Detection of Electrical Fault in Medium Voltage Installation Using Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Network

Russian Journal of Nondestructive Testing - Infrared thermography plays an important role in the inspection of electrical installations allowing to avoid failures and breakdowns. Condition...     

Characterization and proteolytic origins of specific peptides appearing during lipopolysaccharide experimental mastitis

Based on the compositional change of the proteose peptone fraction, proteolysis was studied over time following lipopolysaccharide-induced experimental mastitis. Electrophoresis of the proteose peptone fraction revealed many degradation products. Five peptides were identified by amino-terminal sequencing as internal fragments of beta-, kappa-, alpha(s1)-, and alpha(s2)-casein that were generated by somatic cell proteases. Although kappa-casein is considered particularly resistant to endogenous proteolysis, a kappa-casein peptide was electrophoretically isolated in association with a beta-casein fragment. The in vitro kinetic studies of caseinate hydrolysis by elastase, one of the main polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) proteases, suggested that the beta-casein peptide might be generated by elastase. In addition, elastase activity in milk PMN was higher during the inflammation of the mammary gland than prior to infusion.     

Proteolysis in milk during experimental Escherichia coli mastitis

This work consisted of the intramammary infections (IMI) of 8 heifers by high doses of Escherichia coli to study both the proteolytic activity in milk and the resulting peptides. Therefore, a milking kinetic has been followed, and several parameters have been studied, such as proteose peptones (PP) fraction (quantitative and qualitative changes), plasmin activity (PA), milk somatic cell count (SCC), and bacterial count. A qualitative study of milk proteins and PP was performed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE, and the peptides recovered in PP during the acute phase of inflammation were amino-terminal micro-sequenced. A BSA increase in milk over time supported the hypothesis of an increase in the permeability of the epithelial barrier. A significant increase in PP content, considered to be an indicator of proteolysis, was observed from postinfusion hours (PIH) 12 to 48. Both the E. coli bacterial count and the SCC increased from PIH 3 to 216. Plasmin activity was increased noticeably from PIH 15 to 24. The respective increases in SCC, bacterial count, and PA suggest their involvement in a global mechanism responsible for the increase in proteolysis in milk after E. coli challenge. Somatic cell count and E. coli may be involved from PIH 3 to 216, and PA involvement might be highlighted during the maximum proteolysis, from PIH 15 to 24. A qualitative study of PP fraction by electrophoresis revealed the apparition of 5 peptide bands: P1 and P2 previously recovered during the lipopolysaccharide challenge, and E1 (27.0 kDa), E2 (15.5 kDa), and E3 (9.0 kDa) were specific to E. coli challenge; E1, E2, and E3 contained casein fragments. The roles played by leukocytes and E. coli are discussed.     

Numerical and experimental study of the drilling of multi-stacks made of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V: interface and burr behavior

Machining and especially drilling of multi-stacks is a challenge task. In fact, drilling of multi-layers generates several damages such as burr at the hole     

Experimental study on blade pitch angle effect on the performance of a three‐bladed vertical‐axis Darrieus hydro turbine

Because of higher concerns about increasing global warming, energy consumption and reduction of conventional energy resources and growing attention are given to renewable energy and to cross flow turbines such as the Darrieus turbine to harness water energy (water currents, reservoirs, rivers, and oceans). The aim of the experimental investigation presented in this paper is to evaluate the effect of hydro Darrieus turbine blades fixation pitch angle “i_g” on its performance. Four main sets of experimental tests were conducted for the same vertical‐axis hydro turbine model (VAHT) with four blade fixation pitch angles (i_g = ?1.75°, ?4.5°, 1.75°, and 4.5°), at various water flow velocities (V = 0.3‐0.64 m/s corresponding to a water free flow Reynolds number of 2.5 × 10⁴ to 4.36 × 10⁴). A comparison between the results of the present work and with those of a previous experimental study for i_g = 0° shows that the best performance of the tested turbine is obtained when the blades are set at a pitch angle of 1.75°. In fact, the corresponding optimum mechanical power and power coefficient relative increases are respectively as much as 82% and 67% with respect to i_g = 0° at V = 0.37 m/s and as much as 65% and 77% at V = 0.46 m/s. The worst performance is obtained for the negative blades fixation pitch angle of ?4.5°; at the water flow velocity of 0.37 m/s, this leads to power, and power coefficient relative decreases respectively about 75% and 81% with respect to the results obtained for i_g = 1.75° and respectively about 54% and 68% of those obtained in the previous work for i_g = 0°.     

Efficient Data Processing in Software-Defined UAV-Assisted Vehicular Networks: A Sequential Game Approach

Wireless Personal Communications - In large scale networks like Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs), the full coverage of fixed infrastructure is hard to ensure, making network management difficult....     

Finger knuckle pattern person authentication system based on monogenic and LPQ features

Pattern Analysis and Applications - Contemporary biometrics is a swiftly broad field of research. Nowadays, biometrics is predominantly being deployed as a personal identification system in...     

Bilateral testicular metastasis of cancer of the prostate

Testicular metastasis of prostate cancer rarely occurs. Bilateral localization is exceptional. We report a new case of prostate adenocarcinoma with bilateral testicular metastasis. The diagnosis was made on clinical and ultrasonic arguments, and confirmed on the pathological specimen. Treatment consisted in a bilateral orchidectomy, associated with nonsteroid androgens.     

Cystic cancer of the kidney

Cystic renal cancer is uncommon and raises real preoperative diagnostic problems, requiring the use of medical imaging, and sometimes even surgery. The authors report 3 cases of cystic renal cancer in 2 men and 1 woman, aged 87, 67 and 20 years, respectively. Three patients presented with the urological triad (haematuria, pain and lumbar mass). Ultrasonography suggested the diagnosis of cystic cancer in all 3 cases. Computed tomography was performed in 2 patients and more precisely confirmed the ultrasound findings. Selective arteriography, performed in one patient, confirmed the hypothesis of malignancy. Surgical exploration resulted in radical total nephrectomy. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. The course was favourable in 2 cases after a follow-up of 4 years. One patient presented a local recurrence with pulmonary metastases 6 months after the operation. A review of the literature illustrates the diagnostic difficulties of this form of renal cancer.