Enhancement of the Thermal Energy Storage Using Heat-Pipe-Assisted Phase Change Material

Usage of phase change materials' (PCMs) latent heat has been investigated as a promising method for thermal energy storage applications. However, one of the most common disadvantages of using latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) is the low thermal conductivity of PCMs. This issue affects the rate of energy storage (charging/discharging) in PCMs. Many researchers have proposed different methods to cope with this problem in thermal energy storage. In this paper, a tubular heat pipe as a super heat conductor to increase the charging/discharging rate was investigated. The temperature of PCM, liquid fraction observations, and charging and discharging rates are reported. Heat pipe effectiveness was defined and used to quantify the relative performance of heat pipe-assisted PCM storage systems. Both experimental and numerical investigations were performed to determine the efficiency of the system in thermal storage enhancement. The proposed system in the charging/discharging process significantly improved the energy transfer between a water bath and the PCM in the working temperature range of 50 & DEG;C to 70 & DEG;C

The relationship between severity of coronary artery disease and mean platelet volume

Aims Increased MPV is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and can be associated with coronary artery involvement. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity of coronary artery disease and MPV. Materials and methods In this study, a total of 200 patients with coronary artery disease were enrolled. All patients initially underwent coronary angiography. Plasma TG, LDL, and HDL, was measured using commercial kits Integra 800TM. MPV and platelet count was determined by the Sysmex XT-2000iTM. Population were divided into three groups based on the SYNTAX score: low, moderate and high. All angiographic grading of SYNTAX was carried out by two cardiologists with blinded clinical data. After Data collection, these data were entered to SPSS22 software and were analyzed using correlation coefficient regression analysis. Results A total of 200 patients entered to the study that 43% and 57 % of patients were female and male, respectively. eighty-seven patients were diabetic and other 113 patients were not diabetic. There was a significant correlation between SYNTAX score and the BMI, hemoglobin, LDL, FBS, EF and particularly MPV. There was no significant correlation between SYNTAX score and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL, triglycerides, WBC and glomerular filtration rate. Conclusion The results of this study showed that because of significant correlation between MPV and SYNTAX score, this variable can be used as an indicator of the severity of coronary artery disease

Predictive models for the Strehl ratio of diamond-machined optics

International audienceThis paper provides a practical connection between the Strehl ratio as an optical performance metric and manufacturing parameters for diamond machined optics. The choice of fabrication parameters impacts residual mid-spatial frequency groove structures over the part's surface, which reduce optical performance. Connections between the Strehl ratio and the fabrication parameters are studied using rigorous Rayleigh-Sommerfeld simulations for a sample optical system. The connections are generalized by incorporating the shape of diamond-machined groove structures and the effects of optical path differences for both transmissive and reflective optics. This work validates the analytical representation of the Strehl ratio as a Fourier transform of a probability density that relates to surface errors. The result is a practical tool that can be used to guide the choice of machining parameters to achieve a targeted optical performance

Importancia de los denominados “factores novedosos de riesgo cardiovascular” en la severidad de la calcificación de las arterias coronarias; qué tan serios deben tomarse: una revisión sistemática y un metaanálisis

Las enfermedades cardiovasculares se encuentran entre las primeras causas de mortalidad. La aterosclerosis es una etiología importante de las enfermedades de las arterias coronarias en la que la calcificación de las arterias coronarias juega un papel principal. Recientemente, se están prestando atención a factores novedosos de riesgo cardiovascular en la calcificación coronaria. En este estudio investigamos la asociación posible entre los factores novedosos de riesgo cardiovascular y la calcificación coronaria. Esta es una revisión sistemática y metaanálisis registrados de forma prospectiva en PROSPERO y se realizó de acuerdo con las pautas de PRISMA. Se realizaron búsquedas en bases de datos médicas. Se examinaron los artículos primarios y se seleccionaron para la extracción de datos los estudios cuyos resultados fueron de nuestro interés. Las síntesis de datos cuantitativos se realizaron utilizando Comprehensive Meta-analysis Ver.3. En este estudio se seleccionaron 5252 artículos y finalmente se extrajeron los datos de 28 artículos que incluían 31241 pacientes. Según nuestros hallazgos, la proporción de neutrófilos/linfocitos (8 de 10), el ancho de distribución de glóbulos rojos (r = 0,250, valor de p < 0.0001) y la interleucina 6 (OR: 1.101 [IC del 95%: 1.001-1.210], valor p = 0.047) se asociaron con la gravedad de la calcificación coronaria, mientras que la proteína C reactiva (1 de 8) no se asoció con la calcificación coronaria. Resultados de la proporción linfocitos/monocitos (r = –0,120, valor p < 0,001), la proporción plaquetas/linfocitos (OR: 1,47 [IC 95%: 0.89- 2.41, valor p = 0.124]) y el volumen plaquetario medio (r = 0.017, valor p = 0.814 C. OR: 1.91 [IC 95%: 1.28-2.85, valor p = 0.002]) siguieron siendo polémicos debido al escaso número de estudios incluidos o resultados contrarios. Podemos concluir que la proporción de neutrófilos/linfocitos, el ancho de distribución de los glóbulos rojos y la interleucina 6 se asocian significativamente con la calcificación coronaria y la proteína C reactiva no se asocia significativamente con la gravedad de la calcificación coronaria. Nuestros resultados sobre el volumen plaquetario medio, la proporción de plaquetas/linfocitos y la proporción de linfocitos/monocitos no son confiables y requieren más investigaciones

ARYANA: Aligning Reads by Yet Another Approach

Abstract Motivation Although there are many different algorithms and software tools for aligning sequencing reads, fast gapped sequence search is far from solved. Strong interest in fast alignment is best reflected in the $106 prize for the Innocentive competition on aligning a collection of reads to a given database of reference genomes. In addition, de novo assembly of next-generation sequencing long reads requires fast overlap-layout-concensus algorithms which depend on fast and accurate alignment. Contribution We introduce ARYANA, a fast gapped read aligner, developed on the base of BWA indexing infrastructure with a completely new alignment engine that makes it significantly faster than three other aligners: Bowtie2, BWA and SeqAlto, with comparable generality and accuracy. Instead of the time-consuming backtracking procedures for handling mismatches, ARYANA comes with the seed-and-extend algorithmic framework and a significantly improved efficiency by integrating novel algorithmic techniques including dynamic seed selection, bidirectional seed extension, reset-free hash tables, and gap-filling dynamic programming. As the read length increases ARYANA's superiority in terms of speed and alignment rate becomes more evident. This is in perfect harmony with the read length trend as the sequencing technologies evolve. The algorithmic platform of ARYANA makes it easy to develop mission-specific aligners for other applications using ARYANA engine. Availability ARYANA with complete source code can be obtained from http://github.com/aryana-aligne

Effects of Estrogen and Progesterone on Different Immune Cells Related to Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of young adults with an unknown etiology, but cellular immune responses and inflammation has a pivotal role in this regard. The higher incidence of MS among women indicates the possible involvement of female sex hormones on the disease course. Progesterone and estrogen are the most important sexual hormones in women. They exert different immunomodulatory effects through both nuclear and membrane associated receptors present in different immune cells. The immunological effects include shifting the immune response towards Th2, stimulating Treg production, inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokine production, prohibiting cell migration into Central Nervous System (CNS), suppressing proinflammatory immune cells, stabilizing the neuronal environment, and promoting neuronal survival, all of which might ameliorate the condition in women suffering from MS. Some clinical trials have reported a correlation between the use of Oral Contraceptives (OCs), which contain estrogen and progesterone, and MS among women. Some of these studies show a positive effect of OC usage on the onset and severity of the disease while others have found no significant impact. In this review, we collected articles published between 1995 and 2017 from PubMed Central and Google Scholar for evaluating effects of estrogen and progesterone on different immune cells related to MS

Correlation between neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and coronary calcium score in CT angiography: NLR and coronary calcification

Background: cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis is the most important etiology for cardiovascular diseases. Nowadays, atherosclerosis is defined as a chronic inflammatory disease. Among the most important inflammatory markers, WBC is said to be a risk factor for cardiovascular events and mortality. Among different WBC subtypes, neutrophil and thus neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an important predictor for mortality and morbidity. Based on this, in this study we aimed to investigate the correlation between NLR and coronary artery calcification. Patients and methods: This research is a cross-sectional study of correlation type. A total of 353 consecutive patients were enrolled with stable angina referred to Afshar heart center for elective CT-angiography. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on NLR and the patients’ data was analyzed using SPPSS ver.26 software. Results: In this study a total of 353 patients were investigated which included 159 women and 194 men. The patients ages ranged between 19 and 80 and the average age was 53 years. We found a statistically significant difference in coronary calcium score (CCS) between patients in fourth quartile of NLR and other patients (P-Value<0.001). Spearman’s correlation test with r=0.420 and P-Value<0.001 indicated a positive correlation between NLR and CCS. Conclusion: Based on the results of present research its concluded that NLR is correlated with CCS and patients with NLR above 2.42 are in danger of higher risk of coronary artery calcification.Antecedentes: las enfermedades cardiovasculares son las causas más comunes de muerte en todo el mundo. La aterosclerosis es la etiología más importante para las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Hoy en día, la aterosclerosis se define como una enfermedad inflamatoria crónica. Entre los marcadores inflamatorios más importantes, se dice que el conteo sanguíneo completo (CSC) es un factor de riesgo para eventos cardiovasculares y mortalidad. En base a esto, en este estudio nuestro objetivo fue investigar la correlación entre la relación de neutrófilos a linfocitos (RNL) y la calcificación de la arteria coronaria. Pacientes y métodos: esta investigación es un estudio transversal correlacional. Un total de 353 pacientes consecutivos se inscribieron con angina estable remitidos al centro cardíaco Afshar para una angiografía por TC electiva. Los pacientes se dividieron en 4 grupos según RNL y los datos de los pacientes se analizaron utilizando el software SPPSS ver.26. Resultados: En este estudio se investigó un total de 353 pacientes que incluyeron 159 mujeres y 194 hombres. La edad promedio fue de 53 años. Encontramos una diferencia estadísticamente significativa en la puntuación de calcio coronario (PCC) entre pacientes en el cuarto cuartil de RNL y otros pacientes (valor P<0,001). La prueba de correlación de Spearman con r=0,420 y valor P<0,001 indicó una correlación positiva entre RNL y PCC. Conclusión: Con base en los resultados de la presente investigación, se concluyó que la RNL se correlaciona con PCC y los pacientes con RNL por encima de 2,42 tienen un mayor riesgo de calcificación de la arteria coronaria