LaNi0.6Co0.4−xFexO3−δ as Air-Side Contact Material for La0.3Ca0.7Fe0.7Cr0.3O3−δ Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrodes

The goal of the current work was to identify an air-side-optimized contact material for La0.3Ca0.7Fe0.7Cr0.3O3−δ (LCFCr) electrodes and a Crofer22APU interconnect for use in reversible solid oxide fuel cells (RSOFCs). LaNi0.6Co0.4−xFexO3 (x = 0–0.3) perovskite-type oxides were investigated in this work. The partial substitution of Co by Fe decreased the thermal expansion coefficient values (TEC) closer to the values of the LCFCr and Crofer 22 APU interconnects. The oxides were synthesized using the glycine–nitrate method and were characterized using X-ray thermodiffraction and 4-probe DC electrical conductivity measurements. Based on the materials characterization results from the Fe-doped oxides investigated here, the LaNi0.6Co0.2Fe0.2O3−δ composition was selected as a good candidate for the contact material, as it exhibited an acceptable electrical conductivity value of 395 S·cm−1 at 800 °C in air and a TEC value of 14.98 × 10−6 K−1 (RT-900 °C).

Experiment Control and Monitoring System for LOG-a-TEC Testbed

The LOG-a-TEC testbed is a combined outdoor and indoor heterogeneous wireless testbed for experimentation with sensor networks and machine-type communications, which is included within the Fed4FIRE+ federation. It supports continuous deployment principles; however, it is missing an option to monitor and control the experiment in real-time, which is required for experiment execution under comparable conditions. The paper describes the implementation of the experiment control and monitoring system (EC and MS) as the upgrade of the LOG-a-TEC testbed. EC and MS is implemented within existing infrastructure management and built systems as a new service. The EC and MS is accessible as a new tab in sensor management system portal. It supports several commands, including start, stop and restart application, exit the experiment, flash or reset the target device, and displays the real-time status of the experiment application. When nodes apply Contiki-NG as their operating system, the Contiki-NG shell tool is accessible with the help of the newly developed tool, giving further experiment execution control capabilities to the user. By using the ZeroMQ concurrency framework as a message exchange system, information can be asynchronously sent to one or many devices at the same time, providing a real-time data exchange mechanism. The proposed upgrade does not disrupt any continuous deployment functionality and enables remote control and monitoring of the experiment. To evaluate the EC and MS functionality, two experiments were conducted: the first demonstrated the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) localization, while the second analysed interference avoidance in the 6TiSCH (IPv6 over the TSCH mode of IEEE 802.15.4e) wireless technology for the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

A Comparative Analysis of Thermoelectric Modules for the Purpose of Ensuring Thermal Comfort in Protective Clothing

In recent times, more and more workers are exposed to thermal stress due to climate changes and increased ambient temperature. Demanding physical activities and the use of protective clothing are additional sources of thermal load for workers. Therefore, recent research has focused on the development of protective clothing with a cooling function. Phase change materials, air or liquid, were mainly used for this purpose; only a few publications were concerned the use of thermoelectric modules. This publication analyzes the influence of such factors as supplied current, ambient temperature, and the type of heat sink on the amount of heat flux transferred by a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) and the electric power consumed by it. In the course of laboratory tests, a flexible thermoelectric module and three heat sink variants were tested. For this purpose, a polymer TEGway heat sink, a metal one, and a self-made one based on a superabsorbent were used. The research showed that at a temperature of 30 °C and above, the amount of the heat flux transferred by a TEC with a total area of 58 cm2, and an active area of 10 cm2 should be expected to be from 1 W to 1.5 W. An increase in ambient temperature from 20 to 35 °C caused a significant reduction in the heat flux by about 1 W. The results obtained indicated that the type of heat sink affects the heat flux drawn by the TEC to a statistically significant extent. The heat sink using the evaporation effect turned out to be the most efficient.

Preparation of E. coli RNA polymerase transcription elongation complexes for systematic RNA assays

RNA folds into secondary and tertiary structures that can mediate diverse cellular functions. Understanding how RNA sequence directs the formation of biologically active structures requires approaches that can comprehensively assess how changes in an RNA sequence affect its structure and function. Towards this goal, I have developed a general method for purifying E. coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) transcription elongation complexes (TECs) for use in systematic RNA assays. My approach depends on two constituent technologies: First, I have designed an E. coli σ70 promoter that can be efficiently barcoded using a one-pot series of enzymatic reactions. Second, I have developed a strategy for purifying promoter-initiated E. coli RNAP TECs by selective photo-elution from streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. Together, these methods establish a platform for the development of TEC Display assays in which the functional properties of RNA sequence variants can be recorded by fractionating and quantitatively barcoding a TEC library.

Statistical investigations of polar patch occurrence during high solar activity

<p>The circumpolar ionosphere is recognised as one of the most disturbed region of the ionized part of the atmosphere. The reasons for that are mainly dynamic conditions in the coupled system of the magnetosphere and the ionosphere as well as feeding of the polar plasma from the mid-latitude reservoir. One of the consequences of these phenomenon is the occurrence of large-scale ionospheric structures called polar patches. These are commonly defined as the enhancement of the F-region plasma characterized with a foreground-to-background density ratio larger than 2 and a size up to several hundred kilometres.</p><p>In this work we present GNSS-based characteristics of a patch occurrence in the northern hemisphere. The study covers a period of January–May 2014 corresponding to the maximum of the solar activity. The detection of structures was performed with a relative STEC value that is defined as a difference between epoch-wise L4 data and 4<sup>th</sup> order polynomial corresponding to background variations of the ionosphere. In order to ensure a continuous monitoring of the ionosphere over the north pole, we used data from ~45 permanent stations. The results prove that ground-based GNSS data can be successfully used in the climatological investigations of polar patches. We found a strong seasonal effect in the occurrence of these structures with the maximum at the turn of February and March and the minimum in May. Such outcomes correspond to variations of a TEC gradient between subauroral and polar regions. This parameter seems to be also responsible for a subdaily pattern of patches observed for particular months. The comparison of GNSS-based results with in-situ SWARM data revealed some differences, which are probably related to different characteristics of the ionosphere provided by both techniques. Furthermore, the study confirms that most of the patches are observed for the negative values of IMF Bz,  whereas IMF By component has no significant impact on the number of analysed structures. </p>

Experimental application of tissue engineered constructions for urethroplasty

Introduction. For diseases such as stricture and obliteration of the urethra, urethral hypospadias, reconstructive operations are required. The buccal mucosa is the material most commonly used for these operations. The search for alternative materials, carried out in order to reduce trauma and complications in the donor area, is an urgent area of modern urology. Tissue engineered constructions (TEC) can be used as such material.Objective. Justification of the possibility of applying a TEC based on the biodegradable polymers and seeded with autologous buccal epithelium (BE) cells as an implantable material for urethroplasty in an experiment.Methods and Materials. TEC based on poly-L-lactide-caprolactone (PLC) and poly-L-lactide-glycolide (PLG) seeded with BCs was created. Rabbits (n=12) underwent a biopsy of the oral mucosa, BCs were isolated, cultured and PLC-PLG scaffold was seeded with cells. TECs seeded with autological BCs were used on the model of acute trauma of rabbit urethra for replacement urethroplasty.Results. The results were evaluated after 12 weeks, according to the histological examination, there was a repair of the urethral mucosa. According to the data of retrograde urethrography, no impaired urethra patency was detected.Conclusion. TEC (PLK-PLG) seeded with autologous BCs ensured the maintenance of the rabbit urethral lumen which is necessary for adequate urination. This TEC could be recommended for the further clinical studies.

Thromboembolic Complications After Receipt of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate

Purpose: Patients presenting with life-threatening bleeding associated with oral anticoagulants (OACs) are challenging with few available treatments. Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) is an option for OAC reversal in the setting of life-threatening bleeding with a relatively benign safety profile. Little is known about the risk of developing thromboembolic complications (TEC) in patients receiving PCC who were previously anticoagulated. The aim of this study is to characterize the rate of TEC after receipt of PCC. Methods: All adult patients who received 4-Factor PCC for life-threatening bleeding were retrospectively evaluated over a 2-year time period. Data collected included anticoagulant and indication, bleeding source, PCC dose, INR, and TEC within 14 days of PCC dose, including venous thromboembolism (VTE), acute myocardial infarction, and ischemic stroke. Results: Three hundred thirty-three patients received 383 PCC doses. Of these, 55 (16.5%) patients developed TEC, including VTE, ischemic stroke, and acute myocardial infarction. There was increased rivaroxaban use in patients who developed TEC (25.4% vs 12.2%; P = .011). Additionally, there were more patients who had anticoagulation for a previous TEC in those who developed a new TEC (38.2% vs 23.4%; P = .022). Lastly, there was a higher rate of TEC in those who received >1 dose of PCC (21.8% vs 7.9%; P = .002). Conclusion: PCC administration in the setting of life-threatening bleeding is not benign. Risk of TEC increases in patients who have rivaroxaban reversal, receive a repeat dose of PCC, and have a TEC indication for their anticoagulation and these factors should be further investigated.

Investigation of the Error of Mean Representative Current Velocity Based on the Method of Bins for Tidal Turbines Using ADP Data

Representing the velocity at a tidal energy extraction site in a standardized manner is essential for the development of the tidal energy sector. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have issued a technical specification to determine the mean representative current velocity (MRV) relative to a tidal energy converter (TEC). This method determines the MRV using an acoustic Doppler profiler (ADP). This is used to evaluate the power performance of a TEC and so can have a significant influence on the power performance uncertainties, due to the cubed relationship of the MRV and power. This paper investigates these uncertainties in the MRV by considering four sources of uncertainty in the ADP. These are turbulence intensity, tilt, Doppler noise and beam misalignment of an ADP. A synthetically generated dataset is used to define current velocity and profile using the characteristics of currents and ADP. The generated synthetic dataset is processed to calculate the MRV based on the standard IEC method. An alternative method to calculate the MRV, called the temporal-spatial method (TSM), is proposed and the two methodologies are used to assess the error of the MRV. A sensitivity analysis shows that the errors of the MRV based on the standard IEC method are always higher than the TSM. The biases in the MRV based on the different combinations of the uncertainty are investigated and it is found that the bias for the MRVs based on the TSM method is generally less than that of the IEC method.

Nurses’ Satisfaction With Patient Room Lighting Conditions: A Study of Nurses in Four Hospitals With Differences in the Environment of Care

Purpose: The present study aims to contribute to current knowledge about nurses’ perceived importance of lighting in patient rooms and to compare these perceptions across different ages, work shifts, (day and night), and environments of care (traditional and contemporary). Background: Creating an environment of care in patient rooms that successfully balances energy efficiency concerns with the holistic needs of patients, families, and caregivers poses a major challenge for future lighting systems. This study adds to a growing evidence base on the effects of lighting on nurses’ job performance, job satisfaction, and overall perceptions of the environment. Method: Survey responses from 138 participants working in medical–surgical units in four hospitals were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach, with three of the hospitals having lighting systems characterized as providing a traditional environment of care (TEC) and the other hospital having lighting systems characterized as providing a contemporary environment of care (CEC). Results: No significant differences were found based on age or work shift, but several significant differences were found between participants working in the hospital with a CEC and those working in hospitals with a TEC. Participants from the hospital with a CEC lighting system consistently reported higher lighting quality, fewer patient complaints, and less need for supplemental lighting than the participants from the three hospitals with TEC lighting systems. Conclusion: The results of this study provide evidence that innovative lighting approaches and technologies are worth considering as an investment by hospital administrators looking to improve perceptions of the patient room environment.

A technique for separating viable islets of Langerhans from a fragment of human pancreatic tail

Introduction.Modern techniques of tissue engineering in the treatment of some degenerative diseases suggest the prospective viability of the biomedical technologies based on the creation of the equivalent of the damaged tissue (organ), including the tissue-engineered construct (TEC) of the endocrine pancreas (EP). Obtaining viable islets of Langerhans (IL) from the pancreas is a decisive step towards the creation of a TEC EP. The classic method of IL separation is based on enzymatic digestion of pancreatic tissue and further islet purification in ficoll density gradient during centrifugation, which adversely affects the morphofunctional state of IL.The aimof the study was the development of a method for separating viable pancreatic islets from a fragment of human pancreatic tail with different cold ischemia times.Materials and methods.A procedure of IL separation is proposed to be conducted without the use of EP tissue collagenase perfusion in the Ricordi chamber at the stage of IL separation and without ficoll solution with a varying density gradient at the stage of IL purification. Identification of IL obtained was performed by dithizone staining. The IL viability was evaluated using the LIVE/DEAD ® Cell Viability Kit. Histological analysis of the initial material included routine staining methods as well as immunohistochemical staining of the main types of islet cells.Results.The morphological study of the EP fragments at different times of cold ischemia did not reveal significant differences in the histological presentation of the organ parenchyma; the islet structure appeared intact. Vital staining confirmed the separated IL viability in vitro for at least 1–3 days.Conclusion.The proposed method of pancreatic tissue treatment allowed to reduce the number of stages, thereby minimizing the adverse effects of centrifugation and ficoll on the integrity of IL. It is possible to obtain the necessary amount of viable IL from a small EP fragment with the cold ischemia time of up to 19 hours, which can be used to create a TEC of a pancreas.