Effect of Vacuum Level and Pulsation Parameters on Milking Efficiency and Animal Welfare of Murciano-Granadina Goats Milked in Mid-Line and Low-Line Milking Machines

The Murciano-Granadina goat breed has been described as a slow milking breed. As milking machine parameters can affect milk extraction in terms of yield and time employed, two experiments of one-month duration were performed with 88 goats in Latin square design to find the best combination of these parameters. One of them was carried out in a mid-line milking machine and one in a low-line milking machine. For each of them, two vacuum levels (36 and 40 kPa), two pulsation rates (90 and 120 cycles/min) and two pulsator ratios (50 and 60%) were used and milking efficiency, sanitary status of the mammary gland, milk cortisol, and teat end status were evaluated. Results showed that in milking machines installed in mid- and low-line, the use of 40 kPa system vacuum, 60% pulsator ratio and 90 or 120 cycles/min pulsation rate achieved optimum milking fractioning and efficiency. In the case of low-level milking machines, a similar combination with 36 kPa not only showed worse milking fractioning values, but also provided better values of teat end status and cortisol level.

Clinical and morphological features of SARS-COV-2 associated acute hemorrhagic necrotizing encephalopathy: case report

Background The current case report presents acute hemorrhagic necrotizing encephalopathy (AHNE) as an example of a fatal complication, the etiology of which could be coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with multiple organ damage along with the existing respiratory tuberculosis. Case presentation A male in his 20s had severe symptoms of central nervous system lesion, which developed against the background of COVID-19 and respiratory tuberculosis, for which he was treated in the intensive care unit. Autopsy confirmed that he died from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) associated AHNE in adults with severe fatal endothelial dysfunction and respiratory tuberculosis. The main morphological signs of brain damage were desquamative endotheliitis, thrombosis, parenchymal hemorrhagic necrosis, encephalitis, severe necrobiotic neuronal damage. Conclusion The defeat of endothelial cells with the development of generalized endotheliitis in COVID-19, especially in conjunction with comorbid pathology, in particular tuberculosis, can lead to a fatal complication that affects the nervous system—AHNE. Therefore, it is worth paying close attention to the appearance of neurological symptoms in patients with a similar combination of diseases.

A quest for a sustainable alternative wood species to produce world class clarinets

Clarinets are made with a variety of materials, e.g., plastic, graphite, porcelain, or even metal. However, the most commonly used material to make clarinets is wood. Today, African granadilla or African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) is the most popular and most widely used species by leading international companies in terms of clarinet production, because of its high density, color, fine texture, and exceptional durability. This species is also used to manufacture flutes, oboes, and bagpipes, making African blackwood one of the most valuable tree species in the world. However, the focus on the usage of a single species puts considerable pressure on a rare and endangered wood species. Therefore, this work aims to identify viable alternatives to African blackwood in terms of manufacturing clarinets as well as providing a similar combination of instrument characteristics that musicians and companies believe contribute to the value of the instrument, e.g., acoustics, aesthetics, and price.

Data Mining Reconstruction of Magnetotail Reconnection and Implications for Its First-Principle Modeling

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process providing topological changes of the magnetic field, reconfiguration of space plasmas and release of energy in key space weather phenomena, solar flares, coronal mass ejections and magnetospheric substorms. Its multiscale nature is difficult to study in observations because of their sparsity. Here we show how the lazy learning method, known as K nearest neighbors, helps mine data in historical space magnetometer records to provide empirical reconstructions of reconnection in the Earth’s magnetotail where the energy of solar wind-magnetosphere interaction is stored and released during substorms. Data mining reveals two reconnection regions (X-lines) with different properties. In the mid tail (∼30RE from Earth, where RE is the Earth’s radius) reconnection is steady, whereas closer to Earth (∼20RE) it is transient. It is found that a similar combination of the steady and transient reconnection processes can be reproduced in kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of the magnetotail current sheet.

Multiple Cephalic Malformations in a Calf

Congenital malformations of the central nervous system (CNS) can affect the CNS alone or the CNS and craniofacial structures. Here, we report an unusual and complex congenital cephalic malformation observed in a 3-day-old male crossbreed calf. Clinical examination disclosed a dome-shaped cranial vault, a flat face with a short snout, a median cleft lip, and increased intraorbital distance. The frontal region of the head was remarkable for a fluctuant, sac-like protrusion covered with haired skin. Neurologic findings suggested a multifocal intracranial lesion affecting the prosencephalon and the central vestibular system. While pathological and histopathological findings posited for a presumptive diagnosis of either hydranencephaly or holoprosencephaly associated with multiple congenital facial abnormalities, not all the findings could be definitely attributed to either of the two encephalic malformations alone. To our knowledge, a similar combination of severe congenital abnormalities affecting both the CNS and the craniofacial structures has not been reported in calves to date.

Optimization of the Operational Conditions for Low-Head Pelton Wheel Turbine Developed for Power Generation

In a bid to optimize the performance of a Pelton Wheel Turbine developed the performance evaluation of the turbine at various conditions was carried out using a portion of the overflow from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) dam. The collected overflow has a net head of 4 m, flow rate of 0.017m3/sec. and theoretical hydropower energy of 668W. The turbine was tested and the optimized value of operating conditions namely; angle of inclination (15o above tangent, tangential and 15o below tangent), height to impact point (200 mm, 250 mm and 300 mm) and length to impact point (50 mm, 100 mm and 150 mm) were pre-set at their various levels. The measured outputs were Turbine Speed, Turbine Torque, Alternator Speed as well as the output voltage. The optimum values of the process output or measured parameters were determined statistically using a 33X2 factorial experiment in three replicates. The optimum Turbine speed (538.38 rpm) in off load condition was achieved at 250 mm height to impact point, 150 mm length to impact point and angle at tangential inclination. Similar combination also yielded an optimum turbine torque of 46.16 kNm. The optimum Turbine speed (392.02 rpm) in on-load condition was achieved at 250 mm height to impact point, 150 mm length to impact point and angle at tangential inclination. Similar combination also yielded an optimum Turbine Torque of 36.46kNm, optimum Alternator speed of 1768.56 rpm and an optimum output voltage of 7.87V. The results therefore show that the turbine must be set at 250 mm height to impact point, 150 mm length to impact point and the water jet at a tangential flow for it to perform optimally.

Potential use of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor against SARS-CoV2 infection

Favipiravir, an inhibitor of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase used against the Japanese flu, was recently suggested as a potential COVID-19 inhibitor. Since Favipiravir targets a critical and a viral specific process, using it as a treatment could be beneficial in slowing the outbreak. Though there have been many suggested antivirals to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection, most treatments target host-associated pathways that may cause adverse effects, Favipiravir or similar combination may be the best remedy against COVID-19 pandemic.

Cost Objects: The ED Dilemma. How is your ED performing?

Background: The aim of this study is to a propose a standardized methodology to identify a list of cost objects that can be used by any ED to compute costs considering that the resulting data must facilitate unit management by improving the information available for decision-making. Methods: This study considers two stages, first, we analyzed the case-mix of two hospitals collecting their data to define and diagram their processes, activities and to obtain their cost objects, second, we used four additional hospitals to validate our initial findings. Results: We recognized 59 cost objects. Hospitals may have all these cost objects or just a subset of them depending on the services they provide. Conclusions: Among the main benefits of our cost objects definition are: the possibility of tracing the processes generated by the services delivered by EDs, the economic sense in its grouping, the chance of using any costing methodology, the flexibility with other classification systems such as DRGs and ICDs, and the opportunity of costing for both diseases and treatments. Furthermore, cost comparison among hospitals using our final 59 cost objects list is more accurate and based on comparable units. In different EDs, each cost object will be the result of a similar combination of activities performed. We also present the results of applying this cost objects list to a particular ED. A total of 53 out of 59 cost objects were identified for that particular unit within a calendar year.

Twentieth-Century China as an Object of Thought: Global and Local Historical Reflections

This article engages in a dialogue with some of the issues and themes discussed in both parts of Wang Hui’s article “Twentieth Century China as an Object of Thought: An Introduction.” It starts by offering a combination of global and local historical reflections of the movement of concepts during the early stages of China’s short twentieth century. Taking a similar combination of perspectives, it subsequently elaborates on aspects of the spatial and temporal revolutions occurring during this era. It then discusses the relationship between Chinese nationhood and the revolution, particularly during the short twentieth century. It seeks to relate the experience of the short twentieth century to developments within other historical realms and to global transformations at large.

A Note on the Comparative Analysis Between Rectangular and Modified Duct Heat Exchanger

The plate fin heat exchangers usually have either rectangular or triangular shaped flow passage. In comparison to triangular flow passage, rectangular flow passage gives comparatively higher heat transfer at the cost of higher pumping power. In the present investigation, flow passage is modified by rounding the corner of triangular passage to investigate the heat and flow characteristics of air flowing through it. Comparison of performance between modified and rectangular flow passage has also been presented and discussed. The radius of curvature of the rounded corner has been kept constant with value of 0.49 times duct height (H). The dimple was also fabricated at the inner side of the flow passage and arranged in rectangular array. Distance between them was defined by two different dimensionless parameters, relative transverse width (x/h), and relative streamwise length (z/h), whereas, dimensionless height of the protrusion is defined by relative dimple height (h/D). Noticeable increment in both heat transfer and friction factor has been observed by modifying the duct corners and 2.98 times increment in Nusselt number resulted due to dimples in modified duct for h/D, x/h, and y/h value of 0.44, 10, and 10, respectively, in comparison to smooth duct at Reynolds number of 19,500. For similar combination of roughness parameters, highest frictional penalty was estimated with value of 4.46 times that of the smooth duct at Reynolds number of 4400. Additionally, the comparative assessment of heat transfer enhancement (Nuenh), frictional penalty (fpenalty), and thermohydraulic performance index (THPi) has also been carried out to understand the suitability of round cornered duct. In comparison to protruded rectangular duct, 28% higher THPi is obtained in modified duct under similar conditions.