PHA) test in which sensitized tanned chicken erythrocytes are used was found to be more sensitive than the sensitized bentonite flocculation test. Tests with sera from cholera patients almost invariably demonstrated a rise in titer on convalescence. Results with the PHA test were directly correlated with results derived from in vivo toxin neutralization assays involving inhibition of skin reactivity and the ileal loop reaction. These observations strengthen the hypothesis that choleragen is involved in the pathogenesis of cholera in man and support the unitarian concept that skin reactivity and choleragenesis are manifestations of the same toxin acting in different tissues. Both of the tests described have been modified and used as inhibition tests in the detection and assay of choleragen antigen.
Antibody Response to Various Single-Factor O Antigens of
Salmonella
Authors: Kenny Kathryn , Schlecht Siegfried , Westphal Otto
Published: May 2021

The relative agglutinin responses to various single O-antigenic (Kauffmann-White) factors were measured after immunization of rabbits with several strains of heat-killed salmonella organisms. As expected, the relative strength of the responses to the various O factors was quite varied and in some cases depended on the presence or absence of other single factors. For example, antibodies to factor
12
2
were formed rapidly and to extremely high levels in rabbits immunized with either
Salmonella typhi
(O
9
,
12
1
,
12
2
,
12
3
) or
S. paratyphi
B (O
1
,
4
,
5
,
12
1
,
12
2
), whereas factor
12
3
in
S. typhi
and factor
1
in
S. paratyphi
B induced only minimal responses. However, rabbits immunized with
S. paratyphi
A var.
durazzo
(O
2
,
12
1
,
12
3
), which lacks factor
12
2
, produced high levels of agglutinins to the
12
3
antigenic determinant. In general, most of the agglutinin responses to the various single factors measured were formed in parallel, but there were several exceptions. For instance, the responses to factors
4
and
5
were relatively strong in rabbits receiving three graded doses of
S. paratyphi
B. However, agglutinins to factor
4
did not appear until after the second injection, and not at all in rabbits given the full amount of antigen in one injection. In contrast, antibodies to factor
4
were formed rapidly in rabbits receiving three graded doses of a strain of
S. typhimurium
(O
1
,
4
,
12
) lacking factor
5
. Good overall agreement was obtained between agglutination and hemagglutination assays of antibodies, as demonstrated by the responses to the various O factors of
S. friedenau.
It was concluded that measurement of the antibody responses to the various single-factor O antigens throughout the immunization program was necessary for effective evaluation of the relative significance of these factors in antibody formation against intact bacteria.
Precipitin Inhibition of
Candida stellatoidea
Antiserum with Oligosaccharides Obtained from the Parent Mannan
Authors: Mitchell William O. , Hasenclever H. F.
Published: May 2021

Inhibition of immune precipitation with oligosaccharides obtained from
Candida stellatoidea
mannan has been used to provide more information about the haptenic groups of this serologically active polysaccharide. The oligosaccharides di-, tri-, tetra-, and a mixture of penta- and hexasaccharides were studied. The inhibitory activity of these materials was tested with two immune sera. With one serum, 0.8 μmole of the mixture of penta- and hexasaccharides inhibited the reaction by 87%, and, with the other serum, 0.4 μmole of the mixture inhibited the reaction by 99%. Monosaccharides were also tested with each antiserum and found to be noninhibitory. It is apparent that the mixture of oligosaccharides containing 5 to 6 mannose units was the most effective inhibitor. Since it is known that these oligosaccharides contain a predominance of α 1-2 linkages and lesser numbers of α 1-3 linkages, it is likely that these are important in the structural configuration of the antigenic determinants.
Isolation of Vi Antigen from
Escherichia coli
by a New Method
Authors: Esposito Vito M. , Feeley John C.
Published: May 2021

Vi antigen was isolated from a trichloroacetic acid-deproteinized saline extract of acetone-killed and -dried cells of
Escherichia coli
(5396/38) by ethyl alcohol precipitation and absorption on diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex. Stepwise elution with distilled water, 0.15
m
NaCl, and 0.5
m
NaCl resulted in recovery of Vi antigen and two additional antigenic fractions (designated antigens 1 and 2). Vi antigen was an acidic polymer which flocculated readily with albumin, contained 6.0% nitrogen, and had a sedimentation coefficient of 14.7
S
. Vi was shown to be antigenic in the rabbit by the indirect hemagglutination test and in mice by tests for protection against challenge with
Salmonella typhosa
, wherein it was more protective by the intraperitoneal (ip) than by the subcutaneous (sc) route. Vi antigen prepared by this method was much more protective for mice than was the Vi antigen used in previous studies. The other antigens, not fully characterized, were also capable of protecting mice. Antigen 1 was more effective by the sc than the ip route, whereas antigen 2 was more effective by the ip route. The relationship between Vi antigen and antigens 1 and 2, as demonstrated by hemagglutination tests with rabbit antisera, remains unclear.
Effect of Borate on the Growth of Coagulase-Positive and Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci
Authors: Jay James M.
Published: May 2021

Of 235 strains of coagulase-positive
Staphylococcus aureus
studied, 221 or 94% were inhibited by 1.5 × 10
−8
m
sodium borate, whereas only 6 of 57 (10.5%) coagulase-negative strains were inhibited by the same borate concentration. Four of the six coagulase-negatives were food poisoning strains and one was a hospital pathogen. Borate sensitivity was found to correlate well with lysozyme and α-toxin production by coagulase-positive strains.
Production of Biologically Active Substances by Two Strains of
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Kusama Hideo , Craig John P.
Published: May 2021

Strains Inaba 569B and Ogawa B1307 of
Vibrio cholerae
were grown in shaken Casamino Acids-yeast extract-glucose medium at 30 and 37 C for 4 days. Time courses of production of neuraminidase (NM), mucinase (MC), proteinase (PR), lytic factor (LF), and vascular permeability factor (PF) were compared by examining culture filtrates taken at various intervals. With both strains, turbidities were generally higher at 30 C than at 37 C. Both strains showed marked cellular lysis after maximal growth was attained at 48 hr at both temperatures. NM and PF were early products, maximal yield being attained within 24 hr. At 37 C, the peak of NM reached at about 10 hr was higher than at 30 C, but disappeared more quickly. The yield of PF was greater at 30 C than at 37 C, and 569B produced more PF. With 569B, PF appeared during the exponential phase, but continued to increase substantially after this phase terminated. At 30 C, the peak attained at 24 hr by 569B was well maintained until 96 hr, but fell moderately at 37 C. In contrast, with B1307 PF fell sharply and virtually disappeared after 24 hr at both temperatures, with concomitant rise in late products. PR and LF were late products; neither was detected in 569B filtrates, whereas older cultures of B1307 showed high levels of both enzymes. MC was an early product with 569B, resembling PF, whereas it was a late product with B1307.
Specific Inhibition of Endotoxin Coating of Red Cells by a Human Erythrocyte Membrane Component
Authors: Springer Georg F. , Huprikar Shankar V. , Neter Erwin
Published: May 2021

We have isolated from human erythrocyte ghosts a fraction which prevents the attachment of unheated as well as heated lipopolysaccharides of gram-negative bacteria to red cells. This material has no significant inhibitory effect either toward the Vi antigen of gram-negative bacteria or towards the group and common antigens of the gram-positive bacteria investigated. We, therefore, named this fraction “lipopolysaccharide receptor.” The receptor interacts with lipopolysaccharides and not with erythrocytes, it forms complexes with and blocks those groupings of lipopolysaccharides which attach to red cells. The effect of the receptor is physical and not enzymatic. The interaction of the receptor with the lipopolysaccharides is reversible, and the receptor removes lipopolysaccharides fixed to red cells. An equilibrium of lipopolysaccharide distribution between cells and receptor is established when receptor-lipopolysaccharide complexes are incubated with red cells. The receptor is labile toward heat and deviation of the hydrogen ion concentration from neutrality; aldehydes destroy its inhibitory activity.
Enhanced Toxicity of Nervous System Drugs for Germ-Free Mice
Authors: Lamanna Carl , Ward Thomas G.
Published: May 2021

Germ-free mice were found to be more sensitive than conventional mice to poisoning by hemicholinium-3, hexamethonium chloride, strychnine sulfate, sodium pentobarbital, sodium barbital, and histamine diphosphate. On the other hand, conventional mice were more sensitive to atropine. No difference between germ-free and conventional mice was found in sensitivity to
d
-tubocurarine, metrazol, and picrotoxin. These findings raise a question as to the influence of exposure to microorganisms in the development of sensitivity to drugs acting on the nervous system.
Detection of Antibody-Producing Cells of Mice Injected with Antigens of
Neisseria meningitidis
Authors: Evans Dolores G.
Published: May 2021

The technique of Jerne et al. was adapted to the study of the antibody response of mice to
Neisseria meningitidis
antigens. The mice were inoculated with heated group A bacteria or antigen concentrated from their culture fluid. Sheep erythrocytes were coated with bacterial lysate or culture fluid. These antigens were shown by immune hemolysis to be group-specific and appeared to be of identical specificity. The plaque-forming cell (PFC) response obtained with either antigen was dosedependent over a range of 10 to 300 μg per mouse. However, the maximum response, reached at 4 days, was quite low. The number of PFC per 10
6
nucleated cells, elicited by the heated bacteria and culture fluid, was 15 and 7, respectively. The number of PFC declined rapidly after the peak. A second injection of heated bacteria, given 18 days after the first injection, elicited a more rapid but otherwise similar reaction, apparently involving the production of only immunoglobulin M antibodies. No hemolytic antibodies were demonstrated in the sera of these mice. The passive hemolytic plaque assay here described provided the sensitivity necessary to study the details of the antibody response of mice to meningococcal antigen.
Molecular Weight of Type A Botulinum Toxin
Authors: Knox John N. , Brown William P. , Spero Leonard
Published: May 2021

Clostridium botulinum
type A does not produce a 12,000 molecular weight toxin. The reported isolation of such a material by Gerwing et al. could not be confirmed.
Identification of a Gonococcal Antigen Important in the Human Immune Response
Authors: Lee Linda , Schmale John D.
Published: May 2021

An antigen isolated from
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
protoplasm reacted well in a flocculation procedure with sera from 86% of the females and 68% of the males infected with gonorrhea; the reactions with sera from presumed noninfected individuals were approximately 12%.
Antigenic Nature of Bacterial Flagellar Hook Structures
Authors: Dimmitt K. , Simon M.
Published: May 2021

The bacterial flagellar hook is antigenically distinct from the remainder of the flagellum. This conclusion is based on electron microscopic observation of intact flagella coated with antisera prepared with flagellar filaments and purified flagellar hooks.
Enhancement of Glutamic-Pyruvic Transaminase Activity in Leptospirae by Addition of Rabbit Serum
Authors: Mifuchi Ichiji , Hosoi Masaharu , Yamashita Tadashi
Published: May 2021

Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) in leptospirae was shown to have an optimal temperature of 30 C and
p
H 8.0. It was activated by cofactor pyridoxal phosphate, similar to GPT from other sources. However, GPT in all leptospirae, such as
Leptospira canicola, L. icterohaemorrhagiae, L. autumnalis
, and
L. biflexa
, evidently had less activity even when pyridoxal phosphate was present, in comparison with the cultivable spirochete Reiter treponeme and
Streptococcus faecalis
. The low level of activity of leptospiral GPT was enhanced more than 2.5-fold by the addition of about 10% rabbit serum, whereas GPT of
S. faecalis
did not show such enhancement. Enhancement of leptospiral GPT was greater with rabbit serum than with bovine or horse serum.
Variable Adjuvant Activity of
Bordetella pertussis
with Respect to the Primary and Secondary Immunization of Mice
Authors: Finger H. , Emmerling P. , Brüss E.
Published: May 2021

We carried out a study on the adjuvant effect of
Bordetella pertussis
vaccine on the primary and secondary immune responses of the mouse to sheep erythrocytes, quantitating antibody-producing spleen cells and serum antibody. The simultaneous injection of sheep erythrocytes and
B. pertussis
, when compared to immunization with sheep red blood cells alone, resulted in an increased and prolonged multiplication of antibody-forming spleen cells. The adjuvant effect was also documented by increased production of serum hemolysins and agglutinins. Further,
B. pertussis
enhanced the priming effect of the antigen for the secondary response. However, when the bacterial adjuvant was given together with a second antigenic stimulus 41 days after the primary immunization, the peak values of direct and indirect plaque-forming spleen cells did not differ from the corresponding control animals further inoculated with sheep erythrocytes alone. Nonetheless, the influence of the bacterial adjuvant was still expressed by the delayed decrease of the numbers of plaque-forming spleen cells. On the basis of the X-Y-Z scheme it is suggested that
B. pertussis
cells as adjuvant enhance the multiplication of antigen-sensitive X cells or affect the initial stages of differentiation of these cells. This effect of the pertussis vaccine can be distinguished from a general proliferative action on other cells.
Bacteriocin Typing of
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Chakrabarty A. N. , Adhya Sati , Basu Jayantisri , Dastidar Sujata G.
Published: May 2021

Bacteriocins of
Vibrio cholerae
have been demonstrated against enterobacterial and vibrio indicator organisms by conventional techniques. Abundant bacteriocin production took place on casein hydrolysate-yeast extract, tryptic soy, digest broth, proteose-peptone, and neopeptone agars. Essential factors were a citrate-phosphate buffer concentration of 0.5 to 0.7%, at
p
H 7.5 to 7.6, and cold shock. Thermal treatment of indicator organisms at 45 C for 12 min increased the percentage of typable strains. The bacteriocins of
V. cholerae
appeared to be powerful diffusible bactericidal agents. By using 8 indicator strains, 11 bacteriocin types have been recognized among 425 strains, of which 87% are typable at present.
Moving a Flipped Class Online To Teach Python to Biomedical Ph.D. Students during COVID-19 and Beyond
Authors: Vladis Nathalie A. , Coleman Bradley I.
Published: May 2021

While quantitative analytical skills have always been a part of modern biomedical training, the big data revolution and digital research environment have increased the importance of computational approaches for biomedical graduate education. To address this growing need, Ph.D. programs have explored ways to integrate quantitative training into their existing curricula.
Catastrophic complications of urolithiasis in pregnancy
Authors: Talwar Harkirat Singh , Panwar Vikas Kumar , Ghorai Rudra Prasad , Mittal Ankur
Published: May 2021

Urolithiasis is the most common non-obstetric complication in pregnancy and has the potential to cause grave consequences resulting in pregnancy loss. We present two such cases. First, a 24-year-old woman, 5 weeks pregnant with a history of urolithiasis presented with right flank pain and fever. She was found to have a right perinephric collection and during the course of her treatment suffered an abortion. The second case was a 25-year-old woman who presented in septic shock. She underwent emergency lower segment caesarean section elsewhere 10 days ago for intrauterine death at 38 weeks of gestation. On evaluation, she was found to have bilateral stone disease with a left subcapsular haematoma. Both the cases were managed conservatively and are planned for definitive management. Thus, women of childbearing age with diagnosed urolithiasis should get themselves evaluated and be free of stone disease before planning a family to prevent increased obstetric complications during pregnancy.
Evolving pattern of fetal movements throughout a healthy pregnancy
Authors: O'Connell Lauren , Heazell Alexander E P
Published: May 2021

A 31-year-old woman with a history of stillbirth due to placental abruption at 29 weeks’ gestation and one first trimester miscarriage documented a continuous record of her perceived fetal movements from 28 to 38 weeks’ gestation. Repeated ultrasound examinations confirmed a viable pregnancy, with normal growth, liquor volume and Doppler profile. She delivered a healthy male infant at 38 weeks and 3 days’ gestation. The data collected give a detailed record of fetal activity in a healthy pregnancy. Perceived fetal activity increased as pregnancy progressed and was greatest in the evenings. We also found that clusters of movements, which have previously been reported as protective against stillbirth, were felt earlier on in pregnancy.
Assessing the accuracy of imputation in the Gyr breed using different SNP panels
Authors: Toro Ospina Alejandra Maria , Aguilar Ignacio , Vargas de Oliveira Matheus Henrique , Cruz dos Santos Correia Luiz Eduardo , Vercesi Filho Anibal Eugênio , Albuquerque Lucia Galvão , de Vasconcelos Silva Josineudson Augusto II
Published: May 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of imputation in a Gyr population using two medium-density panels (Bos taurus - Bos indicus) and to test whether the inclusion of the Nellore breed increases the imputation accuracy in the Gyr population. The database consisted of 289 Gyr females from Brazil genotyped with the GGP Bovine LDv4 chip containing 30 000 SNPs and 158 Gyr females from Colombia genotyped with the GGP indicus chip containing 35 000 SNPs. A customized chip was created that contained the information of 9109 SNPs (9K) to test the imputation accuracy in Gyr populations; 604 Nellore animals with information of LD SNPs tested in the scenarios were included in the reference population. Four scenarios were tested: LD9K_30KGIR, LD9K_35INDGIR, LD9K_30KGIR_NEL, and LD9K_35INDGIR_NEL. Principal component analysis (PCA) was computed for the genomic matrix and sample-specific imputation accuracies were calculated using Pearson’s correlation (CS) and the concordance rate (CR) for imputed genotypes. The results of PCA of the Colombian and Brazilian Gyr populations demonstrated the genomic relationship between the two populations. The CS and CR ranged from 0.88 to 0.94 and from 0.93 to 0.96, respectively. Among the scenarios tested, the highest CS (0.94) was observed for the LD9K_30KGIR scenario. The present results highlight the importance of the choice of chip for imputation in the Gyr breed. However, the variation in SNPs may reduce the imputation accuracy even when the chip of the Bos indicus subspecies is used.
A Geographical Routing Approach Based on Probability Delegation Replication (GR-PDR) in VDTN
Authors: Chourasia Vishakha , Pandey Sudhakar , Kumar Sanjay
Published: May 2021

The routing in vehicular delay tolerant networks (VDTNs) does not presume an end-to-end connectivity from source to destination. One substitute is to use the real-time geographical information of vehicles to relay messages. However, if mobile destination is considered, then real-time information might not be generally available due to the sparse network density in VDTN. In this paper, a geographical routing approach based on the probability delegation replication (GR-PDR) is proposed. The functionality of GR-PDR is categorized into forwarder node selection phase and buffer management phase. The forwarder node selection utilizes the advantages of delegation replication approach to conquer the constraints of routing decisions and local maximum problem. Further, the buffer management is employed to prioritize packets to ensure delivery before the expiration of message lifetime. The proposed GR-PDR ensures that the message will be forwarded to higher quality node, resulting in a high delivery ratio. The approach utilizes the advantages of single-copy and multiple-copy forwarding approaches by avoiding redundant replication and enhancing delivery probability, respectively. The performance results show that the proposed GR-PDR outperforms in terms of packet delivery ratio, average delay and network overhead, when compared with the protocols of the same segment. Statistical analysis validates the effectiveness of the proposed protocol.
FPGA-Based Reduced Switch Novel Infinite-Level Inverter
Authors: Aishwarya V. , Sheela K. Gnana
Published: May 2021

The evolution of multi-level inverters (MLIs) has led to an increase in their efficiency and reliability. This paper demonstrates an FPGA-based reduced switch novel Infinite-Level Inverter. Conventional two-level Voltage Fed Inverters (VFI) suffer from reduced efficiency, greater voltage distortion and higher switching losses. Multi-level inverters (MLI) outweigh the conventional inverter in terms of improved voltage profile, reduced switching losses, increased efficiency and lower component count. This paper demonstrates an FPGA-based Reduced Switch Novel Infinite-Level Inverter that achieves infinite voltage output levels; with a reduced count of passive and active elements. The proposed inverter has a high DC-link utilization factor of 1.23, reduced blocking voltage and inverter switching losses, employing a single DC source and least number of components. It outputs a sinusoidal voltage with a minimum voltage distortion of 2.1%, which lies within the approved limits of IEEE 519-2014 standard. Comparative studies of the proposed inverter are conducted with different multi-level inverter configurations. FPGA-based control of the proposed inverter reduces execution time and enhances the control performance of the inverter. Evidently, the low cost function of the proposed inverter indicates the economic feasibility of the developed inverter for low-power, low-cost applications.
Notes on resolving resolution dimensions
Authors: Xu Aimin
Published: May 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be an abelian category and [Formula: see text] be two quasi-resolving subcategories of [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is closed under direct summands and [Formula: see text] is a cogenerator for [Formula: see text]. For any [Formula: see text], it is shown that [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]. Some examples and applications are also given.
Diagnosis of lumbar degenerative disc disease by using Lp-spaces related to generalized interval-valued m-polar neutrosophic choquet integral Operator
Authors: Hashmi Masooma Raza , Riaz Muhammad
Published: May 2021

Innovative and astonishing developments in the field of spine analysis can commence with this manuscript. The lumbar disks ([Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]) are most commonly impaired by degeneration due to their long-standing degeneration and associated strain. We investigate the indications, purposes, risk factors, and therapies of lumbar degenerated disc disease (L-DDD). We assume that the degeneration of five discs creates many effects, making it difficult to differentiate between the different types of degenerated discs and their seriousness. Since the indeterminacy and falsity portions of science or clinical diagnosis are often ignored. Due to this complexity, the reliability of the patient’s progress report cannot be calculated, nor can the period of therapy be measured. The revolutionary concept of interval-valued m-polar neutrosophic Choquet integral aggregation operator (IVmPNCIAO) is proposed to eliminate these problems. We associate generalized interval-valued m-polar neutrosophic Choquet integral aggregation operator (GIVmPNCIAO) with the statistical formulation of [Formula: see text]-spaces and use it to identify the actual kind of degenerative disc in the lumbar spine. For the classification of interval-valued m-polar neutrosophic numbers (IVMPNNs), we set the ranking index and score function. These concepts are appropriate and necessary in order to better diagnose degeneration by associating it with mathematical modeling. We construct a pre-diagnosis map based on the fuzzy interval [Formula: see text] to classify the types of degenerative discs. We develop an algorithm by using GIVmPNCIAO based on interval-valued m-polar neutrosophic sets (IVMPNNs) to identify the degenerative disc appropriately and to choose the most exquisite treatment for the corresponding degeneration of every patient. Furthermore, we discuss the sensitivity analysis with parameter [Formula: see text] in GIVmPNCIAO to investigate the patient’s improvement record.
Stability of May’s Host–Parasitoid model with variable stocking upon parasitoids
Authors: Kalabušić Senada , Pilav Esmir
Published: May 2021

Using the Kolmogorov–Arnold–Mozer (KAM) theory, we investigate the stability of May’s host–parasitoid model’s solutions with proportional stocking upon the parasitoid population. We show the existence of the extinction, boundary, and interior equilibrium points. When the host population’s intrinsic growth rate and the releasement coefficient are less than one, both populations are extinct. There are an infinite number of boundary equilibrium points, which are nonhyperbolic and stable. Under certain conditions, there appear 1:1 nonisolated resonance fixed points for which we thoroughly described dynamics. Regarding the interior equilibrium point, we use the KAM theory to prove its stability. We give a biological meaning of obtained results. Using the software package Mathematica, we produce numerical simulations to support our findings.
Sharp upper bounds of F-index among bicyclic graphs
Authors: Khoeilar R. , Jahanbani A. , Shahbazi L. , Rodríguez J.
Published: May 2021

The [Formula: see text]-index of a graph [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is defined as the sum of weights [Formula: see text] over all edges [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] denotes the degree of a vertex [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we give sharp upper bounds of the [Formula: see text]-index (forgotten topological index) over bicyclic graphs, in terms of the order and maximum degree.
Expansion of weak reconstruction sequences to approximate Schauder frames for Banach spaces
Authors: Krishna K. Mahesh , Johnson P. Sam
Published: May 2021

It is known in Hilbert space frame theory that a Bessel sequence can be expanded to a frame. Contrary to Hilbert space situation, using a result of Casazza and Christensen, we show that there are Banach spaces and weak reconstruction sequences which cannot be expanded to approximate Schauder frames. We characterize Banach spaces in which one can expand weak reconstruction sequences to approximate Schauder frames.
Warped product bi-slant submanifolds of Kenmotsu manifold
Authors: Pahan Sampa
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we obtain several fundamental results of bi-slant submanifolds in a Kenmotsu manifold. Next, we give an example of such submanifolds. Later, we obtain some results of proper bi-slant submanifolds of a Kenmotsu manifold. Here, we show every warped product bi-slant submanifold of a Kenmotsu manifold to be a Riemannian product under some certain conditions.
Modeling the effect of surfactant (linoleic acid/oleic acid/stearic acid) on the stability of kerosene-based magnetic fluid with Fe3O4
Authors: Liu Xiao , Li Decai
Published: May 2021

The poor stability of magnetic fluid is a key problem which limits its application. To understand the impact of surfactants on stability, we prepare kerosene-based magnetic fluid with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) using different surfactants i.e. linoleic acid, oleic acid and stearic acid. The distribution of nanoparticles in magnetic fluid is obtained by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and granularity analyzer. We find that MNPs coated with stearic acid agglomerate and the size is the largest. In contrast, the MNPs coated with linoleic acid or oleic acid are well dispersed with smaller size, which reveals that the type of surfactant will affect the stability of the magnetic fluid. To understand this, the adhesion energy of surfactant on particles and the solvation energy of surfactant in carrier fluid are calculated by ab initio and molecular dynamics. Based on the calculation results, we propose a formula for estimating the stability of magnetic fluid by combining the repulsive energy between Fe3O4 nanoparticles covered by surfactant and the calculated solvation energy of surfactants and carrier fluid, which can well interpret our experimental results. Our study reveals the mechanism of magnetic fluid stability and provides theoretical guidance for the preparation of stable magnetic fluid.
More on the unimodality of domination polynomial of a graph
Authors: Lau Gee-Choon , Alikhani Saeid
Published: May 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be a graph of order [Formula: see text]. A subset [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is a dominating set of [Formula: see text] if every vertex in [Formula: see text] is adjacent to at least one vertex of [Formula: see text]. The domination polynomial of [Formula: see text] is the polynomial [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the number of dominating sets of [Formula: see text] of size [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] is the size of a smallest dominating set of [Formula: see text], called the domination number of [Formula: see text]. Motivated by a conjecture in [S. Alikhani and Y. H. Peng, Introduction to domination polynomial of a graph, ARS Combin. 114 (2014) 257–266] which states that the domination polynomial of any graph is unimodal, we obtain sufficient conditions for this conjecture to hold. Also we study the unimodality of graph [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is an integer.
Multivariate bilateral gamma, copulas, CoSkews and CoKurtosis
Authors: Madan Dilip B. , Wang King
Published: May 2021

Correlation graphs are introduced to delineate the levels observed in data and models for return and squared return correlations. A sample of 2048 representative pairs of equity assets is selected from a possible collection of [Formula: see text] pairs by quantization. Five copulas are estimated and simulated on these pairs of returns, the Gaussian, t-copula, Clayton, Gumbel and Frank. Additionally, the multivariate bilateral gamma (MBG) model that introduces dependence via common time changes is also fit and simulated. Results of fit statistics on returns, CoSkew and CoKurtosis pairs are reported. The general ordering of the models is MBG, t-copula, followed by the Gaussian, Frank, Gumbel and Clayton copulas.
Adsorption of Rare Earth Ce3+ and Pr3+ Ions by Hydrophobic Ionic Liquid
Authors: Devanathan R. , Balaji G. L. , Lakshmipathy R.
Published: May 2021

This study reports the use of hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL) based on D-galactose for the recovery of Ce (III) and Pr (III) ions from solutions. The equilibrium data were obtained by optimization of batch parameters, and various isotherms and kinetic models were utilised to predict the mechanistic process of sequestration of ions. The Arrhenius activation energies are found to be between 5–40 kJ, suggesting the physisorption process of ions onto IL. The present process is understood to be rapid and exothermic in nature according to thermodynamic experiments. The loading capacity was found to be 179.3 g L−1 and 141.5 g L−1, respectively, for Ce (III) and Pr (III) ions at pH 5 with a contact time of 30 min and dose being 0.1 g L−1. The higher uptake capacity is attributed to the presence of a highly electronegative fluorine atom in the IL. These results highlight the potential application of IL in the sequestration of Ce (III) and Pr (III) ions from any water sources.
Ecchymotic Purpura of the Breast Revealing a Locally Advanced Breast Cancer: An Exceptional Presentation of a Carcinomatous Mastitis
Authors: Venverloo Saskia , Wehbe Karl , Brabencova Eva , Ceccato Vivien , Hotton Judicael , Dabiri Clement
Published: May 2021

A 79-year-old woman was treated at our department for a neoplasm of the left breast. It was discovered following the spontaneous appearance of a localized ecchymotic lesion of the breast. The only clinical sign was this purpura, with no notion of trauma. The lesion was homogeneous, oval, and measuring 4 × 5 cm, and it was stable for 2 months. The patient had no history of thrombocytopenia and no known allergy. The physical examination was not very helpful and did not find any palpable breast lesion besides a 1-cm left axillary lymphadenopathy. Breast screening revealed a solid, poorly delineated structure of 11 mm. Biopsies were taken and revealed a NOS grade II invasive carcinoma, triple negative, with a Ki-67 proliferation index of 15%. The axillary cytology was positive. Faced with this atypical presentation, a skin biopsy was performed on the bruise in order to exclude skin invasion. Histology showed the presence of carcinomatous lymphatic dermal emboli which could correspond to a mammary origin as well as extravasation of blood in the dermis explaining this ecchymotic aspect. Bone scintigraphy found discrete uptake in the rib cage, spine, and pelvis, suspicious in this context, but a benign origin could not be ruled out. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was initiated before mastectomy and left axillary node dissection. It was an atypical and rare clinical presentation of advanced breast cancer with no similar case found in the literature. Usually, the presence of emboli with carcinomatous cells obstructing the lymphatic vessels is related to inflammatory breast cancer or carcinomatous mastitis. The authors nevertheless point out that although the presence of tumor emboli in the dermal lymphatic vessels is favorable to the diagnosis, it is not required. In addition, dermal lymphatic invasion without a typical clinical presentation is not sufficient to confirm the diagnosis of carcinomatous mastitis. An important diagnostic criterion is the rapidity of aggravation of the symptoms, which, even if it was not obvious in our case, was present with progressive evolution of the skin lesion over several weeks. The skin lesion of our patient could also make us suspect a primary breast angiosarcoma. This possibility was quickly eliminated in the absence of vascular tumor proliferation on the various biopsies. Any acute purpura is a serious disease to be diagnosed urgently, and a skin biopsy is indicated.
Infección por rinovirus: Necesidad de estudios anatomopatológicos y secuelas funcionales en niños
Authors: García-Olvera Ma. del Rocío
Published: May 2021

Rhinoviruses (RVs) are increasingly implicated not only in mild upper respiratory tract infections, but also in more severe lower respiratory tract infections; however, little is known about species diversity and viral epidemiology of RVs among the infected children. Therefore, we investigated the rhinovirus (RV) infection prevalence over a 2-year period, compared it with prevalence patterns of other common respiratory viruses, and explored clinical and molecular epidemiology of RV infections among 590 children hospitalized with acute respiratory infection in north-western and central parts of Croatia. For respiratory virus detection, nasopharyngeal and pharyngeal flocked swabs were taken from each patient and subsequently analyzed with multiplex RT-PCR. To determine the RV species in a subset of positive children, 50UTR in RV-positive samples has been sequenced. Nucleotide sequences of referent RV strains were retrieved by searching the database with Basic Local Alignment Tool and used to construct alignments and phylogenetic trees using MAFFT multiple sequence alignment tool and the maximum likelihood method, respectively. In our study population RV was the most frequently detected virus, diagnosed in 197 patients (33.4%), of which 60.4% was detected as a monoinfection. Median age of RV-infected children was 2.25 years, and more than half of children infected with RV (55.8%) presented with lower respiratory tract infections. Most RV cases were detected from September to December, and all three species co-circulated during the analyzed period (2017–2019). Sequence analysis based on 50UTR region yielded 69 distinct strains; the most prevalent was RV-C (47.4%) followed by RV-A (44.7%) and RV-B (7.9%). Most of RV-A sequences formed a distinct phylogenetic group; only strains RI/HR409–18 (along with a reference strain MF978777) clustered with RV-C strains. Strains belonging to the group C were the most diverse (41.6% identity among strains), while group B was the most conserved (71.5% identity among strains). Despite such differences in strain groups (hitherto undescribed in Croatia), clinical presentation of infected children was rather similar. Our results are consistent with newer studies that investigated the etiology of acute respiratory infections, especially those focused on children with lower respiratory tract infections, where RVs should always be considered as potentially serious pathogens.
Five-Year Follow-Up and Successful Kidney Transplantation in a Girl with a Severe Phenotype of Pierson Syndrome
Authors: Sobieszczańska-Droździel Aleksandra , Grenda Ryszard , Lipska-Ziętkiewicz Beata Stefania , Korolczuk Agnieszka , Jarmużek Wioletta , Sikora Przemyslaw
Published: May 2021

Pierson syndrome (PIERSS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the combination of congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS) and extrarenal symptoms including ocular malformations and neurodevelopmental deficits. PIERSS is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the LAMB2 gene leading to the defects of β2-laminin, the protein mainly expressed in the glomerular basement membrane, ocular structures, and neuromuscular junctions. Severe complications of PIERSS lead to the fatal outcome in early childhood in majority of the cases. We report a case of 5-year-old girl with severe phenotype of PIERSS caused by biallelic functional null variants of the LAMB2 gene. Due to consequences of CNS, the patient required bilateral nephrectomy and peritoneal dialysis since early infancy. The course was additionally complicated by tubulopathy, life-threatening infections, severe hypertension, erythropoietin-resistant anemia, generalized muscular hypotonia, neurogenic bladder, profound neurodevelopmental delay, epilepsy, gastrointestinal problems, secondary hypothyroidism, and necessity of repeated ocular surgery due to microcoria, cataract, and nystagmus. Due to multidisciplinary efforts, at the age of 4 years, the kidney transplantation was possible. Currently, the renal graft has an excellent function; however, the girl presents severe neurodevelopmental delay. The report presents a unique long-term follow-up of severe PIERSS with a few new phenotypical findings. It highlights the clinical problems and challenges in management of this rare condition.
4-Jahres-Update der Murano-Studie bestätigt den Stellenwert von Venetoclax in der 2. Therapielinie der CLL
Authors: Schmutz Maximilian , Sommer Sebastian
Published: May 2021

Purpose: In previous analyses of the MURANO study, fixed-duration venetoclax plus rituximab (VenR) resulted in improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). At the 4-year follow-up, we report long-term outcomes, response to subsequent therapies, and the predictive value of molecular and genetic characteristics. Patients and methods: Patients with CLL were randomly assigned to 2 years of venetoclax (VenR for the first six cycles) or six cycles of BR. PFS, overall survival (OS), peripheral-blood minimal residual disease (MRD) status, genomic complexity (GC), and gene mutations were assessed. Results: Of 389 patients, 194 were assigned to VenR and 195 to BR. Four-year PFS and OS rates were higher with VenR than BR, at 57.3% and 4.6% (hazard ratio [HR], 0.19; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.25), and 85.3% and 66.8% (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.65), respectively. Undetectable MRD (uMRD) at end of combination therapy (EOCT) was associated with superior PFS compared with low MRD positivity (HR, 0.50) and high MRD positivity (HR, 0.15). Patients in the VenR arm who received ibrutinib as their first therapy after progression (n = 12) had a reported response rate of 100% (10 of 10 evaluable patients); patients subsequently treated with a venetoclax-based regimen (n = 14) had a reported response rate of 55% (six of 11 evaluable patients). With VenR, the uMRD rate at end of treatment (EOT) was lower in patients with GC than in those without GC (P = 0.042); higher GC was associated with shorter PFS. Higher MRD positivity rates were seen with BIRC3 and BRAF mutations at EOCT and with TP53, NOTCH1, XPO1, and BRAF mutations at EOT. Conclusion: Efficacy benefits with fixed-duration VenR are sustained and particularly durable in patients who achieve uMRD. Salvage therapy with ibrutinib after VenR achieved high response rates. Genetic mutations and GC affected MRD rates and PFS. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02005471.