Structural Insight into the Complex of Ferredoxin and [FeFe] Hydrogenase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The transfer of photosynthetic electrons by the ferredoxin PetF to the [FeFe] hydrogenase HydA1 in the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a key step in hydrogen production. Electron delivery requires a specific interaction between PetF and HydA1. However, because of the transient nature of the electron‐transfer complex, a crystal structure remains elusive. Therefore, we performed protein–protein docking based on new experimental data from a solution NMR spectroscopy investigation of native and gallium‐substituted PetF. This provides valuable information about residues crucial for complex formation and electron transfer. The derived complex model might help to pinpoint residue substitution targets for improved hydrogen production.     

Natural Convection in a Vertical Rectangular Cavity Filled with a Non-Newtonian Power Law Fluid and Subjected to a Horizontal Temperature Gradient

A study of natural convection, in a vertical rectangular cavity filled with a non-Newtonian fluid and subjected to uniform heat flux along the vertical side walls, is carried out numerically by solving the full governing equations. In the limit of a tall enclosure, these equations are considerably reduced by using the parallel flow approximation. Solutions for the flow and temperature fields, and the heat transfer rate, are obtained as functions of the governing parameters. Good agreement is found between the results of the two approaches for a wide range of governing parameters.     

Efficient two-port antenna system for GSM=DCS=UMTS multimode mobile phones

The design of several two-port antenna systems for mobile phones is presented. All these structures are made up of two planar inverted-F antennas closely positioned on a small ground plane and radiating in the GSM900/DCS1800 and UMTS frequency bands. First, the antennas are simply associated at the top edge of the same printed circuit board. Thus, to improve their isolation and their total efficiency, a neutralisation effect is created by means of an optimised suspended line, which links the feeding strips of the radiators. The performance of these systems is measured and compared with theoretical results     

Induction motor stator faults diagnosis by a current Concordia pattern-based fuzzy decision system

This paper deals with the problem of detection and diagnosis of induction motor faults. Using the fuzzy logic strategy, a better understanding of heuristics underlying the motor faults detection and diagnosis process can be achieved. The proposed fuzzy approach is based on the stator current Concordia patterns. Induction motor stator currents are measured, recorded, and used for Concordia patterns computation under different operating conditions, particularly for different load levels. Experimental results are presented in terms of accuracy in the detection of motor faults and knowledge extraction feasibility. The preliminary results show that the proposed fuzzy approach can be used for accurate stator fault diagnosis if the input data are processed in an advantageous way, which is the case of the Concordia patterns.     

Polypoid ulcerating endocarditis aortalis caused by Streptococcus viridans with perforation of the right atrium. Pathology and clinical aspects of 2 autopsy cases

We report two cases of patients (one 65 and one 43 years of age, respectively) who died of Streptococcus-viridans induced endocarditis of the aortic valve with perforation into the right atrium. Whereas perforation in Staphylococcus-induced endocarditis is a common complication, it occurs rarely in Streptococcus-induced endocarditis. Because of its uncharacteristic symptoms, the endocarditis was clinically unknown in both cases and was recognized to be the cause of death only at autopsy. To reduce the large number of complications in patients suffering from endocarditis, it is necessary to confirm the diagnosis as soon as possible if endocarditis might be suspected.     

Advanced Fault-Tolerant Control of Induction-Motor Drives for EV/HEV Traction Applications: From Conventional to Modern and Intelligent Control Techniques

This paper describes active fault-tolerant control systems for a high-performance induction-motor drive that propels an electrical vehicle (EV) or a hybrid one (HEV). The proposed systems adaptively reorganize themselves in the event of sensor loss or sensor recovery to sustain the best control performance, given the complement of remaining sensors. Moreover, the developed systems take into account the controller-transition smoothness, in terms of speed and torque transients. The two proposed fault-tolerant control strategies have been simulated on a 4-kW induction-motor drive, and speed and torque responses have been carried to evaluate the consistency and the performance of the proposed approaches. Simulation results, in terms of speed and torque responses, show the global effectiveness of the proposed approaches, particularly the one based on modern and intelligent control techniques in terms of speed and torque smoothness     

Ligand‐Free Synthesis of Aluminum‐Doped Zinc Oxide Nanocrystals and their Use as Optical Spacers in Color‐Tuned Highly Efficient Organic Solar Cells

The color of polymer solar cells using an opaque electrode is given by the reflected light, which depends on the composition and thickness of each layer of the device. Metal‐oxide‐based optical spacers are intensively studied in polymer solar cells aiming to optimize the light absorption. However, the low conductivity of materials such as ZnO and TiO₂ limits the thickness of such optical spacers to tenths of nanometers. A novel synthesis route of cluster‐free Al‐doped ZnO (AZO) nanocrystals (NCs) is presented for solution processing of highly conductive layers without the need of temperature annealing, including thick optical spacers on top of polymer blends. The processing of 80 nm thick optical spacers based on AZO nanocrystal solutions on top of 200 nm thick polymer blend layer is demonstrated leading to improved photocurrent density of 17% compared to solar cells using standard active layers of 90 nm in combination with thin ZnO‐based optical spacers. These AZO NCs also open new opportunities for the processing of high‐efficiency color tuned solar cells. For the first time, it is shown that applying solution‐processed thick optical spacer with polymer blends of different thicknesses can process solar cells of similar efficiency over 7% but of different colors.     

Evaluation of the financial participation of the users of 102 health services in 3 districts of Senegal

Sequence relationships and functional aspects were analysed in the P element homologues of Drosophila subobscura (Ds) and D. guanche (Dg). In both species, the P homologues are clustered at a single genomic position. They lack the characteristic terminal structures of actively transposing P elements, but they have the coding capacity for a 66-kDa 'repressor-like' protein. Two different types of cluster units (G-type and A-type) can be distinguished. The A-type unit, which is present in multiple copies, is transcribed in adult flies. In contrast, the G-type unit has a much lower copy number and is apparently not expressed. In Dg, the isolated G-type sequence carries a 420-bp insertion in the promoter region, which is probably responsible for inactivation. Sequence comparisons of different cluster units show that differentiation of the two types precedes the lineage split of these species. Substitution rates of the deduced proteins reveal two distinct subregions: high variability at the N terminus and strong sequence conservation in the rest of the protein. The variable region contains motifs characteristic of DNA-binding proteins. Adaptive diversification of the cluster units towards specific binding properties might be a plausible explanation for variability in the N-termini. Both unit types have lost the weak promoter region characteristic of P transposons. In the A-type unit, a new promoter has been formed which is apparently composed of parts of insertion sequences derived from two different mobile elements.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Malaria in the southern sanitary district of Dakar (Senegal). 2. Entomologic data]

This study aimed to investigate the cause of persistently increased serum gastrin concentration seen in some Graves' disease patients even when euthyroid during antithyroid drug treatment. The subjects studied consisted of three groups: 33 patients with a common-type of Graves' disease, 14 with triiodothyronine (T3)-predominant Graves' disease (characterized from previous studies as having potent immunologic abnormalities including greater concentrations of thyroid-stimulating antibodies together with larger goiter size), and a group of 20 normal subjects. Fasting serum gastrin concentrations in common Graves' disease patients were significantly higher than those of normal subjects (58.4 +/- 38.9 pmol/L vs. 37.8 +/- 18.9 pmol/L [mean +/- SD], p < 0.05). The serum gastrin concentrations were even greater in T3-predominant Graves' disease patients than common Graves' disease patients (162.9 +/- 224.0 pmol/L vs. 58.4 +/- 38.9 pmol/L, p < .05). Serum pepsinogen I (PGI) concentrations were significantly lower in the T3-predominant patient group than the common Graves' group (24.0 +/- 12.9 ng/mL vs. 39.7 +/- 19.6 ng/mL, p < .05). Serum ratios of PG I to PG II were significantly lower in the T3-predominant Graves' disease patients than normal subjects (3.59 +/- 2.66 vs. 5.97 +/- 1.56, p < .01). The ratios also had a significant (p < .05) inverse correlation with serum gastrin concentrations in T3-predominant Graves' disease patients. The results suggest that autoimmune gastritis is associated with Graves' disease, particularly in patients with potent thyroid-autoimmunity.     

Prevalence of malaria in Dakar, Senegal. Comparative study of the plasmodial indices in pregnant and non-pregnant women

One hundred ASA I orthopaedic surgical patients (four randomized groups) were anaesthetized using continuous propofol and intermittent fentanyl (TIVA), with controlled ventilation via a tracheal tube in groups 1 and 2, and a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in groups 3 and 4. Neuromuscular blockers were used in groups 1 and 3 only. There were no significant differences between groups in total anaesthetic requirements, as assessed by cardiovascular variables and movement. Coughing interfered with surgery and made controlled ventilation difficult to manage. In contrast, movement not associated with coughing did not impair surgery or ventilation. Patients in group 2 (tracheal tube, no neuromuscular blocker) required more interventions for coughing than the other groups, while patients in group 4 (LMA, no neuromuscular blocker) needed more boluses for movement than groups 1 and 3. Groups 1 and 2 (tracheal tube) had significantly higher heart rates and mean arterial pressures than groups 3 and 4 for varying periods up to 5 min after insertion of the airway management device. There was no correlation between mean arterial pressure and plasma concentrations of catecholamines related to insertion of either the tracheal tube or LMA. The LMA was found to be a highly effective device for controlled ventilation in TIVA and easier to manage than the tracheal tube in the absence of neuromuscular blockers.