Potentially viable solar powered appliances cooling and distillation

Stand alone solar powered refrigeration and water desalination, two of the most popular\ud and sought after applications of solar energy systems, have been selected as the topic of\ud research for the works presented in this thesis.\ud The water desalination system based on evaporation and condensation was found to be\ud the most suitable one to be powered by solar energy. It has been established that highoutput\ud fast-response solar heat collectors used to achieve high rates of evaporation and\ud reliable solar powered cooling system for faster rates of condensation are the most\ud important factors in achieving increased outputs in solar powered desalination systems.\ud Comprehensive reviews of Solar powered cooling/refrigeration and also water\ud desalination techniques have been presented. In view of the fact that the Institute of\ud Technology, Sligo has a well-established long history of research and development in the\ud production of state of the art high-efficiency fast-response evacuated solar heat collectors\ud it was decided to use this know how in the work described in this thesis. For this reason\ud achieving high rates of evaporation was not a problem. It was, therefore, the question of\ud the solar powered refrigeration that was envisaged to be used in the solar powered\ud desalination tofacilitate rapid condensation of the evaporated water that had to be\ud addressed first.\ud The principles of various solar powered refrigeration techniques have also been reviewed.\ud The first step in work on solar powered refrigeration was to successfully modify a\ud conventional refrigerator working on Platen-Munters design to be powered by highoutput\ud fast-response evacuated solar heat collectors. In this work, which was the first\ud ever successful attempt in the field, temperatures as low as —19°C were achieved in the\ud icebox.\ud A new approach in the use of photovoltaic technology to power a conventional domestic\ud refrigerator was also attempted. This was done by modifying a conventional domestic\ud refrigerator to be powered by photovoltaic panels in the most efficient way. In the\ud system developed and successfully tested in this approach, the power demand has been\ud reduced phenomenally and it is possible to achieve 48 hours of cooling power with\ud exposure to just 7 hours of sunshine.\ud The successful development of the first ever multi-cycle intermittent solar powered\ud icemaker is without doubt the most exciting breakthrough in the work described in this\ud thesis. Output of 74.3kg of ice per module with total exposure area of 2.88 m2, or\ud 25.73kg per m2, per day is a major improvement in comparison to about 5-6kg of ice per\ud m2 per day reported for all the single cycle intermittent systems. This system has then\ud become the basis for the development of a new solar powered refrigeration system with\ud even higher output, named the “composite” system described in this thesis.\ud Another major breakthrough associated with the works described in this thesis is the\ud successful development and testing of the high-output water desalination system. This\ud system that uses a combination of the high-output fast-response evacuated solar heat\ud collectors and the multi-cycle icemaker. The system is capable of producing a maximum\ud of 141 litres of distilled water per day per module which has an exposure area of 3.24m2,\ud or a production rate of 43.5 litres per m2 per day. Once again when this result is\ud compared to the reported daily output of 5 litres of desalinated water per m per day the\ud significance of this piece of work becomes apparent.\ud In the presentation of many of the components and systems described in this thesis CAD\ud parametric solid modelling has been used instead of photographs to illustrate them more\ud clearly.\ud The multi-cycle icemaker and the high-output desalination systems are the subject of two\ud patent applications

Tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis Variants: Report of Two Cases of Schilder and Balo Diseases

How to Cite This Article: Ashrafi Mr, Tavasoli AR, Alizadeh H, Zare Noghabi J, Parvaneh N. Tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis Variants: Report of Two Cases of Schilder and Balo Diseases. Iran J Child Neurol. Spring 2017; 11(2):69-77. AbstractA tumefactive lesion of central nervous system (CNS) is defined as a mass-like lesion with a size greater than 2 cm in brain detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neuroimaging may help to distinguish the nature of a tumefactive lesion and therefore, can prevent an unnecessary brain biopsy. Here we emphasized on determining the nature of a CNS tumefactive lesions with the help of MRI and more explanations about demyelinating lesions with focus on Schilder and Balo diseases as two multiple sclerosis variants. We have reported here two boys of 10 and 8 years of age respectively of multiple sclerosis (MS) variants who presented with acute neurologic complications to our hospital as one of the two referral children hospital in Tehran, Iran. Tumefactive demyelinating lesions can be considered a separate entity that itself can contain Schilder disease, Balo disease, some cases of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) or classic MS. MRI can help to establish a diagnosis of a tumefactive lesion and to differentiate among different underlying etiologies. References 1. Bastianello S, Pichiecchio A, Spadaro M, Bergamaschi R, Bramanti P, Colonnese C, et al. Atypical multiple sclerosis: MRI findings and differential diagnosis. Neurol Sci 2004;25(4):S356-60.2. Hinnell CJ, Lu JQ, Rajapakse T, Mah JK. Acute tumefactive inflammatory demyelination in a child. Pediatr Neurol 2011 44:394-5.3. Legido A, Tenembaum SN, Katsetos CD, Menkes JH. Autoimmune and postinfectious disease in: Menkes JS, Sarnat HB; Maraia, BL, editors. Child Neurology. 7th ed. Philadephia: Lippincott Williams &Wilkins; 2006.p.557- 634.4. Bacigaluppi S, Polonara G, Zavanone ML, Campanella R, Branca V, Gaini SM, et al. Schilder’s disease: non-invasive diagnosis? A case report and review. Neurol Sci 2009 30:421-30.5. Fitzgerald MJ, Coleman LT. Recurrent myelinoclastic diffuse sclerosis: a case report of a child with Schilder’s variant of multiple sclerosis. Pediatr Radiol 2000; 30:861Ni.6. Iniguez C, Pascual LF, Ramon y Cajal S, Fayed N, Morales-Asin F. Transitional multiple sclerosis (Schilder’s disease): a case report. J Neurol 2000;247:974-6.7. Kraus D, Konen O, Straussberg R. Schilder’s disease: non-invasive diagnosis and successful treatment with human immunoglobulins. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2012;16:206-8.8. Orrell RW. Grand rounds--Hammersmith Hospitals. Distinguishing acute disseminated encephalomyelitis from multiple sclerosis. BMJ 1996;28;313:802-4.9. Xia L, Lin S, Wang ZC, Li SW, Xu L, Wu J, et al. Tumefactive demyelinating lesions: nine cases and a review of the literature. Neurosurg Rev 2009;32:171-9.10. Yilmaz Y, Kocaman C, Karabagli H, Ozek M. Is the brain biopsy obligatory or not for the diagnosis of Schilder’s disease? Review of the literature. Childs Nerv Syst 2008; 24:3-6.11. Nadkar MY, Deore RA, Singh R. Tumefactive demyelination. J Assoc Physicians India 2008;56:901-3.12. Sinha MK, Garg RK, Bhatt ML, Chandra A. Tumefactive demyelinating lesion: experience with two unusual patients. J Postgrad Med 2010;56:146-9.13. Kiriyama T, Kataoka H, Taoka T, Tonomura Y, Terashima M, Morikawa M, et al. Characteristic neuroimaging in patients with tumefactive demyelinating lesions exceeding 30 mm. J Neuroimaging 2011;21:e69-77.14. McAdam LC, Blaser SI, Banwell BL. Pediatric tumefactive demyelination: case series and review of the literature. Pediatr Neurol. 2002;26:18-25.15. Love S. Demyelinating diseases. J Clin Pathol 2006;59:1151-9.16. Badar F, Azfar SF, Ahmad I, Kirmani S, Rashid M. Balo’s concentric sclerosis involving bilateral thalami. Neurol India 2011;59:597-600.17. Li Y, Xie P, Fan X, Tang H. Balo’s concentric sclerosis presenting with benign clinical course and multiple sclerosis-like lesions on magnetic resonance images. Neurol India 2009;57:66-8.18. Pearce JM. Balo’s encephalitis periaxialis concentrica. Eur Neurol 2007;57:59-61.19. Fillipi MDS, N; Dousset, V; MacGowan, JC. MR imaging in white matter diseases of brain and spinal cord. 1st ed. Germany: Springer; 2005.20. Hernandez-Clares R, Di Capua D, Bartolome M, de Las Heras V, Arroyo R. Balo’s concentric sclerosis. Neurologia 2011;26:125-7.21. Donati PR, A. Pediatric neuroradiology- brain, head, neck and spine. 1st ed. Germany: Springer; 2005.22. Chiang IC, Hsieh TJ, Chiu ML, Liu GC, Kuo YT, Lin WC. Distinction between pyogenic brain abscess and necrotic brain tumour using 3-tesla MR spectroscopy, diffusion and perfusion imaging. Br J Radiol 2009;82:813-20.23. Cianfoni A, Niku S, Imbesi SG. Metabolite findings in tumefactive demyelinating lesions utilizing short echo time proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. AJNR 2007;28:272-7.24. Masu K1, Beppu T, Fujiwara S, Kizawa H, Kashimura H, Kurose A, et al. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion-weighted imaging of tumefactive demyelinating plaque. Neurol Med Chir 2009;49:430-3.25. Muccio CF, Di Blasi A, Esposito G, Brunese L, D’Arco F, Caranci F. Perfusion and spectroscopy magnetic resonance imaging in a case of lymphocytic vasculitis mimicking brain tumor. Pol J Radiol 2013;78:66-9.26. Panchal NJ, Niku S, Imbesi SG. Lymphocytic vasculitis mimicking aggressive multifocal cerebral neoplasm: mr imaging and MR spectroscopic appearance. AJNR 2005;26:642-5.27. Gavra M, Boviatsis E, Stavrinou LC, Sakas D. Pitfalls in the diagnosis of a tumefactive demyelinating lesion: A case report. J Med Case Rep 2011;7:217

Experimental characterization of a 400 Gbit/s orbital angular momentum multiplexed free-space optical link over 120 m

We experimentally demonstrate and characterize the performance of a 400-Gbit/s orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed free-space optical link over 120- meters on the roof of a building. Four OAM beams, each carrying a 100-Gbit/s QPSK channel are multiplexed and transmitted. We investigate the influence of channel impairments on the received power, inter-modal crosstalk among channels, and system power penalties. Without laser tracking and compensation systems, the measured received power and crosstalk among OAM channels fluctuate by 4.5 dB and 5 dB, respectively, over 180 seconds. For a beam displacement of 2 mm that corresponds to a pointing error less than 16.7 μrad, the link bit-error-rates are below the forward error correction threshold of 3.8×10-3 for all channels. Both experimental and simulation results show that power penalties increase rapidly when the displacement increases

Akutni diseminirani encefalomijelitis koji izgleda kao akutni meningoencefalitis

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that usually occurs following an antecedent infection or vaccination. Children and young adults are predominantly affected, but it has low incidence in children younger than 3 years. The disease manifests with a wide range of neurological abnormalities and a variable combination of fever, headache, meningism, convulsion and cranial nerve palsies, and there are no pathognomonic clinical or laboratory findings. So, establishment of definitive diagnosis is challenging in infants. This challenge may result in delayed diagnosis and consequently delayed treatment of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which may cause permanent neurological disability. Herein, we report an infant with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, who mimicked the symptoms of meningoencephalitis and the correct diagnosis and treatment were delayed till the development of a severe phase of the disease.Akutni diseminirani encefalomijelitis je upalna demijelinizirajuća bolest središnjega živčanog sustava koja se najčešće javlja nakon prethodne infekcije ili cijepljenja. Uglavnom zahvaća djecu i mlađe odrasle osobe, ali ima nisku incidenciju u djece mlađe od tri godine. Bolest se očituje širokom lepezom neuroloških nenormalnosti i različitim kombinacijama groznice, glavobolje, meningizma, konvulzija i paralize kranijskih živaca, a nema nikakvih karakterističnih kliničkih ili laboratorijskih nalaza. Stoga je kod dojenčadi postavljanje konačne dijagnoze vrlo zahtjevno, što može dovesti do kašnjenja u dijagnozi i posljedično zakašnjelog liječenja, a to opet može uzrokovati trajne neurološke posljedice. Ovdje prikazujemo slučaj dojenčeta s akutnim diseminiranim encefalomijelitisom, kod kojega su simptomi bili slični simptomima meningoencefalitisa pa je zakašnjelo postavljanje točne dijagnoze, a time i liječenje dovelo do razvoja teže faze bolesti

Orbital-angular-momentum-multiplexed free-space optical communication link using transmitter lenses

In this paper, we explore the potential benefits and limitations of using transmitter lenses in an orbital-angular-momentum (OAM)-multiplexed free-space optical (FSO) communication link. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that within certain transmission distances, using lenses at the transmitter to focus OAM beams could reduce power loss in OAM-based FSO links and that this improvement might be more significant for higher-order OAM beams. Moreover, the use of transmitter lenses could enhance system tolerance to angular error between transmitter and receiver, but they might degrade tolerance to lateral displacement

Vaccine-associated Paralytic Poliomyelitis in Immunodeficient Children, Iran, 1995–2008

To determine the prevalence of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) in immunodeficient infants, we reviewed all documented cases caused by immunodeficiency-associated vaccine-derived polioviruses in Iran from 1995 through 2008. Changing to an inactivated polio vaccine vaccination schedule and introduction of screening of neonates for immunodeficiencies could reduce the risk for VAPP infection

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is not independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease event : a cohort study

There are no consistent results between previous studies for an independent association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. To determine if there is an independent association between NAFLD and CVD events. In the present study, valid outcome data of 4808 subjects were available for phase 2 of our cohort study. These subjects had been followed up for seven years from phase 1, beginning in 2009-2010 to phase 2 during 2016-2017. Simple and multiple Cox proportional models were used to determine the association between NAFLD in the primary phase of the cohort and subsequent fatal and non-fatal CVD events during follow-up. The incidence of non-fatal CVD events in males with NAFLD was significantly higher ( = 0.004) than in males without NAFLD. A positive association was demonstrated between NAFLD and non-fatal CVD events in males (Hazard ratio = 1.606; 95%CI: 1.166-2.212; = 0.004) by the simple Cox proportional hazard model, but no independent association was detected between these in the multiple Cox models. No independent association was detected between NAFLD and CVD. It is likely that diabetes mellitus and age may be the principle mediators in this regard. [Abstract copyright: ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

A population based study on hepatitis B virus in Northern Iran, Amol.

BACKGROUND: Viral hepatitis is a major health problem worldwide. Change in transmission patterns of hepatitis B makes it necessary to re-evaluate its prevalence and risk factors. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the prevalence of HBV infection and its related risk factors in Amol city, Northern Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: As a population based study, a cluster sampling approach was used and 6146 individuals from the general population of urban and rural areas of Amol, Iran, from both genders and different ages were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were willingness to participate in the study, being a lifelong resident in Amol city or its surrounding areas with Iranian nationality. Ten milliliters (10 mL) of blood was taken from each study subject and checked regarding hepatitis B markers including HbsAg, HBsAb and HBcAb using a third generation ELISA. The prevalence of HBV infections and its potential risk factors were recorded. RESULTS: The prevalence of HBsAg, HBsAb and HBcAb were estimated as 0.9%, 30.7% and 10.5%, respectively. The mean age of all participants was 43.9 (95% CI: 43.4, 44.3) in females and 55.6 in (n = 3472) males. In our study, there was a significant association between family history of hepatitis, rural residency and presence of HBsAg. There was also a positive correlation between HBcAb and family history of hepatitis, history of other types of hepatic diseases, history of tattooing, traditional phlebotomy, male gender and age. In backward logistic regression, a significant association was found between history of hepatitis in first-degree family members (OR = 13.35; 95% CI: 6.26, 28.47) and place of residence (OR = 2.32; 95% CI: 1.27, 4.22) with presence of HBsAg. There was also a positive correlation between history of hepatitis among first-degree family members (OR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.52, 4.08), history of tattooing (OR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.33, 3.42), history of previous hepatitis (OR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.06, 3.28), male sex (OR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.66) and age (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.04) with presence of HBcAb. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hepatitis B in Amol City and its surrounding areas was about one percent, a lower rate than other reports from Iran

Signal transduction pathway mutations in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers : a systematic review and meta-analysis

The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of the signaling pathways mutation rate in the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract cancers in a systematic review and meta-analysis study. The study was performed based on the PRISMA criteria. Random models by confidence interval (CI: 95%) were used to calculate the pooled estimate of prevalence via Metaprop command. The pooled prevalence indices of signal transduction pathway mutations in gastric cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer were 5% (95% CI: 3–8%), 12% (95% CI: 8–18%), 17% (95% CI: 14–20%), and 20% (95% CI: 5–41%), respectively. Also, the mutation rates for Wnt pathway and MAPK pathway were calculated to be 23% (95% CI, 14–33%) and 20% (95% CI, 17–24%), respectively. Moreover, the most popular genes were APC (in Wnt pathway), KRAS (in MAPK pathway) and PIK3CA (in PI3K pathway) in the colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastric cancer while they were beta-catenin and CTNNB1 in liver cancer. The most altered pathway was Wnt pathway followed by the MAPK pathway. In addition, pancreatic cancer was found to be higher under the pressure of mutation compared with others based on pooled prevalence analysis. Finally, APC mutations in colorectal cancer, KRAS in gastric cancer, and pancreatic cancer were mostly associated gene alterations