Fourth Case Research Articles

MAIN ASPECTS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF CHARGING STATIONS FOR ELECTRIC TRANSPORTS IN LOGISTICS

The paper analyzes and compares charging stations for small electric vehicles, including fast and slow boats, electric cars and their components. The analysis of charging modes of electric vehicles showed that four internationally standardized modes are used, three of which use alternating current with single-phase and three-phase switching and only one – direct current. When charging on direct current, the fastest charging is provided. There are three main options for connecting the electric vehicles to the charging station: by means of a special power cable; by means of a pantograph from bottom to top and from top to bottom; wirelesses connection. There are four standardized cases of connecting charging stations to electric vehicles. Three cases of cable connection can be used on alternating current, only the third case – on direct current, and the fourth case – when wirelessly charging an electric vehicle. A comparison of existing types of connectors for charging electric vehicles has shown that the standardized interface between the charging station and the electric vehicle remains one of the most acute problems.

Neurological Complications After Covid 19 Vaccinations: Serial Case Report

Background: COVID-19 vaccination has been carried out worldwide, with more than 5 million dose of vaccine delivered. Although declared safe, there are cases of neurological disorders after the Covid 19 vaccination. Cases: In the first case, a 20-year-old male came with decrease level of consciousness, 4 days after receiving the first dose of COVID 19 vaccine with Sinovac vaccine. MRI Brain shows acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). In the second case, a 50-year-old male with seizures and decreased consciousness after recieving first dose of COVID-19 vaccination with Sinovac vaccine, 10 days before admission. Non contrast CT Scan and brain contrast MRI Brain revealed cerebral edema. In the third case, an 18-year-old woman had seizures and decreased consciousness one month after the first dose of COVID 19 vaccination with Sinovac. Contrast Head MRI showing focal leptomeningitis. In the fourth case, a 30-year-old male with slurred speech and right-sided weakness. Three months before admission, he had fever, headache, and tingling of the right limbs a few days after the first dose of COVID 19 vaccination with Sinova MRI Brain Contrast shows ADEM lesion Discussion: The mechanism of neurological disorders concerning COVID 19 vaccination is still unclear. Neurological complications after vaccination weaken the effort of vaccination, but can be used as a precaution and assess prognosis while waiting for further confirmation from large epidemiological studies and meta-analyses. Until now, it is believed that the COVID-19 vaccine has important benefits and is a hope for ending the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malignant Melanoma of Anorectum: A Report of Five Cases

BACKGROUND: Anorectal melanoma (ARM) is an extremely rare, highly aggressive form of a tumor with the worst prognosis. ARM contributes 0.5% of all melanoma cases. Its presentation is similar to that of adenocarcinoma of the rectum, hemorrhoids, or solitary rectal ulcer, the incorrect clinical diagnosis or delayed diagnosis is often made. The definite diagnosis is only made through histopathology in which immunohistochemical stains positive to S-100, Melan A, and HMB-45 which differentiates it from adenocarcinoma of the rectum. Because of the limited number of patients and retrospective design of studies to date, there is no proven efficacy of abdominoperineal resection (APR) over local excision (LE) in terms of survival. Furthermore, this neoplasm is quite resistant to chemoradiotherapy. It has a median survival of 18 months and a 5-year survival rate of only 6%. PRESENTATION OF OUR CASES: Here, we report 5 rare cases of anorectal malignant melanoma presented to our institute between 2018 to 2022, who were treated with APR and diversion colostomy. The first case is a 27-years old young female with typical complaints, she was diagnosed ARM with locoregional metastasis. Only a diversion colostomy was performed and referred to an oncologist for palliation. Our second case is a 68-years old male with a similar complaint who presented relatively early and was diagnosed with localized disease. Conventional APR was performed and referred for adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, but the patient refused. However, the lump recurred after 6 months of tumor excision. The third case is a 29 years old male again early presentation with a similar complaint labeled as localized diseased. The conventional APR was performed followed by adjuvant chemoradiation; patient presented with metastatic disease after 6 months. The fourth case is a 60-years old male with typical history and diagnosed with localized disease. Conventional Extra-levator APR was performed followed by adjuvant therapy, but patient developed recurrence of disease with mets after 4 months. The fifth case is a 39-years old female diagnosed as ARM, had advance disease and metastatic deposits at the time of presentation, refused any palliative treatment. The study aims to evaluate our experience in treating this neoplasm. CONCLUSION: Because of the rarity of this neoplasm, no proper trial has been conducted so far. The role of chemoradiotherapy is questionable and the surgical approach varies from radical APR to conservative LE. No surgical approach has been standardized in terms of survival.

Rare Diagnoses and Diagnostic Pitfalls in Female Genital Tract Neoplasms: A Case Series

There is a wide spectrum of disorders that may originate from different parts of the female genital tract. They are often unique and rare, posing a diagnostic challenge for reporting pathologists. Their uniqueness lies in the rare histomorphologic picture and challenging clinical scenarios, accentuated by a paucity of available literature. Sometimes, histomorphology alone may not be sufficient for diagnosis, and ancillary studies like Immunohistochemistry (IHC) may help arrive at a definitive diagnosis. Present article represents a series of six unique cases. The first case presented with virilising features and menstrual irregularities. Gross examination of the adnexal neoplasm showed solid yellowish-orange areas, which were diagnosed as Steroid Cell Tumour (SCT), Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) based on histomorphology. This diagnosis was further substantiated by diffuse and strong Inhibin positivity on IHC. The second case presented with huge abdominal distention and markedly raised CA-125 levels. It was diagnosed as mucinous carcinoma with a focus of Benign Brenner Tumour. The third case presented with postmenopausal bleeding and underwent radical hysterectomy. Gross examination revealed simultaneous involvement of the unilateral adnexa, and it was finally diagnosed as endometrioid carcinoma with adnexal metastasis, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIA. The fourth case was a cervical carcinoma with histomorphology suggestive of high-grade, but it did not fit into any of the known subtypes of adenocarcinoma. Therefore, it was reported as Adenocarcinoma NOS with focal mucinous differentiation. The fifth case was a rare cervical Adenosquamous Carcinoma (ASCC) with both malignant squamous and glandular components. The sixth case was of mesenchymal origin in the vulva, namely Aggressive Angiomyxoma (AA). All these cases highlight the fact that pathologists should be well aware of these entities to make an appropriate diagnosis.

Unusual and extremely rare sites of metastases in gallbladder carcinoma

Gallbladder carcinoma is an aggressive neoplasm that is often diagnosed only in the later stages of the disease progression. Common sites of distant metastases of primary carcinoma gallbladder include lymph nodes, peritoneum and lung. Only a few cases of metastases to adrenal glands and kidneys have been reported in literature. Cutaneous and muscular metastases from gallbladder cancer are also unusual, and an extensive literature search revealed only a few cases to date. We present two such cases of gallbladder carcinoma which presented with metastases to these rare sites at the time of diagnosis which were detected by 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (18F FDG PET/CT). The first case is of a 45-year-old lady who presented to the general surgery department with complaints of abdominal pain, loss of appetite and nausea for 2 months. Conventional imaging with ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the abdomen showed asymmetric gallbladder wall thickening occupying the fundus and body with extensive regional lymphadenopathy. 18F FDG PET/CT revealed a metabolically active gallbladder mass with bilateral adrenal gland lesions with cutaneous, muscular and skeletal metastases. The second case is of a 35-year-old lady who complained of left upper quadrant abdominal pain and nausea for one month. Successive CECT and Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) studies made the radiological diagnosis of gallbladder neoplasm. Pre-operative 18F FDG PET/CT showed a metabolically active gallbladder mass with bilateral adrenal gland lesions, lymph node involvement and bilateral renal metastasis. The Third case was 75 years old male who had incidental carcinoma gall bladder on cholecystectomy and PETCT was done for staging, and it showed metabolically active liver SOL, Bilateral adrenal deposits with mediastinal abdominal, retroperitoneal and lymph nodes. The fourth case is a 55 year old female who was diagnosed as neck gall bladder wall thickening on ultrasonography on further evaluation PETCT was done which showed hypermetabolic gall bladder neck wall thickening along with bilateral adrenal lesion and abdominal, retroperitoneal and retro-crural and right supraclavicular lymph nodes. Adrenal and other metastasis detection on 18F FDG PET/CT led to a change in the management from curative surgery to palliative chemotherapy in all patients. Thus,18F FDG PET/CT is a valuable modality in such type of cases that aids decision making regarding staging, appropriate management and monitoring response to therapy.

Pogled na odabrane slučajeve novije švajcarske sudske prakse u oblasti međunarodne arbitraže

This article discusses four selected issues that were subject of recent decisions of the Swiss Federal Tribunal in the context of international arbitration seated in Switzerland. The first case examines the scope of the parties' duty of curiosity when it comes to challenging an arbitrator's independence and impartiality, specifically in the context of online resources. The case further touches upon the possibility for a review of an award if such grounds for challenge of an arbitrator were discovered after the 30-day time limit for setting aside the final award. The second case concerns a successful challenge to a partial award, in which the Swiss Federal Tribunal confirmed that an arbitration agreement cannot be extended to a non-signatory subcontractor based on its interference in the execution of the main contract. In the third case, the Swiss Federal Tribunal clarifies that a blanket dismissal of overly broad and vague document production requests as fishing expedition does not violate a party's right to be heard. Finally, in the fourth case, the Swiss Federal Tribunal dealt with the interpretation of a waiver clause in the arbitration agreement that excludes all appeals against arbitral awards.

Port-site Infection with Atypical Mycobacteria Post-laparoscopic Procedure: A Case Series

Surgical site infections with atypical mycobacteria are uncommon but not unheard of. Atypical mycobacteria are abundantly present in soil and water and can cause infections when the immune system is compromised. We present four cases of atypical mycobacterial infections at the port site following laparoscopy. In the first case, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there was histopathologic evidence of mycobacterial infection, although the smear and culture tests were negative. The second case, post- laparoscopic sterilisation, also showed histopathologic evidence, but the smear test was negative. Similarly, the third case, post- laparoscopic appendectomy, had histopathologic evidence but a negative smear. The fourth case, a post-laparoscopic hernia repair, had histopathologic evidence, a positive smear, and positive culture. The Catridge-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT) for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) was negative for all four patients, indicating the absence of tuberculous infection. The first three patients were treated with conventional anti-tubercular treatment using four drugs: Isoniazid (INH), rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide, along with an additional quinolone. The fourth patient was treated with a combination of Ciprofloxacin, Clarithromycin, and doxycycline. All four patients responded well to treatment. The use of tap water to dilute disinfectants is considered a risk factor for atypical mycobacterial infection.

Humpback spiders from Ecuador: relationships, prosoma ‘inflation’ and genital asymmetry (Araneae: Pholcidae: Mecolaesthus)

Males of the South American spider genus Mecolaesthus Simon, 1893 are characterised by a dorsally ‘inflated’ prosoma or hump. Here we describe the first representatives of the genus from Ecuador. A phylogenetic analysis of molecular sequence data suggests that the new species are part of an Amazonian-West Indian clade. Whether this clade is sister to ‘true’ (northern Venezuelan) Mecolaesthus or not remains unclear. The two clades occupy different major Neotropical biogeographic regions. Our phylogenetic reanalysis of Mecolaesthus and related genera greatly expands the taxon sampling compared to previous analyses (from 9 to 46 species representing the ‘Venezuelan clade’ of genera) but remains ambiguous regarding the monophyly of Mecolaesthus. In addition, we present first micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) data of the unique prosoma ‘inflation’, showing that these ‘inflations’ are tightly packed with muscles inserted at the leg coxae, mainly of legs 2 and 3. Male (but not female) leg length is negatively correlated with body size and this is highly unusual in Pholcidae. We predict that male–male fights in Mecolaesthus rely on powerful leg movements of legs 2 and 3 rather than on using legs 1 to assess the opponent’s body size. Finally, we document structural genital asymmetry in females of three of the four new species and in M. putumayo Huber, 2000 (of which the female is newly described). This constitutes the fourth known case of structural genital asymmetry in Pholcidae. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3110BCD6-BA65-45E2-A758-71F2767BD6E4

Nonlinear Statistical models for COVID-19 fourth wave cases in Egypt

Nonlinear Statistical models for COVID-19 fourth wave cases in Egypt

Predicting the thermal comfort of occupants in an indoor auditorium space with different UFAD ventilation arrangements

An “Underfloor Air Distribution” (UFAD) system employs the open area underneath a raised floor system to drive conditioned air to the supply outlets situated in the floor. To understand a UFAD, think of it as an “upside-down version” of an overhead (OH) system. The idea behind it is to increase both energy efficiency as well as the quality of air in a home. In this paper, an auditorium model has been simulated for analysing the temperature distribution as well as thermal comfort of human occupants provided with 4 different cases of ventilation. The auditorium has two AC inlets ducts, each 2.50 m wide further branched into a number of small diffusers over the auditorium ceiling in order to distribute the inlet air evenly throughout the theatre space. The first case involves an upward ceiling outlet at the front of the theatre near the screen area while the second case has a downward outlet on the floor in the screen area. The third case is similar to the second one with human occupants designed as cuboids on every staircase while for the fourth case, the outlets have been provided under every seat on the staircase. It has been observed in the analysis that the downward outlets in case 2 provide better temperature distribution than the upward outlets of case 1. But the position of outlets below every seat, as in case 4, in the auditorium provides the best thermal comfort for the occupants than all the other cases. Hence, for the “maximum thermal comfort” of the human occupants, the outlets are advised to be installed downward on the floor under every seat.

Multi-Joint Leg Moment Estimation During Walking Using Thigh or Shank Angles.

To reinstate human-like locomotion by using robotic prosthetics, orthotics or exoskeletons, a main challenge is how to coordinate the motion of these devices with that of the biological limbs. One approach to overcome this challenge is to identify firstly the relationships that exist between the kinematics and kinetics of the lower extremity joints and limbs. In this work we aimed to continuously estimate sagittal plane ankle, knee and hip moments using shank or thigh angles. For this purpose, neural network and wavelets were used in a nonlinear auto-regressive model with exogenous inputs. This approach circumvented the need for switching rules or intermediate parameters. To assess the performance of the estimator, four case studies were developed. First, thigh angles (inputs) were used to estimate hip moments (outputs). Second, thigh angles were used to estimate knee moments. Third, ankle moments were estimated using thigh angles, and in the fourth case study, ankle moments were estimated using shank angles. Three different databases involving 106 subjects at different walking speeds were used to evaluate estimation quality. The testing procedure involved both inter-subject and intra-subject evaluations. The best estimation performance was observed when ankle moments were estimated from shank angles. The weakest estimation performance was observed when knee moments were estimated using thigh angles at 0.5 m/s. For this case, the estimation quality was much better at 1.5 m/s. Average RMS errors were 0.13- 0.15, 0.10- 0.13, and 0.09- 0.12 [Nm/kg] for hip, knee and ankle moments, respectively. Average mean absolute errors MAEs were 0.10- 0.11, 0.07- 0.10, and 0.06- 0.08 [Nm/kg] for hip, knee and ankle moments, respectively. Average correlation coefficients were 0.90- 0.98 and 0.98- 0.99 for hip and ankle moment estimations. The value for knee was comparable only at high speed (0.96 for 1.5 m/s), while it was less accurate at slow speed (0.71 for 0.5 m/s). In general, for all of the joints, the estimation accuracy was comparable with that of other studies, although one source of input was employed (either shank or thigh angle).

Neuroparalytic Snake Bite Masquerading as Acute Abdominal Pain in Children

Background: Neurotoxic snakebite (usually by the krait) presents with abdominal colic and chest pain as a common premonitory sign of envenomation. Being a nocturnal snake, the time of unprovoked painless biting is usually at night and the victims are individuals sleeping on the ground. Thus, history is usually not forthcoming. Snakebite causes morbidity (neuroparalytic, myopathic, vasculopathic, venom-induced consumption coagulopathy, cardiotoxic, nephrotoxic, etc.), and mortality if not given timely treatment with anti-snake venom (ASV), the only specific treatment. Clinical Description: We present four children from a rural background who were admitted successively over a month during the last rainy season. They initially became symptomatic with acute abdominal pain from midnight to early morning time and developed neuroparalytic manifestations within a few hours. On exclusion of other causes by clinical evaluation, we suspected snakebite envenomation though there was no witnessing of the event or evidence of fang bites. Investigations to rule out commonly associated organ dysfunction were ordered. Management: All children were given supportive therapy. Three cases required mechanical ventilation. The first two received ASV relatively late as the suspicion of snakebite was not considered initially. In the third case, the administration of ASV was early and the hospital stay was shorter. The fourth case received ASV at a peripheral health center and was referred in case he required ventilator support. However, his neuroparalysis did not progress to respiratory failure and he was discharged the earliest. Conclusions: Clinicians should consider snakebite in children belonging to rural areas who present with acute abdominal pain during the rainy season, and monitor for signs of neurotoxicity and other clinical manifestations of snake envenomation. A high index of suspicion should be kept, as definitive treatment with ASV results in early recovery without any sequelae, and reduces mortality.

Olfactory neuroblastoma with rhabdomyoblasts: A rare case report and review of the literature

Herein we present a case of a 62-year-old male patient who was admitted with the chief complaints of nasal obstruction. The histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation led to a diagnosis of olfactory neuroblastoma with rhabdomyoblasts. A review of the literature revealed that this is only the fourth case of olfactory neuroblastoma with rhabdomyoblasts. Thus, investigation of more cases and longer follow-up is necessary to understand the disease and identify the best treatment to improve prognosis.

Rare Etiology of Reversible Hypokinetic Dilatated Heart Disease in Infants: Bland-White-Garland Syndrome (ALCAPA)

Bland-White-Garland syndrome or ALCAPA is an abnormality of birth of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. It is a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency because it is a curable cause of hypokinetic dilated heart disease in infants. We report through this clinical case, the fourth case of infantile ALCAPA diagnosed in Senegal in a 7-month-old infant. The symptomatology began around the age of 2 months, with a grumpy state associated with more marked crying and moaning during feedings and bowel movements. The mother reported hospitalization for a severe lung infection when she was 6 months old. The examination noted an infant in poor general condition, retarded growth and weight, and a 3/6th holosystolic murmur at the apex. Troponinemia was positive at 43.90 ng/L. The electrocardiogram showed Q waves on the lower side, a sub endocardial lesion on the upper side and a ST segment elevation in aVR. Doppler echocardiography showed dilated cardiomyopathy with a mean alteration of systolic function of the left ventricle at 37%, a mean mitral insufficiency and a strong suspicion of a birth anomaly of the left coronary artery. The CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of ALCAPA. Surgicalreimplantation of the left coronary artery at the aortic level was performed at 10 months of life with a favourable outcome at D50 postoperative.

Decision for tPA Administration, Not Response Time, Contributes Most to Variation in Thrombolysis Times Onboard Mobile Stroke Unit

Background Hospitals have improved stroke thrombolysis times through rigorous assessment of care delays. However, this same rigor has not yet been applied to the novel setting of mobile stroke units (MSUs). Methods We reviewed all cases of intravenous tPA (tissue‐type plasminogen activator) administration onboard our MSU in Rochester, NY, since its first complete year of operation in 2019. The dispatch timeline was divided into 6 intervals: (1) response time, (2) onboarding time, (3) head computed tomography collection, (4) head computed tomography reading, (5) decision time, and (6) intravenous tPA administration. Results The mean±SD total time between MSU dispatch and tPA was 42±8.4 minutes (range, 26–60 minutes; N=53). The largest mean duration was in (1), between dispatch and arrival (12.0±4.7 minutes). However, the intercase variation was greatest in (5), between head computed tomography reading and treatment decision (6.3±6.2 minutes). After ranking cases by total time, the mean decision times of first and fourth quartile cases varied the most, by a factor of 2.45, whereas the mean times for the other intervals varied by <1.50. Decision time was the interval most closely correlated with the mean total time (Spearman ρ=0.46; P =0.00051), which significantly decreased from 2019 to 2020 (Mann‐Whitney, Z=2.38; P =0.02). Decision time was negatively correlated with time since inception of the MSU (Spearman ρ=−0.29; P =0.037; Figure 2B), suggesting that decision time drove both variations and improvements in overall thrombolysis time. Conclusions The primary driver of variation in total time from emergency alert to tPA administration is provider decision time in our MSU program in Rochester, NY. This observation should be investigated in other settings but may ultimately inform MSU training and staffing to optimize MSU treatment timelines.

Giant hypopharyngeal fibroepithelial polyp: A case report and literature review.

Hypopharyngeal fibroepithelial polyp is a rare entity. It could extend along the esophagus, leading to dysphagia. In rare cases, this polyp could present as airway compromise due to occlusion of the inlet of the larynx. The treatment of choice is surgical resection. Accurate defining of the origin of such polyp is mandatory in order to achieve complete resection and avoid recurrence. Although hypopharyngeal FEP is rare, physicians must keep this in mind when a patient presents dysphagia or airway compromise. In the current case, we present a rare case of giant hypopharyngeal FEP originating from the right pyriform sinus detected in a Caucasian female. The patient threw up the polyp after severe vomiting. This case should be the fourth and largest case of hypopharyngeal FEP reported in the literature.

Next generation application of DPSIR for sustainable policy implementation

As our societies and natural systems are becoming ever more interconnected, it is critical that sustainable management can adapt to new knowledge from both the ecological and the social domains, and act on it in a timely and effective manner. This need is amplifying in the Anthropocene as we are approaching the limit for humanity's safe operating space, leading to irreversible change to ecosystem function. This urgently requires increased attention and concern regarding the information feedbacks between the silos of science, policy and society. A web of policies is in place to protect the health of people and the planet, but to ensure that they are effective we need frameworks to make sense of real-world complexities and interlinkages between multiple factors. The Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Response (DPSIR) framework was created for this purpose, however, its' implicit focus on 1) analytical and 2) procedural aspects must be made explicit, to enable coordination across silos and studies. Continued creation of new DPSIR derivatives may limit its impact, while more explicit coordination between these two aspects can improve the effectiveness of DPSIR while retaining its flexibility. We thus propose five elements to support sustainable policy development and implementation using DPSIR: 1) iteration; 2) risk, uncertainty and analytical bias; 3) flexible integration; 4) use of quantitative methods, and; 5) clear and standard definitions for DPSIR. We illustrate these elements in four cases: Three highlight missing feedbacks when DPSIR elements are not made explicit and a fourth case – on per-and-polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) – showing a potential roadmap to successful policy implementation using DPSIR.

Texture Analysis to Enhance Drone-Based Multi-Modal Inspection of Structures

The drone-based multi-modal inspection of industrial structures is a relatively new field of research gaining interest among companies. Multi-modal inspection can significantly enhance data analysis and provide a more accurate assessment of the components’ operability and structural integrity, which can assist in avoiding data misinterpretation and providing a more comprehensive evaluation, which is one of the NDT4.0 objectives. This paper investigates the use of coupled thermal and visible images to enhance abnormality detection accuracy in drone-based multi-modal inspections. Four use cases are presented, introducing novel process pipelines for enhancing defect detection in different scenarios. The first use case presents a process pipeline to enhance the feature visibility on visible images using thermal images in pavement crack detection. The second use case proposes an abnormality classification method for surface and subsurface defects using both modalities and texture segmentation for piping inspections. The third use case introduces a process pipeline for road inspection using both modalities. A texture segmentation method is proposed to extract the pavement regions in thermal and visible images. Further, the combination of both modalities is used to detect surface and subsurface defects. The texture segmentation approach is employed for bridge inspection in the fourth use case to extract concrete surfaces in both modalities.

Thermo-economic performance improvement of hemispherical solar still using wick material with V-corrugated basin and two different energy storage materials

Solar still is a developing solar desalination method that has been introduced to face the shortage of freshwater with low energy consumption. However, this method is challenged by its low productivity. Therefore, the following work aimed to improve the freshwater productivity and reduce the produced water price. Herein, the performance of a hemispheric solar still equipped with four alternative combinations was experimentally studied; and its thermo-economic performance was assessed. The experimental work had four stages, firstly the distiller’s flat basin was replaced by a V-corrugated basin. Secondly, the corrugated basin was covered with a black cotton wick material. Thirdly, paraffin wax, as a phase change material (PCM), was contained under the wick-coated corrugated basin for latent thermal storage purpose. Finally, paraffin was replaced with sheep fat PCM. Each modified distiller was compared to a conventional one from 8 A.M. until 9 P.M. under the climate conditions of Suez City, Egypt lies at (29. 5825 °N, 32.5734°E) in terms of the thermal performance, daily productivity, and freshwater price. The four cases showed increasing in the daily productivity by ratios of 11 %, 25.7 %, 34.1 %, and 39.6 % respectively. The fourth case showed the best water productivity and thermal performance. It had daily productivity of 4737.5 mL/m2 and 45 % thermal efficiency. Furthermore, the thermal performance in terms of the thermal and exergy efficiencies improved by 39.75 % and 44.04 %, whereas the average total heat transfer coefficient increased by 5.5 %. Moreover, the freshwater price was 0.0137 $/L, likewise, 17.5 % cost reduction.

On the Higgs spectra of the 3-3-1 model

The minimal scalar sector of the 3-3-1 model is composed by the SU(3)L triplet scalars η, ρ, χ and its potential allows the trilinear term f2χηρ. Since f is an energy scale associated to the explicit violation of Peccei-Quinn global symmetry, it is natural to wonder about its value and influence in the spectrum of scalars of the model. Here, we show that f determines the spectrum of scalars of the model. Hence, we develop the scalar sector considering f belonging to four energy regimes, namely f≪〈η〉0, 〈ρ〉0; f=〈η〉0, 〈ρ〉0; f=〈χ〉0 and f≫〈χ〉0 and obtain the spectrum of scalars for each case. In the first and second cases the spectrum of scalars presents a set of new scalars belonging to the electroweak scale, while in the third case all new scalars belong to the 3-3-1 scale and the fourth case all the new scalars have masses lying at f scale. All cases have a neutral CP-even scalar mimicking the standard Higgs.