Performance Analysis of Plain Journal Bearing Using CFD Model

Bearing stability depends on the slenderness ratio (L/D), lubricant film thickness, lubricant whirl frequency, lubricant oil temperature, lubricant pressure, attitude angle, stiffness coefficient, viscosity, lubricant density etc.Due to the friction force between shaft and bearing, bearing performance need to be determined according to different lubrication states and different geometry of the journal bearing, though it is difficult to find the performance using experiment. A new approach has been proposed in this study to determine the performance parameter using Ansys.The purpose of this study is to obtain an efficient slenderness ratio (L/D) by stiffness coefficient analysis on different coordinate of the journal bearing. It is a major concern to find out the viscosity and slenderness ratio (L/D) effects on bearing performance using CFD analysis. This is the first such type of study that the bearing performance has been conducted with0.25 to 1.00 range of slenderness ratioand change of viscosity of lubricants by FLUENT 14.5. A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) approach was applied which focused an optimized slenderness ratio range of 0.25 to 0.5 results lower elastic strain, deformation, and stress formation on the journal comparison to 1.00L/D ratio.

Tribological behavior and vibration effect on the friction coefficient and temperature of glass fiber composite

The extents of contact coefficient are diverse for various material sets relying upon typical load and sliding speed. In the present research, grating coefficients and wear of glass fiber (GF) composite circles sliding against aluminum stick under vibration are explored and the outcomes were contrasted with a similar condition which is not in under vibration. So as to play out the tests, a stick on circle mechanical assembly is utilized. Tests are completed when aluminum stick slides on glass fiber (GF) plates of various organizations, for example, polyamide 6 (PA6), 20% GF and 15% GF. Examinations are led at ordinary load 2.5, 3.75 and 5N, sliding speed 0.5, 0.75 and 1 m/s. Varieties of erosion coefficient with the length of rubbing at diverse typical loads and sliding speeds are explored under vibration (vertical vibration). As a rule, contact coefficient expanded for a specific length of rubbing yet after that it stay steady for whatever remains of the test time. The trial result uncovers that contact coefficient diminished with the expansion in ordinary load for all the tried plates at steady speed and spring solidness. Then again, it is additionally found that grating coefficient diminished with the expansion in sliding speed however wear rate increments. Besides, both the friction coefficient and wear rate expanded with the expansion in spring firmness at consistent typical load and sliding speed for all sliding pairs. The contact coefficient is observed to be to some degree littler under vibration contrasted with that of vibration less condition.

Efecto de procesos de ahumado frío y caliente y la adición de extracto polifenólico natural de Dunaliella salina sobre la calidad bioquímica y la vida útil de filetes de Sander lucioperca almacenados durante 90 días

The effects of cold and hot smoking and the addition of Dunaliella salina polyphenol extract on the biochemical quality and shelf-life of Sander lucioperca fillets after storage for 90 days at 0-4 °C were examined. The results showed a significant increase in protein, lipid, free fatty acid, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl contents, and a decrease in peroxide and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and volatile base nitrogen levels in cold (CSF) and hot (HSF) smoked fillets covered with or without extract and stored for 1, 20, and 90 days compared to fresh fillets (FF). Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids exhibited a significant increase in FF and CSF and HSF covered with or without extract. The total polyunsaturated fatty acids revealed a significant decrease in FF and CSF and HSF with or without extract. Therefore, cold and hot smoking and polyphenol extract improved the biochemical quality and storage shelf-life of fillets for 90 days at 0-4 °C.Se examinaron los efectos del ahumado en frío y en caliente y la adición de extracto de polifenoles de Dunaliella salina sobre la calidad bioquímica y la vida útil de filetes de Sander lucioperca almacenados durante 90 días a 0-4 °C. Los resultados mostraron un aumento significativo en los contenidos de proteínas, lípidos, ácidos grasos libres y 1,1-difenil-2-picrilhidrazilo, y una disminución en las sustancias reactivas de peróxido y ácido tiobarbitúrico, y los niveles de nitrógeno básico volátil en frío (LCR) y caliente (HSF) de filetes ahumados cubiertos con o sin extracto y almacenados durante 1, 20 y 90 días en comparación con los filetes frescos (FF). Los ácidos grasos saturados y monoinsaturados exhibieron un aumento significativo en FF y LCR y HSF cubiertos con o sin extracto. Los ácidos grasos poliinsaturados totales revelaron una disminución significativa en FF y CSF y HSF con o sin extracto. Por lo tanto, el ahumado en frío y en caliente y el extracto de polifenoles mejoraron la calidad bioquímica y la vida útil durante el almacenamiento de los filetes durante 90 días a 0-4 °C

Tomato: a crop species amenable to improvement by cellular and molecular methods

Tomato is a crop plant with a relatively small DNA content per haploid genome and a well developed genetics. Plant regeneration from explants and protoplasts is feasable which led to the development of efficient transformation procedures. In view of the current data, the isolation of useful mutants at the cellular level probably will be of limited value in the genetic improvement of tomato. Protoplast fusion may lead to novel combinations of organelle and nuclear DNA (cybrids), whereas this technique also provides a means of introducing genetic information from alien species into tomato. Important developments have come from molecular approaches. Following the construction of an RFLP map, these RFLP markers can be used in tomato to tag quantitative traits bred in from related species. Both RFLP's and transposons are in the process of being used to clone desired genes for which no gene products are known. Cloned genes can be introduced and potentially improve specific properties of tomato especially those controlled by single genes. Recent results suggest that, in principle, phenotypic mutants can be created for cloned and characterized genes and will prove their value in further improving the cultivated tomato.

Evaluating the performance of artificial intelligence software for lung nodule detection on chest radiographs in a retrospective real-world UK population

Objectives Early identification of lung cancer on chest radiographs improves patient outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may increase diagnostic accuracy and streamline this pathway. This study evaluated the performance of commercially available AI-based software trained to identify cancerous lung nodules on chest radiographs. Design This retrospective study included primary care chest radiographs acquired in a UK centre. The software evaluated each radiograph independently and outputs were compared with two reference standards: (1) the radiologist report and (2) the diagnosis of cancer by multidisciplinary team decision. Failure analysis was performed by interrogating the software marker locations on radiographs. Participants 5722 consecutive chest radiographs were included from 5592 patients (median age 59 years, 53.8% women, 1.6% prevalence of cancer). Results Compared with radiologist reports for nodule detection, the software demonstrated sensitivity 54.5% (95% CI 44.2% to 64.4%), specificity 83.2% (82.2% to 84.1%), positive predictive value (PPV) 5.5% (4.6% to 6.6%) and negative predictive value (NPV) 99.0% (98.8% to 99.2%). Compared with cancer diagnosis, the software demonstrated sensitivity 60.9% (50.1% to 70.9%), specificity 83.3% (82.3% to 84.2%), PPV 5.6% (4.8% to 6.6%) and NPV 99.2% (99.0% to 99.4%). Normal or variant anatomy was misidentified as an abnormality in 69.9% of the 943 false positive cases. Conclusions The software demonstrated considerable underperformance in this real-world patient cohort. Failure analysis suggested a lack of generalisability in the training and testing datasets as a potential factor. The low PPV carries the risk of over-investigation and limits the translation of the software to clinical practice. Our findings highlight the importance of training and testing software in representative datasets, with broader implications for the implementation of AI tools in imaging

The Cholecystectomy As A Day Case (CAAD) Score: A Validated Score of Preoperative Predictors of Successful Day-Case Cholecystectomy Using the CholeS Data Set

Background Day-case surgery is associated with significant patient and cost benefits. However, only 43% of cholecystectomy patients are discharged home the same day. One hypothesis is day-case cholecystectomy rates, defined as patients discharged the same day as their operation, may be improved by better assessment of patients using standard preoperative variables. Methods Data were extracted from a prospectively collected data set of cholecystectomy patients from 166 UK and Irish hospitals (CholeS). Cholecystectomies performed as elective procedures were divided into main (75%) and validation (25%) data sets. Preoperative predictors were identified, and a risk score of failed day case was devised using multivariate logistic regression. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to validate the score in the validation data set. Results Of the 7426 elective cholecystectomies performed, 49% of these were discharged home the same day. Same-day discharge following cholecystectomy was less likely with older patients (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), higher ASA scores (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.15–0.23), complicated cholelithiasis (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.48), male gender (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.58–0.74), previous acute gallstone-related admissions (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.48–0.60) and preoperative endoscopic intervention (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.34–0.47). The CAAD score was developed using these variables. When applied to the validation subgroup, a CAAD score of ≤5 was associated with 80.8% successful day-case cholecystectomy compared with 19.2% associated with a CAAD score >5 (p < 0.001). Conclusions The CAAD score which utilises data readily available from clinic letters and electronic sources can predict same-day discharges following cholecystectomy

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Cementation of sand soil by microbially induced calcite precipitation at various degrees of saturation

A newly emerging microbiological soil stabilization method, known as microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP), has been tested for geotechnical engineering applications. MICP is a promising technique that utilizes the metabolic pathways of bacteria to form calcite precipitation throughout the soil matrix, leading to an increase in soil strength and stiffness. This paper investigates the geotechnical properties of sand bio-cemented under different degrees of saturation. A series of laboratory experiments was conducted, including sieve analysis, permeability, unconfined compressive strength, consolidated undrained triaxial, and durability tests. The results indicate that higher soil strength can be obtained at similar CaCO3 content when the treatment is performed under a low degree of saturation. The experimental results are further explained with a mathematical model, which shows that the crystallization efficiency, i.e., actual volume of crystals forming at the contact point where they contribute the most to strength, can be calculated from the degree of saturation and grain size. Fine sand samples exhibited higher cohesion, but lower friction angle than coarse sand samples with similar CaCO3 content. The results also confirm the potential of MICP as a viable alternative technique for soil improvement in many geotechnical engineering applications, including liquefiable sand deposits, slope stabilization, and subgrade reinforcement. The freeze-thaw and acid rain resistance of MICP-treated sand has also been tested