Thermodynamic Analysis of a Flat Plate Solar Collector with Different Hybrid Nanofluids as Working Medium-A Thermal Modelling Approach.

In this study, the performance of hybrid nanofluids in a flat plate solar collector was analysed based on various parameters such as entropy generation, exergy efficiency, heat transfer enhancement, pumping power, and pressure drop. Five different base fluids were used, including water, ethylene glycol, methanol, radiator coolant, and engine oil, to make five types of hybrids nanofluids containing suspended CuO and MWCNT nanoparticles. The nanofluids were evaluated at nanoparticle volume fractions ranging from 1% to 3% and flow rates of 1 to 3.5 L/min. The analytical results revealed that the CuO-MWCNT/water nanofluid performed the best in reducing entropy generation at both volume fractions and volume flow rate when compared to the other nanofluids studied. Although CuO-MWCNT/methanol showed better heat transfer coefficients than CuO-MWCNT/water, it generated more entropy and had lower exergy efficiency. The CuO-MWCNT/water nanofluid not only had higher exergy efficiency and thermal performance but also showed promising results in reducing entropy generation.

Trends and prospects of geothermal energy as an alternative source of power: A comprehensive review.

The world has capitalized on numerous renewable energy resources by developing its energy infrastructure mainly around solar, biomass, and hydro energy. However, geothermal energy has not yet been developed at a significant scale, despite reports from 62 wells showing evidence of geothermal gradients ranging from 20.8 °C/km to 48.7 °C/km in various areas of the world. Recent studies suggest that Bangladesh also has a huge potential for geothermal energy. This review extensively reports on exploiting the range of geothermal temperature in various direct and indirect energy application sectors including but not limited to the agriculture and industrial sector of Bangladesh. Additionally, the authors have analyzed and proposed adaptable measures to harness the abundance of geothermal energy. Furthermore, a comparative and possible solution has been discussed extensively for implementing a geothermal powerplant by analyzing techno-economic costs, policies, and systems of other countries in the world. Further, this review also shows the prospect of geothermal energy for Bangladesh as a case study.

Class-Aware Fish Species Recognition Using Deep Learning for an Imbalanced Dataset.

Fish species recognition is crucial to identifying the abundance of fish species in a specific area, controlling production management, and monitoring the ecosystem, especially identifying the endangered species, which makes accurate fish species recognition essential. In this work, the fish species recognition problem is formulated as an object detection model to handle multiple fish in a single image, which is challenging to classify using a simple classification network. The proposed model consists of MobileNetv3-large and VGG16 backbone networks and an SSD detection head. Moreover, a class-aware loss function is proposed to solve the class imbalance problem of our dataset. The class-aware loss takes the number of instances in each species into account and gives more weight to those species with a smaller number of instances. This loss function can be applied to any classification or object detection task with an imbalanced dataset. The experimental result on the large-scale reef fish dataset, SEAMAPD21, shows that the class-aware loss improves the model over the original loss by up to 79.7%. The experimental result on the Pascal VOC dataset also shows the model outperforms the original SSD object detection model.

Off-Road Detection Analysis for Autonomous Ground Vehicles: A Review.

When it comes to some essential abilities of autonomous ground vehicles (AGV), detection is one of them. In order to safely navigate through any known or unknown environment, AGV must be able to detect important elements on the path. Detection is applicable both on-road and off-road, but they are much different in each environment. The key elements of any environment that AGV must identify are the drivable pathway and whether there are any obstacles around it. Many works have been published focusing on different detection components in various ways. In this paper, a survey of the most recent advancements in AGV detection methods that are intended specifically for the off-road environment has been presented. For this, we divided the literature into three major groups: drivable ground and positive and negative obstacles. Each detection portion has been further divided into multiple categories based on the technology used, for example, single sensor-based, multiple sensor-based, and how the data has been analyzed. Furthermore, it has added critical findings in detection technology, challenges associated with detection and off-road environment, and possible future directions. Authors believe this work will help the reader in finding literature who are doing similar works.

Relationship between Pack Year and Lung Function Parameters in Asymptomatic Smokers.

Smoking has extensive effects on respiratory function. The rate of cigarette smoking among young people has continued to increase steadily. Exposure to cigarette smoking is usually measured in terms of 'Pack-Year'. The aim of the study was to observe the effect of pack years on pulmonary functions in apparently healthy asymptomatic smokers by measuring FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio and PEFR value by digital spirometer. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the department of Physiology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College in collaboration with department of Medicine, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet, Bangladesh from July 2016 to June 2017. A total number of 100 male smokers, age ranging from 18-60 years and BMI within normal limit (18.5-24.9kg/m²) were included in this study. Their pulmonary functions were studied by measuring FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio and PEFR. Relationship between pack-year and pulmonary function test parameters was established by one way ANOVA test. In this study we found that lung function parameters shared an inverse relationship with pack year of smoking. The percentage of predicted values of FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio and PEFR were significantly lower (p<0.001) in heavy smokers who smoked more than 30 pack years. Therefore, by this study we inferred that those who smoked more than 10 pack years are associated with accelerated decline in lung function.

Head and neck burns are associated with long-term patient-reported dissatisfaction with appearance: A Burn Model System National Database study.

INTRODUCTION: Burns affecting the head and neck (H&N) can lead to significant changes in appearance. It is postulated that such injuries have a negative impact on patients' social functioning, quality of life, physical health, and satisfaction with appearance, but there has been little investigation of these effects using patient reported outcome measures. This study evaluates the effect of H&N burns on long-term patient reported outcomes compared to patients who sustained burns to other areas. METHODS: Data from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Burn Model System National Database collected between 1996 and 2015 were used to investigate differences in outcomes between those with and without H&N burns. Demographic and clinical characteristics for adult burn survivors with and without H&N burns were compared. The following patient-reported outcome measures, collected at 6, 12, and 24 months after injury, were examined: satisfaction with life (SWL), community integration questionnaire (CIQ), satisfaction with appearance (SWAP), short form-12 physical component score (SF-12 PCS), and short form-12 mental component score (SF-12 MCS). Mixed regression model analyses were used to examine the associations between H&N burns and each outcome measure, controlling for medical and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 697 adults (373 with H&N burns; 324 without H&N burns) were included in the analyses. Over 75% of H&N injuries resulted from a fire/flame burn and those with H&N burns had significantly larger burn size (p<0.001). In the mixed model regression analyses, SWAP and SF-12 MCS were significantly worse for adults with H&N burns compared to those with non-H&N burns (p<0.01). There were no significant differences between SWL, CIQ, and SF-12 PCS. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors with H&N burns demonstrated community integration, physical health, and satisfaction with life outcomes similar to those of survivors with non-H&N burns. Scores in these domains improved over time. However, survivors with H&N burns demonstrated worse satisfaction with their appearance. These results suggest that strategies to address satisfaction with appearance, such as reconstructive surgery, cognitive behavior therapy, and social skills training, are an area of need for survivors with H&N burns.

Influence of oxygen content of the certain types of biodiesels on particulate oxidative potential.

Oxidative potential (OP) is related to the organic phase, specifically to its oxygenated organic fraction (OOA). Furthermore, the oxygen content of fuel molecules has significant influence on particulate OP. Thus, this study aimed to explore the actual dependency of the OOA and ROS to the oxygen content of the fuel. In order to reach the goal, different biodiesels blends, with various ranges of oxygen content; have been employed. The compact time of flight aerosol mass spectrometer (c-ToF AMS) enabled better identification of OOA. ROS monitored by using two assays: DTT and BPEA-nit. Despite emitting lower mass, both assays agreed that oxygen content of a biodiesel is directly correlated with its OOA, and highly related to its OP. Hence, the more oxygen included in the considered biodiesels, the higher the OP of PM emissions. This highlights the importance of taking oxygen content into account while assessing emissions from new fuel types, which is relevant from a health effects standpoint.

Particle emissions from microalgae biodiesel combustion and their relative oxidative potential.

Microalgae are considered to be one of the most viable biodiesel feedstocks for the future due to their potential for providing economical, sustainable and cleaner alternatives to petroleum diesel. This study investigated the particle emissions from a commercially cultured microalgae and higher plant biodiesels at different blending ratios. With a high amount of long carbon chain lengths fatty acid methyl esters (C20 to C22), the microalgal biodiesel used had a vastly different average carbon chain length and level of unsaturation to conventional biodiesel, which significantly influenced particle emissions. Smaller blend percentages showed a larger reduction in particle emission than blend percentages of over 20%. This was due to the formation of a significant nucleation mode for the higher blends. In addition measurements of reactive oxygen species (ROS), showed that the oxidative potential of particles emitted from the microalgal biodiesel combustion were lower than that of regular diesel. Biodiesel oxygen content was less effective in suppressing particle emissions for biodiesels containing a high amount of polyunsaturated C20-C22 fatty acid methyl esters and generated significantly increased nucleation mode particle emissions. The observed increase in nucleation mode particle emission is postulated to be caused by very low volatility, high boiling point and high density, viscosity and surface tension of the microalgal biodiesel tested here. Therefore, in order to achieve similar PM (particulate matter) emission benefits for microalgal biodiesel likewise to conventional biodiesel, fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) with high amounts of polyunsaturated long-chain fatty acids (≥C20) may not be desirable in microalgal biodiesel composition.

Clinicopathological comparison of triple negative breast cancers with non-triple negative breast cancers in a hospital in North India.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide (1.3 million cases, 10.9%) and ranks 5 th as cause of death from cancer overall (458,000 cases, 6.1%). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with characteristic biological and pathological features. Among the subgroups of breast cancer, triple negative cancer is particularly feared because it is associated with poor outcome. However, clinical data on TNBC in Asian population are limited. The present study was aimed to find the prevalence of TNBCs and to compare various clinicopathological features of TNBC with non TNBC patients in our population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical and pathological data of 180 breast cancer patients who visited our department from January 2009 to December 2013 were analyzed. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Of 180 cases, 62 (34.4%) had TNBC. Data analysis revealed significant difference in mean age, mean tumor size, tumor grade between TNBC and non-TNBC patients. Axillary lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular involvement were also more in TNBC patients however this was not statistically significant. Extranodal spread was recorded more in non-TNBC patients as compared to TNBC patients, but the results were statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: Triple negative breast cancer represented 34.4% which is higher than the range normally reported in the literature. TNBC are associated with younger age, large tumor size, high-grade tumors, and a higher rate of axillary lymph node metastasis.

Computational modeling of 137Cs contaminant transfer associated with sediment transport in Abukuma River.

A numerical model capable of simulating the transfer of (137)Cs in rivers associated with transport of fine sediment is presented. The accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) released radionuclides into the atmosphere, and after fallout several radionuclides in them, such as radiocesium ((134)Cs, (137)Cs) and radioiodine ((131)I) were adsorbed on surface soil particles around FDNPP and transported by surface water. To understand the transport and deposition of the radioactive contaminant along with surface soil particles and its flux to the ocean, we modeled the transport of the (137)Cs contaminant by computing the water flow and the associated washload and suspended load transport. We have developed a two-dimensional model to simulate the plane flow structure, sediment transport and associated (137)Cs contaminant transport in rivers by combining a shallow water flow model and an advection-diffusion equation for the transport of sediment. The proposed model has been applied to the lower reach of Abukuma River, which is the main river in the highly contaminated area around FDNPP. The numerical results indicate that most (137)Cs supplied from the upstream river reach with washload would directly reach to Pacific Ocean. In contrast, washload-oriented (137)Cs supplied from the upstream river basin has a limited role in the radioactive contamination in the river. The results also suggest that the proposed framework of computational model can be a potential tool for understanding the sediment-oriented (137)Cs behavior in rivers.

Impact of metabolic syndrome in acute myocardial infarction at hospital.

The study was aimed to find out the impact of metabolic syndrome in patients with acute myocardial infarction during hospital stay. This prospective study was carried out in coronary care unit, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital from August 2009 to May 2010. Patients were followed up for minimum 3 days to maximum 6 days after admission. Variables of this study were age, sex, smoking, anterior AMI, inferior AMI, Non STEMI, hyperglycemia, low high density lipoprotein (HDL), raised blood pressure, high triglyceride (TG), waist circumference, recurrent non fatal MI, heart failure (Killip class), arrhythmia (VT, VF), ejection fraction (EF), family history of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. Considering inclusion and exclusion criteria total 100 patients were included and divided into two groups, Group A - Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) with Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and Group B - Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) without Metabolic Syndrome (MS). Investigations included ECG, FBS, fasting lipid profile, cardiac enzyme (troponin I) and echocardiography (2D & M mode). The data were analyzed by computer software SPSS version 12. Chi-square test, t test, ANOVA test was used as test of significance. Among the study population (n=100), female were 12.0%. Mean age of study population was 53.3±10.6 years vs. 47.5±11.3 years. Distribution of metabolic syndrome components in study population, High TG (?150mg/dl) was more prevalent (81.1% vs. 25.8%). Heart failure (Killip class) was significantly more in metabolic syndrome patients than those without metabolic syndrome (46.0 % vs. 20%). LV ejection fraction also lowers in metabolic syndrome patients (46.76±8.34 vs. 50.45±7.50) with MI. Among the components of metabolic syndrome, hyperglycemia had strongest association for development of heart failure (OR 3.05; 95% CI 0.80-12.14).

Exceptional human core promoter nucleotide compositions.

The proximal promoter sequences contain basic motifs for the expression of the downstream genes. We present genome-scale computational analyses of the 120-bp immediate upstream sequences to the +1 transcription start sites (TSSs) of 10,117 human protein-coding genes, and unravel exceptional genes in respect with the core promoter nucleotide composition. Our data reveal that while in 99% of the genes the absolute purine/pyrimidine ratio ranges between 0.2 and 2.5, certain genes show exceptional skew in this balance (e.g. ratios of 82.3 in VWA3A, 61.5 in Sox5, and 24.0 in BRWD3), and consist of islands of purines or pyrimidines. Furthermore, while over 95% of the genes lack more than one short tandem repeat (STR) in their core promoters, certain gene promoters are exceptionally rich in multiple STRs (e.g. eight consecutive STRs in UBE2QL1, and six STRs in GRIA2). We found sequence bias for the majority of those promoters across species, supporting functional roles for them in gene expression. Genes downstream to those promoters were also found to be of ontologic importance (i.e. we were able to track the majority of those genes to the lower species such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Caenorhabditis elegans). The exceptional promoters presented in this study lack the conventional motifs for the TATA, and TATA-less promoters, hence offering novel mechanisms for gene expression. They may also provide potential mechanisms for inter-individual variations in gene expression, and complex traits/disorders.

Reversion of the human calreticulin gene promoter to the ancestral type as a result of a novel psychosis-associated mutation.

Development-dependent, tissue-specific expression of the calreticulin (CALR) gene in the gray matter coincides with the expression of psychoses phenotypes. We have recently reported instances of mutations within the core promoter sequence of the gene in schizoaffective disorder. In view of the mounting evidence on the genetic overlap in the psychiatric spectrum, we investigated this gene in a spectrum of patients afflicted with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and major affective disorder. We found that a unique mutation at nucleotide -220 from the transcription start site, located at a conserved genomic block in the promoter region of the gene, co-occurs with the spectrum of psychoses (p<0.005). This mutation reverts the human promoter sequence to the ancestral type observed in chimpanzee, mouse, and several other species, implying that the genomic block harboring nucleotide -220 may be involved in the evolution of human-specific higher-order functions of the brain (e.g. language, conceptual thinking, and judgment), that are ubiquitously impaired in psychoses. We propose that CALR is not only a promising candidate in the spectrum of psychoses, but also, a gene that may be important in the human-unique brain processes.

Novel extreme homozygote haplotypes at the human caveolin 1 gene upstream purine complex in sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

Aberrant expression of the caveolin-1 (CAV1) gene is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. We have recently reported a polymorphic purine stretch located at between 1.8 and 1.5 kb flanking the CAV1 gene, whose alleles and genotypes are associated with late-onset AD. Extra-short homozygote haplotypes were observed that were present only in the AD cases. Following an independent case/control study, we report alleles at the other extreme of the allele range, haplotypes of which were observed to be homozygous across the region in the AD cases. We propose that there is a window for the length of motifs and haplotypes in the controls. Homozygosity for shorter and longer motifs and haplotypes was linked with AD in our study. Our findings elucidate novel predisposing haplotypes at the CAV1 gene purine complex, and confirm the role of this region in the etiopathophysiology of late-onset AD.

Novel mutations in the calreticulin gene core promoter and coding sequence in schizoaffective disorder.

We have recently reported the first case of mutation in the core promoter sequence of the human calreticulin gene in a family case of schizoaffective disorder. Remarkably, this gene coincides with a region of suggested linkage at 19p13.2, identified in a whole genome scan [Hamshere et al. (2005); Arch Gen Psychiatry 62;1081-1088]. The identified mutation was located at the conserved position -48 from the transcription start site, and was shown to be of functional effect, resulting in the aberrant expression of the gene. Following screening of the gene in 60 independent cases of schizoaffective disorder, we report novel germ-line mutations at positions -205 C > T and the conserved exon 5 (c: 682 C > T, pro228ser) in two unrelated cases of schizoaffective disorder. These mutations were disease-specific, and as for the -48 G > C mutation, neither was detected in a control population of 370 individuals, indicating a contribution of 3.17% in this sample series. To our knowledge, this is the first instance of disease-specific mutations in schizoaffective disorder, which warrants systematic screening of the regulatory and coding regions of the calreticulin gene in this disorder.

Genotoxicity testing of two red dyes in the somatic and germ line cells of Drosophila.

Two red dyes, rhodamine B and amaranth, were tested for their genotoxic effects in the somatic (wing primordia) and germ line cells of Drosophila melanogaster following the wing spot and the sex-linked recessive lethal tests. Second- and third-instar larvae, carrying suitable genetic markers, were subjected to chronic exposure to different concentrations of the test dyes. The results indicate that rhodamine is genotoxic in both somatic and germ line cells and amaranth is non-genotoxic.

Anti-granuloma activity of Iraqi Withania somnifera.

The granuloma-tissue formation inhibiting activity of various fractions of an extract of the aerial parts of Withania somnifera were established using subcutaneous cotton-pellet implantation in rats. Antiinflammatory activity was retained in the methanolic fractions of the plant extract and was comparable to that of a 5 mg/kg dose of hydrocortisone sodium succinate. Activity was attributed to the high content of biologically active steroids in the plant, of which withaferin A is known to be a major component.