Carbon nanotubes grown in situ by a novel catalytic method

Carbon nanotubes can be produced by the catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbons on small metal particles. However, nanotubes are generally produced together with non-tubular filaments and tubes coated by pyrolytic carbon. We propose a novel catalyst method for the in situ production, in a composite powder, of a huge amount of single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes, having a diameter between 1.5 and 15 nm and arranged in bundles up to 100 mm long. We anticipate that dense materials prepared from such composite powders could have interesting mechanical and physical properties

A Novel Method to Prevent Misconfigurations of Industrial Automation and Control Systems

Configuration errors are among the dominant causes of system faults for the industrial automation and control systems (IACS). It is difficult to detect and correct such errors of IACS as there are various kinds of systems and devices with miscellaneous configuration specifications. In this paper, we first propose a streaming algorithm to keep all the configuration changes in the limited memory space. And, when making a new configuration change, another novel streaming algorithm is proposed to search and return all the similar historical changes which can be used to validate this new one. So far, we are the first to model the configuration changes of IACS as a data stream and apply the streaming similarity search in correcting configuration errors while overcoming the inherent unbounded-memory bottleneck. The theoretical correctness and complexity analyses are presented. Experiments with real and synthetic datasets confirm the theoretical analyses and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in preventing misconfigurations of IACS

Short term doxycycline treatment induces sustained improvement in myocardial infarction border zone contractility.

Decreased contractility in the non-ischemic border zone surrounding a MI is in part due to degradation of cardiomyocyte sarcomeric components by intracellular matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2). We recently reported that MMP-2 levels were increased in the border zone after a MI and that treatment with doxycycline for two weeks after MI was associated with normalization of MMP-2 levels and improvement in ex-vivo contractile protein developed force in the myocardial border zone. The purpose of the current study was to determine if there is a sustained effect of short term treatment with doxycycline (Dox) on border zone function in a large animal model of antero-apical myocardial infarction (MI). Antero-apical MI was created in 14 sheep. Seven sheep received doxycycline 0.8 mg/kg/hr IV for two weeks. Cardiac MRI was performed two weeks before, and then two and six weeks after MI. Two sheep died prior to MRI at six weeks from surgical/anesthesia-related causes. The remaining 12 sheep completed the protocol. Doxycycline induced a sustained reduction in intracellular MMP-2 by Western blot (3649±643 MI+Dox vs 9236±114 MI relative intensity; p = 0.0009), an improvement in ex-vivo contractility (65.3±2.0 MI+Dox vs 39.7±0.8 MI mN/mm2; p<0.0001) and an increase in ventricular wall thickness at end-systole 1.0 cm from the infarct edge (12.4±0.6 MI+Dox vs 10.0±0.5 MI mm; p = 0.0095). Administration of doxycycline for a limited two week period is associated with a sustained improvement in ex-vivo contractility and an increase in wall thickness at end-systole in the border zone six weeks after MI. These findings were associated with a reduction in intracellular MMP-2 activity

The Role of Booster Vaccination and Ongoing Viral Evolution In Seasonal Circulation of SARS-CoV-2

Periodic resurgences of COVID-19 in the coming years can be expected, while public health interventions may be able to reduce their intensity. We used a transmission model to assess how the use of booster doses and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) amid ongoing pathogen evolution might influence future transmission waves. We find that incidence is likely to increase as NPIs relax, with a second seasonally driven surge expected in autumn 2022. However, booster doses can greatly reduce the intensity of both waves and reduce cumulative deaths by 20% between 7 January 2022 and 7 January 2023. Reintroducing NPIs during the autumn as incidence begins to increase again could also be impactful. Combining boosters and NPIs results in a 30% decrease in cumulative deaths, with potential for greater impacts if variant-adapted boosters are used. Reintroducing these NPIs in autumn 2022 as transmission rates increase provides similar benefits to sustaining NPIs indefinitely (307 000 deaths with indefinite NPIs and boosters compared with 304 000 deaths with transient NPIs and boosters). If novel variants with increased transmissibility or immune escape emerge, deaths will be higher, but vaccination and NPIs are expected to remain effective tools to decrease both cumulative and peak health system burden, providing proportionally similar relative impacts

Metagenomic study of the viruses of African straw-coloured fruit bats: detection of a chiropteran poxvirus and isolation of a novel adenovirus

Viral emergence as a result of zoonotic transmission constitutes a continuous public health threat. Emerging viruses such as SARS coronavirus, hantaviruses and henipaviruses have wildlife reservoirs. Characterising the viruses of candidate reservoir species in geographical hot spots for viral emergence is a sensible approach to develop tools to predict, prevent, or contain emergence events. Here, we explore the viruses of Eidolon helvum, an Old World fruit bat species widely distributed in Africa that lives in close proximity to humans. We identified a great abundance and diversity of novel herpes and papillomaviruses, described the isolation of a novel adenovirus, and detected, for the first time, sequences of a chiropteran poxvirus closely related with Molluscum contagiosum. In sum, E. helvum display a wide variety of mammalian viruses, some of them genetically similar to known human pathogens, highlighting the possibility of zoonotic transmission

The Benefit of Enhanced Contractility in the Infarct Borderzone: A Virtual Experiment

Objectives: Contractile function in the normally perfused infarct borderzone (BZ) is depressed. However, the impact of reduced BZ contractility on left ventricular (LV) pump function is unknown. As a consequence, there have been no therapies specifically designed to improve BZ contractility. We tested the hypothesis that an improvement in borderzone contractility will improve LV pump function. Methods: From a previously reported study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images with non-invasive tags were used to calculate 3D myocardial strain in five sheep 16 weeks after anteroapical myocardial infarction. Animal-specific finite element (FE) models were created using MRI data and LV pressure obtained at early diastolic filling. Analysis of borderzone function using those FE models has been previously reported. Chamber stiffness, pump function (Starling’s law) and stress in the fiber, cross fiber, and circumferential directions were calculated. Animal-specific FE models were performed for three cases: (a) impaired BZ contractility (INJURED); (b) BZ-contractility fully restored (100% BZ IMPROVEMENT); or (c) BZ-contractility partially restored (50% BZ IMPROVEMENT). Results: 100% BZ IMPROVEMENT and 50% BZ IMPROVEMENT both caused an upward shift in the Starling relationship, resulting in a large (36 and 26%) increase in stroke volume at LVPED = 20 mmHg (8.0 ml, p < 0.001). Moreover, there were a leftward shift in the end-systolic pressure volume relationship, resulting in a 7 and 5% increase in LVPES at 110 mmHg (7.7 ml, p < 0.005). It showed that even 50% BZ IMPROVEMENT was sufficient to drive much of the calculated increase in function. Conclusion: Improved borderzone contractility has a beneficial effect on LV pump function. Partial improvement of borderzone contractility was sufficient to drive much of the calculated increase in function. Therapies specifically designed to improve borderzone contractility should be developed

A Clinical and Epidemiological Investigation of the First Reported Human Infection With the Zoonotic Parasite Trypanosoma evansi in Southeast Asia

Background. Trypanosoma is a genus of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. Trypanosoma brucei species and Trypanosoma cruzi are the major agents of human trypanosomiasis; other Trypanosoma species can cause human disease, but are rare. In March 2015, a 38-year-old woman presented to a healthcare facility in southern Vietnam with fever, headache, and arthralgia. Microscopic examination of blood revealed infection with Trypanosoma. Methods. Microscopic observation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of blood samples, and serological testing were performed to identify the infecting species. The patient's blood was screened for the trypanocidal protein apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), and a field investigation was performed to identify the zoonotic source. Results. PCR amplification and serological testing identified the infecting species as Trypanosoma evansi. Despite relapsing 6 weeks after completing amphotericin B therapy, the patient made a complete recovery after 5 weeks of suramin. The patient was found to have 2 wild-type APOL1 alleles and a normal serum APOL1 concentration. After responsive animal sampling in the presumed location of exposure, cattle and/or buffalo were determined to be the most likely source of the infection, with 14 of 30 (47%) animal blood samples testing PCR positive for T. evansi. Conclusions. We report the first laboratory-confirmed case of T. evansi in a previously healthy individual without APOL1 deficiency, potentially contracted via a wound while butchering raw beef, and successfully treated with suramin. A linked epidemiological investigation revealed widespread and previously unidentified burden of T. evansi in local cattle, highlighting the need for surveillance of this infection in animals and the possibility of further human cases

Detecting Solenoid Valve Deterioration in In-Use Electronic Diesel Fuel Injection Control Systems

The diesel engine is the main power source for most agricultural vehicles. The control of diesel engine emissions is an important global issue. Fuel injection control systems directly affect fuel efficiency and emissions of diesel engines. Deterioration faults, such as rack deformation, solenoid valve failure, and rack-travel sensor malfunction, are possibly in the fuel injection module of electronic diesel control (EDC) systems. Among these faults, solenoid valve failure is most likely to occur for in-use diesel engines. According to the previous studies, this failure is a result of the wear of the plunger and sleeve, based on a long period of usage, lubricant degradation, or engine overheating. Due to the difficulty in identifying solenoid valve deterioration, this study focuses on developing a sensor identification algorithm that can clearly classify the usability of the solenoid valve, without disassembling the fuel pump of an EDC system for in-use agricultural vehicles. A diagnostic algorithm is proposed, including a feedback controller, a parameter identifier, a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) sensor, and a neural network classifier. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can accurately identify the usability of solenoid valves

A Selberg integral for the Lie algebra A_n

A new q-binomial theorem for Macdonald polynomials is employed to prove an A_n analogue of the celebrated Selberg integral. This confirms the g=A_n case of a conjecture by Mukhin and Varchenko concerning the existence of a Selberg integral for every simple Lie algebra g.Comment: 32 page