Dynamic Response and Static Analysis of RCC Space Frames Supporting High Speed Centrifugal Machines with Coupled Soil-Structure Interaction

The paper reviews the current state of the art on the dynamic and static analyses of RCC space frames supporting high speed centrifugal machines e.g. large turbogenerators and compressors. The need to include the effects of soil-structure interaction formulations on overall behaviour of various analytical models are highlighted, At the same time, the uncertainties involved in evaluating essential geotechnical parameters and paucity of reliable and elaborate information from the machine manufacturers are discussed. The analysis and design aspects of this inter-disciplinary problem are illustrated with two typical design case studies selected from authors’ own experience in this specialised field. The paper also discusses the usefulness, if any, of such rigorous analysis and identifies various shortcomings which still persist in finalising realistic design data and adopting suitable models to represent machine foundation-soil system

ASXC2 approach: a service-X cost optimization strategy based on edge orchestration for IIoT.

Most computation-intensive industry applications and servers encounter service-reliability challenges due to the limited resource capability of the edge. Achieving quality data fusion and accurate service reliability with optimized service-x execution cost is challenging. While existing systems have taken into account factors such as device service execution, residual resource ratio, and channel condition; the service execution time, cost, and utility ratios of requested services from devices and servers also have a significant impact on service execution cost. To enhance service quality and reliability, we design a 2-step adaptive service-X cost consolidation (ASXC 2) approach. This approach is based on the node-centric Lyapunov method and distributed Markov mechanism, aiming to optimize the service execution error rate during offloading. The node-centric Lyapunov method incorporates cost and utility functions and node-centric features to estimate the service cost before offloading. Additionally, the Markov mechanism-inspired service latency prediction model design assists in mitigating the ratio of offload-service execution errors by establishing a mobility-correlation matrix between devices and servers. In addition, the non-linear programming multi-tenancy heuristic method design help to predict the service preferences for improving the resource utilisation ratio. The simulations show the effectiveness of our approach. The model performance is enhanced with 0.13% service offloading efficiency, 0.82% rate of service completion when transmitting data size is 400 kb, and 0.058% average service offloading efficiency with 40 CPU Megacycles when the vehicle moves 60 Km/h speed around the server communication range. Our model simulations indicate that our approach is highly effective and suitable for lightweight, complex environments

Efficient LiDAR-trajectory affinity model for autonomous vehicle orchestration.

Computation and memory resource management strategies are the backbone of continuous object tracking in intelligent vehicle orchestration. Multi-object tracking generates enormous measurements of targets and extended object positions using light detection and ranging (Lidar) sensors. Designing an adequate object-tracking system is a global challenge because of dynamic object detection and data association uncertainties during scene understanding. In this regard, we develop an intelligent multi-objective tracking (IMOT) system with a novel measurement model, called the box data association inflate (BDAI) model, to assess each target's object state and trajectory without noise by using the Bayesian approach. The box object filter method filters ambiguous detection responses during data association. The theoretical proof of the box object filter is derived based on binomial expansion. Prognosticating a lower-dimension object than the original point object reduces the computational complexity of vehicle orchestration. Two datasets (NuScenes dataset and our lab dataset) are considered during the simulations, and our approach measures the kinematic states adequately with reduced computation complexity compared to state-of-the-art methods. The simulation outcomes show that our proposed method is effective and works well to detect and track objects. The NuScenes dataset contains 28130 samples for training, 6019 examples for validation and 6008 samples for testing. IMOT achieves 58.09% tracking accuracy and 71% mAP with 5 ms pre-processing time. The Jetson Xavier NX consumes 49.63% GPU and 9.37% average power and exhibits 25.32 ms latency compared to other approaches. Our system trains a single pair frame in 169.71 ms with affinity estimation time of 12.19 ms, track association time of 0.19 ms and mATE of 0.245 compared to state-of-the-art approaches

On the role of different Skyrme forces and surface corrections in exotic cluster-decay

We present cluster decay studies of $^{56}$Ni$^*$ formed in heavy-ion collisions using different Skyrme forces. Our study reveals that different Skyrme forces do not alter the transfer structure of fractional yields significantly. The cluster decay half-lives of different clusters lies within \pm 10% for PCM and \pm 15% for UFM.Comment: 13 pages,6 figures and 1 table; in press Pramana Journal of Physics (2010

Hepatic encephalopathy: Novel insights into classification, pathophysiology and therapy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a frequent and serious complication of both chronic liver disease and acute liver failure. HE manifests as a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities, from subclinical changes (mild cognitive impairment) to marked disorientation, confusion and coma. The clinical and economic burden of HE is considerable, and it contributes greatly to impaired quality of life, morbidity and mortality. This review will critically discuss the latest classification of HE, as well as the pathogenesis and pathophysiological pathways underlying the neurological decline in patients with end-stage liver disease. In addition, management strategies, diagnostic approaches, currently available therapeutic options and novel treatment strategies are discussed

Ethanol and Acetaminophen Synergistically Induce Hepatic Aggregation and TCH346-Insensitive Nuclear Translocation of GAPDH

The glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) signals during cellular stress via several post-translational modifications that change its folding properties, protein-protein interactions and sub-cellular localization. We examined GAPDH properties in acute mouse liver injury due to ethanol and/or acetaminophen (APAP) treatment. Synergistic robust and time-dependent nuclear accumulation and aggregation of GAPDH were observed only in combined, but not individual, ethanol/APAP treatments. The small molecule GAPDH-targeting compound TCH346 partially attenuated liver damage possibly via mitochondrial mechanisms, and independent of nuclear accumulation and aggregation of GAPDH. These findings provide a novel potential mechanism for hepatotoxicity caused by combined alcohol and acetaminophen exposure

Droplet mobility on lubricant-impregnated surfaces

Non-wetting surfaces containing micro/nanotextures impregnated with lubricating liquids have recently been shown to exhibit superior non-wetting performance compared to superhydrophobic surfaces that rely on stable air–liquid interfaces. Here we examine the fundamental physico-chemical hydrodynamics that arise when droplets, immiscible with the lubricant, are placed on and allowed to move along these surfaces. We find that these four-phase systems show novel contact line morphology comprising a finite annular ridge of the lubricant pulled above the surface texture and consequently as many as three distinct 3-phase contact lines. We show that these distinct morphologies not only govern the contact line pinning that controls droplets' initial resistance to movement but also the level of viscous dissipation and hence their sliding velocity once the droplets begin to move.United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Young Faculty AwardMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Energy InitiativeNational Science Foundation (U.S.). CAREER Award (0952564

Hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a prognostically relevant neuropsychiatric syndrome that occurs in the course of acute or chronic liver disease. Besides ascites and variceal bleeding, it is the most serious complication of decompensated liver cirrhosis. Ammonia and inflammation are major triggers for the appearance of HE, which in patients with liver cirrhosis involves pathophysiologically low-grade cerebral oedema with oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation and disturbances of oscillatory networks in the brain. Severity classification and diagnostic approaches regarding mild forms of HE are still a matter of debate. Current medical treatment predominantly involves lactulose and rifaximin following rigorous treatment of so-called known HE precipitating factors. New treatments based on an improved pathophysiological understanding are emerging

Of cattle, sand flies and men : a systematic review of risk factor analyses for South Asian visceral leishmaniasis and implications for elimination

Background: Studies performed over the past decade have identified fairly consistent epidemiological patterns of risk factors for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent. Methods and Principal Findings: To inform the current regional VL elimination effort and identify key gaps in knowledge, we performed a systematic review of the literature, with a special emphasis on data regarding the role of cattle because primary risk factor studies have yielded apparently contradictory results. Because humans form the sole infection reservoir, clustering of kala-azar cases is a prominent epidemiological feature, both at the household level and on a larger scale. Subclinical infection also tends to show clustering around kala-azar cases. Within villages, areas become saturated over a period of several years; kala-azar incidence then decreases while neighboring areas see increases. More recently, post kalaazar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) cases have followed kala-azar peaks. Mud walls, palpable dampness in houses, and peridomestic vegetation may increase infection risk through enhanced density and prolonged survival of the sand fly vector. Bed net use, sleeping on a cot and indoor residual spraying are generally associated with decreased risk. Poor micronutrient status increases the risk of progression to kala-azar. The presence of cattle is associated with increased risk in some studies and decreased risk in others, reflecting the complexity of the effect of bovines on sand fly abundance, aggregation, feeding behavior and leishmanial infection rates. Poverty is an overarching theme, interacting with individual risk factors on multiple levels. Conclusions: Carefully designed demonstration projects, taking into account the complex web of interconnected risk factors, are needed to provide direct proof of principle for elimination and to identify the most effective maintenance activities to prevent a rapid resurgence when interventions are scaled back. More effective, short-course treatment regimens for PKDL are urgently needed to enable the elimination initiative to succeed

Benefit of insecticide-treated nets, curtains and screening on vector borne diseases, excluding malaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are one of the main interventions used for malaria control. However, these nets may also be effective against other vector borne diseases (VBDs). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the efficacy of ITNs, insecticide-treated curtains (ITCs) and insecticide-treated house screening (ITS) against Chagas disease, cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, dengue, human African trypanosomiasis, Japanese encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and Tropical Disease Bulletin databases were searched using intervention, vector- and disease-specific search terms. Cluster or individually randomised controlled trials, non-randomised trials with pre- and post-intervention data and rotational design studies were included. Analysis assessed the efficacy of ITNs, ITCs or ITS versus no intervention. Meta-analysis of clinical data was performed and percentage reduction in vector density calculated. Results Twenty-one studies were identified which met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of clinical data could only be performed for four cutaneous leishmaniasis studies which together showed a protective efficacy of ITNs of 77% (95%CI: 39%–91%). Studies of ITC and ITS against cutaneous leishmaniasis also reported significant reductions in disease incidence. Single studies reported a high protective efficacy of ITS against dengue and ITNs against Japanese encephalitis. No studies of Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis or onchocerciasis were identified. Conclusion There are likely to be considerable collateral benefits of ITN roll out on cutaneous leishmaniasis where this disease is co-endemic with malaria. Due to the low number of studies identified, issues with reporting of entomological outcomes, and few studies reporting clinical outcomes, it is difficult to make strong conclusions on the effect of ITNs, ITCs or ITS on other VBDs and therefore further studies be conducted. Nonetheless, it is clear that insecticide-treated materials such as ITNs have the potential to reduce pathogen transmission and morbidity from VBDs where vectors enter houses