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Diesel-electric locomotives consume a significant amount of fuel in rail transportation systems. The power transmission system of these locomotives is similar to that of hybrid electric vehicles, so the available diesel-electric locomotives can be promoted to series hybrid locomotives by adding an energy storage source. In this study, the GM SD40-2 locomotive is considered as a case study and the series hybrid structure for this locomotive is designed and simulated by adding a lithium-ion battery pack. Additionally, control strategy plays an important role in reducing the amount of fuel consumed by hybrid electric vehicles. The fuzzy look-ahead control is applied as an online approach for fuel consumption reduction in railway transportation. A fuzzy controller modifies throttle position by accounting for the battery state of charge, the gradient and desired speed of the path ahead. The model developed in this study for train motion simulation considers the locomotive subsystems and satisfies the experimental fuel consumption data specified in the locomotive’s catalog. A simulation of a freight train with the GM SD40-2 locomotive on a local track showed considerable improvement of fuel economy when using series hybrid structure in conjunction with our proposed algorithm for diesel-electric locomotives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of cell geometry and relative density on the high-cycle fatigue behavior of Titanium scaffolds produced by selective laser melting and electron beam melting techniques were numerically investigated by finite element analysis. The regular titanium lattice samples with three different unit cell geometries, namely, diamond, rhombic dodecahedron and truncated cuboctahedron, and the relative density range of 0.1–0.3 were analyzed under uniaxial cyclic compressive loading. A failure event based algorithm was employed to simulate fatigue failure in the cellular material. Stress-life approach was used to model fatigue failure of both bulk (struts) and cellular material. The predicted fatigue life and the damage pattern of all three structures were found to be in good agreement with the experimental fatigue investigations published in the literature. The results also showed that the relationship between fatigue strength and cycles to failure obeyed the power law. The coefficient of power function was shown to depend on relative density, geometry and fatigue properties of the bulk material while the exponent was only dependent on the fatigue behavior of the bulk material. The results also indicated the failure surface at an angle of 45° to the loading direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compressive-sensing approach called Sparse Representation Classifier (SRC) is applied to the classification of bottlenose dolphin whistles by type. The SRC algorithm constructs a dictionary of whistles from the collection of training whistles. In the classification phase, an unknown whistle is represented sparsely by a linear combination of the training whistles and then the call class can be determined with an l1-norm optimization procedure. Experimental studies conducted in this research reveal the advantages and limitations of the proposed method against some existing techniques such as K-Nearest Neighbors and Support Vector Machines in distinguishing different vocalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An image processing technique called Local Binary Patterns (LBP) has been explored for its ability to generate feature vectors for dolphin vocalization classification. The LBP operator eliminates the need for contour tracing, denoising, and other prior processing. In an experimental study of classifying dolphin whistle types, the performance of the LBP operation was compared with that of the popular contour-based Time-Frequency Parameters (TFP) approach. The preliminary experimental results illustrate that the LBP method produces more consistent classifier accuracy of dolphin whistle calls even when the contour shapes are complex and populated with impulsive clicks and anthropogenic harmonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic engine mounts are generally applied to the aerospace and automotive applications for the purpose of cabin noise and vibration reduction. By careful selection of mount design parameters, at a certain frequency called the notch frequency, the dynamic stiffness will be smaller than the static stiffness. Following the notch frequency there will be a frequency, called the peak frequency, where the dynamic stiffness is much higher than the static stiffness. Increase in the dynamic stiffness above the static stiffness is not desirable because of the increase in transmitted force to the airframe or the chassis. Here in this paper, a new hydraulic engine mount design is proposed that uses two working fluids. This new design has two notch frequencies and two peak frequencies. Under special conditions, the peak frequency can be eliminated. As a result, one can obtain a hydraulic engine mount design with only one notch frequency but no peak frequency, by using a controllable fluid or a high viscosity fluid as one of the working fluids. The new hydraulic engine mount design, its mathematical model, and some discussions on the simulation results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, an artificial neural network system is designed and employed for fault prediction of rotating machinery systems. Multi-layer feedforward networks, constituted of non-linear neurons, have been employed. A normalization scheme is implemented on the input and output vectors. The performance of the expert structure is optimized to encounter input data with different intensities and non-regular data. More than 40 rotating machinery faults are introduced into the algorithm. To train the network, the data in the vibration identification chart consisting of vibration signals of common rotating machinery faults are used. Computer software is developed to detect machinery faults by using the above techniques and is validated for fault detection of different machinery systems. It is found that the designed network is capable of identifing unknown faults in rotating machinery. The effectiveness of the proposed neural network algorithm is displayed by several tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: External Oblique Intercostal (EOI) fascial plane blockade is a relatively new regional anesthetic technique used for a variety of upper abdominal surgical procedures. Proponents of this block praise its simple sonoanatomy, extensive local anesthetic (LA) spread, and ease of catheter placement, while avoiding encroachment into the surgical field or dressing sites; nevertheless, it is underutilized in pediatric surgery. Kasai portoenterostomy is a common pediatric surgical procedure for biliary atresia typically done via an open abdominal approach with an extended subcostal incision. Postoperative analgesic management with epidural anesthetic techniques are considered but may be limited by periprocedural coagulopathy concerns., Case Presentation: We present a case of a neonate who underwent successful analgesic management of Kasai portoenterostomy with bilateral EOI block catheters. Opioid consumption and other postoperative outcomes were comparative to previously reported literature of epidural analgesia in this patient population., Conclusions: The purpose of this report is to describe the outcomes and technical approach in a neonate who received EOI blocks as an alternative to epidural anesthetic management. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy and complication rate of EOI blockade to epidural analgesia for Kasai portoenterostomy surgery., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In order to help dentists in choosing the right type of cement for implant-based prostheses, the radiopacity of commonly used cements available in the market was investigated by digital radiography with PSP sensor. In the present study, temporary cements of TempBond (Kerr, Germany), TempBond clear (Kerr, Germany), Dycal (Dentsply, USA) and permanent cements of Multilink N (Ivoclar, Brazil), Panavia F 2.0 (Kurrary, Japan), Fuji plus (GC, Japan), RelyX (3M, USA), Durelon (3M, USA) were used. Four pill-like samples with 0.5 mm and 1 mm thickness and 5 mm in diameter inside the silicon index as recommended by the manufacturer were prepared for each cement. Aluminum step wedge (99% aluminum alloy) was used as control. Using digital radiography, cement and aluminum step wedge samples were radiographed. The images of cement tablets were measured by digital radiography using DFW software to check their radiopacity values. Bonferroni test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparison of cements. The highest radiopacity between the group of 1 and 0.5 mm thickness was related to Glass ionomer Fujiplus GC (2407±45.99) and TempBond (137.21±22.46) cement, respectively. Whereas, the lowest radiopacity among the groups was related to Clear cement. The difference between the mean radiopacities among the studied groups was statistically significant (p<0.001). Based on the results, among the available cements, Glass ionomer Fujiplus GC and TempBond cement are the most efficient for 1 and 0.5 mm thickness, respectively, and Clear cement is the least efficient cement in both groups in terms of radiopacity.

Background: Children undergoing cleft palate repair present challenges to postoperative management due to several factors that can complicate recovery. Utilization of multimodal analgesic protocols can improve outcomes in this population. We report experience designing and implementing an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway for cleft palate repair to optimize postoperative recovery., Aims: The primary aim was to implement an ERAS pathway with >70% bundle adherence to achieve a 30% reduction in postoperative opioid consumption within 12 months. Our secondary aims assessed intraoperative opioid consumption, length of stay, timeliness of oral intake, and respiratory recovery., Methods: A multidisciplinary team of perioperative providers developed an ERAS pathway for cleft palate patients. Key drivers included patient and provider education, formal pathway creation and implementation, multimodal pain therapy, and target-based care. Interventions included maxillary nerve blockade and enhanced intra- and postoperative medication regimens. Outcomes were displayed as statistical process control charts., Results: Pathway compliance was 77.0%. Patients during the intervention period (n = 39) experienced a 49% reduction in postoperative opioid consumption (p < .0001) relative to our historical cohort (n = 63), with a mean difference of -0.33 ± 0.11 mg/kg (95% CI -0.55 to -0.12 mg/kg). Intraoperative opioid consumption was reduced by 36% (p = .002), with a mean difference of -0.27 ± 0.09 mg/kg (95% CI -0.45 to -0.09 mg/kg). Additionally, patients in the intervention group had a 45% reduction in time to first oral intake (p = .02) relative to our historical cohort, with a mean difference of -3.81 ± 1.56 h (95% CI -6.9 to -0.70). There was no difference in PACU or hospital length of stay, but there was a significant reduction in variance of all secondary outcomes., Conclusion: Opioid reduction and improved timeliness of oral intake is possible with an ERAS protocol for cleft palate repair, but our protocol did not alter PACU or hospital length of stay., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Today, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the release of drugs have been studied extensively. In this research, we have investigated the novel magnetic framework including Fe 3 O 4 @PAA@ZIF-8 for the delivery of ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibiotic. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of Fe 3 O 4 @PAA@ZIF-8 and Fe 3 O 4 @PAA@ZIF-8@CIP screened against Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) and Escherichia coli ( E. coli) bacteria. The structure of the nano carrier, as well as the encapsulation of the drug in the framework was confirmed by the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray crystallography (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The results of this study showed that 93% of the CIP was loaded on the synthesized framework. Drug release was done at pH: 7.4 and pH: 5 within 2 d, resulting about 73% release of the drug.

Thlapsi arvense L. (pennycress) is being developed as a profitable oilseed cover crop for the winter fallow period throughout the temperate regions of the world, controlling soil erosion and nutrients run-off on otherwise barren farmland. We demonstrate that pennycress can serve as a user-friendly model system akin to Arabidopsis that is well-suited for both laboratory and field experimentation. We sequenced the diploid genome of the spring-type Spring 32-10 inbred line (1C DNA content of 539 Mb; 2n = 14), identifying variation that may explain phenotypic differences with winter-type pennycress, as well as predominantly a one-to-one correspondence with Arabidopsis genes, which makes translational research straightforward. We developed an Agrobacterium-mediated floral dip transformation method (0.5% transformation efficiency) and introduced CRISPR-Cas9 constructs to produce indel mutations in the putative FATTY ACID ELONGATION1 (FAE1) gene, thereby abolishing erucic acid production and creating an edible seed oil comparable to that of canola. We also stably transformed pennycress with the Euonymus alatus diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (EaDAcT) gene, producing low-viscosity acetyl-triacylglycerol-containing seed oil suitable as a diesel-engine drop-in fuel. Adoption of pennycress as a model system will accelerate oilseed-crop translational research and facilitate pennycress' rapid domestication to meet the growing sustainable food and fuel demands., (© 2018 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Thlaspi arvense (pennycress) has the potential for domestication as a new oilseed crop. Information from an extensive body of research on the related plant species Arabidopsis can be used to greatly speed this process. Genome-scale comparisons in this paper documented that pennycress and Arabidopsis share similar gene duplication. This finding led to the hypothesis that it should be possible to isolate Arabidopsis-like mutants in pennycress. This proved to be true, as forward genetic screens identified floral and vegetative pennycress mutants that were similar to mutants found in Arabidopsis. Extending this approach, it was shown that most of the pennycress genes responsible for the formation of oxidized tannins could be rapidly identified. The causative mutations in the pennycress mutants could be identified either by PCR amplification of candidate genes or through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis. In all, WGS was used to characterize 95 ethyl methane sulfonate mutants, which revealed a mutation rate of 4.09 mutations per megabase. A sufficient number of non-synonymous mutations were identified to create a mutant gene index that could be used for reverse genetic approaches to identify pennycress mutants of interest. As proof of concept, a Ta-max3-like dwarf mutant and Ta-kcs5/cer60-like wax mutants deficient in the biosynthesis of long chain fatty acids were identified. Overall, these studies demonstrate that translational genomics can be used to promote the domestication of pennycress. Furthermore, the ease with which important findings could be made in pennycress makes this species a new potential model plant., (© 2018 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Experimental Biology.)

In this paper, genetic algorithm was used to investigate mathematical modeling of ethanol fermentation in a continuous conventional bioreactor (CCBR) and a continuous membrane bioreactor (CMBR) by ethanol permselective polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane. A lab scale CMBR with medium glucose concentration of 100gL(-1) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae microorganism was designed and fabricated. At dilution rate of 0.14h(-1), maximum specific cell growth rate and productivity of 0.27h(-1) and 6.49gL(-1)h(-1) were respectively found in CMBR. However, at very high dilution rate, the performance of CMBR was quite similar to conventional fermentation on account of insufficient incubation time. In both systems, genetic algorithm modeling of cell growth, ethanol production and glucose concentration were conducted based on Monod and Moser kinetic models during each retention time at unsteady condition. The results showed that Moser kinetic model was more satisfactory and desirable than Monod model., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Studying the interaction of some atmospheric gases (H2O, HCN, NH3, SO3 and H2S) with 3PT oligomers is important in the development of polymeric sensors for gas detection. In the present study, we studied the relaxed geometries, interaction energies, charge analysis, HOMO-LUMO orbital analysis, and UV-vis spectra of all interacted systems using first-principles density functional theory (DFT). All these analyses indicated the potential of polythiophene as an inexpensive polymeric sensor for the analytes mentioned. Interaction energy values of -19.90, -19.66, -14.01, -8.70, and -4.76 kJ mol(-1) were achieved for adsorption of SO3, H2O, NH3, HCN, and H2S on 3PT, respectively. Consequently, clarification of their physical parameters became the major focus of this study.

Uptake of norepinephrine via the neuronal norepinephrine transporter is reduced in the heart during deoxycorticosterone (DOCA)-salt hypertension. We hypothesized that this was due to reduced norepinephrine transporter mRNA and/or protein expression in the stellate ganglia and heart. After 4 weeks of DOCA-salt treatment there was no change in norepinephrine transporter mRNA in either the right or the left stellate ganglia from hypertensive rats (n=5-7, p>0.05). Norepinephrine transporter immunoreactivity in the left stellate ganglion was significantly increased (n=4, p<0.05) while the right stellate ganglion was unchanged (n=4, p>0.05). Whole heart norepinephrine content was significantly reduced in DOCA rats consistent with reduced uptake function; however, when norepinephrine was assessed by chamber, a significant decrease was noted only in the right atrium and right ventricle (n=6, p<0.05). Cardiac norepinephrine transport binding by chamber revealed that it was only reduced in the left atrium (n=5-7, p>0.05). Therefore, 1) contrary to our hypothesis reduced reuptake in the hypertensive heart is not exclusively due to an overall reduction in norepinephrine transporter mRNA or protein in the stellate ganglion or heart, and 2) norepinephrine transporter regulation occurs regionally in the heart and stellate ganglion in the hypertensive rat heart., (© 2013.)