Application of Non-destructive Testing for Measurement of Partial Discharges in Oil Insulation Systems

The subject area regards to metrology and measurement methods applied for non-destructive investigation of electrical discharges occurring in oil insulation systems of high-voltage devices. The main aim of performed research studies is a detailed and multivariate analysis of physical phenomena associated with generation of electrical partial discharges (PD), which occur in oil insulation of electrical equipment. An important cognitive component was the verification whether the form of PD has an effect on the energy contribution of the physical phenomena associated with their generation. For investigating the physical processes associated with generation of PD, a system for modelling, the study and analysis of physical phenomena associated with their generation in insulating oil were designed and implemented. In particular, the PD were simulated in three setups: (1) a surface system, (2) needle-needle system in insulating oil and (3) needle-needle system in insulating oil with gas bubbles. In these experimental setups, optical signals (IR, UV and visible), ultra–high frequency electromagnetic and high-energy X-ray radiation, acoustic emission and thermal images were registered. Recorded signals were subjected for multi-variant investigation and analyses in the time and frequency domains. The contribution of particular physical phenomena was determined

Ozone fumigation increases the abundance of nutrients in Brassica vegetables : broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis)

Brassicaceae vegetables, among them broccoli and Chinese cabbage, are well recognized due to the nutritional properties. Four-week-old Chinese cabbage and broccoli seedlings were fumigated with O3 for 3 days before being transplanted into the field. The effect of O3 treatment was determined after reaching marketable quality (ca. 10 weeks). The inflorescences of O3-treated broccoli were enriched in vitamin E (α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol), whereas Chinese cabbage heads had an increased content of anthocyanins and β-carotene. Ozone treatment did not significantly affect the productivity of both examined vegetables

Prostate specific antigen in women

Summary PSA–prostate specific antigen is considered to be a useful marker in the diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer. Currently, PSA was also detected in serum and tissues of women. We reviewed the literature dealing with the existence and role of this marker in women

Prostate specific antigen - PSA and histopathological findings of endometrium in women with fibrocystic breast disease

Abstract Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between serum free and total PSA and histopathological findings in women with fibrocystic mastopathy. Material and methods: 176 women with fibrocystic breast disease, aged 18 to 45 years. - group I: comprised 114 patients with cysts 10mm in diameter The control group consisted of 46 healthy women aged 18 - 45 years who had no breast pathology. Total PSA (PSA-T) and free PSA (PSA-Free) were measured by an ultra-sensitive fluoroimmunometric DELFIA assay (Prostatus PSA Free/Total Wallac, Turku, Finland). The detection limit for PSA was 0.01 ng/ml. Endometrial samples have been obtained with Pipelle probe between 22 and 24 days of the menstrual cycle. Results: In the control group secretory endometrium was more frequently detected than in the mastopathy group (chi2=11,15, p=0.01). Proliferatory (chi2=8.27, p=0.004) and presecretory endometrium (chi2=4.61, p=0.03) were more frequently detected in the mastopathy group than in controls. We did not find statistically significant relationship between the mean PSA concentrations between the groups in relation to histopathological findings. Conclusions: No relationships between free and total PSA measured in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle and endometrial findings were detected in our study. Further research is required to evaluate the relationship between PSA and endometrial findings

Androgen and 17-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations in blood serum versus menstrual patterns in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Abstract The aim of the study: to evaluate correlation between androgen and 17-hydroksyprogetserone concentrations in blood serum and menstrual patterns of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Material and methods: 227 patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), aged 18 to 35 years, hospitalized at the Department of Gynecological Endocrinology. All patients with PCOS presented clinical and biochemical evidence of hiperandrogenism with oligoovulation and/or ultrasonographic appearance of polycystic ovaries. PCOS was diagnosed according to the Rotterdam Criteria after excluding reasons such as: congenital adrenal hiperplasia, adrenal and ovarian tumors, hiperprolactinemia and hypo- hiperthyreosis. The following hormone concentrations were measured in each patient: total testosterone (TT), androstendione (A), dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP). The patients were divided into 4 groups: I – eumenorrhoeic (n=66), II – polymenorrhoeic (n=32), III – oligomenorrhoeic (n=93), IV – with secondary amenorrhea (n=36). The control group consisted of 40 patients with normal regular menstrual cycles and no clinical/biochemical sings of hiperandrogenism. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way Anova and NIR test.

Insulin resistance indexes in women with premature ovarian insufficiency — a pilot study

  Objectives: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is associated with hypoestrogenism and an increased risk of metabolic disorders. In many clinics, a variety of insulin resistance (IR) tests are used during routine clinical assessments. To date, there is no clear opinion about which of these tests should be applied in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Therefore, our preliminarily aim was to compare the most frequently used insulin resistance indexes in the clinical assessment of a group of POI women and a control group. Material and methods: Our retrospective study included 98 women with karyotypically normal spontaneous POI aged 18–39 years and a control group of 78 healthy women. Each patient was given an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to evaluate their insulin release and insulin resistance. In addition, each woman’s insulin resistance (IR) was evaluated us­ing the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), the fasting glucose-to-insulin ratio (FGIR), and Matsuda and McAuley indexes. The two groups’ glucose levels were compared at 0, 60 and 120 min of the OGTT. Results: At 0 and 60 min of the OGTT, the insulin levels of the POI women were significantly higher than those of the control group. The number of women in whom IR was detected using the various kits was comparable between the two groups. Conlusions: In conclusion, only the OGTT evaluation revealed a significant difference in insulin concentrations between the two study groups. The indexes most commonly used to detect IR did not detect differences in IR between the POI women and the members of the healthy control group. QUICKI detected significantly more women with IR within both study groups than other tests did

Stymulacja kory ruchowej w leczeniu bólów neuropatycznych

Background and purpose Despite the rapid development of neuropharmacotherapy, medical treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) still constitutes a significant socioeconomic problem. The authors herein present a group of patients treated with motor cortex stimulation (MCS) for NP of various types and aetiologies. Material and methods Our cohort included 12 female and 11 male NP patients aged 53 ± 16 treated with MCS. Eleven patients were diagnosed with neuropathic facial pain (NFP), 8 with hemi-body neuropathic pain (HNP), and 4 with deafferentation pain (DP). Prior to surgery, 16 out of 23 patients were treated with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), with a positive response in 10 cases. Pain intensity in our group was evaluated with the visual analogue scale (VAS) one month before and three months after MCS implantation. Results Improvement on the VAS was reported in the whole group of patients (p < 0.001). The best results were reported in the NFP group (p < 0.001) while the worst ones were noted in the DP group (p = 0.04). Anamnesis duration positively correlated with outcome. Infection forced the authors to permanently remove the system in one case. There were no other complications in the group. Conclusions Minimally invasive, safe neuromodulative treatment with MCS permits neuropathic pain control with good efficacy. The type of neuropathic pain might be a prognostic factor.Wstęp i cel pracy Pomimo dynamicznego rozwoju neurofarmakoterapii, leczenie bólów neuropatycznych stanowi istotny problem socjoekonomiczny. Autorzy przedstawiają grupę chorych leczonych metodą stymulacji kory ruchowej (motor cortex stimulation – MCS) z powodu bólów neuropatycznych o różnym obrazie klinicznym i etiologii. Materiał i metody W grupie 12 kobiet oraz 11 mężczyzn w wieku 53 ± 16 lat zastosowano MCS z powodu bólu neuropatycznego. U 11 chorych rozpoznano neuropatyczne bóle twarzy, u 8 chorych połowiczy ból neuropatyczny, a u 4 chorych – ból deaferentacyjny. U 16 chorych przeprowadzono próbną przezczaszkową stymulację magnetyczną, uzyskując przejściową poprawę u 10 z nich. Nasilenie dolegliwości bólowych oceniano z wykorzystaniem wzrokowej skali analogowej (visual analogue scale – VAS) miesiąc przed implantacją oraz w trzecim miesiącu po implantacji MCS. Wyniki U wszystkich chorych w grupie stwierdzono poprawę mierzoną VAS (p < 0,001). Najlepsze efekty leczenia bólu neuropatycznego zaobserwowano w grupie chorych z neuropatycznym bólem twarzy (p < 0,001), a najsłabsze u chorych z rozpoznanym bólem deaferentacyjnym (p = 0,04). Długość wywiadów korelowała dodatnio z wynikami leczenia. U jednego chorego ze względu na zakażenie usunięto system i nie podejmowano próby ponownego wszczepienia. Innych powikłań w grupie nie stwierdzano. Wnioski Wykorzystanie minimalnie inwazyjnych technik neuromodulacyjnych, w tym MCS, pozwala na skuteczne i bezpieczne zmniejszenie nasilenia bólów neuropatycznych. Rodzaj bólu neuropatycznego może mieć znaczenie rokownicze

Variability of the Acoustic Emission Signals Generated by Partial Discharges in Mineral Oil

The main purpose of the presented research is to investigate the partial discharge (PD) phenomenon variability under long-term AC voltage with particular consideration of the selected physical quantities changes while measured and registered by the acoustic emission method (AE). During the research a PD model source generating surface discharges is immersed in the brand new insulation mineral oil. Acoustic signals generated by the continuously occurred PDs within 168 hours are registered. Several qualitative and quantitative indicators are assigned to describe the PD variability in time. Furthermore, some longterm characteristics of the applied PD model source in mineral oil, are also presented according to acoustic signals emitted by the PD. Finally, various statistical tools are applied for the results analysis and presentation. Despite there are numerous contemporary research papers dealing with long-term PD analysis, such complementary and multiparametric approach has not been presented so far, regarding the presented research. According to the presented research from among all assigned indicators there are discriminated descriptors that could depend on PD long-term duration. On the grounds of the regression models analysis there are discovered trends that potentially allow to apply the results for modeling of the PD variability in time using the acoustic emission method. Subsequently such an approach may potentially support the development and extend the abilities of the diagnostic tools and maintenance policy in electrical power industry

Analysis on Acoustic Disturbance Signals Expected During Partial Discharge Measurements in Power Transformers

This paper presents comparative analysis of various acoustic signals expected during partial discharge (PD) measurements in operating power transformer. Main purpose of the paper is to yield relevant and reliable method to distinguish between various acoustic emission (AE) signals emitted by PD and other sources, with particular consideration of real-life results rather than laboratory simulations. Therefore, selected examples of real-life AE signals registered in seven different power transformers, under normal operation conditions, within few years are showed and analyzed. Five scenarios are investigated, which represent five types of AE sources: PD generated by artificial sources, and next four real-life sources (including PD in working transformer, oil flow, oil pumps and core). Several different signal processing methods are applied and compared in order to identify the PD signals. As a result, an energy patterns analysis based on the wavelet decomposition is found as the most reliable tool for identification of PD signals. The presented results may significantly support the process of interpretation of the PD measurement results, and may be used by field engineers as well as other researchers involved in PD analysis using AE method. Finally, observed properties also provide a solid basis for establishing or improving complete classification method based on the artificial intelligence algorithms