Interaction between inflammatory bowel disease,physical activity,and myokines:Assessment of serum irisin levels

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis,showed a wide spectrum of intestinal and extra-intestinal manifestations,which rendered the patients physically inactive and impaired their quality of life.It has been found that physical activity is a non-pharmacological intervention that improves the quality of life for those patients.Irisin is one member of the myokines secreted by muscle contraction during exercise and could be used as an antiinflammatory biomarker in assessing the physical activity of IBD patients.In addition,experimental studies showed that exogenous irisin significantly decreased the inflammatory markers and the histological changes of the intestinal mucosa observed in experimental colitis.Furthermore,irisin produces changes in the diversity of the microbiota.Therefore,endogenous or exogenous irisin,via its anti-inflammatory effects,will improve the health of IBD patients and will limit the barriers to physical activity in patients with IBD.

Predicting groundwater level of wells in the Diyala River Basin in eastern Iraq using artificial neural network

Al-Mansourieh zone is a part of Al-Khalis City within the province of Diyala and located in the Diyala River Basin in eastern Iraq with a total area about 830 km2.Groundwater is the main water source for agriculture in this zone.Random well drilling without geological and hydraulic information has led the most of these wells to dry up quickly.Therefore,it is necessary to estimate the levels of groundwater in wells through observed data.In this study,Alyuda NeroIntelligance 2.1 software was applied to predict the groundwater levels in 244 wells using sets of measured data.These data included the coordinates of wells(x,y),elevations,well depth,discharge and groundwater levels.Three ANN structures(5-3-3-1,5-10-10-1 and 5-11-11-1)were used to predict the groundwater levels and to acquire the best matching between the measured and ANN predicted values.The coefficient of correlation,coefficient determination(R2)and sum-square error(SSE)were used to evaluate the performance of the ANN models.According to the ANN results,the model with the three structures has a good predictability and proves more effective for determining groundwater level in wells.The best predictor was achieved in the structure 5-3-3-1,with R2 about 0.92,0.89,0.84 and 0.91 in training,validation,testing and all processes respectively.The minimum average error in the best predictor is achieved in validation and testing processes at about 0.130 and 0.171 respectively.On the other hand,the results indicated that the model has the potential to determine the appropriate places for drilling the wells to obtain the highest level of groundwater.

Optimization of Rolling Parameters for Enhancing Surface Integrity of Aluminum Alloy

In this current work,aluminum alloy grade 2024 is adopted as a plate material that is used in the rolling process with three different parameters including thickness reduction,forming temperature,and density of lubrication type.The experimental procedure of the rolling process is performed using the design of the experiment based on the Taguchi technique(L27),then surface roughness,surface hardness,and surface residual stresses are measured.The results showed that the lubrication density has a significant impact on the surface roughness which depends on the lubrication properties(mineral oil type,natural fat,and kinematic viscosity)while surface hardness and surface residual stresses were strongly affected by thickness reduction.On the other side,the augment in forming temperature can decrease the quality of the final surface finish and the surface hardness but reduce the induced residual stresses.The best surface finish is obtained based on the optimum condition of the rolling factors are(R%_(3),T_(1),andρ_(3))while the optimum condition of rolling parameters that generate higher hardness and compressive residual stresses are(R%_(3)T_(1)ρ_(1)).

Influence of Recycling Waste Glass as Fine Aggregate on the Concrete Properties

Recent years have witnessed an increase in the quantity of waste glass(WG)across the globe.Replacing the fine aggregate with WG is one of the steps toward preserving the natural resources of the environment and creating low-cost concrete.The present study is concerned with replacing fine aggregates with glass powder(GP)at(0%,15%,30%,and 50%).It has studied the fresh and hardened properties(compressive strength,tensile strength,hardened density,and slump)for all the mentioned percent replacements.The findings have shown that all mixtures containing GP gave acceptable slump results within the design limits(2–5 cm)according to ACI standard 211.1.It has been observed that increasing the proportion of GP led to a decrease in the weight of concrete.Lastly,replacing GP with sand by 30%has led to an increase in the compressive strength by about 2.4%and 12.45%,and the tensile strength by about 2.5%and 26.54%at 7-and 28-d,respectively in comparison to normal concrete.

Optimization of Continuous Airworthiness Problems

Recently aviation accident data shows that many fatal accidents in aviation are due to airworthiness issues despite the fact that all civil and private aircraft are required to comply with the airworthiness standards set by their national airworthiness authority.This paper presents a unique approach to continuous airworthiness problems optimization needed to reduce the risk associated by the gap between aircraft designers&manufacturing organization and continuing airworthiness(state of civil aviation authority and air operators).As a result of the paper summaries these problems and searching of the possible solutions to optimized,these problems are achieved to get more integration between(designers&manufacturing and air operators),finally there is recommendations are drawn to address the safe operation of the aircraft and can be given to the International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO),Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)and European Aviation Safety Agency(EASA)and Civil Aviation Authorities(CAAs)for more integrate between all of them structure.

Role of Composite Phase Change Material on the Thermal Performance of a Latent Heat Storage System: Experimental Investigation

Paraffin wax is a perfect phase change material(PCM)that can be used in latent heat storage units(LHSUs).The utilization of such LHSU is restricted by the poor conductivity of PCM.In the present work,a metal foam made of aluminium with PCM was used to produce a composite PCM as a thermal conductivity technique in PCM⁃LHSU and water was used as heat transfer fluid(HTF).An experimental investigation was carried out to evaluate the heat transfer characteristics of LHSU using pure PCM and composite PCM.The study included time⁃dependent visualization of the PCM during the melting and solidification processes.Besides,a thermocouple network was placed inside the heat storage to record the temperature profile during each process.Results showed that better performance could be obtained using composite PCM⁃LHSU for both melting and solidification processes.The melting time of composite PCM⁃LHSU was about 83%faster than that of a simple PCM⁃LHSU,and the percentage decreasing in the solidification time was about 85%due to the provision of metal foam.

Concomitant dysregulation of androgen secretion and dysfunction of adipose tissue induced insulin resistance

Hyperandrogenism and hyperinsulinemia have resulted from dysfunction of the theca cell of the ovary and adipose tissue and each one potentiates the other in patients with androgen excess disorders e.g.,polycystic ovary disease and idiopathic hirsutism.Possible external and/or internal triggers can produce such cellular dysfunction.There is evidence that sodium valproate acts as a trigger of cellular dysfunction and produces both hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism.Therefore,the elimination of these triggers can help the patients to recover from hyperinsulinemia,insulin resistance and hyperandrogenism.

Energy Efficiency and Latency Analysis of Fog Networks

The industry of cellular networks is evaluating the new architectures to ensure an enhanced performance. Fog communication is the new paradigm that presented to unleash edge computing. In this paper, we introduced a mathematical framework to evaluate the trade-offs of Fog proposal. Specifically, testing the power consumption, delay and energy efficiency in comparison with traditional cloud radio access networks. Although the literature has showed that fog radio access networks provides an enhanced delay performance, this paper shows that an enlarged amount of power is consumed, which degrades the energy efficiency in comparison with traditional cloud counterpart. However, the level of such devolution depends on the number of deployed fog devices that directly influences the power consumption. This paper also shows that enhancing the delay by using fog architecture is not a straight forward process, but requires a particular caring in terms of choosing the appropriate mode while placing/installing fog functions within fog devices.

Isolation of aerobic bacteria from ticks infested sheep in Iraq

Objective:To highlight the presence of aerobic bacteria in live ticks infested sheep,in Diyala Governorate,Iraq.Methods:One hundred and thirty adult alive ticks were picked up from sheep which were reared in different farms in Diyala Governorate,Iraq,during the period from November 2012 to May 2013.Ticks were classified in the Natural History Museum in Baghdad.They were dissected aseptically for extraction of the salivary gland and midgut.The removed tissue from each organ was inoculated in buffer peptone water(1%)and incubated for 2 h at 37 °C,to maintain weak and/or injured bacterial cells,then transmitted to nutrient broth incubated at 37 °C for 18 h.Culturing was done on three solid bacteriological media(nutrient,blood and McConkey agars),and then incubated at37 ℃ for 24 h.Bacterial identification was performed by using multiple biochemical tests and API-20 strips.Data were analyzed by using Statistical Analysis System version 9.1,2010.Chi-square test was used for comparison at significant level of P ≤ 0.05.Results:Two species of ticks were identified[Rhipicephalus(Boophilus) annulatus and Hyalomma turanicum].High bacterial isolation rate was observed(483 isolates).A significant high isolation rate was recorded from Rhipicephalus annulatus(63.14%).Six bacterial species were identified[Escherichia coli(28.36%),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(18.01%),Bacillus cereus(14.69%),Staphylococcus aureus(13.66%),Citrobacter freundii(13.04%),and Enterobacter species(12.21%)].Also the high bacterial isolation rates were recorded in the temperate months(November,March and April);these coincided with high reproductive performance of ticks.Conclusions:The high isolation rate of aerobic pathogens from ticks might reflect the active contribution of this arthropod in environmental contamination and increase the probability of transmitting bacterial pathogens to their hosts.

Influence and Optimization of Surface Roughness on Surface Integrity during Turning Using Grey Relational Analysis

Current machining studies have reported effects of prevalent and common factors,while ultra⁃high finish requires holistic approach to identify all factors and investigate their effects on machining of hard to machine materials.In this work,a less investigated yet important factor,roughness of the uncut surface,was studied,and its effects on the individual response,i.e.,surface finish of the machined part,were found to be significant.AISI 316,which is mainly applied in strategic areas,was selected and three effective turning factors,cutting speed(A),feed rate(B),and roughness of the uncut surface(C)on three output responses including surface roughness of the machined surface(Ra),microhardness(HV),and material removal rate(MRR),were reported.Further,single response optimization of the individual output response and multi⁃response optimization of all the three responses were carried out.Taguchi L9 orthogonal array based signal⁃to⁃noise(S/N)ratio method was used for individual response optimization,and grey relational analysis(GRA)was employed for multi⁃response optimization.Effects of the process factors on the output responses were evaluated through inclusive statistical analyses.The individual response optimization revealed that there was a considerable effect of roughness of the uncut surface on the machining performance.Results of the GRA illustrated that the speed during the cutting process and the feed rate had substantial trace on the surface integrity(indicated by Ra and HV)and production rate(indicated by MRR),while roughness of the uncut surface did not have a significant effect.

Dichloroacetic Acid (DCA)-Induced Cytotoxicity in Human Breast Cancer Cells Accompanies Changes in Mitochondrial Membrane Permeability and Production of Reactive Oxygen Species

Cancer cells utilize cytosolic glycolysis for their energy production even in the presence of adequate levels of oxygen (Warbug effect) due to mitochondrial defects. Dichloroacetic acid (DCA) shifts cytosolic glucose metabolism to aerobic oxidation by inhibiting mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) and increasing pyruvate uptake. Therefore, DCA has potential in reversing the glycolytic metabolism defect in cancerous cells. DCA is also known to induce apoptosis in a number of cancer cell lines, the mechanism of which is not well understood. In this study, an attempt has been made to investigate the effects of DCA on aggressive human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells as compared with less aggressive mouse osteoblastic (MC3T3) cells. Cell cytotoxicity was determined by MTT, crystal violet and Trypan blue exclusion assays. Western blot was used to detect any changes in the expression of apoptotic markers. Flow cytometry was used to measure apoptotic and necrotic effects of DCA. Mitochondrial integrity was determined by change in mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), whereas oxidative damage was determined by production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). DCA caused a concentration-dependent cytotoxicity both in MCF-7 and MC3T3 cell lines. MCF-7 cells were most affected. Flow cytometry results showed a significantly higher apoptosis in MCF-7 even at lower concentrations of DCA. However, higher concentrations of DCA were necrotic. Western blotting showed an increased expression of Mn-SOD-1 upon DCA treatment. Further, DCA decreased Δψm and increased ROS production. The effects of DCA were more pronounced on MCF-7 cells as compared to MC3T3 cells. Our results suggest that DCA-induced cytotoxicity in cancerous cells is mediated via changes in Δψm and production of ROS.

Optimization of Continuous Airworthiness Problems

Recently aviation accident data shows that many fatal accidents in aviation are due to airworthiness issues despite the fact that all civil and private aircraft are required to comply with the airworthiness standards set by their national airworthiness authority.This paper presents a unique approach to continuous airworthiness problems optimization needed to reduce the risk associated with the gap between aircraft designers&manufacturing organization and continuing airworthiness(state of civil aviation authority and air operators).As a result of the paper summarizes these problems and searching of the possible solutions to be optimized,these problems are achieved to get more integration between(designers&manufacturing and air operators),finally the recommendations are drawn to address the safe operation of the aircraft and can be given to the International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO),Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)and European Aviation Safety Agency(EASA)and Civil Aviation Authorities(CAAs)for more integration between all of them structure.

Resource Allocation Based on SFLA Algorithm for D2D Multicast Communications

Multicast device-to-device(D2D)communication technology is considered as one of the new technologies in the fifth generation(5G)networks that directly addresses the need for content sharing among internet users.In fact,when direct communication is available between devices,the spectral efficiency is improved by reusing the licensed cellular spectrum.The current studies show that D2D communication increases network capacity and reduces latency.In order to achieve the alternate capabilities,coordination is required to implement interference management.We considered subcarrier allocation for the uplink,in addition to the power control that takes place on the underlay network.The completed data rate in single multicast communication is significantly reduced and limited by nodes with lower channel quality.In this paper,we used Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm(SFLA)for resource allocation(RA)in D2D multicast communications.We compared the results of the SFLA algorithm with the Firefly Algorithm(FA),Ant Colony Optimization(ACO)and Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO);in terms of D2D user throughput,Cellular User(CU)throughput,network average throughput,network interference and signal interference noise ratio(SINR)target.The simulation results show that SFLA clearly outperforms other algorithms in terms of data rate under the high pressure of infeasibility.

Novel Universal Windowing Multicarrier Waveform for 5G Systems

Fifth Generation(5G)systems aim to improve flexibility,coexistence and diverse service in several aspects to achieve the emerging applications requirements.Windowing and filtering of the traditional multicarrier waveforms are now considered common sense when designing more flexible waveforms.This paper proposed a Universal Windowing Multi-Carrier(UWMC)waveform design platform that is flexible,providing more easily coexists with different pulse shapes,and reduces the Out of Band Emissions(OOBE),which is generated by the traditional multicarrier methods that used in the previous generations of the mobile technology.The novel proposed approach is different from other approaches that have been proposed,and it is based on applying a novel modulation approach for the Quadrature-Amplitude Modulation(64-QAM)which is considered very popular in mobile technology.This new approach is done by employing flexible pulse shaping windowing,by assigning windows to various bands.This leads to decreased side-lobes,which are going to reduce OOBE and boost the spectral efficiency by assigning them to edge subscribers only.The new subband windowing(UWMC)will also maintain comprehensively the non-orthogonality by a variety of windowing and make sure to keep window time the same for all subbands.In addition,this paper shows that the new approach made the Bit Error Rate(BER)equal to the conventional Windowed-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing(W-OFDM).This platform achieved great improvement for some other Key Performance Indicators(KPI),such as the Peak to Average Power Ratio(PAPR)compared with the conventional(W-OFDM)and the conventional Universal Filtered Multicarrier(UFMC)approaches.In particular,the proposed windowing scheme outperforms previous designs in terms of the Power Spectral Density(PSD)by 58%and the(BER)by 1.5 dB and reduces the Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function Cubic Metric(CCDF-CM)by 24%.

Is COVID-19-induced liver injury different from other RNA viruses?

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a pandemic disease caused by a novel RNA coronavirus,SARS coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),which is implicated in the respiratory system.SARS-CoV-2 also targets extrapulmonary systems,including the gastrointestinal tract,liver,central nervous system and others.SARS-CoV-2,like other RNA viruses,targets the liver and produces liver injury.This literature review showed that SARS-CoV-2-induced liver injury is different from other RNA viruses by a transient elevation of hepatic enzymes and does not progress to liver fibrosis or other unfavorable events.Moreover,SARS-CoV-2-induced liver injury usually occurs in the presence of risk factors,such as nonalcoholic liver fatty disease.This review highlights the important differences between RNA viruses inducing liver injury taking into consideration the clinical,biochemical,histopathological,postmortem findings and the chronicity of liver injury that ultimately leads to liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Conformal Antenna Array for MIMO Applications

In this paper, a numerical study is reported based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the Finite Integral Technique (FIT) of Ansoft’s HFSS and CST Microwave Studio (MWS) formulations, respectively, applied to a Bended Complementary Split-Ring Resonator (BCSRR) of rejection band extending from 4.1 GHz to 4.6 GHz. The proposed BCSRR structure is combined with the design of a circularly polarized cylindrical antenna array of square patches with trimmed opposite corners. The performance of the cylindrical antenna array is characterized and compared to that of the flat profile. It is found that the proposed BCSRR reduces the mutual coupling to -15 dB between two patches with a separation of only 1/11th free-space wavelength for applications involving Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) system.

Frequency control of future power systems: reviewing and evaluating challenges and new control methods

Integration of more renewable energy resources introduces a challenge in frequency control of future power systems.This paper reviews and evaluates the possible challenges and the new control methods of frequency in future power systems.Different types of loads and distributed energy resources(DERs) are reviewed.A model representation of a population of the water heater devices for the demand side frequency response is considered.A model representation of a population of battery energy storage system(BESS)-based DERs such as smart electric vehicles(EVs) charging, large-scale BESSs, and residential and non-residential BESSs, are highlighted.The simplified Great Britain power system and the 14-machine South-East Australian power system were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new methods in controlling power system frequency following a disturbance.These new methods are effective in recovering the fallen frequency response and present a great potential in controlling the frequency in future power systems.