Fatigue Prediction of the Discharge Pipe in Reciprocating Compressor

In this paper, a fatigue prediction of the line discharge tube for reciprocating compressor being installed in a refrigerator was studied. The tube usually gets plenty of the repeated loads caused by the start and stop motion of a reciprocating compressor. There are two representative methods to predict the fatigue stress. At first the stress-life can be applied to the problem which takes a lot of repeated stress within the elastic strain range. Second is the strain-life method which can be used when it comes to the problem of a small repeated stress in the plastic strain range. This paper presents the stress-life method how the design parameters of a discharge pipe relate to the fatigue prediction and analyzes the co-relation between them

The effect of 4-hexylresorinol administration on NAD+ level and SIRT activity in Saos-2 cells

Background 4-hexylresorcinol (4HR) has been shown to have anti-oxidant activity similar to that of resveratrol. As resveratrol increases sirtuin (SIRT) activity, 4HR might behave similarly to resveratrol. Method In this study, the expression levels of SIRT1, SIRT3, and SIRT6 were evaluated after 4HR administration (1–100 μM). As NAD+ is a substrate for SIRTs, its levels with SIRT activity were also studied. Results In the results, SIRT3 (100 μM at 24 h) and SIRT6 (1–100 μM at 24 h and 10 μM at 8 h) were shown to have significantly higher expression levels compared to untreated control (p < 0.05). Pan-SIRT activity and the NAD+ level was significantly increased compared to that of the untreated control (p < 0.05; 10 and 100 μM at 24 h). Conclusion 4HR administration increased SIRT activity and the NAD+ level in Saos-2 cells.This study was carried out with the support of the “Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (Project no.PJ01562601)” Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea

Effect of the glyceryl monooleate-based lyotropic phases on skin permeation using in vitro diffusion and skin imaging

AbstractGlyceryl monooleate (GMO) is a polar lipid that can exist in various liquid crystalline phases in the presence of different amounts of water. It is regarded as a permeation enhancer due to its amphiphilic property. Various phases of GMO/solvent system containing sodium fluorescein were prepared to compare permeability using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). GMO was melted in a vial in a water bath heated to 45 °C. Propylene glycol and hexanediol were homogeneously dissolved in the melted GMO. Sodium fluorescein in aqueous solution was diluted to various ratios and thoroughly mixed by an ultrasonic homogenizer. Each GMO/Solvent system with fluorescein was applied onto the epidermal side of excised pig skin and incubated overnight. CLSM was performed to observe how the GMO/solvent system in its different phases affect skin permeability. Cubic and lamellar phase formulations enhanced the fluorescein permeation through the stratum corneum. A solution system had the weakest permeability compared to the other two phases. Due to the amphiphilic nature of GMO, cubic and lamellar phases might reduce the barrier function of stratum corneum which was observed by CLSM as fluorescein accumulated in the dermis. Based on the results, the glyceryl monooleate lyotropic mixtures could be applied to enhance skin permeation in various topical and transdermal formulations

Evolution of the Stethoscope: Advances with the Adoption of Machine Learning and Development of Wearable Devices

The stethoscope has long been used for the examination of patients, but the importance of auscultation has declined due to its several limitations and the development of other diagnostic tools. However, auscultation is still recognized as a primary diagnostic device because it is non-invasive and provides valuable information in real-time. To supplement the limitations of existing stethoscopes, digital stethoscopes with machine learning (ML) algorithms have been developed. Thus, now we can record and share respiratory sounds and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted auscultation using ML algorithms distinguishes the type of sounds. Recently, the demands for remote care and non-face-to-face treatment diseases requiring isolation such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection increased. To address these problems, wireless and wearable stethoscopes are being developed with the advances in battery technology and integrated sensors. This review provides the history of the stethoscope and classification of respiratory sounds, describes ML algorithms, and introduces new auscultation methods based on AI-assisted analysis and wireless or wearable stethoscopes

Mobile resistome of human gut and pathogen drives anthropogenic bloom of antibiotic resistance

BACKGROUND:The impact of human activities on the environmental resistome has been documented in many studies, but there remains the controversial question of whether the increased antibiotic resistance observed in anthropogenically impacted environments is just a result of contamination by resistant fecal microbes or is mediated by indigenous environmental organisms. Here, to determine exactly how anthropogenic influences shape the environmental resistome, we resolved the microbiome, resistome, and mobilome of the planktonic microbial communities along a single river, the Han, which spans a gradient of human activities. RESULTS:The bloom of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was evident in the downstream regions and distinct successional dynamics of the river resistome occurred across the spatial continuum. We identified a number of widespread ARG sequences shared between the river, human gut, and pathogenic bacteria. These human-related ARGs were largely associated with mobile genetic elements rather than particular gut taxa and mainly responsible for anthropogenically driven bloom of the downstream river resistome. Furthermore, both sequence- and phenotype-based analyses revealed environmental relatives of clinically important proteobacteria as major carriers of these ARGs. CONCLUSIONS:Our results demonstrate a more nuanced view of the impact of anthropogenic activities on the river resistome: fecal contamination is present and allows the transmission of ARGs to the environmental resistome, but these mobile genes rather than resistant fecal bacteria proliferate in environmental relatives of their original hosts. Video abstract

A New Onset of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Developed After Bee Venom Therapy

Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease of an unknown origin, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can be triggered by numerous stimuli. Bee venom therapy is an alternative therapy that is believed to be effective for various kinds of arthritis. We present here a case of a 49-year-old female who experienced a new onset lupus after undergoing bee venom therapy, and this looked like a case of angioedema. The patient was successfully treated with high dose steroids and antimalarial drugs. We discuss the possibility of bee venom contributing to the development of SLE, and we suggest that such treatment should be avoided in patients with lupus

Effects of Dietary Garlic Powder on Growth, Feed Utilization and Whole Body Composition Changes in Fingerling Sterlet Sturgeon,

A 12 week growth study was carried out to investigate the supplemental effects of dietary garlic powder (GP) on growth, feed utilization and whole body composition changes of fingerling sterlet sturgeon Acipenser ruthenus (averaging weight, 5.5 g). Following a 24-h fasting, 540 fish were randomly distributed to each of 18 tanks (30 fish/tank) under a semi-recirculation freshwater system. The GP of 0.5% (GP0.5), 1% (GP1), 1.5% (GP1.5), 2% (GP2) and 3% (GP3) was added to the control diet (GP0) containing 43% protein and 16% lipid. After the feeding trial, weight gain (WG) of fish fed GP1.5, GP2 and GP3 were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of fish fed GP0, GP0.5 and GP1. Feed efficiency and specific growth rate (SGR) showed a similar trend to WG. Protein efficiency ratio of fish fed GP1.5, GP2, and GP3 were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of fish groups fed the other diets. A significant difference (p<0.05) was found in whole body composition (moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, ash, and fiber) of fish at the end of the experiment. Significantly higher (p<0.05) protein and lipid retention efficiencies (PRE and LRE) were also found in GP1.5, GP2, and GP3 groups. Broken-line regression model analysis and second order polynomial regression model analysis relation on the basis of SGR and WG indicated that the dietary optimal GP level could be greater than 1.77% and 1.79%, but less than 2.95% and 3.18% in fingerling sterlet sturgeon. The present study suggested that dietary GP for fingerling sterlet sturgeon could positively affect growth performance and protein retention

A Case Report of Familial Benign Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia: A Mutation in the Calcium-Sensing Receptor Gene

Familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FBHH) is an autosomal dominant trait with high penetrance, clinically manifestating a relatively benign, lifelong, persistent hypercalcemia and hypocalciuria without hypercalcemic related complications. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) plays an important role in the regulation of PTH secretion and calcium metabolism. Here we present a family with FBHH of an autosomal dominant inheritance. A heterozygous mutation of E297K (GAG→AAG, exon 4) of CaSR gene was found in 3 family members. To our knowledge, it is the first confirmed case of FBHH with CaSR gene mutation in Korea