Constitutive modeling and thermoviscoplasticity

Development and solution of coupled thermomechanical equations at elevated temperature and/or high strain rates are discussed. Three main considerations are presented: development of the coupled thermomechanical equations by means of the rational theory of thermodynamics, development of a thermoviscoplastic constitutive equation which is congruous with the developed coupled equations, and the applicability of the developed equations to the treatment by the finite element method

Fuzzy model based multivariable predictive control design for rapid and efficient speed-sensorless maximum power extraction of renewable wind generators

Introduction. A wind energy conversion system needs a maximum power point tracking algorithm. In the literature, several works have interested in the search for a maximum power point wind energy conversion system. Generally, their goals are to optimize the mechanical rotation or the generator torque and the direct current or the duty cycle switchers. The power output of a wind energy conversion system depends on the accuracy of the maximum power tracking controller, as wind speed changes constantly throughout the day. Maximum power point tracking systems that do not require mechanical sensors to measure the wind speed offer several advantages over systems using mechanical sensors. The novelty. The proposed work introduces an intelligent maximum power point tracking technique based on a fuzzy model and multivariable predictive controller to extract the maximum energy for a small-scale wind energy conversion system coupled to the electrical network. The suggested algorithm does not need the measurement of the wind velocity or the knowledge of turbine parameters. Purpose. Building an intelligent maximum power point tracking algorithm that does not use mechanical sensors to measure the wind speed and extracts the maximum possible power from the wind generator, and is simple and easy to implement. Methods. In this control approach, a fuzzy system is mainly utilized to generate the reference DC-current corresponding to the maximum power point based on the changes in the DC-power and the rectified DC-voltage. In contrast, the fuzzy model-based multivariable predictive regulator follows the resultant reference current with minimum steady-state error. The significant issues of the suggested maximum power point tracking method, such as the detailed design process and implementation of the two controllers, have been thoroughly investigated and presented. The considered maximum power point tracking approach has been applied to a wind system driving a 5 kW permanent magnet synchronous generator in variable speed mode through the simulation tests. Practical value. A practical implementation has been executed on a 5 kW test bench consisting of a dSPACEds1104 controller board, permanent magnet synchronous generator, and DC-motor drives to confirm the simulation results. Comparative experimental results under varying wind speed have confirmed the achievable significant performance enhancements on the maximum wind energy generation and overall system response by using the suggested control method compared with a traditional proportional integral maximum power point tracking controller.Вступ. Система перетворення енергії вітру потребує алгоритму відстеження точки максимальної потужності. У літературі є кілька робіт, присвячених пошуку системи перетворення енергії вітру із точкою максимальної потужності. Як правило, їх метою є оптимізація механічного обертання або моменту, що крутить, генератора і перемикачів постійного струму або робочого циклу. Вихідна потужність системи перетворення енергії вітру залежить від точності контролера стеження за максимальною потужністю, оскільки швидкість вітру постійно змінюється протягом дня. Системи стеження за точками з максимальною потужністю, яким не потрібні механічні датчики для вимірювання швидкості вітру, мають ряд переваг у порівнянні з системами, що використовують механічні датчики. Новизна. Пропонована робота представляє інтелектуальний метод відстеження точки максимальної потужності, заснований на нечіткій моделі та багатопараметричному прогнозуючому контролері, для отримання максимальної енергії для маломасштабної системи перетворення енергії вітру, підключеної до електричної мережі. Пропонований алгоритм не вимагає вимірювання швидкості вітру або знання параметрів турбіни. Мета. Побудова інтелектуального алгоритму відстеження точки максимальної потужності, який не використовує механічні датчики для вимірювання швидкості вітру та витягує максимально можливу потужність з вітрогенератора, а також простий та зручний у реалізації. Методи. У цьому підході до управління нечітка система в основному використовується для генерування еталонного постійного струму, що відповідає точці максимальної потужності, на основі змін потужності постійного струму та постійної випрямленої напруги. Навпаки, багатопараметричний прогнозуючий регулятор на основі нечіткої моделі слідує за результуючим еталонним струмом з мінімальною помилкою, що встановилася. Істотні проблеми запропонованого методу відстеження точки максимальної потужності, такі як процес детального проектування та реалізація двох контролерів, були ретельно досліджені та представлені. Розглянутий підхід до відстеження точки максимальної потужності був застосований до вітрової системи, що приводить у дію синхронний генератор з постійними магнітами потужністю 5 кВт у режимі змінної швидкості за допомогою моделювання. Практична цінність. Для підтвердження результатів моделювання було виконано практичну реалізацію на випробувальному стенді потужністю 5 кВт, що складається з плати контролера dSPACEds1104, синхронного генератора з постійними магнітами та електроприводів з двигунами постійного струму. Порівняльні експериментальні результати при різній швидкості вітру підтвердили значні поліпшення продуктивності з максимального вироблення енергії вітру і загального відгуку системи при використанні запропонованого методу управління в порівнянні з традиційним пропорційно-інтегральним контролером спостереження за точкою максимальної потужності

Prognostic value of FOXP3 and TGF-b expression in both peripheral blood and lymph nodes in patients with B-Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Foxp3 has been studied as a biomarker of Treg cells in many solid malignant diseases, although its role as an immunomodulator in B-NHL remain poorly understood and the effect of traditional chemotherapy on its expression remains unclear. In this study the role of circulating and intra-tumoral Treg and TGF-b in patients with B-NHL before and after chemotherapy was evaluated. Enumeration of Treg cells was carried out by flow cytometric staining of their cell surface markers CD4 and CD25 as well as by molecular analysis of its signature transcription factor FoxP3. Expression of FoxP3 was done using quantitative real-time PCR while TGF-b mRNA expression was semi-quantitatively assayed by the conventional reverse transcription-PCR. In addition, spontaneous versus mitogen-induced release of TGF-b by PBMCs was assessed by a short term cell culture followed by ELISA. This was done before and after six cycles of CHOP chemotherapy. The results were evaluated in relation to the clinicopathological data.A significant increase in mRNA transcripts of both Fox P3 and TGF-b as well as the percentage of CD4+/CD25+ in B-NHL patients before receiving the chemotherapy were recorded, when compared either to healthy controls or to patients after completion the treatment regimen. Interestingly 6 cycles of CHOP treatment caused significant reduction in all parameters under study, relative to the situation before treatment. A significant enhancement in spontaneous TGF-b release in B-NHL patient either before or after chemotherapy was obtained. These results strongly confirm the possible involvement of Treg cells and TGF-b in orienting the clinical course of the disease as well as the ability of targeting them in immunotherapeutic approaches. KEYWORDS FOXP3; TGF; Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma; NH

Texture analysis of MR images of patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our objective was to study the effect of trauma on texture features in cerebral tissue in mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Our hypothesis was that a mild trauma may cause microstructural changes, which are not necessarily perceptible by visual inspection but could be detected with texture analysis (TA).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We imaged 42 MTBI patients by using 1.5 T MRI within three weeks of onset of trauma. TA was performed on the area of mesencephalon, cerebral white matter at the levels of mesencephalon, corona radiata and centrum semiovale and in different segments of corpus callosum (CC) which have been found to be sensitive to damage. The same procedure was carried out on a control group of ten healthy volunteers. Patients' TA data was compared with the TA results of the control group comparing the amount of statistically significantly differing TA parameters between the left and right sides of the cerebral tissue and comparing the most discriminative parameters.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were statistically significant differences especially in several co-occurrence and run-length matrix based parameters between left and right side in the area of mesencephalon, in cerebral white matter at the level of corona radiata and in the segments of CC in patients. Considerably less difference was observed in the healthy controls.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>TA revealed significant changes in texture parameters of cerebral tissue between hemispheres and CC segments in TBI patients. TA may serve as a novel additional tool for detecting the conventionally invisible changes in cerebral tissue in MTBI and help the clinicians to make an early diagnosis.</p

De Novo Mutations in SIK1 Cause a Spectrum of Developmental Epilepsies

Developmental epilepsies are age-dependent seizure disorders for which genetic causes have been increasingly identified. Here we report six unrelated individuals with mutations in salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) in a series of 101 persons with early myoclonic encephalopathy, Ohtahara syndrome, and infantile spasms. Individuals with SIK1 mutations had short survival in cases with neonatal epilepsy onset, and an autism plus developmental syndrome after infantile spasms in others. All six mutations occurred outside the kinase domain of SIK1 and each of the mutants displayed autophosphorylation and kinase activity toward HDAC5. Three mutations generated truncated forms of SIK1 that were resistant to degradation and also showed changes in sub-cellular localization compared to wild-type SIK1. We also report the human neuropathologic examination of SIK1-related developmental epilepsy, with normal neuronal morphology and lamination but abnormal SIK1 protein cellular localization. Therefore, these results expand the genetic etiologies of developmental epilepsies by demonstrating SIK1 mutations as a cause of severe developmental epilepsy

Supportive interventions to improve physiological and psychological health outcomes among patients undergoing cystectomy: A systematic review

Background Our understanding of effective perioperative supportive interventions for patients undergoing cystectomy procedures and how these may affect short and long-term health outcomes is limited. Methods Randomised controlled trials involving any non-surgical, perioperative interventions designed to support or improve the patient experience for patients undergoing cystectomy procedures were reviewed. Comparison groups included those exposed to usual clinical care or standard procedure. Studies were excluded if they involved surgical procedure only, involved bowel preparation only or involved an alternative therapy such as aromatherapy. Any short and long-term outcomes reflecting the patient experience or related urological health outcomes were considered. Results 19 articles (representing 15 individual studies) were included for review. Heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes across studies meant meta-analyses were not possible. Participants were all patients with bladder cancer and interventions were delivered over different stages of the perioperative period. The overall quality of evidence and reporting was low and outcomes were predominantly measured in the short-term. However, the findings show potential for exercise therapy, pharmaceuticals, ERAS protocols, psychological/educational programmes, chewing gum and nutrition to benefit a broad range of physiological and psychological health outcomes. Conclusions Supportive interventions to date have taken many different forms with a range of potentially meaningful physiological and psychological health outcomes for cystectomy patients. Questions remain as to what magnitude of short-term health improvements would lead to clinically relevant changes in the overall patient experience of surgery and long-term recovery

Exogenously applied ZnO nanoparticles induced salt tolerance in potentially high yielding modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars

Salinity stress is one of the potential threats that adversely affect the productivity of many cereal crops worldwide. Spraying plants with nano-Zn particles may lessen effectively such negative impacts on plants; yet its mode of action is still not well explored. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of spraying nano-Zn particles with varying concentrations (0, 20, 50 and 80 mg L-1) on two wheat cultivars irrigated with saline water (EC = 6.3 dS m-1) versus a non-saline one. The key results revealed that root and shoot weights decreased significantly under salinity stress conditions, while improved considerably with nano-Zn-particles foliar application up to 50 mg nanoZn L-1; thereafter significant reductions occurred. Also, shoot and root lengths as well as plant leaf area index improved considerably owing to this foliar application. Clearly, roots and shoots weights of wheat plants sprayed with nano-Zn particles under salinity stress conditions exhibited higher values than the corresponding ones that was grown under non-saline conditions without nano-Zn-particles applications. Unexpectedly, this foliar spray led to significant reductions in plant pigments and also in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in plants. Yet, this foliar spray enhanced formation of total soluble sugars and proline, and raised significantly Ca contents in wheat roots and shoots, and to some extent K contents. In conclusion, the foliar application of nano-Zn particles increased plant growth under salty stress conditions via two parallel processes, i.e., stimulating formation of osmolytes and stimulating nutrient uptake which may, in turn, increase plant metabolism. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CCPeer reviewe

Bouncing Forward Sustainably: Pathways to a post-COVID world. Sustainable Energy

The global lockdown due to COVID-19 has reduced industrial activities, construction, tourism, material demand, and mobility. This has impacted many sectors of the global economy including the energy sector which has witnessed movements both towards and away from sustainability. Key trends observed include a reduced demand for both energy and energy services, zero to negative oil prices, disruptions in the supply chain of energy technologies and materials – specially for renewable energy, and a decline in investments. This has led to welcome reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, revealed opportunities for new and digitalized business models and responsible lifestyle choices, but all these will be short lived if we go back to business as usual. Such behavioral and societal changes have revealed the potential for structural change and transitions in demand for energy services towards sustainability. An interesting revelation is that the positive fallouts for sustainable development are all related to what are commonly perceived to be difficult-to-overcome barriers such as lifestyle choices, behavior, and business models. Whereas the negative fallouts for sustainable development are the relatively easier to address issues of reinstating supply chains and kick-starting/accelerating investments in sustainable energy. As the world looks to recover from the economic and jobs related consequences of the pandemic, all stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure that we create a system of incentives to reward sustainable behavior while penalizing those actions that would take us back to the path of unsustainability. For the energy sector, this would translate not only to the choices that influence the supply of energy, including evaluating the balance of centralized and decentralized energy options, but also the choices that would impact the demand for energy itself! Re-examining these business models from the point of view of contributions to economic growth and jobs, while building on heightened awareness and a desire for green growth is the imperative