Comparative Study between Sliding Mode Control and the Vectorial Control of a Brushless doubly fed induction generator

Brushless doubly fed induction generators (BDFIG) show commercial promise forwind-power generation due to their lower capital and operational costs and higher reliability ascompared with doubly fed induction generators. This paper proposes a robust sliding mode control of grid-connected brushless doubly fed induction generator (BDFIG). The developed algorithm is based on the decoupling control by using oriented grid flux vector control strategy. The decoupling of the active and the reactive stator powers insures an optimal performance of the BDFIG at the sub-synchronous region. The stator of this machine incorporates two sets of three phase windings with different number of poles, power winding (PW) and control winding (CW). The proposed method is tested with the Matlab/Simulink software. Simulation results illustrate the performances and the feasibility of the designed control

Three dimensional structure prediction of fatty acid binding site on human transmembrane receptor CD36

CD36 is an integral membrane protein which is thought to have a hairpin-like structure with alpha-helices at the C and N terminals projecting through the membrane as well as a larger extracellular loop. This receptor interacts with a number of ligands including oxidized low density lipoprotein and long chain fatty acids (LCFAs). It is also implicated in lipid metabolism and heart diseases. It is therefore important to determine the 3D structure of the CD36 site involved in lipid binding. In this study, we predict the 3D structure of the fatty acid (FA) binding site [127–279 aa] of the CD36 receptor based on homology modeling with X-ray structure of Human Muscle Fatty Acid Binding Protein (PDB code: 1HMT). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the resulting model suggests that this model was reliable and stable, taking in consideration over 97.8% of the residues in the most favored regions as well as the significant overall quality factor. Protein analysis, which relied on the secondary structure prediction of the target sequence and the comparison of 1HMT and CD36 [127–279 aa] secondary structures, led to the determination of the amino acid sequence consensus. These results also led to the identification of the functional sites on CD36 and revealed the presence of residues which may play a major role during ligand-protein interactions

Genomic Research Data Generation, Analysis and Sharing – Challenges in the African Setting

International audienceGenomics is the study of the genetic material that constitutes the genomes of organisms. This genetic material can be sequenced and it provides a powerful tool for the study of human, plant and animal evolutionary history and diseases. Genomics research is becoming increasingly commonplace due to significant advances in and reducing costs of technologies such as sequencing. This has led to new challenges including increasing cost and complexity of data. There is, therefore, an increasing need for computing infrastructure and skills to manage, store, analyze and interpret the data. In addition, there is a significant cost associated with recruitment of participants and collection and processing of biological samples, particularly for large human genetics studies on specific diseases. As a result, researchers are often reluctant to share the data due to the effort and associated cost. In Africa, where researchers are most commonly at the study recruitment, determination of phenotypes and collection of biological samples end of the genomic research spectrum, rather than the generation of genomic data, data sharing without adequate safeguards for the interests of the primary data generators is a concern. There are substantial ethical considerations in the sharing of human genomics data. The broad consent for data sharing preferred by genomics researchers and funders does not necessarily align with the expectations of researchers, research participants, legal authorities and bioethicists. In Africa, this is complicated by concerns about comprehension of genomics research studies, quality of research ethics reviews and understanding of the implications of broad consent, secondary analyses of shared data, return of results and incidental findings. Additional challenges with genomics research in Africa include the inability to transfer, store, process and analyze large-scale genomics data on the continent, because this requires highly specialized skills and expensive computing infrastructure which are often unavailable. Recently initiatives such as H3Africa and H3ABioNet which aim to build capacity for large-scale genomics projects in Africa have emerged. Here we describe such initiatives, including the challenges faced in the generation, analysis and sharing of genomic data and how these challenges are being overcome

Development of Bioinformatics Infrastructure for Genomics Research:

Although pockets of bioinformatics excellence have developed in Africa, generally, large-scale genomic data analysis has been limited by the availability of expertise and infrastructure. H3ABioNet, a pan-African bioinformatics network, was established to build capacity specifically to enable H3Africa (Human Heredity and Health in Africa) researchers to analyze their data in Africa. Since the inception of the H3Africa initiative, H3ABioNet's role has evolved in response to changing needs from the consortium and the African bioinformatics community

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway : a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Background The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Results Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened.Peer reviewe

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway: a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Background The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Results Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened

Beneficial Microorganisms as Bioprotectants against Foliar Diseases of Cereals: A Review

Cereal production plays a major role in both animal and human diets throughout the world. However, cereal crops are vulnerable to attacks by fungal pathogens on the foliage, disrupting their biological cycle and photosynthesis, which can reduce yields by 15–20% or even 60%. Consumers are concerned about the excessive use of synthetic pesticides given their harmful effects on human health and the environment. As a result, the search for alternative solutions to protect crops has attracted the interest of scientists around the world. Among these solutions, biological control using beneficial microorganisms has taken on considerable importance, and several biological control agents (BCAs) have been studied, including species belonging to the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, Trichoderma, Cladosporium, and Epicoccum, most of which include plants of growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs). Bacillus has proved to be a broad-spectrum agent against these leaf cereal diseases. Interaction between plant and beneficial agents occurs as direct mycoparasitism or hyperparasitism by a mixed pathway via the secretion of lytic enzymes, growth enzymes, and antibiotics, or by an indirect interaction involving competition for nutrients or space and the induction of host resistance (systemic acquired resistance (SAR) or induced systemic resistance (ISR) pathway). We mainly demonstrate the role of BCAs in the defense against fungal diseases of cereal leaves. To enhance a solution-based crop protection approach, it is also important to understand the mechanism of action of BCAs/molecules/plants. Research in the field of preventing cereal diseases is still ongoing

Comparison of anticoagulation with left atrial appendage closure after atrial fibrillation ablation: Rationale and design of the OPTION randomized trial

Background: For patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF), physicians typically offer AF ablation for symptom relief; however, patients often anticipate/expect a life free from anticoagulation. This belief puts patients at increased risk of stroke due to the potential for asymptomatic AF postablation if anticoagulation is ceased contrary to clinical guidelines. Although the WATCHMAN device has been FDA-approved to decrease the risk of thromboembolism from the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with an appropriate rationale to avoid oral anticoagulation, it has not been well-studied following AF ablation. Additionally, there are limited data comparing the WATCHMAN device to direct oral anticoagulants. The OPTION study will investigate whether LAA closure with the WATCHMAN FLX device is a reasonable alternative to oral anticoagulation following percutaneous catheter ablation for nonvalvular AF. Trial design: OPTION is a multinational, multicenter, prospective randomized clinical trial. Patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc of ≥2 in men or ≥3 in women and who underwent a AF catheter ablation procedure between 90 and 180 days prior to randomization (sequential) or are planning to have catheter ablation within 10 days of randomization (concomitant) will be randomized in a 1:1 allocation of WATCHMAN FLX vs control. Control patients will start or continue market-approved oral anticoagulation for the duration of the trial. A total of 1600 patients were randomized from 130 global investigational sites. Follow-up for both device and control patients will occur at 3, 12, 24, and 36 months. The primary effectiveness noninferiority endpoint is stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), all-cause death, or systemic embolism at 36 months. The primary safety superiority endpoint is nonprocedural bleeding through 36 months (International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis [ISTH] major bleeding or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding). The secondary noninferiority endpoint is ISTH major bleeding through 36 months (including procedural bleeding). Conclusions: This trial will assess the safety and efficacy of WATCHMAN FLX in a postablation contemporary clinical AF patient population at risk of stroke

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with paediatric cancer in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, observational cohort study

OBJECTIVES: Paediatric cancer is a leading cause of death for children. Children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) were four times more likely to die than children in high-income countries (HICs). This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the delivery of healthcare services worldwide, and exacerbated the disparity in paediatric cancer outcomes between LMICs and HICs. DESIGN: A multicentre, international, collaborative cohort study. SETTING: 91 hospitals and cancer centres in 39 countries providing cancer treatment to paediatric patients between March and December 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Patients were included if they were under the age of 18 years, and newly diagnosed with or undergoing active cancer treatment for Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, Wilms' tumour, sarcoma, retinoblastoma, gliomas, medulloblastomas or neuroblastomas, in keeping with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All-cause mortality at 30 days and 90 days. RESULTS: 1660 patients were recruited. 219 children had changes to their treatment due to the pandemic. Patients in LMICs were primarily affected (n=182/219, 83.1%). Relative to patients with paediatric cancer in HICs, patients with paediatric cancer in LMICs had 12.1 (95% CI 2.93 to 50.3) and 7.9 (95% CI 3.2 to 19.7) times the odds of death at 30 days and 90 days, respectively, after presentation during the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, patients with paediatric cancer in LMICs had 15.6 (95% CI 3.7 to 65.8) times the odds of death at 30 days (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected paediatric oncology service provision. It has disproportionately affected patients in LMICs, highlighting and compounding existing disparities in healthcare systems globally that need addressing urgently. However, many patients with paediatric cancer continued to receive their normal standard of care. This speaks to the adaptability and resilience of healthcare systems and healthcare workers globally

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P &lt; 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)