Abstract In this manuscript, a closed loop active magnetic bearing system (AMB) is proposed, dynamically modelled, and linearized in form of unstable transfer function. To achieve proper bearing operation, the proposed AMB system is controlled by two separate controllers, one to control the current in the electromagnet coils by forming an inner closed loop and second to stabilize the position of the suspending object at equilibrium. To maintain the position of suspending object at equilibrium, for the proposed AMB system (considering inner closed loop as unity) a conventional PID controller, a PD-fuzzy logic controller (PD-FLC) and a PID-FLC are designed. Their effectiveness on the proposed system is evaluated and compared. Later, the effect of designed controllers on the complete proposed AMB system is studied with the help of control system plots and improvement among their performances is observed. The plotted step responses and calculated transient state parameters will verify that by changing the conventional PID controller to a PID-FLC could result in 48.34% improvement in overshoot, 41.52% increment in speed of response and 32.23% increment in the relative stability.

Abstract Catatonic patients may develop deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) due to prolonged periods of immobility. These life-threatening conditions demand prompt recognition and management. We describe the case of a patient with catatonia who presented to anesthesia for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) at the outset of the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. She complained of breathing difficulty and was suspected to have COVID-19 infection. On further evaluation, she was found to have DVT and PE and required oxygen therapy and intensive care management. The diagnostic delay in our patient would have probably not occurred, had it not been for the existing pandemic situation.

Abstract We have presented the single, particle spectrum for a particle in a mean-field of an isotropic harmonic oscillator with I → ∙ s → coupling based on our semiclassical approach. It has been seen that this spectrum, without I → ∙ s → coupling, exactly matches with the quantum mechanical one (without nuclear constraints). In this case, periodicity conditions give only pendulating orbits coinciding with l ≥ 0 axis, which fully supports the observations reported by Bohr and Mottelson (28). The orbits with l _ 0 are generated by reflecting the particle from the nuclear surface, R0, instead of infinity, which is the usual nuclear constraint. The mean-field strength is fixed by virial theorem. The resulting spectrum compares reasonably with the quantum spectrum for a particle enclosed in a perfectly reflecting walls. The variation of particle number withenergy helps us to identify the significant quantum numbers ‘n’ and ‘l’ in this semiclassical method. Finally, the I → ∙ s → coupling splits each level and the splitting width of these levels compares well with that of nuclear splitting. Thus the complete nuclear shell model (with magic numbers) is reproduced without any fitting parameter.

ABSTRACT The pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) most commonly present as solid neoplasms; however, very rarely, they may present primarily as cystic neoplasms. Most of the cystic PanNETs are non-secreting tumors, and the radiological features are not well defined. Hence pre-operative diagnosis is usually challenging and the tumors are misdiagnosed as mucinous cystic neoplasms, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, serous cystic neoplasms, solid pseudopapillary neoplasms, and non-neoplastic cysts. However, the management depends on the accurate diagnosis of these cystic lesions, which poses a dilemma. Herein, we report the case of a cystic PanNET in the tail of the pancreas, which was clinically and radiologically misdiagnosed as a mucinous cystic neoplasm. This case is reported to highlight this issue to the medical community regarding the diagnostic difficulty in such rare non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

A three-dimensional model for heat transfer analysis of continuous casting mould plate has been developed to predict the hot face temperature. Actual geometry has been considered by incorporating the bolt holes used for fixing bolts to tighten the plate with the backup water box, and the effect of these bolt holes on the hot face temperature of the mould plate is analysed. The high thermal conductivity of copper makes it suitable for use as mould plate material where high heat transfer rates are required. However, copper has poor resistance to abrasion and this disadvantage becomes apparent in the lower part of the mould, where severe wear of the copper surface takes place. To eliminate this problem, high-hardness materials like nickel are coated over the copper surface. This does not affect the heat transfer significantly. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the bolt holes, as well as the nickel coating, on the hot face temperature.

Abstract This paper reports on the determination of the flame height of a flare system using theoretical approach based on the laws of conservation of mass, momentum and energy. The set of ordinary differential equations at steady state conditions are solved numerically by fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The extent of reaction between the fuel and the entrained air has been studied by introducing the reaction mixing efficiency parameter, as the reaction rate is fixed by local entrainment rate. The reaction mixing efficiency parameter is a key measure to determine the height of the flame and its variation with the source velocity is limited by the flame width and the maximum vertical flame velocity at the tip of the flaming region. The variation of different parameters as vertical flame velocity, flame geometry and flame temperature with flame height are shown in plots. It is found that the flame geometry undergoes an initial necking up to a certain height, followed by an increase in its spread thereafter. The flame geometry and the flame dynamics depend exclusively on the burner design and the stack exit velocity. The flame height to burner diameter ratio of the jet diffusion flame is found to vary linearly with Froude number with a constant slope in the logarithmic plot.

As a part of a broad screening of antifungal agents from plant origin, crude extracts from Panamanian plants having related types of constituents displayed significant activities in an agar overlay thin layer chromatography assay against a susceptible strain of Candida albicans. These were the methanolic extract of the leaves of Schefflera systyla and Odontadenia puncticulosa and of the stems of Conostegia speciosa, that are species not previously investigated from a phytochemical viewpoint. For all plants, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) antifungal activity based profiling allowed the rapid localization of antifungal agents that were further obtained by targeted isolation procedure by semi-preparative HPLC or medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) after LC gradient transfer. Different hederagenin saponins and one aglycone were found to be responsible for the antifungal activities of the extracts. Alpha-hederin was the antifungal of S. systyla, pulsatilla saponin D and 3β-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)]-α-L-arabinopyranosylhederagenin of O. puncticulosa and arjunolic acid of C. speciosa. Their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against planktonic and biofilm cells of C. albicans were determined. Alpha-hederin was the most potent compound with a MIC of 4 µg mL-1. Structurally related compounds (hederagenin, medicagenic acid 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and medicagenic acid) were used as standards and tested for comparison purposes. In order to better estimate the potential of these triterpenoids as antifungal agents, their cytological effects on C. albicans were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the in vivo activity of alpha-hederin, medicagenic acid 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and medicagenic acid was evaluated for the first time in the Galleria mellonella larvae model.

Entrar em Velha Goa (Old Goa) durante a exposição das “relíquias sagradas” de S. Francisco Xavier em 2004 significa experienciar um mundo onde o corpóreo e o carnavalesco se unem. Trata-se de um espaço ritual e religioso onde o corpo do jesuíta missionário do século XVI, transformado em santo, adquire destaque: turistas e peregrinos esperam na mesma fila para “ver” o corpo de S. Francisco Xavier e “tocar” o seu túmulo de vidro; o legado colonial (português) de Goa é exibido para consumo público; serviços religiosos católicos e conferências sobre a biografia do missionário são realizados em diversas línguas a várias horas do dia; bancas improvisadas são montadas para vender numerosos objetos icónicos associados ao santo; é exposta a incerteza sobre o destino de S. Francisco Xavier. Neste artigo exploro estas várias dimensões desta exposição do santo patrono de Goa, sugerindo que os turistas e os peregrinos, ao participarem nestes atos fortemente ritualizados, simultaneamente transformam o espaço de Velha Goa, consomem o passado “português”, e passam a fazer parte de uma história em processo de construção, face à crescente fragilidade do corpo do jesuíta. Apesar de o artigo ser baseado numa pesquisa etnográfica conduzida em dezembro de 2004, os seus temas mantêm-se atuais, já que a última exposição de S. Francisco Xavier ocorreu em 2014-2015, prevendo-se que continue a realizar-se de dez em dez anos.

To enter Old Goa during the 2004 Exposition of St. Francis Xavier’s “Sacred Relics” is to experience a world where the corporeal and the carnivalesque coalesce. It is a ritual and religious space wherein the corpse of a 16th century Jesuit missionary-turned-saint takes center stage: pilgrims and tourists stand in the same line to “see” Xavier’s corpse and “touch” his glass casing, Goa’s (Portuguese) colonial legacy is exhibited for public consumption, Catholic religious services and lectures on this missionary’s biography in a variety of languages take place at regular intervals, makeshift stalls sell numerous iconic objects associated with the saint, and finally, the uncertainty of Xavier’s fate is exposed. In this article, I explore the many facets of this exposition of Goa’s patron saint, suggesting that by taking part in these highly ritualized acts focused on Xavier, tourists and pilgrims simultaneously transform the space of Old Goa, consume its “Portuguese” past, and become part of history-in-the-making in the face of the increasing fragility of his corpse. Although this paper is based on ethnographic research conducted in 2004, its themes remain relevant given that Xavier’s last decennial exposition was staged in 2014-2015, and will continue to take place at ten-year intervals.

Abstract In the present study, transalkylation of 1,4-diispropylbenzene (DIPB) with benzene in the presence of modified beta zeolite was performed to produce cumene in a fixed bed reactor. Beta zeolite was exchanged with cerium in order to modify its catalytic activity. Activity of the modified catalyst was evaluated in the range of temperature 493K-593K, space time 4.2 kg h/kmol-9.03 kg h/k mol and benzene/1,4-DIPB molar ratio 1-15 to maximize the reactant conversion and selectivity of cumene. The activity and selectivity of the modified catalyst was found to increase with increase in cerium loading. Maximum selectivity of cumene (83.82%) was achieved at 573 K, benzene/1,4-DIPB 5:1 at one atmosphere pressure. A suitable kinetic model for this reaction was proposed from the product distribution pattern following the Langmuir-Hinshelwood approach. Applying non-linear regression, the model parameters were estimated. The activation energy for the transalkylation reaction was found to be 116.53 kJ/mol.

ABSTRACTThe decoctions of the Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub., Fabaceae, Bauhinia variegata L., Fabaceae, and Ocimum gratissimum L., Lamiaceae, are traditionally used for the treatment of various types of hepatic disorder. Phytochemical studies have shown that total flavonoids from these plants were the major constituents of the picked out part of each plant. The present study was planned to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of flavonoid rich fractions of the B. monosperma, B. variegata and O. gratissimum against paracetamol induced liver damage. Flavonoid rich fractions were isolated by solvent fractionation from each plant. Each fraction was subjected to various qualitative chemical tests to findout the metabolites. Flavonoid fractions of each plant were subjected for pharmacological screening. The rats were monitored for change in liver morphology, biochemical parameters like serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin for the groups receiving the flavonoid-rich fractions. All flavonoid rich fractions showed significant hepatoprotective activity. The histological studies supported the biochemical parameters. From the results of biochemical analysis and histopathological studies, it can be accomplished that in the ethyl acetate fraction of O. gratissimum showed highest hepatoprotective activity as compared to other fractions. The present study was the first evidence of flavonoid-rich fractions of each plant have a remarkable hepatoprotective effect. All fractions contain a potent hepatoprotective agent suggested to be a flavone, which may find clinical application in amelioration of paracetamol-induced liver damage.

O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar comparativamente a atividade antibacteriana de seis plantas indianas contra linhagens clínicas de Streptococcus mutans, que foram isoladas das amostras de biofilme dental de 45 pacientes pediátricos, com 0,2% de clorexidina. Seis extratos vegetais foram preparados em três formas diferentes, a saber, extratos aquosos, extratos à base de solventes orgânicos e extratos brutos. Os testes de sensibilidade antimicrobiana foram realizados por método de difusão em agar. A atividade antimicrobiana dos extratos foi determinada através da medição da zona de inibição, em milímetros, produzida contra os isolados bacterianos. Os resultados mostraram que o extrato de alho cru apresentou maior atividade antibacteriana do que a clorexidina. O extrato aquoso de amla e o extrato à base de solventes orgânicos de gengibre mostraram a máxima atividade antibacteriana contra S. mutans, enquanto o extrato aquoso de tulsi (manjericão) e o extrato à base de solventes orgânicos de amla mostraram mínima atividades antibacteriana. Este estudo sugere que extratos de plantas como o alho em forma bruta, amla como infusão aquosa e gengibre como tintura alcoólica tem um potencial para o controle de S. mutans. Estes extratos podem ser utilizados como uma via alternativa para a prevenção de cáries dentárias ou sob a forma de bochechos, que são seguros e econômicos.

The aim of the study was to comparatively evaluate the antibacterial activity of six Indian plant extracts and 0.2% chlorhexidine against clinical strains of Streptococcus mutans, which were isolated from the plaque samples of 45 pediatric patients. Six plant extracts were prepared in three different forms, namely aqueous extracts, organic solvent-based extracts and crude (raw) extracts. The antimicrobial sensitivity testing was done by agar well diffusion method. Antimicrobial activity of the extracts was determined by measuring the mean zones of inhibition (mm) produced against the bacterial isolates. Results showed that crude garlic extract exhibited greater antibacterial activity than chlorhexidine. Aqueous extract of amla and organic solvent-based extract of ginger showed the maximum antibacterial activity against S. mutans, whereas aqueous extract of tulsi and organic solvent based extract of amla showed the minimum antibacterial activity. This study suggests that plant extracts like garlic in crude form, amla as aqueous infusion and ginger as alcoholic tincture have potential for the control of S. mutans. These extracts can be used as an alternative remedy for dental caries prevention or in the form of mouthwash, which is safe and economical.

The aim of this work was to optimize the biomass production by Bifidobacterium bifidum 255 using the response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) both coupled with GA. To develop the empirical model for the yield of probiotic bacteria, additional carbon and nitrogen content, inoculum size, age, temperature and pH were selected as the parameters. Models were developed using ¼ fractional factorial design (FFD) of the experiments with the selected parameters. The normalized percentage mean squared error obtained from the ANN and RSM models were 0.05 and 0.1%, respectively. Regression coefficient (R²) of the ANN model showed higher prediction accuracy compared to that of the RSM model. The empirical yield model (for both ANN and RSM) obtained were utilized as the objective functions to be maximized with the help of genetic algorithm. The optimal conditions for the maximal biomass yield were 37.4 °C, pH 7.09, inoculum volume 1.97 ml, inoculum age 58.58 h, carbon content 41.74% (w/v), and nitrogen content 46.23% (w/v). The work reported is a novel concept of combining the statistical modeling and evolutionary optimization for an improved yield of cell mass of B. bifidum 255.

INTRODUÇÃO: O Staphylococcus aureus é conhecido por ser um colonizador em humanos sendo implicado em infecções comunitárias dos tecidos moles. Contudo, a resistência à meticilina e emergência de S. aureus meticilina resistentes (MRSA) têm despertado preocupação em todo o mundo. O presente estudo visa encontrar a prevalência de MRSA na comunidade de Bangalore, sul da Índia. MÉTODOS: Suabes foram coletados de narinas anteriores, antebraço e dorso da palma de 1.000 indivíduos saudáveis, residentes em Bangalore e nas proximidades, pertencentes a diferentes estratos socioeconômicos e faixas etárias. RESULTADOS: Observou-se que 22,5% e 16,6% dos indivíduos foram abrigar Staphylococcus aureus e MRSA, respectivamente, em qualquer um dos três locais. Dos S. aureus isolados, 1,4% também foram resistentes à vancomicina, o que foi confirmado pela detecção do gene vanA. Foi interessante notar que 58,8% das crianças na faixa etária de 1-5 anos foram abrigar MRSA, o mais elevado em comparação com outros grupos etários de < 1 (44,4%) ano, 50-20 (21,7%) anos, > 40 (11%) anos e 20-40 (9,9%) anos. Entre a população de diferentes estratos socioeconômicos, a colonização de MRSA máxima foi observada entre os médicos (22,2%), seguida pela classe econômica superior (18,8%), classe baixa (17,7%), pacientes aparentemente saudáveis (16,5%), enfermeiros (16%) e classe econômica média (12,5%). A maioria dos MRSA isolados eram do tipo polissacarídeo capsular antígeno 8 (57,1%). CONCLUSÕES: Há uma necessidade de vigilância e monitorização contínua da presença de MRSA na comunidade, bem como uma melhor compreensão da dinâmica de propagação de MRSA pode ajudar no controle da disseminação.

INTRODUCTION: Staphylococcus aureus is a known colonizer in humans and has been implicated in community acquired soft tissue infections. However emergence of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has aroused great concern worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MRSA in the community of Bangalore, southern India. METHODS: Swabs were collected from anterior nares, forearm, dorsum and palm of the hands of 1,000 healthy individuals residing in and around Bangalore, belonging to different socioeconomic strata and age groups. RESULTS: Analysis verified that 22.5% and 16.6% of the individuals presented Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA, respectively, at any of the three sites. Vancomycin resistance was observed in 1.4% of the S. aureus isolates, which was confirmed by detection of the vanA gene. It was interesting to note that 58.8% of the children in the age group 1-5 years-old presented MRSA, the highest percentage compared to other age groups of < 1 (44.4%) year-old, 5-20 (21.7%) years-old, > 40 (11%) years-old and 20-40 (9.9%) years-old. Among the population of various socioeconomic strata, maximum MRSA colonization was observed among doctors (22.2%), followed by upper economic class (18.8%), lower economic class (17.7%), apparently healthy hospital in-patients (16.5%), nurses (16%) and middle economic class (12.5%). Most of the MRSA isolates were capsular polysaccharide antigen type 8 (57.1%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for continuous surveillance and monitoring of the presence of MRSA in the community and a clearer understanding of the dynamics of the spread of MRSA will assist in controlling its dissemination.

We examine quark flavour mixing matrices for three and four generations using the recursive parametrization of U(n) and SU(n) matrices developed earlier. After a brief summary of the recursive parametrization, we obtain expressions for the independent rephasing invariants and also the constraints on them that arise from the requirement of mod symmetry of the flavour mixing matrix.

Las matrices de mezcla de sabor de quarks para tres y cuatro generaciones son examinadas usando la parametrización recursiva de las matrices U(n) y SU(n) desarrolladas con anterioridad. Después de un breve resumen de la parametrización recursiva, se obtienen las expresiónes para los invariantes independientes de un cambio de fase y las restricciónes sobre estos que se producen del requerimiento de que la matriz de mezcla de sabor sea modulo simétrica.