Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy to determine formaldehyde to phenol ratio of phenol formaldehyde resole

A model has been proposed to determine the formaldehyde (F) to phenol (P) ratio [F/P] of resole with the help of Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. The study is based on the comparison of IR absorbance of the dominant peaks corresponding to the formaldehyde and phenol contents in the resin. This study can be of much use in adhesive coating industries to employ the F/P ratio as a quality tool as well as for competition resin benchmarking. It can also be utilized for understanding the kinetics of the reactions between phenol and formaldehyde. Detailed qualitative analyses of various resoles with different formulations have been discussed in this paper, which can be of potential help for the standard analysis of the commercial resins. The validation of results confirms that the most fitting model offers an error less than 7%. Interestingly, this model can also be applied with blends of different Phenol formaldehyde resoles.

A review of various image fusion types and transforms

Utilizing multiple views of an image is an important approach in digital photography, video editing, and medical image fusion applications. Image fusion (ImF) methods are used to improve an image's quality and remove noise from the image signal, resulting in a higher signal-to-noise ratio. A complete assessment of the literature on the different transform kinds, techniques, and rules utilized in ImF is presented in this paper. To assess the outcomes, a white flower image was fused using discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and discrete cosine transform (DCT) techniques. For validation of results, the red, green, blue (RGB) and intensity hue saturation (IHS) values of individual and fused images were evaluated. The results obtained from the fused images with the spatial IHS transform method give a remarkable performance. Furthermore, the results of the performance evaluation using DWT and DCT fusion techniques show that the same peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) of 114.04 was achieved for both PSNR 1 and PSNR 2 for DCT, and different results were obtained for DWT. For signal to noise ratio (SNR), SNR 1 and SNR 2 achieved slightly similar values of 114.00 and 114.01 for DCT, while a SNR of 113.28 and 112.26 was achieved for SNR 1 and SNR 2 respectively.

Comparative investigations on different types of inductors in single-phase inverter

This article organized in two sections where it compares the performance of single-phase inverters using various types of inductors with differences modulation technique of pulse width modulation (PWM). Not all inductors perform the same function, even the inductance value is the same. The study will investigate the capability of each inductor on its performance to convert the unfiltered AC voltage into filtered sinusoidal AC voltage. The drum core and toroidal core inductors were used in this investigation. For both inductors, the performance will be analyzed based on Bipolar and Unipolar switching schemes in a single unit H-bridge circuit. The validation of results are through experimental assessment only and it will be evaluating the shape of sinusoidal AC voltage and the content of total harmonics distortion in the AC voltage for both inductors.

Analytic approaches to clinical validation of results from preclinical models of glioblastoma: a systematic review

BackgroundAnalytic approaches to clinical validation of results from preclinical models are important in assessment of their relevance to human disease. This systematic review examined consistency in reporting of glioblastoma cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and assessed whether studies included patient characteristics in their survival analyses.MethodsWe searched Embase and Medline on 02Feb21 for studies using preclinical models of glioblastoma published after Jan2008 that used data from TCGA to validate the association between at least one molecular marker and overall survival in adult patients with glioblastoma. Main data items included cohort characteristics, statistical significance of the survival analysis, and model covariates.ResultsThere were 58 eligible studies from 1,751 non-duplicate records investigating 126 individual molecular markers. In 14 studies published between 2017 and 2020 using TCGA RNA microarray data that should have the same cohort, the median number of patients was 464.5 (interquartile range 220.5-525). Of the 15 molecular markers that underwent more than one univariable or multivariable survival analyses, five had discrepancies between studies. Covariates used in the 17 studies that used multivariable survival analyses were age (76.5%), pre-operative functional status (35.3%), sex (29.4%) MGMT promoter methylation (29.4%), radiotherapy (23.5%), chemotherapy (17.6%), IDH mutation (17.6%) and extent of resection (5.9%).ConclusionsPreclinical glioblastoma studies that used TCGA for validation did not provide sufficient information about their cohort selection and there were inconsistent results. Transparency in reporting and the use of analytic approaches that adjust for clinical variables can improve the reproducibility between studies.Importance of the StudyDespite using the same data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, translational preclinical studies in glioblastoma research included different numbers of patients into their analyses and their results were inconsistent.Fewer than a third of the studies used multivariable survival analysis to adjust for clinical variables but most did not take treatment factors into account.Greater transparency in cohort selection from open access data and integration of clinical variables into analyses will help improve reproducibility in glioblastoma research.

Special function form exact solutions for Jeffery fluid: an application of power law kernel

This research note’s objective is to elaborate on the study of the unsteady MHD natural convective flow of the Jeffery fluid with the fractional derivative model. The fluid flow phenomenon happens between two vertical parallel plates immersed in a porous medium. The one plate is moving with the time-dependent velocity $U_{0} f(t)$ U 0 f ( t ) , while the other is fixed. The mathematical model is presented with the system of the partial differential equation along with physical conditions. Appropriate dimensionless variables are employed in the system of equations, and then this dimensionless model is transformed into the Caputo fractional-order model and solved analytically by the Laplace transform. The exact expressions for velocity and temperature, which satisfy the imposed initial and boundary conditions, are obtained. Memory effects in the fluid are observed which the classical model fails to elaborate. Interesting results are revealed from the investigation of emerging parameters as Grashof number, Prandtl number, relaxation time parameter, Jeffery fluid parameter, Hartmann number, porosity, and fractional parameter. The results are elucidated with the detailed discussion and the assistance of the graphs. For the sake of validation of results, the corresponding solutions for viscous fluids are also obtained and compared with the solutions already existing in the literature.

Offering a preventive solution to defects in commercial building facility system using BIM

Purpose Commercial building facility systems are costly, and due to the complexity of operation and maintenance (O&M), some failures can cause irreversible expensive damage. Currently, few capabilities of building information modeling (BIM) have been used in the facility maintenance operation. The purpose of this paper is to use a tool for making it easier to predict preventable defects in commercial building facility systems by examining a complete BIM. Design/methodology/approach To this end, a list of frequent defects in the facility system was achieved by a review of commercial building literature. Then, by examining a complete BIM model, the available methods and tools for O&M facilities during the operation period are identified and analyzed. Findings The results of the paper show that the solution presented based on total productive maintenance (TPM) subsets can effectively prevent facility system defects during the operation and maintenance period. An expert team assesses the validation of results. Originality/value The findings can help facility managers to adopt measures using TPM methods to prevent defects through an integrated BIM platform. The examination is based on case studies, surveys, expert experience and a thorough literature review.

Robust integration of single-cell cytometry datasets

Combining single-cell cytometry datasets increases the analytical flexibility and the statistical power of data analyses. However, in many cases the full potential of co-analyses is not reached due to technical variance between data from different experimental batches. Here, we present cyCombine, a method to robustly integrate cytometry data from different batches, experiments, or even different experimental techniques, such as CITE-seq, flow cytometry, and mass cytometry. We demonstrate that cyCombine maintains the biological variance and the structure of the data, while minimizing the technical variance between datasets. cyCombine does not require technical replicates across datasets, and computation time scales linearly with the number of cells, allowing for integration of massive datasets. Robust, accurate, and scalable integration of cytometry data enables integration of multiple datasets for primary data analyses and the validation of results using public datasets.

COVID-19 AND LIVER TRANSPLANTS ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE – FACT OR FICTION?

COVID-19 has fundamentally altered clinical practices and guidelines. This also applies to liver transplantation. In the UK, liver transplant activity has dramatically decreased during the early months of the pandemic. The traditional logic dictates that transplantation-related immunosuppression increases the risk of COVID-19 infection and entails sub-par clinical outcomes. However, theories remain theories without clinical evidence. This article examines whether such concerns justify reducing liver transplant activity. It first gives a global picture of liver transplantation during the pandemic. It then discusses whether COVID-19 in patients having received liver transplantation contributes to sub-par clinical outcomes in four aspects: (a) mortality rates, (b) likelihood of contracting more severe disease, (c) graft efficacy and need for re-transplantation, and (d) change in immunosuppression regimen. The article argues that preliminary data positively support up-regulating liver transplant activity to pre-pandemic levels, subjected to issues in healthcare resource allocation. It also proffers future research directions, including validation of results in non-white cohorts and correlations between COVID-19 and acute complications of liver transplantation.

Rapid, Affordable and Scalable SARS-CoV-2 Detection from Saliva

Here we present an inexpensive, rapid, and robust RT-LAMP based SARS-CoV-2 detection method that is easily scalable, enabling point of care facilities and clinical labs to determine results from patients' saliva directly in 30 minutes for less than $2 a sample. The method utilizes a novel combination of widely available reagents that can be prepared in bulk, plated and frozen and remain stable until samples are received. This innovation dramatically reduces preparation time, enabling high-throughput automation and testing with time to results (including setup) in less than one hour for 96 patient samples simultaneously when using a 384 well format. By utilizing a dual-reporter (phenol red pH indicator for end-point detection and SYTO-9 fluorescent dye for real-time), the assay also provides internal validation of results and redundancy in the event of an instrument malfunction.